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Temple Quarter: The Temple of Ur-Argo

by JD Wiker
Editing: Brian Cortijo
Art: Toren Atkinson
Layout and Typesetting: Marc Schmalz
Cartography: Christopher West

The Temple of Ur-Argo is a free publication offered in promotion of Temple Quarter: A City Quarters Sourcebook, a fantasy d20 System supplement from The Game Mechanics, Inc.

The City Quarters Series

The goal of the City Quarters series is to provide GMs with complete "mini-settings," which can be used wholesale or "cherry-picked" for the parts that fit best into the GMs own game world. And although the quarters are linked to the maps and histories provided with the sourcebook, the truly important elements--the individual buildings, residents, and relationships--can be mixed, matched, and rearranged however the GM likes. The district described in Temple Quarter, for example, functions equally well in any setting, given a few minor tweaks and adjustments here and there.

Rather than simply supplying a random assortment of locations and NPCs, the Temple Quarter is also perfectly serviceable as is. The GM can drop the quarter, map and all, into his designs for any fantasy city, building around it so that the rest of the city conforms to the boundaries of the Temple Quarter. Indeed, that is essentially the intent behind the entire City Quarters series. The fantasy city of Liberty grows a little more--both in size and in the imagination--with each installment of the series, until, with the final book, the complete city becomes its own campaign setting.

The Temple Quarter

When a Gamemaster sits down to design a fantasy city, he might have a vague idea of the role religion plays in the community. Temples are centers of spiritual guidance and learning, certainly, but that only touches the surface of the purpose that religions serve in society--or the purposes that society serves in religion. Of course, when most players see churches in fantasy roleplaying as little other than a place to go for healing, perhaps some potions, and occasionally a tithing station, it's no wonder that GMs don't put more thought into making temples sites for interesting encounters, and into making religion the catalyst for any number of potential adventures.

Temple Quarter aims to demonstrate, by way of example, how religions can become more a part of fantasy roleplaying campaigns. Temple Quarter: A City Quarters Sourcebook provides a complete "mini-setting," full of interesting characters, engaging locations, and intriguing plots, both religious and political. At the same time, Temple Quarter endeavors to examine the role of divine magic in the everyday life of the average citizen, as well as to provide an actual benefit to the practices of healing, conversion, ceremonies, and holy days. Further, this book takes a look at clerics, monks, and paladins, and how they fit into society as exemplars of their faiths and philosophies.

Temple of Ur-Argo

The church of Ur-Argo has only one temple, located in Liberty, though there is a sizeable shrine in the Sceptered City. Ur-Argo is the youngest of the gods: The Church of the Deified Dragon has existed only since the Age of the Old Kings, when the noble bronze dragon, Ur-Argo, who had aided the Hundred Heroes in the battle against the vile dragon Uladon, vanished forever from the world. Over the centuries, Ur-Argo has taken on divine status, and when the people of Liberty learned that the bronze dragon that dwells near their city was a direct descendant of the noble beast, it was only a matter of time before a temple sprang up in his name.

Ur-Argo (LG)

Ur-Argo is the god of dragons and sorcerers. He is known as the Dragon Lord, and he is one of Liberty's few deities who is actually only a demigod: Ur-Argo was deified only after the defeat of the evil wyrm Uladon. His domains include Destruction, Magic, and Strength, and his favored weapon is the glaive. The symbol of Ur-Argo is the image of a bronze dragon's head inscribed onto a disk.

Clerics of Ur-Argo must prepare their spells amid a small treasure, with a total value of at least 25 gp per the character's cleric level. (A silver holy symbol of Ur-Argo counts as treasure for this purpose. This is an important consideration for 1st-level clerics of Ur-Argo.)

Once per week, on the day of the bull sacrifice, a cleric of Ur-Argo may cast his domain spells as though they had been prepared with the Still Spell feat.

