09.29.19

The temple itself has several  small rooms, and a bell tower.

Each room has a riddle or trap, all in service of opening another veil (this one secret and invisible) to the Elven tower level.  Map below

  Main room, Cursed chalice and five=pointed gem array. one gem lights up each time a riddle is solved. Completion of the Chalice Riddle lights the first gem and unlocks the other rooms

### **Chalice Riddle, DIAMOND:**

Drinking from the chalice immediately induces poison in any player. Poison drains D4+1 HP per round until resolved. Can be resolved by successful puzzle solution or DC 18 medicine with a convincing anti-poison remedy.

The chalice riddle can be activated by finding a hidden switch underneath the table on which the chalice. This can be discovered by either an investigation or perception check at DC 16. The switch pops up a small, rolled scroll. To open the seal on the scroll, the characters must light one of the two candles on the altar and melt the wax with that. If they attempt to open in any other way, they hear a voice like Bill the Dill who chides them for trying to open it the wrong way. When the wax melts with the proper melt, they hear (and the three marked can read):

"Hi! Welcome to the Temple of Tharizdun! I'm really glad you're here! It's gonna be a real pickle to get on up to the Skyway level, but maybe that's good for you! This is gonna be great, but you gotta make all the connections! If you want to proceed, and learn so of the *SECRETS of the UNIVERSE,*  youll need to get drinking. But drink it backwards, you silly!"

The team must turn the chalice over, which will then fill with unpoisoned wine. By any character drinking from it, all poison in the characters is cured and the locks at the sides of the chapel are released. If a marked character drinks, they gain a permanent D4-1 to max hit points. They hear Bill the Dill say "Ooh, you're one of the lucky ones! But don't tell the others!" The diamond lights up in the gem constellation.

### **Room to left, bedroom, RUBY**

Over the beds is a large tapestry that simply reads "Charity" , Mimic: 80 hp, double speed, not affected by ranged weapons. Once defeated, the mimic will shatter into several pieces of gold, and rwo huge rubies. The rubies may be picked up by any team member, but an unmarked must freely hand one of the rubies to the marked in order to complete the riddle. The rubies begin to burn the hands or bodies of the unmarked after one minute of real time. The burns do D6-1 damage each 30 seconds.

If the marked pick up the rubies, after one minute Bill the Dill says "Uh oh, you can't just take them yourself, that's presumptuous!"

A ruby given to the marked will not burn, completes the riddle, and lights the Ruby in the Constellation. Rubies still held by unmarked disintegrate upon completion of the riddle. The marked given the ruby hears Bill the Dill "Hey hey, someone's lucky today! That's a good one!" They gain D8 temporary hit points.

### **Room the the right, study and private chapel, EMERALD**

Where the fountain-y thing here is in fact a wooden statue of a man tentacles for arms. Nails protrude from his "hands" and forehead. A small sign at the base of the statue reads "Penance." Here, the characters must climb the staircase to find a hammer to drive the nail into the Only the marked can climb the stairs and retrieve the hammer, all others find the stairway too slick, blocked, or hear Bill the Dill say "Not you, hoo hoo hoo!" However, the unmarked must drive the nails into the statue. The hammer harms the holder for D8+2 for each nail, and harms one of the marked for D6-1 as well. As soon as the nail in the head is hammered, a bead of emerald liquid drips from the spot. If a marked touches the liquid, they feel temporarily lighted. They actively float off the floor and are bathed in green light. Their marks grow, Torment's other arm begins to tingle, and they hear Bill the Dill "Wow, you're the greatest! Ask for a favor sometime! But be careful, Tharizdun doesn't like you to be greedy! Oh, and don't tell!" The Emerald gem glows in the constellation.

###

### **Rear Rooms, personal chambers, Sapphire and Topaz**

These two rooms both contain a similar setup. Books, though none of interest, a table, and some eating utensils and games. In the corner, a small table with two chairs holds a chessboard. A Tapestry in the room says "Reflection" In the left room, behind the mimic, the king is pinned in by the queen, both are sapphire. (whte King, black queen. The white queen has been captured, the black king on the board.

In the room on the left, the black king and wite queen are made of topaz. The characters must carry the two pieces simultaneously to mate with their others. The solution is to have each white set be made of Sapphire and Topaz. The kings cannot move. This means that the sapphire queen must replace the topaz queen, and vice versa.

If the kings are lifted from the table, they vanish as soon as they leave the room and return to their places. If a single queen is moved, it, too vanishes. If a marked moves the piece, Bill gives some clues. If king "Sorry! Tharizdun doesn't want to fight the patriarchy! Those fellas stay home!"

If queen "Ooh, you can't do this step by step, you gotta do it all at once!"

If any other piece is moved, it disappears without comment.

When both are placed correctly, both Sappire and Topaz light. All hear Bill the Dill "The way is open! You're the best! Tharizdun awaits at the top of the sky way! See you later, but maybe at different times! Reach for the stars!

When the party returns to the main hall and and touches the constellation, a stairway is revealed in place of the constellation. A fog wall obscureds the view to the top. It is impeneterable. The skyway is then available.