Leadership of the Temple of Elemental Evil

The Temple of Elemental Evil is a festering hive of intrigue and power struggles, where competing factions vie for control under the ever-looming influence of dark forces. At the heart of this sinister organization are powerful leaders driven by ambition, each serving their own goals while paying lip service to the greater cause. The Temple's leadership structure is a complex web of deception, ambition, and dark faith, with loyalties divided between Zuggtmoy, the Demon Queen of Fungi; Iuz, the Old One; and even the distant machinations of Lolth, the Spider Queen.

Goals and Motivations

The Sinister Hierarchy of Chaos and Deception

• Primary Objective: Restore the Temple to its former power and unleash elemental chaos upon the Flanaess.
• Iuz's Agenda: Expand his influence into Furyondy and Veluna, using the Temple as a foothold.
• Zuggtmoy’s Influence: Seek her release from imprisonment while maintaining control over the elemental factions.
• Lolth’s Intrigue: Infiltrate and ultimately subvert the Temple for her own purposes.
• Internal Struggles: Each faction seeks to gain dominance over the others to become the supreme elemental force.

The Greater Temple Leadership

The supreme command of the Temple rests in the hands of a few individuals who manipulate the lesser elemental factions to maintain their rule. While the elemental cults remain devoted to the Cult of the Elder Elemental God, only a select few within the Greater Temple are privy to the truth: the Temple ultimately serves Zuggtmoy, the Demon Queen of Fungi. These high-ranking individuals—Hedrack, Barkinar, Senshock, and Commander Deggum—orchestrate the cults’ efforts without revealing Zuggtmoy’s influence.

Hedrack – Supreme Commander, Mouth of Iuz

• Role: Absolute ruler of the Temple under Iuz's orders.
• Goals: Ensure Iuz’s influence grows while balancing Zuggtmoy's presence.
• Personality: Ruthless, manipulative, and fanatically devoted to Iuz.
• Rivals: Senshock seeks to undermine him; Barkinar positions himself as his successor.

Barkinar – Commander of the Greater Temple Troops

• Role: Military leader and Hedrack’s heir apparent.
• Goals: Position himself as the Temple’s next supreme commander.
• Personality: Calculating, disciplined, and ambitious.
• Relationships: Works with Deggum to secure the Temple but keeps a close eye on his rivals.

Senshock – Lord Wizard of the Temple

• Role: Arcane adviser and intelligence overseer.
• Goals: Seize power from Hedrack and reshape the Temple to his vision.
• Personality: Cunning, manipulative, and power-hungry.
• Relationships: Feigns loyalty to Hedrack while working with Falrinth in secret.

Deggum – Master of Security and Discipline

• Role: Head of security and counterintelligence.
• Goals: Maintain order and root out threats within and outside the Temple.
• Personality: Paranoid, sadistic, and calculating.
• Relationships: Works with Barkinar, distrusts Senshock and Smigmal.

Feldrin – Commander of the Temple’s Guards and Supply Chains

• Role: Oversees internal security, supply chain logistics, and allied bandit operations.
• Goals: Ensure the smooth flow of resources, captives, and stolen goods to the Greater Temple while maintaining his own position of influence.
• Personality: Calculating, ambitious, and ruthless.
• Rivals: Distrusts Senshock, sees Barkinar as a political threat, and watches Hedrack closely for signs of weakness.

Falrinth – Keeper of the Orb of Golden Death

• Role: Scholar of forbidden lore and artifact guardian.
• Goals: Unlock the Orb’s secrets and serve his drow patrons.
• Personality: Paranoid, obsessive, and secretive.
• Relationships: Romantically linked to Smigmal Redhand, but secretly pursues his own agenda.

Smigmal Redhand – Commander of the Outer Defenses

• Role: Assassin and defender of the Temple’s surface operations.
• Goals: Protect the Temple while expanding her influence through espionage.
• Personality: Ruthless, manipulative, and paranoid.
• Relationships: Loyal to Falrinth but wary of Hedrack and Senshock.

TOEE Leadership Chart by 3orcs

Supreme Command and Strategic Goals

Hedrack, the high priest of the Greater Temple, commands all operations within the Temple of Elemental Evil. While he publicly proclaims allegiance to the Elder Elemental God (EEG)—as do the lesser elemental cults—his true loyalties lie with Iuz, the Old One, who placed him in this position to further his own dark schemes. Hedrack’s grand strategy is to prepare the Temple as a staging ground for a devastating invasion of Furyondy and Veluna, while secretly pursuing ways to establish a direct connection between the Temple and Dorakaa, Iuz’s distant capital.