History of the Temple

The Temple of Ur-Argo has existed for just over three hundred years. Despite the fact that Irrigrim, the bronze dragon that makes its lair somewhere north of the city, has never seen fit to visit the temple (or even give any sign that he knows it exists), the worshippers of Ur-Argo are every bit as fanatic now as they were then. Led by Rigossi, the half-dragon high priest, the worshippers conduct daily rituals and maintain a sizeable cattle ranch several miles north of the city. Once a week, the entire congregation journeys to the ranch, and Rigossi leads a procession out to a remote rocky area, where they leave a live bull chained as a free meal for Irrigrim--and as a sign of their devotion to the dragon's divine ancestor. Whether Irrigrim is actually responsible for eating the cattle isn't particularly certain.

The city of Liberty has for centuries had a mutual protection pact with Irrigrim; Irrigrim defends the city against other dragons, and the city defends Irrigrim against would-be dragon slayers. The Palace grounds include a large, open patch specifically intended to allow the dragon to land freely, whenever it chooses to visit. (The reverse is not true, however; the precise location of Irrigrim's lair is a secret known only to the bronze dragon, though it is believed that he once dwelled in a cave in a cliff overlooking the sea.) But Irrigrim rarely comes to call. He has only visited the city once in the past five hundred years, though he has been spotted high in the sky several times over the past decade alone.

But knowing that bronze dragons are able to change their form whenever they desire, the clergy at the temple believe that Irrigrim has, in fact, visited the city--and the temple--multiple times, and may even live in the city in disguise. Possibly supporting this theory is the rumor that various foreign merchants have visited the Arcane Bazaar at least once a month for the past year, asking about dragon eggs. Rigossi, the high priest, theorizes that the merchants are, in fact, Irrigrim in a variety of disguises, seeking information about other dragons--possibly, Rigossi hopes, as potential mates. Accordingly, Rigossi has launched a campaign to uncover any tales of other bronze dragons, in hopes of enticing Irrigrim to grace the temple with his draconic presence.

Those Who Serve Ur-Argo

The clergy of Ur-Argo are, in a word, zealots. They must be, in order to carve out a niche for their faith--which is still, after all, a fledgling religion. High priest Rigossi is, by default, the highest-ranking priest of the entire faith. He is also the oldest member, by virtue of his long lifespan.

Although Rigossi's fellow clerics serve as his aides, the church of Ur-Argo is a very democratic organization; Rigossi would happily step down if the others decided that they would prefer someone else as high priest.

Strangely enough, the clergy of the church of Ur-Argo do not actually live inside the temple--they only hold services there. Instead, they dwell in a rather spartan blockhouse just north of the temple. Here also live the temple's lay brothers and sisters, who help the clergy carry out rituals and perform the daily cleaning routine.

Some also serve as guards, though, ironically enough, the temple doesn't really need them: The fact that the church's living symbol of power--the bronze dragon Irrigrim--is likely to show up and wreak revenge on the sacrilegious (at least, more so than the average deity) quashes virtually any thoughts of stealing from, or vandalizing, the temple. Incurring the ire of a cleric is one thing; annoying a dragon is a completely different proposition. Even just tangling with Rigossi gives many would-be temple-robbers pause.

Who Worships Ur-Argo?

Ur-Argo's worshippers are an exclusive lot--made up almost entirely of people who have personally witnessed the power of dragons (particularly metallic dragons). This includes those whose ancestry includes a dragon somewhere in the family tree, such as half-dragons (like Rigossi) or those who believe that they are descended from dragons (such as sorcerers). Consequently, the church is popular with both groups, and it also attracts a fair number of rangers.

Ceremonies and Rituals

The ceremonies and rites of the church of Ur-Argo deal with the Dragon Lord's domains of Destruction, Magic, and Strength. Ur-Argo's worshippers seek to emulate the qualities they admire in dragons (especially good dragons), and Ur-Argo's ceremonies reflect that desire.

