Monster Lairs – Couatl – Temple of Quetzalcōātl

Slab

Deep in a thick jungle lies a forgotten temple of Quetzalcōātl, the great serpent god of the west. It is protected and maintained by a couatl, who awaits a brave hero to survive the temple’s trials and become a champion against the forces of Tezcatlipoca, evil jaguar god of the north and sworn enemy of Quetzalcōātl.

1. Temple Entrance – The temple’s entrance consists of a sealed stone door. Carvings of a feathered serpent battling a black jaguar adorn the door. At the top of the temple is a sacrificial altar. Anyone who sacrifices a jaguar or follower of Tezcatlipoca upon the altar becomes a Chosen of Quetzalcōātl. All Chosen are granted entry to the temple. The door (as well as other doors within the temple, unless otherwise mentioned) will open whenever they are within 5 feet of it and seal again when they walk away. If someone sacrifices any other kind of living being upon the altar, they are forever barred entry to the temple. The door and all other doors in the temple will always remain closed whenever they are within sight of them.
2. Vison room – Any Chosen who enters this room shall receive a vision of a feathered serpent slithering upon the ground for a moment before it licks the wounds of an injured rabbit, then unfurls its wings and flies towards the setting sun. This vision is a hint to surviving the four trials of the temple.
3. Room of Reverence – This room is flanked by statues of serpent heads on each side of the room. Anyone who walks through will trigger a pressure plate that causes poisonous darts to fire from the mouths of the statues. This can be avoided by simply crawling on the floor as the darts will then fire overhead. Someone skilled at disarming traps would notice that the trap can be disarmed by triggering it with a pole or something heavy. The trap only has darts to fire once and must be reset manually (something the couatl tending this place takes care of). One could also leap across the pressure plates if one is feeling brave. However, there are 3 pairs of statues and thus three traps to deal with.
4. Room of Mercy – Upon entering this room, the doors seal shut (possibly crushing someone if they tarry on the threshold), and a wounded serpent emerges from a small hole in the wall. Anyone who looks in the hole will find it leads nowhere. The serpent will lash out at anyone who comes near but will only attempt to strike anyone who is hostile to it. If someone tries to tend to the serpent’s injuries in some way (whether successful or not), the door to the next room will open. Otherwise, they will remain sealed until the occupants perish.
5. Room of Flight – This room features a pit with spikes at the bottom and a series of platforms to leap to. A series of jumping checks will get one across. Failure allows the jumper a check to grab the edge of the platform and save themselves. Fail that check and it’s a long fall onto some nasty spears.
6. Room of Knowledge – Four cups placed around a glowing pool guarded by four statues. A follower of  Quetzalcōātl would know to take the cup of the west which immediately causes a secret door in the northeast corner to open, leading to a staircase. Should any of the other cups be taken, the four statues will animate as stone golems and attack. The liquid in the glowing pool is poisonous and will instantly kill anyone who drinks it.
7. Fountain of Youth – Stairs lead down to an old cavern containing the couatl overseeing the place. It will read the minds of any who enter, attacking those of hostile intent. It will otherwise allow anyone who has survived the trials to ask it one question to which it will answer truthfully with its great knowledge. On the far side of the room is a fountain with the face of a golden serpent above it which asks anyone who approaches three questions:

“Do you swear to pledge your life against the Black Jaguar Tezcatlipoca and his servants?”
“Do you swear have mercy and to preserve life at all times except that of the Black Jaguar Tezcatlipoca and his servants?”
“Will you keep this place and its trials a secret from all?”

Anyone who truthfully answers yes to each of these questions may drink from the fountain. Drinking from the fountain heals the drinker of all injuries, toxins and diseases, and forever halts the aging process. They will also permanently be able to cast detect good and evil at will so long as they are good aligned.

If anyone attempts to drink from the fountain without truthfully answering yes to the three questions or tries to take any of the water with them in a container, the statue attacks them with the stats of an iron golem. The couatl will warn anyone who attempts to take some water from the fountain with a container that the water is sacred and should not leave this place. If ignored, they will become hostile.