We return to the MegaDelve and the “Vietnamese Cavern” node from the original node map for the Delve with the second of three small-scale maps of the Lost River Cave.

Unlike the eastern map of the Lost River Cave, this map shows distinct signs of sentient, social life.

The most obvious sign is the stepped temple , the six pillars out front, and the eternal obsidian pyre that burns quietly through the sunless days down here. There are also smoothed out slopes that have been built up from stone blocks that span the various levels making traveling through this area simpler. A group of silent, fully-robed and face-covered humanoid monks tend to the obsidian pyre and the temple structure. They never interfere in anything that occurs in the area except to quietly gather the bodies of the dead and bring them back to their temple.

If approached peacefully by injured sentient creatures, the monks will escort them into the back of the main level of their temple (shown on this map – the lower temple areas will be posted next week) and silently consecrate the small fountain there then collect the waters into a small silver chalice and present said to the wounded. The consecrated waters are treated as a level four curative spell (cure serious wounds or the equivalent).

If the waters are drunk in any other manner, they are a horrible and slow poison, if a save against the poison is failed, it deals 1d12 damage every ten minutes until the victim receives an appropriate curative magic to end the effect.

The monks will prevent people from descending to the lower levels of their temple and can determine who is a rightful monk and who is not on sight. They will fight if they are attacked or they cannot prevent someone from descending otherwise. The monks are all ghouls, with a few ghasts in the lower temple.

The buildings on the north edge of the map are the furthest south structures of the faction that inhabit the tunnels north of the cave (whom I haven’t detailed yet).

And here’s a copy of the map without the grid: