The Keys of Telku / The Temple of the Apocalypse pt. 15 / Fos the 1st, 3593 CE / 5-17-20

The Adventurers are locked in battle with the Horned Legionnaires on the grounds of the Temple of the Apocalypse. After being badly injured, the Legionnaires' field commander, Lareth the Beautiful, has ordered her troops back into the guard tower. Moss's summoned raven retrieves Waldo from the top of the tower and carries him to safety. As Legionnaires barricade themselves inside the tower, the Adventurers are able to finish off the legionnaires who remain outside on the temple grounds. Seeing no immediate threat from the enemy hiding within the guard tower, but knowing more legionnaires may be on their way from Divvers, the party begins attempting to enter the Temple of the Apocalypse. Waldo, recovered with healing magic, patrols the grounds atop his summoned raven mount, while Uli turns invisible in order to avoid the ravens which guard the front entrance. But when the half-orc approaches the large bronze doors at the front of the temple, the strong magicks placed upon them drive him back. Roisyll and Moss spot a section of wall on the western side of the temple on which no vegetation grows, and deduce it is a secret door. When the party enters the cloister, they find the burned remains of a body. The interior altar of the temple is covered in bas reliefs of horrible and disturbing rites, and there seems to be a theme of elemental destruction depicted in the stained glass windows, which remain intact despite the temple's dilapidated state. There is also an altar obviously intended for human sacrifice and a throne atop multi-colored tiles at the far north end. Several sets of stairs lead downwards, and so finding no sign of the book or those who've stolen it in the temple's dusty vestry, the Adventurers choose a staircase and descend. Below they find dark corridors, some of which lead to long-abandoned weapons rooms with rusty and blood specked armor hanging from the walls. Sending a light down the corridor they are in reveals to Moss that it must stretch at least 200 feet, but shows no sign of other occupants.