Temple of Mystra ( Wheloon ) The Temple of Mystra was a false temple in the town of Wheloon in Cormyr . Constructed in 1374 DR on the ruins of an old citadel on the edge of town , it was dedicated to Mystra , goddess of magic , but was in fact a front for worshipers of Shar , goddess of shadows , and Cyric , god of lies . Under the guise of a holy ritual , they kidnapped , murdered , and sacrificed true followers of Mystra , wielders of magic , and ordinary people who ' d become caught up in the snare . This was all part of a plot by Esvele Graycastle and the black dragon Despayr to rend a hole in the Weave of magic . The nefarious scheme was unveiled and thwarted by adventurers in service to Mystra . History . Citadel . Well before the founding of Wheloon , a so - called citadel was built on the site . It was later ruined , and nothing more than the crumbling foundations remained by the 1370s DR . The ruins became home to displacer serpent s . Founding . In around Ches of the Year of Lightning Storms , 1374 DR , the priestess Naedaenya Arthas met with Lord Sarp Redbeard to request the construction of a temple of Mystra in Wheloon , the first in the whole kingdom of Cormyr . She persuaded him that it would open a market for , spell components , and lore , and boost the city ' s economy . She also paid hefty bribes to Redbeard . He approved the proposal , and granted the priests tax breaks during the construction . He told Whelunians it would bring in more people and trade , that the priests would spend a good deal on supplies , and that it would make Wheloon important . But he could not know how important it would become . The temple was sited on the crumbling foundation of a ruined citadel that lay on the northern edge of town . Using magically assisted construction techniques , it took only a few months to build . In a deal with the Wheloon Jail , the priests recruited prisoners who had repented and wished to commute their sentences by performing holy service . Operation . It was Cormyr ' s only temple to Mystra , but many Whelunians had little need to worship the goddess of magic , and it became only a local curiosity . Many locals came to look around then left , not sure what to make of the place but otherwise satisfied and accepting their lord ' s approval . Priests of the town ' s more traditional religions received cool welcomes , however : Katriana Donohar felt but not exactly friendly , while Orlenstar Thirthorn found one patronizing and insincere . Most put this down to simple big - city temple rivalry . In time , some Whelunians complained of strange noises and weird lights at night — not unusual with the use of magic . The local Purple Dragons investigated , but found nothing untoward . In fact , visitors from out - of - town or who were not likely to be missed were being lured into a lengthy , wearying ritual , the so - called Mystra ' s Sacred Trust , and finally mentally " dominated " . Those with a knack for magic were smuggled off to a location in the Vast Swamp , while the rest were murdered in various ways . The kidnapped petitioners ultimately became a catalyst in Despayr ' s ritual to tear a hole in the Weave of magic . Early on , the priests built a Shadow Gate to more easily transport themselves and petitioners to the Plane of Shadow . However , whether due to inexperience or Mystra ' s sabotage , the effort failed , disastrously . One of their number , Father Sambar , the first to step through , died horribly , but the guard accompanying him survived as a dark creature . So , the priests sent unwanted petitioners through as sacrifices and their most loyal guards to become shadow guards . A number of disciples and priests who would serve in the Black Rift in the Shadow Plane also passed through here . Fall . The temple was in the final stages of construction by the autumn of that year . Nevertheless , Arthas was requesting an extension of the tax breaks , and seeking to negotiate better rates on monthly supplies from Rallogar Hardware . The local bookseller Amnic Basult visited the temple and took a pamphlet , but doubted whether the goddess Mystra truly supported the priests there . Early in the month of Eleint , Amnic went missing , with signs of a scuffle in his shop . The last batch of petitioners and victims numbered eleven . These included Durgen Glintstone , a dwarf cleric of Moradin ; Kareem Hastith , a paladin of Tyr ; Smote , a halfling sorcerer ; Tholwick Styles , an adept ; and Halish , a cleric of Mystra . With them were Dava , Mendios , and Zephan , three apprentice wizard s from Marsember sent by their master to make an offering at the temple . Another was Veera Wavecrest , a sorcerer and pirate from the Vilhon Reach who ' d stopped in Wheloon for