Battlemap
The Pine-Choked Vestige
The roots of the forest drink from the blood of the forgotten.
A moss-covered stone temple buried deep within a dense pine forest where sunlight barely reaches the floor. The architecture is ancient and pre-dates local settlements, emitting a low, unnatural hum that vibrates in the teeth.
The air smells of damp pine needles and pungent ozone. Distant scratching sounds echo behind the walls, and the lighting is limited to patches of bioluminescent fungi. The temperature is unnaturally cold for the season.
☠ Threat
The High Priest Malakor has risen as a Mummy, his soul tethered to a corrupted sun-altar. He is slowly draining the life force from the surrounding woods to fuel a ritual of eternal twilight. His influence animates the dead and draws predatory beasts into the temple's dark corridors.
History
Built centuries ago by a reclusive sect of sun-worshippers, this temple was besieged by a vengeful druidic circle that buried it beneath the forest floor. The priests, unable to escape or find rest, eventually succumbed to madness and necrotic decay. Over time, the forest reclaimed the structure, with massive pine roots weaving through the masonry like a cage.
Encounter Table
CRVicious, multi-legged insects that skitter along the walls.
Ancient temple guards wandering on an eternal patrol.
Rumours & Whispers
The pines around the old temple move when no one is looking.
A local woodcutter found a gold coin with a sun face near the stone ruins.
The stream near the forest heart has turned black and bitter.
Traveling merchants claim to hear chanting coming from beneath the earth at midnight.
Quest Hooks
Quest giver: Elder Thorne
The village crops are rotting on the vine, and the local druid believes the source is the forgotten temple.
100 gp and a Charm of Plant Growth.
Quest giver: Master Lorent
An antiquarian is looking for the 'Litany of the Sun', a scroll lost when the temple fell.
A bag of holding or 500 gp.
Corridor Notes
A patch of sticky, bioluminescent sap that slows movement.
A pile of discarded, rusted shields bearing a sun emblem.
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