Shrine of Swords

The Shrine of Swords was a shrine to Tempus, the Lord of Battles, located off the High Road south of Neverwinter. It offered shelter and protection to those that entered. Priests and trusted friends of the church of Tempus who knew the passphrases could enter the subterranean chamber and take advantage of other services.

Location
The shrine was located in a heavily wooded glen a short walk east of the High Road. It was south of Neverwinter and far enough away that it remained almost completely undisturbed by locals gathering firewood.

Structure
This unusual metal building was crafted in the shape of a giant right-handed gauntlet. The structure was a mesh of spears and bars welded together and covered in old, rusty shields like shingles, giving the impression of scale armor. The entrance was through an arch made of the thumb and forefinger, and the other fingers and palm formed a dome over the altar. The wrist and forearm extended the space another twenty strides or so into the trees. The floor was made of smooth and well-fitted flagstones.

Interior
The main feature of the upper level was the altar that glowed magically with a permanent continual flame of white light (the "Light of the Wargod's Regard"). The base was made of swords flexed and woven together to form a lattice that supported a tableau of overlapping shields. The walls were dotted with many hooks for hanging donations (usually weapons) to the church, and lengths of wire (about 2 ft or 60 cm long) descended from the ceiling for hanging donations that didn't lend themselves to hooks.

One of the flagstones concealed a trap door that opened onto a shaft with a single wooden pole affixed with crosspieces that formed a 20-foot (6.1-meter) ladder.