Overgrown Temple
The overgrown temple stands in the middle of a small clearing. It is elevated from the ground by about 3 meters. There is one entrance at the front of the building, with a staircase leading up to it. At the backside of the building a large raised circular platform is located. This platform is used as some kind of ritual ground it seems. Its basin is protected with numerous wooden spikes, making it hard to climb up on. The temple consists of three floors.
The temple is occupied by ghouls belonging to the vampire Lazarus. The hideout is mainly used to lock away prisoners before they are taken to another location, as well as to shield the ghouls from exposure to sunlight. The objective of the party will be to rescue the people being held inside the temple and take down any ghoul that stops them on the way.
Main Goal: Free the abducted villagers.
Associated Quest: Investigating the Wild Tribes
Recommended Level: 5-6
In the courtyard, there is a small pedestal with an octagon hole in it. Near this pedestal, at the back wall, is a stone "door" with markings on it. The markings on the stone door form a spell circle that, when activated, causes the door to be lifted up. By placing a certain item into the pedestal, the spell on the door will be activated, opening the door. The pathway beyond leads to the ritual ground behind the temple. The door cannot be opened using a spell such as knock, because it is basically a stone slab that is barring passageway and not some kind of lock. The door may be opened with a strength check. This is a DC of 19 given the lack of grip on the door. If a player can find a way to get a bitter grip on the door the DC is lowered to 15. To understand that the symbols on the door cause it to be raised, either an aracana or investiagtion check may be made. The DC for investigating is 17, while the DC for arcana is 11. The “key” that activates the pedistal can be found at the end of the hallway leading into the lowest floor of the temple. The key is kept in the hand of a monsterous-looking statue. The hand is trapped using a weighted contraption. Using an investigation check or sense magic the players can figure out that the statue is trapped. If the players trigger the statues trap, it will spew black flames from its mouth, dealing 3d10 necrotic damage, This damage is halved by succeeding on a DC13 dexterity check. Ilis'jah's Assistance
The side rooms on the top floor of the temple contain four ghouls each. If the party lets Ilis'jah head off on her own, the DM will make a 1d4 roll for each pathway, the number of the roll determines how many ghouls Ilis'jah managed to take down. She will take down the ghouls by shooting arrows through the small slits in the hallway. Freeing Captives
The middle floor of the temple is a mostly open room with multiple cells on the sides. It is here where most of the captives are held. By killing all the ghouls and ghasts in the room, the players are able to unlock the cells. A key for these rooms can be found on the body of the vampire spawn on the lowest floor of the temple. Alternatively, the players can lockpick the rust locks using a lockpicking DC of 8 or try to break them using a strength check. Encounter with Lazarus
Once the players cleared out most of the temple and found a way to enter the ritual grounds of the structure, they will encounter the mastermind behind the operation, Lazarus. The vampire will swoop in from above as a bat and then transform into his human form. Lazarus will call out the adventurers for interfering in his plans and says he will make them pay. Shortly after him saying this, combat will start. The players will fight Lazarus, but only for one round. At the start of his second turn, a loud screech will be heard throughout the area. Lazarus will respond to this somewhat annoyed, proclaiming he has no time anymore to deal with the adventurers. He will transform into a bat and fly off into the jungle. After Lazarus left, the party can free the remaining prisoners who were kept at the ritual ground. After inspecting the cages in the ground, the party will find them mostly filled with skeletons and corpses. Only one captive survived, an old woman called Anishina.
Single vampire spawn and 2 ghouls. Total exp: 2200
Total difficulty: 3300 Lv0; Either wing.
3 ghouls, some of which might be taken out by Ilis'jah if she isn't accompanying the players. Total exp: 600
Total difficulty: 900 Lv-1; Main room.
3 ghasts and 4 ghouls scattered throughout the room. Total exp: 2150
Total difficulty: 4300 Lv-2; Circular room.
One of the Spawn of Lazarus, Scala the blood queen. She will not have her axe or her armor equipped, so her AC is 3 less than usual. She will be sitting in the blood-filled basin in the middle of the room, bathing in the liquid. As a layer action, she can drink from the basin, regaining 1d10 +5 hitpoints. Scala can do this at most 3 times. Total exp: 7200
Total difficulty: 3600 Lv0; Circular platform behind the temple.
Lazarus will be waiting for the players, however, he will soon retreat after a loud screech can be heard from deeper into the jungle. Before this time, the vampire may engage the party, however, the party will not have the time to defeat Lazarus.
