The final map, the Trial of the Elements. This can be linked to from two places: the center of the labyrinth in the Huo Yu Bing Caverns, and the dais in the Ritual Room of the basement of the Zhao Guang Si Temple.

No toggles. The dais in the middle of the central room can link back to the basement of the Zhao Guang Si Temple.

Description

The Trial of the Elements

Final Initiation for the Monks of Zhao Guang Si

Apprentices studying the Path of the Morning Glow at the Zhao Guang Si monastery have two final initiation tests required to graduate and take their place among the ranks of the other monks.

Students must first pass the Trial of Fire and Ice within the Huo Yu Bing Caverns to access the teleportation portal that will take them here, to the Trial of the Elements. That first trial might result in the student recovering a blue shard that protects them from cold damage, and a red shard that protects them from fire damage. While neither is required to pass the trials, both will make it easier to pass both the Trial of Fire and Ice as well as the Trial of the Elements.

The Central Room

After completing the Labyrinth of Fire and Ice in the Huo Yu Bing Caverns, initiates will be teleported into this octagonal room, where they will appear on a dais of white marble in the center of the room. 

At the compass points of this room are four daises made of gray marble. Each has a brass circle with runes inscribed on it, with a different sigil for each. On the eastern dais, the sigil is of a cloud with a lightning bold. On the southern dais, the sigil is of a ball of flames. On the western dais, the sigil shows a drop of water. On the northern dais, the sigil is of a cut gemstone.

There are four statues along the remaining four walls of the octagonal room. The statue on the northeastern wall is of a crouching cat. On the southeastern wall, the statue is of a winged person. The statue on the southwestern wall is of a serpent, and in the northwestern wall, it is of a horned skull.

When anyone first appears on the central dais, the horned skull statue in the northwestern corner will speak and say:

“Welcome! Before the Trial of the Elements, present thyself before each of us for a battle of wills.”

The initiate may approach the statues in any order. For the willpower battle, the Game Master will roll a d20+5. The initiate then rolls a d20 and adds their Wisdom bonus. If the initiate has the highest score, they win the willpower battle and achieve a magical effect for the next 24 hours. If they fail, there is no harmful effect, but they do not achieve the magical bonus and may not try again.

The following gifts are available:

• Cat Statue (NE corner): The initiate benefits from a Spider Climb spell for the next 24 hours.

• Winged Person (SE corner): The initiate benefits from a Feather Fall spell for the next 24 hours.

• Serpent (SW corner): The initiate is immune to poison and diseases for the next 24 hours.

• Horned Skull (NW corner): The initiate is immune to electrical damage for the next 24 hours.

Once they have completed a battle of wills with each statue, the horned skull statue will speak again:

“Present thyself on any dais to begin that trial of the elements.”

Initiates may embark on the trials in any order.

The Trial of Air

When the student reaches the top of the dais on the eastern wall, a teleportation portal on the wall will glow with a purplish light, and the horned skull statue will speak:

“If thou art ready to begin the Trial of Air, step now through the portal.”

Stepping through the portal deposits the traveler on a dais on the eastern wall of a long room that is 160 feet by 100 feet. The room is filled with clouds that cover the floor, making it impossible to see how far down the floor is. Ornate columns carved to look like clouds sprinkle the room. 

Those wishing to cross the room must make a standing long jump from one column to the next. As gravity is magically lighter here, the initiate can move a full foot for each point of Strength they have. When they land on the next pillar, they must make a Dexterity check against moderate difficulty to avoid slipping off and falling.

The floor is 30 feet below, and anyone who slips will suffer falling damage unless they can fly or are protected by the Feather Fall spell. Climbing back up a pillar requires a Strength check of moderate difficulty. Success is automatic if they are under the effect of Spider Climb or a similar ability.

Each pillar has a one in six chance of delivering a bolt of lightning that deals 1d10 electrical damage unless they are immune to electricity. In addition, the room is protected by a pair of creatures that magically manifest as a flying creature, which may be hawks, harpies, small air elementals, or similar creatures. 

There are a few outcrops in the room. Landing on one does not require a Dexterity check to avoid slipping off, and they do not deliver electrical damage.

Visitors are permitted to use any magical, trained, or innate abilities to travel across the room, including flying if they can do so.

If they reach the dais on the eastern wall, two milky white crystals are on either side of a teleportation portal. Retrieving a shard from either crystal will activate the teleportation portal, allowing them to return to the central room and embark on the next trial. 

The Trial of Fire

When the student reaches the top of the dais on the southern wall, a teleportation portal on the wall will glow with a purplish light, and the horned skull statue will speak:

“If thou art ready to begin the Trial of Fire, step now through the portal.”

