35.12 River Temple

This is just a snippet from the upcoming update to Wolves Upon the Coast Grand Campaign.

A moss-bearded structure emerges from the river-bend, seemingly constructed beneath the waters and permanently submerged. Beneath the vegetation, stone unbitten by tools shows no signs of wear despite the river’s passage.

1
Dense sodden vegetation betrays no animal nests - the interior free of any such lodgers. The eastern and western walls have small basins of stone, each vomiting long tendrils of plant matter. Each basin holds water - a small brass tube cunningly hidden within the wall once gurgled water pumped from the river.

2
A wide set of stairs fill the floor of this chamber. Emerging from the ghostly plants, pale with light-starvation, are carven figures of aquatic aspect, eyes piscine, bedecked with tentacles and selectively polished to imply a slimy texture.
From below, the sound of water lapping against stone and echoing can be heard.

Rooms below here are flooded up to the knees - movement is halved, and strikes are at -3 to hit.

3
Stairs slippery with half-rotted river weeds lead to a wall untouched by plants. From the stone emerges the torso of a statue. A huge belly gives way to a pair of three-fingered arms, a tusked head with six eyes and no nose, the mouth open wide. Behind the figure, scenes of supplication are rendered in the stone, showing the faintest remnants of paint. All are executed with incredible skill, as if the stone were shaped as clay. Water laps against the stone, cold enough to chatter teeth.

Within the mouth of the statue, delicate human bones, carbonisation and a scorched ring. Those with knowledge of anatomy recognise them as the bones of a hand. A tiny tube of brass glitters at the back of the stone throat.Any putting their entire hand within the mouth awaken the statue, who bites off the hand and deals 1d6+1 damage. Flames dance behind the locked teeth, incinerating the hand before the mouth opens and the statue is still once more. Cleaned up, the ring is revealed to be made of glass talons. (Unnamed,&T)

4
This chamber is divided in two by a floor-to-ceiling mesh of gold wire. Stirring up the water in the southern half, a creature paces. Something like a bull, bedecked in armour-plates of stone carven with waves and stars. If no sacrifice was made to the stone-god in 3, it charges trespassers, the gold wire tearing around it and running from the horns in streamers.

HD 7 // AC as Heavy // Damage 2d6 // If a character forgoes their attack, they may make a Dodge Save to avoid it’s charge - it continues for 2d6’, and if running into a wall takes damage equal to the amount of distance left untravelled.

5
Between the creeping plants hang chains green with the bronze-disease, each terminating in a manacle wide enough for a human neck. Just above the waterline, scratches in the otherwise smooth, rounded stone.

6
Rising from the water, a basin of stone inlaid with coloured tile forming a mosaic depicting the floor of an ocean, filled with aquatic creatures. A tube of glittering brass emerges from the base of the basin, curving in an elegant swans-neck. Beside this, a small hole in the floor of the assemblage. A nodule on the tube can be rotated - doing so releasing a gout of blackened sludge from the tube. Touched, this sludge stains the skin a lurid purple. Any so stained are marked for sacrifice - the people of Noos will attempt to capture them if the purple area is seen.

7
Climbing from the waterline, pale vines heavy with cream flowers make this chamber feel even smaller. The sweet, musky smell of the flowers is thick on the air - those lingering here must make a Physique save to avoid becoming drowsy, taking -3 on all rolls. Those continuing their stay past this point fall asleep, most likely drowning in their drugged stupor.

8
A single figure stands in this chamber, wearing Heavy armour of bronze scales and a helm resembling the jaws of a fish closing over their face - the full set worth 500sp. Within the armour the figure has translucent flesh and strange organs. They wield a Two-Handed Axe of stone inlaid with mother-of-pearl patterns, worth 350sp. The walls are covered in shields of wood-and-hide and thin spears topped with heads of glass. The figure may only be harmed by the spears upon the walls. They guard the entrance to 9.

HD 5 // AC as Heavy // Damage 1d6+1

9
The eastern edge of this chamber bears a relief of a walled city upon a coastline, the inhabitants welcoming large figures wading in from the sea bearing nets. Within these nets appear to be animals of the land, faces miserable and limbs sticking out between the mesh. Beneath the sculpture, just above the waterline, a square plinth of lead atop a pillar of stone. If a land animal is sacrificed upon this plinth, the secret door to 11 appears, allowing access.

10
The walls are all painted and show minimal water damage. The northern wall depicts scenes of humans being chased, captured, dismembered and eaten by blue-furred humanoids, faces leering huge. The western wall shows glittering insects of bronze dispatching the humanoids and liberating the humans. The southern wall depicts the humans dwelling in a huge coastal city of stone, the bronze insects watching from afar. The eastern wall, rendered in a different style, depicts a huge black wave consuming the city.

11
Within this heretofore sealed chamber, an ancient horde (Temple II):

• 182 Atlantean Coins, worth 20sp each. Designs feature formulae and bearded figures, unlabelled.
• A Demonface Coin, depicting a horse with a broken snout.
  • The demon within manifests as a wretched child, struggling beneath the weight of their huge horse-head, the snout broken and crunching with speech. It can teach Locate Object, Speak with Animals and the Slaying Spell. If given a prince to consume, it can summon a Rat King.
    
• A silver mask depicting a jellyfish-like creature with shrunken, humanoid eyes and a visible brain. Worth 800sp. If worn, Noosfolk not of the temples will not approach.
• A heavy knife of cold-forged iron, untouchable by rust. The spine of the blade has an inlay of aquamarine. Worth 500sp.

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