Here’s the fourth and final level of my abridged Temple of Elemental Evil, the fire level. A succubus named Sezrame and her cambion son Canixos oversee the fire cult. The level also features an ambitious cult fanatic, a cabal of azer craftsmen, and a night hag!
So many links…
- The Air Level
- The Earth Level
- The Water Level
- The Original Map by Dyson Logos
- And, as promised, a compiled PDF: Dreams of Elemental Evil
Dreams of Elemental Evil
23 – Guard Post
A fire cultist and a hell hound stand guard in the 10’ x 10’ alcove to the south. Three more fire cultists gather in the larger chamber. They seek insight from the flames that burn in a bronze brazier (worth 25 gp) in the center of the room.
24 – Ashen Temple
An impressive tapestry bearing the likeness of Imix, the Prince of Elemental Fire, hangs on the northwest wall. Every three days, the fire cult performs an elaborate ritual in which the tapestry is burnt to honor Imix. The ashes of previous tapestries dust every surface in the room.
Two fire cultists led by a cult fanatic prepare for the next ritual. If the cultists hear combat elsewhere, they ready themselves to ambush the intruders. The cult fanatic, a high elf named Merarian, wears a ring of resistance (fire) and carries the key to his private quarters (Area 28).
25 – Nanny Flametongue
Nanny Flametongue, a night hag, weaves the tapestries the fire cult burns in their rituals (see Area 24). Edison, a flameskull, serves as the hag’s familiar and functions as a sentient heartstone.
Nanny Flametongue: Nanny Flametongue is loyal to the fire cult but affects a simpering demeanor if the PCs threaten her. If combat breaks out, she retreats to the Ethereal Plane. From there, she observes the party until she has an opportunity to use Nightmare Haunting against one of the PCs.
Nanny Flametongue is jealous of the influence Sezrame (a succubus) has over the fire cult’s leader, a cambion named Canixos. Nanny Flametongue helps the party if they agree to drive a wedge between the two fiends. If the PCs ally with her, Nanny Flametongue explains how to disable the clockwork dragons that guard the fire locks (Areas 29 and 30).
In addition to her ability to weave with supernatural speed, Nanny Flametongue can lick the blade of a sword to give it the properties of a flame tongue sword. The hag can enchant only one such blade at a time. The enchantment lasts for 24 hours, during which time Flametongue is unable to speak or cast spells with a verbal component.
Lock Box: Along with her soul bag and weaver’s tools (worth 1 gp), Nanny Flametongue possesses an iron lock box. A prominent glyph of warding protects the box. Any creature other than Nanny Flametongue who opens the box triggers the glyph. Each creature within 20 ft. when the glyph is triggered takes 5d8 fire damage (DC 13 DEX save halves). The box contains 800 cp, 10,000 sp, 2,100 gp, 160 pp, and 18 gems worth 100 gp each.
26 – Storage
This narrow chamber contains assorted supplies: foodstuffs, materials Nanny Flametongue (Area 23) uses in her weaving, torches, incense, and two dozens flasks of oil.
27 – Fire Barracks
The fire cultists sleep in shifts in this cramped, untidy room. Bowls of hot coals light the room and ensure the air remains stifling. 1d4+1 cultists rest here at any given time.
Searing Nail, an imp, skulks about the room invisibly. He eavesdrops on the cultists and reports any treasonous behavior to Sezrame (Area 32).
28 – Merarian’s Room
The door to this room is locked. PCs using thieves’ tools can pick the lock with a successful DC 15 DEX check. The door can be forced open with a successful DC 20 STR check.
Merarian, a high elf cult fanatic, takes infrequent rests here. He is found more often in the temple to Imix (Area 24). The room contains a bed, a shallow pit filled with smoldering coals, and a writing desk.
Fire Pit: Two fire snakes slither among the smoldering coals. They attack anyone other than Merarian who comes within 5 ft. of the pit. Treat the fire snakes as poisonous snakes whose bite deals fire instead of poison damage. Alive, the snakes are worth 100 gp each to a collector of exotic animals.
Writing Desk: On the desk is correspondence between Merarian and Keshak, the high priest of the air cult (Area 5). Eager to prove himself in the eyes of Canixos, Merarian has brokered an alliance between the air and fire cults. Merarian plans to use the alliance to crush the earth and water cults before turning on the air cult. Unbeknownst to Merarian, Keshak has similar plans.
29 – Northern Fire Lock
Human-sized clockwork dragons perch atop pedestals in the northwest and southeast alcoves. Their inner furnaces flicker with orange flame. Identical arrays of four buttons are set into the walls near each dragon.
