Under Eschbachs Tower

After reviewing some papers in the tower remains, Father Tossil & Nine find some papers describing an ancient temple of foreign origin and a link to other worldwide sites. They need help to identify the temple and what the link is.

Plot points/Scenes

The team are surprised by Father Tossil & Nine who find a set of old papers that are partially damaged. In it is a note saying that they found the oldest European mystery temple dedicated to two 'foreign' gods, Shiva & Nergal. It shows a rubbing of a set of stones belonging to a wall, the rest of the rubbing is missing & damaged. An examination will show that it is letters in Infernal & Abyssal.   If examined, they can find the same stones in the wall of the stairs. Anyone can make a DC 15 Intelligence / Insight / Religion check to work out that the Infernal letters make up Shiva & the Abyssal make up Nergal. If pressed in the correct order it will open the stairs further down into the ancient temple.   Getting access they get to see a slightly raised part in the middle, a Shiva statue on their right, a Nergal statue on their left, and a large damaged crack in the wall leading to the Underdark opposite. They notice writings carved into the walls and here & there in the floor especially round the raised area. They can see elements in Sanskrit, but predominately Infernal around Shiva & Abyssal around Nergal.   A stone box sits in front of each statue. If plundered, the majority of contents is ruined paper material, but there is roughly two 1d3 levels 1 to 3 spells that are chosen by the player. Esch of these are able to be used by non-clerics. Roughly 3 rings, necklaces and statuettes of Shiva & Nergal are present, and made of gold, jade & jet. Taking any of these or even opening these can awaken the statues turning them into Flesh Golems that may be stronger & tougher than normal, and may possess a spell each. They can be fought & killed as usual.   Also, any spells cast at this time may be done with advantage but causes an effect similar to a Sorcerer's Wild Magic table effect (rolled randomly as usual).   If they examine the raised ground, they will see that if a spell opposite to what the gods presently represent, is cast in the cardinal points, they will open up a secret compartment that holds an ancient Grimoire. Beside the writing there is an old wizard's notebook, it will state that his own discovery of the temple brought up some interesting results. Eschbach is built on a convrgence of magical ley lines, partly shown by the two groves, and this ancient temple that was set up by very early cultists who came from the Indus Valley. Using dark / black magic, they used the destructive magic of both gods but attracted attention.   The Necrocult who has settlements & suchlike at ley line points was attracted to the place, and they built wards into the temple to prevent them getting access but these are now failing. Due to age but some still exist, and that the ancient Grimoire has more information. To cast the spells must be done from the centre of the raised floor part.   It mentions that he was dying after messing up the combination of the spells to get it. It has to be done:
  • West (the setting sun / Shiva).
  • East (the rising sun / Nergal).
  • North (the Heavens).
  • South (the Hells).
  The spells must be healing / buffing spells. Any of these can cast, but any other type will cause a Fireball to be thrown out of the nook of one of the statues. This is treated as a midlevel Fireball that can't be dodged.   If successful, a pillar starts to rise from where the caster is standing in the centre. It rises about 6 feet in height and has a part thinner with what looks like a vellum sheet stuck to it. It can be peeled off, and turns out to have on average two spells 1d3 chosen from the cleric list (levels 1 to 3 chosen by the player).   It expalins that magical ley lines are spread over the world and existed since the wolrd was first born. These attracted magic, powerful creatures, strange occurances & substances, and suchlike at each point. It shows the Necrocult's City of the Dead in the Urals, Tara in Ireland, Anglesay off the coast of Wales, ancient Babylon, Alexandria, Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, and what is now Cairo. Those that fight to balance the light & darkness in the world are either born there or are attracted unknowingly to them. In may cases they don't know why or ever need to do anything in their alloted time.. but some times it lingers & lasts for a long, long time.   The rest seems to be damaged or destroyed beyond use.    The team cxan seal it all, or explore further, especially the Underdark. It seems to run to the west and the Central Massif.
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