145

145. THE EARTH TEMPLE

Note: Read the entire description carefully
before starting play in this area.

This great open AREA is obviously the one
in which the principle of the Elemental
Evil of Earth is served. The walls are
rough-hewn sandstone, but the entire
floor is dark brown earth.
Some sort of phosphorescent lichen
provides a dim illumination throughout
the vast AREA. It grows on walls and ceiling, supports and arches. Cressets and
wall sconces indicate that, during ceremonies, other light sources are used.
In the center of the room, occupying a
20' square AREA, is a pyramid of hardpacked dirt; the sides rise about 6 feet,
and the top is flat, forming an area about
6 feet square. Stone steps are set in the
4 faces of the pyramid. Atop it is a
stone column, each of its 4 faces bearing a carved triangle and sporting a pair
of bronze manacles dangling from bolted
rings. At the base of the south face of the
column rests a bronze box.
3 doors are in the south wall;
those to the left and right are normal, but
the center pair are huge bronze valves.
These bear a strange set of silvery-glowing runes, obviously chiseled into
their face by someone other than their
maker. They are sealed shut, with soft
iron filling all the cracks.

The normal doors on the south wall lead to
areas 145 F and 145 G, described after this
Temple area.

The depth of the earth in this room is 6
feet. The bronze box by the column is not
locked; it contains a bronze maul, knife,
bowl, and ewer. All of these items are evil,
and detectably so; each item (including the
box) is worth 25 gp.
(Total: 125 gp)

As with the main entrance of the Upper
Temple, then the large pair of doors are an
antipathy spell, made permanent upon
them. All those who failed any previous
saving throw against this effect cannot
approach the doors; any intruder whose
saving throws were successful must here
again make a saving throw vs. spells, with
the usual -2 penalty, or suffer the effects.

4 earth elementals are here, hidden
under the dirt floor at four points (indicated
by the letters A, B, C, and D on the map).
An elemental attacks any victim within 10
feet of it, and ceases attacking immediately
when and if this situation ends.

Elementals (4): AC 2, MV 6", HD 16, hp
A = 87, B = 74, C = 71, D = 69, #AT 1, THACO 7, D
4-32, SD + 2 weapon to hit; XP 4155, 3960, 3915, 3885
(Total XP: 15,915) (L = 16,875)
<hp 103, 90, 87, 85>

A holy word or wish dispels all of the elementals, but otherwise they must be fought
and slain to rid the AREA of their presence. A
dispel magic does not affect them.

If an intruder enters this room further
that 20 feet from any entrance, all 4 elementals rise up out of the earth and stand
motionless. If the intruder tries to leave, the
elementals start patrolling, as follows. 4
roman numerals surround each letter; each
elemental moves first to I, then II, III, IV, I
(etc. ), taking 1 round for each "leg" of the
trip. The elementals continue this patrol as
long as any living thing remains in the AREA.
If all intruders manage to depart, the elementals return to their original positions
(the letters) and burrow back down, leaving
no trace of their patrol or presence.

If all intruders MOVE directly to the central pyramid (instead of attempting escape),
the elementals do not patrol. Instead, they
all move to their IV positions near the pyramid) and do not MOVE again for 1 turn,
unless approached (activating their "attack
reflex"). The elementals do not climb the
pyramid in any case. After their 1 turn of
immobility, any elemental that has not had
1 ewerful of blood poured upon it actively
pursues intruders, reaching up towards
those upon the pyramid, if applicable.
(Intruders thereon must be careful of straying too close to the edge.... )

EXCEPTION: Anyone wearing the robe <cassock> of Romag (the brown vestment with the 4 triangles set with gems)
can MOVE freely among the elementals without suffering attack. The wearer can furthermore
command their movements by verbal
instructions in the Common tongue (though
they cannot leave this Temple).

Buried under the dirt at each of the IV
positions is great treasure. The digging of
any one area takes 12 man-turns, i.e. 2 turns
for 6 persons, 3 turns for 4 persons, etc. No
more than 6 persons can excavate one AREA
at the same time. Nothing is found in any
dig until after 1 full turn of work, regardless of the number of participants.

The 1st AREA excavated and searched
produces 800 gp and a flask, a potion of
diminution (XP 300, dim).

The 2nd area produces 200 pp and a
suit of ring mail + 1 (XP 400, dim, 25#).

The 3rd area produces 28 brown spinels
(each worth 100 gp) and a morning star + 1 (XP 400, dim, 12.5#).
<22 x 100, 1 x 50, 2 x 500, 1 x 160, 1 x 90, 1 x 200, total = 3700>

The 4th and last AREA excavated and
searched produces a ring of protection + 1 (XP 2000, moderate),
rope of climbing (XP 1000, faint), a leather case containing a
wand of paralyzation (38 charges) (XP 2660, strong), and a
brass box containing three jars of
Keoghtom's ointment (XP 500 x 3, dim).

(Total treasure XP: 5,500)
(Total magic item XP: 8,620)

RECRUITS:

Level 1.

145 F. WEST ROOM

This is probably a robing room, with no
exit save the door you have opened. A
padded bench runs the length of the east
wall of this 10' square room. A number
of pegs and hooks are along the north
and south walls, and a large cabinet
stands by the west wall. 7 cloaks of
brown cloth are hanging on the pegs,
and 3 pairs of sandals are tucked
under the bench.

The cloaks and sandals are human-sized. In
the cabinet are 8 padlocks and their keys
(each set worth 1-4 gp to any Thieves' Guild), <4, 2, 3, 1, 4, 2, 3, 3, total = 22 gp>
several large jars of wine, 12
pewter drinking cups, 5 plates with small
amounts of different sorts of dirt (red, yellow, brown, black, and pale gray), an ivory
bracelet set with a huge carnelian (worth
500 gp), and a bone scroll case. The last contains a scroll of protection from earth elementals (XP 1500, moderate), a 10' radius effect produced after
six segments of reading; the effect lasts for 5-
40 (5d8) rounds, but fully blocks only 24 Hit
Dice of elementals, thus stopping only one
such creature (but giving a -8 AC bonus
against the attack of a second).

Level 1.

145 G. EAST ROOM

A heap of large and small stones fills the
center of this 10' square room. Piles of different types of dirt are in the corners and
along the walls, and only a narrow path
through the room remains clear. 12
small kegs are stacked along the south
wall, 3 across and 4 high. You see no
exit, save the door you have opened.

The rocks are worthless, and one is actually
a stone of weight (moderate). The dirt is just that. The
kegs are filled with fuel oil for the cressets;
each holds just a bit more than 7 gallons
(worth about 16 gp per gallon). On the
inside face of the door (and probably undetected while the door is open) is a parchment
bearing a message, in Common. It instructs
Romag to pay his fealty to the Water Elemental Temple or else prepare to die horribly. It reminds him that the relative power
of their elements is reflected in the predominance of water to land. Several obscene
remarks have been added to the missive,
probably by Romag....

Level 1.
>>146.>>