TEXT: Copyright © 2016 Michael Prescott - cbna  - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ - Find more adventure locations at http://blog.trilemma.com
  v1.02 pg. 1/2
  the Situation
  Eons ago, a cruel and 
  wretched world was ploughed 
  under by the gods.
  A 
  million 
  years 
  later, 
  Seree wizards discovered it, 
  and finding it had no use, 
  gave it as a parting gift to a 
  guardian of theirs that had 
  completed its servitude.
  The 
  guardian 
  Nulga 
  took its thousand motes of 
  magical power and breathed 
  life into tiny beings. It hoped 
  to steer them toward peaceful 
  and enlightened lives in the 
  dense, primordial jungle.
  Unfortunately, 
  eons 
  of 
  erosion have cut through the 
  volcanic pumice, exposing 
  the temple of Dendra.
  the Jungle RiveR
  This warm, muddy river 
  flows through the jungles of 
  the volcanic plateau before 
  tumbling down the waterfall.
  It continues on for many 
  miles through its steep-sided 
  gorge as the plateau level 
  drops.
  Every 
  few 
  miles, 
  roll 
  d6 for an encounter, as 
  well as its intensity - 1-2: 
  mere evidence; 3-4: nearby; 
  5-6: close encounter.
  temple of DenDRa
  The complex has been 
  entombed in hardened lava 
  for more than a million years.
  Every hour, there is a 
  10% chance a party of d8 
  Enlightened Motes arrives 
  by river, entering via the 
  waterfall-side gate.
  DenDRa aveRteD
  An 80’ tall statue of a 
  hairless woman protrudes 
  from the eroding pumice.
  Though it never moves, it 
  always faces away from the 
  viewer’s position, regardless 
  of where they stand.
  pyRamiD of DenDRa
  A solid pyramid of white 
  granite blocks. The archway 
  opens into the first chamber, 
  where 
  dozens 
  of 
  plain, 
  ceramic urns line the walls. 
  They hold only dust.
  If 
  any 
  enlightened 
  motes are present, an inner 
  archway leads on into the 
  graven chamber.
  aRtificial eRoSion
  Every 
  few 
  hours, 
  the 
  bizarre 
  shatterwisp 
  can 
  be felt very strongly in the 
  temple. The rocks of the 
  place begin to vibrate, while 
  grit, and occasionally larger 
  pieces, 
  tumble 
  from 
  the 
  pumice walls.
  This is the cause of the 
  erosion.
  the moteS
  Nulga created bodies for 
  his Motes from lemurs and 
  reptiles, choosing the human 
  form of his former Seree 
  masters.
  They retain a smallish 
  stature and a slight scaliness 
  with patches of soft fur.
  They are long-lived, but 
  sterile, and their numbers 
  have dwindled to a few 
  hundred.
  Finding most of Nulga’s 
  teachings 
  abstract 
  and 
  impractical, many have  
  left the immediate area to 
  make their own way.
  Only those who inhabit 
  this stretch of river remain 
  loyal to Nulga (or to Dendra).
  They 
  wield 
  obsidian-
  tipped spears and knives.
  the enlighteneD
  Using obsidian mirrors, 
  the Motes glimpsed the 
  statue’s face and entered 
  the pyramid.
  Swayed by Dendra 
  within, they now carry 
  out her atrocities.
  pool
  The 
  waterfall 
  pounds 
  the 
  surface, 
  spraying mist.
  The 
  temple-side 
  wall presents an easy 
  climb up to the walkway.
  Four giant crocodiles lurk in the shallows. 
  They will not bother boats, but aggressively 
  attack waders or swimmers.
  d6
  River Encounter
  1
  d12 Crocodiles
  2
  Floating Atrocity
  3
  d6 Motes fishing
  4
  Swarm of fever flies
  5
  Enlightened Motes
  6
  The Shatterwisp
  DReaD ScepteR
  This hacked, chipped obelisk emits 
  invisible, searing rays that cause any exposed 
  skin to burn and blister painfully.
  It has no spiritual significance—its energies were easily 
  tolerated by its builders, who used it to kill insects.
  atRocitieS
  The Enlightened Motes have 
  taken to catching and killing animals of 
  the jungle as a sacred rite. They eat nothing 
  and 
  use 
  nothing, 
  following 
  Dendra’s 
  teachings of gleeful death.
  Kills are likely to be crocodiles, fat umber 
  eels, and the occasional Void Gull. They 
  are mutilated and impaled. An unfortunate  
  few still live, wedged in the underbrush  
  and waiting for death.
  nulga’S cave
  Two leagues downriver, cut into a rocky 
  embankment, is the cave of the Nulga.
  an Adventure Location by Michael Prescott
  THE MOTES OF ETERNITY
  
  Copyright © 2016 Michael Prescott - cbna  - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ - Find more adventure locations at http://blog.trilemma.com
  v1.02 pg. 2/2
  the guaRDian nulga
  The Seree placed their spell engines 
  in the care of magical, living guardians. 
  Created from mundane animals (reptiles 
  were favored for their uncanny stillness), 
  guardians were enhanced with a regimen  of 
  powdered gemstone and protective rituals.
  Long exposure to the intense magical 
  environment of the spell engine caused 
  them to grow in size and raw magical 
  potency, while centuries of conversation and 
  meditation granted them wisdom.
  mote-fatheR
  Nulga was once a humble snapping turtle, 
  but is now twelve paces long, six paces high, 
  and weighs as much as five elephants.
