Module 1.01a: The Temple in the Woods

Themes

Twisted space, emptiness and abandonment.

Structure

Exposition

The party all arrive separately at a small inn, seemingly placed randomly in the deep woods. They are the only customers. The innkeeper is golden-blonde, Sun-elf woman who wears finely made swashbuckler’s garb, who goes by the name of Aine.
Aine tells them that they’re far deeper into the woods than they believe, and that they can’t go back from here, only forwards. She tells them of a temple in the centre of the phenomenon, that contains an exit at its lowest point, and that also contains tools that they could use to survive.
She then wishes them good luck, and offers them a round of shots that look like liquid sunlight.

If everyone drinks, they experience a sublime moment of synethesia, as they experience the taste of distilled sunlight. She casts the sleep spell while they are still incapacitated

If anyone doesn’t drink, she shrugs and grins at them, before casting an AoE sleep spell across the party while the others are still temporarily incapacitated from the drink

If nobody drinks, she merely shrugs and smiles, before downing one, letting the others be released into a blinding wave of sunlight, casting the spell while the party is blinded

If one or more of the party have sunlight sensitivity, she instead offers them shots of moonshine, which has a similar effect. If the blinding effect is released, she first rotates the tray so that the moonshine shots face them.

Rising Action

The party wakes up in a clearing, a large, waist high rock outcropping where the bar was, stumps and boulders replacing a few of their seats. Four large trees mark the corners of the inn.
The dome of the temple can be seen poking through the treeline in the distance, although once the party start moving they will often lose sight of it.
If the players attempt to go in the other direction, they will find themselves arriving at the other side of the temple.

Climax

At the temple, the characters find that the portal is guarded by a friendly golem named Abel, who apologises, but says that he is hardwired to prevent anyone from using the portal without permission, and since all the priests are dead, there’s no way he can allow them to leave.
The party can then train their abilities in the various rooms around the temple, eventually gaining enough skills that they are almost at level one, and have a chance of defeating or freeing the golem.

Falling Action

The party get past Abel, allowing them to step out of the portal into Agrias, and leave the temple.

Resolution

The party arrive in an extremely secluded area, and must start the long trek to their destination. They all reach level one.

Components

Goals

To gain power and escape the temple.

Hooks

The portal that rests at the base of the temple, Aine explaining how they can escape.

Stakes

Death, the characters being trapped in the temple and eventually starving or going mad.

Moral Quandaries

The golem has gained sentience from the long years alone, and is very friendly and curious, but is still bound to protect the portal. Killing it would be rather evil, but do the players have the technical or magical ability to release it?

Cruel Tricks

The inn was an illusion, and it was Aine who trapped them in the first place.

Relations

Protagonists

The PCs

Allies

Aine

Neutrals/Bystanders

Abel

Backdrops

Locations

The Lost Temple of Esril Forest

Encounters

Abel - Social interaction followed by either a puzzle or combat.

Plot type

Module

Parent Plot

Chapter 1a: Judgement of the Sun (Low Level)