repairs and visited the temple to pay homage to Mystra . They were joined by Duncan and Kenniwick , two travelling merchants . Amnic Basult was the last of the dominated victims , having apparently been kidnapped separately . Smote , it transpired , was talked into going to the temple and undergoing the rite by his own sister , Smile , who was an assassin in service to Lady Arthas . Halish was sent through the Shadow Gate , and was transformed into a dark creature . Amnic , Duncan , and Kenniwick met their ends in a temple torture chamber , with their heads stuffed and mounted on a wall . and the rest kept prisoner and gradually sent to the Vast Swamp . The last departure was on about Eleasis 28 . At about that time , an itinerant cleric of Mystra , Tunaster Dranik , passing through Wheloon was astonished : he ' d heard nothing about a new temple from fellow priests , nor of the Lady of Mystery Naedaenya Arthas . Visiting , however , the local clerics gave him a frosty reception , barring him from the inner areas and keeping him waiting for an hour for an audience with Arthas . In the end , he was met by Starweaver Deinyn Fembrys . Something about him looked so strange and off to his eyes that Tunaster turned and fled from the temple . Priests and guards gave chase , even firing arrows , but Tunaster escaped back to town . Later , one of the priests , Shan Thar , played down the incident and spun his own version , suggesting Tunaster was crazed and ranting . To quell his suspicions , Arthas secretly ordered Tunaster to be killed when they found him . Tunaster contacted Constal Maximanus Tholl of the Purple Dragons contingent , but had a hard time convincing town authorities of his concerns . Thus , he recruited some adventurers to investigate the strange behavior of the clerics . Meanwhile , he journeyed to the next , true temple of Mystra — the Tower of Mystery in Saerloon , Sembia — seeking an explanation or assistance . Whether by force , stealth , or trickery , or simply by becoming victims themselves , these adventurers infiltrated the false temple . On Eleint 6 , the adventurers discovered the temple to be a front for Shar ran and Cyric ist cultists to kidnap magically gifted citizens and travelers in some nefarious plot , with the victims sent to the Vast Swamp . They rescued the last surviving petitioner , Veera Wavecrest , from her cell , and her testimony shed light on the kidnapping operation . This time , Wheloon ' s Purple Dragons fully investigated the temple and Constal Maximanus Tholl brought the adventurers to an audience with Lord Redbeard , who requested they continue their investigations and follow the cultists into the Vast Swamp . Redbeard , Tholl , and the Purple Dragons remained in Wheloon to guard the city and the temple . The War Wizards of Cormyr arrived in a week to safely deal with the failed Shadow Gate . Location . The temple was set into the western side of a steep - sided bluff atop a low hill standing beside the Wyvernflow River , north of Wheloon . It was built on the crumbling foundation of a ruined citadel that had stood there in past ages , before the founding of Wheloon . Defenses . The outer walls were ramparts built of mortared stone and whitewashed over . They were 5 or 10 feet ( 1 . 5 or 3 meters ) thick in places and stood 25 feet ( 7 . 6 meters ) high on the outer face . A walkway running around the top allowed two temple guards — archers — to watch for break ins and fire arrows both outside the walls and into the courtyard , and stay protected by the battlements . Two guards patrolled these walls at all times . They had horns to sound the alarm , which would summon three or four off - duty guards from the outside guard post . Priests like Shan Thar and the devout mage Kevrin were also on hand to deal with threats . The outer doors , leading into the courtyard , were of oak and iron - reinforced . They stood open and unlocked throughout the day and evening , however , and were only closed an hour before midnight . The inner doors , leading to the enclosed middle temple , were the same , but were closed , locked , and barred at all times . A coded knock was required for the guard inside to let people in . If investigated or besieged by adventurers or enemy agents , the priests took a proactive approach to defense . Preferring to keep their criminal activities secret , they preferred not to get Whelunian authorities involved ; however , if authorities were brought in by rivals , then the priests tried to turn them against their accusers . Lady Arthas would hire the assassins Londal Fen and Smile to deal with them , whether it meant luring them into an ambush at 23 Impil Street or burning down the Wheloon Watch House with them inside . If the temple