imported>Wordman: /* Lower Temple */

2005-07-12T03:44:50Z

Lower Temple

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:44, 12 July 2005
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	More exotic was a room full of living webbing, which seemed charged with		More exotic was a room full of living webbing, which seemed charged with
	~~lighting~~. The entire web moved as a single creature and could cast sparks at its		lightning. The entire web moved as a single creature and could cast sparks at its
	prey (our party, in particular). When a large section was severed, it seemed to		prey (our party, in particular). When a large section was severed, it seemed to
	detonate with a kind of electrical death throw. Given enough damage, however,		detonate with a kind of electrical death throw. Given enough damage, however,
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	quarters. While giving us a sound thrashing, these tentacles left the items in		quarters. While giving us a sound thrashing, these tentacles left the items in
	the room unharmed, indicating that this spell was most likely cast as a defense		the room unharmed, indicating that this spell was most likely cast as a defense
	measure by the chief surgeon while he was alive. If this is the case, he must of		measure by the chief surgeon while he was alive. If this is the case, he must have
	been a fairly competent spell weaver.		been a fairly competent spell weaver.

imported>Wordman at 03:38, 12 July 2005

2005-07-12T03:38:59Z

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''A report to Scholar [[Garvin Rowtan]] from Senior Librarian [[Avanimorel Vincreo]]''

==Introduction==

On June 19, Chief of the Junre Temple in Garvin Rowtan informed me that
Senior Scholar Evelyn of the Savant’s Hospital in Chendl uncovered a lost
temple to Delleb near the town of Helvec. Having visited this location himself
and finding it occupied by a hostile force, Scholar Rowtan directed me to clear
out the temple and discover its condition.

What follows is an account of this assignment as well as thoughts and
recommendation on the future disposition of the temple.

==Assembly==

Realizing that defeating a well-armed group of hostiles single-handedly
exceeded my abilities, I gathered a group with whom I have worked on such
ventures before. Though I was unable to offer anything much in the way of
payment, all of them readily volunteered.

A brief note on these individuals is in order, as without them success would
not have been possible. In no particular order:

The human ranger Qaz, while quiet, always seems ready for action. He
possesses a vaguely macabre (and somewhat violent) sense of humor that I find
strangely endearing. Though he often curses his luck with it, his sword has
saved my life on numerous occasions.

Kelevandros’ skill with the bow impresses me already and the elf shows
every sign of getting even better. Even more quiet than Qaz, Kel tends to be
more level headed and cautious, a trait that has proved a good balance to the
rest of the group. Additionally, his eye misses very little.

Hugan Stoneblade, a dwarven warrior-priest presents an interesting
contradiction, skilled in both violence and healing. His gruff exterior conceals
someone more thoughtful than might be expected. He is also a wine lover, which I
can’t help but admire.

The halfling Frith Hugglebottom is, quite simply, a thief. He is, however, an
extremely well mannered thief, and seems more motivated by excitement than
greed. He is also quite adept at throwing daggers, though a few have drifted
slightly closer to my head than might have been, strictly speaking,
necessary.

As a priest of Heironeous, the human Bryan Finora loves charging into battle
even more than Qaz. Motivated entirely by the glory of battle, he provides a
welcome vivaciousness to our group. I am quite glad he is on our side.

Together, we possess a good mix of skills and I am pleased they put their
lives on the line for Delleb.

==Upper Temple==

Knowing the hostiles in the temple had bows, crossing the stretch of open
ground between the temple and the treeline quickly dominated our planning. After
some reconnaissance, we settled upon a bidirectional attack, with most of the
group sneaking to the cover of some bushes behind the temple under darkness of
night. At first light, Hurgan began a slow approach from the side. Bryan, being
the only one of us with a warhorse, loudly charged the front of the temple. The
rest of us attacked the rear once Bryan was engaged.

The hostiles turned out to be a band of sixteen orcs, their leader, their
guard dog and a witch doctor. Though the battle was hard, particularly on Bryan,
we managed to dispatch them in fairly short order. We left one alive for
questioning, but this proved fruitless as we frightened her and the magical
means we employed to communicate frightened her even more. Ultimately, we
disarmed her and let her go.

I wonder about the presence of orcs so close to Helvic. All of the orcs wore
armor and carried weapons, even the women, so this was not a wandering tribe but
a war party. I fear they may have been an advanced scouting party. On the other
hand, they seemed to have made themselves at home in the temple, and I would
think a scouting party would be more mobile.

