@Yulmiath: Damu was happy to hear you were planning to celebrate with them back in Ahoyhoy.
Rhogal and Kairus come to a stop, although most of the group only notice the dwarf halting as the triton is invisible. They both get a little closer to the wall, examining something carefully. The rest of the group uses this pause in their own way. Krodhen grips his weapon and shield tightly, ensuring he is ready for the sudden appearance of any enemy. Yulmiath checks his step, convincing himself that he has produced little noise on the walk down the tunnel and that he has made good use of the shadows. Within Mr. Thicc, Hun turns around to look at the portion of the tunnel the group has already traversed, but he finds no expertly hidden secret passages. The kobold's gas-detecting contraption does not react either.
Rhogal shares his findings with the group as he arrives at them: the techniques used to construct the tunnel and the shapes adorning it are quite rudimentary. Stone pieces that are not very thick, a hand drill made of wood and stone, and some coarse sand were combined to bore holes on the wall. Yes, some of the round spots on the wall are actually holes.
Kairus arrives at his own conclusions. The group has a general idea of where the bard is as he couldn't help but make a brief noise here and there (nothing loud enough to travel the entire tunnel). Nonetheless, whether Kairus decides to speak up while invisible is up to him.
@Kairus:
Many but not all of the spots on the walls are actually holes. You can't see through them, which suggests that they are either plugged by something or don't go all the way through to the other side if there is one. You pick up on the faint smell of poison, one that is not too dissimilar to the venom of the flying snakes you fought several hours ago. This is a trap designed to inject poison on intruders, and the delivery mechanism uses these camouflaged holes on the walls. You deduce the presence of a pressure plate or rope/thread trigger must be somewhere ahead of you, such that if the person leading a group were to activate it, everyone in the party would already be close to several of the many holes you passed on the way here.
The group is halted at the moment. You have walked some 40 to 60 feet into the tunnel.
Kairus'e incorporeal voice halted the group before it was too late. He could add a physical contact but hoped that the magical word TRAP will be enough. "Trap!" After the general announcement, he elaborated. "Poisonous darts or something like this. See the spots on the wall? It's the exit points. There is a pressure plate ahead. Not sure I can deactivate it or if it is possible at all. If not, maybe your contract, grandpa, can run through and take the shot for us?"
On hearing Karius's warning, Yulmiath stops dead in his tracks. Lowering himself to take a better look at the floor he peers through the gloom looking out for a raised floor plate or wire stretched across the route of the Snack Pack.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Good eyes on you, young blue. I'd ask you to point them out as well, but seeing that would be a mite tricky, to say the least." Hun chuckled at his own jest. It takes him a hot minute after to finish pulling out what he'd believe to be the necessary tools (including a crowbar for Mr. Thicc). But with Yulmiath's further assistance, the pair eventually make their way forward to further examine the trap set up for a means of accessing and disabling it with the usual added stimulation to really get the brain juices flowing. Or failing that, Hun breaks out some old chalk to at least circle the plate, before ushering everyone to proceed around it.
The whole while Hun finds himself rambling on about the greater ingenuity of kobold traps, and how thus far the current one fail short of the legendary kobold, Tuc'kerees, infamous set-up.
Investigation: 18. (if necessary for discovering a means to access the plate.)
Thieves' Tools Check: 23. (if adv. w/ help from Mr. Thicc: 8.) Plus Guidance: 4.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Rhogal expresses some frustration as Kairus shares the practical details to the dwarf's technical assessment. The bard recruits Hun and his goggles to clear the way ahead but it is Yulmiath who steps forward first. The dragonborn is confident he can spot the trigger and he backs it up. Just a few more feet ahead of where he judged Kairus to be, Yulmiath finds a slightly raised, grout-less stone tile which is a bit to the right of the center of the tunnel.
Hun is tagged in and carefully studies the mechanism for a couple of minutes. With Mr. Thiccpassing along the necessary tools, the kobold easily disarms the rudimentary trap. Tuc'kerees would be offended by how simple the mechanism was.