Clockwork Dragons: The dragons are iron constructs. They allow members of the fire cult to pass by unmolested but animate and attack all others. Treat the clockwork dragons as red dragon wyrmlings. Their sturdy construction grants them resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons. As constructs, they are also immune to poison and psychic damage, as well as the charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, and poisoned conditions.
Buttons: PCs who make a successful DC 10 Arcana check recognize the runes as “AIR”, “EARTH”, “FIRE” and “WATER.” Each array of buttons is linked to one of the dragons. Pushing a button produces a magical effect that affects its corresponding dragon.
- AIR: The AIR button recharges the dragon’s Fire Breath. Pushing the AIR button while the dragon can still use its Fire Breath has no further effect.
- EARTH: The dragon becomes magnetized. Creatures wearing metal armor who start their turn adjacent to the dragon must make a DC 12 STR save or be grappled. Similarly, a creature that hits a dragon with a melee weapon made of metal must make a DC 12 STR save or the weapon becomes stuck to the dragon. Pushing the dragon’s EARTH button a second time causes its joints to seize up. The dragon deactivates until the cult’s azer craftsmen (Area 33) spend 8 hours to repair it.
- FIRE: The dragon uses its Fire Breath, even if it’s not otherwise available, and the flames in the dragon’s inner furnace blow out. The dragon deactivates until another creature uses an action to reignite the flames. While a dragon is deactivated, pushing its FIRE button again has no effect.
- WATER: A reservoir of water is released into the dragon’s inner furnace. Until the end of the dragon’s next turn, the dragon is stunned and a cloud of steam surrounds the dragon in a 10-ft. radius. Pushing a stunned dragon’s WATER button a second time douses its flames completely. The dragon deactivates until another creature uses an action to reignite the flames. While a dragon is deactivated, pushing its WATER button again has no effect.
30 – Southern Fire Lock
This area is identical to the northern fire lock (Area 29), except combat here alerts the guards to the south (Area 31).
31 – Guard Post
Two fire cultists stand guard here at all times. A tapestry bearing an image of Imix (similar to the one found in Area 24) covers the northwest wall. PCs who look behind the tapestry spot the secret door to Area 32.
32 – Sezrame’s Quarters
Canixos (Area 34) is the fire cult’s nominal leader, but his mother Sezrame is the power behind the throne. The succubus spends most of her time here, either studying or advising Canixos.
Sezrame: If Sezrame hears noise in Area 31, she becomes ethereal and spies on the PCs until she’s assessed their capabilities. If she thinks the PCs will fall for it, she polymorphs into a human earth cultist and materializes inside the cage in Canixos’s quarters (Area 34). She waits for the PCs to rescue her and then turns on them at the first opportunity.
Sezrame uses the fire cult as a tool but has no loyalty to it. If she believes her life is in danger, Sezrame flees the complex and plots revenge at a later date.
Sezrame’s Research: Sezrame’s research into the Dreaming God covers a small writing desk. If the PCs study this research, they learn the Dreaming God was a deity of natural catastrophes who destroyed multiple worlds on the Material Plane before a group of heroes united to defeat him. Judging from her notes, Sezrame seeks to resurrect the Dreaming God so it can wreak destruction again. Sezrame’s collected research is worth 100 gp to a scholar.
Treasure: Sezrame’s quarters are lavish, although the decorations have a distinctly hellish bent. The furnishings are worth 250 gp. A wardrobe contains an assortment of outfits, including the distinct robes worn by the other elemental cults. An ebony jewelry box (worth 25 gp) contains 300 gp worth of jewelry.
33 – Azer Forge
Three azer craftsmen toil in this chamber. Their forge is set into the northern wall. Anvils, hammers, and other metalworking tools fill the rest of the space.
The azers forge weapons and armor for fire cult and maintain the clockwork dragons in Area 29 and 30. Currently, they are hard at work on a new project: forging another azer. The incomplete azer’s head and torso rest in separate pieces near the forge. The pieces are worth 250 gp each to a collector.
34 – Canixos’s Quarters
A cambion named Canixos leads the fire cult. Canixos relishes warfare and would have mobilized the cult against its enemies months ago were it not for the counsel of his mother, the succubus Sezrame (Area 34). Canixos flees the complex only if defeat seems inevitable. In battle, he wields a +1 spear.
Canixos’s room contains a bed, table, and wardrobe. An iron cage occupies the center of the room. The cage is currently empty, but Sezrame may use it to trick the PCs into “rescuing” her (see Area 34). An unlocked chest in the wardrobe contains the fire cult’s treasure: 800 cp, 6,000 sp, 2,100 gp, 50 pp, and 10 gems worth 50 gp each.
35 – Exit Stairs
A winding staircase descends 500 ft. to an exit at the base of the Dreaming God’s skull.
NIZNOC SPEAKS!