The characters should be at least 2d level before attempting
this mission. Sometime while the characters are 3d or 4th level
they can be approached by Dirtan (gnome, 5th level cleric) who
wants to get into the temple to recover some relics.
Mission Overview
Dirtan, a 5th level gnome cleric, tells the characters that many clerical relics and magical items were cached in the temple of II-Mater before the city’s demise. A few of these were of gnomish manufacture and are sorely missed by the gnomes. Dirtan wishes to get inside the temple (now converted to the worship of Bane) and locate the items. He knows approximately where they are, but not exactly. The temple is currently under the sway of Mace, a half-orc who is also a 4th level cleric of Bane. He has a substantial following of orcs who consider him to be divinely guided and who obey him slavishly.
Mace’s living quarters are in the old manor just north of the temple. Both his home and the temple are only lightly guarded. Rather than deter intrusions, Mace promotes a strategy of ruthless retribution. His followers are scattered throughout the nearby area and ready to respond to his summons on a moment’s notice. If the temple comes under attack, Mace calls in his followers who then attack and overwhelm the intruders.
Area Description
The area surrounding the temple was home to the wealthy citizens of The temple itself was once quite beautiful. It is built of large, close fitting stone, with square walls and a domed basilica. The interior is smooth plaster. The original creamy white of the plaster has given way to the dirty smears and leering images favored by Bane’s disciples, however. The building itself is in very good repair (thanks to some rebuilding done carried out by Mace’s followers), but is now a smelly, dark, dismal place.
The homes are large, sturdy, airy, and well apportioned. Half a century of orcish habitation has taken its toll, of course. Rubbish is piled in the streets and in the back rooms of homes, amateurish images of Bane leer at passersby, and orc brats frolic and bawl in the public filth.
Encounter 1: Orc Patrols
All areas within 50 yards of the temple are patrolled by Mace’s followers. These patrols are quite small, however, intended only to provide early warning of intrusions. Any time a random encounter occurs within 50 yards of the temple, there is a 40 percent chance that it is with one of Mace's patrols rather than the normal Organized Inhuman Area encounter.
Each patrol consists of three orcs dressed in the livery of
Bane, carrying shields and spears.
3 Orcs: AC 6; MV 9”; HD 1; hp 5 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6; AL LE; Size
M; XP 15 each; treasure see below.
These patrols have instructions not to fight unless forced to. Instead, they are to send word to Mace that something is afoot. So, if the PCs try to talk to one of these patrols, one of the orcs will converse with them (assuming someone in the group speaks orc). A second orc remains with the speaker while the third marches away to inform Mace.
If attacked, two of the orcs fight, covering the third’s flight. The third orc is attempting to warn Mace that intruders are in the area. The two orcs who stay behind fight to the death. If the characters flee, the orcs do not pursue. However, one of the orcs is dispatched with a report for Mace. If one of the orcs escapes to warn Mace, the remaining encounters will proceed normally, except there will be no chance of surprising any of the temple’s defenders for the rest of the encounter.
The orcs on patrol carry no treasure whatsoever. However, each wears the holy symbol of Bane on a string around his neck. These holy symbols are cut from leather, and so have no monetary value. They can be useful in later encounters, however.
Encounter 2:
Mace’s Household
Mace’s home is directly to the north of the temple. (See accompanying maps.)
This encounter takes place in Mace’s home, adjoining the temple. Mace himself is in room 3. This encounter involves 10 orcs, all identical to those described in Encounter 1. Two orcs are stationed in each numbered room of Mace’s house (four if Mace was warned of the PCs’ approach, for a total of 20). These orcs are not charged with warning Mace of intrusions, but with protecting his life. If any stranger (such as the PCs) enters the house, they shout the alarm and attack immediately. These orcs do not negotiate or parley with strangers. They attack unauthorized visitors immediately. The only exception to this is if the characters are prominently wearing holy symbols of Bane taken from slain orcs (see below).
As stated above, these guards attack strangers immediately, unless the characters are wearing holy symbols of Bane. In this case the orc guards hesitate for one round. If the characters attack immediately during this round, they achieve surprise automatically. If the characters also hesitate, however, the guards call for help on the next round. They do not attack until attacked, or until the first reinforcements arrive.
