https://rpg.divnull.com/wiki/index.php?title=Avanimorel%27s_Temple_Report&feed=atom&action=historyAvanimorel's Temple Report - Revision history2024-03-29T01:13:21ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.41.0https://rpg.divnull.com/wiki/index.php?title=Avanimorel%27s_Temple_Report&diff=729&oldid=previmported>Wordman: /* Lower Temple */2005-07-12T03:44:50Z<p><span dir="auto"><span class="autocomment">Lower Temple</span></span></p>
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<td colspan="2" style="background-color: #fff; color: #202122; text-align: center;">Revision as of 03:44, 12 July 2005</td>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>More exotic was a room full of living webbing, which seemed charged with</div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>More exotic was a room full of living webbing, which seemed charged with</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">lighting</del>. The entire web moved as a single creature and could cast sparks at its</div></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">lightning</ins>. The entire web moved as a single creature and could cast sparks at its</div></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>measure by the chief surgeon while he was alive. If this is the case, he must <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">of</del></div></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>measure by the chief surgeon while he was alive. If this is the case, he must <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">have</ins></div></td></tr>
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</table>imported>Wordmanhttps://rpg.divnull.com/wiki/index.php?title=Avanimorel%27s_Temple_Report&diff=728&oldid=previmported>Wordman at 03:38, 12 July 20052005-07-12T03:38:59Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>''A report to Scholar [[Garvin Rowtan]] from Senior Librarian [[Avanimorel Vincreo]]''<br />
<br />
==Introduction==<br />
<br />
On June 19, Chief of the Junre Temple in Garvin Rowtan informed me that<br />
Senior Scholar Evelyn of the Savant&rsquo;s Hospital in Chendl uncovered a lost<br />
temple to Delleb near the town of Helvec. Having visited this location himself<br />
and finding it occupied by a hostile force, Scholar Rowtan directed me to clear<br />
out the temple and discover its condition.<br />
<br />
What follows is an account of this assignment as well as thoughts and<br />
recommendation on the future disposition of the temple.<br />
<br />
==Assembly==<br />
<br />
Realizing that defeating a well-armed group of hostiles single-handedly<br />
exceeded my abilities, I gathered a group with whom I have worked on such<br />
ventures before. Though I was unable to offer anything much in the way of<br />
payment, all of them readily volunteered.<br />
<br />
A brief note on these individuals is in order, as without them success would<br />
not have been possible. In no particular order:<br />
<br />
The human ranger Qaz, while quiet, always seems ready for action. He<br />
possesses a vaguely macabre (and somewhat violent) sense of humor that I find<br />
strangely endearing. Though he often curses his luck with it, his sword has<br />
saved my life on numerous occasions.<br />
<br />
Kelevandros&rsquo; skill with the bow impresses me already and the elf shows<br />
every sign of getting even better. Even more quiet than Qaz, Kel tends to be<br />
more level headed and cautious, a trait that has proved a good balance to the<br />
rest of the group. Additionally, his eye misses very little.<br />
<br />
Hugan Stoneblade, a dwarven warrior-priest presents an interesting<br />
contradiction, skilled in both violence and healing. His gruff exterior conceals<br />
someone more thoughtful than might be expected. He is also a wine lover, which I<br />
can&rsquo;t help but admire.<br />
<br />
The halfling Frith Hugglebottom is, quite simply, a thief. He is, however, an<br />
extremely well mannered thief, and seems more motivated by excitement than<br />
greed. He is also quite adept at throwing daggers, though a few have drifted<br />
slightly closer to my head than might have been, strictly speaking,<br />
necessary.<br />
<br />
As a priest of Heironeous, the human Bryan Finora loves charging into battle<br />
even more than Qaz. Motivated entirely by the glory of battle, he provides a<br />
welcome vivaciousness to our group. I am quite glad he is on our side.<br />
<br />
Together, we possess a good mix of skills and I am pleased they put their<br />
lives on the line for Delleb.<br />
<br />
==Upper Temple==<br />
<br />
Knowing the hostiles in the temple had bows, crossing the stretch of open<br />
ground between the temple and the treeline quickly dominated our planning. After<br />
some reconnaissance, we settled upon a bidirectional attack, with most of the<br />
group sneaking to the cover of some bushes behind the temple under darkness of<br />
