Danse Macabre Part 9

Teaser

Send to the players before the game :

6th of October 1241 (Unknown Location, Arabian Desert)
Lost among pillars of sand,
the mad king’s wail his only friend.
A sinister secret that no man should see,
will plunge the world into endless madness.
⚜️⚜️⚜️💀💀💀

6 Octobre 1241 (Lieu Inconnu, Désert d'Arabie)
Perdu parmi les piliers de sable,
avec le roi fou comme seul compagnon.
Un sinistre secret endormi et redoutable,
plongera le monde dans une folie sans fin.
⚜️⚜️⚜️💀💀💀

Explanations - The Mad King

- Explanations :

Roncelin de Fos was a pious and devoted Knight Templar, known for his unwavering faith and loyalty. Initially, there was nothing corrupt or unholy about him.

The Origin of the Cursed Knowledge

In the bible, Jannes and Jambres were magicians who opposed Moses. Jannes, the first of Pharaoh's magicians, compiled his forbidden knowledge of magic and necromancy into a cursed book—the Apocryphon of Jannes. He passed this to his successor, Jambres.

The cursed knowledge eventually reached Shaddad bin Aad, the king of the legendary city Iram of the Pillars. Using secrets from the Apocryphon of Jannes, including the Emerald Tablet—a section detailing the creation of the Philosopher's Stone—he created the stone and adorned his city with gold-covered pillars. This act of hubris angered God, who destroyed Iram, burying it under the sands. The king was entombed within a statue in the ruins.

Centuries later, a Templar from the family of Barral des Baux discovered the lost city of Iram. He made carbon copies of the inscriptions on the golden pillars onto a scroll. These inscriptions were in Hieratic, with translations in Nabataean Aramaic, a language still understood in the Middle Ages. He also took the skeletal left hand of the king from the statue.

The scroll contained the Emerald Tablet portion of the Apocryphon of Jannes. Exposure to this forbidden knowledge drove the Templar insane.

Roncelin's Descent into Madness

Roncelin de Fos encountered the mad Templar who possessed the scroll. Recognizing the danger he posed, Roncelin confronted and killed him. In doing so, he obtained the cursed scroll.

The local sect of Assassins learned of the scroll and its corrupting influence. Knowing the madness it induced, they stole it from Roncelin with the intent to destroy it. However, some among them also succumbed to its madness.

Obsessed with the knowledge he now had lost, Roncelin slowly descended into madness. Simultaneously, a power struggle between the Guelphs (papal supporters) and the Ghibellines (imperial supporters) was unfolding.

Barral des Baux, a Ghibelline noble, had lost his lands due to his support of the Cathar religion, which was declared heretical, leading to the Albigensian Crusade—a brutal campaign initiated by the Church to eliminate Catharism in southern France.

Formation of the Secretum Templi

Caught between his duty and his obsession, Roncelin saw an opportunity. Inspired by the Teutonic Order, who had established their own land in Prussia as a sovereign military state, he aimed to create an independent Templar state, free from papal control.

Roncelin formed a secret society within the Templars—the Secretum Templi. He gathered like-minded Templars, including those disillusioned by the Church's actions against the Cathars.

Each member of the Secretum Templi received a piece of bone from the left hand of the King of Iram, fashioned into personal seals and concealed within various objects—a sword, a coin, a chess piece, and so on. These bone artifacts symbolized their commitment and were tools for secret communication. Upon their deaths, their own bones would be crafted into new bone artifacts containing the seals, ensuring the continuity of their order.

As the players delved closer to finding the cursed text, they began experiencing events similar to the Plagues of Egypt.

These events mirrored the trials faced by Pharaoh's magicians, highlighting the cursed nature of their pursuit.

The Final Transcription

Determined to unlock the full power of the Philosopher's Stone, Roncelin led an expedition back to Iram. Enduring great hardships, he reached the ruins and used the bones of the king to craft the cover of a new book. He meticulously transcribed the entire Aramaic version of the Apocryphon of Jannes into this book.

Now, with a network of conspirators and the full text of the Apocryphon of Jannes, Roncelin intends to create the Philosopher's Stone. The Secretum Templi aims to harness this power to establish an independent Templar state, altering the balance of power within Christendom.

- Unsolved Mysteries:

• What was the Black liquid on the statue?: An enigmatic substance possibly linked to the Philosopher's Stone, its true nature and origin remain unknown.
• What concretely is the Philosopher's stone ? How does it work, what does it do ?

-Historical Themes:

• The Knights Templar
• The sect of Assassins (Hashashin)
• The conflict between Guelphs (papal supporters) and Ghibellines (imperial supporters)
• The Cathar heresy and the Albigensian Crusade
• The legend of Iram of the Pillars
• The Apocryphon of Jannes and Jambres, the Pharaoh's magicians in the bible
• The medieval pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone through alchemy
• The Plagues of Egypt
• Formation of the Secretum Templi, a secret society within the Templars
• The Danse Macabre motif
• Interactions between Crusaders and Muslim factions during the Crusades.
• Influence of apocryphal and non-canonical texts in medieval thought

Intro

- Initial situation :

• Date : 13th of October 1233
• Location : Near Tortose, outskirt of the County of Tripoli, Crusader States

Music : Farewell Hyrule King - The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker then (loop) Chant of the Templars - Da Pacem Domine (Ensemble Organum)

The inquisition finally managed to decypher most of the archives of the ten crowns sect in Marseille that was found in the Des Beaux Castle.

Amongst other, they found a diary written by Roncelin de Fos.

For this whole episode, the players will play Templars under the orders of Roncelin de Fos in 1233 to 1242. They will obey and follow him for the whole scenario.

They can keep 4 of their feats plus Faith. Warn the players that there will be some fighting, not a lot but some.

Those who have Bone Artifacts are Knight Templars in this scenario and can keep 6 Feats plus Faith, the others are Templar Sergents (not noble) and can keep 4 of their feats plus Faith.

Those who have the Kight Templar Feat also have 6 Feats and play one of their ancestors.

Mention the Feat Lineage to them, in case they want to play one of their ancestors with all their Feats. Allow them to permanently change one of their Feats to Lineage if they wish to.

The book starts as such :

"I have resolved to pen a thorough account of the events that have transpired, so that future brethren of the Order may learn from my experiences. This record shall serve not only to preserve the extraordinary miracles I have witnessed but also to document the curse that has shadowed me ever since. 

