The Dawn Temple
The temple atop Mount Tellic was once a place of significance to the ancient Jedi Order. While not as central as the temple on Coruscant or the crystal caves of Ilum, it occupied a role unique among Jedi holdings. The site on Spintir was never intended for use by the majority of the order but was founded as a spiritual retreat for Jedi at risk of losing their way. The isolated planet was chosen so that faltering Jedi could find a tranquil environment in which to reconnect with the light side of the Force.
The temple itself came later when the mounting pressures of keeping peace in a slowly ailing Galactic Republic brought more Jedi to the brink than the simple outpost could handle. A new, more secluded spot was chosen for the construction of a facility for meditative retreats and even rehabilitation for those already falling toward the dark side. It became known as the Dawn Temple, for what was seen as the inevitable return of the light side to those who were treated there. Although the Dawn Temple was never widely known, it became quietly renowned among the upper ranks of the order as a place of healing that could restore even the darkest spirit.
The Clone Wars put the temple to its ultimate test, as the horrors of war brought many Jedi to the brink of falling, and often beyond. In rare cases, true fallen Jedi emerged from the worst battles and turned on their former compatriots. These tormented souls had to be restrained in stasis fields while a carefully tailored rehabilitation program could be developed to return them to their old selves. Several fallen Jedi were redeemed at the Dawn Temple before its last caretaker was slain by Imperial troops while he was visiting Reles for supplies, the temple’s isolated position having kept him alive past the initial Jedi purge at the end of the Clone Wars.
Now the temple has fallen into disrepair, and its original purpose is forgotten. But deep within the temple’s catacombs, the last of the patients awaiting treatment remains. The fallen Jedi Rav Naaran is imprisoned in a stasis cell beneath the temple, calling out with his tainted spirit for a servant devoted enough to release him from captivity.
The Gatekeepers
The Dawn Temple was never staffed heavily, relying instead upon created intelligences stored in marvelous devices known as holocrons. These intelligences were capable of projecting themselves to appear within the temple or valley and of monitoring events in that area. They were known as gatekeepers, and the being of that title in mountaintop rescue is but one such intelligence serving the temple. Originally, three gatekeepers served the Dawn Temple, but disasters following the collapse of the Jedi Order resulted in the loss of the other two holocrons. As such, the sole remaining gatekeeper began to think of himself as “The Gatekeeper,” despite his original designation as “the Curator.” Many of the events in Lure of the Lost revolve around the Curator and his lost compatriots, the Warden and the Jailor. Details on these figures are listed below, including the appearance of the holographic forms in which they manifest and the extent of their knowledge and abilities.The Curator
The Curator appears as described in mountaintop rescue— an elderly Cerean male in simple robes, composed entirely of silvery-blue light. In close proximity, his face is obviously worn with time and care, but his eyes have a piercing, intelligent gaze that belies his affectation of doddering old age. He was created to manage the records and archives of the temple and to oversee the day-to-day management of supplies and logistics. Although he is still a powerful and knowledgeable figure, he is the least prominent of the gatekeepers that oversaw the ancient temple. The Curator’s knowledge of the temple is extensive, but his ability to access it is limited without the assistance of the other gatekeepers. When his holocron is the only one installed in the temple, the Curator can reveal little more than the need for the other artifacts. In truth, he does not have access to that information himself without networking through other installed gatekeepers. Once the Warden’s holocron has been installed to unlock the basic security failsafes, the Curator gains access to more of his archives, and he remembers further details, such as the name and basic history of the temple. He cannot recall its purpose in detail, although he recalls that it holds a secret to protecting against the dark side of the Force. With assistance from the Jailor and the ensuing master access to the systems, the Curator knows the full history and purpose of the temple. The information to which he has access includes records on the original colonization of Spintir, as described on page 5. He can also call up any information within the secondary archives upon request, and he may have other information the GM deems appropriate.The Warden
The Warden appears as a female Zabrak formed of golden light, with a topknot of hair protruding out from her crown of horns. She wears armored robes and has a lightsaber at her belt, although her insubstantial form means that both the armor and the weapon are purely symbols of her role. She was made to oversee the defense of the Dawn Temple against any threats from outside, or even from within. The Warden is more concerned with maintaining the security of the Dawn Temple and its inhabitants than with the deeper mysteries of the Force. She is grounded and practical, but still knowledgeable about the Force where her duties are concerned. The Warden knows the secrets of lightsaber construction, maintains training routines for a number of combat forms, and can grant access to the outer defenses of the temple to appropriate personnel. Beyond that, she knows little more than the basic precepts of the Jedi Code and her own purpose. Despite her lack of specialized knowledge, the Warden has perhaps the strongest personality of any of the gatekeepers, and she reacts with the full fervor of an honor-bound warrior when her charges are threatened.The Jailor