Stepping through the portal deposits the traveler on a dais on the northern wall of a long room that is 160 feet by 100 feet. The floor is covered with molten lava, with ornate pillars rising ten feet above the lava. 

Those wishing to cross the room must make a standing long jump from one column to the next. As gravity is magically lighter here, the initiate can move a full foot for each point of Strength they have. When they land on the next pillar, they must make a Dexterity check against moderate difficulty to avoid slipping off and falling.

If they slip, they fall ten feet into the lava, taking 2d6 damage from the lava each turn that they remain in it, unless they are immune to fire damage, such as possessing a red shard from the Trial of Fire and Ice. Climbing back up a pillar requires a Dexterity check of moderate difficulty unless they benefit from the Spider Climb spell or have a similar ability. 

There are a few outcrops in the room. Landing on one does not require a Dexterity check to avoid slipping off.

The room is protected by three small fire elementals who will attack at random and without coordination. 

Visitors are permitted to use any magical, trained, or innate abilities to travel across the room, including flying if they can do so.

If they reach the dais on the southern wall, two bright red crystals are on either side of a teleportation portal. Retrieving a shard from either crystal will activate the teleportation portal, allowing them to return to the central room and embark on the next trial. 

The Trial of Water

When the student reaches the top of the dais on the western wall, a teleportation portal on the wall will glow with a purplish light, and the horned skull statue will speak:

“If thou art ready to begin the Trial of Water, step now through the portal.”

Stepping through the portal deposits the traveler on a dais on the eastern wall of a long room that is 160 feet by 100 feet. The floor is covered with icy water, with ornate pillars rising ten feet above the water. 

Those wishing to cross the room must make a standing long jump from one column to the next. As gravity is magically lighter here, the initiate can move a full foot for each point of Strength they have. When they land on the next pillar, they must make a Dexterity check against moderate difficulty to avoid slipping off and falling.

If they slip, they fall ten feet into the cold water. For each turn they remain in the water, they must make a Constitution check of moderate difficulty. If they fail, they take 1d6 damage unless they are immune to fire damage, such as possessing a blue shard from the Trial of Fire and Ice. Climbing back up a pillar requires a Dexterity check of moderate difficulty unless they benefit from the Spider Climb spell or have a similar ability.

A pair of sharks patrol the waters and may attack anyone who falls in. In addition, six tentacles rise above the waves throughout the room and may attack anyone on a pillar.

There are a few outcrops in the room. Landing on one does not require a Dexterity check to avoid slipping off, and the tentacles mysteriously will not attack anyone on an outcrop.

Visitors are permitted to use any magical, trained, or innate abilities to travel across the room, including flying if they can do so.

If they reach the dais on the western wall, two bright turquoise crystals are on either side of a teleportation portal. Retrieving a shard from either crystal will activate the teleportation portal, allowing them to return to the central room and embark on the next trial. 

The Trial of Earth

When the student reaches the top of the dais on the northern wall, a teleportation portal on the wall will glow with a purplish light, and the horned skull statue will speak:

“If thou art ready to begin the Trial of Earth, step now through the portal.”

Stepping through the portal deposits the traveler on a dais on the southern wall of a long room that is 160 feet by 100 feet. The floor is covered with grass, but anyone can easily see serpents, rats, and giant spiders throughout the room.

If they slip, they fall ten feet onto the ground, taking falling damage unless they can fly or are protected by a spell or ability like Feather Fall. Climbing back up a pillar requires a Dexterity check of moderate difficulty unless they benefit from the Spider Climb spell or have a similar ability.

While on the ground, they will be attacked each turn by a snake, rat, or spider. The snakes and spiders are venomous, and the rats are diseased. An attack that causes damage requires the victim to making a Saving Throw against poison unless immune to poison through a magical effect or ability. These creatures will not attack anyone on a pillar. 

There are a few outcrops in the room. Landing on one does not require a Dexterity check to avoid slipping off. Each outcrop has one snake on it, but new snakes will not climb up if the snake on them is slain.

Visitors are permitted to use any magical, trained, or innate abilities to travel across the room, including flying if they can do so.

If they reach the dais on the northern wall, two bright green crystals are on either side of a teleportation portal. Retrieving a shard from either crystal will activate the teleportation portal, allowing them to return to the central room and embark on the next trial. 

Graduation

If an initiate has retrieved a shard from each of the four Trial of the Elements rooms, the horned skull statue will speak, saying:

“Congratulations, graduate. You have passed the Trial of the Elements. Stand on the dais in the center of the room with all four shards, and you will be transported home.”

Doing so will result in being teleported to dais in the Ritual Room in the basement of the Temple of Zhao Guang Si.

