Create Shrine

An elemental priest of Athas who finds a power conjunction will often begin the magical process of turning it into an elemental shrine. The entire process takes about 3 months and requires a substantial investment of time and energy.

The first requirement of the spell is to find a natural area where the priest's patron element is strong.

Shrines of rain must be in special places where natural rainfall is common. Sun priests may build their shrines on high mountains. Shrines to the lords of fire require more effort. First, the priest must create an eternal flame. Atop this fire, the priest must place an item of great value to himself. When the blaze finally dies to the size of a camp-fire, the priest begins the create shrine spell, and the flame burns forever. The item is sacrificed to the lords of fire and destroyed in the conflagration.

Once the area has been prepared and any threats removed from it, the priest sits and meditates on the nature of his element. This continues for at least eight hours every day for the next three months. Any time missed negates the spell, and the priest must begin again from scratch.

When three months have passed, the shrine grants the caster a number of special, temporary hit points, equal to 12 times the caster's level. These are good only while the priest is actually at the shrine, and can be used only to absorb damage from defiling magic.

Also, while on the grounds of the shrine, the priest can exercise his ability to ignore the elements an unlimited number of times per day. The power continues if the priest leaves the shrine, but then it expires normally. This counts as a use for that day, so the priest can only exploit this ability again by returning to the shrine.

There is no limit to the number of priests who can benefit from being at a shrine, and none can be affected by spells of that element while there.

The priest is under no obligation to remain at

the shrine after it is created, but many do, insuring its protection.