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gridloreI'm currently reading The Alexiad, written by Anna Komnene. She was the daughter of Alexios I Komnenos, Emperor of Rome from 1081 to 1118. The book is a fascinating look at one of the more interesting Byzantine emperors from an inside perspective. Anna herself is an interesting figure.
You also have the fact that this book was written in the middle of the 12th century, which flavors the views of the author. Anna, despite being a highly-educated woman and possessing a healthy dose of skepticism about prophecy and astrology, accepts religious miracles as fact. Which leads to one of the best ideas for a RPG dungeon crawl I've ever seen.
Book I of the Alexiad concerns the rebellion against Nikephoros III Botaneiates that brought Alexios to the throne. Nikephoros Melissenos, a brilliant general, was also marching on Constantinople. The two forces were exchanging letters trying to broker as deal. Here's the relevant passage:
A tomb that seeps oil that cures all manners of things.
OK, let's make this an interesting Place of Mystery. The Temple honoring Demetrios is is fairly remote. The Church of the Healing God used to holy oil not only to effect cures at the hospital built there, but to manufacture heal potions that were a nice money maker for the order. People who made the pilgrimage to the temple also tended to leave generous offerings.
This will be a large complex. Aside from the actual temple and hospital, you'll have a religious school, a caravanserai, quarters for the priests and craftspeople, satellite temples, a tomb complex for the notable priests, storehouses, and a complex where the holy oil was turned into potions. Put the actual temple up against a bluff, that was it can be built into the cliff side. There will also be several agricultural villages nearby to provide the complex with food.
The actual tomb of Demetrios is inside the bluff, in a stone sarcophagus carved out of the rock. The oil that seeps out is collected in a series of drains, which takes to a collecting and barreling room on a lower lever. That space will be connected to a surface room by an elevator. Workers collect the oil, move it to the elevator, which takes it to the workshops mentioned above. The entrance to the tomb is behind a secret door in the temple. The workman's entrance to the collection room is more obvious and outside the temple proper.
Now, the who thing was overrun by barbarians, orcs, Perfidious Genoans. . . whatever baddies you want who would attack, loot what they could find, and move on. Dumb is better, as they wouldn't stop to figure out things like secret doors and the like. The Church of the Healing God knows that the odds of that areas being secured anytime soon is slight. So they have another plan: Get the body.
Here's the scenario. The Church needs a party of experienced adventurers to lead a high-ranking priest and several acolytes to the temple. Once there, the priest will oversee the ritual of removing the body from the tomb. If the body is touched by anyone who is unclean, the body rots away. Also, the Church wants as much oil as can be loaded onto a wagon or two. In return, the party can keep 90% of what they find (the person making the offer will mention that there is a large treasuty somewhere near the altar) and receive free healing for life from the temple. Raise Dead will still cost the usual fee.
There's always a catch. The priest is not an adventurer. He's spent his whole life in temples and the church bureaucracy. All the church people are dedicated pacifists and sworn to heal all who need it. Including monsters. The priest can be just naive about the realities of the world or an arrogant buffoon. They all know a few healing spells, and are great at first aid, but utterly useless in a fight.
Finally, there is something living in the oil collection chamber. Pick any appropriate monster, but living ankle deep in miracle healing oil has changing it. Whatever it is, it is a huge version of the monster, with a regeneration ability that would make a troll jealous. And it's addicted to the oil, and would not appreciate any attempt to remove any of the barrels, or the removal of the saint's body. Oh, and the oil is highly flammable.
For Pathfinder, party level should be around 7 with one person having the Leadership feat. Having loyal retainers to guard the horses would be ideal. Killing the priest is a decidedly evil act, and the Gods will notice.
So, what do y'all think?
You also have the fact that this book was written in the middle of the 12th century, which flavors the views of the author. Anna, despite being a highly-educated woman and possessing a healthy dose of skepticism about prophecy and astrology, accepts religious miracles as fact. Which leads to one of the best ideas for a RPG dungeon crawl I've ever seen.
Book I of the Alexiad concerns the rebellion against Nikephoros III Botaneiates that brought Alexios to the throne. Nikephoros Melissenos, a brilliant general, was also marching on Constantinople. The two forces were exchanging letters trying to broker as deal. Here's the relevant passage:
A tomb that seeps oil that cures all manners of things.
OK, let's make this an interesting Place of Mystery. The Temple honoring Demetrios is is fairly remote. The Church of the Healing God used to holy oil not only to effect cures at the hospital built there, but to manufacture heal potions that were a nice money maker for the order. People who made the pilgrimage to the temple also tended to leave generous offerings.
This will be a large complex. Aside from the actual temple and hospital, you'll have a religious school, a caravanserai, quarters for the priests and craftspeople, satellite temples, a tomb complex for the notable priests, storehouses, and a complex where the holy oil was turned into potions. Put the actual temple up against a bluff, that was it can be built into the cliff side. There will also be several agricultural villages nearby to provide the complex with food.
The actual tomb of Demetrios is inside the bluff, in a stone sarcophagus carved out of the rock. The oil that seeps out is collected in a series of drains, which takes to a collecting and barreling room on a lower lever. That space will be connected to a surface room by an elevator. Workers collect the oil, move it to the elevator, which takes it to the workshops mentioned above. The entrance to the tomb is behind a secret door in the temple. The workman's entrance to the collection room is more obvious and outside the temple proper.
Now, the who thing was overrun by barbarians, orcs, Perfidious Genoans. . . whatever baddies you want who would attack, loot what they could find, and move on. Dumb is better, as they wouldn't stop to figure out things like secret doors and the like. The Church of the Healing God knows that the odds of that areas being secured anytime soon is slight. So they have another plan: Get the body.
Here's the scenario. The Church needs a party of experienced adventurers to lead a high-ranking priest and several acolytes to the temple. Once there, the priest will oversee the ritual of removing the body from the tomb. If the body is touched by anyone who is unclean, the body rots away. Also, the Church wants as much oil as can be loaded onto a wagon or two. In return, the party can keep 90% of what they find (the person making the offer will mention that there is a large treasuty somewhere near the altar) and receive free healing for life from the temple. Raise Dead will still cost the usual fee.
There's always a catch. The priest is not an adventurer. He's spent his whole life in temples and the church bureaucracy. All the church people are dedicated pacifists and sworn to heal all who need it. Including monsters. The priest can be just naive about the realities of the world or an arrogant buffoon. They all know a few healing spells, and are great at first aid, but utterly useless in a fight.
Finally, there is something living in the oil collection chamber. Pick any appropriate monster, but living ankle deep in miracle healing oil has changing it. Whatever it is, it is a huge version of the monster, with a regeneration ability that would make a troll jealous. And it's addicted to the oil, and would not appreciate any attempt to remove any of the barrels, or the removal of the saint's body. Oh, and the oil is highly flammable.
For Pathfinder, party level should be around 7 with one person having the Leadership feat. Having loyal retainers to guard the horses would be ideal. Killing the priest is a decidedly evil act, and the Gods will notice.
So, what do y'all think?