personnel were whittled down in battles , they would hire new guards and bring in more priests from the east , and so on . They could replenish their number in a matter of days . If enemies discovered and exposed too much of their operation , then the priests would abandon their operation and flee east . Structure . The temple comprised an outer walled courtyard , open to the sky and standing outside the bluff . Set inside the bluff were a colonnaded middle temple and an inner temple . Beneath them , buried underground , was an extensive dungeon level and subterranean river access . A freestanding guard post stood just south of the temple itself . Inside the temple , the inner walls were constructed of mortared stone , standing 1 foot ( 0 . 3 meters ) thick , and had wooden doors . Ceilings were uniformly 15 feet ( 4 . 6 meters ) high , regularly held up by pillars . Most areas were illuminated with hanging lanterns , but some areas were naturally kept in shadow . The temple had an extensive sewer system , with all its privies draining into either an octagonal chamber with a circular dais in the center , buried deep beneath the temple , or a subterranean branch of the Wyvernflow , which ran through the chamber , reconnected with the river , and carried waste away . The key to the door to the passage leading to the sewers had been lost , and the priests did not sink to cleaning up their mess , so the whole system from privy to sewer was disgusting . They kept an amphibious otyugh in the channel to serve as an aquatic guardian . Entrance . From the northern outskirts of Wheloon , a cobbled pathway led visitors a distance of about 200 yards ( 183 meters ) , with a gradual ascent up the low hill , to the bluff and the outer walls of the temple . The outer walls of the temple were whitewashed , so they gleamed brightly on a clear day , especially at highsun . The main entrance was a pair of heavy oaken doors , which stood open invitingly during the day and evening . To the left of the path , outside the doors , stood a large statue of a woman , carved all of stone . It was uncolored and minimalist by design , with no features to identify it bar a headband , affixed to which was a wide disc painted with the holy symbol of Mystra : a circle of seven blue - white stars , with red mist flowing through the center . ( The church of Mystra typically did not employ idols , but had no commandments against it . ) To the right , south of the temple , was a small , freestanding cottage built of stone , intended as a guard post for those who defended the outer temple , though the guards usually left the door unlocked . There were basic cots here for six people , each with a small wooden chest for clothes and personal effects . Guards typically spent their off - duty hours here playing cards or dice , drinking , or sleeping . There were also supplies of food ( not fresh ) and a none - too - clean indoor privy . Outer courtyard . The outer courtyard was the temple ' s public face . It was walled but open to the sky , enabling the evening astrology shows . Reflecting the night sky above , the floor was tiled with obsidian slabs inset with star - shaped white stone tiles . The space was wide but dominated by two large stone statues of a woman , similar to the one standing outside the temple . These faced each other with hands raised towards one another , nearly forming an arch . In each of the four corners of the courtyard was a small altar to Mystra , with donation bowls in which the faithful deposited coins . During the day , this area was usually populated by a few curious visitors during the day , a temple guard , and the priest Shan Thar . In the evening , during the astrology shows , there were up to ten devout visitors , Shan Thar , and Kevrin . The area was vacant from midnight to dawn . Off to the side , an internal stairway ( also used for storage of mundane supplies ) led up to the battlements . A key to the door was in the possession of one of the guards on duty . Opposite was a small room used as quarters by Kevrin and Shan Thar , containing their books and alchemical equipment , respectively . Middle temple . The middle temple was a private temple , restricted only to the priests , approved temple guards , and petitioners who sought Mystra ' s Sacred Trust by undergoing the three - day - long rite held here . It was a colonnaded chamber , that is , with series of columns supporting the ceiling . It was built within the bluff itself , with no sources of natural light and lit only by torches in sconces one each column . The floor was tiled with obsidian slabs , and the ceiling was black as pitch but set with glitter , giving another impression of the night sky . An unadorned stone altar stood near the