Talk:Wydmoor Swamp Temple

This isn't an immediate needs item, but we did spend a lot of time studying the temple, its art, and its themes the last game. Can we get GM to come in and beef up this page with a little more description of the temple, the myths around it, etc? --Msallen

Probably I can do this if you put it on my to do page, but not before the next game. -gm

Mattiverese revisits

The temple becomes clear in the distance, even through the thick foliage. You didn't know what to expect from "the temple," but it certainly wasn't this. The temple is the size of a cathedral, hundreds of yards on a side. Although ivy and vines crawl up the side of the temple, obscuring the design and architecture, but the building itself - impossibly - seems to be as structurally sound as the day it fell into the swamp.

As you approach, you realize the walls - at least from this side - are fully intact. There are no signs of collapse.

sena: I'd ask Astlan about it, though. That's who I'm taking you to. Behave. The other three walls are, I don't know, dwarven? elven?

As you approach closer, you begin to hear the sounds of commerce and industry. Subdued to be sure, but there is the unmistakable "clank clank" of a forge, for example.

sena: There used to be a lot of money in there, but that got pulled out a few years ago.

There is a large, marble dias raised about five feet from the soft swampy earth. There is no covering, but ornamental columns line the peremeter at regular intervals. On the dias, several crude tents have been pitched. Haggard and bedraggled humans sit in their tents wearing looks of exhaustion and boredom.

To the east of the crude marketplace is a masonry structure that appears to be of recent construction.

sena: That's our forges. Quiet now, since Uldern is away.

sena: We lost many of our best in the attack and retreat. Some of the best among us: Germain. Egg. Haggr. Riala.

sena: Aren't you a kind one. We're well established, but healers are in short supply. Edar could certainly use any help.

sena: The sorts of things you four are looking for won't be here, probably. I'll introduce you to Jako later. He's your man for the big stuff. He's the man with the keys to the cabinet, if you get my drift.

The door here is made of hardwood bound with simple iron bandings. The door is sturdy and secure, but also relatively recently made.

sena: We and the lizardfolk share the north of the swamp. They've always been cold on the temple. They'd warn us if an attack were eminent. But, I really think you should leave questions like that for Lady Mead.

You open the heavy door at Sena's request. It opens into a dark, high ceiling entry hallway.

The stonework of the building itself is not marble, but granite.Two enormous columns rise to your left and right. To each is attached a large spiraling stone stairwell that twists up into the darkness.

The foyer opens into a large central common area dominated by a large glass dome. You expected that the dome was some sort of ornimental roof, but now that you've come into the temple you see that it is actually part of a fully intact glass "bubble."

A trio of decaying orcish corpses are also inside the glass dome.

sena: The second story is were all the residental goings on are. Most of the stuff you'd be looking for is going to be here on the first floor of the complex.

Sena takes you through a large kitchen area. Several humans work at tables and over a large cauldron under the watchful eye of an elderly halfling matron. Up that way is the old drydocks and some back stairs up to the second floor.

The dogs usually sleep there, since that north side is exposed to the world.

This was a lake region. Boats, not wagons, dominated travel before the swamp came.

That's the mess hall. We offer two communal meals a day. It's not much, as the presence of the meatsellers outside indicates, but it's something.

sena: Don't let the bastards win

All of the doors in this hallway are simple wood-and-iron doors, also installed relatively recently. Looking in, you see a single, large room also of stone. A ring of stone columns supports the roof in is room. Inside the circle of stone columns are circular rows of stone benches.

Across the room, a young woman with a stern face sits in a chair. On her let stands Sena. To her right stands a middle aged man who looks at you warily, hand on the sword at his side.

A surprising amount of respect, unsual for contractors. The Crone has really outdone herself.

astlen: Welcome. I am Astlan Mead. You may refer to me as Lady Mead or Your Highness or Your Grace. Our situation, as you've seen, is not a great one. We're stable, but we and our lizard man allies are both depleted to our last ounces of strength.

astlen: This temple is a strong redoubt, but it will be our tomb if we don't take decisive action soon. but, if there was really no hope we would just abandon and... take our chances somewhere, I guess. But, we just don't have the strength to do anything beyond hold it together here.

astlen: We have a small but predictable income and trickle of trade thanks to the stills.

astlen: The last time we put our fate in the hands of outsiders it cost us our city. The last time we trusted in "adventurers," we lost our best and brightest.

