Exploration ensues and interesting things are found:
A steambath/hot tub room with magical scrying and teleporting powers; A set of statuary that compels you to listen to them sing; Nursing dog-women and escort dog-women and a rampant dog-man (soon slain); A magical table of feasting; A set of secret stairs with a full set of of secret stairwell traps; A pair of angry Manticores, now Manitcorpses.
Jars of money, some potions and a wicked evil blue blade; The boiler system for the palace, slaves and rapidly dying guards; A gladiator arena; Slave quarters; A prison complex complete with pointy hat dog-man, hulking grim minotaur and a lot of loot.

Said loot also includes an invisible box that holds a glowing green glass globe (LocNar?) and a brass hand on a box with a crank. A separate diamond studded case contains a sword scabbard made of the finest coral, platinum wire and gems, and a ring of magical ability.
There are coins a-plenty and the group almost decides that they have plundered enough.

After the sheer lunacy of that statement emerges and the hilarity dies away, the debate becomes whether to explore the lowest level, or to return to one of the previous branch points and seek other avenues for plunder and pillaging…

Beyond the lizard room, Barada’s prying eyes detect a door of secrecy,. Upon opening, it tries to polymorph him into a cat. Luckily, he is wearing borrowed armor that protects against transmutation. A narrow stairwell is descended and a room of death is entered – it looks like a fireball was detonated within. Onwards into a room and some moldy doors that give way to a room of Yellow Mold. Multiple instances of cleansing fire reduce the threat level to tolerant and the group proceeds to uncover another set of secret doors. One leads to a room with a noble couple and honor guard – one in suspended animation awakens to battle the party. Old school beatdown ensues and the old school guard is schooled. Beyond lies a shaft. Up looks far, down not so much.

Back into the alchemy hall, the other secret door reveals a shelf of wax-sealed scrolls and a large glowing lightbulby globe. The golden scroll reveals that the globe powers a teleportation pad system between the temple and the palace. Where ever they are…

Back to the shaft. Barada is lowered and a cursory inspection reveals an amphitheater like space with a large firepit in the center. The group lowers itself into the room and is promptly attacked by a bronze statue of a sad man that tries to paralyze with one eye while disintegrating with the other. Once again, borrowed armor is put to good use. A few stout blows from mace and sword and the bronze statue is inertified. Exploration ensues and a room of liquid darkness is opened and quickly shut. The other way out is taken and soon it is hypothesized that this is a temple or chapel. A room full of dead not dead clerical types reinforces that notion and the trio of skulls with eyes all aglow doesn’t really add to the ambiance.

Undead are made redead, gems are pried out of sockets and the cells are left behind. More exploration leads to a room with a large gantry and bronze cauldron/basket. The party finds a winch handle, climbs inside and starts to descend into sunlight and cloudy skies. The Gem of Seeing sees that this is illusionary, but the large forest and palace below are not. Neither are the squads of hyena-men archers and halbardiers. Nor are the pointy-hat wearing dogmen. Or the large group of minotaurs assembled on the palace steps.

“Boom” suggests Dalliance’s fireball, and the air is full of BBQ smells and the screams of the roasting. The hyena-men start to disperse amongst the tree line, but Dalliance manages to catch one squad with a lightning strike. “Zot” and the air is full of thunder and ozone and hyena-dude body parts. The remainder fall back and regroup in front of the palace. The group takes advantage of the opportunity to disembark. They speed around the trees and engage a line of enemy archers. Suddenly a trap is sprung as concealed attackers burst out of the earth and grass beneath the trees – and the trees themselves menace the party.

The group takes things in stride, wheeling to attack the largest force, heedless of whom is at the rear. They smash into then through one opponent after the next. Barada moves to flank the minotaur group which is now led by a giant of a bull with a pair of double bladed axes. While he hurls the last necklace from a Necklace of Missiles, Dalliance manages to catch the minotaur group with a surprise fireball. The combined damage routs the group and the last resistance crumbles as the survivors fall back into the palace. The group charges across the lawn and into the entrance – and runs right into an invisible hydra. Beyond is a large portico with a statue of a Zeusminotaur and a decidedly electric feel to the air.

The hydra rends and tears at Barada, prompting him to retreat. While he tries to heal, the rest attack and finish the creature off in a matter of moments. It is then that one of the remaining squads of archers attack from the rear. The group wheels to meet this new threat and is taken by surprise as the minotaur band hurtle out of the palace, bulls, calves and cows alike and into the party. Bud Feaster is the first victim, hand sliced from arm, then trampled into a fine red mush.

Surprised, the group takes some damage and manages to rally when Dalliance uses her Finger of Death to slay the lad bull, prompting the rest of the minotaurs to group into what are presumably family units and flee into the forest in a panic. The group debates as Bud’s life leaks out onto the floor. Deciding a one-armed monk is of little practical use (but great kung fu film material) they let him die. Then they use the Rod of Resurrection to restore life. Deciding that a pause to refresh is in order, they regroup in the entryway and explore options.

Having eluded the pursuit, the group plots in the darkest of the jungle thickets. Plans are made and rejected, but finally a spot of triangulation indicates a general direction to follow. With birds up top and Naima out front, the jungle journey is largely uneventful until a trail of destruction crosses the party path. It looks like a massive and heavily loaded wagon plowed through the jungle in a more or less straight line. Deciding that the path already cleared is easiest to travel, the group veers onto the swath of destruction. A few days later the birds report that there are damaged buildings in an obviously cleared area, about 2 miles off of the ‘beaten’ path. Detour is made and the birds scout for a day.

‘Tis revealed that there are hyena-men on patrol in the area and burly lizardfolk in the nearby swamp. Waiting until after the patrol leaves, the group rushes out of concealment and down a long and slowly sloping set of ceremonial stairs. The deeper they go, the more guano they see until they enter a large room that reeks of the stuff – with thousands of bats lining the ceiling. Moving slowly, the group takes the first available path and detours around the gallery of guano.

Into a hallway and all is uneventful until Reza takes two large sharpened spears in the back, then an arrow in the side and then a nice smash from a halberd for his troubles. Ambushed, the group rallies and fights back, apparently having caught a concealed guardpost at the shift change. Die hyena-dudes, die. And so they do.
Moving further down the hallway, the group is halted by Barada, who stares intently at the grout lines. Secret door found, opened and promptly closed, for the scene beyond is millipede madness as lizardfolk and texas millipedes battle for supremacy. One ‘pede tries to impede Barada’s ability to breed by incisoring the naughtly bits off of him, but to no avail. Pausing to slam the door and kill the hapless lizardfolk that exited the struggle, the hallway is taken as the less pointy option.

A little while later, it is more wall staring and more secret doors, but this time they lead into a massive hall, complete with flame-roaring demon statues and floor lighting. The room reeks faintly of death and a large chasm splits the room. No obvious swag is seen, the demon shaft is examined but rejected – so back into the long hallway. Then another long descent into a large cavern where the group comes under arrow fire. Dalliance fires up the Reverse Arrows spell and advances. Once the ffects of the magic are realized, the ambushing hyena-men fall back onto a large blue square in front of a statue of a goddess – and vanish.

Never one for the obvious, Barada resumes his examination of the masonry and soon finds another hidden door that leads underneath the temple-statue. Down they go, uncovering old and strange weapons as well as a large and angry lizard. Lizard is pummeled, swag is plundered. A quick pause for breath and then onwards…