Mirage Temple

The **Mirage Temple** is the only official temple of Meyrin in the Realms. It is located in the desert east of Oceanside, and moves based on the phases of the red moon.

## Description

Gloom, I need a physical description of this thing, please. It's a good building.

## About

The Mirage Temple moves about the desert, its location dependent upon the phases of its patron goddess. It is guarded by the Moon Clan, a clan of minotaurs that travel with the temple. It is a pilgrimage destination for those who wish to beseech Meyrin's help. Once every full moon a celebration is held at the temple. There are booths hosting games and selling food available, in addition to the tournament to seek an audience with Meyrin. The tournament consists of activities chosen by the participants. The winner of a coin toss chooses the category of challenge (i.e. combat) and the loser chooses the specific activity (i.e. swords). The winner of the challenge moves on to the next round until the winner is declared. The tournament is played in pairs until the final round, when the pair plays against each other; this was implemented in more recent years, while before it was single participants. The winner is then taken into the temple after the moon has risen, and led to her audience chamber in her realm through a door that can only be opened via a series of mirrors reflecting the moon's light. Meyrin rarely appears before the winners, but people continue to try every full moon regardless.

## History

### Campaign One

During campaign one, the party ventured to the Mirage Temple in hopes of retrieving the Moon Pillar for Empress Elise, bringing with them a pair of tabaxi, Selina and her father Ivkin, they rescued in the desert on the way. The party, Ivkin, and many other travelers entered the tournament, the winner of which would be taken to the inner sanctum of the temple, where they might be visited by Meyrin herself.

The day before the tournament, the party spent time aiding in setting up the festival activities outside, participating in some themselves; one of these was how Sah won a "rage duck" (a goose). During this first day, within the public portion of the temple, Tiffany accidentally discovered a secret passage being used by Gadley in his attempt to gather the elemental crystals. The party engaged Gadley in combat, kill him with extreme prejudice, though Onvaz fell during the battle. It was also discovered that Gadley had placed a portion of himself within Selina in an attempt to evade death.

Onvaz was revived with some haste, and the party entered the competition to try to find a way into the temple and steal the Moon Pillar. In the first rounds Belxari defeated Tiffany in a display of musical prowess, and Sah defeated Onvaz in arm wrestling. The final round was Sah facing Belxari. Once again the chosen contest was one of music, which Belxari won handily.

Belxari was taken to see Meyrin that night, and was surprised to find that the goddess chose to appear. The two discussed the matter of the boon she wished to receive. After some debate, Belxari requested a cure for the various ailments that Selina suffered from, both Gadley and the family illness. It was granted in the form of a vial containing a strange liquid, "a sort of liquid Wish spell." In addition, Meyrin granted further gifts to the party: Belxari, her new Champion, was given the Shard of Midnight, a magical longsword showing the night sky in the blade, and a map for Sah showing the approximate locations of the Icons of Sin. The party left shortly after.

### Campaign Two

The party of campaign two traveled to the Mirage Temple to find the next portion of the halberd. Renn and Squire paired up and Kiono and Teer teamed up to take on the tournament. Kiono and Teer created sculptures from wood using wood as tools and "putting things in other things." Lei and Squire won an ethics debate and [did something else]. Both pairs made it to the final round, which, after much debate, was decided to be a round of Sky Elven manners. A judge was chosen from the crowd, a Sky Elf named [something]. Teer and Kiono easily won, with Squire intentionally discarding any form of manners while Teer acted as was expected of warforged. Teer deferred ultimate victory to Kiono.

Meyrin appeared then, taking the halberd from Kiono and telling the party to enter the temple to retrieve it. Inside, the party experienced several puzzle rooms before being split up, each experiencing their own personal trial. Teer's trial took the form of his former master Faethyn Tal'Tessil instructing him not to intervene as the party fought, and was slowly overcome by, a dragon. Vale was faced with herself sitting atop a throne comprised of her friends, family, and companions. She was allowed to leave when she determined she would stop using these people for her own gain. Kiono was not faced with an outright trial beyond perhaps surviving without the halberd. This was the first time Kiono was present in a fight rather than Ephemera. The party reunited slowly, finally making it to Meyrin's audience chamber, where Squire had been taken to watch all of this unfold. Squire's trial was to test his understanding of his vows and purpose; he was also instructed to sit by while his friends fought the beast to restore the halberd. The beast was destroyed without his intervention, but he ultimately failed his trial. The second orb of the halberd retrieved, the party departed the Mirage Temple.

## Notable NPCs

### Ivkin

Ivkin was a tabaxi man who traveled with his cursed daughter from place of power to place of power, asking for assistance in removing the curse. This included entreating the aid of a demon, who agreed to help keep her alive until they found a cure in exchange for Ivkin's soul, an agreement he gladly made for a chance to save his daughter. As a part of a boon requested by Belxari, his deal was broken alongside the healing of his daughter, freeing his soul upon his death. Shortly after Meyrin's boons, the party discovered that Gadley had left a jar with a mind flayer larva with Ivkin, intending to transform him into a mindflayer and potential host for the psionic. The larva was removed swiftly and with minor pain. He died during the intervening years between campaigns one and two.

### Moon Clan

A group of minotaurs who see to keeping the peace at the Mirage Temple. They also see to its upkeep. It is unknown whether they are transported with the temple when it changes location, or if they seek it out.

### Selina

Selina is a young tabaxi woman who suffered a hereditary curse in her youth. The women of her family suffered from a curse which killed them relatively early in life. Selina herself was suffering from it earlier than had her mother and grandmother, so as a child she and her father traveled from location to location, entreating the powers for a cure. As a part of her boon from Meyrin, Belxari requested she cure what ailed Selina, as well as removing the portion of the psionic Gadley that had been placed inside her before his death. In her adulthood, she travels to the Mirage Temple to assist in organizing the competition held each full moon to grant access to the inner portions of the temple.

## Trivia

* During the round between Tiffany and Belxari, Tiffany used a fake violin he had created, then "played" via mimicry. Belxari, when handed the fake instrument, decided to play it anyway. Both players rolled natural 20s on their performance checks, with Belxari winning due to her higher Charisma score.