The Temple of Elemental Evil

Prologue

The smoke from two incense-laden braziers hung heavy in the air, giving the small but comfortable room a warm, pungent atmosphere. The dim light from the braziers, combined with the fire burning in the fireplace on the far wall, filled the room with long, flickering shadows. Dressed only in black silk pants, Hedrack, high priest of the Elemental Temple, reclined in his plush chair, his feet propped upon his writing desk. Conquest, Obedience, and Command lay open in his lap, but he paid little notice to the book. Instead, his attention was turned to the high, ermine-covered bed in the corner where his twin beauties lay.

Mika dozed, sprawled naked on her stomach atop the furs. Her face was hidden by the waves of ebony hair cascading across it. Astelle, sitting cross-legged on the bed next to Mika with one of the furs loosely draped across a shoulder, watched Hedrack. She leaned forward, one arm propped upon her knee, her chin cradled in her hand, and gazed at her master through heavy eyelids. A contented half-smile curved on her lips. Her own dark hair was thrown back, leaving her slender white neck and one delectable shoulder bare.

Hedrack watched Astelle’s drowsy face for a moment, saw her lids flutter once, twice, as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Good, he thought. Always obedient. She would struggle to remain awake, to carry out any command he might choose to issue, knowing failure would be painful. Even with the threat of punishment, though, in her charmed state, either girl would jump to obey for the chance to please her master. Thus, he did not often have to punish.

And they pleased me well tonight, Hedrack thought with an inward smile. Always reward obedience, he reminded himself, re-reading those words on the open page before him. “Sleep,” he told Astelle. She smiled, then slid down the bed and curled up beside Mika, throwing the fur across both of them. In a moment, her breathing matched that of the other girl, slow and steady.

Hedrack turned back to his book, intending to refocus his attention, when a small bell sitting upon his writing desk chimed once. He arose from his chair and threw a silk robe over his shoulders. The black garment bore a symbol of a jawless golden skull on the breast and a horned skull in red on the back. After donning his black silk slippers, Hedrack moved to the door, slipped the lock back, and opened it. He stepped into a large room furnished with a massive table and many chairs, then pulled the door shut behind him and locked it again. The high priest turned to look at the guard standing in this meeting room.

The creature, its two heads rising more than twice Hedrack’s own height, stood straight, watching the man with no small amount of fear in its two pairs of eyes. “M-master,” one of the heads said, while the other called out, “Lord Hedrack!” and the ettin bowed.

“Deus, Ahma,” Hedrack replied, addressing each head separately. “How stands the watch?”

“The watch stands ever ready,” Deus and Ahma replied in unison.

“Very good,” Hedrack said as he turned and made his way out of the room. “No one goes in, no one comes out, as always.”

Behind him, the ettin nodded and saluted, one hand to each forehead.

Hedrack moved into the hallways of his underground headquarters, walking with ease and confidence. Except for the occasional troll standing guard, the temple was quiet this evening. The high priest was in a good mood, and his thoughts strayed back to Mika and Astelle, awaiting him in his bed. As he made his way to the Greater Temple chambers, he found himself craving their embrace. Smiling, his steps quickened.

Hedrack passed through several more chambers and into a great room with many passages fanning out to either side. He made his way past these side halls and up a large set of steps to a dais. There, he passed through a strange, shimmering purple curtain that seemed alive, writhing and undulating as he pushed through it. He emerged in a smaller, private chamber with three altars. A faint pearly glow emanated from a set of descending stairs, and to either side black curtains blocked off small alcoves.

Settling himself between the three altars, Hedrack went to his knees and prayed. It was not long before he felt a presence in his mind, a strong and powerful personality that radiated beautiful, black malice.

“My Lord Iuz,” Hedrack said to the presence inside his head. “I am your Mouth. I pronounce your wishes to the world you will tread beneath your feet. You called, my lord?”

Yes, the god replied, bathing Hedrack in his energy of hatred. My loyal servant. How fares your progress?

Hedrack smiled, for he loved bringing his deity good news. “My lord, things progress better than expected. My commander in the field reports additional troops within the week, and many more soon to follow. He also sends fresh sacrifices.”