center of the room . This area was where the petitioners , typically a few at a time , underwent the Mystra ' s Sacred Trust rite , listening to Starweaver Deinyn Fembrys give sermons . Two or more temple guards were on duty here at all times . On one side were the quarters for petitioners , with sixteen small cots among four alcoves , and wooden chests for personal belongings . Beside it was a guardroom for the middle temple – stationed guards . These were much the same , but better quality . The guards enjoyed a dice game in which the dice were rolled and arranged in a maze - like " dungeon " . On the other side was a storeroom , a vestry for the identical black robes that petitioners were expected to wear , and a sacristy with closets and cabinets containing the vessels , vestments , and gold liturgical items ( cup , pitcher , plate , bell , and staff ) Fembrys employed in this sermons . There was also a copy of Fembrys ' s own book , " Preparing for the Sacred Trust " . Finally , there was a privy and a set of showers nicknamed " Mystra ' s Rain " . Double doors — barred from behind — led to the inner temple . Inner temple . After the three days , petitioners were herded into the inner temple , where the ritual culminated and they were presented with the " Starry Gnosis " . This chamber was all in black , with the obsidian slabs covering every surface : floor , walls , the high ceiling . It was lit only by torches on the two columns that only illuminated the front of the room and left the back pooled in shadow , including the dark stone altars and statues . The " Starry Gnosis " was stored in a secret , locked compartment within the altar . Two shadow guards skulked in the darkened areas , hiding in the shadows . Another barred door led down to the dungeon level . Stoneyard . A stairway led down to the dungeons beneath the temple , passing statues of a woman similar to those on the surface yet carved of coal - like stone . This led first into the " stoneyard " , an area of great sacrilege , with burned holy texts , broken vessels , and shattered statues . To support their sham temple , the false priests had bought up much religious paraphernalia from local merchants and dealers in religious supplies , yet had no use for much of it , especially that which was dedicated to a rival goddess , and so they destroyed it . Yet they could not break one statue of Mystra , which rebuilt itself each night and produced a light that unsettled creatures of darkness , and stood in mute defiance of the desecration . Dwelling in the rubble heaped around was also a dark earth elemental . Adjoining this area was a library in a similar state , with books and scrolls kept in no kind of order , even dumped on the floor . These were all beginner ' s works on Mystra , such as would be given to newcomers to the faith , but the false priests studied these to better mimic real Mystran priests , and kept them to refresh themselves . Hidden amongst the papers were several real divine spell - scrolls . There was also an antechamber , wherein the false priests relaxed or conferred , with doors leading to the quarters of Father Sambar ( the first to pass through the failed Shadow Gate , and the first to die ) , for which the key was lost , and to the quarters of Deinyn Fembrys . This last held the stuffed and mounted heads of petitioners who either had resisted the " Starry Gnosis " or did not use the Weave of magic . Fembrys was an avid taxidermist . Nearby was a privy , and a door leading down to the sewer system , but the key had also been lost . Hallway of Night . From the stoneyard , a hallway led deeper into the dungeon complex , lined with six dark stone statues of a woman . This area had a mechanical alarm that hit a gong in the next area to warn of intruders or petitioners . This passage opened into another corridor called the Hallway of Night , plain in appearance yet ending in a massive ring of purple containing a void of chill darkness ( in fact , an illusion given by a " permanent image " spell ) , which one had to step through to continue on . This was , of course , a subtle rendition of Shar ' s unholy symbol . Leading off from the Hallway of Night was a guardroom for the shadow guards and a storeroom . Another room here Fembrys had claimed as a torture chamber , containing a rack , iron maiden , and all manner of other instruments of pain , as well as the possessions and headless bodies of the dead ; Lady Arthas held the key to restrict Fembrys in his " hobbies " . On the other side , Arthas kept her quarters and study , with fine and luxurious furniture and various treasures and artworks . Shadow Gate . Behind the mock portal was the true sanctum of the temple , an echoing and cavern - like chamber