Temple of the Unconquered (Patreon)

"In all my travels I can say with some certainty, that I have never been to a temple complex that is simultaneously so supremely grand and  supremely out of place, as that of the 'Unconquered God' in the southern lands of the Ferosia Islands.

My efforts to research the site before my visit were largely fruitless. The only reference I could discover was that the temple was constructed 2000 years ago, by an extinct  civilization known colloquially ‘'The People of the Sea'.

Procuring supplies in the nearby port of Artemia, myself and the small research team I had brought with me chartered a ship to take us south.

Our crossing was uneventful but for a small bout of sea sickness suffered by myself; I have never been at home on the sea. Several days' voyage brought us to the Southern Isles where we moored the ship, disembarked  and headed into the forest.

It didn't take us long to find evidence of these so-called 'People of the Sea', the forest was littered with overgrown stone ruins, long reclaimed by the trees. From the number and layout of the structures, the island was clearly once home to a thriving community, alas no longer.

But when we found the temple on the slope of a large hill nearby not only was it intact but it was still active! Standing at the bottom of the hill we saw a winding path snaking upwards, busy with priests walking this way and that. Grand buildings lined the path all the way up to the crowning jewel at its peak; the temple of 'The Unconquered God' itself.

We were greeted by the inhabitants warmly and though we were not pilgrims they offered us food and shelter for the night, in slightly accented Common. Though I was very tired from our journey my mind was swimming with too many questions to rest.

How were they still here?

What happened to the other inhabitants of the island?

How does the temple still stand after all these years?

But no matter who I asked I was answered with a soft smile and the answer 'The Unconquered blesses the faithful' or 'The Unconquered protects'.

Despite this roadblock to our research my assistants spent the evening filling notebooks with all we had seen that day, enough for a whole series of tomes on the subject of this lost culture.

Indeed it was with a great deal of excitement I awoke the next day, ready to continue my research.

Excitement however quickly turned to concern when I looked around the room we had been billeted in and noticed that my assistants were nowhere to be seen, all of our baggage was also missing.

Jumping to the conclusion they had absconded in the night with all my belongings, I furiously left the building and demanded of the acolytes where my team had gone. Their response though initially confusing quickly made my blood run cold. I had arrived here alone according to them. Every person I asked smiled pleasantly and said the same thing. It was just myself that had appeared the day before.

My heart beating in my throat, I ran back to my room, mind racing.  Was I going mad?

It was a few moments before I noticed a leatherbound book on my bed that had not been there before, the same book my assistants used to take notes. With trembling fingers I unfastened the cover and opened the book. MY handwriting adorned the pages, notes I did not write detailing what we had seen on the journey, even lamenting the lack of assistants to help me in my research.

It was the final note that made up my mind.

‘Despite my best efforts I was unable to find the legendary temple complex, no doubt it has been lost to time and memory. My journey has come to its end.’

I ran. I threw the book down and I ran. All the way through the forest and back to the ship. No one asked me where my team was or questioned that I had come back alone,they just asked if I found what I was looking for.

I did....but by the gods I wish I hadn't."

Extract from 'Wandering the Realms' by Tiberus Hornfoot.

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Hi guys!

Here is the latest map for you the Temple of the Unconquered. Part location map part battlemap.

Thanks for all the feedback during the making of this one over in ou Discord channel. Really helped!

I hope you like it! Let me know what you think :D

-

George

 Released under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license