The other orcs on guard arrive on the scene after the alarm has been grunted, two guards per round for four rounds. They fight to the death. Mace slips out immediately, without responding to the alarm. If the characters entered his room, Mace escapes at the earliest opportunity—probably when six or more guards are involved in the fight.
If the characters flee from the house, the guards do not pursue. However, they are now alerted (if they weren’t before), and will not be surprised for the rest of the encounter. Under no circumstances should Mace be killed or captured in this encounter—he must escape to reappear later. Also remember that if Mace has been warned, the number of orcs on guard is doubled in his house (four per room, four reinforcements per round).
If the characters capture Mace’s house and spend sufficient time there to search it, they find:
Temple of Bane
three potions (extra healing, gaseous form, and oil of slipperiness). Room 4: five jeweled and silvered maces, each worth 1,800 silver pieces. Room 5: kitchen supplies, nothing of value.
Encounter 3: The Temple
The temple should be the ultimate goal of the adventurers; it is where the relics are believed to be hidden. His standing strategy notwithstanding, Mace realizes that the adventurers are probably after something, and he is willing to hold off his counterattack until they find it (so he can take it). The temple is very lightly guarded. Three orcs stand guard at the entrance. Six more stand guard along the rows of pillars, one orc in each space between the pillars. All of these orcs are identical to the orc guards encountered earlier.
Orcs: AC 6; MV 9”; HD 1; hp 5 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6; AL LE; Size M; XP 15 each.
One of the three orcs at the entrance is the ceremonial doorkeeper. He is an extremely old, bent, blind orc. It is his job to permit or deny entrance to the temple to all who come to the door. His method for checking identity is simple. The two orc guards accompanying him bar the way with their spears. He then reaches out and feels for the leather holy symbol around each entrant’s neck. Anyone who is wearing the necklace is allowed inside. Anyone who is not wearing is barred from entering. Anyone who puts up a fight alerts the guards, and all of them rush forward to deal with the disturbance.
If the orcs have not been alerted to the presence of intruders and all of the characters are wearing leather holy symbols, they can enter the temple unmolested. If the orcs have not been alerted to the presence of intruders but some or all of the characters are not wearing holy symbols, there is likely to be a row. If the orcs have been alerted to the characters’ presence, the doorkeeper admits all of them to the temple, regardless of whether they are wearing holy symbols. (He has been instructed to do this — it is part of the trap.)
At this point, if a fight breaks out it involves only the eight orc guards in the temple (and the blind doorkeeper, who is unarmed and does not attack). If the characters are admitted to the temple and do not attack the orcs, the orcs continue to stand guard, without interference, regardless of what the characters do. They can deface the wall, smash the doors, even set fire to the temple —the guards will not intervene unless they are attacked directly. If the characters try to leave the temple, they trigger the final assault: see below. If the characters try to flee after the final assault has begun, the orcs pursue relentlessly, even to the gates of Civilized Phlan.
The characters have two hours (12 turns, 72 rounds) to find what they are looking for, If they have not found the temple’s hidden treasure by then, Mace decides that the characters don’t know as much as he’d hoped and orders the attack. At that point, 40 orcs (who were biding in surrounding buildings) assault the temple. They are led by Mace, even though he does not actually get involved in melee. The orcs charge headlong into the characters regardless of casualties. Flushed with fanatical zeal, every one of them fights to the death.
If the characters do locate the hidden magical items, Mace triggers the final assault immediately. If the characters try to leave the temple before locating all of the items and before the two hours has expired, they also trigger the final assault. Characters of 3d or 4th level have little or no chance to survive this battle 22 without the magical relics concealed in the temple. With the items, the characters stand a good chance to slaughter the orcs as they charge forward. The magical items are hidden in three caches. These are located near the right front pillar, in the northern alcove, and in one of the southeastern vestibules (see map). All three caches are in the floor, beneath the tile. They can be found the same as normal secret doors. If Dirtan is with the party, he gives everyone a +2 bonus on these checks.
Cache A (vestibule) contains:
Total value: 4,600 XP
Cache B (alcove) contains:
Potions of flying, speed, healing, and treasure finding;
Total value: 15,000 XP, 33,600 gold pieces
Cache C (pillar) contains:
Eight magical weapons, each +1: hand axe, dagger; hammer, footman’smace, morning star; scimitar; spear; and short sword.
Total value: 2,725 XP 17,850 gold pieces