As a recap for new readers, Beneath a Righteous Temple is an adventure serial being written and posted to this blog on a weekly basis. Over the next few weeks, we'll see further and further into the depths below the temple. If you're just getting started, you'll want to reference the last 2 articles to get started:
Adventure Summary
Beneath a Righteous Temple is an adventure set in a temple for Salara, the Lady of Crusades and Righteous Action. In Acteos, the land of the Sundered Chronicles, these fort-like temples exist throughout the kingdom of Velashar as well as any locale that the Virtuous Order of Salara has initiated a crusade to. This adventure was not written with any particular temple in mind.
Deep below the church are the ruins of an ancient sahuagin complex that was built as a prison to hold a great, ancient evil. The evil one, Anothiel, was originally summoned by the sahuagin to do their bidding, but when they eventually determined they could not control him, they built a magical prison deep beneath the earth to hold him for all eternity. This prison has held the evil one for many millennia, but recently the magical wards have failed and he has escaped. As he walked the complex, the long-dead sahuagin have arose to do the evil one’s bidding. These undead sahuagin have sought a means to the surface and have found their way into the crypt beneath the church.
Beginning the Adventure
At the beginning of the adventure, the warrior-priests of the Virtuous Order have established a bulwark at the entrance of the crypt and are holding off the undead from reaching the surface. They’ve sent a few groups of soldiers further into the crypt, none of which have returned alive. A few of them have returned as the undead. Weary from battle with the undead of the depths as well as fighting their own dead, the Order has found themselves in a situation where they need help.
There’s a couple ways to introduce your PCs to this. If the PCs have had any time in town before the undead attacks began, Dame Issyld may approach them directly and ask for assistance. Otherwise, news of this situation doesn’t take too long to spread to the non-Order residents of the temple grounds. You might even want to change it up and have the bulwark overrun and the undead take over the temple before the PCs arrive!
The Crypt
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| Crypt beneath the temple |
1. ORDER BULWARK. The warrior-priests of the Order have set up a bulwark in this burial chamber. A barricade built from tables brought down from upstairs has been set up at the east doorway. There are a few fallen warrior-priests that have been dragged to away from the barricade, and a number of destroyed undead bodies on both sides of the barricade. The burial alcoves along the walls of this room have been untouched.
Four warrior-priests remain in this room standing guard, led by Sergeant-brother Caradoc. They’re weary from combat and scared, but can provide a few details of information that they’ve gathered.
- A couple of units have gone deeper into the crypt but returned with heavy casualties.
- Those that returned reported seeing a strange undead with fish-like fins that raised the bodies of the dead by touching them. This creature was surrounded by a contingent of skeletal undead and was difficult to get to. It seemed to be traversing the crypt in order to recruit new followers from the resting dead.
- A few attacks have been made against the bulwark. They’ve been able to fight them off so far.
- During the last attack, the strange undead with fish-like fins was present, and he animated the bodies of fallen warrior-priests with a mere touch and used them in the attack.
2. BURIAL CHAMBER. This large room is a burial chamber that once held many fallen heroes of the Virtuous Order. Each alcove along the north and south walls was the resting place of a fallen warrior-priest, buried here with honors. Unfortunately for those resting here, a dead walker has come through this chamber and animated all twelve of the corpses that rested here. This creature resembles an animated sahuagin zombie, but moves with greater speed and possesses intelligence. It radiates an aura of despair out to 20 feet, causing living creatures to make a saving throw or suffer from a feeling of despair that causes all weapon and unarmed attacks to deal half damage. The dead walker can also animate a dead body with a mere touch, and will readily do so if any living creature should fall in combat.
Monsters: 1 dead walker (see Bestiary appendix for full details), 5 skeletons. The rest of the undead from the room have been destroyed in attacks against the bulwark.
Dead Walker: HD 4; AC 6 [13]; Atk 2 claws (1d8); Move 12; Save 13; AL C; CL/XP 5/240; Special: Aura of despair (20ft, save or half damage on weapon attacks), animate dead
Skeleton: HD 1; AC 8 [11]; Atk 1 strike (1d6); Move 12; Save 17; AL N; CL/XP 1/15; Special: Immune to sleep and charm spells
3. RESTING PLACE OF SIR FALTAR. Inside this room is a sarcophagus containing the remains of Sir Faltar, the great Knight of the Virtuous Order that the temple’s tavern is named after. In the other corner from the sarcophagus is a statue of Sir Faltar, depicting him as a tall, muscular man with a smile upon his bearded face and holding a sword in one hand and an ale mug in the other. This room has not been disturbed yet by the undead intruders.
4. RESTING PLACE OF DAME LEDALLA. This burial room contains the remains of Dame Ledalla. She is depicted in her statue as a beautiful woman in robes shooting flames from her hands. The statue bears an inscription “Chaos shall be cleansed by the fires of purity”. This room has not been disturbed yet by the undead intruders.
Treasure: An inscription on Ledalla’s sarcophagus is actually the formula for her signature spell, Ledalla’s Fire Blast. Given time, a spell caster can attempt to copy this spell into his or her spell-book.
Ledalla’s Fire Blast
Spell Level: Magic-User, 2nd level
Range: 20 feet
Duration: Instantaneous
A jet of flames shoots from the caster’s outstretched hand, instantly filling an area 5 feet wide by 20 feet long with searing flames. The blast deals 1d6 points of damage plus 1d6 per 2 caster levels (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, etc), to a maximum of 5d6 damage. A successful saving throw halves the damage.