It all began on this fateful day, the 13th of October 1233, in the desert near the city of Tortose in the outskirt of the County of Tripoli"

Part 1 Of Templars and Assassins

Ambiance Track
5 min	In the distance, they see a very long merchant caravan of camels. There's a bunch of falcons glying over they heads, they use them to hunt.
15 min	They pass by an old building (if they are still in the desert it's a ruin) it is clearly not a local building, it seems to have been made in a time before time by the Romans or Greeks or by whatever existed before them. (if not in the desert) this building has now been converted into a bathhouse and large fumes of steam come out of it. The players remember that hey haven't bathed in months, unlike local swho bathe regularly. In the streets lots of foreigners are visting the city to buy spices.
30 min	They see a little Christian church full of believers. They look identical to locals, because this is where the Christian faith come from, people here were christians long before Europe. There are also lots of Christian pilgrims.
45 min	They pass by a strange lady covered in jewels making sound when she walks, her hands are covered in hand paintings, but also her face. Her face is covered in strange letters in a language they cannot udnerstand, for sure not arabic. She is eating her lunch, sundried dates with a mint tea and lots of exotic looking cakes. They notice her left hand is so covered in markings that it's almost fully black. Then a beggar come to them and proposes to sell some relics (they are fake). A bunch of street cats a heard fighting in the distance. When they look back, she is gone.
60 min	There's a weird person in rags looking at the players and laughing very slowly in a deep voice. one of his left hand is twitching with spasms. As they get closer, they see that it's just a drunk. (alcohol is forbidden but not that forbidden)
75 min	Next time one of the players wake up, he will see a dagger stuck on his pillow. The dagger is piercing a single crusader coin. The threat is very clear. Some of his servants are assasins, but whom ? Crusader coins where coins made of gold and minted by crusaders (the count of tripoli) but in Arabic so locals could understand it.
90 min	One of the players is randomly stabbed in the streets, he is Wounded and the Assassin leaves the broken scroll case at his feets with the left hand statue. He explains that they destroyed the cursed scroll but they can have the case back. Trigger the next section.

- Music Normal : Z_Normal-Desert or on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4afgq42TTtXPh0Io3D135i?si=OEJoScCBTNK6AY1GvJueBA

The Dead Caravan

Led by Roncelin de Fos, the players have been chasing a group of bandits that attacked several caravans in the region.

With the blessings of the Amir of Homs, they have been chasing them for days deep inside the desert in Muslim territory.

Despite their differences, Crusaders and Muslims could agree on chasing bandits and it's the Templar's role to protect pilgrims, their one and only role.

After days of chasing, in the distance they see some dead camels and bedoin corpses.

Most of them have been burned and have traces of a fire sword.

How to find the bandits they are chasing ? There is some strong wind blowing so traces disappeared completely.

Action : Search the caravan / check if anyone is alive.

One of the bedoins is still alive.

He explained that they We were attacked, by shaitans, evil jinns or ifrits. One of them had a crown and a pitch black left hand like an evil king. Probably Iblis himself.

They are headed for the Al-Qaryatayn Oasis.

Detail : The Templar chaplain drink from one of the waterskins found on the caravan, and it contains blood instead of water. All of their waterskins were contaminated with blood. To make sure they can't drink it in case they are still alive.

Some merchants of Al-Qaryatayn paid the Templars for protection and safe passage. So they have to help.

The Pillagers

As they arrive near the village, night is falling and they see flames in village.

They hear a fight between the villagers and the pillagers, they seem to be Christians and scream in Provençal (language spoken in Provence South of France).

As they arrive in the village, they see a child's corpse nailed to a wall in the form of a cross. And two pillagers nailing his mother next to him in the same way.

As they see the players, they start running away.

Action : Anything meaningful to stop them before they alert their leader.

At the center of the village the pillagers throw dead corpses into the oasis to contaminate it.

Detail : It is followed very thoroughly by a lot of toads. An army of small toad eyes. Very strange that there would be so many toads here. The Templar chaplain is very surprised that there would be toads here.

At the center, they see a tall hooded figure with a crude crown.

Music for the Battle: (loop) Baldurs Gate 3 OST - Raphaels Final Act (Long Version)

He has a scroll case in one hand (left hand) and a templar sword in the other, he wears a rusty Crusador chainmail. His left hand is completely black and with claws. His left land is clutching the scroll.

He seems to laugh in a very deep and very slow voice. He says : "I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!" — Luke 12:49 and he sets his templar sword in Flames.

Combat (duel) and if they didn't stop him from being warned before, then also in the same time a Combat (skirmish)

Once defeated he breaks a vial of alcohol on himself and try to self immolate.

"Fear your Lord, For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

Action : Anything meaningful to extinguish him. Like cover him in sand.

Music : Behelit - Berserk

Now that they see him closer, he seems to be a former Knight templar. His entire outfit is templar except his cloak and he made a weird crown with bits of wood on his helmet.

His sword is clearly a Templar sword with a prayer on it "Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam." "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory."

His left hand was cut (probably himself) and he has replaced it with a black clay hand which seems ancient.

This black clay hand clutches a very strange scroll case.

This scroll tube is made of clay but covered in arabic writings, there's a strange broken lead seal on the scroll case.

Action : if anyone has Knowledge or Polyglot : The arabic writings are prayers of protection from what's inside the tube. One the tube is also inscribed the Seal of Solomon for protection. The lead seal is a templar seal on one side and a seal from an unknown family on the other.

Inside there's a very long dark parchement which seems to be the rubbing (frottage en français) of a piece of chalk over some ancient and unreadable runes (it is in Hieratic). There's a text in Nabataean Aramaic engraved below each lines, like a translation.

Action : Knowledge (cryptography or heresy) or Polyglot the original text is in Hieratic which is normally undecipherable and there's a translation in Nabataean Aramaic but it's very hard to understand.

Ask the players : Who tries to read it ? Make a list of all players who collaborate to try to read it, this is very important, even if they don't have the feat but "tried" to read it, it counts.

With skilled work and restraint
it will ascend from the Earth to Heaven
and descend to Earth from Heaven.
And within itself is the power of the highest and of the lowest,
within it is the light of lights,
therefore darkness flees from it.
Power of powers.
It can conquer every subtle thing,
and penetrate everything gross.

And it goes on and on very difficult to understand.

Action : Knowledge this text speaks about how to make the philosopher's stone ! It is an extract of the Emerald Tablet !

The Nightmare

Music : Z_Flippant-Dark Desert

All the players who read the text are themselves in this vision following Roncelin, the others are ghosts incapable of doing anything. If nobody read it, then they are all ghosts.