Hedrack must walk a fine line, maintaining the illusion that he serves the Cult of the Elder Elemental God, while manipulating its cultists to advance Iuz’s goals. He enforces a delicate balance of power among the four elemental temples—Earth, Air, Fire, and Water—ensuring their rivalry keeps them too distracted to unite against his leadership.

Internal Challenges

Despite his position of authority, Hedrack faces numerous internal challenges that threaten to unravel his carefully laid plans.

• Iuz’s Expectations: Iuz demands tangible results—territory, wealth, and the eventual release of Zuggtmoy, the imprisoned demoness. However, Hedrack must keep the elemental cults oblivious to her existence, maintaining their belief in the Elder Elemental God.
• Power-Hungry Lieutenants: Barkinar, Senshock, and Deggum—Hedrack’s chief lieutenants—each harbor their own ambitions and agendas. Hedrack must continuously play them against each other to maintain control.
• Elemental Rivalries: The Earth, Air, Fire, and Water Temples vie for dominance, believing that they alone serve the Elder Elemental God’s true will. While their infighting keeps them distracted, it also weakens the Temple’s overall unity and slows progress toward larger goals.
• Lolth’s Infiltration: Rumors abound of spies from Lolth, and the presence of agents such as Lareth the Beautiful threatens to divide loyalties further.
• External Threats: The forces of Good, particularly from Verbobonc and Veluna, have begun to take notice of increased bandit activity and elemental disturbances. Hedrack must ensure that these forces are misdirected or destroyed before they interfere.

The Four Elemental Temples and Their Leaders

The Cult of the Elder Elemental God—comprising the Earth, Air, Fire, and Water temples—operates with autonomy under the supreme authority of the Greater Temple. Each temple is led by a High Priest who commands considerable influence, yet they are perpetually locked in rivalry, plotting dominance over one another even as they advance the overarching agenda of elemental chaos. Their constant infighting is both their strength, fostering resilience and cunning, and their greatest weakness, presenting opportunities for external exploitation.

The Elemental Cults and Their Devotion

Each elemental temple venerates the , a chaotic deity embodying the destructive and transformative power of the elements. Each cult believes that their patron element is supreme, and through relentless worship and ritual, they strive to awaken the Elder Elemental God, reshaping Oerth in their favored image.

Cult of the Black Earth (Earth Temple)

Leader: Romag
Romag, the pragmatic yet calculating High Priest known as the Prophet of Earth, firmly believes in stability, secrecy, and patience. Operating through a network of agents led by Dick Rentsch from the Waterside Hostel, Romag fortifies the Earth Temple’s presence in Nulb. He sees the expansionist ambitions of Canon Belsornig and the Water Temple as a direct threat, carefully plotting to undermine them through strategic sabotage and espionage.

• Belief: The Elder Elemental God represents the bedrock of existence; through decay and destruction, new foundations are laid for eternal empires.
• Goal: Destabilize regions like Veluna and Furyondy by causing earthquakes, sabotaging agriculture, and undermining infrastructure.
• Relationships: Maintains tense neutrality with Kelno of the Air Temple, deep rivalry with Alrrem’s Fire Temple, and views Belsornig of the Water Temple as his principal adversary. Seeks to gain favor with Hedrack through calculated loyalty and strategic defense.

Cult of the Howling Hatred (Air Temple)

Leader: Kelno
Kelno, a fanatical and arrogant zealot, sees himself as the true prophet of elemental chaos. His temple's influence has waned, and he struggles to maintain relevance. Kelno actively sabotages both the Fire and Water Temples, using covert methods and mercenary bugbear allies. His strategic focus lies in gathering intelligence and carefully planning targeted strikes against rivals.

• Belief: The Elder Elemental God is the eternal storm, invisible yet ever-present, able to tear down civilizations with whispering winds of madness.
• Goal: Dominate through control of weather patterns, summon destructive storms, and erode enemy morale through fear.
• Relationships: Distrusts Belsornig intensely, fears the aggression of Alrrem, and attempts careful diplomatic overtures with Romag to leverage stability and resources.

Cult of the Eternal Flame (Fire Temple)

Leader: Alrrem
Alrrem, aggressive and volatile, commands a temple known for its brutality and destructive power. The Eternal Flame Temple actively recruits powerful allies such as fire giants and militant fanatics to spread destruction. Alrrem has earned a ruthless reputation, frequently burning entire villages to assert dominance and demoralize his enemies.

• Belief: The Elder Elemental God is the all-consuming fire that purges weakness, making way for rebirth through flames.
• Goal: Expand their sphere of destruction, employing terror, arson, and outright warfare to clear the path for the temple's ascendancy.
• Relationships: Harbors profound animosity toward Romag, actively targets Kelno’s weakened temple, and seeks the outright destruction of Belsornig’s operations. Alrrem remains hostile to virtually all rivals, relying solely on brute strength.

