Epic - The Hidden Temple

Desert Trek

After a couple of weeks of hard training and dedication to Shang-Ti at the temple I finally visited the rulers of Marûn while my new companions searched nearby for the temple we had fallen from. When they returned it was with warnings of the harsh heat of the desert and the deadly creatures that lived there (Fulgar had almost died from the poison of one), but with no luck finding the temple itself. We resolved to search together, looking closer to the town as it could not have been that far for us to have traveled through the pipes and sewers from one to the other.

As we walked along the top of the ravine we noticed a pair of Harung following, although it was not our presence that brought them here. They were heading for an old, ruined guard post on the edge of the desert. We hailed them as they had been friendly with us so far, and they told us of a hermit living in the desert beyond the guard post and that if anyone would know of the temple we sought it would be him. They also warned us that there were lots of bad things between us and him! Usefully, though, they said that if we were to reach a certain large rocky outcrop, which they pointed out to us, then we had gone too far.

We discussed whether to seek him out despite the danger, and resolved that we might need a guide as the temple could be hidden from sight by magical means as well as its location. We also quickly realised that we should start the journey at night after resting properly, as the heat of the desert made travel through the day almost impossible. We returned in the cold of the night, setting out such that we reached the desert past the guard post in the early morning light.

Travel through the desert was difficult, the sand sapping speed and strength as we walked, but at least the worst of the heat hadn't arrived yet and we had brought plenty of water. Eventually as we crested another dune we saw a couple of creatures ahead - a large scorpion thing holding a huge sword similar to the one Garuk had brought back from his expedition with Fulgar, and a multi-armed insect thing that was also armed. Their attention was to the sides and they hadn't seen us so we paused for a moment. I brought by halberd into a position to attack and braced to run forward, but as I was doing so Fulgar dived back out of sight and whispered that the large creature was dangerous and poisonous.

Despite itching to challenge it, I was wary because we had no means of dealing with poison so I followed Fulgar and rolled back below the crest of the dune. Garuk started to fade in and out of sight in a manner similar to when we had first met him, which seemed to be some kind of defence mechanism for him, and joined us although peeking forward to track the creatures. I questioned Fulgar about his wariness, as I understood that they were a foe from his previous encounter, but he explained that (from his perspective) we were in their pack land and therefore they had the right to hunt. I had not looked on such monstrous creatures in such a light before, with their own code of honour as it were, but I had learned much from the Hengeyokai already so I respected his judgement and waited with him.

As we did, though, Garuk gasped and indicated that we should look. We also heard noises from ahead so risked raising our heads. A massive ant-like creature had pushed its way up from the sand and was in the process of snapping the (now comparatively small) scorpion creature in two, having sprung a trap from below. The pieces of what was left were dragged back under the sand, leaving just the sword sat on top. The many-armed thing ran for its life, coming up near us but continuing straight past without pausing, so we let it go. Now we understood the threat we could see that the dune was actually part of a circle with the sand below deeper than the desert around, and it was clearly created by the huge creature beneath to ensnare its prey.

In order to stay on our line of travel, Garuk and I moved around this circle of threat, staying on the outside, until we were opposite where Fulgar watched for us. He signaled when were in the right place and started his own trek around to join us. But just as he was setting off we saw a single camel rider about four hundred yards away up ahead. He did not seem like he was trying to hide, so we waved to him hoping that he would not be hostile. He approached and became a bit clearer in the heat haze, a bright blue and purple clad rider wearing a black turban sat on a rather plump camel. As he drew closer still it was clear that he was a pale-skinned djinn with burning red eyes. Two sickle swords crossed his back beneath a backpack, and the camel was laden with bags of equipment. He, at least, was well prepared for travel in the desert.

He was gesturing quite urgently for us to move towards him, but we were reluctant as Fulgar was now out of sight. A moment later we spotted him, and started to move... but just then a large snake thing with many legs pulled itself out of the sand near Fulgar as he was running to join us. I turned and ran up to defend Fulgar, even as he was trying to put himself between us to offer his own protection. I was glad that he did, as the snake's head darted forward to bite me and Fulgar was just able to punch it aside as he leapt forward to join me. I had very close sight of its fangs, and hoped not to see them so clearly again!

Garuk flanked around and attacked it from behind with his massive sword, cleaving a large gaping slash in its body. It appeared to have some kind of egg sac attached to its tail. I thrust my halberd at its head just at it reared up in pain from Garuk's blow, and my weapon bit deep - it writhed for a short moment and then fell lifeless. I turned to address the Djinn not wishing to appear rude, but it didn't seem to speak my tongue. Garuk, on the other hand, was able to converse with him in the Djinn's native language.

He later relayed some of what was said. The Djinn was saddened that we had killed "her" (the snake) when she was bearing children, and was familiar with the Githzerai's beliefs that innocent animals should not be harmed unnecessarily. Fulgar and I were not so convinced that the death was not necessary having been at the teeth end of the creature, though! The rider was more upset about the snake than curious about us, and started to ride off despite Garuk's attempts to elicit his aid in finding the temple. It was only when Garuk suggested that helping us might save more desert creatures from being harmed in our unfamiliarity with the desert that he paused.

When he heard that Fulgar was Hengeyokai that caught his interest, and he wanted to see Fulgar's form. As it happened Fulgar wanted to change now that we were away from human settlements anyway, and had been removing his clothing to do so. He changed into his half-wolf half-human form and with his changed perception noticed that the rider had owl eyes. The rider said that he was indeed a desert owl. Fulgar dropped to his knees, speaking in the way of the Hengeyokai and apologising for entering the desert owl's land; he had not meant to take prey from him.

The rider was now appraising us more closely, taking a real interest in us for the first time since we met. He spoke of a prophecy that a Hengeyokai, Gith and Human would enter the temple we sought. It was a prophecy from the last war, so old, but here we were. He also laughed about some joke I couldn't follow and told Fulgar that the desert foxes knew he was there; they were scared but honoured by his presence. Fulgar for his part was shamed by his presence and actions, and looked suitably miserable. Fulgar sought, rightly, to follow Shang-Ti's path, and if it was within his gift to put the pack (us) back on that path he would wish to do so. He also said that if we needed to pay tribute then we would as we did not wish to offend anyone. The Djinn/owl said that we should be pack according to the prophecy, and invited us to eat with him. (I should explain that all this was conveyed through hooting and howling as far as I was concerned!)

Fulgar had cheered up a bit by this point, excitedly telling us that we were pack! He conveyed that we were to follow and then eat together (although the thought of eating with Hengeyokai was slightly troubling). Anyway we were set on the path, although I certainly wished that there was a path as we struggled to follow the rider through the desert sands. I say we... after a few yards Fulgar seemed to be able to lightly jog across the sand as if it were solid ground. Yet another marvel on this strange adventure! Speaking of marvels... after a (thankfully) short wile an enormous worm-like tube rose out of the sands before the Djinn, larger than the towers of Batuhan even and towering above us all. It seemed placid, though, and laid down before our guide... who then rode inside it!

Fulgar followed him into the darkness, so with some trepidation but courageous hearts Garuk and I followed behind. After walking some distance in the dark, able to find my way more by the curving of the worm's body than any other means, I came upon a relatively well appointed meeting place where a human (presumably another form of the Djinn) met me to eat and talk about the way ahead. There was no sign of the others, but I later learned that they each saw a place and person they were comfortable with. I was told that the three of us were aspects of the Way of Shang-Ti... the Hunter and Follower of the Way was Fulgar, I was the Protector of the Way, although I was confused a little by Garuk's role - he was the spirit or essence of the Way? Together we might overcome the challenges we would face, and we would face them if we sought to truly enter the temple we had found and not just the physical place.

There would be three challenges: one that related to the "elements as we know them", one related to the paths between worlds, and one that was related to the "heart of the Prime". I hoped that my companions would know more of these things, as that didn't mean much to me. After giving this rather vague warning, the human changed into an owl and flew past me, back the way I had come. I could only continue and hope that our party was reunited again. We were to be, but not as simply as I had hoped. When I emerged once again onto the paths outside the temple that we had seen before I was alone. I retraced our steps, but found only the bones we had seen before and I knew that traps lay within so I went back, looking for another way.

