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The Sixth Facet
Faith without works is dead.
- James 2:26 The Sixth Facet is based upon Chardath's spirit. It reflects his piety (or lack thereof) and takes the form of an elegant cathedral. Here, priests of any sort find themselves confronted with deadly peril. When the characters enter the Sixth Facet, the Dungeon Master should read the following text aloud to set the scene. As he does so, he should add extra details to make it seem as if this temple is sacred to the pantheon of deities worshiped by any priests, paladins, or other characters in the party. If the majority of the heroes worship the powers of ancient Egypt, for example, the description might mention hieroglyphics, sphinxes, and similar elements.
A magnificent temple surrounds you. Laid out as an oval, it streches beneath an alabaster ceiling from which half a dozen glowing chandeliers are suspected. Two rows of thick marble pillars, each inlaid with delicate etchings of angelic men and women, rise from the brightly polished floor. Stained glass windows depicting various religious figures line the walls, spilling multihued light into the carvenous chapel. One end of this elliptical room hosts an ornate altar and shrine. Two large braziers stand on either side, trailing coils of sweet-smelling smoke into the air. An assortment of oils, scrolls, and other priestly paraphernalia rests atop the altar. Rows of hard wooden benches, pews for the faithful, fill the cathedral and face the altar. An odd feeling of peace and tranquility fills this place. Yet you cannot escape the feeling that some looming presence is watching - and judqing - your every move.
Mood and Atmosphere Everything about this chapel should make the characters feel small and insignificant. They should have the impression that they stand in the presence of the gods, and that their every action is being seen by those powers they hold sacred. When the evil nature of this place becomes clear, it should have a devastating effect on such characters. To be sure, nearly every player should be aware that something is amiss here and that this is some sort of trap. His character will probably feel that way, too. Yet, there will always be a little bit of doubt. After all, could it not be that this place is a sanctuary watched over by the priest's deity to give his faithful a respite? Above all else, this scene should be played in such a way as to make the heroes doubt themselves, their faith, or both. As the heroes look around, they discover that this place has no apparent entrances or exits. Yes, one could smash the stained glass windows and escape through them. but that is another matter. The important thing for the heroes to recognize is that there are no doors built into the architecture. Shortly after the heroes arrive, all of the characters who follow the faith to which the cathedral is dedicated hear the voice of their spectral ally again. His words are screened from the minds of the others not by his own choosing, but by the nature of the Sixth Facet.
"Many of your kind find peace and comfort in places susch as this. Count yourselves lucjy that somewhere in his shriveled heart my matser fancies himself a pious man. But be warned. for his patience is short and his temper swift. It is own impurity that torments him. DO not make the same mistakes he has."
As the characters explore the rest of this place, the Dungeon Master should use the following information to adjudicate their investigations. The structure features twenty stained glass windows in all, ten on either side of the cathedral. Each of them depicts some important aspect of the faith. For example, if the Dungeon Master has decided that the church is sacred to the ancient Egyptian pantheon, there might be a scene of Ra, the pharaoh of the gods, giving birth to Shu and Tefnut, the air and the water. Another might show Osirus watching over the dead or Isis looking on as a young woman marries or gives birth. Beyond the images that these windows present, they are masterpieces of art. There can be no doubt that they were created by a master craftsman; their value is almost inestimable. One curious note, however, is the fact that each of the windows appears to have the rays of the sun falling on it directly. Meither side of the church seems to tie in shadow. Though not a dangerous effect, the Dungeon Master can let the heroes notice it in some way that makes it seem both impressive and unnerving. The Power of the Faith: If a priest, paladin, or similar character moves into the light of a window which depicts an image of special importance to him, the glow feels warm and soothing. A distinct sensation of peace and holiness fills him. If the character offers up a prayer while basking in this radiance, all of his wounds miraculously heal. Lingering effects from failed fear, horror, or madness checks are removed, diseases cured, and so forth. Even lost limbs regenerate. The hero is restored to perfect health. The structure holds six pillars in alt: two rows of three down the center of the cathedral that split the pews into left, center, and right sections. Like the stained glass windows, the pillars are masterpieces. Each is sculpted in such fine detail that it seems impossible for a human hand to have crafted it. Untold years must have gone into the creation of every pillar. The pillars depict great heroes of the faith, though not the gods themselves or their avatars. The figures might be famous warriors and martyrs, saints and messiahs, or even highly respected theologians. All should be recognizable by the party's priests and paladins. Voices of The Gods: Anyone who touches one of these pillars finds himself profoundly affected. A surge of energy runs through his body; his head seems to fill with noise and voices. Images and sensations that his brain cannot comprehend appear to him. Exactly what effect this experience has on the character varies from individual to individual. Priests and other casters of priestly magic who worship the powers of this temple find their expended spells completely restored. In mere seconds, they regain their full spellcasting abilities, just as if they had spent hours in prayer and meditation. Apparently, they have been blessed by their gods. Other characters who are members of the faith instantly experience a sort of epiphany. This can be a transforming event for the character. If the character is human, he instantly abandons his previous profession and becomes a priest. This involuntary change should be handled as described in the rules for dual-class characters in the Player's Handbook. If the career switch requires an alignment change, it occurs in accordance with the rules for such events in the Dungeon Master Guide. A demihuman or other member of the faith becomes (if he is not already) a multi-class character, adding "specialty priest" to his list of professions. Again, if an alignment change is involved, refer to the Dungeon Master Guide. At the Dungeon Master's discretion, the new priest can return to his original character class after this adventure concludes. The process, however, should be long and difficult, involving several adventures of the DM's own design. Anyone who is not a follower of the pantheon to whom this church is dedicated must make an immediate madness check upon touching the pillar. Failure indicates the images that filled the character's mind were too much for him to handle. The nature of his madness should be determined normally, with the Dungeon Master customizing it to take into account the various features of the faith. For example, an individual who becomes detusional might be convinced that he is an avatar or prophet. A successful madness check indicates that the character survives relatively unharmed from his brush with the unknown. The hero does, however, suffer as if he had failed a horror check. Again, the Dungeon Master should customize the failure to reflect the nature of the faith. The exact description of the altar varies depending upon the pantheon to which this church is sacred. If the cathedral is Egyptian, there might be scrolls covered with hieroglyphics, a crook and flail, and a golden ankh. Anyone may took at these items without penalty. Touching them, on the other hand, is another matter. If a nonpriest touches any of the items on the altar or the altar itself, he angers the gods; the adventure continues as described under "The Wrath of the Gods", below. Priest of the appropriate faith may freely examine the altar without angering the powers of the cathedral. They find nothing unusual- Holy Ceremonies: If one or more priests conducts a religious service at the altar, he gains a great benefit. At the end of the ceremony (1d4 hours), all participating priests permanently gain 1 point of Wisdom. Transgressions There is only one penance in the Church of Aggarath: death. Several transgressions can enrage the powers of this place and turn them against the heroes. The most likely of these are: Defiling the Cathedral: Any act of vandalism brings down the wrath of the powers. These include stealing, trying to break a window, chipping a piece off one of the pillars, or the like. Blasphemy: Anyone who offers up a prayer to a power from another pantheon offends the cathedral and earns its wrath. Other actions may fall into this category at the Dungeon Master's discretion. Presumption: The blessings of the faithful (as described for the pillars, stained glass windows, and altar) are something of a test. Any qualified character may enjoy each of these effects once. Thus, a wounded priest who has cast several spells may be healed by the windows, restore his magic to full power by touching a pillar, and participate in a ceremony to increase his Wisdom. Indulging in any benefit a second time, however, is presuming too much. If this happens, the cathedral becomes a death trap. Should anyone commit a transgression, a sudden thunderclap shakes the temple. (Other sounds may suffice, if they better suit the particular faith.) Following this sign of disapproval, a powerful voice echoes in the chapel:
"You were welcomed in this house, but now your actions ave shown you for what you are."
So tremendous is this noise that each character must attempt a saving throw vs. breath weapon. Success indicates that the character is more or less unaffected: His ears ring for 2d6 hours, imposing a -1 or -5% penalty on all die rolls during that time. Failure, on the other hand, indicates that the character has been partially deafened by the experience. He suffers a -2/-10% penalty on all die rolls until such time as his malady can be cured. Once this pronouncement has been made, the defenders of the cathedral attack. These guardians are five glass golems (one from every other stained glass window) and six caryatid columns (one from each of the pillars). Statistics for both these monsters can be found in Appendix Two of this book. The creatures attack at once, focusing their aggression on the priests in the party. Such characters should have protected the chapel and faith, but have clearly failed in their task. Priestly spells cast by followers of the cathedral's faith do not function during the battle. Any attempt to use such magic does reduce the number of spells available to the character normally, however. One of the glass golems (the first one that falls in battle) is unlike the others. His face is set in such a way that only half of it shows, like a one-eyed Jack in a deck of cards. The single eye is a gleaming cube cut from a fine ruby. This is the magical ruby of the Sixth Facet; it glows slightly once the body shatters, Once a battle begins, the characters can escape anytime during or after it. When each of the glass golems emerges from its window, it leaves behind a man-sized hole. These are the portals out of the Sixth Facet. The following table indicates the facets to which these conduits lead:
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