The Island of Semuanya (Paludia Supplement)
Introduction
The Island of Semuanya is located a bit south of the center of Paludia, in a small sea. Thousands of years ago, the first king ordered the construction of a great temple on the island, and he sent his priests, and a contingent of sauromancers to found it. In addition to the contingent sent, the island's inhabitants included the various villages of crested lizardfolk who had already existed on the island. Unfortunately, the priests and sauromancers were common lizardfolk, but, even if they were crested, they still wouldn't have been welcomed on the island, as they were invaders. The power of the sauromancers and priests was such that, backed up by a small contingent of warriors, they were able to conquer the entire island in few days.
Geography
The island is shaped roughly like a sickle, and is approximately 85 square kilometers in area.
t = temple
v = village
The Temple
The great temple on the island is dedicated to Semuanya. Unlike the other great temples, this one is still fully functional, as it was in the distant past. Like every great temple, the deity that it is dedicated to played a part in its construction. As Semuanya is the chief god of the lizardfolk, this makes his temple the greatest of all Paludian temples. Features of the temple include:
-The altar of Semuanya, upon which animal sacrifices are made.
-Portals leading to all other great temples; in times past, these portals were two-way, but with the ruination of the other temples, they only function as one-way doors.
-A room used by the hierodules to make the robes for the temple's inhabitants.
-The temple library, where obscure tomes of magic and mysticism can be found.
-A currently unused dimensional gate which, if activated, could be used for summoning creatures from other planes.
-A treasury that is filled with ancient artifacts and untold amounts of gold, silver, and other precious metals.
-Rooms for the priests, sauromancers, and heirodules, as well as holding cells for prisoners.
-Rooms for making papyrus and inks, as well as inscribing scrolls.
-The temple marsh; just outside of the temple, there is a small marsh in which giant, posionous frogs live. These can be used by the priests for purposes of war.
-A magical forge which can create powerful artifacts.
-The sauromancers' laboratory, where spells and other aspects of magic are tested.
-A temple spire, from which the surrounding area can be observed for many kilometers around.
The Secret of the Island
Hidden underneath the storage section of the temple is another room, one which is inaccessible to all but the most powerful Sauromancers. It is one of seven such rooms in all of Paludia, and is the emergency backup in case a cataclysmic catastrophe should befall the lizardfolk. The room contains the magically-preserved DNA of the best of the lizardfolk; the strongest chiefs, the toughest champions, the most powerful mages, the most fertile females. Only a Sauromancer who is both powerful enough and virile enough to be able to contribute to the collection can know about it. The other six storage sites are hidden in six other areas, each one being responsible to collecting the best its seventh of Paludia. This is the real reason the temple is still running, all other functions of the temple are simply an elaborate, if useful, smokescreen.
The room itself has the appearance of a library with jars instead of books on the shelves; inside the jars are the preserved DNA of those considered to be the most fit by the Sauromancers. Rare supplies and equipment necessary to preserve the genetic specimens can be found here, and all but the most educated mages and alchemists will be confused by them.
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