Spirits raised by the great teamwork, the Snack Pack moves onward. They keep they eyes peeled and ears pricked for any sign of danger. Instead, they soon notice that the tunnel is coming to an end some 200 feet past the entrance. As they approach the end of the tunnel, the group can discern the details of the single chamber that can be found thereafter:
The tunnel ends at a domed oval room thirty feet deep, twenty feet wide, and twenty feet high.
The walls are carved with frescoes depicting swarms of snakes.
At the far end of the room is a cracked, bowl-shaped altar, three feet tall and six feet in diameter.
Set into the base of the bowl is an empty niche, and hanging from the ceiling above the altar is a iron hook at the end of a rusty chain.
The hook and the bowl-shaped altar are similarly stained, although it is hard to say by what from a distance.
Having been made a little wary by the poison dart trap and maybe being made a little confident by the ease in which he found the trap trigger, Yulmiath creeps forward towards the bowl shaped altar, again, paying particular attention to the floor.
Invisible Kairus returned to his scouting duties as soon as the trap was disarmed and slowly moved along the wall of the room, studying it for more traps or potential clues about the nature of the obvious rituals that were conducted here. The bowl could as well mean feeding someone, someone summoned.
"More than likely it is. You don't exactly use a hook for the non-bloody kind."Hun commented from near the entrance and just barely in the room alongside Mr. Thicc. "You got the entrance, Krodhen? I'm not exactly an expert on ruins, but after spotting that last trap, I wouldn't put it past the creators of this place to probably seal that bit up if something went sideways here."
He then looks away for a moment and furrowed his brows, before cursed under his breath. "Somebody remind me on our way out to grab those darts. Might be tricky, and their laced with something, its probably crap by now. But... I got a few ideas for'em I think."Hun moseys on in circling the edges of the cavern, inspecting the walls with a little mechanical pick me up and the floors for any other hidden plates or off putting panels with Mr. Thicc in tow.
"Yeah - got it" and he sheaths his sword and pulls out a javelin, pondering whether it would be strong enough to jam a closing door, and not satisfied, he quickly scans the area to see if there is something more solid (stone or metal that could be used for such a purpose). "Anyone see something metal or stone that could stop a door if it closes"
Investigation: 2 (If anyone else volunteers to look, go ahead a roll as well).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Bubbles the Barbarian" (Locathah - Lvl 9) - Locathah Rising; Shai'ere Delatete (Githyanki Monk - Lvl 9) Rrakkma (deceased - MindFlayer); Saros Rockfoot (Deep Gnome Diviner - Lvl 5) - The Lost Kenku & One Grung Above; Tagret (Goliath Barbarian - Lvl 2) - Tales of Faerun;
@Yulmiath: You cautiously make your way to the altar, examining each tile you are stepping on. They all seems safe to you and you arrive close enough to the bowl to have a closer look at the dark stains. There is indeed a good chance they are old, dried blood. That said, you can't fully rule out other substances. Maybe they tried to kill one of those strange decapuses here and it squirted black ink everywhere. Or perhaps they were mixing some elixir here with many ingredients.
@Kairus: While still invisible you take a general look around the room. It is not too difficult to conclude that this chamber was used in some sort of faith-induced sacrifice. Whoever performed here, likely used to impale their sacrifices on the hook above the altar. Your surmise that the victims’ blood would pool in the altar’s stone bowl, and the blood would then be used on the next step of the ritual and possibly mixed with something else. Widening your search about the chamber, you do not spot any obvious traps. (You may roll a religion check.)
@Hun: You noticed even before approaching the walls that the frescoes mostly depict swarms of snakes. Some are small, others are monstrously large. Some have the body of a serpent but the upper torso of a man, or the body of a man but the head of a snake, or several. Your search of the wall frescoes reveals that some of the snakes’ eye sockets were build to once hold stones, likely precious gemstones. These sockets have claw marks around them, suggesting something scooped them out forcibly, and leaving behind only empty, faceted indentations. (You may roll a religion check.)
