Serpent’s Skull – Part 55
The Thousand Fangs Below – The Definition of Insanity
Tabansi’s Journal, Part 55
Though we had managed to defeat a sizeable number of the serpentfolk, we didn’t know how long it would be before more turned. We quickly scavenged the bodies of the guards for potions (of which they seemed to have a good supply), and took a number of magical items from the dead guard captain.
Not sure whether Eando Kline was more likely to be towards the top of the structure or the bottom, we gambled and headed up the passageway until we reached the smithy we had discovered in our previous visit. This time we decided to explore in a bit more depth, to see how extensive the rooms off the passage were.
We immediately ran into a barracks in which were half a dozen serpentfolk guards. We dealt with them relatively efficiently but more guards, including some heavily armoured ones, came charging into the room and quickly surrounded Arkin. Ek-Tura slowed them down by summoning a mass of black tentacles, but ultimately there were too many of them. With Ek’Tura out of offensive spells, and Derek having exhausted his healing magic, we decided that there was no point staying and Ek’Tura triggered his Getaway, teleporting us back to our base camp.
The following day we tried much the same thing again, teleporting directly into one of the side rooms where we had fought and slayed some gugs. By this time, the Serpentfolk had used this room to dump their dead bodies, but at least it was empty of guards. We headed down the passage, and spotted a hidden door in the inner wall. Opening the door we spotted a single serpentfolk guard who I shoot and Arkin ran in.
Unfortunately what we hadn’t seen were the other five guards in the room. Arkin was quickly overwhelmed and knocked to the floor, and though Athazog and Derek tried to fight their way to him we were quickly running out of time to prevent him from bleeding out. So Ek’Tura used his Getaway again, pulling us all out of the fight.
The next day we decided to try something a bit different, and flew up to the top of the building where the serpentine structure ended with a huge fanged mouth. Inside the mouth was a slowly spinning 8ft diameter lens which floated above a pedestal. At the back of the ‘mouth’ was a large set of double doors, which presumably led into the passageway.
Magical investigation showed that there were strong divination and abjuration effects on the mouth, including some form of evocation near the doors. Ek’Tura tried to summon a creature into the mouth, but the summoning was blocked. At the very least there seemed to be an unhallow effect on the mouth.
After much discussion, it is decided that we don’t want to try entering through this way, so again teleport into the room we entered through before. I quickly notice that one of the ‘bodies’ is not dead, and try to put an arrow in it. However, the serpentfolk leaps up and runs for the exit before I or anyone else can stop it.
At this point we realise that the serpents are getting used to our tactics, and that we really do need to try something different. We use Getaway again before any more serpents can arrive. We are in a now better position today though than we were several days ago, and are arguably worse off since the serpent palace is now on high alert and expecting us. We desperately need a new plan, but for now are in disagreement about what they might be.
