The gang enters the mosquito temple. Will they survive it's many dangers? Well with Paris blinded and covered in unending darkness...could go either way!
Summary[]
The party enters the mosquito temple where they are faced with three tiles, each depicting images of the use of blood and one with an impaled corpse on top. They choose the one honoring blood as it was sacred art to the mosquito people. The door opens to show more picture puzzles and a mural of a bearded man with a bleeding hand over his face. The party proceeds through the puzzles using Paris and Lemon’s experience with exploring old temples while Ulysses starts to feel ignored. He acts on his frustrations by stepping on a tile that results in a wrong answer. Several mosquito automatons leap out of a trap door and pull him in with them before shutting the door again. Linus struggles to pursue his brother while Paris and Lemon finish the puzzle, opening the final door. The mechanism turns the bearded man’s hand away, revealing a face that unmistakably Ulysses with a beard.
Ulysses is locked in a chamber, sulking in the dark over his rash decision and temper. A nearby skeleton stirs, animated by the fungalganger who had been here long ago. He pries about Ulysses’ location, particularly asking about Paris and his stolen ring. Ulysses attempts to dodge the questions, but the fungalganger tempts him further by using one of his other corpses to relay messages between Ulysses and his parents. The fungus pretends to lose contact and offers to use his army of dead bodies to free his family if Ulysses can bring him the ring.
The others arrive at the gallery of Con Carne’s treasures. A painting of a mosquito matriarch Sanguina Bob is presented that begins to speak to them, welcoming them to the temple. They ask about the vial of God’s blood, but she is initially evasive about answering. She finally explains that she transferred her soul into the painting and is animated by a mixture of God’s blood and varnish applied by Edward Monch the Scream, her robotic attendant. She reveals Ulysses is unharmed and has her automatons bring him back to them. Ulysses transforms into a more muscular form of himself, mimicking one of the trial’s depictions of a human to try and free his friends. Sanguina seems to recognize him, stating that she has met many humans and that he is the spitting image of God Himself. Ulysses changes his voice and claims to be God in mortal form, but Sanguina is not convinced and orders her minions to attack.
Links[]
Episode: https://headgum.com/rude-tales-of-magic/portrait-of-a-problem