This is the Huo Yu Bing Caverns, which is accessed though a cave entrance on the cliffs of the main map:

No toggles. The teleportation portal in the center of the labyrinth can be linked to the Trial of the Elements (coming next):

Description

Huo Yu Bing Caverns

The Trial of Fire and Ice

Whether drawn by desperation or greed or malice, prospective monks risk everything, even their very lives, to study the mysterious Path of the Morning Glow at the Zhao Guang Si monastery. There, apprentices learn the art of killing. 

They climb cliffs without ropes, traverse fields filled with deadly traps, and duel to exhaustion, all to strengthen their bodies and reflexes. They are taught to hide emotions, manipulate the minds of their targets, and plan assassinations with surgical precision. And they study ancient grimoires containing magics that grant temporary invisibility, silencing voices, and even cursing the senses. These spells demand sacrifices, often blood, making the price of power high

Those who survive the training – and most do not – must pass two deadly trials to graduate and join the ranks of the the Zhao Guang Si monks.

The first of these trials is the Trial of Fire and Ice, which they must complete before embarking on the Trial of the Elements.

A Perilous Climb

To reach the entrance of the Huo Yu Bing Caverns, apprentices must scale the side of a cliff without benefit of rope or other tools. Those who fall may make the attempt another day…if they survive. Many do not.

Haunted and Infested Caverns

The caverns are infested with giant spiders and venomous snakes, but they are not the only peril in the caverns. When trainees perish in the caverns, their remains are not retrieved. Instead, a baleful magic infuses their bones while worms feast on their softer tissues. In about a month, those bones will reanimate, and these skeletons will attack the next trainee to brave the caverns. In addition, the spirits of those who die in the caverns are bound to them, haunting as a Spector and attacking the living who dare to enter.

The Cave of Fire

In one room within the caverns, a red crystal is embedded on the opposite wall of the room. A pool of lava blocks access to the crystal, but that is not the room’s only perils. A pair of lesser demons guard the room and will attack anyone who enters.

Anyone who reaches the crystal can easily take a shard from it. This shard will grant the possessor immunity to damage from fire and heat. Although apprentices can complete the trials without the shard, possessing one will make their efforts considerably easier.

The Cave of Ice

In the Cave of Ice, a semi-frozen lake blocks access to a blue crystal embedded in the far wall. A pair of ice devils also guard the room. Visitors who reach the blue crystal can take a shard from it, which will provide immunity to cold damage. A trainee can survive the trials without the shard but possessing it will make their task easier. 

The Labyrinth of Fire and Ice

At the end of the caverns, a spacious room holds a labyrinth traced on the floor. While monks at other monasteries use these labyrinths as a meditation tool, slowly walking the path in reflective contemplation, this labyrinth is a device of torture, pain, and possible death. The path of the labyrinth is made of ice, while its edges are magically lined with hot lava.

At the far end of the room, a statue of a horned skull will speak in an archaic but understandable tongue to anyone who enters, saying: 

“Welcome, visitor. Art thou ready to brave the Labyrinth of Fire and Ice?”

If answered in the affirmative, the statue will continue:

“Step then at the beginning of the labyrinth and follow every step of the path to the center. Lest thee attempt to bypass the path, remember that the portal will only open for those who have followed my instructions and traversed the path.”

If the apprentice attempts to bypass the path by stepping over its edges or flying over the labyrinth, the statue will again say:

“The portal will only open for those who have followed my instructions and traversed the path.”

If someone reaches the center by flying, leaping, or otherwise avoiding walking along the path, the tele

Every turn, those walking along the path must make a Constitution saving throw. Those who fail with take 1d6 cold damage from unless they have immunity to cold damage, such as by possessing a shard of the blue crystal. In addition, each round they must also make a Dexterity saving throw. Those who fail slip on the ice enough to touch the hot lava, taking 1d6 fire damage unless immune to fire damage, such as from possessing a shard from the red crystal.

Those who perish while traversing the labyrinth will ignite from the heat of the lava. Over the course of an hour, even their bones will have been reduced to ash. For those who survive and make it to the center, a teleportation portal will activate and magically transport them to the Trial of the Elements.

Here is the basement of the temple:

Toggle: SECRET layer to show/hide the secret passage escape route.

Description

Although trainees and junior monks live in barracks on the monastery’s grounds, the more senior monks have quarters in the temple’s basement, where trainees may join them for the final meal of the day. The basement also includes a kitchen and a crematorium, which share a chimney that rises outside the temple on its northwest side. Senior monks are interred in sarcophagi in the temple’s crypts when they pass away, but trainees and junior monks are cremated, with their cremains interred in urns in a columbarium.