They are all walking deep inside the desert.

Their waterskins are full of sand, they didn't drink any water for days.

One of them has the black scroll in his hand and his hand is black.

They are not able to talk at all.

Action : He opens it, it is a map. They follow it.

They walk for days and past by many corpses of many different cultures, most of which they do not recognise.

Some of which are clearly ancient Greek or Ancient Romans, ancient Egyptians also.

Some have very very strange clothes.

Action : All known cultures are respresented, but some are unknown, from the future perhaps ? Or unexplored continents ?

They arrive in the ruins of a City with very high pillars carved inside a mountain.

Every pillar is covered in gold, or made of gold ?

They are greeted by an dark giant in rags with a crown under his rags, his hand is black with claws. His seems to laugh with a very deep voice and very slowly.

Action : Knowledge (heresy) : They recognise إرَم ذات العماد Iram ḏāt al-ʿimād / Iram cité des piliers / Iram of the Pillars and the king would be Shaddād bin ʽĀd. Explain that this king was mad and defied god, which is why his city was destroyed by wind and flames.

He points in a certain direction.

Music : (loop between) Eternal Darkness - Insanity Ambient Noise 'The Mansion' and Eternal Darkness - the Cathedral Insanity Ambient Noise

They arrive in an underground chamber with a forest of dark pillars.

Each engraved with Hieratic filled with gold and between each lines in the translation in the local language Nabataean Aramaic.

In the middle of the room is a black statue with one hand missing, holding a black and red stone.

He is sitting on a pile of bones made of pure gold.

Action : Knowledge, it is the philospher's stone !

As they enter the room, the entire city behind them starts burning.

Action : Touch the stone.

They instantly wake up in sweat in their beds.

At the end of this nightmare, all those that tried to read the book previously gain : ⛧ Whispers of Madness Add it to their charcter sheets and give them few minutes to read the effect. Then they all start the Insanity Timer. Explain them the rule to be sure they all understood.

The Attack

Music : (loop) Chant of the Templars - Da Pacem Domine (Ensemble Organum)

They wake up in the middle of the night and their dorm is full of Assins ready to strike.

Music Battle : Access the Animus (debut rapide) then Z_Batson-Brigands !

Some servants enter the room by force and scream : “Nothing is true, everything is permitted !”

Explain that this is the rallying cry of the Assassins and that since they are in Syria they had lots of problems with them.

Combat (skirmish)

One of the Assassins has a black mask with a crown and a black glove, he scratches himself like crazy. His skin is clearly covered with red spots, he has been deouvred by Lices and periodically he scratches himself like crazy.

His blade is clearly covered in poison, how to fight him ? Action : Either something meaningful, or Combat (duel) or wait that he scratches himself to kill him.

After the battle some of them manage to run away, and the scroll is GONE ! It was all a diversion to steal it. They still have the clay hand though.

Detail : the chaplain examines the corpse of the Assassin and he is disgusted that he is covered in Lices (poux et puces)

Impossible to capture any of them, they either fled, died or suicided.

The Trail

Roncelin is furious that the scroll has been stolen ! He wants them found and how is it possible that some of their servants from several years have fought them !

Searching through the commanderie's library, they confirm that those were pieces of the Emerald table ! They have to find it, it is the secret to create the Philosopher's stone that they clearly all saw in their dream!

How to find them ?

Have a player write down that from now on they have with them Roncelin with the feat “Knowledge” and they have Sergents with the feat “Guards !”

Action : What is the identity of those assasins ? 4 servants, 5 unknown who entered by Stealth

By asking the families of any of those, they see the families got much richer (it was customary for the assasins to pay the son in case the assasin is killed)

People who knew them from a long time are shocked

They were paid with a bag of Mongolian gold.

This is very strange, we are far far away from the Khannate.

Action : There’s only one merchant which has the protection from the Khan in Tartus (he has a Paiza) Or any other logical way to find the merchand, like Outlaw wisdom

(Actually he is in the employ of the assasins and using their influence he got his Paiza.)

He sells all sorts of goods, especially Carnelian Beads (perles de cornalines)

When they meet this merchant, he explains that he didn’t have choice, it was either help or die.

He accepts to lead them to their lair Old Man of the Mountain /Shaykh al-Jabal, the fortress in the mountain.

On the way to the mountain

As they climb up the mountain, a group of Syriac monks is attacked by Assasins. Just by approaching, the Assassins run away.

Actually those monks are Assasins with the trickster feat. They follow the player for "protection".

After some time, they attack the merchant and kill him then disperse (unless the players don't let them follow them)

They don't put up a fight, they kill him then disperse.

“Nothing is true, everything is permitted !”

As he dies he says : The entrance is at this corner and dies, unless healed.

How to find the entrance of the hidden fortress ?

Action : Either they somehow saved the merchant or Any meaningful feat, otherwise it’s in a place where you don’t see the entrance by the road, if they climb they see the rest of the road. The entrance is only visible by an elevated angle.

As they climb the mountaint, one of the Templar sergents who accompanied them was actually an assasin trickster and he pushes one of the players to his death (chose a player who still has faith if possible)

And starts to laugh slowly in a very deep voice, then pushed the player.

(The sargeants were recruited from the local historical Christians (from before the crusades) Syriaques)

Action : Unless the players have a meanign feat to avoid it a player is gravely wounded.

The Fortress in the Mountain

Music : Z_Flippant - Dark World

As they open the door to the Fortress in the Mountain, thousands of flies fly out.

Detail : The Templar Chaplain complains : So many flies, it is uncanny

The fortress is empty but there's a terrible stench of death.

Dead Assassins everywhere in the entrance. They seemed to have fought each others. One of them has his own left hand around his throat.

They walk through a weirdly decorated room that smells very strongly of Hashish.

Lots of dead Assassins and dead slave girls.

One of them is barely alive. Her left hand is compeltely broken.

"The King, the mad king. They couldn't stop him. He is upstairs."

Apparently some Assassins weren't killed, they committed suicide in the most gruesome way, one piereced his own eyes with daggers, one set fire to himself.

As they walk through the dining hall they see lots of dead Assassins hooked to the ceiling.

They climb up the tower and arrive at the throne room.

The Old Man in the mountains is waiting for them there. And there's a dead hooded figure with a crown on his head and his left hand completely dark, he was pierced by lots of scimitars.

The Old Man in the mountains talks to them and proposes some tea and tries to calm them down.

