Finding your way to the steps of the temple,
west of the Castle, the first thing you notice is it's structure. It's
circular levels rise higher and smaller, as if driving to a focusing
point. Tall pillars support each floor above, each pillar baring runes of
empowerment or security intruders, then image carvings and beautiful, yet
ominously realistic sculptures of spiders and demons. The dark marble that
the temple is carved from has veins of red, gray and white scored through
it's polished shapes.
On either side of the wide stairway up to the first level are two spires, that are almost as tall as the temple itself. Though the black marble spires have no notable markings you sense power emanating from each one and you get the feeling that these are guardian spires, used to ward away unwelcome visitors.
Once you've climbed the steps into the first level of the Temple your attention is drawn to the large fountain at the center of the room. Dark water spills down from a giant spider statue in to a cupped pool beneath it.
A broad, curve staircase rise up from either side of the Spider fountain to meet behind it with another flight of steps up to the second level of the temple.
As you start up the second flight of step the shadows in the room seem to move as if the many sculptures and carved images are coming to life and following your movement with eyes of cold, black stone.
Reaching the top of the stairs you can hear the faint
drone of whispers and voices. The Priestesses and loyal followers of Lloth
have gather here for a ritual...
At the rooms center is a large altar, decorated with gold-embossed designs that stand out against the black stone. You can see that there's something on the altar, though you can't quite see what it is because of a few different Drow standing in your line of view. But then you notice the dominating element of the room.
The mammoth-size idol of Lloth towers above the chanting assembly, leering down with a fanged smile of malicious delight. It's front legs are raised in a menacing pose as if it were about to strike whatever is on the altar. In one hand it holds a twisted dagger, poised to stab. The other hand is stretched forward, forever clawed in the air.
Unable to look at the sinister figure any longer you shudder and glance
around the room. Up above you, you realize the ceiling opens into another
level. Seeing no stairway that leads further up you step further forward
into the room and look up into the third level as best you can. More
pillars rise up to hold yet another ceiling that also has a circular
opening in it. That one gives you a dim view of the high stone caverns stalactite
ceiling.
Well, since there doesn't seem to be anything else worth seeing here you start to turn and leave, dropping your gaze from the roof and below the idol. And that's when you see what was on the altar. You must have brought it into clearer view when you moved forward to look through the ceiling...
The broken, bloody body of... something is laying on the stone slab of the altar. It's limbs and figure is twisted and mutilated by the many deep cuts of the Priestesses blade. The whites of it's rolled back eyes suggest it died quite painfully and possibly slowly. For a moment all you can do is stare, but then one of the priestesses looks toward you and glares a warning and you turn quickly to leave.
There's nothing you can do for the poor creature now. It's soul has passed on. It must have been some enemy of the family that has now seen the folly of going against such a powerful house of Drow. If that's the true case, you'll never know. For now it's best that you leave the temple before you become the next sacrifice to the Spider Queen, Lloth.
