The Danger Gang Investigate The Abandoned Masonic Temple
Following the directions given by the dwarven patrols, the Danger Gang ride to the abandoned Masonic Temple. Unsurprisingly, they find a quite well-carved facade. There is a pair of columns, one dark, one light, with bowls filled with leaves carved into the top. All in all, a fine looking building.
The first thing they notice upon entering is that the floor is littered with bones. So many bones. The second thing they notice is a Hydra that comes tromping out of the darkness. A mighty battle ensues, this one is for the ages. Fighting fighting fighting. They should have sent a poet. After defeating the hydra, they find a scroll case, damaged, containing the second half of scrap of paper the dwarven patrol found outside, completing a sort of Masonic Laundry List. It lists a bunch of items that probably contain the true names of God. You got the sword of Methuselah, the Morkoth, the ring of Jabulon (which Zombres already has), the ark of the covenant, two angels...some other stuff. I don't have the list with me. It also lists their supposed locations. This means Zombres is in a race with the Masons to get this stuff. It's a mad mad mad mad world.
They investigate one of the wings of the temple, finding it cleaned out. They decide to rest up there before continuing.
The other wing has a 10 foot tall man that says, "I am the tiler" and stands in front of a door ominously. There's another door, so they decide to check that one out first. Unfortunately, there's some sort of force field there and they can't get through. They look at this tiler guy for a while, before Zombres has an idea. He walks up to the big galoot and says, "I am Jabulon". The dude steps aside and Zombres walks in. Monkey see, monkey do, Karl gives is a shot. "I am Jabulon". Tiler steps out of the way. Great. Everybody tells Tiler that they are Jabulon and walks into the next room.
This room is a big old hall with twelve fancy carved thrones and lots of very specific interior design. There's an altar with three lighted-up corners and tiles, but, apparently, nothing secret. There is a door that leads back into the room that they previously couldn't enter. It is clear now that this room is for exiting.
Zombres decides he needs some help deciphering the contents of this letter they found. If only there was a guy around with a pretty good chance of knowing something about almost anything. There is. It's Arben. Zombres teleports back to Chrysopolis to ask him if he knows about this letter. He brings Karl along for the ride, because that guy is up for anything.
Arben knows a thing or two about a thing or two, but I can't remember what they were. Karl runs into his son, Karl Jr., but due to his reincarnation, Junior doesn't recognize him. Also, Senior doesn't remember his dead wife's name, although that should come as no surprise to anybody that knows Karl. Still, the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon. Arben quickly Magic Mirrors Naum who is fighting a bunch of weird skeletons. She says she and her crew are doing alright. Zombres teleports a depressed Karl and himself back to temple. Once there, the gang decide to head over to the castle of the Earthly Beauty for reasons that escape me.