Ur-Argo's ceremonies and rites are described below. For more details on ceremonies and rites, see Temple Quarter: A City Quarters Sourcebook.

Ceremony: The Dragon's Eye

Necromancy [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Knowledge (religion): DC 30; Concentration Check: DC 15; Domain: Magic; Components: V, S, DF; Duration: 1 week or until discharged.

The cult of Ur-Argo draws on the power of dragons, imbuing worshippers with some measure of draconic majesty. Once each week, upon returning from the bull sacrifice outside the city, the cult performs the Dragon's Eye. The next time a participant attacks or charges, the target of the attack or charge must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 participant's HD + participant's Charisma modifier) or flee for 1d4 rounds, as though affected by a cause fear spell. Those who succeed at the Will save are instead shaken for 1 round. Targets with 6 or more HD are not affected at all.

Only one cleric is required to perform the ceremony for up to 20 participants. Additional participants require secondary casters (see below).

Secondary Casters: 1 required for every additional 40 participants.

Material Components: Performing the Dragon's Eye requires a silver holy symbol of Ur-Argo.

Substitute Components: The Dragon's Eye may be performed using a wooden holy symbol of Ur-Argo.

Notable Clergy of Ur-Argo

For a half-man, half-dragon, high priest Rigossi is a surprisingly gracious host, and he warmly welcomes anyone who comes to call. The only time that Rigossi is not available is during the weekly sojourn to the church's cattle ranch outside the city, on the day after the midweek market day.

Rigossi

"Ur-Argo left us two legacies: his bronze children, sent to protect us, and the defeat of Uladon the Despoiler, which allows us to stand here today, in the sunlight, having this conversation--instead of cowering in a cave somewhere, chained and filthy."

Rigossi believes that he was born of a direct descendant of Ur-Argo--a bronze dragon who had taken human form to woo Rigossi's mother--but he has no real proof of this supposition. Gaining some of the long life of bronze dragons, Rigossi eventually left his village to explore the world, and found that he was treated with respect and awe almost everywhere he went. It impressed the young half-dragon that people regarded dragons with such reverence, and he gradually learned that it was because of the legends of Ur-Argo.

When he heard that a cult devoted to his ancestor had appeared in Liberty, Rigossi went, and though he undertook clerical training in the fledgling shrine, he has to this day yet to tell any of the congregation, or even his most trusted friends, about his supposed ancestry. Rigossi fears that if he tells the faithful that he is descended from Ur-Argo and he turns out to be wrong, their faith in the church could be irreparably destroyed. He would rather die in obscurity than see an entire religion come apart at the seams.

Rigossi has a ribbed and fluted crest of scaly skin sweeping back from his jaws, cheeks, and brow, and ending in tiny, curved horns. His mouth is small and his lips are scaly, and he has only nasal slits, rather than an actual nose, lending his mouth a beaklike appearance. He has only four fingers on each hand and two toes on each foot; all end in short, sharp claws. His entire body is covered in rough, golden-brown skin, blending to hard scales on his back, shoulders, and upper arms and thighs. He wears leather bracers on his wrists and dresses in a plain brown robe. His green eyes have slit irises, like a cat's.

Rigossi: male half-bronze dragon/half-human Clr 8; CR 10; Medium-size dragon (augmented humanoid); HD 8d8+24; hp 64; Init –1 (–1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12; Base Atk +6/+1; Grp +11; Atk +11 melee (1d6+2, bite) or +11 melee (1d4+5, claw) or +12 melee (1d10+8/×3, +1 glaive); Full Atk: +12/+7 melee (1d10+8/×3, +1 glaive) and +6 melee (1d6+2, bite) or +11 melee (1d4+5, 2 claws) and +6 melee (1d6+2, bite) or +5/+0 ranged; Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA Breath weapon; SQ Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, immunity to electricity, sleep, and paralysis; AL NG; SV Fort +9, Ref +1, Will +8; Str 20, Dex 9, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 17.