night. At first light, Hurgan began a slow approach from the side. Bryan, being<br />
the only one of us with a warhorse, loudly charged the front of the temple. The<br />
rest of us attacked the rear once Bryan was engaged.<br />
<br />
The hostiles turned out to be a band of sixteen orcs, their leader, their<br />
guard dog and a witch doctor. Though the battle was hard, particularly on Bryan,<br />
we managed to dispatch them in fairly short order. We left one alive for<br />
questioning, but this proved fruitless as we frightened her and the magical<br />
means we employed to communicate frightened her even more. Ultimately, we<br />
disarmed her and let her go.<br />
<br />
I wonder about the presence of orcs so close to Helvic. All of the orcs wore<br />
armor and carried weapons, even the women, so this was not a wandering tribe but<br />
a war party. I fear they may have been an advanced scouting party. On the other<br />
hand, they seemed to have made themselves at home in the temple, and I would<br />
think a scouting party would be more mobile.<br />
<br />
In any case, after creating a pyre for the orcs, we explored the rest of the<br />
grounds of the temple. In addition to the main temple building, this included a<br />
detached hospital building, a barracks and stables. Some strange denizens,<br />
including a few species new to me, inhabited these places.<br />
<br />
One of these was what appeared to be a gold coin. When approached, however,<br />
the coin would roll of its own will, grew fangs and became quite cross.<br />
Defeating this beast required more effort than one might think. Unfortunately,<br />
it was not left in a state suitable for preservation and study.<br />
<br />
Another was a bird species that trailed webbing behind them as they flew.<br />
While not physically imposing, they could very easily entangle people. Those who<br />
were entangled were fed upon and had eggs lain inside their necks. As with most<br />
webbing, fire proved an effective weapon against the webs of these creatures,<br />
though they tried to move away from it when they could. As such, none of the<br />
dozen specimens remains for study.<br />
<br />
Some species were familiar, however, including the flock of sixteen stirges.<br />
Each time one of these creatures stings me, I&rsquo;ve been keeping the stinger.<br />
I&rsquo;m amassing quite a collection. Also familiar was a wall covered with<br />
amber lotus flowers, though growing among them was a creature that appeared very<br />
much like a tree stump with long animated tentacles.<br />
<br />
All of these creatures were dispatched.<br />
<br />
==Lower Temple==<br />
<br />
Following a blocked off stairwell downwards uncovered catacombs beneath the<br />
temple similarly populated with wildlife. Much of this were giant variants of<br />
fairly common species, such as frogs (two), centipedes (sixteen), spiders (six)<br />
and a weasel, all of whom had taken up some portion of the catacombs as their<br />
lair. Slightly less common were four fire beetles, who also claimed a room of<br />
the catacombs as their own. None of these animals reacted kindly to our<br />
presence, nor us to theirs.<br />
<br />
While the ground level of the temple attracted some unusual fauna, it was<br />
quite pedestrian compared to some of the entities encountered underground. The<br />
first of these were a pair malevolent spherical creatures, each with two<br />
tentacles tipped with poisonous stingers. The poison affected one of our member<br />
and either Qaz is quite hardy or the poison somewhat mild (or perhaps a bit of<br />
both), as Qaz managed to shake off its effects within a few hours. I managed to<br />
salvage one of the stingers, though a number of days passed before it could be<br />
properly preserved.<br />
<br />
More exotic was a room full of living webbing, which seemed charged with<br />
lighting. The entire web moved as a single creature and could cast sparks at its<br />
prey (our party, in particular). When a large section was severed, it seemed to<br />
detonate with a kind of electrical death throw. Given enough damage, however,<br />
the life (if life it was) seemed to leave it, and I have some of it within a jar<br />
in my possession.<br />
<br />
Another room housed some kind of force, with at least a rudimentary mind<br />
behind it, which must have gathered every scrap of leather from within the<br />
catacombs together into a loose form that it used as a body. Initially found at<br />
rest, it soon turned into a whorl of gloves, belts and leather scraps, intent on<br />
doing us harm. It did possess some solidity, as arrows and swords hurt it.<br />
<br />
One of the more insidious beasts we encountered appears as nothing so much as<br />
a small patch of human skin. It floated down onto the back of Bryan&rsquo;s neck, an<br />
action fortunately spotted by Frith. I managed to extract it before any ill<br />