The Temple

We had avoided the circles before, but I studied them now. The three were identical in design but differed in colour, with the first having blue sections, the next black, and the last silver. I needed the path of Shang-Ti, which would normally be golden light... that ruled out the black at least. I reasoned that silver was closer to night with the light of the stars and moon, so I stepped into the blue circle (more like day than the others). The change was dramatic! What had been an empty, ruined temple became a fully restored temple full of supplicants bringing offerings to the Gods! It was as if I had been transported to another time, and I was surprised to see that I was holding a golden platter with offerings as if I was one of the supplicants. The other circles had changed as well - the next had a black, semi-translucent tube rising from it, and the last circle had a silver sparkling well in its place. The supplicants avoided both, I noticed.

I could see Garuk a little way ahead of me, clearly standing out as he was not human and nor was he carrying an offering. The supplicants seemed to be avoiding him but not reacting in alarm or surprise that I could see. Fulgar was ahead of him, nearly at the entrance to the temple, and I nearly missed him at first because he was in his human form again - it was only his size that made him stand out. He was carrying a platter and was in step with a female supplicant beside him, but I couldn't see much more detail from where I was.

I glanced down at my platter, which in addition to a gold symbol of Shang-Ti at the front also held a jade eagle, obsidian rat, and precious metal chicken in that order from left to right. I realised that all the Gods were being honoured here, and we would have to be careful to honour only Shang-Ti if we were to follow the Way correctly. I called out to the others to gather so that we might work out how to honour Shang-Ti correctly. Fulgar's platter seemed to have the key - it contained a platinum snake, an ivory tiger, and an obsidian monkey as well as the Shang-Ti symbol at the fore. These animals had all been used to honour Shang-Ti in different years, although I was drawn to the tiger as that was the animal I had set off from Batuhan to deliver to the New Year celebrations.

This prompted a discussion about time - this was clearly not our time as the temple was being used and possibly even pre-dated the great war. We returned to the blue circle I had entered through, and I took the tiger figurine through as an offering first. The others followed once I had disappeared: Fulgar next with the snake and Garuk last with the monkey. The platters and offerings disappeared as we were transported inside the temple in an instant. Once more we saw the pagoda with the birds at its top and the water pool below. This time the room was in far better condition, and on the far wall a statue of Shang-Ti (as an old man with staff) was depicted as stepping forward towards us, lifting his wooden staff and moving his hand forward leaving a gap below his staff.

It was in that gap beneath where the wooden staff appeared about to land that Fulgar saw the fist and lightning bolts symbol of Shang-Ti in gold, although the rest of us could not see it. This must be the elemental test, or part of it, as we could clearly see many of the elements before us. The elements present were: Earth (the stone temple), Air (effigies of birds), Water (in the pool), Iron (the bowl of the pool), Wood (Shang-Ti's staff)... but there was no fire. Garuk cut up a couple of arrows and made a small platform by securing them together with thread, then he whittled another arrow down to make a small bonfire atop the platform ready to set fire and float it on the water.

He seemed surprisingly skilled at making this small structure, and pleased to have done so (he did not smile very often). Once it was alight he nudged it forwards towards the centre of the pool, and when it passed under the centre of the pagoda the flames built in intensity rapidly, consuming the whole thing quickly. This triggered a change, though: as the smoke rose the top of the pagoda turned, and as it did that a stairwell gently opened at our feet, leading down where Fulgar saw the symbol on Shang-Ti. He told us that the symbol was moving down the stairs step by step, and hurried to follow by stepping where it rested.

He told us what was happening, and I said: "you lead on the path and we will follow", to which he responded simply with: "step where I step". We did so, making one full rotation down in a spiral before coming to a door that was underneath where the statue of Shang-Ti had been above us. It was normal sized, and made of stone. The symbol, Fulgar told us, came to rest on the bottom of the door but off the ground. Fulgar twisted the metal ring anticlockwise and the door swung open surprisingly easily given that it must be heavy. More steps led straight down into the darkness, and this time Shang-Ti's symbol was not showing the way.

Garuk lit a lantern to illuminate us from behind, for which I was especially grateful, and we continued cautiously. It wasn't long before we reached a chasm breaking the path, like a split had occurred underground but remained closed above our heads. The path continued on the other side, but narrowed as if compressed with the walls leaning in at the top. We weren't sure what would happen if we put weight on the floor over that side. We didn't have long to think about it, as a flaming bat-like thing swept in from our right and grabbed Fulgar's fur, breathing fire at him in a short flash. It started to pull him forwards towards the drop, so I grabbed him to hold him in place.