Come al-Dawiyyah, let's talk. (it's the nickname used to mean the templars, it literally means : the poors)

He explains that he knew rumours of the scroll of the mad king and couldn't let it stay in the hands of the Christians.

He wanted it for himself, but quickly madness spread in his ranks so he destroyed it, and it cost him dearly, they are too late.

His goal is to try to negotiate that the players just leave them be and forget about the book.

Of course the tea is poisoned using an “assasin’s teapot” meaning that when he pours some in his glass it's not poisoned, when he pours it in theirs, it is poisonned.

Action : The first player who drinks the tea become Drowsy due to the poison.

They easily kill him and in this Assassin’s hideout, they find the burned pages and the scroll box.

Roncelin is furious and he smashes the black hand. Inside the clay he finds some ancient bones.

Now that they have more time to identify the seal, they realise that it’s the Seal of Barral 1er des Baux, so they decided to ask for his help, since Roncelin know him.

Part 2 Of Guelfes and Gibelins

Ambiance Track
5 min	The players overhead a conversation saying that few years ago (in 1229) they made the Count of Toulouse barefoot in simple clothes kneeling in front of Notre Dame to atone for his support of the heretics. The conversation isnbetween Barral and Roncelin, where asks him for his help and ask him if instead of serving in Tartous he would be interested in being the Master in Provence instead.
15 min	They notice a very discreet carving of a Dove, this was the symbol of God in catharism, with a weird cross. It's a proof that whomever lived there had Cathar sympathies. Based on the black marks on the wall, this house was burned down during the Albigesian crusade against the Cathars.
30 min	Barral is with them and a crow lands next to him. He looks at Barral and seems to be shouting at him. He is upset and tries to scare him away, but he refuses to leave and keep shouting at him. Eventually Barral takes his sword and swing at him but he dodges and fly away. He explains that he really hate crows and he had a dream that he would see a crow landing at his window the day he dies.
45 min	You notice the statue of a double headed eagle surrounded by stars and a sun symbol. That's a very clear symbol that whoever owner this building was a strong supporter or Frederick II and a Ghibelin.
60 min	In their packs, the players find a small black wooden statue of an angel wielding a sword and a bunch of crow feathers. They have no idea where it came from.
75 min	In the sky a black eagle is diving, forming a reversed cross, this is a clear diabolical symbol. Then a bunch of dead black crows start falling from the sky. When Barral sees this, he signs and draws his sword in panic.
90 min	An enemy army ambushes the players in the forest. Two Combat (skirmish) or they are dead. After the battle they are hospitalised for many months before Barral finally retake his land and agrees to help.

- Music Normal : Z_Normal-Commanderie Templière

The Dark Templar

The book goes on to explain that the journey to meet Barral was very long and they lost many men on the road due to brigands, disease and the bad weather.

The whole crew was haunted by what they had read and sleep was very scarce.

During the long voyage, Roncelin seemed obsessed with the skeletal hand.

He spends hours and hours locked in his room making strange drawings and carving things on the hand with a tiny chisel.

Once you surprise him and quickly see that he is drawing lots of characters and lots of skeletons on pieces of paper.

He speaks to himself A LOT.

As soon as he arrived in Provence, he spent two entire days going from shops to shops and spending a fortune in different craftmans. He made very substancial order at lots of shops, you don’t know what, but he insisting on meeting with the very best blacksmiths, jewelers of the whole region.

As they met Barral, he explains that he never saw this scroll and this is not his seal but indeed it looks like it because it is one of his distant relatives.

Action : Ask more about the distant relative. He explains that it was a relative he barely knew who lived in a small Templar wine estate nearby, he brings them there.

If the players ask what this distant relative’s name is, say that it was not written in Roncelin’s book, so they don’t know.

They go to the small fortified farm that the cousin was holding with a small vineyard and some cattle.

Details : When they approach the estate they realise that all the cattle is dead !

The chaplain part of the group figures it out and says to Roncelin that he should stop, the lord is angry.

Exodus 9:3-6

"The hand of the LORD will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats.” 

As they approach a peasant rushes to lock the gates and run inside.

Music : Alone in the Dark Mysteries

The farm then starts burning. The noise of the fire sounds like a very low pitched sow laughter.

Action : Any meaningful way to get past the gate as quickly as possible.

The players run inside the farm, the fire started in the stables, but they can still stop it.

Of course the servant who started the fire is nowhere to be seen.

Action : Any meaningful way to stop the fire. If not they can just try to run inside the fire and get stuff in his home.

His room is suprinsingly empty and tidy.

Action : On the roof there’s a trapdoor leading to a hidden top floor. They can clearly see that one floor is missing from the outside.

His hidden room is full of Alchemical instruments, his roof is full of a Danse Macabre.

As they open the trap door, his room was full of crows who fly away.

Also the most comprehensive collection of Alchemical books they have ever seen.

Alchemical diagrams everywhere.

They also find a lot of maps that seem to indicate the location of a mythical city very deep into Ayyubid territorry.

In a vial there's a disgusting black and red goo. The players take it or Roncelin does.

Action : If anyone touches it, roll a die 6 on anything but 5 or 6 they fall under the influence of Voice of the Abyss and their order is they have to agressively scratch their left hand. At any point in the scenario they will try to strangle another player of their choice and ultimately they will regain control of their mind before any harm is done to anyone (make sure this doesn't create a real big problem in the team). The player actually has to mimick in real life that he is scratching his own hand. This player pockets the black goo and doesn't want to let go of it. He can use Voice of the Abyss once during this scenario on any character of his choice.

Action : Knowledge (heresy) : They understand that it is the lost city of Pillars.

There are sketches of the black hand with different names written in an ancient language.

Action : Knowledge (heresy or cryptography) or Polyglot : It is written in Nabataean Aramaic the name "Shaddad bin Aad" it's the name of the king of Iram of the Pillars

As they are reading they hear a very deep laugh. It's acutally a crow is looking and yelling at them. Barral explains that he hates crows and he swings his sword trying to kill it but it runs away.

It is really too risky to go that deep into Ayyubid territorry now, but if they agree to help Barral, he will use his political sway to get them safe conduit that deep inside enemy territorry.

He knows someone who knows someone who has a big favor from the Sultan and could call it in.

Conquest

Barral accepted to help, but only if Roncelin helps him in return to defeat his current enemies.

