Lost World Stelae

In the strange jungles of the east or the shambling ruins of their are peculiar stelae used in the age of darkness by monster king wizards inspired by things from the outer void. Truth be told that these are in many lands but in most places they were buried long ago. Such stelae performed strange wonders using the time and space warping powers of the void. 

The lands properties and things like these stela help trap time travelers and bring in victims from other universes. The stelae are part of networks often spaced in some geometric pattern over a region like triangles or hexagons. Some meddle with stelae and a few who destroyed many changed to local climate.

These would be good for planet psychon too. Or my alien articles.

Id probably make a type and make most the same over a region of culture who built them

Past Jungle Bungles of the Lost World
Realised my monster island area a bit neglected for a while and those d50 tables I did before need updating....
http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2013/11/monster-island-zone-and-gamelog.html
http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2021/01/jungle-ruins.html 

This stuff could be soon: strange finds in the lost world, wonders of strange locations in lost world

Tv like Land of the Lost and The Lost World have helped make the lost world genre weirder and more full of anachronisms.

d12 Elder Stelae Form
1in6 of these have a lean or tilt from the ages
1 Ancient rocky spike thrust up from the earth

2 A huge sort of round boulder
3 A crude erected granite monolith

4 A stack or three rocks into a dolmen

5 A geometrically precise black basalt needle

6 Red or green diorite pillar

7 Jade smooth monolith, can stare into its semi-translucent depths     

8 An enigmatic stone head, most of the inhuman prehistoric kings

9 Abstract squatting figure, most of the inhuman prehistoric gods 

10 Stone column, often ornamental or with relief carvings

11 Stone figure with a fountain or trough

12 Multifaceted huge coloured crystal 1in6 dimly glow

d20 Common Stelae Decor
roll a d4 of this per monolith
1 Scratched with pictogram figures and signs

2 Carved with spirals and circles
3 Vandalised elder script with a modern holy symbol carved over the top

4 Depiction of elder god or monster king d4 1=dancing 2=trampling slaves 3=fighting in chariot or riding dinosaur or other monster 4=hunting

5 Painted and decorated by some tribe and touched up yearly

6 Thick lichen, moss and vines grow over it

7 Niches with human skulls inside

8 SIgns of sacrifice and blood splatters and handprints

9 Covered with an earth mound

10 Covered with a cairn earth mound with a chamber inside

11 On a raised earth platform surrounded by stones

12 Surrounded by smaller standing stones 

13 Has a stone altar before it
14 Fallen over and broken into chunks 
15 Carved in the hideous shape of a great old one
16 Damaged by some strange weapons
17 Seam of possible opening
18 Glowing magical script appears if spell cast nearby
19 Magic mouth speaks in elder language if approached
20 Impossible otherworldly geometry like an optical illusion

d12 Stelae Defences
Activated if monolith damaged or repeated attempts to open in same day
1 An elemental is summoned to attack

2 immune to spells of 7th level or less
3 Releases strange sounds for a turn calling a wandering monster

4 Releases cloud of acidvapour 3d6 save for half each round attacked

5 Golem arises from the soil or steps from the stelae

6 Wards cause 20 HP necrotic damage save for half to who attacks stelae

7 Repairs and reassembles self if damaged or broken each dawn

8 Release a positive or negative enegy energy being

9 Summons an invisible stalker to attacker once per day 

10 Lightning bolt 4d6 half if save to any causing damage

11 Teleports attackers who fail a save each hit to the frozen wastes of the north

12 A shoggoth comes out to attack and defiling stelae and to repair it

d12 Minor Stelae Abilities
Can be used without entering the stelae by touch
1 Comprehend languages while touched
2 Detect magic while touched
3 Heal d4 damage once per person per day by touch
4 Detect lies while touched
5 Bless for one day if touched
6 Telepathy with any other person touching it
7 When you touch it hear random voices of loved ones
8 Cure disease once per week per person
9 Clean body and clothes by touch
10 Predict weather by touch for 24 hours

11 Releases exotic floral vapour if touched

12 Plays exotic imperious music if aproached

d12 Major Stelae Abilities
Can be used without entering the stelae by touch
1 Shapeshifters in 100m glow
2 Prevent planar shifting or phasing in 100m
3 Thralls of charm spell who kiss this stay charmed one month
4 Humans or demihumans not charmed or chained in 100m glow
5 Linked geometrically to other stelae allowing other plane to influence area
6 Haunted by spectral spirits and poltergiest activity, more by night in 100m
7 See insubstantial spirits in overlapping dimensions normally hidden in 100m
8 Cast communion/week to specific entity using same process as opening stelae
9 Ancient intelligence offers prehistoric ethics advice, telepathic by touc
10 Laylines +1Lv spell effects to allied cult priests or alignments in 100m

11 Stelae changes form especially if it opens onto other planes

12 Planar creatures can sense this from afar, most shun it

d12 Hidden Dimensional Space in the Elder Stelae
Some pylons can be entered and have a chamber inside bigger than outside 
1 Shattered crystal control altar

2 Room with a portal pit into another dimension of the endless void
3 Inside is a dark gravityless void from a broken gate accident

4 Mist inside, if anything goes in an otherworldly strange version comes out

5 Mist inside, if anything goes in an opposite aligned version comes out

6  Strange personal dreamland save to escape own personal trap

7 Gate to another stela in another land

8 Gate to another stela in another elemental plane

9 Gate to the age monster kings ruled thousands of years ago

10 Weather control crystal altar for the region (failed operation causes disaster)

11 Otherplanar entity trapped inside d4 1=petty god 2=demon 3=minor old one 4=evil spirit

12 Crystal control altar can move door to multiple planes or times or lands

d12 How to Open Stelae
Divination and possibly other clues or research may reveal these
1 Play a certain tune, stelae responds and opens

2 Touch activated with a skill roll to use magic items
3 Ring a tuning fork or crystal to sound a specific note

4 Command word or chant known to ancients

5 Requires a crystal key to be placed above the enterance

6 Insert hand into trapped hole to unlock with a platinum key or try to pick blind

7 Reveal secret entrance with human/demihuman sacrificial blood

8 Severed hand of ancient long dead priest on a panel or living one if found

9 Command correct type of elemental into opening it

10 Open when the stars are right in certain strange constellations

11 Opens if surrounded by force a wall (or some other specific spell)

12 Opens on command of divine being from greater spirit or petty god or greater

d12 False Stelae
These are common alternative stelae, can roll d4 in less weird places
1 Historic memorial monument of some king or event

2 Border stone between several regions with directions
3 List of laws from elder empire and rules for slaves

4 Multifaced carved wooden idol made by local tribes

5 Huge whicker frame humanoid figure woven from vegetation

6 Giant fungus-like toadstool or puffball

7 Growing crystalline creature with strange powers

8 Binding stone pact marker keeping an old one out of this world

9 A huge mimic often dormant eats things resting near it

10 A living blood-drinking stone elemental in a long slumber

11 Giant chaos tick sucking the earth looks like a stone

12 An imprisoned demon bound by a spell in prehistoric times