written by Rob Copeland
Beneath the ground, the Relic stirs. A thousand years have passed, the seal is broken. This adventure will take players into the middle of an ongoing battle. On one side are the knights, who have only recently discovered that the temple is home to raging beasts.
For characters of level 1 - 3
Background
Beneath the ground, the Relic stirs. A thousand years have passed, the seal is broken.
In a place above the stars, the traveller is startled awake by the notification ding. A source of power with the specified properties has been located. Whirring gears and blinking lights notify the traveller that the ship has changed direction.
Many days later, the Knights of Tamin's Temper have heard the rumors and vow to discover the cause of the missing villagers. They seek the forest where the most recent ones were reported to have last been.
This adventure will take players into the middle of an ongoing battle. On one side are the knights, who have only recently discovered that the temple is home to raging beasts. The beasts have prevented further progress into the temple, defending it to the death.
The traveller, a being from another planet, is here, using the relic to turn kidnapped villagers into beasts. He promises them a chance to return to their former shapes if they return to him with the corpse of another creature. He is using these corpses to analyze battle information about this planet's creatures.
Adventure Hooks
- knights seeking their missing comrades
- villagers missing
- merchant seeking a relic
The Temple
A1The Entrance
A large room with stone walls and floor, open arches in the walls allow the wind to blow in, carrying with it detritus from the forest floor. Lying at the center of the room is a stone altar.
Upon the altar are several branches with berries, assorted fruits and vegetables, a few gold coins.
Locals come here to offer small trinkets or gold. A successful DC10 Religion or Nature check reveals this to be an altar to the god Silvanus, god of nature. A successful DC10 perception check reveals scratches on the floor that indicate a secret door on the east wall.
Searching the altar reveals the mechanism that opens the door. Pushing it causes a stone slab that previously blended into the wall to swing out, revealing a dark passage to the east. After a few seconds, a rumble can be heard within the wall, and the door slowly closes, settling back into its place, blending into the wall.
A4The Infirmary
You hear the wailing of men in pain. This room is filled with cots, bedrolls and makeshift beds. The majority of these are blood soaked and occupied by a knight with some kind of serious injury.
Some of the knights have been beaten severely, or bitten. Others have been poisoned or burned. You also notice in the corner of the room, there are a few statues of knights, forever locked in a state of fear.
There is a younger knight, serving as the primary battle medic. He knows about most of the types of creatures that the knights have encountered so far.
A7Storehouse
You are assaulted with the roars of the creatures in this room. You see large shelves, broken crates, and long empty barrels. This must have been a storeroom or warehouse. You see, stomping around the room, arelizard-like beasts, some with teeth, some with feathers. The nearest ones take note of you and begin to head your way.
This room contains the corpses of three knights, armed with two spears and a longsword. They were clearly killed in batttle. The creatures in the room include an Ankylosaurus, a Allosaurus, and a Pteranodon. There are also swarms of insects surrounding the corpses. They will join the battle if disturbed. See the dinosaurs encounter for details.
A10The Dungeon
A large room with stone walls and a cobblestone floor. The walls are lined with cages made of iron bars and in the center of the room sits a wooden table. The table has scratches and blood stains covering it.
The table is secured to the floor and has a set of manticles attached to it. Most of the cages are empty, except for a humanoid, male,villager sitting in the corner, away from the door. In another cage is a pig, a cow, and a chicken.
If questioned, the villager will reveal that some man-shaped thing is changing people into beasts. The beasts are offered a chance to change back, but only if they return to the man with a corpse. The corpse can be another beast or a knight, any corpse will do.
A2Treasure Alcove
This small room has a dirt floor with a stone tile in the center. In the center of the tile, is an open chest.
The chest is covered in elaborate carvings and magic runes, but they are no longer magical,having long since spent their power.
Careful examination of the chest, or a DC15 Investigation check reveals a false bottom, covering a hole with a wooden ladder leading down.
A5Dining Hall
Huge stone room, remnants of tables and chairs, was at some long time ago a grand dining room. Now it is covered in battle scars and blood. Varied winged beasts circle above as a pair of knights tries in vain to swing their swords and jab with their spears.
Flying about this room are three eagles, three blood hawks, two giant bats and two Griffons. See the winged beasts encounter for details. There are also two knights, armed with spears.
A8The Brewery
The room is covered in blood. There are knight corpses everywhere. This large room has, lining the walls, tables and shelves bearing instruments. There are also large barrels full of sour liquid.
This room was once a brewery. The liquid in the barrels are spirits that have gone rotten. A character drinking this liquid must make a DC 12 Consitution saving throw or be poisoned. The corpses in this room are covered in swarms of insects that will attack if disturbed.
A11The Ship
This room is emitting strange blue light. It comes from panels set in the walls, which are made of metal. The floor shines from the reflected light, except where blocked by a set of four mounted chairs. At the far end of the room is a larger chair, surrounded on three sides by large panels.
This is the traveller’s ship. A few months ago, sensing the power from the relic, the traveller headed to this place. However, as he got closer, his ship malfunctioned and crash landed in the middle of the temple.
For the past months, the traveller has been repairing his ship while conducting his experiments on some of the local villagers. A DC15 Investigation check reveals the panels to contain navigation information that seems to point off-world.
A3The Barracks
Decending into the darkness, you smell earth and mold. Eventually, you come to the ground below, which connects to a tiny hallway, paved with stone blocks. Spilling into the hallway is the flickering light of a campfire, shining out from the only doorway.
This room is where the Knights of Tamin’s Temper make camp.
Two figures, humanoid, (2 x knight) in full plate armor bar entry into the room. They cross their swords as you approach, blocking your path. If the players can make themselves believed to be lawful or to support a just cause, they are permitted entry.
Entering the room, you see a series of cots, most of which have an owner, either sleeping, or awake and preparing gear or weapons. Generally, the knights pay you little mind, they go about their business.
A6Armoury
This room could have been an armoury in times past, evidenced by the iron shelves and the cage. However, the room is now flooded with foul water. You see two knights frantically pulling a third from the water, his legs caught by some kind of tentacled beast.
The knight being pulled from the water is being pulled by an octopus (grappled). In the water, there are two more octopi, two Giant Crabs, three Reef Sharks, and a Killer Whale. See the aquatic beasts encounter for details. Two of the knights are armed with spears, the one being saved dropped his longsword into the water.
A9The AntiChamber
The small room is covered in carvings and runes. Around the room, there are tables made of metal, covered with vials and tubes. You see liquid boiling and papers covered in strange markings.
A DC 10 History or Arcana check will reveal that the runes and carvings suggest worship of a powerful item, likely contained in the adjoining room.
Once a sacred space for devotion, this room is now being used as a makeshift laboratory. If a character investigates the laboratory, they will discover vials of blood and pieces of flesh in some of the beakers.
A12The Relic
The walls are covered in etchings and runes. At back of the chamber stands an altar with a single glowing item resting upon it. In the center of the room, is a hulking creature, ridden by another hooded figure.
The item on the altar is the Ring of the Cloven Hoof. A DC15 History or Arcana check will reveal that the item was worshipped by an ancient cult seeking to return to their bestial nature.
The hulking creature is a Chimera, ridden by the Traveller. See theTraveller encounter for details.