Barral explains that the Guelfes are his mortal enemies, they have been stealing all of his estate since he is a stanch supporter of the Gibelin, in case your players don’t know, explain that the Guelfes are those in support of the Pope and the Gibelins are those in support of the Emperor, the two main powers of the holy roman empire.

Since the “true faith” was rejected by the church, the Count of Toulouse lost a lot of land to the House of France and was excommunicated, he had to personally go barefoot kneeling in front of the gate of Notre-Dame and make an oath to obey the church and carry the cross in order to get his excommunication revoked. And he was just excommunicated AGAIN in last year in August, so now he will reconquer his land and Barral is his Senechal.

Action : Knowledge (heresy) : He means the Cathar faith. Barral is secretly a Cathar.

In the process Barral lost all his lands, but now with the help of an envoy from the emperor himself he intends to get his lands back. And to hell with excommunication.

The Comtat Venaissin is under strong Templar influence. That’s why Barral need Roncelin’s help.

Of course by default the templars are Guelfes especially in the Comtat Venaissin which belongs to the pope, but it’s up to Roncelin to sway them in direction of the Gibelins.

The Secretum Templi

Music : (loop for this scene) Le Chant des Templiers VIII. Antiphona Salve Regina

The Commanders of most strongholds in the Comtat Venaissin are done with the Pope who is trying to replace them.

Roncelin helps organise a secret meeting between them where they meet in secret in Montfort-sur-Argens

Are present :

Templars : Robert de Samfort the procurator of England as a visitor the Emperor asked him to join because is a well known Gibelin; Roncelin de Fos; the Commander of Montfort-sur-Argens; the Commanders of : Cavaillon, Châteauneuf, Avignon, Orange, Roaix, Richerenches, Bompas

Plus a lot of unnamed Templars from all around Europe.

Non-Templars : Barral 1er des Baux, Taurelli de Strata (the envoy of the emperor)

In total they are 28 including the players. 27 is the exact number of bones in a human hand (but one person won't survive this meeting)

Each Templars enter one by on the Temple. Only the players which are actual Templars (not sergents) can be part of this scene, there others are outside but they can listen. if none are Templars, then one player is present.

The Templar Guardian of the Threshold hold his blade on his chest asking for the password.

"Give me the first word and I will give you the second" says the guardian of the Threshold.

Each persons says "Basileus"

Then the Guardian says "Philosophorum"

Then they reply "Metallicorum"

And one by one they enter this way.

One by one they are called by the Commander of Montfort-sur-Argens and they have to sign by getting up then placing their right hand on their left shoulder "Present, Commander"

(Actually call the players one by one)

"My brothers, since we form the circle and the number, I declare open the council of the Temple of Montfort-sur-Argens."

If anyone wants to speak they need to say : "Brothers, I wish to speak."

Roncelin opens his hood and knocks the table three times with his index and middle finger.

Roncelin starts : "Brothers, I wish to speak.", then the Commander allows it :

He explains that the problem is : the nobles are clearly in favor of the Count of Toulouse, so is the people. But the pope is literally the master of the order of the Templars, so they have to follow his orders, what can be done ? Also the emperor is willing to bring much ressources.

Action : Let the players make a proposal on this topic.

Roncelin explains about the scroll that he found. And he is certain that he can create the Philosopher’s stone. Which would definitely give them power over to change everything.

He proposes to create a secret order within the order, the Secretum Templi. Who’s goal will be to create the philosopher’s stone in order to bring down the pope and create a new world order were the templars are free from the Pope’s influence and own their own land, like the Teutonic knights recently did.

Action : Any meaningful Feat to convince the audience or a Miracle. But they will not be convinced by words alone.

The Commander of Avignon get up and he is very upset, he think all of this is madness.

What to do ?

Action : They have to assassinate him discretely and make it look like an accident. Or any other meaningful Feat. (now they are 27)

That’s how the Secretum Templi is created.

Music : Danse Macabre loop only for this scene in particular

Roncelin has been preparing for this day for a long time. He distributed to everyone a little piece of Bone with drawings and letters on it.

When assembled all those pieces of bones reconstitutes the hand and it forms an Abraxas with written Secretum Templi.

This abraxas has then horns and ten crowns. http://prima.wiki/images/c/ce/Abraxas.jpg

The goal being that each individual can use it as a seal and send documents to each others, but they have to be together for most important decisions.

Then all of those splinters of bones need to be hidden away, so he distributed to everyone a different object, for Barral it is hidden inside his sword.

The players see distributed a coin, a sword, a chesspiece etc…

He distributed to all of them a little card with a character dacing with a skeleton and a nickname they will use.

Barral Receives a Sword, a card with an emperor dacing with a skeleton and his codename will be “The Emperor”

Roncelin’s codename will be “The Pope”

Explain to the players that all Medieval Danse Macabres where a series of drawings of different characters dacing with a skeleton, starting with the Emperor and the Pope.

In real life they see that the journal they are carrying indeed had a hidden compartment but it’s empty.

If the players were a Templar because they had a certain Bone item, for example if a player was a Templar because he had the Bone Coin, then Roncelin gives him a silver coin that contains a piece of bone with the Abraxas engraved on it.

When they receive this item, they gain one more Feat. (e.g. instead of having 6 Feats from their normal Character, they have 7)

Thus the players understand the origin of the conspiracy and the ten crowns.

The book doesn’t say about all the types of objects who were distributed.

At this moment, all players which have a Bone Item realise that they can slide open their bone items and there’s a little piece of bone from a hand hidden in it.

They sign their first document together on a big black wax seal by putting all their seals together. They swear an oath to create this Secretum Templi and if they die their own bones will serve to conseal the seal in an object made of their own bones so that even in death they will keep working towards this goal.

Their Oath :

Populus, qui ambulabat in tenebris, videt lucem magnam, et sedentibus in regione et umbra mortis lux orta est. Et nos videmus lucem hanc, lugebamus enim, propterea consolabamur, et liberati a spiritu aervitutis in timore, accepimus spiritum adoptionis filiorum, in quo clamamus: unus est Pater noster, Magister, Redemptor et Consolator, Deus, et ipsius Spiritus testimonium reddit spiritui nostro, quod sumus filii Dei.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; for those who dwelt in the region and shadow of death, a light has dawned. And we see this light, for we were mourning, and therefore we were comforted, and freed from the spirit of slavery in fear, we have received the spirit of adoption as children, in which we cry out: there is a dark one who is our Father, Teacher, Redeemer, and Comforter, Him, and His Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of Him.

