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Dungeons
Temple · Medium · Level 6 · Medium

The Rootcut Temple

Green shoots split the threshold stones, and the roots beneath them move when the spring pulses.
Rooms
15
Foes
14, CR 1/4 to 5
Traps
2
Treasure
840 gp
123456789101112131415Entrance
Select a room on the plan to open it.

The party is in

1. Rootfall Vestibule

Seen

Something wanders by

At a glance

The threat

At the temple's heart, the spring-tree guardian has been twisted by a black fungal blight.

Wandering monsters (1d3)

  1. 1

    1d4× Twig BlightsCR 1/4

    When: A loud impact, fire, or a party spending more than ten minutes in one corridor draws them from cracks in the masonry.Small wooden bodies of twigs and leaf litter skitter along the walls, avoiding bright flame.
  2. 2

    Rootbound StalkerCR 1

    When: It patrols between rooms 4, 5, and 11, and attacks anyone carrying an open flame.A vine blight drags a bundle of dead leaves through the halls, leaving a slick trail of sap.
  3. 3

    Lost WardenCR 1/2

    When: It emerges from a side passage after the party opens a locked door or disturbs a shrine.A leaf-covered skeleton in a warden's tabard shuffles with the slow patience of a caretaker still on duty.

Rooms

15
1

Rootfall Vestibule

treasuresecret

What they see

Read aloud

A cracked lintel frames the temple entrance, where shallow roots have pushed the doors outward. Inside, a dry patch of floor bears the clean outline of a recently dragged crate, leading toward room 1.

Features

  • Carved stone leaves flank the doorway
  • A mat of damp moss muffles footsteps near the threshold

What the GM knows

Treasure

Leaf-handled Censer15 gp

A small copper incense cup with a leaf-shaped handle, tarnished but intact.
Room secrets · GM only

Notes

The door to room 1 opens normally. Fresh bootprints enter from outside and continue to the storage room.

2 doors: S (secret), E (archway)

The place

What it is

The temple was built around a spring and its ancient tree, but roots now buckle its halls and foliage flourishes far below the surface.

Atmosphere

Cool, damp air carries the smell of wet soil, crushed leaves, and old incense.

The threat

At the temple's heart, the spring-tree guardian has been twisted by a black fungal blight.

History

The temple was raised by the Springwardens, a small order of gardeners and healers who worshiped a tree rooted in a natural well.

Rumors

1d4
Roll a rumor

  1. 1A herbalist says the village well has sprouted green leaves, though nobody planted anything nearby.
  2. 2Travelers claim the abandoned temple lights up green after rain.
  3. 3A poacher insists he heard a tree groaning beneath the earth.
  4. 4An old tale says the temple's guardians locked themselves inside to keep a sickness from reaching the orchards.

Plot hooks

3
InvestigationLeaves in the WellA village well has begun sprouting bitter leaves, and livestock refuse to drink. The party must trace the contamination to the temple and decide whether to destroy or restore its guardian.From: Hegda, a village herbalist who makes a living treating the sickReward: A healer's kit, 250 gp, and a vial of spring water that functions as a potion of healing
RecoveryThe Gardener's HookA local collector wants the bronze pruning hook from room 13, believing it to be a relic from the order. The collector does not know that the tool can help quiet the guardian.From: Korin, a temple antiquities buyerReward: 300 gp or a rare medicinal salve
RescueThe Green TrailA missing scout entered the temple after following a trail of unusually large leaves. Signs in the prison and storage rooms suggest the scout reached the lower halls alive.From: Tamas, the scout's worried siblingReward: A map of nearby trails, 200 gp, and a favor from the scout's company

Corridors

3

  • Between rooms 1 and 2

    A runner of white roots follows the mortar lines; cutting it releases a sharp herbal scent and a faint tremor through the floor.

  • Between rooms 3 and 7

    A fallen stone frieze shows robed attendants pruning a tree whose roots spread beneath a temple. Fresh leaves have grown over the carved faces.

  • Between rooms 4, 8, and 10

    A shallow runnel carries clear water toward the lower temple, though its source is nowhere visible. Tiny green leaves drift upstream.

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