Throwback Post (The Temple of Talos)

Background: The party had left Tsuragol and were headed east. A storm sprung up and the group took shelter in an abandoned roadside temple dedicated to Talos. The events that followed would launch them from the familiar environs of their own world into a foreign and hostile land.

The Temple:  

Originally built nearly fifty years ago, this temple has been abandoned for almost a decade after the worshippers were slain by members of a nearby druidic circle. An unsettling aura of evil still hangs over the ruin, almost as if the very stones used in the temple's construction remember the foul rites that were once performed here. 

The temple was built along the western shore of the Easting Reach to take advantage of a naturally occurring weather phenomenon: tornadoes and thunderstorms.  Cold dry air sweeping down from the Earthspur and Galena Mountain range collide with warm humid air from the Sea of Fallen Stars to generate powerful storms. A series of metal rods in the temple roof channels lightning bolts into a thaumaturgical circle to add power to the Talosian clerics' spells. But without the priests to focus and direct this stored energy, this system has begun to malfunction. 

The temple ceiling is 15' high along the west and east walls, rising to 25' at its center peak. The interior is unlimited unless otherwise noted although broken windows and holes in the roof allow sunlight to enter during the day.

1. Foyer: This entry room is located at the south end if the temple. A door to the west leads into a kitchen and the door to the easy opens to reveal what appears to be a storage area. The two doors in the north lead into sanctuary.

2a. Kitchen: Broken shelves, shattered flatware, and other debris litters the floor of this room. The fireplace is caked with mud and soot. Stubs of burned firewood line the bottom of the fireplace. 

2b. Pantry: There is nothing of interest in this area.

3. Storage: Shelves line the perimeter of this room and small wooden table stands in the center. This was where the temple priests kept the items used in daily devotions and special ceremonies. The Druids were pretty thorough when they looted the temple but a careful search (DC20) will reveal a tarnished silver candelabra (15-gp value) that has fallen behind a shelf.

4. Sanctuary: This large chamber has seating for up to 240 parishioners, although even at its height it had barely a tenth of this number. Many of the pews are shattered and overturned and there are several large holes in the ceiling. A wide stage at the north end of the room served as pulpit for the leading priest's fiery sermons. A two-step riser running along the rear of the stage provided junior priests with a place to observe the congregation during services. If any audience members seemed "less than devout", the clergy would ensure the wrath of Talos was properly directed. 

     Doors on either side of the stage lead back into an area of the chapel reserved for the priesthood. 

5. High Priest's Study: A large desk dominates the center of this room. A stuffed leather chair lies overturned behind the desk with one of its legs broken off. A modest bookshelf along the east wall once held several leather-bound tomes but all of these are warped, water damaged, amd covered in mold. 

     A small personal shrine to Talos is located in the southwest corner of the room but it has been defaced by blows from multiple weapons. 

6. High Priest's Quarters: This room contains the remains of a well-used but comfortable bed, a wooden chest with the lock broken off, a wash basin, a small wooden table, and a pair of wooden chairs. 

7. Thaumaturgical Circle: A 9' diameter circle has been engraved into the floor here. This circle, not the sanctuary, is the true heart of the temple. The perimeter of the circle and the runes within are made from copper instead of more traditional silver to better store and harness the electrical energy funneled in from the lighting rods on the roof.

     The circle absorbs and stores lighting in the form of magical energy (gaining 1 charge/d6 of lighting bolt). It can safely hold up to 18 spell levels without ill effect. Exceeding this limit can have dire consequences. 

     When the temple was in active operation, there was little danger as the leading priest would use the stored energy to augment his spells. He could increase his caster level (at the cost of 1 charge/increased level), or Empower, Maximize, or Heighten his spells (paying for the cost increase with stored energy).

Charges Stored	Effect
up to 18	None
19 to 36	Circle glows, touch causes release of 1 stored energy level, Ref DC11 or Blinded for 1 round and 1d6 electrical damage
37 to 54	Circle glows, touch causes release of 1d4 energy levels, Ref DC15 or Blinded 1d4 rounds and 5d6 electrical damage
55 to 78	Circle, glows, radiates heat as a Wall of Fire (Caster Level 10), touch causes release of 1d6 stored energy levels, Ref DC15 or Blinded 2d4 rounds and 10d6 electrical damage
79+	Entire temple begins to glow as energy begins to bottleneck in lightning rods, Circle emits blinding intensity light (Ref DC15 or Blinded 2d4 rounds, failure requires a Fortitude save or Blindness is permanent), touch causes release of 1d8 stored energy levels and 15d6 electrical damage

If the circle has more than 79 charges for 5 or more rounds, it will fail catastrophically, releasing all of its energy in an effect similar to a retributive strike. The temple will be consumed in the blast, leaving nothing but a smoking crater and smoldering ash in its place.

* This is where the party encountered Malazzarr after he had been defeated by Shar and stripped of his divinity. 

8. Acolytes' Quarters: Four simple wooden bunkbeds with straw mattresses line the was of this room. A small wooden table with six stools stands near the center of the room. Smashed chests, torn clothing, and other garbage are scattered throughout the remaining space. 

Temple Encounters (these were not meant to be a threat to the party, they were just intended to slow the party long enough for the thaumaturgical circle to charge up).

Area 2a/2b: Kitchen and Pantry: 1d4 Dire Rats

Area 4: Sanctuary: 2 Clay Golems*, these golems attack anyone not wearing the vestments of a Cleric of Talos who tries to pass through the doors to either side of the stage (the druids who killed the Talosian priests bypassed these guardians with their wild shape ability).

* In our campaign, Shadow defeated one of the golems by opening a dimension door directly in front of it with the exit point being 160' above the ground. The falling damage destroyed the golem.

The Storm

Heavy rain, driving winds, and bruising hail force the party to take shelter in the abandoned temple. The storm will rage for 2d4-1 hours (minimum of three hours). As the storm enters its second half hour, Lightning begins to strike the metal rods on the roof at the rate of one per minute. Each bolt deals 1d10 d6s of damage) and quickly charges the circle to a dangerous level. Once the party begins to suspect danger, they may wish to attempt to discharge the stored energy (see Area 7) or disable the lightning rods (which will have the same effects as directly touching the circle while making them a target for lightning strikes). 

When the circle finally overloads, everyone inside the temple experiences the following:

The magical circle in the floor, already pushed well beyond the limits its was created for, flares violently. A blinding burst of energy erupts as the circle fails. Then, absolute noiselessness and white nothingness reign. After an indefinable amount of time, sight, sound, and thought return.

The explosion caused by the overloaded circle has deposited every living being in the temple on another world entirely.