Place of Power: The Necromanteion
This fabled site was once a temple dedicated to Hades and Persephone and a reputed entrance to the underworld. It is believed by the cult to be the same place where the hero Odysseus entered the underworld to consult the spirits of the dead. It was destroyed by the Romans and forgotten to time until being rediscovered by the magus Athanasios in the 12th century.
Mundane Level (Magic Aura 1):
The temple no longer exists on a mundane level. The remains of the temple are contained in a regio, which can only be accessed through the river Acheron in Epirus. The only entrance is a regio boundary at a specific point in the river. There is no known mundane method of access, so the boundary must be detected with second sight or spells. The Disciples take great pains to conceal this regio entrance.
Regio Level 1 (Magic Aura 3):
Within the regio the mundane Acheron is joined by the two rivers Phlegethon and Cocytus. The Plegethon is so hot it boils, while the Cocytus is so cold it should be rights be frozen over. Contact with the Phlegethon inflicts +3 damage, while immersion in the Cocytus drains one fatigue level per 6 seconds. Where the three rivers meet there is a ziggurat ensconced in stygian marsh and shrouded in clouds of steam. The marsh bubbles and stirs constantly from the clash of the rivers. Because of this and the poor visibility it is very hard to navigate. The Cocytus emits a constant wailing sound that only increases the eerie nature of the marsh.
The pyramid has a single entrance, a square doorway. At this level the inside is an unadorned stone chamber, but the doorway is also a boundary to the next regio level. People who have suffered the death of someone close to them in the last year can pass through the boundary simply by walking through the doorway. Otherwise, second sight or a spell must be used.
Regio Level 2 (Magic Aura 6):
The second regio layer beneath the ziggurat contains a labyrinth of chthonic tunnels. There are no differentiating marks so distance in the labyrinth can be marked only by periodic iron portals and alcoves for offerings. The labyrinth is filled with clouds of poisonous gas that cause delirium and weakness. Characters here must make deprivation rolls as if denied air, but with an interval of 1 minute. It takes about 10 minutes to find the central chamber if the route is known. If it is not exploring the labyrinth takes 25 – (Awareness+Intelligence+Stress Die) minutes. Clever methods may reduce this time at the storyguide’s discretion.
The central chamber is a large vaulted room cut from living stone. Cracks in the floor exude the gases which fill the labyrinth. At the far end of the chamber is a crevice, just large enough for a person to squeeze down. The sound of rushing water can be heard from within. This chamber has an aura strength of 7, the highest in the complex.
This chamber is the haunt of the living ghost Athanasios (see above) and is connected to the magic realm via the crevice in the floor. This crevice is a vestige that can be used to pass into something resembling the Greek underworld in the magic realm, a place aligned with Mentem. Athanasios works without rest to comprehend the connection and learn to use it to either enter the underworld or draw spirits out from it. He hopes this will allow the interrogation of the ancient dead, whose tombs and corpses are lost to time, and for living ghosts to escape their haunts and roam the magic realm freely. Few who have attempted to enter through the chasm has ever returned, but the Disciples don’t know if this is because they perished, were trapped, or chose not to return for some reason.
Things to do in the Necromanteion:
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Meet Athanasios. He won’t be pleased to have visitors, but he knows many secrets.
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Investigate the central river. Parts of the Acheron have arcane connections to other mundane rivers for reasons unknown.
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Enter the magic realm.
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Drop things into the magic realm. Arcane connections cannot be used on things in the magic realm.
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Try not to suffocate.
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Study the Cocytus. Some say the sound it emits is the lamentation of the dead escaping Hades.
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Use Theurgy. The three rivers are connected to powerful daimones.