A circular room that connects to the crypts is used for funeral services and other rituals. There is a teleportation portal here that the senior monks can use to access the Zhao Guang Si’s Trials of the Elements. Trainees who survive those trials will be teleported where upon completion of all four trials.

Here are the five above-ground levels of the Zhao Guang Si Temple (the basement will be separate).

Toggle: LIGHTING layer to show/hide the red glow throughout most of the temple.

Description

At the Zhao Guang Si monastery, a five-story pagoda temple rises through the mists and clouds. The wooden walls are painted with a dark lacquer, and the lanterns are covered with a red gauze that gives the interior an ominous red glow. A center oaken beam rises through every floor, providing structural support for the temple. 

First Floor

The first floor is dominated by a 40-foot statue of a man sitting cross-legged. Although there are four windows, two on each wall flanking the statue, they generally remain closed and shuttered so that the only light comes from the red lanterns.

Second Floor

This floor consists primarily of a balcony overlooking the temple floor below. The statue is large enough to still be higher than the monks standing on the balcony. As with the other windows throughout the temple, the windows here are generally shuttered.

Third Floor

Except for a few closets for storing equipment, this floor primarily consists of a training room where trainees can spar with each other until they drop from exhaustion.

Fourth Floor

The library on this floor is the only room where the lanterns are not shrouded in red gauze, and the windows may remain open to allow for reading by daylight. 

Fifth Floor

The grandmaster has an office on this floor, but much of the floor is dedicated to the Chamber of Rituals, where it is said that senior monks may perform dark magic to enhance their abilities.

Here is the third of the three monasteries that I collaborated with @Ricko on for the Atlas. This is Zhao Guong Si, and it is located here (circled in the upper right corner):

There are a bunch of FCW files to submit because in addition to the monastery's grounds, we also go inside (and below) the temple, as well as in two "dungeons." I will post each discrete location separately in this thread.

First, the city map for the Zhao Guong Si monastery.

Toggle: CLOUDS layer to hide/reveal the clouds.

Description

Zhao Guang Si 

The Temple of the Morning Glow

Situated in a hidden valley where the morning mist never quite dissipates, Zhao Guang Si (Temple of the Morning Glow) is a place where deceptive beauty hides a dark core. Despite its poetic name, the temple is synonymous with silent death and lethal precision. Here, under the first rays of dawn, apprentices learn the art of killing. The morning glow symbolizes the last moment many see before their silent and ordered death.

The Dark Environment

The temple, with its angular and austere architecture, is surrounded by twisted trees and a river of dark waters that flows silently like clotted blood. The black stone walls are decorated with murals depicting stories of betrayal, revenge and glory gained by force. The only constant sound is the echo of calculated footsteps in the cold corridors. Lanterns covered with red veils create a blood-red glow, making the environment even more somber and oppressive. Life and Training

Those who come to Zhao Guang Si are desperate, rejected, or ambitious, seeking a new identity. Under the watchful eye of their masters, known as the Shadows of Dawn, the apprentices undergo intense and cruel training.

• Physical Training: They climb cliffs without ropes, traverse fields filled with deadly traps, and duel to exhaustion, all to strengthen their bodies and reflexes.

• Mental Training: They are taught to hide emotions, manipulate the minds of their targets, and plan assassinations with surgical precision.

• Practice of Forbidden Magic: The temple houses ancient grimoires containing magics that grant temporary invisibility, silencing voices, and even cursing the senses. These spells demand sacrifices, often blood, making the price of power high.

The Bond with the Emperor

Although few would admit it, rumors persist that the temple has deep ties to the imperial throne. Men of the Emperor’s Personal Guard, known for their lethality and unquestioning loyalty, are said to have received secret training at Zhao Guang Si. Some claim that the emperor himself is the temple’s greatest patron, using its resources to eliminate rivals and consolidate power.

Legends and Intrigues

The temple is shrouded in dark tales:

• The Ritual of the Scarlet Mist: It is said that an assassin can sacrifice his soul to merge with the shadows, becoming invincible for a night. But few return from this ritual unharmed.

• The Echo of the Morning Glow: Legend has it that those who hear a whisper at dawn are marked for death by a blade that will emerge from the temple.

• The Faceless Master: A mysterious leader who never reveals his identity rules the temple. Some say he is an ancient spirit who has ruled the place for centuries.

A Haven of Questionable Morality

Zhao Guang Si is not just a temple; it is a training ground, a storehouse of forbidden knowledge, and a center for the trade of death. Those who enter rarely leave, but for those who survive the rigorous training, life outside the shadows becomes irrelevant.

In the dim light of dawn, under the treacherous glow of morning, Zhao Guang Si molds assassins, manipulates destinies, and remains a dark pillar in the region's balance of power.