befell Bryan, so its exact capabilities remain unknown. Naturally, I saved the<br />
specimen for further study.<br />
<br />
Of all we encountered, what gave us the most trouble was no beast at all, but<br />
a magic spell that grew six tentacles from the walls of the chief surgeon&rsquo;s<br />
quarters. While giving us a sound thrashing, these tentacles left the items in<br />
the room unharmed, indicating that this spell was most likely cast as a defense<br />
measure by the chief surgeon while he was alive. If this is the case, he must of<br />
been a fairly competent spell weaver.<br />
<br />
Though many strange creatures thrived in the catacombs, none that I have<br />
detailed gave the impression of any real intelligence. We did meet one entity<br />
down there, however, that did.<br />
<br />
==Tralisa==<br />
<br />
While Tralisa&rsquo;s beauty no doubt shined while she was alive and leading the<br />
guard of the temple, as a ghost she radiated a palpable aura of cold and dread.<br />
Gazing upon her was a fearful experience, one that I would not like to repeat.<br />
Ghosts, I&rsquo;m led to understand, are extremely powerful creatures, so it is likely<br />
that Tralisa could have dispatched us all quite easily. Instead, she helped<br />
us.<br />
<br />
Evidently a hired mercenary rather than a member of the church, Tralisa<br />
evidently took her contract to protect the temple extremely seriously, because<br />
she guarded the catacombs for over a hundred years after her death. All that time alone,<br />
however, weighed on her and she spoke to us of a willingness to move on. She<br />
requested that we find her earthly remains and give them a proper burial, so<br />
that she could move on in peace. In return, she offered us the key to a vault<br />
beneath the library and what it contained.<br />
<br />
She also gave hints as to what happened to the temple originally. Evidently<br />
the entire temple was put to the sword by a surprise attack in the middle of<br />
night. Tralisa gave the impression that the attackers were bandits, and certainly<br />
stranger things have happened.<br />
<br />
We discovered Tralisa&rsquo;s bones scattered under the barracks building on the<br />
surface. I prefer not to think on how they got there. We dug a grave, and I<br />
arranged her skeleton as completely as possible within it. Performing the<br />
Service for the Dead, I also offered her thanks, in Delleb&rsquo;s name, for her<br />
tireless service to the Scholar these long years. Her grave is now well<br />
marked.<br />
<br />
On returning to the vault, we found Tralisa gone and the promised key<br />
waiting. Within the vault were a number of small gems, a few coins, several<br />
potions (diminution, extra-healing and 2 healing), a scroll (protecting against<br />
undead) and magical bracers. For the moment, I have appropriated the bracers.<br />
Following Tralisa&rsquo;s suggestion, I made the judgment call to divide the rest up<br />
among the group I gathered to help me, as a reward for their death-defying<br />
efforts on Delleb&rsquo;s behalf.<br />
<br />
==Temple Condition==<br />
<br />
While the foundations are probably salvageable, the main structures of the<br />
surface buildings will mostly likely need to be ripped down and rebuilt. The<br />
structure of the catacombs seems quite sound, but the interior appointments are<br />
a total loss and will need replacing, including the library.<br />
<br />
More importantly, only one consecrated space remains active, that of a small<br />
chapel underground. Interestingly, this space seems to have been enchanted to<br />
squelch all sounds made within it. The resulting effect is quite serene.<br />
<br />
A more thorough search may uncover an occasional item of use in the rubble.<br />
The hospital, for example, had at least one glass fixture enchanted to glow<br />
continually. There may also be a few books in the library that escaped<br />
irreparable harm; I lacked the time to examine them all individually.<br />
<br />
While the bodies of the orcs occupying the temple have been cremated, part of<br />
the clean up effort will involve removing the corpses of the creatures our<br />
scouting party dispatched.<br />
<br />
==Short Term Recommendations==<br />
<br />
First and foremost, the area on which the temple sits and the surrounding<br />
environs should be given the name &ldquo;Tralisa&rsquo;s Watch&rdquo;, in honor<br />
of the non-clergy mercenary woman who gave not only her life to protect Delleb&rsquo;s<br />
charges, but her afterlife as well. This would naturally make the temple&rsquo;s proper<br />
name the Temple to Delleb at Tralisa&rsquo;s Watch.<br />
<br />
Second, the grave of Guard Captain Tralisa be used as the center point of a<br />
graveyard ancillary to the temple. Ideally, this area would be demarcated by a<br />
low stone wall.<br />
<br />
Third, the marker upon Guard Captain Tralisa&rsquo;s burial site be exchanged for a<br />