Fulgar swept his claws at it, raking it deeply despite the heat coming off its flaming form. Garuk moved forward to pull Fulgar back as well, and he told us that he was braced and to concentrate on fighting the thing. He said "things" because two more flew in from the right, one attacking each of us with their flame breath. Garuk was caught in the flames, but my armour seemed to shield me from quite effectively from my attacker. Garuk conjured a magic missile that struck the foe that had burned him, not having enough room to swing his oversized sword safely. Fulgar struck the one still clutching his fur, and its fire was extinguished, it's body turning to ash and crumbling away.

I thought to counter the fire with water, believing this to be a part of the elemental test, so I stuck a waterskin on the end of my halberd and smashed it against the fire bat in front of me. The skin exploded with an angry hiss as the two elements met, and the bat quickly backed away into the chasm looking somewhat aggrieved somehow. Fulgar slashed at the one still attacking Garuk, and Garuk saw my success with the water and grabbed one of his waterskins, putting it under his arm and squirting the water at his own opponent. That forced it back and Fulgar took the opportunity to swipe it out of the air, turning that to ash too.

The last one came back, despite clearly being outclassed, and Fulgar killed it with quick strikes before it could do any harm. Fulgar was worried that we were fighting without honour, especially using water against a fiery beast, but seemed somewhat mollified when we explained that we considered it to be part of the elemental test. We had overcome fire, the chasm would test our mastery of the air, and by the look of the passage beyond the next test would be of earth.

Need to cross the gap. Garuk is able to make him and I weightless using dweomer, so rope up with me on Garuk's back and then Fulgar jumps across the gap. Fulgar then able to sprint lightly down the corridor dragging us as he sprints.

As Fulgar lands slight grinding noise with very slow shift of floor. As Garuk casts he inches forward to change the pressure point.

He sees small hairy humanoid creature with big head and bulbous eyes hunched slightly and backing away from light.

An upright version of creature materialises next to Fulgar, carrying knives of which one looks like a lightning bolt, thankfully only hits with normal one.

Minds are assaulted, but only affects the others. Garuk pulls us hand over hand to other side. Two creatures now attacking Fulgar, both with similar weapons.

Fulgar pushed through the middle of the foes, sprinting forward and taking some damage as he did so. Swerves round corner to left, bashing us against wall, and finds door, which he opens.

Twenty feet across, forty feet deep room with large scorpion made up of pretty coloured crystals. At least seems stable here. Rich mineral ores all around edges of room, but doesn't look natural.

Stalagtites above. Galleried walkway behind scorpion, five feet wide and nine feet tall - leads to walkway but no obvious walls beside it.

Fulgar stopped and placed lantern on floor. Spoke to scorpion thing but no response and then it charges at Fulgar and Garuk as they were closest.

Small creatures catch up and stab me in back as well as attacking with minds.

Garuk lands powerful blow on scorpion with huge sword. I thrust halberd into it and it shattered into shards upon shards until glittering dust.

Fulgar called on Shang-Ti to give him strength to face dishonourable opponent. Gets stabbed so not sure it worked. I was stabbed too, but not with the lightning.

Garuk crushes mind of one opponent, who falls dead to the floor. Fulgar slashed the last one, then Garuk finished it off.

Some concern about path from Fulgar. Fighting too much. Sympathise, but feels like more than just a fight. Garuk tries to pick up lightning dagger but gets shocked so leaves it.

Garuk knocks out some red crystal to face. Causeway about 4' wide with colonnade of archways about 8' tall. Flat dressed stone left and right. Like rib cage of arches going away, each like snakes interlocking necks at apex. One every two feet.

Liquid about a foot and a half below causeway to either side and beneath it. Open arch with room beyond at far side about 25 feet away.

Gather dust from floor to offer to the snakes (their element with Shang-Ti) as Fulgar walks along, I watch closely with Garuk behind in safety.

Seems to work - snakes turn into real snakes and return to room as Fulgar passes. As last pair passed the walkway falls into the liquid.

Fulgar struggles to get out and up, but finally manages to leap into archway on far side. Starts praying to Shang-Ti for mercy.

Plan to spike rope and Garuk to jump across with rope and tie it off so I can follow (taking me Halbard).