in the PnP game they were a joke actually.....they had something to do with the original 4 core players that beat the Temple in the first place at Gencon. thier charcters where Burne, Rufus, Y'dey and Otis. I know EGG was one of them but dont remember the other 3. if i can find the dragon issue with it in it ill let you know.
I thought the scarabs might help the party get around in the Temple in a similar way to the way the robes for the different temple factions do. I mean, if you have some of your party put on the robes in the temple or the capes found in the moathouse some of the monsters seem to become less hostile, at least for awhile. The ogre in the moathouse is a good example. However I cannot say this is definitely so with the scarabs so perhaps they really don't do anything after all. I'd like the answer to this too one day ...
I think the scarab is a badge/insignia for the high command of the temple. Maybe a gift from the Demoness herself. Maybe a id pass for certain areas where only certain people are allowed. A gift from Iuz? It's not magical and not worth much. It may have been intended for some use but you would have to ask the gamewriters about that.
GameBanshee has a description of the use these scarabs had in the original module: http://www.gamebanshee.com/templeofelementalevil/areasoftheweek/thegreatertemple.php
Hmmm,... Spoiler so it looks even more like the developers just stopped and never finished the lowest level of the temple. In addition to the empty rooms everywhere there's that big curtain behind the hag who offers you the pillar. My guess is they intended to implement the curtain-and-scarab thing, but ran out of time. Something modders might want to look into, perhaps?
Thanks Thanks a lot for the Gamebanshee link -- makes me want to re-purchase the original 1st edition module.
Hey my guess was kind of close. The leaders had the scarab and it served a special purpose. After reading the GameBanshee (good site) lines, i"m not so sure I'd want play that module. I did play some of it over 20 years ago, but we never came close ot completing it. I use to have the module but I can't find it. It's in the basement somewhere or lost. I do remember that it was VERY HARD!
