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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 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.
| 5min = 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.
| 15min = They pass by a strange lady covered in jewels making sound when she walks, her hands an old building (if they are covered still in hand paintingsthe desert it's a ruin) it is clearly not a local building, but also her face. Her face is covered in strange letters it seems to have been made in a language they cannot udnerstand, for sure time before time by the Romans or Greeks or by whatever existed before them. (if not arabic. She is eating her lunch, sundried dates with in the desert) this building has now been converted into a mint tea bathhouse and lots large fumes of steam come out of exotic looking cakesit. Then a beggar come to them and proposes to sell some relics (they are fake)The players remember that hey haven't bathed in months, unlike local swho bathe regularly. A bunch In the streets lots of street cats a heard fighting in foreigners are visting the distancecity to buy spices.
| 30min = They pass by an old building (if they are still in the desert it's see a ruin) it little Christian church full of believers. They look identical to locals, because this 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 where the desert) this building has now been converted into a bathhouse and large fumes of steam Christian faith come out of it. The players remember that hey haven't bathed in monthsfrom, unlike local swho bathe regularlypeople here were christians long before Europe. In the streets There are also lots of foreigners are visting the city to buy spicesChristian pilgrims.
| 45min = They see pass by a little Christian church full 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 believersexotic looking cakes. They look identical to locals, because this notice her left hand is where the Christian faith so covered in markings that it's almost fully black. Then a beggar come from, people here were christians long before Europeto them and proposes to sell some relics (they are fake). There are also lots A bunch of Christian pilgrimsstreet cats a heard fighting in the distance. When they look back, she is gone.
| 60min = There's a weird person in rags looking at the players and laughing very slowly in a deep voice. one of his hands 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)
| 75min = 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.
| 90min = 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.
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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.
'''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.