In any case, after creating a pyre for the orcs, we explored the rest of the
grounds of the temple. In addition to the main temple building, this included a
detached hospital building, a barracks and stables. Some strange denizens,
including a few species new to me, inhabited these places.

One of these was what appeared to be a gold coin. When approached, however,
the coin would roll of its own will, grew fangs and became quite cross.
Defeating this beast required more effort than one might think. Unfortunately,
it was not left in a state suitable for preservation and study.

Another was a bird species that trailed webbing behind them as they flew.
While not physically imposing, they could very easily entangle people. Those who
were entangled were fed upon and had eggs lain inside their necks. As with most
webbing, fire proved an effective weapon against the webs of these creatures,
though they tried to move away from it when they could. As such, none of the
dozen specimens remains for study.

Some species were familiar, however, including the flock of sixteen stirges.
Each time one of these creatures stings me, I’ve been keeping the stinger.
I’m amassing quite a collection. Also familiar was a wall covered with
amber lotus flowers, though growing among them was a creature that appeared very
much like a tree stump with long animated tentacles.

All of these creatures were dispatched.

==Lower Temple==

Following a blocked off stairwell downwards uncovered catacombs beneath the
temple similarly populated with wildlife. Much of this were giant variants of
fairly common species, such as frogs (two), centipedes (sixteen), spiders (six)
and a weasel, all of whom had taken up some portion of the catacombs as their
lair. Slightly less common were four fire beetles, who also claimed a room of
the catacombs as their own. None of these animals reacted kindly to our
presence, nor us to theirs.

While the ground level of the temple attracted some unusual fauna, it was
quite pedestrian compared to some of the entities encountered underground. The
first of these were a pair malevolent spherical creatures, each with two
tentacles tipped with poisonous stingers. The poison affected one of our member
and either Qaz is quite hardy or the poison somewhat mild (or perhaps a bit of
both), as Qaz managed to shake off its effects within a few hours. I managed to
salvage one of the stingers, though a number of days passed before it could be
properly preserved.

More exotic was a room full of living webbing, which seemed charged with
lighting. The entire web moved as a single creature and could cast sparks at its
prey (our party, in particular). When a large section was severed, it seemed to
detonate with a kind of electrical death throw. Given enough damage, however,
the life (if life it was) seemed to leave it, and I have some of it within a jar
in my possession.

Another room housed some kind of force, with at least a rudimentary mind
behind it, which must have gathered every scrap of leather from within the
catacombs together into a loose form that it used as a body. Initially found at
rest, it soon turned into a whorl of gloves, belts and leather scraps, intent on
doing us harm. It did possess some solidity, as arrows and swords hurt it.

One of the more insidious beasts we encountered appears as nothing so much as
a small patch of human skin. It floated down onto the back of Bryan’s neck, an
action fortunately spotted by Frith. I managed to extract it before any ill
befell Bryan, so its exact capabilities remain unknown. Naturally, I saved the
specimen for further study.

Of all we encountered, what gave us the most trouble was no beast at all, but
a magic spell that grew six tentacles from the walls of the chief surgeon’s
quarters. While giving us a sound thrashing, these tentacles left the items in
the room unharmed, indicating that this spell was most likely cast as a defense
measure by the chief surgeon while he was alive. If this is the case, he must of
been a fairly competent spell weaver.

Though many strange creatures thrived in the catacombs, none that I have
detailed gave the impression of any real intelligence. We did meet one entity
down there, however, that did.

==Tralisa==

While Tralisa’s beauty no doubt shined while she was alive and leading the
guard of the temple, as a ghost she radiated a palpable aura of cold and dread.
Gazing upon her was a fearful experience, one that I would not like to repeat.
Ghosts, I’m led to understand, are extremely powerful creatures, so it is likely
that Tralisa could have dispatched us all quite easily. Instead, she helped
us.

Evidently a hired mercenary rather than a member of the church, Tralisa
evidently took her contract to protect the temple extremely seriously, because
she guarded the catacombs for over a hundred years after her death. All that time alone,
however, weighed on her and she spoke to us of a willingness to move on. She
requested that we find her earthly remains and give them a proper burial, so
that she could move on in peace. In return, she offered us the key to a vault
beneath the library and what it contained.

She also gave hints as to what happened to the temple originally. Evidently
the entire temple was put to the sword by a surprise attack in the middle of
night. Tralisa gave the impression that the attackers were bandits, and certainly
stranger things have happened.

We discovered Tralisa’s bones scattered under the barracks building on the
surface. I prefer not to think on how they got there. We dug a grave, and I
arranged her skeleton as completely as possible within it. Performing the
Service for the Dead, I also offered her thanks, in Delleb’s name, for her
tireless service to the Scholar these long years. Her grave is now well
marked.