Associated Quest: Investigating the Wild Tribes
Recommended Level: 5-6
Events
Door to the Ritual GroundIn the courtyard, there is a small pedestal with an octagon hole in it. Near this pedestal, at the back wall, is a stone "door" with markings on it. The markings on the stone door form a spell circle that, when activated, causes the door to be lifted up. By placing a certain item into the pedestal, the spell on the door will be activated, opening the door. The pathway beyond leads to the ritual ground behind the temple. The door cannot be opened using a spell such as knock, because it is basically a stone slab that is barring passageway and not some kind of lock. The door may be opened with a strength check. This is a DC of 19 given the lack of grip on the door. If a player can find a way to get a bitter grip on the door the DC is lowered to 15. To understand that the symbols on the door cause it to be raised, either an aracana or investiagtion check may be made. The DC for investigating is 17, while the DC for arcana is 11. The “key” that activates the pedistal can be found at the end of the hallway leading into the lowest floor of the temple. The key is kept in the hand of a monsterous-looking statue. The hand is trapped using a weighted contraption. Using an investigation check or sense magic the players can figure out that the statue is trapped. If the players trigger the statues trap, it will spew black flames from its mouth, dealing 3d10 necrotic damage, This damage is halved by succeeding on a DC13 dexterity check. Ilis'jah's Assistance
The side rooms on the top floor of the temple contain four ghouls each. If the party lets Ilis'jah head off on her own, the DM will make a 1d4 roll for each pathway, the number of the roll determines how many ghouls Ilis'jah managed to take down. She will take down the ghouls by shooting arrows through the small slits in the hallway. Freeing Captives
The middle floor of the temple is a mostly open room with multiple cells on the sides. It is here where most of the captives are held. By killing all the ghouls and ghasts in the room, the players are able to unlock the cells. A key for these rooms can be found on the body of the vampire spawn on the lowest floor of the temple. Alternatively, the players can lockpick the rust locks using a lockpicking DC of 8 or try to break them using a strength check. Encounter with Lazarus
Once the players cleared out most of the temple and found a way to enter the ritual grounds of the structure, they will encounter the mastermind behind the operation, Lazarus. The vampire will swoop in from above as a bat and then transform into his human form. Lazarus will call out the adventurers for interfering in his plans and says he will make them pay. Shortly after him saying this, combat will start. The players will fight Lazarus, but only for one round. At the start of his second turn, a loud screech will be heard throughout the area. Lazarus will respond to this somewhat annoyed, proclaiming he has no time anymore to deal with the adventurers. He will transform into a bat and fly off into the jungle. After Lazarus left, the party can free the remaining prisoners who were kept at the ritual ground. After inspecting the cages in the ground, the party will find them mostly filled with skeletons and corpses. Only one captive survived, an old woman called Anishina.
Loot
- Orb made of malachite: Lv0; on the altar in the first room.
- Small pouch of gold (30gp): Lv-1; on the table behind the accessible stairs.
- Greataxe with skull decorations (standard greataxe with the reaping property): Lv-1; in the decorated coffin
- Mace and Sickle: Lv-1; laying around the south-western corner of the room.
Encounters
Lv0; Entrance room of the temple.Single vampire spawn and 2 ghouls. Total exp: 2200
Total difficulty: 3300 Lv0; Either wing.
3 ghouls, some of which might be taken out by Ilis'jah if she isn't accompanying the players. Total exp: 600
Total difficulty: 900 Lv-1; Main room.
3 ghasts and 4 ghouls scattered throughout the room. Total exp: 2150
Total difficulty: 4300 Lv-2; Circular room.
One of the Spawn of Lazarus, Scala the blood queen. She will not have her axe or her armor equipped, so her AC is 3 less than usual. She will be sitting in the blood-filled basin in the middle of the room, bathing in the liquid. As a layer action, she can drink from the basin, regaining 1d10 +5 hitpoints. Scala can do this at most 3 times. Total exp: 7200
Total difficulty: 3600 Lv0; Circular platform behind the temple.
Lazarus will be waiting for the players, however, he will soon retreat after a loud screech can be heard from deeper into the jungle. Before this time, the vampire may engage the party, however, the party will not have the time to defeat Lazarus.
Enemy References
- Ghoul: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16872-ghoul
- Ghast: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16870-ghast
- Vampire spawn: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/17044-vampire-spawn
- Spawn of Lazarus
- Lazarus
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