housing an obsidian altar . It still bore no holy symbols , bar the purple ring that those who entered must pass through , and in a secret compartment within the altar a " + 1 returning chakram " , a favored weapon of Shar . The prime feature of this room was the failed Shadow Gate , two black pillars before the altar that framed a curtain of darkness . The bones of the victims of the gate lay where they fell , piled about the altar , all flesh misted away . They were mostly human , with a few dwarves , elves , and halfling s as well , including Father Sambar , guards who did not survive to become shadow guards , and petitioners the Sharrans experimented on . They saw all these deaths as sacrifices to Shar . Some fifty bodies would lay here before the priests were stopped . Three displacer serpent s nested in this chamber , having dwelled in the ruins since before the temple was built . They ' d offered their service to the Sharrans , and now gnawed on the remains . River Access . From the Shadow Gate chamber , a long corridor led down to the subterranean river access . This was a dank and cold chamber through which the post - sewers tributary rushed , spanned by a stone bridge . On either side were iron - barred cells for holding the dominated prisoners and a storeroom with live seafood for the otyugh . It also contained the slovenly quarters and workshop of Mhair , the boatman who transported prisoners , together with his catamaran , kayak , and maps . The subterranean river rejoined the Wyvernflow at the southern end of the bluff . This exit was concealed by a cluster of logs and branches , which could be pulled aside by a rope lying underwater . Standing guard here were usually a pair of shadow guards , while an amphibious otyugh lurked in the river , which also served as the sewer outflow . Activities . Mystran religious services were held in the outer courtyard each evening , from dusk to before midnight , beneath her seven - star holy symbol , except in rain , snow , or other poor weather . These services involved an impressive astrology show , in which the sorcerer Kevrin cast " silent image " to create illusions of much brighter stars in the night sky and pictures of the constellation s that moved and flew about . The priest Shan Thar officiated , naming and revering each star and constellation . This was a standard ceremony known to priests of Mystra , though most would consider the display ostentatious . Nevertheless , it drew in spectators . The priests provided blessings and healing of injuries and ailments in exchange for " very competitive donations " . The temple received monthly supplies from Rallogar Hardware . All visitors , whether pious or merely curious , were welcomed into the temple by priests like Shan Thar , while Lady Arthas was said to be too busy with temple business to speak to common visitors . Those with a mere passing interest were encouraged to pray to Mystra as they wished . Those with an especial interest and were travelers passing through or local folk not likely to be missed around town , received much attention from the priests and were invited to earn the so - called " Mystra ' s Sacred Trust " . Mystra ' s Sacred Trust . Mystra ' s Sacred Trust was billed as a three - day - long service conducted in the middle temple , requiring a 25 gp donation . It was claimed to make one part of the temple and reveal greater knowledge of Mystra and her Weave , yet no proper cleric of the goddess had ever heard of such a rite , not even at the very highest levels of the church . There was some basis in faith nonetheless : during the Time of Troubles of 1358 DR , the former goddess Mystra asked Midnight ( who would be the next goddess Mystra ) to " keep safe my sacred trust " , which was manifested in the form of a pendant containing her godly power . Folk accepted to undergo the rite — known as petitioners — were invited into the middle temple as darkness fell , where they were welcomed by Starweaver Fembrys . Petitioners were required to wear ceremonial black robes and stow all their possessions in the chests provided in their quarters ( the priests did not take the items away , to avoid drawing suspicion ) ; those who refused were asked to leave , even forcibly ejected by guards . This made petitioners both less dangerous and more psychologically pliable . Over the three days , they were required to bathe daily under " Mystra ' s Rain " and were fed scant food . Each day , Starweaver Fembrys delivered solemn sermons to the petitioners and led them through regular chants , with the common phrase of " Knowledge lies between the stars , " and each night he conducted ceremonies . These were all hard to follow , even incomprehensible , and and dense with religious