Cult of the Crushing Wave (Water Temple)

Leader: Canon Belsornig
Canon Belsornig, the cunning and strategic leader of the Water Temple, employs extensive espionage networks extending throughout Nulb and beyond. Operating primarily from the Boatman’s Tavern and maintaining covert connections with Captain Tolub’s river pirates, Belsornig’s influence permeates trade and smuggling routes. He aims to achieve dominance over the entire temple network—even if it means betraying the Elder Elemental God himself.

• Belief: The Elder Elemental God lies dormant beneath the endless seas, waiting to drown the unworthy and remake the world in endless floods.
• Goal: Flood critical territories, disrupt economic trade routes, and embed spies into coastal cities to pave the way for eventual domination.
• Relationships: Seeks to manipulate and weaken Kelno’s forces, remains openly antagonistic towards Alrrem, and views Romag as both a pawn and an obstacle, carefully managing tensions to ensure the Water Temple’s eventual supremacy.

Key Operational Nodes in Nulb

Each elemental temple's activities in Nulb revolve around carefully chosen bases of operation:

• Earth Temple: 1. Waterside Hostel of Nulb (operated by Dick Rentsch), which acts as a recruitment center, information hub, and logistical coordination point for Romag’s operations.
• Air Temple: Limited influence; Kelno relies on covert mercenary operations and temporary hideouts to orchestrate clandestine sabotage.
• Fire Temple: Minimal presence, with the exception of the informant Wat, who subtly works within the Waterside Hostel to report activities to Alrrem.
• Water Temple: 4: Boatman’s Tavern and Nulb Market, controlled through proxies Lodriss and Captain Tolub , serves as a central hub for espionage, smuggling, and cult recruitment operations under Belsornig’s direction.

Key Relationships and Conflicts

• Romag vs. Belsornig: An intense rivalry marked by covert attacks, sabotage, and espionage, primarily due to conflicting operational strategies and shared ambitions in Nulb’s logistics network.
• Alrrem vs. All: Alrrem maintains hostility toward every other faction, particularly targeting Kelno and Belsornig, as his temple seeks supremacy through overt aggression.
• Kelno’s Strategic Isolation: Kelno struggles to regain strength, utilizing diplomatic attempts with Romag to stabilize his weakened position and employing clandestine operations against rivals.
• Hedrack’s Manipulation: Supreme Commander Hedrack carefully manipulates these factional conflicts, using loyal agents like Madame Selentis and Lucius Graeme to keep temple leaders balanced, thus preventing any single temple from becoming overly dominant.

Elemental Temple Relationship Chart (579 CY)

“The fools of the Temple war amongst themselves, blind to the true master of their fate.” – Lareth the Beautiful

The Spymasters and External Operations

The Temple of Elemental Evil maintains an extensive and sophisticated network of spies, bandits, informants, and smugglers, extending well beyond its subterranean halls. The corrupt village of Nulb serves as a critical node, with key agents embedded within its taverns, docks, and shadowy streets. Under the precise coordination of Commander Feldrin, Hedrack’s master of logistics and external operations, the Temple's infrastructure of surveillance, espionage, and supply management remains robust, discreet, and ruthlessly efficient.

“The fools of this Temple squabble for power like ants. Soon, they will be bound in Lolth’s web.” - Lareth

Commander Feldrin – Overseer of Logistics and Bandit Coordination

Commander Feldrin orchestrates the Temple’s integrated logistics framework, ensuring seamless transportation of supplies, recruits, and prisoners from Nulb into the Greater Temple via the secret tunnel at the 55. Hunting Cottage. Feldrin maintains close command over Gefreid Patris, a hardened bandit captain who secures the Cottage, managing operations under strict discipline. Feldrin’s role is crucial as the strategic liaison between Supreme Commander Hedrack and the Temple’s external agents, ensuring smooth communication and operational secrecy.

• Key Responsibilities:
• Management of secure transportation from Nulb to the Greater Temple.
• Direct oversight of bandit forces and mercenary units.
• Coordination with external Temple agents and maintaining operational security.

Madame Selentis – Hedrack’s Proxy in Nulb

Operating covertly under the alias Madame Selentis, the disgraced noblewoman Nysera Krivaltis functions as Hedrack’s primary civilian asset within Nulb. Occupying the damaged but fortified 33. Old Mayor’s Manor, she discreetly manages the movement of cult prisoners, illicit goods, and vital intelligence between critical nodes—the Waterside Hostel, Boatman’s Tavern, and 55. Hunting Cottage. Supported by a contingent of bandits loyal to Smigmal Redhand, pirate informants, and infiltrated tavern staff, Madame Selentis maintains a careful balance, avoiding overt conflict with the elemental temples while exerting subtle yet profound influence.

