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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Femerus the Gnecro" data-source="post: 354434" data-attributes="member: 2381">The temple itself is ancient and dry… the stale air tastes like a cross between dead grass and dust.  Kerim enters first, torch in hand, and makes a survey of what he can see.  Off to the left there are a number of small rooms, an altar and what appear to be sarcophagi.  To the right…Kerim gives a start, surprised as what he sees.  “Wow.  That was easy.  I think I may have found it!”To the right is a pedestal upon which sits a massive, ancient tome.  Arranged around the pedestal are half disintegrated sitting cushions that fall to dust when Kerim attempts to pick them up.The book itself is enormous… easily three feet tall and two feet wide, and about four inches thick.  It is covered in heavy, ornate gilding, and the pages appear to have been made of vellum.  Hearing Kerim’s exclamation, the others enter the ancient temple and begin to choke on the foul air.  Lucien and Merileene move to examine the book… Lucien can barely make out the title:  “The Teachings of the True Father.”  After careful consideration, the dialect is judged to be nearly half a millennia old… though the temple itself defies categorization.  As the others discuss the importance of the book and the information contained therein, Kerim goes off and wanders the rest of the rooms.  There are myriad statues and tombs, some of which sport intricate statues of important men and women, whom Kerim immediately decides are ancient kings and priests.  Beyond that, the temple is rather unremarkable. A brief glance at the book, which is nearly impossible to decipher, yields little other than some interesting pictures and an odd pictograph of a crescent tipped sword, with the proclamation that “One twice not man shall come.”  Any insightful speculation as to its meaning is subsequently squashed by a cascade of clueless looks and shrugged shoulders, though Kerim suggests that the book is referring to Man’s second cousin, or perhaps Man’s first cousin once removed.Some time later, having secured the book securely to Saryna’s back, the group returns to the surface, unaware that it is nearly dusk. After nearly a day’s worth of toil, their task has been accomplished.  They are dirty and exhausted, some still slightly wounded despite Meri’s best efforts.  It hasn’t been a particularly empowering day.  Lucien can feel Pin approaching from the beach… and a feeling of contentment begins to replace his previous aire of resigned irritation.  Pin’s clarion call shines in his mind.“I’m back, and I’ve brought dinner!”  The hawk lands on the crooked end of Lucien’s staff and begins to tear into the still wriggling fish he brought with him, spraying fish guts over many of the party.That moment, as if in sympathy of Kerim’s growling stomach, a peal of thunder roars overhead, and a single drop of rain splatters down onto the ground.  The collective sigh is overwhelming.Before the book is ruined by the rain, shelter is found and the party gratefully passes out for the night, eager to return to Darumont in the morning.  ***</blockquote>

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