more permanent one, befitting her stature.<br />
<br />
Fourth, news of this temple&rsquo;s discovery be circulated as widely as possible,<br />
particularly in Helvic. Of critical importance here is telling Tralisa&rsquo;s story.<br />
Many of the locals believed that the area of the temple was haunted, which, in<br />
fact, it was. It will be vital for the quick restoration of the temple that it<br />
be made clear the area is no longer so afflicted. Admitting that there was a<br />
ghost and explaining how she left should make the claim that the area is no longer<br />
haunted more believable.<br />
<br />
It may also be possible to use the rumors of haunting to build awareness of<br />
the temple. After all, many find temples to be somewhat dry and stolid, but<br />
everyone loves a good ghost story.<br />
<br />
Fifth, a call should go out in Helvic and elsewhere for donations of both<br />
money and labor for the restoration of the temple. Of the two, the latter will<br />
be more immediately useful, as quite a bit of muscle work will be needed just to<br />
clear out the existing rubble. Ideally, much of this labor will come from<br />
Helvic, as this would tend to build a link between the temple and the town as<br />
well as build a sense of community involving the temple with local people.<br />
<br />
As far as monetary donations go, with limited staff in this area, it may be<br />
advisable to use local civilians as collection agents. I am aquatinted with a<br />
merchant in Helvic, for example, who might be convinced to act as a donation<br />
desk, in exchange for a small percentage. He strikes me as a man who could be<br />
trusted with such a task.<br />
<br />
Sixth, the entire site needs to be cleaned up. This can be done by civilians<br />
for the most part, but a handful of junior librarians on temporary assignment<br />
here would be useful to scour the catacombs for anything useful, particularly<br />
the library. Thoughts of rebuilding the library must, unfortunately, wait until<br />
more pressing needs are attended.<br />
<br />
There may be a few minor creatures left in the ruins. One group of giant rats<br />
in the stables, for example, seemed more interested in fleeing, but they may<br />
have returned since.<br />
<br />
Any organic matter, such as the numerous corpses of the creatures we killed,<br />
should be removed, brought to the surface, searched and burned. This should be<br />
one of the first tasks completed. The crew who does this should be aware that<br />
they are handling the dead and take appropriate precautions against disease and<br />
so on.<br />
<br />
As part of this cleanup, all refuse, bedding, supplies, etc.&mdash;everything<br />
inanimate and loose&mdash;should be brought to the surface and arranged outside.<br />
Part of this effort should be to look into the nooks and crannies of the site<br />
that our party did not have time to investigate. This would include draining<br />
pools, sifting through the collapsed ceiling of the hospital and so on. Once<br />
done, detect magic should be cast on the collection to make sure nothing was<br />
overlooked. Naturally, items should also be checked for salvageability, though<br />
these will be few and far between.<br />
<br />
Seventh, buildings must be rebuilt. This should probably start with an eye<br />
toward getting the hospital operational first, for four reasons. The first is<br />
that having an active hospital nearby will be of the most immediate benefit to<br />
the widest range of people and will undoubtedly predispose citizens of Helvic<br />
towards the temple. The importance of goodwill of the local townspeople should<br />
not be underestimated in the rebuilding effort. Second, an active hospital<br />
implies an active staff with assignments unrelated to the rebuilding, making the<br />
location useful more quickly. Third, the dedication of the temple building<br />
should mark the end of the rebuilding effort, not the beginning. Lastly, once<br />
cleaned out, the catacombs will provide sheltered (though rough) living<br />
conditions for staff without need to build structures for them.<br />
<br />
==Long Term Recommendations==<br />
<br />
In many of the short term recommendations, a theme that will continue here<br />
may be evident: that of actively attracting attention to the temple. This is<br />
critical to the temple&rsquo;s lasting survival due to its geography. Unlike most<br />
temples to Delleb, Tralisa&rsquo;s Watch is not located in a city or town, but hours<br />
away from any real population center. As such, people will need a real reason to<br />
visit this temple, reasons that need to be invented and actively promoted by the<br />
temple&rsquo;s clergy.<br />
<br />
One way of doing this is to make the temple the world center for certain<br />
kinds of learning. While this temple will have a hospital, for example, there is<br />
only one Savant&rsquo;s Hospital and this temple&rsquo;s hospital will never be as grand.<br />
