Hold of Battle Lions

The Hold of Battle Lions was a shrine to Tempus that was built within in Dragonspear Castle. It remained a bastion against the feinds of the Nine Hells for over 150 years, despite being repeatedly destroyed.

Location
The stone temple was located just inside the barbican of the castle's inner gate, a short distance beyond the front doors of the main keep.

Interior
Both in the years while it was intact and the century or so afterwards, the Hold of Battle Lions safeguarded the altar dedicated to Tempus. This stained marble altar was the focal point for rituals that revitalized and strengthened the wards sealing the portal that lay beneath Dragonspear Castle.
 * Altar of Tempus:

Set within the marble was the source of its tremendous power, remnants of the elven sword Illydrael, that considered a holy relic by the followers of Tempus. When one of these faithful, or an individual that successfully beseeched the god "reached inside" the alter, they felt it to have consistency of unbaked clay and could successfully remove the hilt and handle of the sword.

Activities
The temple served as a bulwark to the fiends that could readily escape from the Nine Hells through the portal beneath Dragonspear Castle. The champions of the temple carried out their duty for nearly half a century, before being overwhelmed.

Defenses
While it was intact and occupied, the temple was considered to be well-manned and fortified.

History
The Hold of Battle Lions was built in the, after the combined forces of Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep eradicated the malevolent forces that lived within the castle.

In the, the castle was overrun by devils. They were rebuffed and cleared out some seven years later, and the temple was rebuilt as a shrine by Tempus' priests.

For many years the shrine was regularly assaulted by various beastly and malicious creatures, such as bugbears, orcs, drow, and fiends, but remained intact for some time.

As of the 15 century DR, the castle came under the protection of a group of a group of mercenaries. Some time before the, the mercenaries were bested and the temple was once again destroyed, this by undead forces under the leadership of the creature known as Born.

Some years later, Alwern Mulverax and Darrondar Gweth visited the ruined shrine in order to cast the necessary rituals that would strengthen the wards sealing Dragonspear's portal. Alwern betrayed his friend and left him to be dominated by the Szarlnaxi vampires that had taken nearby residence.

Around that same time, the rakshasa Nadir sought out the temple to break the portal's seals. He believed this could be accomplished by defiling the altar with the blood of a devout follower of Tempus, namely Darrondar.

Appearances

 * Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear