Thursday, November 19, 2020

Urheim: The Lower Temple

Map by FrDave
Today I present one of the largest sections of the surface ruins of Urheim: the Lower Temple. During the days before the fall of the monastery, the Lower Temple was dedicated to St. Evad filzArn and Companions and sits atop the Lower Catacombs. Unlike the Upper Temple, the Lower Temple suffered significant damage during the Simonist Wars, as the map indicates. Presently, the Lower Temple is being used as a bivouac by a troop of the Company of the Quarrel commanded by Lieutenant Anskar. 

The Lower Temple

LT.1 Parvise


2 Mercenaries
  • A pair stands watch here at all times.
  • If they attacked, their immediate instinct is to call out to their comrades at R.13 for aid and then to beat a defensive withdrawal into LT.2
  • Each carries 81cp, in addition to their equipment.
AC 6 [13], HD 1 (5, 8hp), Att 1 × sword (1d8) or 1 × crossbow (1d6), THAC0 19 [0], MV 120' (40'), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F1), ML 9, AL Neutral, XP 10.


LT.2 Narthex


Doors: 2 iron-reinforced doors of dark, heavy wood, both intricately carved with scenes from the life of St. Evad and Companions as they spread the True Faith throughout the North. 

Torches: 4 torches (1 in each corner) light the chamber at all times. 

Walls: Faded, smoke-stained frescoes decorate the walls here, depicting lessons from the Book of Books for the edification of those entering the temple.

4 Mercenaries
  • Serving as guards against intruders entering through LT.1. 
  • If morale breaks, they will flee, if possible toward LT.5 in order to alert their comrades there. 
  • If unable to flee, they will try to delay intruders with lies and obfuscation in order to give their comrades elsewhere time to take notice of any danger.
  • Each carries 12sp, in addition to their equipment.
AC 6 [13], HD 1 (3, 4, 5, 8hp), Att 1 × sword (1d8) or 1 × crossbow (1d6), THAC0 19 [0], MV 120' (40'), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F1), ML 9, AL Neutral, XP 10.

LT.3 Cantharus


Light: The chamber is dark, though there are three sconces for torches along the north, south, and east walls.

Sound; Running water can be heard.

Fountain: Made of beautifully carved stone, the fountain was used for ablutions of the hands, feet, and face before entering the body of the temple itself. Cold, fresh water still trickles up from below. Anyone Lawful character who performs the appropriate ritual washing gains the effect of the 2nd-level cleric spell bless for the next 1 turn. This effect can only be gained once per day.

LT.4 South Ambulatory

Lanterns: 12 lanterns are placed along the walls, providing illumination during the nighttime. 

Walls: Smoke-stained, with outlines of religious images having been removed from six niches. 

LT.5 Sanctuary

Light: During the day, sunlight streams through a hole in the central dome of the temple. At night, there is a makeshift campfire constructed of shattered timbers, furniture, and religious articles.

Altar: Made of gray stone, now shattered and its reliquary missing. 

Apses: Six semicircular recesses, each of which once held a religious image and relic. All now stand empty.

Rubble: Large pile of shattered stone, most of it from the dome or eastern wall.

8 Mercenaries
  • Members of the Company of the Quarrel under the command of Lieutenant Anskar.
  • Currently eating or socializing after being on duty.
  • Have increased morale so long as Anskar is still alive. If he is killed, their morale rating drops by 2.
  • If their morale breaks, they will offer their surrender rather than flee. If interrogated, they know the location of Captain Foulque (Upper Temple), Austorga (Upper Catacombs), and the goal of finding a way into the Underworld. They also know that shadows sometimes come out at night near the east end of the Lower Temple.
  • Each carries 63cp, in addition to their equipment.
AC 6 [13], HD 1 (2 ×2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ×2hp), Att 1 × sword (1d8) or 1 × crossbow (1d6), THAC0 19 [0], MV 120' (40'), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F1), ML 10, AL Neutral, XP 10.

Lieutenant Anskar
  • Favored subordinate of Captain Foulque, who has fought by his side since the Battle of Yarm Ford.
  • Does not think much of Austorga and has voiced this feeling to Foulque (hence his "exile" to the Lower Temple).
  • If his morale breaks, he will offer surrender rather than flee. He will answer any questions asked truthfully but will not betray Foulque. 
  • Carries three gems (worth 100gp each).
AC 4 [15], HD 4 (21hp), Att 1 × sword (1d8) or 1 × crossbow (1d6), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 60' (20'), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (F4), ML 11, AL Neutral, XP 75.

Treasure: Anskar and the mercenaries have collected the following valuables from the ruins and stored them here.
  • 42gp, 16pp
  • 2 gems (50gp each), 2 gems (100gp each)
  • jeweled miter (800 gp)
  • large, gold and silver holy symbol of St. Evad (1200gp)
  • bone case containing a scroll of cure light wounds and protection from evil

LT.6 North Ambulatory

Lanterns: 10 lanterns are placed along the walls, providing illumination during the nighttime. 

Walls: Smoke-stained, with outlines of religious images having been removed from four niches. 

Debris: The wall has partially collapsed here, allowing egress to the north.

LT.7 Sacristy

Door: Heavy wooden door with a simple lock that has been bashed open.

Light: The room is completely dark, though there are four sconces for torches.

Debris: The shattered remains of wooden furniture.

Walls: Inlaid with gold, which catches any light source brought into the room. There is a hidden compartment in the southwest wall (discoverable as if it were a secret door) that contains a relic of St. Carmichael – a finger bone that acts as a ring of protection +1 if possessed by a Lawful cleric or fighter (it provides no benefit to anyone else).

LT.8 Reliquary Chapel

Door: Heavy wooden door with a complex lock that has been smashed to gain entry to the chamber.

Light: Completely dark. There are four tall (5'), empty candelabra (made of gold and each worth 100gp).

Walls: Beautiful mosaics containing a mix of glass, porcelain, and precious gemstone shards (worth 5000gp in total if carefully removed, a process that would take many days). The mosaic depicts scenes from the life of St. Carmichael, Apostle to the gargantuas and one of St. Evad's famed Companions.

Altar: Inset altar of white stone, still intact. Carved wooden reliquary badly damaged and relics missing.

LT.9 Abbatial Chapel

Debris: This shrine is almost completely buried under stone rubble. 
  • There is no longer anything of value amidst the rubble.


LT.10 Library

Door: Heavy wooden door, slightly ajar

Light: Dimly lit by a single torch on the right side of the door.

Bookshelves; Located along the southern, eastern, and western walls, now completely empty of any volumes.

4 Mercenaries
  • The room has been converted to another sleeping area, currently occupied by sleeping members of the Company of the Quarrel. 
  • Unless surprised, the mercenaries will awaken and defend themselves against any intruders.
  • Whether or not their morale breaks, they will attempt to raise an alarm, alerting their comrades in LT.5.
  • Each has 34cp, in addition to their equipment.
AC 9 [10], HD 1 (3, 5, 6, 8hp), Att 1 × sword (1d8) or 1 × crossbow (1d6), THAC0 19 [0], MV 120' (40'), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F1), ML 9, AL Neutral, XP 10.

LT.11 Apse

Debris: Stonework has fallen from the dome and interior walls.

Walls: Decorated with beautiful mosaics portraying scenes from the life of St. Evad.
  • The mosaics are eye-catching but not made of genuinely valuable materials.
  • Instead, the mosaics have been arranged to draw attention away from the secret door in the eastern part of the apse.

LT.12 Crypt Shrine

Light: Dark, with five unlit hanging lanterns.

Statues: Life-size gold and jewel-encrusted representation of St. Evad filzArn and his two Companions, St. Carmichael and St. Richomer the Tailor (each worth 2000gp). They are bulky and very heavy.

Stairs: There are hewn stone stairs winding downwards to L.1 in the Lower Catacombs.
  • There is a noticeable decrease in temperature as one descends the stairs.
Shadows
  • At night, there is a 50% chance that 1d4 shadows linger here, having come up from the Lower Catacombs.
  • If present, they will attack any living creature present in the Crypt Shrine, particularly those aligned with Law.
AC 7 [12], HD 2+2* (10, 11, 13, 17hp), Att 1 × touch (1d4 + strength drain), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 90' (30'), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (2), ML 12, AL Chaotic, XP 35.

1 comment:

  1. Just from the image I thought this was the interior layout of a Millennium Falcon-type Star Wars ship. OK, I still do. I can't unsee this.

    That said, nice little write up. Great to see you back to posting btw.

    ReplyDelete