This stark AREA behind the altar curtain
of
the Greater Temple is marked only by 3
lesser altars, each a 10' long stone ovoid
standing 4 feet tall. These are currently
unadorned, but are draped for ceremonial
occasions. The room is dimly lit by a pearly
glow from the north (435).
This room is normally unoccupied, used
for storage && private ceremonies.
If a battle occurs in area 419, this room is
the post
for the priests && wizards.
Note that
they may CAST spells && fire devices
through either the peep holes at the sides
(the points marked 'a', adjacent to the
statues in the Temple) || the
violet curtain.
Note also that defenders herein will get and
USE the magick items stored in the chests (see
below).
Black curtains block 2 side rooms.
Each side room contains a wardrobe &&
2 huge chests. Each
wardrobe contains
6 vestments used by the Temple priests
in
their ceremonies; those in room b are brown
|| red (3 of each, for Earth
and Fire respectively),
and those in room c are green ||
grey. With the vestments are 4 neatly
folded silk altar pieces of the same colors,
each bearing the embroidered symbols of
Iuz, the elements, and the
golden skull. One
altar piece of each color is 10' square, used
in this AREA; the other is 25' x 13', used on
the main altar.
Each of the 2 chests in each side room is
locked, wizard locked and fire
trapped
(both by Senshock, L9, the latter exploding
for 10-14 points of <fire> damage
if triggered), and
additionally protected by 2 glyphs
of
warding, one forming a rectangle
in which
the chest stands and the other around the
lock of the chest itself. These glyphs of
electricity were placed by Hedrack, and
explode
for 18 points of damage (each) if a
chest is
touched without speaking the glyph's Name.
These chests contain coins used for troop
payrolls and rewards, some scraps of parchment,
and a few magick items. Each chest
contains 2,000 ep, 4,000
gp, and 1,000 pp,
plus 2-20 pieces of parchment. Each parchment is <7+12>
a letter of credit from the Temple to
some individual; each note promises to pay
an amount from 10 to 1,000 gp. The borrowers include
most of the Temple troops,
guards, and leaders, since these provide
additional means of forcing obedience.
(The
usual interest rate is 10% per week.)
1 magick item is in each chest. Present
are a wand
of ice storms with 42 charges, a
wand of metal command
with 21 charges, a
chaotic evil candle
of invocation with 3
hours burning time remaining, and a
rope
of
entanglement. The
wands are usable by any
class, and the command words are known
to all the Temple leaders. (These items are
described in Unearthed Arcana, pages 96-
97; 3 charges will typically be spent with
each USE of the latter wand, to
produce crystalbrittle effects.)
If attackers penetrate
the violet curtain, the defender with
the rope
will probably USE it in haste, ensnaring only
the first 4 to enter the AREA (more or less,
depending on the situation).
The top step of the stairs leading
down to
area 434 bears a glyph
of warding (electricity,
for 18 points of damage). The 10' x
20'
AREA just south of it, between the pointed
niches, is protected by multiple glyphs. 4
have been placed here, each 5' wide (eastwest) and
10' long. Each can explode for 18
points of fire || cold
damage, there being
2 of each. The pointed niches themselves,
constructed to complete the AREA's mimicry
of the symbol of Iuz,
are useful only as aids
to defense. Anyone standing within gains a
-4 AC bonus and can be attacked only from
the front; however, the defender cannot
properly wield any weapon that requires 3
or more feet of space. (A mace or <footman's? horseman's>
shortsword can be used.)
If a follower of Iuz calls his name
while in
this AREA, Iuz will probably respond (a 90%
chance, checked per round if necessary).
Defilement of any altar, either a lesser one
here || the main one just to the south, summons Iuz automatically (with
a 95% chance
of gaining a response). If Iuz responds, he
appears in 2-9 segments in his demoniac
form, his two-handed sword
+ 3 in hand. If
any Good beings are in this room when Iuz
arrives, St. Cuthbert may (90%
chance)
arrive 2-9 segments later. If Good beings are
in an adjacent AREA (419 || 434),
the same
chance applies, but Cuthbert does not
appear for 4-32 segments. (See Appendix A
for details on Iuz and St.
Cuthbert.)
Horrible punishments await anyone who
bothers Iuz unnecessarily, so the Temple's
leaders will not call him unless 1 of 2
situations occurs — either they have won a
battle and have captives to offer him as sacrifices, || their troops
have lost miserably
and they need his aid to prevent their final
defeat. Note, however, that if a PC assaulting the AREA has completed
the assembly of
Yellowskull (by first exploring the Nodes
to
retrieve the gems ov power), even the Old
One is relatively powerless to prevent the
final defeat of the Temple of Elemental Evil.