@Krodhen: You turn to try to jam the door with your javelin and then notice that there is no door. You passed through it a moment ago but now, actively looking at the entryway, you realize the tunnel simply ends at an opening. You look about for signs that metal bar might pop up from the ground or fall from the top of the entryway but find no indication of such mechanism. Over at the other end of the chamber, you spot a pile of bones that could maybe hold one large enough to achieve what you want it to achieve, but it might not be necessary based on your analysis.
@Rhogal: Looking at the stained stone in your hands, you surmise it would fit the crack on the stone bowl quite nicely.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Or something else just as dark."
Looking at the hook, Yulmiath shudders, anyone up on there would likely leak out a few other vital fluids at the same time. Leaving the others to ponder the other secrets of the temple, he crosses back to the tunnel, positions himself out of sight for anyone making their way down it, and keeps an ear out for any sounds of movement.
The religious traditions of the drylanders were so complex and mixed up Kairus was not sure he could recall the one needed. Something related to the snakes... Who out of endless pantheon could be the right god here? (Religion: 17)
Hun clicked his tongue at the discovery. Not that he had a mind to steal from the shrine in the first place, but having the opportunity literally stripped from the walls left a sour taste in his mouth all the same. "Eh. Probably cursed anyhow." He muttered as his attention drifted back to taking in the frescos as a whole once more. As no stranger to the occult given the nature of his job, the kobold felt his confidence in discerning at least the architects rising by the moment.
And if he could discern that much with a bit of head massages from Mr. Thicc, then perhaps....
Come what may to mind in the next few moments, Hun finds himself calling out all the same, "Looks like someone or someONES been here already and picked the walls clean quite a bit of anything precious. Can't say how long ago though. But no signs of nothing that can be used to prop open a door yet, Krodhen. Or about your stone thing either, Rhogaly."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"I ain't gonna *****foot around just say it. This here is a sacrifice room to whatever monster they worshiped," Rhogal sneers as he looks around the room. He tries to look for anysort of iconography that might indicate what they dedicated it to.
Yulmiath, Kairus, and Hun share a few more words about what they see until, somewhat suddenly, Rhogal cuts straight to the chase and declares what this room must have been. There is a collective sigh as the group notices that the druid's words were perhaps meant to put an end to the not-so-fruitful search around the chamber. Yulmiath shrugs and joins Krodhen near the entrance to keep an eye out for danger.
Stopping their search and reuniting near the center of the room, Rhogal, Hun, and Kairus put their minds together on trying to deduce what religion might have been practiced here. The kobold and the dwarf can hear and feel the triton's presence, but the bard is still invisible for now. After some deliberation, Kairus comes to a breakthrough in their collective thought exercise: Merrshaulk was once the chief deity in the faith of of the reptilian-humanoid hybrid race known as the Yuan-ti, and was characterized as a despot who cared little for his followers save that they remained devoted to him and made frequent, bloody sacrifices to him. Yuan-ti priests offered sacrifices in hopes to wake their slumbering deity or gain flickers of divine insight. Whether factual or just their imagination taking some creative liberties, the Snack Pack trio can visualize yuan-ti priest washing themselves in the blood within the stone bowl while calling Merrshaulk’s name, aiming to rouse their god from his slumber.
It is then that the pile of bones Krodhen had spotted a moment ago begins to rattle. From within, two large skeletal snakes slither into the open space surrounding the altar. They are somehow still able to hiss, even though there is no tongue, flesh, organ, or hide anywhere in/on their bodies. They are larger than the snakes you have seen in the island so far, easily breaking the 12 feet mark if they were to lay flat on the ground. Their craniums are flatter than what you'd expect a snake's facial bone structure to be.
"What have we here?" says the one to the left. "Tomb raiders? Temple defilers?"guesses the other. They are keeping their distance, but it is obvious they chose to come out in the open to start a dialogue. They are terrifying but not immediately aggressive.
Getting closer to the group, so it would not be obvious who is speaking, still invisible Kairus answered first: "There is hardly anything to raid or defile here. The place seemed dead. We are mere curious explorers walking around the island and admiring the wonders we encounter. Who would you be?"It's not that he was used to talking to skeleton snakes (or snakes in general, to that matter, though he was convinced these were some spirits) but the creatures were such an ... organic part of surroundings, he was not even surprised. If anything, the group looked like an artificial addition to this temple.
