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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 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 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.

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 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.

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.