The Iron Crane Temple
A sprawling complex of timber-framed halls and pagodas situated on a rocky ridge. The main hall features heavy ceramic roof tiles and a wide veranda overlooking a series of dry rock gardens. Its once-bright vermilion pillars have faded to a pale pinkish-orange, and the courtyard is filled with dozens of stone lanterns that are now heavily encrusted with lichen and moss.
The Iron Crane Temple
The air is thin and smells of cedar smoke and damp stone. A profound silence hangs over the grounds, broken only by the rhythmic wooden clack of a bamboo water pipe in the garden. There is a palpable sense of dignity mixed with neglect.
A sprawling complex of timber-framed halls and pagodas situated on a rocky ridge. The main hall features heavy ceramic roof tiles and a wide veranda overlooking a series of dry rock gardens. Its once-bright vermilion pillars have faded to a pale pinkish-orange, and the courtyard is filled with dozens of stone lanterns that are now heavily encrusted with lichen and moss.
Renzo is a man of profound patience who speaks in short, deliberate sentences. He values hard work over prayer and is often found performing manual repairs on the roof rather than meditating.
History
Divine Services
For a small donation or a day of manual labor, the monks offer Lesser Restoration and Cure Wounds. They also perform a Purification Rite that grants a creature a 1d4 bonus to their next saving throw against being frightened or charmed, lasting for 24 hours.
Sacred Relics
The temple houses the 'Winter Breath Flute', a lacquered bamboo instrument that can cast Fog Cloud once per day. It is kept in a locked glass case in the Hall of Ancestors. Also present is the 'Vesting of the Crane', a set of fine silk robes that allow the wearer to ignore difficult terrain caused by snow or rubble.
Temple Laws
All visitors must leave their primary weapons at the gatehouse with Sora. No meat or alcohol may be consumed within the temple walls. Violence shed on sacred ground is believed to attract the 'Gaki', or hungry ghosts, from the surrounding woods.
Denizens
Renzo is a man of profound patience who speaks in short, deliberate sentences. He values hard work over prayer and is often found performing manual repairs on the roof rather than meditating.
A young, energetic woman who handles the temple's interactions with the outside world. She is secretly bored with monastic life and eager for news of adventure.
A hunched man who has lived at the temple longer than Renzo. He insists that the stone lanterns change positions during the full moon.
Rumors & Plot Hooks
- 1.The iron crane statue in the inner sanctum is not made of metal but is a living creature turned to stone.
- 2.A group of bandits is planning to steal the temple's ancient bell to melt it down for coin.
- 3.There is a hidden cellar beneath the library containing scrolls that teach the secret of walking on water.
Classified Entry
The large iron crane statue in the main hall is actually a deactivated Shield Guardian. It was gifted to the temple by a dying wizard long ago. Master Renzo knows the command word to activate it but fears that doing so would draw the attention of the very enemies the temple seeks to avoid.
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