The mushroom dwarf, Rhogal likely has the right of it and Yulmiath nods along with the straightforward assessment of the use of the room.
As the pile of bones in the corner animates itself into two, weird looking snake skeletons, he feels as though all of their conclusions about this place being on the darker end of the religious spectrum are confirmed. A temple in the jungle; be odd not to find some snakes in there. Place called the Temple of Fangs, giant snakes make total sense. Giant, skeletal snakes? Aye, dark deeds was done here. Giant, skeletal snakes that talk and watch over the place? We're likely talking dark deeds the colour of midnight with no moon in the sky.
Leaving the talking to those better able to use the silvered tongues in their heads, Yulmiath keeps his spot by the door to better secure the obvious escape route for the group should they need it. He keeps his greataxe gripped in one hand, trying to look non-threatening, nonchalant even.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
As Kairus spoke Hun tries to emulate being the speaker by making motions with his mouth as a well as throwing in the off handed gesture wherever he thought might be appropriate to fit the 'theme' of his words.
Although if Kairus was yet too far away by the sound of his voice to make it reasonable, then he'd narrow his eyes at the skeletons and try to discern if the pair seemed to focused on empty space in the room, revealing that they could probably sense if not see the speaker. And if so, that knowledge more than anything would leave the kobold more anxious enough to start flexing his little dexterous fingers at his side.
No matter which outcome comes about, Hun braves garnering at least some attention by loudly clearing his throat. "Sorry about that. The dust in here plays a bit of havoc with the voice. Anyhow and More to the point, it seems actual tomb raiders have been here before. Or did your people made sure to depart with such antiques? If not the latter, then... perhaps we can help you find the former since such things seem a concern to you."
@Yulmiath: Damu was happy to hear you were planning to celebrate with them back in Ahoyhoy.
Rhogal and Kairus come to a stop, although most of the group only notice the dwarf halting as the triton is invisible. They both get a little closer to the wall, examining something carefully. The rest of the group uses this pause in their own way. Krodhen grips his weapon and shield tightly, ensuring he is ready for the sudden appearance of any enemy. Yulmiath checks his step, convincing himself that he has produced little noise on the walk down the tunnel and that he has made good use of the shadows. Within Mr. Thicc, Hun turns around to look at the portion of the tunnel the group has already traversed, but he finds no expertly hidden secret passages. The kobold's gas-detecting contraption does not react either.
Rhogal shares his findings with the group as he arrives at them: the techniques used to construct the tunnel and the shapes adorning it are quite rudimentary. Stone pieces that are not very thick, a hand drill made of wood and stone, and some coarse sand were combined to bore holes on the wall. Yes, some of the round spots on the wall are actually holes.
Kairus arrives at his own conclusions. The group has a general idea of where the bard is as he couldn't help but make a brief noise here and there (nothing loud enough to travel the entire tunnel). Nonetheless, whether Kairus decides to speak up while invisible is up to him.
@Kairus:
Many but not all of the spots on the walls are actually holes. You can't see through them, which suggests that they are either plugged by something or don't go all the way through to the other side if there is one. You pick up on the faint smell of poison, one that is not too dissimilar to the venom of the flying snakes you fought several hours ago. This is a trap designed to inject poison on intruders, and the delivery mechanism uses these camouflaged holes on the walls. You deduce the presence of a pressure plate or rope/thread trigger must be somewhere ahead of you, such that if the person leading a group were to activate it, everyone in the party would already be close to several of the many holes you passed on the way here.
The group is halted at the moment. You have walked some 40 to 60 feet into the tunnel.
Kairus'e incorporeal voice halted the group before it was too late. He could add a physical contact but hoped that the magical word TRAP will be enough. "Trap!" After the general announcement, he elaborated. "Poisonous darts or something like this. See the spots on the wall? It's the exit points. There is a pressure plate ahead. Not sure I can deactivate it or if it is possible at all. If not, maybe your contract, grandpa, can run through and take the shot for us?"
