The Temple of Power
The Temple of Power is one of the Builders' structures located to the south and west of The Falls of Ardun. It is surrounded by The Quiet Wood.
On The Dwarven Map the Temple is represented by six hexagons in two rows of three.
The Temple was over-run by a large population of huge, venomous spiders when first discovered. The first expedition took action to impede the spiders' access to the surface and subsequent expeditions have seen no further signs of spider activity, but caution is still recommended when visiting the site - particularly at night, when the creatures are most active.
Layout
The remaining buildings of the Temple of Power are:
- a large stone enclosure, now without its metal roof, that may once have held a water reservoir but is now little more than a swamp.
- a small but sturdy stone-built exterior structure, known informally as the "Groundskeeper's Hut" it holds the remains of tools and is a secure place to camp overnight.
- the main building; a three level affair, roughly 200' wide and 150' long, still roofed but with some damage in one corner. The main entrance is a tall archway in the middle of the south wall, whose capstone bearing the glyph shown above has long since fallen to the ground. Six vertical hexagonal pillars - one now damaged and probably either nonfunctional or unsafe for use - travel through all three levels. The ground floor contains little other than the pillars. The first basement level contains the controls for the Temple (see below) and the skeletal remains of a couple of Builders. The second basement level contains a Remote Working Station, two Waldo Statues and a vault door leading to a large, rough-hewn stone passageway leading to a vast underground chamber. This was previously the site of a nest of gigantic spiders (up to 50' across) but is also theorised (by Tagariel) to be a sump for the hydro-arcanic generator. Once the spider nest had been cleared (see "The Spider Milking Incident"), an underground river was discovered, with a narrow entrance leading upstream, as yet unexplored.
Operation
The first basement level contains the controls for the site. A large lever activates the site; this is thought to open sluices to allow water to flow through mechanisms in the hexagonal pillars. Small valves on numbered pipes leading to the individual pillars can be opened wholly or partially; with a valve open and the lever depressed, the pillar begins to glow red and generate a magical (Evocation) aura. This school of magic deals with the creation and manipulation of energy, and the interaction of the flowing water with the unknown mechanisms within each pillar seems to create and channel magical energy; hence, a hydro-arcanic generator.
This power seems to be remotely transmitted somehow to the other Builders facilities, causing lights to glow and potentially allowing other devices to be used. Activating the Temple of Power is therefore probably a worthwhile precursor to further exploration of Builder sites.
No-one has so far been sufficiently unwise to try and activate the Temple with the valve to the damaged pillar open. The damaged pillar shows a number of wheels and other apparently simple mechanisms, as well as a red Bolt. The other pillars appear to be sealed and have no access for maintenance or inspection.