The temple could, however, be set up as the center for some other discipline.<br />
Some such ideas follow, in no particular order:<br />
<br />
The temple has a stone room that has been converted into an excellent wine<br />
cellar. Knowing something about wine production myself, I&rsquo;d like to make this<br />
wine cellar the most complete in the region as well as a center for the study of<br />
wine. I will write letters to local wine makers explaining this idea and asking<br />
for donations of a few bottles from each vintage. Any will be allowed to sample<br />
any wine, provided they donate one or more bottles of equivalent value. One of<br />
the main purposes of this will be to gain a certain amount of notoriety among<br />
the merchant class, such that they make a point to stop by the temple when<br />
passing through. As they are generally widely traveled, merchants are an<br />
excellent source of information. I can envision a time where a custom might<br />
develop of merchant&rsquo;s donating a rare bottle of wine in exchange for a night&rsquo;s<br />
stay at the temple.<br />
<br />
Given the strange fauna inhabiting the catacombs, it would not be<br />
inappropriate to collect specimens of similar creatures, perhaps even creating a<br />
new building as a museum for them. This could make the temple central to other<br />
fields, such as taxidermy.<br />
<br />
A schoolhouse should be setup, either as part of the temple or as an annex<br />
within Helvic. The principle goal of the schoolhouse should be to teach reading<br />
to anyone who wants to learn, as it is a skill in short supply in this<br />
region.<br />
<br />
On the eve of one Freeday every few months, the temple grounds could act as a<br />
knowledge festival site of sorts, where people could set up demonstrations of<br />
various skills, such as blacksmithing, archery, thatching, cooking, dance,<br />
anything to show anyone who wanted to learn. There would, of course, be food,<br />
drink and conversation. Civilians would most likely treat this as a social<br />
outing, but a little learning snuck into a good day out never hurt anyone.<br />
<br />
Each month, the best minds on a specific subject would be sent invitations to<br />
gather at the temple on a particular Godsday. After the Mass of Knowledge, in<br />
invitees would be free to discuss anything they liked with each other, with the<br />
only witnesses being themselves and two scribes to record all that is said<br />
(perhaps secretly, as people who know they are being recorded alter their<br />
behavior). Ideally, those invited would come from scattered origins, and would<br />
come for the chance of meeting (or, perhaps, arguing with) the other great minds<br />
of their field. The people invited need not be scholars. For example, perhaps<br />
one month the invitees are the most prominent ship captains. Another month might<br />
host musicians from around the land. Another might be the best woodsmen or sword<br />
smiths. Another might even host the most successful criminals. The field or<br />
social class would not matter. The point would be to get the best together and<br />
see what they do. <br />
<br />
An entirely different tactic might be to use the temple&rsquo;s remoteness as an<br />
advantage, setting it up as a research center well away from population centers.<br />
The temple would still be open to all, but a certain amount of security may be<br />
needed to make sure the research is unmolested. While this is tempting to<br />
contemplate, I believe this strategy would backfire. The people around here are<br />
a superstitious lot, and I expect grumbling would begin about secret goings on<br />
at the temple. Remember, most of them already think the site is haunted and any<br />
appearance of secrecy in the temple would fuel rumor-mongering.<br />
<br />
Some minor events in Helvic suggest one additional intriguing possibility for<br />
the temple. Some of the merchants in the area suffer from a shortage of coinage.<br />
This is not to say they are lacking funds; they are as wealthy as ever. By<br />
&ldquo;shortage of coinage&rdquo; I mean simply that not enough physical coins are available<br />
to them to conduct large transactions. Some of this could be remedied if the<br />
temple were to also act as an impartial financial office, officiating deals,<br />
backing notes of credit, holding funds involved in a transaction until the buyer<br />
and the seller were satisfied, and so on. This would provide a valuable service<br />
to the merchants of the region, and its value as an information gathering tool<br />
for us cannot be underestimated. In time, it may be that such activity would<br />
attract financial scholars to the temple as well.<br />
<br />
In any case, before any of this happens, a road to repair stretches ahead of us.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Greyhawk]]</div>imported>Wordman