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
On hearing Karius's warning, Yulmiath stops dead in his tracks. Lowering himself to take a better look at the floor he peers through the gloom looking out for a raised floor plate or wire stretched across the route of the Snack Pack.
Perception - 22
(OOC If at disadvantage due to the darkness here's a second roll 23.)
"Good eyes on you, young blue. I'd ask you to point them out as well, but seeing that would be a mite tricky, to say the least." Hun chuckled at his own jest. It takes him a hot minute after to finish pulling out what he'd believe to be the necessary tools (including a crowbar for Mr. Thicc). But with Yulmiath's further assistance, the pair eventually make their way forward to further examine the trap set up for a means of accessing and disabling it with the usual added stimulation to really get the brain juices flowing. Or failing that, Hun breaks out some old chalk to at least circle the plate, before ushering everyone to proceed around it.
The whole while Hun finds himself rambling on about the greater ingenuity of kobold traps, and how thus far the current one fail short of the legendary kobold, Tuc'kerees, infamous set-up.
Investigation: 18.
(if necessary for discovering a means to access the plate.)
Thieves' Tools Check: 23. (if adv. w/ help from Mr. Thicc: 8.)
Plus Guidance: 4.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"Bah, seems like these snake people were the tricksy types!" Rhogal says with some irritation.
Extended Signature
Rhogal expresses some frustration as Kairus shares the practical details to the dwarf's technical assessment. The bard recruits Hun and his goggles to clear the way ahead but it is Yulmiath who steps forward first. The dragonborn is confident he can spot the trigger and he backs it up. Just a few more feet ahead of where he judged Kairus to be, Yulmiath finds a slightly raised, grout-less stone tile which is a bit to the right of the center of the tunnel.
Hun is tagged in and carefully studies the mechanism for a couple of minutes. With Mr. Thicc passing along the necessary tools, the kobold easily disarms the rudimentary trap. Tuc'kerees would be offended by how simple the mechanism was.
Spirits raised by the great teamwork, the Snack Pack moves onward. They keep they eyes peeled and ears pricked for any sign of danger. Instead, they soon notice that the tunnel is coming to an end some 200 feet past the entrance. As they approach the end of the tunnel, the group can discern the details of the single chamber that can be found thereafter:
Having been made a little wary by the poison dart trap and maybe being made a little confident by the ease in which he found the trap trigger, Yulmiath creeps forward towards the bowl shaped altar, again, paying particular attention to the floor.
Perception - 14
Arriving, Yulmiath has a particularly grizzly moment inspecting the stains on the altar.
Investigation - 9
"Sure hope this isn't blood, but I reckon it probably is."
Invisible Kairus returned to his scouting duties as soon as the trap was disarmed and slowly moved along the wall of the room, studying it for more traps or potential clues about the nature of the obvious rituals that were conducted here. The bowl could as well mean feeding someone, someone summoned.
Perception: 15
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
"More than likely it is. You don't exactly use a hook for the non-bloody kind." Hun commented from near the entrance and just barely in the room alongside Mr. Thicc. "You got the entrance, Krodhen? I'm not exactly an expert on ruins, but after spotting that last trap, I wouldn't put it past the creators of this place to probably seal that bit up if something went sideways here."
He then looks away for a moment and furrowed his brows, before cursed under his breath. "Somebody remind me on our way out to grab those darts. Might be tricky, and their laced with something, its probably crap by now. But... I got a few ideas for'em I think." Hun moseys on in circling the edges of the cavern, inspecting the walls with a little mechanical pick me up and the floors for any other hidden plates or off putting panels with Mr. Thicc in tow.
Investigation: 25.
(includes guidance)
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"Yeah - got it" and he sheaths his sword and pulls out a javelin, pondering whether it would be strong enough to jam a closing door, and not satisfied, he quickly scans the area to see if there is something more solid (stone or metal that could be used for such a purpose). "Anyone see something metal or stone that could stop a door if it closes"
Investigation: 2 (If anyone else volunteers to look, go ahead a roll as well).
