Inner Chamber – Temple of Elemental Evil Area of the Week 07/18/03

This page is a part (Dungeons of Elemental Evil #433) of a playthrough that spanned the year of 2003. All the information was taken from TSR’s original AD&D adventure, the Temple of Elemental Evil.

For the DM: This stark area behind the altar curtain of the Greater Temple is marked only by three 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.

This room is normally unoccupied, used for storage and private ceremonies. If a battle occurs in area 419, this room is the post for the clerics and magic-users. Note that they may cast spells and fire devices through either the peep holes at the sides (the points marked ‘a’, adjacent to the statues in the Temple) or the violet curtain. Note also that defenders herein will get and use the magic items stored in the chests (see below).

Black curtains block two side rooms. Each side room contains a wardrobe and two huge chests. Each wardrobe contains six vestments used by the Temple clerics in their ceremonies; those in room b are brown or red (3 of each, for Earth and Fire respectively), and those in room c are green or grey. With the vestments are four neatly folded silk altar pieces of the same colors, each bearing the embroidered symbols of luz, 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 two chests in each side room is locked, wizard locked and fire trapped (both by Senshock, L9, the latter exploding for 10-14 points of damage if triggered), and additionally protected by two 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 magic items. Each chest contains 2,000 ep, 4,000 gp, and 1,000 pp, plus 2-20 pieces of parchment. Each parchment is 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.)

One magic 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 four 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. Four have been placed here, each 5′ wide (eastwest) and 10′ long. Each can explode for 18 points of fire or cold damage, there being two of each. The pointed niches themselves, constructed to complete the area’s mimicry of the symbol of luz, 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 shortsword can be used.)

If a follower of luz calls his name while in this area, luz will probably respond (a 90% chance, checked per round if necessary). Defilement of any altar, either a lesser one here or the main one just to the south, summons luz automatically (with a 95% chance of gaining a response). If luz 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 luz arrives, St. Cuthbert may (90% chance) arrive 2-9 segments later. If Good beings are in an adjacent area, the same chance applies, but Cuthbert does not appear for 4-32 segments.

Horrible punishments await anyone who bothers luz unnecessarily, so the Temple’s leaders will not call him unless one of two situations occurs — either they have won a battle and have captives to offer him as sacrifices, or 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 of power), even the Old One is relatively powerless to prevent the final defeat of the Temple of Elemental Evil.