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5. RESTING PLACE OF SIR BLODD THE GOURMAND. This burial room contained the remains of Sir Blodd. Blodd was known for his excessive appetite and love for food and drink. The statue in the corner depicts Blodd as a large, heavyset man resting a large two-handed mace over his right shoulder while biting into a leg of mutton held in his left hand. When the dead walker touched Blodd’s still meaty corpse, it animated it as a ghast. Blodd arose and destroyed one of the undead sahuagin that was following the dead walker.
Monsters: Blodd is still here, feasting on the sahuagin corpse.
Treasure: Blodd was buried with his favorite gold-plated fork. While it’s not in the best condition, it could probably be fenced for a few gold pieces…
Sir Blodd (Ghast): HD 4; AC 4 [15]; Atk 2 claws (1d3), 1 bite (1d6); Move 15; Save 13; AL C; CL/XP 5/240; Special: Stench, paralyzing touch
6. RESTING PLACE OF SCOUT SARENIL. This burial room contained the remains of Scout Sarenil. The room is adorned with all manner animals preserved through taxidermy. He is depicted in his statue as a slender man with pointed ears wearing animal hides. The statue is in a crouched position with a longbow at full draw ready to fire. The sarcophagus in this room is open and empty.
7. RESTING PLACE OF SERGEANT-BROTHER RAKDARR. This burial room contains the remains of Sergeant-brother Rakdarr. He is depicted in his statue as a stout dwarf with a scar across his face holding his shield up in a defensive stance while positioning his war hammer for a strike. This room has not been disturbed yet by the undead intruders.
8. RESTING PLACE OF RIRILLA. This burial room contains the remains of Ririlla, a minstrel who was not actually a member of the Order but earned a place of honor amongst its dead. Her statue depicts her as a short, slender woman with disheveled hair, a lute hanging over her shoulder by its strap, and holding up her finger in the air while in the middle of saying something that, based on her facial expression, was probably very convincing. Beneath the statue is an inscription that says “Friend of Salara”.
Monsters: A dead walker is here, directing four skeletons as they remove the lid from Rarilla’s sarcophagus. The dead walker will attempt to animate Rarilla’s body and will succeed if not stopped.
Treasure: On a stand beside the sarcophagus is Ririlla’s lute, which is exceptionally crafted and worth 380 gold pieces.
Dead Walker: HD 4; AC 6 [13]; Atk 2 claws (1d8); Move 12; Save 13; AL C; CL/XP 5/240; Special: Aura of despair (20ft, save or half damage on weapon attacks), animate dead
Skeleton: HD 1; AC 8 [11]; Atk 1 strike (1d6); Move 12; Save 17; AL N; CL/XP 1/15; Special: Immune to sleep and charm spells
9. RESTING PLACE OF GUARDSWOMAN VALYA. This burial room contains the remains of Guardswoman Valya, who was wife to Sergeant-brother Rakdarr and a guard of the temple. She is depicted in her statue as a stout but beautiful dwarven woman in heavy armor with an axe and shield. The statue shows her standing guard over the children that she died protecting. Her sarcophagus is empty.
Treasure: Buried with Valya was her shield, Qirathien, The Innocent’s Barrier. This +1 shield counts as a +2 shield against goblinoids.
10. BREACH. This room was once the resting place of a hero of the Order, but the south-eastern wall was smashed in from the outside. The sarcophagus and statue were destroyed in the process. The body from the sarcophagus is gone and was animated by the dead walker when it made its way in.
Monsters: Three undead sahuagin were left here by the dead walkers to guard the way to the sahuagin prison below. Unless they are dispatched quietly, the undead sahuagin from the cavern at area 11 will join in on any combat that takes place.
Treasure: Amongst the rubble is a sapphire that was clearly part of a piece of destroyed jewelry or art. The sapphire has been chipped and damaged during the destruction, and is worth 34 gold pieces.
Undead Sahuagin: HD 2; AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 strike (1d8); Move 12 (Swim 18); Save 16; AL C; CL/XP 2/30; Special: blood frenzy (+2 to attack and damage, -2 to AC)
11. CAVERN HEADING DOWN. The cavern slopes down from this point and a natural staircase leads down further beneath the ground.
Monsters: Three undead sahuagin. They will join in on the fight in area 10 if they become aware of it.
Undead Sahuagin: HD 2; AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 strike (1d8); Move 12 (Swim 18); Save 16; AL C; CL/XP 2/30; Special: blood frenzy (+2 to attack and damage, -2 to AC)
Sidebar: Stealing from the Order
Many treasures can be found in the Order’s crypt, and taking any of these items should be considered stealing. If the PCs do take the items that were buried with their honored heroes, they will make quick enemies of the Order. Even if the items are “borrowed” during the delve down below the crypt and returned later, Issyld will still take offense to the action and consider it a dishonor of the dead.
| Section 15: Copyright Notice (OGL) Swords & Wizardry Core Rules, Copyright 2008, Matthew J. Finch Swords & Wizardry Complete Rules, Copyright 2010, Matthew J. Finch Beneath a Righteous Temple from sunderedera.blogspot.com, Copyright 2016, Steve Gilman Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined by the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, artifacts, places, etc), dialog, plots, story-lines, language, concepts, incidents, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the contents of this product are Open Game Content as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. |
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