On returning to the vault, we found Tralisa gone and the promised key
waiting. Within the vault were a number of small gems, a few coins, several
potions (diminution, extra-healing and 2 healing), a scroll (protecting against
undead) and magical bracers. For the moment, I have appropriated the bracers.
Following Tralisa’s suggestion, I made the judgment call to divide the rest up
among the group I gathered to help me, as a reward for their death-defying
efforts on Delleb’s behalf.

==Temple Condition==

While the foundations are probably salvageable, the main structures of the
surface buildings will mostly likely need to be ripped down and rebuilt. The
structure of the catacombs seems quite sound, but the interior appointments are
a total loss and will need replacing, including the library.

More importantly, only one consecrated space remains active, that of a small
chapel underground. Interestingly, this space seems to have been enchanted to
squelch all sounds made within it. The resulting effect is quite serene.

A more thorough search may uncover an occasional item of use in the rubble.
The hospital, for example, had at least one glass fixture enchanted to glow
continually. There may also be a few books in the library that escaped
irreparable harm; I lacked the time to examine them all individually.

While the bodies of the orcs occupying the temple have been cremated, part of
the clean up effort will involve removing the corpses of the creatures our
scouting party dispatched.

==Short Term Recommendations==

First and foremost, the area on which the temple sits and the surrounding
environs should be given the name “Tralisa’s Watch”, in honor
of the non-clergy mercenary woman who gave not only her life to protect Delleb’s
charges, but her afterlife as well. This would naturally make the temple’s proper
name the Temple to Delleb at Tralisa’s Watch.

Second, the grave of Guard Captain Tralisa be used as the center point of a
graveyard ancillary to the temple. Ideally, this area would be demarcated by a
low stone wall.

Third, the marker upon Guard Captain Tralisa’s burial site be exchanged for a
more permanent one, befitting her stature.

Fourth, news of this temple’s discovery be circulated as widely as possible,
particularly in Helvic. Of critical importance here is telling Tralisa’s story.
Many of the locals believed that the area of the temple was haunted, which, in
fact, it was. It will be vital for the quick restoration of the temple that it
be made clear the area is no longer so afflicted. Admitting that there was a
ghost and explaining how she left should make the claim that the area is no longer
haunted more believable.

It may also be possible to use the rumors of haunting to build awareness of
the temple. After all, many find temples to be somewhat dry and stolid, but
everyone loves a good ghost story.

Fifth, a call should go out in Helvic and elsewhere for donations of both
money and labor for the restoration of the temple. Of the two, the latter will
be more immediately useful, as quite a bit of muscle work will be needed just to
clear out the existing rubble. Ideally, much of this labor will come from
Helvic, as this would tend to build a link between the temple and the town as
well as build a sense of community involving the temple with local people.

As far as monetary donations go, with limited staff in this area, it may be
advisable to use local civilians as collection agents. I am aquatinted with a
merchant in Helvic, for example, who might be convinced to act as a donation
desk, in exchange for a small percentage. He strikes me as a man who could be
trusted with such a task.

Sixth, the entire site needs to be cleaned up. This can be done by civilians
for the most part, but a handful of junior librarians on temporary assignment
here would be useful to scour the catacombs for anything useful, particularly
the library. Thoughts of rebuilding the library must, unfortunately, wait until
more pressing needs are attended.

There may be a few minor creatures left in the ruins. One group of giant rats
in the stables, for example, seemed more interested in fleeing, but they may
have returned since.

Any organic matter, such as the numerous corpses of the creatures we killed,
should be removed, brought to the surface, searched and burned. This should be
one of the first tasks completed. The crew who does this should be aware that
they are handling the dead and take appropriate precautions against disease and
so on.

As part of this cleanup, all refuse, bedding, supplies, etc.—everything
inanimate and loose—should be brought to the surface and arranged outside.
Part of this effort should be to look into the nooks and crannies of the site
that our party did not have time to investigate. This would include draining
pools, sifting through the collapsed ceiling of the hospital and so on. Once
done, detect magic should be cast on the collection to make sure nothing was
overlooked. Naturally, items should also be checked for salvageability, though
these will be few and far between.

