SESSION 300!: Why Did it Have to be Snakes Again (again, again??)?
There was more to this lost Dwarven garrison and it was even moar snakey down below. Great.
Day 267 Continued (15.23 The defiled Dwarven outpost): Standing around the burning hydra carcass a thought bubbled up – where is our loot? Moving along the chamber bisecting stream they reached the large central pool. To the NE, somewhere in the dark, they could smell the beast’s poop pile but decided to focus on the pool and beyond where the creature had leapt from. The stream provided crystal clear cold water that supported a vibrant ecosystem within the pool and beyond. Small shrimp moved industrially harvesting the abundant red algae and detritus brought in with the stream all of which was observed by an abundance of large trout. Seemed like a reasonable food source to get a beast through Winter but not year round, there must be another food source.
Crossing the stream they were in the hydra’s nesting area and there was no shortage of bones covering the rocky foreshore. The got right down to rooting through the carnage zone. The bones were of man and animal how they got here was a mystery. There was a door but it was clearly dwarf and not hydra sized. The grubbing came up with mountains coin silver, gold and platinum. The loot distracted our team as more trouble crept down the wall and ambushed the hobos. The cleanup crew arrived. Carrion crawlers, monstrous centipede like things with tentacled paralytic maws. Things went sideways hard. BoB and Rhags were paralyzed while Steve was taken to the ground and swarmed. Biff miraculously stood his ground against a pair of crawlers. The Thesselhydra must have been a sloppy eater as there was no shortage of crawlers, eight in fact. Before the Hobos could even react they were in serious trouble and then they were flat-footed. At least the insects were mindless and focused solely on their immediate targets. This allowed Mason and Ding-We to move unfettered in search of a solution and stave off hobo-death. BoB was in critical shape when Mason got to her to alleviate the paralysis. Fortunately our little ninja-girl moves like lightning and was able to disengage beyond the battlefield. Steve was able to kill his attacker from the ground and roll within spear stabbing distance of one of the two crawlers laying into Rhagnar. The battle raged. We have seen this outcome before. The longer the Hobos fight the less likely the monsters are to win a game of attrition. What started with the stylings of a TPK turned into a TMK. Brutalized but victorious. Potions were chugged, wounds cleaned and Mason called down the power of Yrrg so they could continue their mission.
They stowed away the gold and platinum, leaving a couple hundred pounds of silver for later address. It was time to open the door. Made of stone bearing defaced dwarven carvings and runes but still in very functional order. It opened with ease revealing a dark corridor of fine Dwarven construction. Not too far down there were two doors as the corridor continued. Both were similar to the entry door. They continued past. Mason once more called for the guiding hand of Yrrg, this time to detect traps.
The corridor branched into a chamber as well as snaking (see that, its foreshadowing) east and then continuing to the south. Into the chamber crept Mason and BoB. Inset into the room was a statue bearing green gem eyes of a demonic snake being. The floor around it glowed to Mason’s eyes. He steadied BoB to prevent her from proceeding after the gems that held a sparkle in her eye. The cleric warned the rest of the group as the followed behind. The west end of the shrine and similar passages going north and south. It was mostly clean in here, dust free floor and as well as the demonic idol. Ding-We did not care for this place and Mason’s dry heaves even though quieted were a clear sign of wickedness tainting this place. They fell back to the doors.
Opening the door to the east they were greeted by the stink of blood and meat. Skinned human(oid) bodies hung from hooks on the east and south walls. To the north was a crate and beyond, against the wall, was a rack full of bottles. The group turned around and went to the other door. A hiss was heard from the darkness to the south. Ding-We immediately felt that ulcer of his fire up as he was convinced another medusa awaited. He will be proven to be somewhat correct.
It was a serpent-man the ancient and cross-dimensional enslavers of man. It hid in the dark for a spell measuring its opponents. Ding-We blasted a cone of cold into the blackness to get things started. It charged as another erupted from behind the other door. They were both armed with black glaives that swung without mercy as their poisonous fangs looked for purchase and their great tails coiled and lashed attempting to bring a hobos to the ground. “Ssslavess Shall Ssserve!”.
Once more the gang had their back against the wall and were fighting from a pinch point. Luck showed up when Ding-We successfully polymorphed one into a fan favourite giant rabbit. The rabbit bolted and now they were no longer fighting on two fronts. This tipped the scale – Snakes must die. After wards they proceeded into the next chamber.
