War for Gateway Session Recap #11

[GM Mad]

War for Gateway Session Recap #11

After Ralvax has been driven off, Wyvern Squad explores the main Temple of Mardura better. Relief's are engraved on the temple walls that tell the story of Mardura. The images start out with a distant place called Nithius that has fallen into corruption and is now ruled by snake men. Four new god rose from older gods and those who were not corrupted followed them to a new and hidden valley. The four gods are Mardura, who resembles Eris. Asimaras who appears to be a redheaded child, but could be a halfling since there is a resemblance to Wimzy. Thogma the Scholar and Morg the Light of Justice round out the other two gods. These four gods had three enemy gods. Set, the Lord of Serpents, Nyx, the Shadow of Death and lastly Sebek, the Lord of Crocodiles. Those who came to this valley called it Cynadecia and they were ruled by King Amenemhet and Queen Kiya.

Other reliefs cover the beliefs of the followers of Mardura. Actions, not words, define those who are great. Strength comes from within. Embrace change as life is like the seasons always changing. Protect Cynadecia, for she is your mother. Fall upon her enemies as you would any who had done ill to your own mother. Show bravery and valor in combat, and protect your brothers and sisters in arms. Follow the wise advice of your commander as you would that of your parents, but take no actions that serve an ill cause. If your commander asks that you do ill, refuse; your actions will be vindicated by a council of at least three of your peers. Protect the people of Cynadecia and the property of the church of Mardura, for it is your home you defend with the fury of a lioness defending her cubs. Beware the wiles of Set, for his spies are everywhere, and his actions turn brother upon sister and parent upon child; his taint poisons the waters of the land of your heart. Carry the peace and prosperity of Cynadecia onward and shepherd the people during their time of need.

Martial skills were an important factor in the lives of the clergy and followers of the Church of Mardura. Clerics spent much of their time preparing for battle, as well as training the soldiers of Cynadecia. They focused on executing daring maneuvers and plans in the hopes of increasing the glory of their nation. Divine spell casters devoted to Mardura prayed for their spells at dawn.

Typical garb for Mardura's clergy includes a breastplate and collar shaped in the figure of a lion for high-ranking priests, as well as a green linen skirt known as a kalasiris and sandals laced to knee height. A headdress and collar were also common. The quality of a priest's clothing reflected that individual's power and standing. When preparing for combat, followers of Mardura favored bronze plate mail, but would also readily select the best equipment for the situation.

The clergy of Mardura celebrates this time by engaging in a month-long tournament of nonlethal combats. The winner of the combat is known as the Champion of Mardura for the following year. The month-long tournament concludes with a festival known as the Sharpening of the Sword.

An adjacent chamber was used as a large study hall and held many scrolls. Most of the scrolls are falling to pieces. Laurel notes that they were not prepared to last hundreds if not thousands of years. The majority of the scrolls that survived hold the teachings of Mardura. There are also references to the land the Cynadecians came from, but the name of their empire has been erased somehow. Mardura herself was based on an older god called Anhur. The text indicate that the followers of Mardura broke off contact with those who followed Anhur after they fell into corruption. The gems needed to travel to Anhur's temples were destroyed.

Based on this new information the group now believes that the other portals go to temples of Asimaras, Morg and Thogma instead of other places of Mardura worship. This possibility is further enhanced when it is discovered that the guardian statues also ignore Laurel and Wimzy. More gems for the keystone are found. These include large white, blue and yellow gems that are believed to be tied to Thogma, Asimaras and Morg. Travel between these four temples seem to be a real possibility.

Another scroll praises the engineer Key-Hamintep who designed and built the canals that fed water to the valley. While digging underneath the new capitol of Cynadecia a large cavern was found with an underground lake. Underground canals were built allowing transport underground. When Key-Hamintep died, his body was placed on a barge and left to drift in the canals, the current taking him to his final resting place.

The other chamber was a rest area for the priests. Ancient headdresses and robes still remain. A box is found holding several crude necklaces that each have a claw on them.

The group continues up the stairs to the next level of the temple. A large walkway surrounds the large courtyard where Ralvax was hidden. The far side of the walkway looks out into the valley below. The Temple of Mardura was built into a hillside and is elevated higher that the valley. Even at this height, the sand is nearly level with the walkway.

At this point the valley is some eight miles wide and twice as long. Sand is everywhere. Only the tops of a few presumably much larger buildings can been seen sticking up through the sand. However there are a few exceptions. A large palace-like area is a few miles away and seems mostly clear of the ever present sand. Figures can be seen in that area, but they are too far away to be clearly seen.

Quarters are located on the other side of this area. There is an armory, general barracks, a mess hall and kitchen. There are private rooms for the higher ups. In one of the larger suites, ancient reports indicating that the Cynadecians had conflict with jackal headed men to the west who enslaved men.

Other reports reflect the disappearance of the citizens of the land the Cynadecians came from. Strange beasts roamed those lands now and beastly men would attack the valley with regularity. Landslides were used to seal off the main entrance of the valley. The portals were set up to a distant outside training facility-- a sort of secret way into and out of the valley: the Sunken Temple.

Later reports indicate that the digging in the underground portion of the city unearthed something horrid. A monster was stalking the night and killed many Cynadecians. They named this enemy Zargon.

More reports were found in the other suite which is believed to have belonged to the High Priest. There is talk if forming parties to hunt down Zargon, but none succeeded. Between the menace of Zargon and the attacks from the beast men, the Cynadecians decided to retreat underground where they could better defend themselves as their population was dwindling. Very little was left behind in the temple, suggesting that the followers of Mardura departure was planned and not a sudden occurrence.

Both set of stairs led up to the uppermost level of the temple. A watch post that overlooks much of the valley. More guardian statues are present. Two large rooms are in this area as well. One looks like a combination of an armory and rest area. The other is a war room. An old map of the valley as it once was is on a table. On one of the walls is a large map of, presumably, the land where the Cynadecians came from. The location of Nithius is spotted on this map.

Laurel casts several Thought Capture spells and they reveal a few things. One, the fifth portal in the arrival room uses the same key as the other portals. Instead of the pointed end being use, the key is turned around so that the larger gem fits inside the oval opening.

The group decides to spend a few days here at the relatively safe temple. Then they will see where the fifth portal leads to. After that, the plan is to returned to the Sunken Temple and report their findings to the Cynalonian Army. By that time the roads shouldn't be as crowded by the enemy army and be safer to travel.

Saladino takes to his flying mount to scout out the valley. The palace that is not buried in sand is found to have a small army of undead around it who work tirelessly to move the sand out.

A small village at the southern end of the valley seems to be a staging area where followers of Hextor and Set are clashing. The two groups battle among the ruins.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Here's the maps for the rest of Mardura's Temple:

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Quarters level:

16. Upper walkway.

17. Mess Hall

18. Kitchen.

19 Pantry.

20. Armory

21. Barracks.

22. Private rooms

23. Common area for the suites.

24. Commander's Study.

25. Commanders Bedchamber.

26. High Priests Study.

27. High Priests Bedchamber.

28. Area of the walkway that looks out over the valley.

[GM Mad]

Temples Roof top:

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29. Walkway around the top of the temple.

30. Smaller Armory, guard rest area.

31. War room – has maps to the valley and the Keln Lands as they were 2500 years ago.

These maps are too huge to post in the forum.

They can be found here and here.