astlen: So: We have a plan. We would like, at some point, to reoccupy the city. We have a few tricks in our hat that make us more formidable than you might at first expect. But, we can't abandon our allies to the orcs. So before we can even think about clearing out the city, we have to secure the lizardmen's dominion of the swamp.

astlen: So before we can even think about clearing out the city, we have to secure the lizardmen's dominion of the swamp. A few years ago, it was unquestioned. But. Then the Silverwalkers came. They had a pet elf who came and spread all kinds of discord among the lizardfolk. triggered a civil war.

astlen: Their numbers are very few now. They mostly try not to be seen.I assure you, they have seen you. But, as part of their meddling, the Silverwalkers acidentally woke up three ancient Dragon Turtles that once defended this temple.

astlen: After the dust died down with the lizardfolk, we were able to combine our strength to put them back to rest. But, once upon a time they were the guardians of this temple and commanded by the priests here. It has taken time and effort, but we think we have finally managed to divine the nature of that control. We have the knowledge, we believe, to awaken and control these guardians. But we're too weak to act on that knowledge. If the lizardmen could awaken and control the turtles, they would be able to cow or even drive off the orcs

astlen: We would like to contract you to recover the remaining fetishes that will allow this to come to pass.

+ wydmoor Swamp Lizard Leader: Hierophant Lizard Guy! + Settlement Human Leader: Astlen Mead + Other VIPs

+ Honel Oedi (right hand man, law and order guy)
+ Jako Callannan (Provisioning: Buy and Sell)
 + Uldern Garrolea [returning soon] (Blacksmith: Can Make Things)
+ Edar Drace (Medic: Crappy Bardic Healing)
+ Sena Essa (Halflingtown Aldermwoman & Scout)
+ Bernis Dar (Distillery Operator)

RIP: Haggr, Hadriarch, Riala Pisk Fled: Wydsome Family, Pawn Shop Lady, Teodora Mann

Description

Isn't there also a corpse hanging from the tree? --Msallen

That is so.

"Teldendillions," I definitely read as "Tel-Dandelions". Fecking elves. -66.207.91.56

Spelling?

Is it Adrillathellior Teldandilion or Teldendillions? I'm assuming the former spelling as that info is more recent. -Mattie 16:15, 14 March 2011 (EDT)

Teldandilion

See Also: Marrwyn Teldandilion -gm

Thanks! -Mattie

Breastplate?

When we/I update this, can we/I say the Swanshield and/or sword has the swan markings and the breastplate doesn't? This would make me feel better about some art I'm commissioning based on those other descriptions, but it's not the end of the world. -Mattie 16:15, 14 March 2011 (EDT)

What? I thought they all had swans? The shield and sword did, I dunno if I mention anything about the breastplate or not -gm

I didn't hear for the breastplate either. This temple page says, though: "whose breastplate bears the swan emblem of the Teldendillions" -- but the other descriptions from the game/etc didn't specifically include this. So I envisioned it being less personalized than the shield. No big deal either way, but damn Mose is going to be a swan master if so. I was hoping Aegis Gildensidhe was less swanny than the other pieces, given that Pyre of Eidolon is also swan-themed. If it really is swan-themed, for the sake of my sanity and Mose sketches, can we say the breastplate's swan emblem is a subtle visual/magical effect versus one hard-crafted into the metal? :) :) -Mattie

Well, "emblem" can be as large or minute as you care about. The Teldendillions were the elven royal family. The swan is the symbol of the elves, and of the elven royals particularly, so high quality elven shit is usually swan themed. Sorry, Mose. The Swanshield, meant to be a hearldric standard all by itself, is a very distinctive swan, but the Breastplate was not standard elven quip: It was forged specifically for Adrillathellior by the Dwarves, as the name (Gildensidhe) hints.

Is Mose using the armor AND the shield? -gm

Thanks for clarifying. Yeah, per the last game, Quin got his +2 Chain Shirt in exchange for our Elvenkind items and cash, so Mose is completely swantastic until someone else in the party wants to use one of the items. (See also le spreadsheet and some of the early sketches of the Pyre of Eidolon/Swanshield which were drawn by the artist after reading their wiki pages.) -Mattie

Turtle Temple

Which name "Wydmoor Swamp Temple" or "Turtle Temple" should be the best name for this page? -Mattie