[A to Z April] J is for Jade Temple (map)

The Jade Temple is a subterranean temple carved out of an enormous lode of magnificent jade. The temple was originally dedicated to the worship of Daiurai, the Goddess of Spring. Recently, however, it has been taken over and corrupted by worshipers of Thosli, the God of Destruction and Wrath. Thosli desires the secrets and treasures he is sure reside in the temple. For every 10 minutes the adventures are in the Jade Temple, there is a 25% chance of encountering a group of 1d4 followers of Thosli. Each group will contain one magic user or cleric.

1. The 10-foot-wide hallways in this entryway and the parallel hallway to the east are lined with ornate bas relief sculptures depicting epic battles between avatars of Daiurai and Thosli and their followers. Worshipers of Daiurai attain a morale bonus to any combat maneuvers performed in line of sight of the sculptures. In the eastern hallway is a representation of Daiurai falling to Thosli’s sword. The floor immediately in front of that image is trapped; any creature that stops to pay respect to Thosli and his victory over Daiurai triggers the pit trap.

2. This chamber is entered by one of four doors. Each door is locked with excellent locks and are trapped with one of four different traps: explosive rune, acid spray, poisoned needles, and electrical discharge. The stone floor forms a cross and is suspended over a bottomless chasm. In the center of the cross is a small pedestal on which rests an urn. The urn is purported to contain the ashes of Daiurai’s first prophet, Fawai the Bountiful. Removing the urn from the pedestal will cause the room to be filled with a pillar of divine fire. Stone golems stand in the four alcoves in the hallways around this chamber as protectors of the urn; if they sense the urn’s presence outside the chamber, each of them will become active and seek to (1) recover the urn and (2) punish those who are responsible for moving the urn. They will pursue and attack until either their target(s) are destroyed or they are destroyed.

3. The door to this chamber is protected by two of four different traps: rune of disintegration, spiked floor, spore cloud, and a falling block trap. Inside the chamber is a stone circle suspended over a bottomless chasm. The floor of the chamber is treacherous and covered with ice. At the north end of the stone circle is an altar on which rests a frozen heart, rumored to be a trophy taken from an avatar of Thosli after his death at Daiurai’s hands. The air temperature itself will cause cold damage every round to any creature that spends more than one minute in the chamber. If allowed to close, the door will automatically lock and the alternate two traps will be set.

4. Four sarcophagi fill this chamber. They are the final resting place of four of Daiurai’s greatest clerics: Enoundro the Learned, Bez the Faithful, Nol Adouk the Unlucky, and Krop the Silencer. 1d4 of these sarcophagi have been infiltrated by rot grubs. Each of them contain various minor treasures and oddly well-preserved funerary vestments.

5. This is the treasure room for the temple, where donations were stored. There is a 50% chance that the bulk of the treasure has already been removed from the temple by looters or followers of Thosli.

6. The chapel of Daiurai has been desecrated. The altar has been doused with the blood of some unidentifiable creature–possibly even human–while the pews and statuary have been vandalized, broken, and burned. A crude image of Thosli has been drawn in soot over the altar. Any evil creature will attain a significant morale bonus to attack rolls while in this chamber, while any good creature will suffer a similar morale penalty.

7. A massive stone guardian fills this alcove and will immediately attack any non-good creature it sees. It will pursue and attack until it either destroys its target(s) or is itself destroyed. Gore and shredded cloth is scattered around the alcove, floor, and ceiling.

8. Followers of Thosli have, apparently, somehow found their way into this room, the living quarters for the current priest of Daiurai in residence, Dominus Jere. Upon entering this room, one will immediately see the tortured, slaughtered remains of Dominus Jere hanging from the wall over his personal shrine to Daiurai. A thorough search of this chamber will uncover little in the way of typical treasure. However, a letter significant to one of the adventurers’ personal quests will be found in Jere’s desk. In addition, there is a massive tome entitled “Revised Inscriptions of the Hallowed.” Taking at least one hour to read this tome will impart knowledge of Daiurai to one reader. If read by a good cleric, it will also grant the knowledge of a random minor clerical spell of the DM’s discretion.

9. The doors leading to this hallway are locked from the outside. Warning runes are scribbled hastily in chalk on each door. Within the corridor are 2d4 ghouls who followed the smell of carnage into the temple and who were trapped in the corridor by followers of Thosli, some of whom were trapped with the ghouls and have been killed and partially consumed.

The long hallway bisecting the temple from east to west contains two pit traps for the unwary infidel. There are signs on the ceiling above each trap that warn of the traps to those whose eyes are turned heavenward seeking for Daiurai’s assistance and favor. Unfortunately, they are in the ancient language of Obi and can only be read and understood by a student of Obi or Daiurai.

The usual applies to this image: free to use, just drop me a note to let me know if, where, when, and how it was used. The PDF can be grabbed HERE.


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Previous "J"s:
2013: J is for Jade Skull (item)
2012: J is for Jalbion’s Liquid Jewel (spell)
2011: J is for Juniper Ale (beverage)