Although originally dedicated to the Spider God, this
temple is now the domain of worshippers of
Nephtlys,
Goddess of Wealth whose worshippers include rich merchants and nobles who make
generous donations to the goddess hoping for prosperity in return. As such, the temple is
extraordinarily wealthy which is known to everyone in the City State.
This attracts a number of thieves so the priests have taken
steps to protect the temple with magical and mundane
traps as well as complicated locks. Long ago priests of the
Goddess learned how to control the many giant spiders left
behind by the previous worshippers, these spiders provide
excellent, frightening guards for the areas off limits to
visitors.
Doors to any area other than the quarters of the
adepts and acolytes are locked and only the senior clergy are given keys.
The chief priest is Psinar of the Outlands, an elderly,
regal gentleman that is served faithfully by Bishop
Farntum, and some 40 - 50 other clergy.
Despite the wealth of the temple as a whole, clerics
have
no personal wealth, they spend all of their money
on
the ornate robes and holy symbols they wear and the
temple takes care of their day to day needs. It is
rumored
that stealing and selling robes or holy symbols
of
the priests of Nephtlys finds one struck with disease or
a
run of bad luck leaving them completely penniless so thieves
generally prefer to brave the magical traps and spiders looking for other loot.The priests
publically state that the success rate of such thieves is so low
that it is an economic way of keeping the spiders well-fed.