It was once may have been a treasure chamber with ornate pillars along the outside walls. Now it appeared to be a sleeping area for the snake-men with three large pillowed resting areas in between pillars. They started looking for loot as serpentine eyes watched from the darkness atop of two of the columns. A pair of giant snakes dropped onto the floor and attacked.
Nine feet long and with a head at both ends each sporting obviously poisonous fangs. Steve and Rhagnar were tapped quickly both fortunately being lucky enough to avoid having a successful injection of venom. The fight didn’t last long. The field of battle now sporting snake bits and goo. There was no treasure to be found. With a grumble Rhags lead the advance westward. The back end of the chamber revealed another stone door (W) and passages to the south and north. The southern appeared to connect to the altar chamber. They went north.
The passage hooked west after twenty feet and continued off into the darkness. Thirty feet further along was a door on the south wall. The passage continued gaining a slope noticeable by a Dwarf. Additionally the Dwarven finishing transitioned into an unfinished passage. Ding-We didn’t like this and directed a turnaround and return to the door. This resulted in the fortunate spoiling of an ambush by another Ophidian. The evil beings hatred and sense of superiority over mankind caused it to attack with unrestrained malice and an absence of tactical merit. The front line did suck up a couple of brutal hacks before mashing the snake-man into paste.
Beyond the door was a sizable meeting room. In the centre a large dwarven made stone table that had been raised with blocks for larger species to utilize. Two man-sized chairs, three cushion chairs suitable for snakes and two large stump stools for something bigger. Two large silver steins rested on the table adjacent to the big stools. The west wall was dominated by a large fireplace, inside remnant embers casting a weak red glow.
The steins were yoinked and chamber searched. First pass yielded nothing. About to leave Wendul pointed out how large the fireplace was and its ability to hold a significant volume. Chung-Li agreed that it was rather opulent. Biff glanced at BoB, “Whaddya think Bobby-girl? The only place in here ain’t it?”. BoB was on the wavelength and got in under the lintel and examined the back wall. It was big and cool enough inside for her to get right in there. She popped out a minute or two later and made a door (inside) gesture. Biff smiled, “That’s where our pay is!”. “About time”, agreed Rhags.
Steve and Rhagnar moved into the fireplace after BoB prescribed (through hand sign) how the hidden door likely opens.
In they went.
The door opened with ease.
The D-Team: Ding-We, Rhagnar, Steve, Chung-Li, Mason, Biff & BoB
ROLECALL
Hobo Steve the Lord (F9) 330893 xp +5% <360,001> CRT 1d24/V
Brain Damaged: reduced mental capacity (tough night on the town)
Rahgnar the Dwarven Superhero (D8) 238116 xp <280001> CRT 1d20/IV
Serious wound: permanent loss of an eye (-1 to missile fire)
Critical Wound: disembowelled less able to process poison (-1 penalty)
Missing thirteen teeth
Ding-We the Peg-Legged Wizard (W10) 520141 xp +10% <620001> CRT 1d10/I
Critical Wound: Left leg obliterated, runs at ½ rate (peg required)
The Henchmen
Biff Bartley the Half-Orc Blackguard (HO7) 105034 <120000> +5% CRT 1d12/II
‘BOB’ the Deadly Shade (N7) 67231 <90000> +5% CRT 1d16/II
Mason the Lama of Yrrrg. (C7) 80364 <100001> CRT 1d10/III
Chung-Li the Myrmidon Warlock (E6) 105226 xp <120000> +10% CRT 1d8/II
RESERVES
Alamender the Stoned Captain
Elapsed Campaign Time
(733b) days at beginning of session (Far Southern Basilisk Hills)
689a (Bunny Group Newville) Busy until 779
708d (Ding-We Gang Lake of Abominations/ Liwil)
Join us for session Three-Hundred-and-One when we ask the questions:
What is beyond the secret fireplace door?
Why did it have to be Ophidians?
How much further did those dang Dwarves dig?
Where could that slopping natural passage lead?
Tale of the Tape
BoB somehow used her masterful skills of ninjitsu to avoid certain death by carrion crawler, she was very lucky.
KILLS
Carrion crawlers (8)
Naga-Ti (3) one hopped away after being transformed into a rabbit of notable size.
Amphisbaena (2)
LOOT
1,100 pp
3,000 gp
63,000 sp (which has been piled for later collection no xp yet)
Large (4 pints) silver steins of dwarven origin (2) 300 gp each
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