"Bubbles the Barbarian" (Locathah - Lvl 9) - Locathah Rising; Shai'ere Delatete (Githyanki Monk - Lvl 9) Rrakkma (deceased - MindFlayer); Saros Rockfoot (Deep Gnome Diviner - Lvl 5) - The Lost Kenku & One Grung Above; Tagret (Goliath Barbarian - Lvl 2) - Tales of Faerun;
"Aye, perhaps it may related ta this?" Rhogal takes out the piece of stone he picked up. "Hard ta say from this far, but I have my suspicions..."
Extended Signature
@Yulmiath: You cautiously make your way to the altar, examining each tile you are stepping on. They all seems safe to you and you arrive close enough to the bowl to have a closer look at the dark stains. There is indeed a good chance they are old, dried blood. That said, you can't fully rule out other substances. Maybe they tried to kill one of those strange decapuses here and it squirted black ink everywhere. Or perhaps they were mixing some elixir here with many ingredients.
@Kairus: While still invisible you take a general look around the room. It is not too difficult to conclude that this chamber was used in some sort of faith-induced sacrifice. Whoever performed here, likely used to impale their sacrifices on the hook above the altar. Your surmise that the victims’ blood would pool in the altar’s stone bowl, and the blood would then be used on the next step of the ritual and possibly mixed with something else. Widening your search about the chamber, you do not spot any obvious traps. (You may roll a religion check.)
@Hun: You noticed even before approaching the walls that the frescoes mostly depict swarms of snakes. Some are small, others are monstrously large. Some have the body of a serpent but the upper torso of a man, or the body of a man but the head of a snake, or several. Your search of the wall frescoes reveals that some of the snakes’ eye sockets were build to once hold stones, likely precious gemstones. These sockets have claw marks around them, suggesting something scooped them out forcibly, and leaving behind only empty, faceted indentations. (You may roll a religion check.)
@Krodhen: You turn to try to jam the door with your javelin and then notice that there is no door. You passed through it a moment ago but now, actively looking at the entryway, you realize the tunnel simply ends at an opening. You look about for signs that metal bar might pop up from the ground or fall from the top of the entryway but find no indication of such mechanism. Over at the other end of the chamber, you spot a pile of bones that could maybe hold one large enough to achieve what you want it to achieve, but it might not be necessary based on your analysis.
@Rhogal: Looking at the stained stone in your hands, you surmise it would fit the crack on the stone bowl quite nicely.
"Or something else just as dark."
Looking at the hook, Yulmiath shudders, anyone up on there would likely leak out a few other vital fluids at the same time. Leaving the others to ponder the other secrets of the temple, he crosses back to the tunnel, positions himself out of sight for anyone making their way down it, and keeps an ear out for any sounds of movement.
Perception - 14
The religious traditions of the drylanders were so complex and mixed up Kairus was not sure he could recall the one needed. Something related to the snakes... Who out of endless pantheon could be the right god here? (Religion: 17)
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Hun clicked his tongue at the discovery. Not that he had a mind to steal from the shrine in the first place, but having the opportunity literally stripped from the walls left a sour taste in his mouth all the same. "Eh. Probably cursed anyhow." He muttered as his attention drifted back to taking in the frescos as a whole once more. As no stranger to the occult given the nature of his job, the kobold felt his confidence in discerning at least the architects rising by the moment.
And if he could discern that much with a bit of head massages from Mr. Thicc, then perhaps....
Religion: 11.(includes guidance)
Come what may to mind in the next few moments, Hun finds himself calling out all the same, "Looks like someone or someONES been here already and picked the walls clean quite a bit of anything precious. Can't say how long ago though. But no signs of nothing that can be used to prop open a door yet, Krodhen. Or about your stone thing either, Rhogaly."
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"I ain't gonna *****foot around just say it. This here is a sacrifice room to whatever monster they worshiped," Rhogal sneers as he looks around the room. He tries to look for anysort of iconography that might indicate what they dedicated it to.
