In the arid depths of Kundrak Desert, lies a shunned temple near the top of a large mesa. Exposed to the harsh elements, the place is broken…
Legend has it that a long time ago, there was a queen in what is now the Kundrak Desert. The queen had it all, yet yearned for more. No amount of wealth, power, or respect quenched her thirst for more. Above it all, she wanted control. Control over everything and everyone. She meddled in everyone’s affairs and imposed her will even in the most mundane matters. Yet it was not enough.
The Great Offer
The greedy monarch one day asked the grand priestess to summon forth the power of the gods to make her more capable of controlling everyone and everything. The priestess, resentful herself for the queen’s meddling, summoned the queen to the Grand Temple. She enacted a summoning ritual, but brought forth a demon, not an avatar of the gods. Incapable of distinguishing good from evil, the queen ordered the demon to grant her eyes and minds so she could survey all in her domain. The extraplanar entity gave her a crooked smile, bowed in acquiescence, and snapped its fingers. She was then turned into a multi-headed monster, doomed to grow more heads if any were cut off. Such is the tale of the greedy queen…
Level-10 Adventure
Desert. Scholar records reveal that a large, thriving metropolis existed where the desert is now almost 2,000 years ago. Back then, this region was lush with verdant growth and farmlands.
Priestess. In historical recounts, High Priestess Agname is blamed for the destruction of the Grand Temple and the city at large. She is believed to have summoned a hydra into the temple. It was, in fact, the polymorphed greedy queen.
Hydra. This fabled creature is difficult to slay. Reports say that cutting off its heads is not effective as two new heads grow when one is destroyed. No one knows if it has a weakness.
Pilgrimage of Scholars
The ruins of the temple near the top of Kundrak Mesa are believed to be cursed. The legend of the greedy queen is largely responsible for this. However, in the scholarly world, there has been a recent resurgence of interest in that forgotten queendom. For the first time in decades, an expeditionary force gets ready to journey into the harsh climate of the Kundrak Desert and visit the Broken Temple of the Queen. The leader of this expedition is the famous writer and apprentice mage, Sir Ulbrand Yirlani (Lv-4 wizard).
Hook. The characters are hired by Sir Ulbrand to escort the expedition to the temple in Kundrak Mesa and keep them safe. He offers a reward of 2,500 GP and access to the Royal Library.
Perilous Journey
The expedition is composed of Ulbrand Yirlani, ten junior scholars, a dozen camp followers (commoners), and six guards. Seven mules carry rations and writing implements. They have a guide who knows the way across the dunes of the Kundrak Desert.
Danger. The large group’s movement draws the attention of tremor-sensitive creatures. A remorhaz approaches the expedition force from below. The monster targets one of the mules first. In its rage, it fights to the death.
Kundrak Mesa
After four days of travel, the expedition reaches Kundrak Mesa. The party must ascend a meandering trail along the slanted cliff-face to reach the temple 300 feet above.
Temple. From the ground, the rocky ledge that houses the ruined temple can be glimpsed. A few columns withstand the erosion of time.
City. If the characters inspect the countless boulders and sand-swept debris, they infer that a city once stood in this place (DC 16 Arcana).
The Ascent. The scholars lead the mules at a crawl. Sir Ulbrand Yirlani asks the guards and the characters to accompany him up the mesa. He wants to make sure the broken temple is safe first.
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1. The Temple Stairs
The uneven trail gives way to a set of 50-foot-wide granite stairs that climb the last 40 feet to the ruined grand temple. To the west, the stairs have a jagged border that overlooks the desert dunes 300 feet below. A large boulder rests at the top of the stairs.
The sound of the wind whistling as it passes in between the dilapidated pillars is the only thing that breaks the silence. Each of the stairs’ steps is rounded and sanded down; this is the result of hundreds of years of wind erosion. As Sir Ulbrand Yirlani reaches the last step, he whistles, marveling at the decadent legacy of that old queendom.
2. Broken Pillars
The pillars are etched with faded runes and symbols. Careful study of the incomplete signs reveals that they speak of an old goddess named Gede (DC 18 Religion). This goddess’ faith was forgotten almost a millennium ago.
3. Temple Wall
The stone wall features a sculpted bas-relief that depicts a group of priestesses worshiping a goddess. The High Priestess is surrounded by runes that mark her as a powerful mage.
A light shines 15 feet above from an opening into the cliff face of Kundrak Mesa.
4. Sarcophagi and Stairs
Six sarcophagi rest along the east wall of the Grand Temple in several levels of disrepair. They contain the ashen remains of old high priestesses. East to the Grand Altar (area 6), a narrow set of curving stairs climbs to an elevated area that was added after the polymorphed queen destroyed the temple and the city below (area 5).
5. Tomb of Cursed Priestesses
Five clay urns rest against the uneven wall. One of them gives out a warm radiance.
High Priestess Agname and her four closest acolytes were interred here years after the temple’s destruction. The hydra was gone; it would only return when someone interacted with the Grand Altar and its broken effigy. The priestesses’ souls were bound to the urns, forever doomed to be captive and sentient. The high priestess (wraith), due to her arcane power, can move as far as 20 feet from her urn. She manifests when the characters approach her glimmering vase.
Request. Agname has an Indifferent attitude. She begs the party to abandon this place. She claims that their intrusion shall bring back the queen’s unruly ire.
6. The Broken Effigy
The effigy of the Goddess Gede is no more. The polymorphed queen destroyed it long ago. The sculpture’s dais is imprinted with more recent runes. They claim that, after killing or driving off the locals, the hydra disappeared. The hydra returns when someone returns to the temple.
The Queen. When a creature comes within 10 feet of the dais, the cursed queen reappears.
The Goddess. Many believe that this goddess is still worshiped today, but under a different name.
Condition. The greedy queen wished for eyes and minds to survey others. So, she vanishes when there is no one to meddle with. The hydra reappears only when there is someone else to mess with.
7. The Overlook
The temple is 300 feet above the Kundrak Desert. An inspection of the flooring reveals that the temple shall collapse sooner or later. It barely hangs on now.
Return of the Greedy Queen
Interacting with the effigy’s dais reactivated the ancient demon’s curse. The multi-headed, polymorphed, greedy queen is released from her slumber. This is the first time that the hydra reappears in the Material Plane in five centuries. Four ghouls emerge from the intact sarcophagi and fight alongside the polymorphed queen.
Banishment. The hydra has never been truly defeated. If the characters manage to outright slay it, the greedy queen’s soul is freed from the curse. It is glimpsed flying away to the afterlife.
The Expedition. After the hydra is defeated, the scholars and Sir Ulbrand Yirlani are free to study the Broken Temple of the Queen. The research lasts 2 weeks before the expedition leaves the Kundrak Desert. The famous writer is thankful. He is happy to pay the reward and appoint the characters so they can access the Royal Library.
| d6 | Details |
| 1 | A scholar catches up with the party, calling for help. The rest of the expedition was attacked by a dozen sand mephits on the way up. |
| 2 | Four gray oozes filter through the rock wall and attack. The strange creatures fight until slain. |
| 3 | Three undead priestesses (wights) coalesce from sand and dust. They crave living flesh. They are jealous of the characters’ being alive. |
| 4 | A supernaturally strong wind sweeps through the temple. Creatures within 10 feet of the west border might fall and die (DC 12 Strength save). |
| 5 | The floor trembles. An otherworldly roar resonates from below. Even the wind is silent now. |
| 6 | A roc flies by the Kundrak Mesa and issues a high-pitched cry. It then flies away northward. |
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