Skills and Feats: Concentration +14, Diplomacy +7, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Knowledge (religion) +8, Speak Common, Speak Draconic; Cleave, Martial Weapon Proficiency (glaive), Power Attack.

Domains: Magic, Strength.

Spells Prepared: (6/5+1/4+1/3+1/2+1; base DC = 12 + spell level): 0--detect magic, guidance, light, mending, read magic, resistance; 1st--bless, cause fear, divine favor, enlarge person (domain), sanctuary, shield of faith; 2nd--bear's endurance, bull's strength (domain), eagle's splendor, resist energy, summon monster II; 3rd--daylight, dispel magic (domain), prayer, protection from energy; 4th--divine power, greater magic weapon, spell immunity (domain).

Possessions: +1 glaive, bracers of armor +3, scroll of summon monster V, potion of fly, potion of lesser restoration, wand of cure light wounds (30 charges), wand of bear's endurance (41 charges), scroll of mass bear's endurance, 500 gp in temple chamber, 40 gp in assorted clothing, 27 gp in coin.

Breath Weapon (Su): 60-foot line, once per day, damage 6d8 electricity, Reflex save DC 13 half. The save is Constitution-based.

Allies: Drom Halzir (Champion of Lod); Nirana (high priestess of Apon).

Enemies: Halina (high priestess of Umit); Lady Miana of Sceptren (Pelundran noblewoman); Silisstrinard (local leader of Kunarath Syndicate).

Tactics: Rigossi enjoys fighting, but he's not fanatical about it. He merely likes to pit himself against those who would visit harm on the helpless; he feels it is an object lesson to visit harm upon them. If he has time to prepare, he casts bear's endurance, then divine power, followed by summon monster II (calling forth a celestial eagle to harry his foes and provide him with a flanking bonus for a round or two). If hard-pressed, Rigossi lets loose with his breath weapon (trying to line up as many foes as possible for his lightning), then charges into combat with his +1 glaive and his bite.

Notable Features of the Temple of Ur-Argo

The temple of Ur-Argo is unusual in two regards, the first being that it is used only for ceremonies; the priesthood does not actually occupy the building. The second is the building's roof, built so as to accommodate visits from their deity's mortal representatives: dragons.

Winches

An engineering marvel, the Temple of Ur-Argo incorporates a retractable dome roof which is operated by a series of winches inside the temple. Operating the winches requires only one person, who can open each of the eight roof sections in sequence (starting with the winch to the left of the door), but the priests usually cooperate to open all three at once. The roof is opened each morning and closed every evening at dusk, and passersby usually stop to gape at the sight of a building's roof folding or unfolding like a flower.

Treasury

Rigossi keeps the treasury of the temple in a bag of holding (type I), which he keeps under the floorboards beneath his bed. The treasury consists of 2,480 gp worth of coins, gems, and art objects.

Clergy Quarters

The clergy of the Temple of Ur-Argo actually live in the blockhouse just north of the temple proper. They share a communal living space there, with curtains to divide the long room into separate "chambers." This building serves all of their needs, and they only visit the temple itself for services.

Clergy

High Priest: Rigossi, male 8th-level half-bronze dragon/half-human cleric (see above).
Priests: Four 5th-level clerics.
Initiates: Six clerics of 1st to 3rd level.
Lay Clergy: Three 3rd-level adepts.
Laypersons: Assorted 2nd-level commoners.

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Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Thieves' Quarter: A City Quarters Sourcebook, Copyright 2004, The Game Mechanics, Inc.; Authors: JD Wiker and Chris West.

Temple Quarter: A City Quarters Sourcebook, Copyright 2005, The Game Mechanics, Inc.; Author: JD Wiker.

The Temple of Ur-Argo, Copyright 2005, The Game Mechanics, Inc.; Author: JD Wiker.