iconography symbolism , through the use of the liturgical items and Fembrys ' s book , " Preparing for the Sacred Trust " . The general gist , however , was the claim that magic was born between the stars — the points of known magic shown on Mystra ' s holy symbol — and that the space between the stars held yet more secret knowledge that Mystra would only reveal to only the most promising . At the end of the three days , Fembrys led the petitioners ( or else they were herded ) into the inner temple for graduation . Once assembled , he presented them with the " Starry Gnosis " , a black crystal ball whose baleful dark light bewitched and dominated their minds as he chanted . After three days of mentally and physically wearing and indoctrination , most fell easily to its influence . Kidnapping operation . After exposure to the " Starry Gnosis " , the dominated petitioners were ordered to retrieve their belongings and go down to the dungeon level , where they were divided and processed . Those with no knack for Weave magic — whom the priests ' superiors had no use for — and those who ' d somehow resisted the bewitching effect , soon met a grisly end . They were fed to monsters around the temple , forced to pass through the Shadow Gate as sacrifices , or else stolen away by Fembrys to be tortured for information or for sport in his private torture chamber . Once dead , he cut off their heads , and stuffed and mounted them in his quarters as sick trophies . Those who could use magic were sent on through the temple . Some , like Halish , were also sent through the Shadow Gate , and either died , survived unchanged , or became dark creatures . The captives were kept in cells in the river access area , with orders to remain quietly , not to try to escape , and obey all the false priests and shadows . Fembrys reapplied the domination effect every eight days ; it wore off in nine . Finally , once a month , they were given a last dose of the " Starry Gnosis " and eight were loaded onto the catamaran , the remainder left behind to await the next month . Under cover of night and when the coast was clear , Mhair transported them out of the temple and across the Wyvernflow , depositing them on the opposite bank . He gave them a map and orders to travel as quickly as they could to the Lost Refuge in the Vast Swamp , and to meet with Bestra , whom they were to obey just the same . They were also instructed to act normally and reveal nothing to anyone they encountered . Occasionally , against orders , he also robbed them of some valuables . Inhabitants . The head and founder of the false temple was Lady of Mysteries Naedaenya Arthas . Beneath her were Starweaver Deinyn Fembrys , who conducted the Mystra ' s Sacred Trust rite ; and Shan Thar , who served as the temple ' s public face . Another was Father Sambar , who met an early and grisly end . Guards . The priests employed nine temple guards to defend and assist their activities . Some appeared to have been recruited from the Wheloon Jail , those who chose to repent and perform holy service in exchange for their sentences being commuted . Most trusted the priests , and some became pious followers of Mystra , ready to risk their lives for the temple , not knowing its sacrilegious secret . They patrolled the walls and stood watch in the outer courtyard and middle temple areas , and didn ' t talk to visitors . They spent their off - hours drinking and gambling in the outside guard post . Guards who proved especially obedient , unquestioning , and uncurious were promoted to duties deeper in the temple , being responsible for feeding and managing petitioners undergoing the Mystra ' s Sacred Trust rite and for maintaining the middle temple . Told to ignore strange noises , they remained oblivious to the true activities of the inner temple . Those who were especially obedient and pious underwent Mystra ' s Sacred Trust themselves and passed through the Shadow Gate , and gradually became shadow guards . Feeling first abandoned by Mystra then understanding how their faith had been betrayed , they became callous and cold - hearted , and believed they must now serve the false priests and their true dark god . They would fight to the death for them . The shadow guards stood silent watch in the inner temple and dungeon areas , controlling access between each part , defending the priests should trouble arise , and guarding the duped and dominated petitioners . Monsters . The false temple was the lair of a few displacer serpent s , which had dwelled in the ruins before its construction , and an amphibious otyugh kept as an aquatic guardian . Rumors and legends . Outrageously , the false priests claimed that their temple was one of the earthly homes of the goddess Mystra .