Tenpug

Those who do try to force their way in can usually be scared off by a few blasts from the ghost horns. (These instruments were specially made by Tenpug's craftsmen to produce eerie, otherworldly noises.) The partially buried temple is built on a massive scale, as though the original occupants were giants. The ceilings are 40 feet high, and the entire structure is made from fitted stones. It must be from the time of the ancients, but no spirits walk its huge halls. Within the abandoned temple, which has been remarkably well preserved, the band has set up tents between massive pillars that are as large as trees from the Crescent Forest. Few items have been found within the temple, and Tenpug has been reluctant to look for secret caches. So far, the ancient gods have tolerated their presence. He does not want to do anything to upset that. In fact, Tenpug has taken to placing a share of the goods they make and the money they earn on the massive altar as an offering to the ancient gods. He hopes this appeasement will keep his band welcome within the ancient halls. Temple The temple that Tenpug and his band occupy dates back to the Time of Magic. Originally, the temple was dedicated to a forgotten god worshipped by the followers of Taraskir, a beast-headed giant who once ruled Giustenal before Dregoth arrived and slaughtered them. The statues were representations of Taraskir's Lion Guard, his elite warriors. Later, after Dregoth killed Taraskir, much of Giustenal's remaining demihuman population (and some of the humans, too) began to worship Taraskir as a god. This ended shortly after the fall of Giustenal, and the temple was lost to the sand and silt until Tenpug's Band came across it a few years back. As most of Giustenal's ruins are decorated with dragons, none of the members of Tenpug's Band have connected the temple to the ancient city. The only clues to the temple's history decorate the walls of the temple's great hall. Faded frescoes show a city straddling the edge of the Silt Sea, though the surface of the sea looks strangely choppy and motive. The city vaguely resembles Giustenal, but there are several important differences. First, most of the protective wall is lower and less foreboding than that which exists today. One part is much higher, however, and wavy lines run down its face to fill what look like a stream around the foundation. Also, the ominous central spire of the city is missing. Most of the buildings shown on the weathered mural are long, low and flat, and their architecture is more ornamental than that used in the days of Dregoth's rebuilding. To Tenpug and his band, the temple is nothing more than a sturdy building to protect them from the elements. While they don't necessarily worship the old god, they take great pains not to do anything to anger him.