Temple of Elemental Evil, Week Three

Our heroes corner the dark-cloaked man in the fine jacket. His name is Radu Molasar, and he claims to very old, from the time of Hyperborea, and Atlantis.

When Brother Aquila demands the gold, and specifies the gold from the caravan, Molasar's tone changes. He doesn't want that gold! That gold was stolen by the Temple. He didn't ask the Temple to build its central cathedral right on top of his tomb! In exchange for us leaving, and not saying the name of the Lord in the meantime, he offers to lead us to the gold.

So in the absolute unrelenting darkness, Molasar takes the end of Brother Aquila's staff and leads him to a set of big brass doors. Like the others, they say CONFOUND, CONTAIN, CONFINE in ruby script. Molasar does not approach the doors.

The doors have a spell on them which creates dread, but stronger than any of the others. Pouncequick still manages to overcome the dread, and opens the doors.

A rush of dry, musty grave-wind blasts out of the doors, knocking everyone down. Molasar laughs victoriously and departs.

Inside the doors is a single room, with a purple cloud roiling in it. It's the same as the one in the Temple of the Four Winds, complete with three sets of red eyes.

The being in the cloud tells Pouncequick to open the chest in the corner and take what is inside. When he asks why he should do it, the cloud says, "Because I wish you harm," which is at least refreshingly honest.

There is also a large black stone sarcophagus. Brother Aquila finds a sword blade inside, very large and fine, with no hilt but a slot where a hilt could be inserted.

A hallway nearby contains the gold from the caravan, and four HUNDRED soul-jars. Junius and Rosa start opening them as fast as they can. They don't smash them, for Peter has indicated that would be very unpleasant for the inmates.

"The Temple of Elemental Evil was always a chancy effort," the voice explained. "But I have so much time to waste ... I will start over again, somewhere else. And I will learn from my mistakes."

Then someone annoys the Cloud Voice, so it asks,

"Do you know how to make the clay sit up and talk? I DO ..."

And the stones of floor, wall and ceiling become living flesh!

Everyone runs out, breaking the hold of sudden tentacles and newborn fingers. But it's close. Brother Junius passes his empty Soul Jar throught the cloud, trapping some of the demon's essence, and runs away.

On the way up. they find that Molasar has torn through everyone in his way, biting them and drinking their blood before bursting up into the night and gliding away over the mountains. Vesuvius almost stopped him with a fire bear, which is apparently some new spell he invented in extremis.

The survivors load up Junius' carts with gold and haul out before the Army of Elemental Evil returns. On the way, they meet Scottius the engineer, who sprang the trap as Junius told him to. They shot quite a few of the troops with arrows, but all at once most of the rest shouted in joy and ran away. All the Temple has left is the hard-core fanatics, and they got away.

On the way to Civula, Molasar comes and whispers to Pouncequick. Pouncequick recites the Lord's Prayer, and Molasar reacts as though slapped, overtuning a wagon with two tons of gold in the bed. Then he flees.

Junius' brother CLERICUS shows up with the archers, and the team makes it safely back to Rome, presenting the money to Grandmama in time for her to redeem her jewels. Pater will never know! And all ends happily.

2 experience are awarded for destroying the Temple and rescuing the Valerian family.