Serpentfall Temple

In a temple of cracked saints, a serpent-king of the dead guards a sword that cannot save him.

8 roomstemplehard

This ruined temple was once a place of cleansing rites and serpent-worshiping corruption, now half-buried and reoccupied by a yuan-ti cult. Its halls are trapped, haunted, and defended by zealots who serve a dead champion that refuses to stay dead.

Cold incense and mold hang in the air, mixed with the copper stink of old blood. Broken braziers gutter with greenish flame in a ruin that still echoes with hissing prayers, skittering claws, and the occasional scrape of something dragging a sword down stone.

☠ Threat

The temple is ruled by a yuan-ti wight in the central sanctum, a murderous undead zealot who wields the stolen holy knight sword as a blasphemous trophy. The cult's surviving snake-folk and their trapped chambers protect him, and his resurrection hangs over the dungeon until the broken sword tip is recovered and used to destroy him permanently.

History

The temple was built by a sun-worshiping order to cleanse plague and corruption from a frontier valley. Generations later, a yuan-ti cult infiltrated the priesthood, turned the rites toward serpent gods, and enthroned a converted knight as their enforcer. When a holy champion finally struck him down, the shattered sword tip became the only blade able to end his undeath, and the cult has been hunting it ever since.

Encounter Table

CR
1/2CR
Yuan-ti Scoutx1d2

Scouting cultists with bronze serpent masks and crude spears, sent to check intruders and reset traps.

1CR
Corrupted Temple Guardianx1

A disturbed temple guardian animated by old rites and venomous spite.

1/4CR
Temple Vipersx2d4

A nest of pale snakes that slither through cracks and under doors, drawn to warmth and magic.

Rumours & Whispers

1

The old temple swallows sound, and people who enter after dusk come back speaking in a whisper if they come back at all.

2

A snake cult has been seen buying grave dirt and holy candles in the market, which makes no sense until you know they are reviving something below ground.

3

The temple's dead champion cannot be slain by ordinary steel, only by a broken relic of a sainted knight.

4

A farmer swears he saw a silver sword blade moving on its own in the ruins, as if it were being carried by a ghost.

5

Children claim they heard hissing prayers from the hill and saw green fire in the broken windows.

Quest Hooks

1
Missing Shepherdsrescue

Quest giver: Elder Mavren

A village elder begs the party to clear the old temple after three shepherds vanished near its stairs and strange chanting began at night.

120 gp and a blessing charm that grants advantage on one saving throw against poison

2
The Broken Relicrecovery

Quest giver: Sir Halven, aging knight

A retired knight claims the only way to end the temple's undead champion is to find a broken sword tip taken from his fallen order's relic.

The knight's favor, 150 gp, and a minor healing potion cache

3
Snake Cult Evidenceinvestigation

Quest giver: Sister Avel

A temple scribe offers to pay for proof that the yuan-ti cult still survives below ground, fearing they are rebuilding their rites.

100 gp, access to lore on yuan-ti, and a scroll of protection from poison

Corridor Notes

Main corridors between Room 1, Room 3, and Room 5

Cracked mosaic floors show coiled serpents overlaid with chiseled holy symbols, as if the temple was defaced in a hurry.

Passage connecting Room 2 and Room 7

Half-collapsed wall niches hold melted wax, snake skulls, and the ash of burned offerings.

Narrow connector outside Room 4

A chill draft carries distant chanting from hidden vents, but the words are in no living tongue.

Approach to Room 5 and Room 8

Scratches along the stone reveal where something sharp has been repeatedly dragged, leaving a bright silver groove.

Visual sheet

Turn Serpentfall Temple into a sheet

A high-res, share-ready sheet you can post or print.