Le peuple qui marchait dans les ténèbres a vu une grande lumière; pour ceux qui habitaient dans la région et l'ombre de la mort, une lumière s'est levée. Et nous voyons cette lumière, car nous étions en deuil, et par conséquent nous avons été consolés, et libérés de l'esprit de servitude dans la peur, nous avons reçu l'esprit d'adoption en tant qu'enfants, dans lequel nous crions: il y en a un esprit sombre qui est notre Père, Maître, Rédempteur et Consolateur, Lui, et Son Esprit rend témoignage à notre esprit que nous sommes ses enfants.

As they do that, when the document is signed and the full drawing of the Abraxas with then horns is visible, some Templar make a cross sign and quotes the bible : "rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against it? " "je vis monter de la mer une bête qui avait dix cornes et sept têtes, et sur ses cornes dix diadèmes, et sur ses têtes des noms de blasphème. Qui est semblable à la bête, et qui peut combattre contre elle ? "

And then the lights seem to fade and they all start dacing in a long dance each with a skeleton between them and this dance will last for hundreds of years and kill more than half of europe.

Pernes

Music back to Normal : Z_Normal-Commanderie Templière

Now the players have to actually retake city by city the land of Barral.

Pernes : In this city, the populace is firmly in favor of Barral, but the real power lays in the hand of the guilds, and the heads of guilds much rather prefer to trade with the House of France rather than the weakened empire.

The Templar presence is strong there.

Action : Any meaningful way to sway the heads of guilds or simply have them assassinated. Alternatively, the templar presence is strong there, they can have the goods of the guild repeately attacked by bandits to sway them.

Monteux

In this city, the population is very much in favor of Barral and refused to pay the dime, they have been excommunicated by the Archbishop enemy of Barral.

But they can’t go against the Pope more because they already have been excommunicated.

The Templar presence is weak there.

Action : Any meaningful way to sway to population or to sway the Archbishop (they can only meet him once, after that he will refuse to meet them) or the Templars pay the dime for them or they let the population pray in a nearby Templar church which is not excommunciated then they have to bribe someone next to the Archbishop to remove the excommunication.

Malaucène

In this small city, they are still very clearly and openly Cathars, and thus the church will never allow this city to return to Barral and they are this close to simply excommunicating the churches themselves and the entire population. This could easily trigger an inquisition run in the city.

Action : Any meaningful way to make the city appear good Chrisitan or they could use some templars to make a fake inquisition and burn the last Cathars. Pretending to have cleansed the city.

The Castle of Mornas is one of the last big obstacles for Barral, he doesn’t have enough support to get it without force.

1236 Siege of the Castle of Mornas

Music before the battle : Z_Normal-Prima

In 1236, Barral wants to besiege the Castle or Mornas.

This splendid castle is build at a cliff's edge. The most obvious road passes below the castle.

How to approach the castle safely ?

Action : Either pass by night when the visibility is poor, or climb other side of the mountain but then they can't have siege weapons or heavy equipments.

If they pass by night, a little cloud of crows follow them and make a lot of noise which still launches the alarm. Barral is pesting against them. In the distance they hear a laughter in slow motion.

Music when the battle start : In the Dawn of the AI then Z_Baston-Kin Amar

Behind them is a land slide, they are trapped, they need ot push forward or die !

All the soldiers were waiting, it's a trap ! They are under a rain of arrows and stones and boiling water.

They have to find a smart way to pass the gates or they will die here.

Action : Any meaningful way to pass the gate or in the castle there’s a Templar spy that can leave open the secret door.

As they are inside the castle, the fight rages on in the main courtyard.

Action : Combat (battle)

They are now at the foot of the main tower of the Castle, a lot of soldiers took refuge inside. They could last forever inside.

Action : Any meaning feats to enter the tower or just brute force in the tower stairs, Combat (duel) then Combat (skirmishes)

As they climb up the stairs, they see the lord of Mornas covered head to toes, his face hidden in a black mask. His left hand is covered in a black glove.

He painfully gets up and challenge one of the players to duel (pick a player who has the duel feat)

Action : Either Combat (duel) or they don't accept the duel and just kill him.

They discover that his corpse is covered in boils.

once the battle is over Firelink Shrine 1h + Fire sound

Once the siege is complete, Barral is excommunicated by the Archbishop of Arles

He says : "The excommunicated are my friends, and those who seek absolution are my enemies." / "Les excommuniés sont mes amis et ceux qui cherchent l'absolution sont mes ennemis"

Detail : When they return from the battle after the excommunication sentence is pronouced, the next day their soldiers are covered in Boils and can’t fight anymore.

That’s when the chaplain starts to be terrified, he says :

Exodus 9:8-10

"Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 'Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on people and animals throughout the land.' So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals." 

Clearly the lord is against us !

Roncelin kills him to shut him up.

Part 3 The City of the Pillars

Ambiance Track
5 min	The players feel the constant caress of the sand on their face, so thin like a silk veil. They grab a bit of sand in their hands, it is thin and volatile like flour, they realise that they have never see such thin sand in their life. What is the purpose of all this ? They could be easily trasnferred to another templar commanderie and be holding flour in their hand right now. They see a little gust a wind moving slowly on the side, at the pace of a person, very strange that it moves in a specific spot as if it was a ghost of some kind.
15 min	The players notice that they are completely sunburnt, they remember a day when they didn't even know was sunburning was before they came to the holy land. Somehow their left hands seem much more sunburn than the rest of their bodies, much blacker and it is very painfull, much more than the rest of their skins. After a few minutes it passes.
30 min	With the little weat that is left, they cook some bread under their camp fire by burrying the bread in the sand, however the next day they search the sand and the brand is completely dry and black, as if it was there for months or years ?
45 min	In the sand they find a little pottery, on it some weird drawings,it looks like a weird reptile like creature with human hands, horns and a protuberant forehand, a mix between a crocodile and a seal, very uncanny eating a human. Below it are writing undecipherable from languages long forgotten by mankind. Whiever player took the statue doesn't want to let go of it. He has to keep it or become Insane.
60 min	They are now completely dehydrated and start to have visions. Afar, they see a mighty beast with 7 heads and 10 horns rising from the sea of sand. Once they get closer it was just a big tree. All the Templars fall un their knees and pray for a few long minutes. "rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against it? " "je vis monter de la mer une bête qui avait dix cornes et sept têtes, et sur ses cornes dix diadèmes, et sur ses têtes des noms de blasphème. Et toute la terre était dans l'admiration derrière la bête. ils adorèrent la bête, en disant: Qui est semblable à la bête, et qui peut combattre contre elle ? " A few of the player's followers (if any left) stay there behind.
75 min	One of the companions completely lost his mind, he is kneeling in front of a lamb skeleton and he is carving a 666 on his own left hand with a knife he screams : "Then I saw another beast that rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a dragon. Also, it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be given a brand on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the brand, that is, the name of the beast or the number for its name." / " "Puis je vis monter de la terre une autre bête, qui avait deux cornes semblables à celles d’un agneau, et qui parlait comme un dragon. Et elle fit que tous, petits et grands, riches et pauvres, libres et esclaves, reçussent une marque sur leur main droite ou sur leur front, et que personne ne pût acheter ni vendre, sans avoir la marque, le nom de la bête ou le nombre de son nom. " No matter what they do, all of their followers (if any left) stay behind and worship the skull, they are too far gone.
90 min	(if not already in the city) After weeks of walking they finally find the city, apply the effect of one failed Desert dice to all the players.

