Shrine of Artio (Patreon)

Hello all!

At the end of May I bring to you another addition to the Barinthus Basin region, one of the provinces that makes up the valley of our campaign's homebrew setting. While last month saw the battle map for Ulthuk's Last Stand, this month I've finished the temple diagram for the Shrine to Artio.

For those of you not familiar, Artio is the celtic goddess of... bears! The great majority of the deities from this homebrew setting are either directly tied to or inspired by the old celtic deities and Artio is no exception. I tend to use her as a potential deity for players looking to play a Ranger or Cleric in the Nature domain. 

This cliffside 'Shrine' is the biggest (and one of the only) standing temples devoted to the worship of Artio in the valley and sits atop one of the few remaining crags that slope down from the graven hills to the east. The overlook created by its perch gives its inhabitants a spectacular view of Lake Barinthus to the west on a clear day. 

Aside from the obvious appeal of the large bear statue and beautiful scenery, the shrine boasts a 'blessing' that is cast over the nearby lands as can be seen channeled through the shrine's singular tower. Feel free to flavor the effects of that blessing however you see fit; I typically use it as a regional 'calming' effect on the surrounding wildlife, increases the bounty on crops for farms, and may allow players who worship Artio advantage on religion checks or nature checks while within its range, etc.

Below the temple are kept a series of 'Chambers of Commune' by which acolytes of the shrine isolate themselves in darkness and meditate in an attempt to communicate with one of the representatives of Artio. The remains of what was believed to be one of the old avatars of Artio are kept in the tombs far below.

Enjoy!