The Shambling Temple

### Inhabitants

Ashtoreth, Amphitryon, Locus; Becuriel; Kobold King Yiktaz; kobolds, drakes, wyverns; demon cultists

The **Shambling Temple**, also known as the **Tripartite Temple**, was once the epicenter of a powerful cult allowed free reign in Noslith by the Shadowmaker's reign. Lead by a powerful tiefling witch named Ashtoreth, the Tripartite Cult was an amalgamation of three former, separate demon cults, venerating three powerful demon lords - Orcus, Prince of Undeath, Abraxas, Master of the Final Incantation, and chief among them, Deskari, the Lord of the Locust Host. Under its leading triumvirate, also composed of Amphitryon, tiefling priest of Abraxas and tiefling priest Locus Alphaeus of Orcus, the cult ran rampant throughout the Wosswood and pilfered Caer Sól for ancient lore.

The temple was built in 3E.522 by Ashtoreth, Amphitryon, and Locus based on Izevelan designs, inspired by the Temple of the Demon Lords of ancient Imperial lore. Containing shrines to its three patron demon lords, the Temple also holds a great library, a ritual chamber, an alchemy lab, and a Circle of Ascension used to transmute humanoids into half-fiends at the cost of mortal souls. The Tripartite Cult lived in the Wosswood in hiding until 3E.558, when Ammon and his allies were unseated from power and the demonspawn were allowed to roam free again, so long as they remained beneath the notice of the Shadowmaker. After conquering the holy city, the demoniac triumvirate prepared a ritual that would unleash the Abyss upon the world with Caer Sól its conduit. In 3E.700, the triumvirate attempted to enact their ritual and open up the Worldwound but failed. Only Ashtoreth survived, secreted away to Thanatos by the power of Orcus, who demanded 500 years of service in return. The Phoenix awoke, then, and lead the First Crusade to erase the rule of Shadowthrone. The remaining cultists of the Tripartite Temple were slain, and the locust-haunted ruin became known as the Shambling Temple.

Although the temple once was host to a grove of Malgarian trees, only one such tree remained in its atrium by the time of the rise of the Kobold King. When the Heroes of Blackbridge arrived at the Shambling Temple, the elven mage Raiwen Talethar of Gaelathara harvested the tree for its abyssal leaves, believing that a potion brewed from crushed Malgarian leaves might create a potion capable of curing the Rasping Pox. The Malgarian trees were likely planted within the Temple by Ashtoreth, who may have used mixed *demonroot* and *abyss leaves* to concoct potions that could have concealed her fiendish heritage at times where showing such signs would be inconvenient.

## The Heroes of Blackbridge

In 5E.1521, the Shambling Temple became the seat of the kobold kingdom, ruled then by Yiktaz, who worshiped Malaemarux and sought to reclaim the Crucible. Yiktaz discovered the secret of the Circle of Ascension, and sought to use it to increase his power so he might take over the Wosswood and erase the goblin kingdom. The kobolds captured Pierrick Blackhair, a Bregatian guard from Blackbridge who was mortally wounded in Markus Aldhard's attack on Father Tihomir's cavern. Later, kobolds serving Yiktaz attacked the village of Newstone and kidnapped nine men, women, and children to serve as the other nine sacrifices.

After making a bargain with the goblin king, the Heroes of Blackbridge found the Shambling Temple, seeking both to kill Yiktaz and to save the ten villagers. However, in their initial assault on the ruin, a wyvern that Yiktaz called down brutally slew the inquisitor, Aldus, cutting the determined investigator's life tragically short. The adventurers were forced to retreat, to cremate their lost friend and ally and to lick their wounds. After recruiting Silas Rooke, the vengeful heroes returned, and destroyed the guardians of the temple. Within, they found ancient texts, including tomes referring to a prophecy of the Locust Lord, Deskari, that seemed to correspond to the Rasping Pox. However, Lemuel was tricked into releasing Becuriel, an ancient incubus summoned by Ashtoreth. Worse yet, the heroes soon learned that they had returned too late, finding Yiktaz in an ascended fiendish form surrounded by the corpses of the ten villagers they failed to save. The Heroes of Blackbridge slew Yiktaz in their fury, claiming his head and fulfilling their end of Sorzek's deal. After returning to the Dwarven Crucible, the adventurers learned of the assassin's true affiliation and left the Wosswood behind.

## The Sunscourge Heresy

The Shambling Temple stood abandoned after the fall of the Kobold King; the ruins survived the Deluge following the opening of the Worldwound and the Sunscourge Heresy. The demonic temple was swiftly reclaimed and, under restored Imperial rule, serves as an epicentre for worshippers of the demon lords and of Ashtoreth herself.