- Music Normal : Z_Flippant-Dark Desert

Detail : In the next section of the book they talk about the return voyage by boat which was one of the hardest they ever saw, they went through a terrible hailstorm. As if god himself wanted ot push them away. Many of their sailors simply died killed by the hailstorm. However the chaplain was already dead so he didn't quote the bible.

Day 0-6

Now everyone who have read the book is beyond exhausted, they are obsessed with the nightmares of the mad king, and they feel sleepless.

They can’t just be without sleep forever, they have to reach the source, they have to find the hidden city and find the texts that leads to the knowledge of the Philosopher’s stone.

They start to look like skeletons already.

They made an expedition deep into the desert, it took them several years to prepare it. With Barral’s connections, they managed to get safe conduit through the lands of the Sultanates they need to cross.

They finally reach the holy hand in September 1241

In this whole section they will have to roll a "Desert" dice due to how long they stay on the desert PLUS one desert dice per each Action they fail to resolve successfully. Anyone with the Survival skill succeeds automatically all theese rolls. The desert roll is as follow : All players roll a die 6, on a 1 they are either Drowsy or Wounded by the heat, their choice. If they are already both, they die.

There’s sand everywhere in all directions, how to navigate the desert ?

Action : Use stars by night, use sun position and wind direction by day. (if they can't resolve this, roll one Desert dice)

Day 7-13

Day 7 : Everyone roll a Desert dice

They can’t carry enough water, how to find more water ?

Action : They need at least two of those possible solutions (if they can't resolve this, roll one Desert dice) :

• Anything that makes sense
• Collect morning Dew
• Allow Camels to use their sense of smell to detect water from far away
• Bring a small herd of sheep with them to milk them
• Chew something to stimulate saliva and alleviate thirst.

The sun heat is unbearable by day, they lose water way too quickly and their skin is burned. (unless they already proposed the following action)

Action : Travel by night, sleep by day under a tent. (if they can't resolve this, roll one Desert dice)

Day 14-20

Day 14 : Everyone roll a Desert dice

They are now completely out of any type of water.

Action : They have to slaughter some of their beasts or companions and drink their blood. (if they can't resolve this, roll one Desert dice)

They see a lot of lakes and Oasis all around, but no matter how much they get close, the water seems to dissipate.

Action : Of course the "water" is a mirage (heat reflection looks like a lake), only if they see palm trees then it is real although much further than it seems due to heat reflection. (if they can't resolve this, roll one Desert dice)

Day 21-27

Day 21 : Everyone roll a desert dice.

Music : itisraped (just once)

They find the Oasis, but it there are several floating corpses in the water. Details : And the Oasis is overridden by locusts

• Exodus 10:12-15

"Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt."

How to still drink the water although it's contaminated clearly ?

Action : Knowledge (apothecary) can help make some local remedies to disinfect like Moringa Seeds, Miswak tree, or boil it. (if they can't resolve this, roll one Desert dice)

One of their men fall into madness.

Action : Combat (duel or skirmish) or any other way to stop him from killing everyone.

Roncelin seems to be working on a strange wooden object, he takes his whole attention doing that and it's hard to see what this object is. (he is actually making a crown for himself)

Day ???

Day ??? : Everyone roll a desert dice.

They have lost count of the days. They have now been walking for what seems an eternity. Everyone is dead except the players and Roncelin, of their massive expedition only they remain. With one almost dead Camel carrying their stuff.

They arrive at a camp site. It seems that the whole bedoin camp site killed each others.

There's no food left, there's no water left, nothing written or of any value. Impossible to date the expedition.

The camel eventually dies. What to bring with them, what to leave behind ?

Action : Tent and water are the priority. Even more than food or anything else. In particular no weapons or armors. (if they can't resolve this, roll one Desert dice)

A long unending wind rises. It seems like a long slow laughter in the distance.

How to protect their eyes from the wind ?

Action : They can actually cover their faces and just walk blinded. (if they can't resolve this, roll one Desert dice)

Day ?????? : Everyone roll a desert die.

Roncelin laughs : “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” and he seems to actually try to turn some sand to bread.

The wind is now a storm.

After a long walk, Roncelin collapses on the floor. He is dead of thirst. The laugh of the wind seems to become stronger.

Action : Kowledge (medicine) he isn't completely dead but there's really nothing they can do for him.

They are now compeltely lost, although their instict pushes them to walk forward, due to the constant storm they have lost all sense of direction. How to know they are on the right track ?

Action : Anything meaningful or just go to the source of the wind's long laugh.

In the distance they seem to see a black hooded figure with a crown following them. But no matter how much they never manage to catch him. (it's actually Mad Roncelin)

Iram of the Pillars

At some point the hooded figure starts chanting in a strange language.

Action : Knowledge, he speaks in Aramaic, he is quoting the bible Exodus 10:21-23.

Music : Z_Baston-Skeleton Dance

Detail : The sun is being slowly swallowed in darnkess (an eclypse), the players immediately understand that this is the the ninth plague : darkness

Exodus 10:21-23

"So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days."

As the sun completely disappears, so does the storm. (the 06 of October 1241 there was a total solar eclypse on this exact spot : https://eclipsewise.com/solar/SEprime/1201-1300/SE1241Oct06Tprime.html )

They are now in complete darkness in front of a gigantic city carved in a mountain with hundreds of pillars covered in gold.

The players are now completely dehydrated, they start to hallucinate and see shadows inhabiting the city and the city is in very good condition.

The king start whispering in they ears, louder and louder.

Everyone now has a whispers of madness timer of 5 minutes (and stop their current timer), if they fall into madness, they become a shadow themselves. Adjust this time to 10 min if everyone is already very low in Feats.

They are lost in this labyrinth of pillars, where should they go ? They know the king is triggering this madness, but they don’t know where he is.

Action : Remember in the dream where the black statue was. (as long as they don’t bring this up, the time is running)

They now arrive at the heart of the city.

They arrive in an underground chamber with a forest of dark pillars.

Each engraved with Hieratic filled with gold and between each lines in the translation in the local language Nabataean Aramaic.

In the middle of the room is a black statue with one hand missing, the other hand had a black and red stain in the hand (no philosopher’s stone of course)

He is sitting on a pile of bones made of pure gold (they’re actually just coevered in gold)

Just like in their dream !

In front of them is a very tall 3 meters figure in a big hood with a crown.

It lowers the hood, it is Roncelin !

He quotes the bible.

Exodus 12:29-30

"At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well."

And he starts attacking the players.

Hitting him doesn’t do anything ! Every hits just makes him bleed sand, as if they had just hit sand.

Action : To hurt him they should hit the statue. It contains the corpse of Shaddād bin ʽĀd, the legendary king of Iram. As they strike it, they see that it’s his name written on the statue.

He starts screaming and and army of shadows are rushing towards the players trying to strangle them ! As the letters on the pillars start to glow of an evil red.

Even the sun is now painfully red.

No matter what they do, attacking them only turns them to sand.

Action : The players have to start reading the letters in the columns.

The shadows are now terrified as the wrath of god is brought upon them, a storm flow fire falls upon them.

Music : Danse Macabre

And the players wake up in the ruined deserted city. Those that were killed are dead and dry.

Know knows how long they’ve been here.

It’s Roncelin who wakes them up giving them something to drink.

He franctically start to copy the content of the pillars on a blank book. He also takes the little remains of the black and red liquid in the hand of the king.

And the book finishes on this text.

 At last, my search has borne fruit. Before me stand the ancient columns of Iram, inscribed with the Apocryphon of Jannes, Pharaoh’s sorcerer from the old scriptures. The wisdom of the ancients, bound in alchemical riddles, now lies bare to my eyes. Amidst the ruins, I uncovered remnants of the Philosopher’s Stone itself—a substance worthy of its legend, the true Materia Prima.
 
 I gathered the bones of the long-dead king, and over the next days, I labored, crafting a cover worthy of the knowledge I have unearthed. A book of power, encased in the remains of royalty. So it begins.

Epilogue

Epilogue musics :

• Firelink Shrine 1h + Fire sound
• Then loop this Playlist Normal-Prima

At the end of the diary, the writing is less and less readable. It is so painful to read that the players more or less give up.

If one of the players do insist on reading it through, they can choose Whispers of Madness as their level up Feat. (let them chose, it's not mandatory)

Reading more about Roncelin they learn that he became immediately after the events the Templar Master of Tortosa and subscequently of Provence, but not much else is known of him.

They do succeed to find a portrait of him and madness is clearly visible in his eyes.

Few weeks later they receive a letter from England, the king's spies have spotted the Red Knight after a very long search. He is currently in Rhodes.

Post Game Bonus

The Assassins order was indeed very powerful at that time in Syria and they targeted several very high profile rulers including the King of England Eward I and Saladin (the most well known Muslim leader of his time). Here is a painting of the Assasin's attempt against King Edward I https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gustave_Dore_Crusades_Edward_I_kills_his_attempted_assassin.jpg

List of targets : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assassinations_by_the_Order_of_the_Assassins

Nothing is true, everything is permitted ! Is not actually an accurate quote from Assasins, but I kept it as a reference to Assassin's creed https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/70499/what-is-the-historic-validity-of-nothing-is-real-everything-is-permitted-as-t

The Secretum Templi is a rumour that Roncelin de Fos actually created a secret Templar order within the templar order, and we have the secret founding documents of this order, however it is mostly considered fake by historians. Secret rules of the templars http://prima.wiki/merzdorf.pdf starts page 128, before that it’s just the intro

Under torture, several templars did admit that there was a secret order, however it's difficult to be sure that it's true, in Bernard de Montpezat's confession he says « nous avons trois articles que personne ne connaîtra jamais, exceptés Dieu, le diable et les maîtres. » "We have three articles that no one will ever know, except for God, the devil, and the masters."

The Abraxas is indeed a cryptic templar symbol.

Roncelin de Fos did exist and was supposedly Master in Tortous in 1242 then in Provence in 1248.

Iram of the Pillars is indeed a mythical city named in the Quran, although it's existence is debated. There are several hypothesis to it's location and date of existence, in this scenario I assumed that it is located near Wadi Rum in -100 BCE as suggested by Iram's Wikipedia article. https://universes.art/en/art-destinations/jordan/wadi-rum/nabataean-temple/columns Other theories place it at different places in different times, it’s a personal choice because medieval scholars could understand Aramaic but not Hieratic, so for the players to understand the translation it had to be this language. More about Iram of the Pillars : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iram_of_the_Pillars

There was indeed an Eclypse at that time on this place 06 Oct 1241 https://eclipsewise.com/solar/SEprime/1201-1300/SE1241Oct06Tprime.html

Iram of the Pillars is supposedly where the Necronomicon was written in the Lovecraft universe, I made some references to it, but my version of the evil book is closer to bible.

Of course the pottery with a crocodile-seal creature is a reference to this Lovecraft novel : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nameless_City

Through the scenario I make mentions of the plagues of Egypt because since the characters are about to find the book of the Pharo's magicians, it perfectly makes sense (they are the ones who suffered from the plagues of egypt and tried to replicate them)

Jannes and Jambres are in the bible the Pharo's magicians and before dying Jannes writes a book of spells and gives it to Jambres, who then uses it to perfome Necromancy to talk to Jannes' spirit. At that time this book was probably written in Heratic.

The count of Toulouse did lose his land due to Catharism and Barral des Baux did reconquer it. He was excommunicated many times and did say "The excommunicated are my friends, and those who seek absolution are my enemies." More about Catharism : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albigensian_Crusade

The entier Malucène church was indeed excommunicated also. http://jean.gallian.free.fr/Barral-Web/P13.html

The conflict between Guelphs (papal supporters) and Ghibellines (imperial supporters) tore apart medieval europe for centuries and this particular reconquest of Provence was just one episode of it. More about the conflict : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guelphs_and_Ghibellines