• Key Operations:
• Coordination of smuggling networks and prisoner transfers.
• Management of economic and social manipulation within Nulb.
• Surveillance and indirect control of pirate factions and bandit groups.

Lucius Graeme – Temple Courier and Master of Espionage

Lucius Graeme acting as Hedrack’s chief intelligence courier and handler, serves as the critical connective thread among Madame Selentis, Commander Feldrin, and the elemental prophets Romag, Belsornig, and Alrrem. Lucius’s network extends throughout Nulb, Hommlet, Dyvers, and Verbobonc, where he expertly employs coded messages, blackmail, and bribery. His strategic management of informants and spies ensures that intelligence flows seamlessly between the Temple’s scattered assets.

• Primary Functions:
• Delivering commands and intelligence reports between Temple leaders.
• Recruitment and management of informants and covert agents.
• Secure courier operations ensuring operational integrity.

Dick Rentsch and Wat – Tavern Contacts and Elemental Temple Informants

Operating from the infamous 1. Waterside Hostel of Nulb of …, Dick Rentsch serves as the Earth Temple’s primary facilitator, personally loyal to Romag. Under the guise of a brutish innkeeper, Rentsch ensures Romag’s influence extends to Nulb’s criminal and mercenary circles. His barkeeper Wat, however, serves as an informant for Alrrem of the Fire Temple, subtly undermining opposing factions. This dual influence within one establishment exemplifies the tangled web of intrigue pervading Nulb.

• Dick Rentsch’s Role: Earth Temple operations coordinator and primary recruiter.
• Wat’s Role: Covert informant and espionage asset for the Fire Temple.

Captain Tolub, Lodriss, and Skole – Smugglers and Spies at Boatman’s Tavern

The 4: Boatman’s Tavern and Nulb Market and…, overseen in name by Lodriss and operated directly by her lieutenant Skole, functions as a hub of piracy, smuggling, and covert cult activity. Captain Tolub, leader of the river pirates and ally to Canon Belsornig’s Water Temple, uses this location to manage illicit river trade. Madame Selentis closely monitors Tolub’s operations to maintain Temple supremacy, deliberately restricting his direct access to the Greater Temple’s inner workings. Skole, fiercely independent, defies outright Temple control, creating an atmosphere of tenuous alliances and suspicion.

• Tolub’s Operations: River piracy, smuggling, and Water Temple logistics.
• Lodriss’s Influence: Maintains neutrality while facilitating covert operations and maintaining pirate loyalty.
• Skole’s Resistance: Defies direct Temple oversight, forcing careful negotiation and surveillance by Selentis.

Captain Vesrek – Slave Trade Logistics

Marad Vesrek of the notorious slaving ship The Crimson Trader facilitates a steady flow of slaves and contraband, indirectly supporting Water Temple operations through Captain Tolub’s river networks. While Vesrek is closely watched by Madame Selentis’s operatives, his Scarlet Brotherhood affiliations make him a valuable yet dangerous asset requiring cautious oversight.

• Operations: Secure transportation of slaves and illicit cargo for Temple-aligned agents.
• Risks: Connections to external organizations (Scarlet Brotherhood), closely monitored by Temple operatives.

Lareth the Beautiful – The Spider’s Hand in the Moathouse

Lareth the Beautiful, charismatic and deeply ambitious, controls the Moathouse near Hommlet. Although outwardly loyal to Hedrack, Lareth secretly directs Temple recruits and resources toward Lolth’s larger scheme, aiming to transform the Temple into a stronghold of Lolth’s worship. His dual allegiance complicates Temple internal politics, and his covert sabotage poses a continuous risk to Hedrack’s authority.

• Hidden Agenda: Redirect Temple resources toward Lolth’s ambitions.
• Espionage Operations: Disseminating intelligence to Lolth’s drow agents in the Underdark.

“The fools of this Temple squabble for power like ants. Soon, they will be bound in Lolth’s web.” — Lareth

Smigmal Redhand and Falrinth – Guardians of Temple Secrecy

Smigmal Redhand, commanding Temple surface defenses, and her lover, wizard Falrinth, form a dangerous defensive duo. Smigmal coordinates aggressive raids and employs assassins like 4. Boatman’s Brothel, while Falrinth leverages arcane espionage through his quasit familiar. Falrinth’s loyalty to Lolth, hidden behind Hedrack’s trust, further destabilizes internal Temple politics.