Well and good, Iuz said, his grating voice reverberating through the high priest’s mind. We shall soon lay claim to the entire region, and that fat toad Belvor in Chendl will not know what to do when I come at him from both north and south. It will he a war the likes of which he has never seen.

“It will be a glorious day, my Lord Iuz.”

Any progress in finding her?

Hedrack nodded, having fully expected to be asked this question. “Only a little, my lord. The throne I spoke of before? I have discovered that she can feel me, and I her, when I sit upon it. We have begun a tentative communication in this way, and she calls for freedom, though she seems—how shall I say this?—not all there, as though she is in the midst of a deep slumber and only a part of her is aware of me. I have forestalled her, assuring her that you labor to free her. I think it satisfies her, for the moment. As you instructed, I have not sent diggers to search for her hidden chambers yet.”

Excellent, my loyal one, Iuz replied. However; I think it is time to find her and free her.

“My lord? I thought you wished to leave her be. Did you not say that having the promise of her rather than the reality of her would keep the temples faithful to her and obedient to you?”

I did. But I have discovered activities on other fronts, powers that move against us. We no longer have the luxury of keeping her promise of power locked away. It is time we took it out and wielded it.

“Others, terrible one?”

Yes. He has taken notice, and even now sends his servants to meddle. That is all the mustachioed fop in his silly hat will do, for the moment. But now that he takes an active interest, we must be ready for more from him.

“You yourself said that it would be unavoidable to draw his attention, great Iuz. Has he meddled too soon?”

No, but we must not hesitate. Begin the digging. Find her. Awaken her, and also intercept his servants. Destroy them. Send a clear message to any others he might think to send. Make them fear to come this way.

“I hear and obey, my lord. I will catch them and send them into the very planes themselves.”

Good. I want him to lose hope. Go now, and do these things.

“Yes, Lord Iuz.” As quickly as it had come, the presence departed from Hedrack’s mind.

The high priest opened his eyes and stood again, looking around the room. He spotted the descending stairs, the pearly white glow coming from below, and walked down them.

The gentle, pale illumination radiated from a column of light in the center of the room, suffusing the place. The walls of the circular chamber were entirely encrusted with precious stones, arranged to form the image of rich farmland as seen from the battlements of a great structure. Beings from every direction were bowing in homage to the viewer.

Hedrack moved to the center of the chamber and passed into the column of light. Inside, he found himself facing a silvery throne covered with more of the gems. This throne was completely bathed in the milky glow. Moving toward the throne, Hedrack took a deep breath and seated himself.

Instantly, the high priest felt the presence of her mind within his own. It was similar to the manner in which his own master visited him, but in some ways quite different. Where Iuz was aware and penetrating, she seemed sluggish, comatose. Hedrack tried to awaken her, to get her attention. She reacted slowly, as if she were engulfed in a sea of molasses, but she did respond.

You are back, she said, recognizing him from before. That pleased him.

Yes. I seek you. Your whereabouts. The Lord Iuz and I come to free you.

I am here. In this place.

But you must help me. You must remember how you got there.

It is difficult. I see… men coming. My beloved tells me to run. I flee… where? I can’t remember. But there is something… golden… a key? Yes! A key! You must find the key!

A key? What key? What is this key? What does it do?

It will free me. You must find it!

Yes, I will. But where? Where is the key, and where is the lock?

A golden… it… is… key.

The contact with her shattered. She was too drained to continue with the struggle to remember, to stay conscious. Pursing his lips in a slight frown, Hedrack stood and left the column of light.

A golden key, Hedrack thought And she remembered me. Perhaps there is progress. He smiled, feeling pleased. As he headed out of the gem-encrusted chamber, he considered whether he should order Barkinar, commander of the temple troops, to begin exploratory digging in an attempt to find her. No, he decided. Soon, but not yet. Still the temples rail against each other. I must force them to accept one another before I free her, then nothing will stand against us. Not this time. In the meantime, I will simply find out about this golden key.

Still smiling, Hedrack returned to his chambers, where his lovely Mika and Astelle lay waiting for him.