Temple of the Iron Codex

The Temple of the Iron Codex was buried thousands of years ago, keeping the power of the Iron Codex safe from mortal eyes. So long as the Codex remained hidden, its power could not be released. Unable to destroy it, the tome was sealed within the walls of a great temple—its location unknown to the world. However, if the book were ever disturbed, the malevolent spirits of the Codex would fight for freedom, going as far as to plague the bearer or bring great evil upon those who come in contact with him. Relentless, the spirits would not stop until they were freed. Luckily for mankind, all traces of the book were destroyed, all maps were burned, and all legends of the Codex were lost...almost.

Centuries passed, and Hosuth was built over the site of the temple, its inhabitants ignorant of what lay beneath their homes. When an earthquake fractured the foundation of the city (cir. 9/1000), the Temple of the Iron Codex was unearthed—and the gates to the Temple shattered. Deep within the passages of the Temple, the earthquake has shaken the book from its protections, allowing the evil of the Codex to seep out past the iron gates that once kept such a catastrophic event from taking place.

The massive iron doors of the temple were once sealed with silver, but the earthquake has broken the seal and jarred the doors from their resting place. You can see through the open portal, though smoke and ashes blow in your eyes, into a hallway leading into a large round room. On the doors is carved a giant spider, holding an enormous book.