• Smigmal’s Tactics: Active military operations, assassination, and suppression of threats.
• Falrinth’s Manipulation: Possessing the Orb of Golden Death, secretly aligned with Lolth, subtly influencing Temple conflicts.

Relationship & Activities Chart: Spymasters and External Operations (579 CY)

Internal Power Struggles and Hidden Agendas

The Temple’s apparent unity masks deep internal divisions, with factions loyal to Iuz, Zuggtmoy, and Lolth secretly vying for supremacy. Hedrack navigates these dangerous waters, relying heavily on Feldrin’s logistics management and Lucius’s covert communications. However, subversive elements like Lareth and Falrinth actively sabotage Temple unity, promoting Lolth’s hidden agenda, while Madame Selentis carefully manipulates factions within Nulb to preserve operational stability.

• Factional Discord: Persistent manipulation and sabotage among internal factions.
• Secret Loyalties: Lolth’s covert agents undermine the Temple from within, risking internal collapse.
• Operational Stability: Feldrin and Lucius work continuously to stabilize the Temple’s external operations amid ongoing internal strife

Current Activities and Power Struggles

As the Temple of Elemental Evil prepares for its Second Rising in 579 CY, a complex series of rivalries, alliances, and espionage operations unfold beneath the surface.

Strategic Activities:

• All logistical flows—including weapons, food, slaves, prisoners, and coin—are funneled through Nulb to the Hunting Cottage, then into the Temple via a hidden tunnel guarded by Gefreid Patris and his bandits.
• Madame Selentis coordinates surface operations in Nulb, serving as both smuggler and recruiter. Her manor is a temporary prison and waystation for Temple-bound shipments.
• Boatman’s Tavern (controlled by Lodriss and Captain Tolub) serves the Water Temple, while the Waterside Hostel (under Dick Rentsch) is Romag’s Earth Temple foothold.

Faction Tensions:

• Romag is frustrated by the growing influence of Madame Selentis, who bypasses his prison routes and delivers captives directly to Feldrin.
• Belsornig resents being excluded from the primary smuggling route and uses Tolub to challenge Selentis’s hold on river traffic.
• Alrrem has limited presence in Nulb, relying solely on Wat to monitor tavern affairs.
• Smigmal Redhand tolerates the other factions but secretly plots to elevate her own lieutenants into key leadership roles, ensuring loyalty to Hedrack above all.

Key Conflicts and Dynamics:

• Greater Temple vs. Water Temple: The Greater Temple’s control of the tunnel bottleneck forces the Water Temple to route their goods through intermediaries.
• Selentis vs. Belsornig and Tolub: Political and economic manipulation as both factions attempt to dominate Nulb’s black-market and slave trade.
• Feldrin vs. Barkinar and Deggum: Disputes over troop movements, tribal recruitment, and battlefield deployment in the Gnarley Forest and Wild Coast.

Espionage and Counterintelligence:

• Lucius Graeme maintains surveillance of Lareth, the Moathouse, and any rival factions in Dyvers or Verbobonc.
• Selentis’s informants—barmaids, smugglers, and courtesans—report suspicious activity and subvert Water Temple influence.
• Madame Selentis and Feldrin maintain contingency plans in case Belsornig or Romag attempt to seize the Hunting Cottage or disrupt the secret tunnel.

Elemental Node Manipulation

• Hedrack’s attempts to use the Orb of Golden Death to free Zuggtmoy are frequently sabotaged by Lolth’s agents.
• The elemental temples are unaware of the full potential of the nodes and instead focus on their elemental rivalries.

Outposts and Recruitment Efforts

To ensure a steady flow of resources, recruits, and influence, the Temple has established outposts across the region. The list below does not include the outpost for the Earth, Water, Fire, Air outposts in the Kron Hills area.

The Moathouse (Hommlet)

• Lareth’s recruitment center and forward operations post.
• Used to stage raids and gather intelligence on the region.

Hunting Cabin (Off-map outpost)

• The 55. Hunting Cabin - off map serves as a relay point for bandits transporting plundered goods to the Temple.
• Run by Feldrin’s lieutenant, Gefreid Patris.

Broken Tower (Bandit Stronghold)

• Primary defense and staging area for bandit raids.
• Houses supplies bound for the Greater Temple.

Conclusion

The Temple of Elemental Evil remains a chaotic yet formidable force, driven by the ambitions of its leaders and the dark will of Iuz and Zuggtmoy. Its internal strife is both a weakness and a source of resilience, allowing cunning individuals to rise through treachery and ambition.

"Power within the Temple is fleeting, but chaos is eternal."