[BOVD] Vile ideas for an evil temple.

[Ashrem Bayle]

I am working on my personal conversion for Keep on the Borderlands, and I intend to use the Book of Vile Darkness to it's fullest.

However, instead of the medusa at the end, I'm going to have a demon.

Now, I need the sickest, most vile and twisted things you can think of to adorn the place with.

Examples:

In the gnoll's storage room, they have a crucified kitten as the centerpiece.

The demon's chambers will have an illusion placed on it that makes the walls, floor and ceiling appear to be made of living flesh. Meat hooks hang from the ceiling on chains with his previous victems strung up like christmas decorations.

You know, that kind of thing.

I'll except any ideas you have for the other inhabitants of the Caves of Chaos, but I'm mainly looking for stuff for the temple.

Go ahead, make me sick!

 

[Terraism]

Ashrem - I wouldn't say it's bad yet, but your thread title sounds like it's a humorous, mocking thing. I'd put some disclaimer "[Vile]," works, up, just in case someone who'd be offended by the subject matter would have otherwise peeked in... that said, time to get the disturbingly creative juices flowing...

First thing that comes to mind is one of my favorites - from a Ravenloft novel, actually. Take same damage resistant creature, and strap it to a little machine with dozens of razerblades constantly crossing back and forth, slicing into the subject. Trick is, that the blades are made of whatever the creature resists (steel, for something with silver reduction, or normal for magic-to-hit creatures.) Thus, it keeps cutting, and causing pain - but then instantly heals over, ensuring the subject doesn't die or even pass out from pain and wounds.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Yea. Good point. Will change subject line.

Nice one however.

I actually read that novel and am glad you reminded me. (Knight of the Black Rose?)

Keep them coming folks.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Just cooked this up. It is my description to those entering the evil temple for the first time.

-From Outside-

The mouth of the cave looks to be about 35’ above the cavern floor. However, a set of winding, twisting stairs leads up to the entrance. Near the entrance, no plants grow within the immediate area.

-Inside-

Upon entering this corridor, you immediately get a sense of pervading evil.

There is coldness about the place that doesn’t seem quiet natural. The hair rises on the back of your neck as a cool breeze emanates from the halls before you. You’re pretty sure it was just the wind, but you could almost make out the sound of a whisper pleading help as it passed.

The walls of this are have been worked. Just inside, the rocks take on dark gray hue and in a few places you can see a vein of red ore running the length of the hall. In many places, ancient runes are carved upon the stones in a twisting, jagged script.

-Unhallow Spell - Cause Fear (Will DC:18)-

As soon as you take a few steps inside, the world goes black. A dark green light grows before you and illuminates a horrible scene.An eyeless humanlike creature, its skin white like the flesh of a maggot, flays away the skin of a man tied to a table. He screams, and shakes his head violently, wailing obscenities to the gods above.

A woman, impaled on a spear, moans for your help. She would scream, where it not for the stitches that bind her mouth and eyes closed.

The shadows seem to shift and reach for you with tentacles of darkness. Their touch, eerily comforting, is bone chilling, and seems to pull at your very soul.

You spin around, desperate for an escape, only to find yourself surrounded by severed heads on pikes. They open their eyes, only to reveal empty sockets, and scream in an earsplitting wail of torture and despair.In a flash, you find yourself back at the entrance to the hall.

This entire area is effected by an unhallow spell under which a permanent Cause Fear is employed against those who do not worship Erythnul.
Within the long hallway, beyond eight human zombies wait to attack any who do not bear the robes of acolytes of Erithnul.
The hallway is lit be three everburning torches. They cast an eerie green light about the place.

 

[WayneLigon]

A corridor, preferably one leading to the innermost area of the temple. It's made of blackish-red worked flagstones that have an odd shiney cast to them. If bashed or cut, the stone comes away in large scab-like flakes, much like shale.

Each time they step on a flagstone, a pale blue figure flashes briefly before them, or to one side. It's there just for an instant, just long enough for the eye to regisater that it's a figure, instead of a spell effect or formless shape. Tapping regularly and quickly on a flagstone will keep the figure visible long enough to see that it is a young man or woman, boy or girl, or baby; human, elven, it doesn't matter. They are smooth and unmarked, with whatever cultural artifact (unbound hair, unpainted eyes, whatever) that connotes innocence or virginity. The figure seems to be in terrific pain

The flagstones are the compressed remains of a sacrifice, their soul bound here until the stone itself wears away to dust. Each step wears away a bit of stone, causing them untold agony. They are still sane and aware of everything that happens to them, via the curse that binds them.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

Room by Room ideas:

Kitchen:
The kitchen is stocked with people nailed to the walls. Each person is missing various parts of their bodies. When the inhabitants are hungry, they walk up to a random person, cut some meat off, and then cook it. Or, they cook the meat first, then cut it off.

Torture Chamber:
There are small coffins with iron grate lids. Each coffin has a smaller entrance where rats, centipedes, and spiders can be let in. There are also troughs of water with restraints, over fire pits.

Smithy:
There are forges fueled by crematoriums, and quenching vats filled with blood. There are also molds which have a manacle in them, where slaves have tools fashioned to their arms.

Slave Pit:
Assuming a mining operation, there are people with picks instead of hands. They are obedient due to severe drug addiction.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Xarlen]

How is it painful if, when the stone wears away, they are free?

I like your little sig animation.

Here's a few thoughts: An animal, or a humanoid who's tacked to a plack, their stomach and chest splayed open. But they're still alive. No matter what the party does, heals them, whatever, it Doesn't Stop Them From Screaming.

How about a pool of water with something like your sig picture rippling across it. Or something like that, and beneath the water (You can't see through it), are several skeletons lurking to grapple whoever leans over to investigate.

Create some new monsters, if you like? For example, a Blood Spirit. Take a Water elemental, but composed of blood. In the center of it is the heart of some humanoid, steadily pumping. Even more gruesome, have it linked to something (Shield other), and when it hits, it heals the person its' linked to, due to draining the blood of its' victim.

Imagine if this sucker bled from the ceiling or something, or was 'summoned' when someone walks into an area, by bleeding out of the slit throughts of some up-side-down suspended bodies.

Might also want to buff up the DC of the Cause fear (A measely 12), for instance if the caster Hightened it.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

[Cartman] Sweeeet [/Cartman]

 

[LGodamus]

I really like DR midnights idea of ribcageswith the skin and muscle still on as lampshades over a continual flame torch

 

[Nightstorm]

When you get upon the demon have a group of cultists there summoning the demon.
Demon:
Abbroraxx

Abbroraxx is a Glabrezu demon. He has been trapped in a gem for the last 20 years but has been gaining a cult following . The cultists are sacraficing 100 cats to release Abbroraxx from his prison. As the adventurers come into the room, the 100th cat is sacrafised.