Religion: 7
Extended Signature
Yulmiath, Kairus, and Hun share a few more words about what they see until, somewhat suddenly, Rhogal cuts straight to the chase and declares what this room must have been. There is a collective sigh as the group notices that the druid's words were perhaps meant to put an end to the not-so-fruitful search around the chamber. Yulmiath shrugs and joins Krodhen near the entrance to keep an eye out for danger.
Stopping their search and reuniting near the center of the room, Rhogal, Hun, and Kairus put their minds together on trying to deduce what religion might have been practiced here. The kobold and the dwarf can hear and feel the triton's presence, but the bard is still invisible for now. After some deliberation, Kairus comes to a breakthrough in their collective thought exercise: Merrshaulk was once the chief deity in the faith of of the reptilian-humanoid hybrid race known as the Yuan-ti, and was characterized as a despot who cared little for his followers save that they remained devoted to him and made frequent, bloody sacrifices to him. Yuan-ti priests offered sacrifices in hopes to wake their slumbering deity or gain flickers of divine insight. Whether factual or just their imagination taking some creative liberties, the Snack Pack trio can visualize yuan-ti priest washing themselves in the blood within the stone bowl while calling Merrshaulk’s name, aiming to rouse their god from his slumber.
It is then that the pile of bones Krodhen had spotted a moment ago begins to rattle. From within, two large skeletal snakes slither into the open space surrounding the altar. They are somehow still able to hiss, even though there is no tongue, flesh, organ, or hide anywhere in/on their bodies. They are larger than the snakes you have seen in the island so far, easily breaking the 12 feet mark if they were to lay flat on the ground. Their craniums are flatter than what you'd expect a snake's facial bone structure to be.
"What have we here?" says the one to the left. "Tomb raiders? Temple defilers?" guesses the other. They are keeping their distance, but it is obvious they chose to come out in the open to start a dialogue. They are terrifying but not immediately aggressive.
Getting closer to the group, so it would not be obvious who is speaking, still invisible Kairus answered first: "There is hardly anything to raid or defile here. The place seemed dead. We are mere curious explorers walking around the island and admiring the wonders we encounter. Who would you be?" It's not that he was used to talking to skeleton snakes (or snakes in general, to that matter, though he was convinced these were some spirits) but the creatures were such an ... organic part of surroundings, he was not even surprised. If anything, the group looked like an artificial addition to this temple.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
The mushroom dwarf, Rhogal likely has the right of it and Yulmiath nods along with the straightforward assessment of the use of the room.
As the pile of bones in the corner animates itself into two, weird looking snake skeletons, he feels as though all of their conclusions about this place being on the darker end of the religious spectrum are confirmed. A temple in the jungle; be odd not to find some snakes in there. Place called the Temple of Fangs, giant snakes make total sense. Giant, skeletal snakes? Aye, dark deeds was done here. Giant, skeletal snakes that talk and watch over the place? We're likely talking dark deeds the colour of midnight with no moon in the sky.
Leaving the talking to those better able to use the silvered tongues in their heads, Yulmiath keeps his spot by the door to better secure the obvious escape route for the group should they need it. He keeps his greataxe gripped in one hand, trying to look non-threatening, nonchalant even.
As Kairus spoke Hun tries to emulate being the speaker by making motions with his mouth as a well as throwing in the off handed gesture wherever he thought might be appropriate to fit the 'theme' of his words.
Deception: 12.(13)
Although if Kairus was yet too far away by the sound of his voice to make it reasonable, then he'd narrow his eyes at the skeletons and try to discern if the pair seemed to focused on empty space in the room, revealing that they could probably sense if not see the speaker. And if so, that knowledge more than anything would leave the kobold more anxious enough to start flexing his little dexterous fingers at his side.
Insight: 5.
No matter which outcome comes about, Hun braves garnering at least some attention by loudly clearing his throat. "Sorry about that. The dust in here plays a bit of havoc with the voice. Anyhow and More to the point, it seems actual tomb raiders have been here before. Or did your people made sure to depart with such antiques? If not the latter, then... perhaps we can help you find the former since such things seem a concern to you."
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.