  Nulga created the Motes with the 
  intention of building a gentle community to 
  guide and watch over.
  Few Motes now come to visit him, and he 
  is alarmed by the tales his followers bring.
  He spends his days partially submerged 
  in his grotto, straining at the breeze for clues 
  about what has happened to his beloved 
  children.
  He has a large cache of food—gifts from 
  loyal Motes—tied into in three  longboats 
  brightly painted with scenes from the jungle.
  Spell guaRDian
  Nulga has inherited several earth-magic 
  abilities from his exposure to the spell engine.
  He can alter the consistency of rock, 
  softening it to allow him passage, or 
  hardening the soil to iron strength. He can 
  even change the air nearby to an amber-like 
  hardness, though only briefly. Finally, he 
  can animate clay to take the form of living 
  creatures.
  Having no magical motes left to work 
  with, each power costs a year of his life.
  inSiDe the pyRamiD of DenDRa
  The pyramid contains three chambers, 
  each about ten paces square. The archway 
  to the second chamber only exists if someone 
  within the pyramid has seen the face of 
  Dendra, while the archway to the third 
  chamber only exists if everyone has.
  gRaven chambeR
  In the center of the second chamber stands 
  the sacrificial slab: a huge block of stained, 
  white granite. Channels along the edges 
  funnel blood down into a collection urn.
  The slab is chipped and scored by 
  centuries of use.
  gRaven chambeR WallS
  The walls are finely etched from floor to 
  ceiling and reveal that Dendra was a servant 
  of the gods during the forging of the world. 
  Betrayed and ‘damaged’, she realized that 
  the gods’ vision was imperfect, and turned 
  away from them (hence her averted statue).
  She gathered the first peoples from the 
  forests and caves, and with them built Thiru, 
  the first city—this pyramid stands at its 
  center (though it is buried).
  chambeR of DenDRa
  Reduced to a fraction of her power, Dendra 
  retains only her intellect and her ability to 
  form a body from the fine gray ash that fills 
  this room.
  Dendra espouses a doctrine of gleeful 
  death: destroy all forms made by the gods, 
  that new forms may arise.
  She bears no anger toward the gods, and 
  considers the destruction of Thiru itself to be 
  a sacred act, in accordance with her wisdom.
  Sitting upon a throne of white granite, 
  she councils any who will listen about her 
  path: gleeful death, chaotic renewal.
  Her presence suffuses the entire pyramid; 
  destroying the ash body does nothing.
  If asked about Nulga, she will point out 
  that he seeks to emulate the ancestral hosts 
  of human communities, but while he still 
  lives, he never will. Only by dying will he 
  achieve the breadth of vision necessary to be 
  of lasting use to the Motes. She encourages 
  adventurers to hasten his death.
  the Jungle plateau
  Beyond the river’s vicinity, the sun 
  disappears 
  behind 
  the 
  emerald 
  green 
  canopy. Lemurs chatter, frogs chirp, and 
  brightly colored birds flap between hanging 
  vines. Great, waxy leaves spinkle raindrops 
  from high above.
  When adventurers move to a new area of 
  the jungle, roll for a random feature.
  d6
  Jungle Feature
  1
  Dense, fruit-laden thicket
  2
  Rain pond, slowly draining
  3
  Clearing filled with giant ferns and 
  stinging stinkleaf
  4
  Rocky outcrop predating the 
  volcanism (50% chance of being 
  taller than the trees)
  5
  Muddy-banked tributary stream
  6
  Intense rain for d8 hours
  the lacuna
  This huge, stone sphere is guarded by d20 
  Void Gulls. A door-sized opening in one side 
  leads into a dark, featureless interior.
  Once a portal to their emperor’s fortress, 
  it is useless now for lack of a power source.
  Every month, the gulls lose more of their 
  number to the Enlightened Motes, and they 
  are alert and desperate.
  ShatteRWiSp & the vexing boWlS
  A hissing, whirring sound fills the air. At 
  first distant, it approaches rapidly and soon 
  becomes painfully loud. Metal vibrates, glass 
  shatters, stone crumbles, and water boils in 
  an area about thirty paces across.
  This effect is produced by Void Gulls 
  humming from within their vexing bowls: 
  six smooth basins cut from the basalt, five 
  paces across, which amplify sound. The 
  gulls constructed them to expose the temple, 
  having sensed the power within the dread 
  scepter. When it topples, they will attack.
  feveR flieS
  These fat, blue-eyed flies leave tiny, 
  painful bites that impair their victims’ 
  judgment for d12 hours.
  Possible effects: victims conclude they’re 
  rowing the wrong direction; this boat would 
  be a great way to carry water; a lost loved 
  one is just below the topsoil; someone should 
  probably go and check on the king.
  d6
  Pleateau Jungle Encounter
  1
  Sacred Atrocity (ape, boa, or tapir)
  2
  d8 Mote foragers, collecting fruit. 
  Roll d6 for loyalty; 1-2: Nulga; 
  3-4: Dendra; 5-6: themselves.
  3
  The Shatterwisp
  4
  Void Gull Patrol (d6)
  5
  A Vexing Bowl
  6
  The Lacuna*
  * once only, reroll thereafter
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Trilemma Adventures/Trilemma 23 Motes of Eternity.pdf