Seventh, buildings must be rebuilt. This should probably start with an eye
toward getting the hospital operational first, for four reasons. The first is
that having an active hospital nearby will be of the most immediate benefit to
the widest range of people and will undoubtedly predispose citizens of Helvic
towards the temple. The importance of goodwill of the local townspeople should
not be underestimated in the rebuilding effort. Second, an active hospital
implies an active staff with assignments unrelated to the rebuilding, making the
location useful more quickly. Third, the dedication of the temple building
should mark the end of the rebuilding effort, not the beginning. Lastly, once
cleaned out, the catacombs will provide sheltered (though rough) living
conditions for staff without need to build structures for them.

==Long Term Recommendations==

In many of the short term recommendations, a theme that will continue here
may be evident: that of actively attracting attention to the temple. This is
critical to the temple’s lasting survival due to its geography. Unlike most
temples to Delleb, Tralisa’s Watch is not located in a city or town, but hours
away from any real population center. As such, people will need a real reason to
visit this temple, reasons that need to be invented and actively promoted by the
temple’s clergy.

One way of doing this is to make the temple the world center for certain
kinds of learning. While this temple will have a hospital, for example, there is
only one Savant’s Hospital and this temple’s hospital will never be as grand.
The temple could, however, be set up as the center for some other discipline.
Some such ideas follow, in no particular order:

The temple has a stone room that has been converted into an excellent wine
cellar. Knowing something about wine production myself, I’d like to make this
wine cellar the most complete in the region as well as a center for the study of
wine. I will write letters to local wine makers explaining this idea and asking
for donations of a few bottles from each vintage. Any will be allowed to sample
any wine, provided they donate one or more bottles of equivalent value. One of
the main purposes of this will be to gain a certain amount of notoriety among
the merchant class, such that they make a point to stop by the temple when
passing through. As they are generally widely traveled, merchants are an
excellent source of information. I can envision a time where a custom might
develop of merchant’s donating a rare bottle of wine in exchange for a night’s
stay at the temple.

Given the strange fauna inhabiting the catacombs, it would not be
inappropriate to collect specimens of similar creatures, perhaps even creating a
new building as a museum for them. This could make the temple central to other
fields, such as taxidermy.

A schoolhouse should be setup, either as part of the temple or as an annex
within Helvic. The principle goal of the schoolhouse should be to teach reading
to anyone who wants to learn, as it is a skill in short supply in this
region.

On the eve of one Freeday every few months, the temple grounds could act as a
knowledge festival site of sorts, where people could set up demonstrations of
various skills, such as blacksmithing, archery, thatching, cooking, dance,
anything to show anyone who wanted to learn. There would, of course, be food,
drink and conversation. Civilians would most likely treat this as a social
outing, but a little learning snuck into a good day out never hurt anyone.

Each month, the best minds on a specific subject would be sent invitations to
gather at the temple on a particular Godsday. After the Mass of Knowledge, in
invitees would be free to discuss anything they liked with each other, with the
only witnesses being themselves and two scribes to record all that is said
(perhaps secretly, as people who know they are being recorded alter their
behavior). Ideally, those invited would come from scattered origins, and would
come for the chance of meeting (or, perhaps, arguing with) the other great minds
of their field. The people invited need not be scholars. For example, perhaps
one month the invitees are the most prominent ship captains. Another month might
host musicians from around the land. Another might be the best woodsmen or sword
smiths. Another might even host the most successful criminals. The field or
social class would not matter. The point would be to get the best together and
see what they do.

An entirely different tactic might be to use the temple’s remoteness as an
advantage, setting it up as a research center well away from population centers.
The temple would still be open to all, but a certain amount of security may be
needed to make sure the research is unmolested. While this is tempting to
contemplate, I believe this strategy would backfire. The people around here are
a superstitious lot, and I expect grumbling would begin about secret goings on
at the temple. Remember, most of them already think the site is haunted and any
appearance of secrecy in the temple would fuel rumor-mongering.

Some minor events in Helvic suggest one additional intriguing possibility for
the temple. Some of the merchants in the area suffer from a shortage of coinage.
This is not to say they are lacking funds; they are as wealthy as ever. By
“shortage of coinage” I mean simply that not enough physical coins are available
to them to conduct large transactions. Some of this could be remedied if the
temple were to also act as an impartial financial office, officiating deals,
backing notes of credit, holding funds involved in a transaction until the buyer
and the seller were satisfied, and so on. This would provide a valuable service
to the merchants of the region, and its value as an information gathering tool
for us cannot be underestimated. In time, it may be that such activity would
attract financial scholars to the temple as well.

In any case, before any of this happens, a road to repair stretches ahead of us.

[[Category:Greyhawk]]

Avanimorel's Temple Report - Revision history

imported>Wordman: /* Lower Temple */

imported>Wordman at 03:38, 12 July 2005