The Jailor, despite his intimidating name, is the most approachable of the gatekeepers in both appearance and demeanor. He takes the form of a short, elderly Miraluka male composed of pure, white light, the signs of a long and satisfying life etched into his gently smiling face. A simple blindfold covers the empty eye sockets of his near-human Miraluka form, but he never shows signs of being unaware of his surroundings. The Jailor is the master intelligence of the Dawn Temple and the most “senior” of the gatekeepers. He was created to oversee the care and treatment of Jedi who have lost their connection to the light side of the Force and to guide them back to the serenity they need. As the primary overseer of the Dawn Temple, the Jailor has full control over the temple’s systems—at least, when he hasn’t been locked out by tampering—and can override any of his peers’ commands. His databases contain full copies of both the main and secondary archives, which are updated with new entries as long as his holocron remains installed within the temple. He was programmed with the authority to judge supplicants at the temple as being “worthy” or “unworthy” and can grant or deny access to areas and systems appropriately. Despite his power and knowledge—or perhaps because of them—the Jailor is mild and gentle in personality, focused primarily on the redemptive and rehabilitative aspects of his work. He does not extend unwarranted or foolish trust, but he does offer mercy and counsel to any who seek them, regardless of past transgressions. When someone seeks the Jailor’s aid, they must prove that they are planning to use it responsibly going forward rather than seeking a “quick fix” for their past transgressions.The Great Hall
The center of the Dawn Temple’s ground level is taken up by a massive assembly hall, once used for important ceremonies and gatherings by the Jedi attending the facility, and more recently the site of the PCs’ battle against Malefax. A small antechamber separates the Great Hall from the main doors of the temple, leading out to a circular plaza dominated by a massive fountain and pool. The fountain’s waters still run pure despite the years of neglected maintenance; they are perhaps the only remaining untarnished sign of the grandeur the temple once held. Past the fountain, staircases ascend to a pillared chamber with a prominent dais and podium facing the entrance. Much of the chamber has collapsed, due to the erosion of time or the excavations of Malefax’s servants. Rubble serves to further obscure security doors that lead to the sublevels of the temple, aiding the already impressive measures put in place to hide the temple’s secrets.Central Chambers and Quarters
Surrounding the Great Hall are a number of smaller chambers and hallways housing everything from memorials to past caretakers, indoor gardens, and a balcony overlooking the grounds. In the past, recovering Jedi spent time relaxing and meditating in these areas; even after years of decay, they retain some of their tranquil atmospheres. The view from the balcony is especially impressive, covering not only the western half of the grounds but also the slopes of Mount Tellec and much of the valley beyond. Characters can meditate here for one hour with an Easy (1 Purple) Discipline check to recover all strain. A stairway in one of the western hallways leads down to a small living area where the temple’s staff once dwelled. Although below the ground level, it is still above the sublevels proper, and it has no access to the lower reaches of the temple. The quarters comprise a dozen cloistered cells, each with a simple bed, a work desk, and a closet. Shared facilities such as a kitchen, a refresher, and storerooms for supplies surround the cells and allow for comfortable, if frugal, living, provided some basic maintenance and restocking are performed.Secondary Archives
The secondary archives behind the Great Hall house an assortment of ancient carvings and data-records that contain Jedi teachings. Unfortunately, the environmental controls in this room malfunctioned during the years of neglect, damaging or ruining many of these records. A few texts containing the basics of Jedi philosophy and the Jedi Code survive, as do a handful of miscellaneous records. Even taking what has been lost into account, the records seem surprisingly sparse compared to what the PCs might expect, as the Dawn Temple was never intended for any but the highest echelons of the Jedi Order and the patients it treated.The Holocron Chamber
The three gatekeepers who managed the Dawn Temple’s systems did so from a secret chamber in which their holocrons were hooked up to an intricate interface. The chamber was hidden in natural tunnels once accessible only through a secret door in the secondary archives, but a collapsed wall near the entrance to the temple also allows access to the tunnel system. With only the Curator in place, the holocron chamber is completely unguarded, and it was only luck—or the will of the Force—that kept Malefax too occupied to locate it. With additional holocrons in place, the chamber would be protected by a number of hidden security measures, including all those detailed under The Temple Defenses, on page 10, and any others the GM finds appropriate. These measures cannot be maintained constantly but can be activated in response to any intrusion of which the gatekeepers become aware. If the PCs succeed in restoring the holocrons, these measures should be sufficient to prevent them from being removed again.External Security Center
The lower levels of the temple remain barred to the PCs until they have restored the Warden’s holocron to its proper place. Once the concealed security doors at the back of the Great Hall open, the PCs can enter the first sublevel through the external security center. The systems within the center have been sabotaged by Malefax’s tampering from first-level access ports, but some remain functional. Security cameras on the ground floor and the first sublevel are accessible from this room and are remotely accessible through the Warden. If this security center were to be repaired, a number of additional defenses would become available, including defense turrets, security fields, and energy traps. Repairing the damage requires at least one full day of work and a Hard (3 Purple) Computers or Mechanics check. Each uncanceled Success restores one type of defense system. Details on the defense systems and their effects are found in The Temple Defenses, on page 10.Internal Security Center
Access to the second sublevel of the temple is restricted unless all three holocrons are installed. Sturdy, reinforced doors with advanced locking mechanisms block access to anyone not approved by the Jailor for entry. However, Malefax’s sabotage means that the doors are set to bypass the Jailor’s permissions, readying them to open as soon as the relevant systems are reactivated by the installation of the last holocron. Beyond these secure doors, a second security center guards access to the temple’s inner sanctuaries. Systems similar to those of the external center are found here, including controls for cameras and defensive emplacements. Details on these security systems can be found in The Temple Defenses, on page 10.Main Archives
The temple’s main archives, located just past the internal security center, have reinforced and securely locked doors on both sides. Under normal circumstances, only someone with the Jailor’s authorization can enter from either direction. Inside the archives are the computer terminals that allow access to the temple’s records. These provide information including the mundane details of the temple’s supplies and logistics as well as the histories of its former patients and the circumstances of their stay. The PCs are unlikely to gain access to this information before confronting Rav Naaran, but the data banks contain a wealth of information on the fallen Jedi.The Vaults
The temple’s lowest reaches were intended for the housing and rehabilitation of Jedi who had begun to fall to the dark side, as well as for the containment of those who had fully succumbed. In some cases, civilians whose minds had been enthralled by the power of a fallen Jedi were also treated here; a number of Rav Naaran’s minions were committed alongside him. A series of tranquil and secluded lounges, therapy rooms, and dormitory quarters make up a substantial subterranean wing. Beyond these areas, a series of stasis chambers once contained the most volatile patients as inmates within a field of frozen time. Several of the stasis chambers are still occupied, in fact: during the first two acts of this adventure, they house Rav Naaran and a number of his maddened thralls. In a retributive frenzy, these inmates destroy the technology that has imprisoned them soon after they are released.The Temple Defenses
The Dawn Temple was primarily meant as a place of healing and rehabilitation, to restore the spirits of those lost to darkness. Nevertheless, it was designed with a substantial streak of pragmatism, as the builders were aware of the difficulty that might arise if the patients were unwilling to cooperate. Key passages throughout the temple are protected by defenses such as hidden sentry guns, force field screens, and incapacitating temporary stasis traps. As the goal of these measures is to subdue rather than to slay, none of the defenses are designed with lethal capabilities, and even the sentry guns can only fire Stun blasts. The external security center is hooked up to defenses throughout the temple’s grounds, as well as on the main level and first sublevel. These defenses were disabled by Malefax, but they can be restored by the PCs. The internal security center controls similar measures throughout the second sublevel. The defenses are concentrated at key chokepoints in the temple and throughout the terrain of the grounds. The exact number, placement, and distribution of the defenses are up to the GM’s discretion. The defenses can be used and described narratively, with the exact effects up to the GM, unless combat is fought near active systems. In such a situation, each defense type has certain unique effects.- Sentry Guns attack all hostile targets in range, using the following profile: (Skill: Ranged [Heavy] [3 Green]; Damage 8; Range [Medium]; this weapon deals damage as strain rather than wounds, although it is reduced by soak as normal; it cannot inflict Critical Injuries).
- Force Fields can be activated by spending a maneuver at a control panel, causing any attacks passing through the field to suffer two Setback dice, and inflicting 6 strain damage (reduced by soak as normal) on anyone attempting to pass through the field bodily.
- Stasis Traps are activated when someone steps on the trigger mechanism, which can be the result of a Deception check to trick someone or a Despair on any check. An activated trap deals 20 strain damage (reduced by soak) to the target and then locks the victim in a stasis field for the remainder of the combat. Characters in a stasis field cannot take actions or maneuvers, nor can other characters affect them in any way. They remain frozen in time until the field wears off up to half an hour later, although a non-trapped character can make an Average (2 Purple) Mechanics check as an action to shut off the field early. This check receives two Setback dice if it is performed in a stressful situation, such as during combat.
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Cathedral / Great temple
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