(Trepidation confirmed!)

(Is there anything of note with the other skeletons, such as weapons? Ori will kick away any weapons away from them if there are)

Thatch enters the chamber alongside Sir Almeric, gazing in wonder at the domed ceiling and the spiraling colors on the floor.  As Fergus moves to examine the skeletons he warns “Be careful, the last remains we encountered almost ended us.  The dead don’t tend to stay that way around here.”  Thatch moves toward the tilted slab and looks down the staircase before responding to Fergus “It looks like down is the only way to go.  Are we ready?”  Thatch searches the staircase for any signs of traps and heads slowly down if it appears clear. 

Perception: 10.

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Famh has been tracing the spiral patterns with increasingly anxious eyes, finishing up with a gaze at the entrance doors that you can almost see following the lines of the skull and moon with growing fear.  Her eyes return from this just in time to see Fergus by the chief incantor's remains about to seize his staff!  Just before his fingers touch it, she cries out to him, "Beware the pale serpent of the moon!  Ware stirring the High King of the Fomorians in the lair he burrowed sin' his fall!"  She cradles her staff in her elbow as she speaks, leaving her hands free to act ... whether to lash her blade to the end or draw her sling, or to invoke the faerie powers of her ancestors on the maternal side..

Fergus turns towards the stairs looking up as both Famh and Thatch speak, then he suddenly gasps his body spasming as his grip on the staff releases and it clatters to the ground.

He sinks to his knees and wretches as if suffering the after effects of too much drink, as he convulses and coughs he throws up a white milky substance that etches the stone a little when it spatters upon it......moments later he convulses again and something more substantial is vomited from him.......a pale white eyeless serpent the length and thickness of a mans arm slides from his jaws to flop onto the stone, its body has the consistency of dead flesh and more of the the white milky slime seems to coat its entire length.  A black tri-split tongue issues from its razor jaws as if tasting the air.

Fergus-

Famh screams in horror as her evil visions not only take on all-too-real flesh but possess and wrack the body of her friend Fergus to do it!   Looking to see where her friends are in the chamber, she calls upon the fire she used in the Dell to bar the serpent's path to Cainneach  and as many of the others as possible.  If she can drive it away from Fergus  with the flames, so much the better; and best of all if she can catch the creature itself within the fire.

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Create bonfire: " Until the spell ends, the magic bonfire fills a 5-foot cube. Any creature in the bonfire’s space when you cast the spell must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 fire damage. A creature must also make the saving throw when it moves into the bonfire’s space for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there."

(if she can mold the spell so, she will halve the height to 2 1/2 feet and spread the resulting 10 x 2 1/2 foot cube out to protect as many as possible ... maybe halve the width and double the length for a 5' wide x 20' long x 2 1/2' high barrier?  Please don't tell me a SNAKE's gonna jump over a five foot wide bonfire!)

The flames spring up before Fergus and consume the serpent entirely reducing it to ash in moments.......

Fergus shrimps away from the flames before curling up in the foetal position holding his stomach in pain. His eyes stream tears and his throat fiery raw from having the milky snake pushed out. He gets to his knees and waves to the others to show the worst has past. Using his quaterstaff, he rises and spits some of milky substance from his mouth. 

"Apologies.." he croaks and waves for them to move on, clearly shook and embarrassed for making a scene while steering clear of the staff. There is a tremor in his hand though it may not have been just from his experience with the snake.

Tana moves in quietly behind Thatch, casting a quick glance down the exposed staircase before startling at Fame's scream. Whirling around, flame coiling between her fingers, Tana locks her gaze on Fergus' writhing form.

Her stance relaxes as Fame's quick reaction fells the mildly white snake and concern takes its place as she quickly moves toward Fergus' side. Brows furrowed slightly, a pale hand hovering over his shoulder, "Are you alright?" she inquires.

Swallowing hard and somehow even paler than before, he avoids direct eye contact before replying in a raspy whisper
"That was a first and hopefully the last. I did not sense the danger and paid for it. Sorry everybody. Thank you Tana for the concern." Fergus replies clearly rattled.
He nods a thank you to Famh before shifting uncomfortably, both from being in the spotlight and trying to ignore fears of eggs laid in his stomach. 

Almeric is surprised at Fergus impetuous behaviour. It was not like him to act like this and not how Almeric had encouraged him to behave. "Bloody Fool!" he mutters under his breath, then immediately shakes in head in remorse at his own unkindness. Standing opposite Tana to render aid, Almeric will Lay on Hands if Fergus is wounded.

"Stay alert and focussed on your jobs, people!"

Both Cainneach and Salt freeze, stupefied by what they've just witnessed.  Cainneach had seen some bizarre and horrible things in his time adventuring, but nothing quite like what had just happened to their friend Fergus.  Salt lays down at Cainneach's feet and lets out a low, mournful howl after the snake burns away and Fergus makes his way to his feet.  Cainneach quietly stays out of the way, awaiting direction from Almeric and the party's magic users, hoping they can make better sense of what transpired and the danger they face than he and his hound can.

Fergus looks to Sir Almeric sheepishly

"I am fine Sir, all things considered. I have no excuse, I thought it were a magical item like the ones we discovered by the ghost.

I have no idea what that white snake is about, though I suspect it was perhaps trying to possess me in some way. I advise the obvious that nobody else touch the staff."

"More than that.," Famh says grimly.  "If we can move it without touching it, we should see about burying it under heavy stones and whatever other wards we can put upon it, so it canna work its evil through those who find it ever again.  Just before that creature tried to possess Fergus, I had a terrible vision of a pale serpent falling down from the moon and eating itself a burrow into the heart of the world.  And there's a moon and skull on those doors sure.  I'd say to destroy it, but I'm not sure we've the power; or what would come to pass if we did destroy it and were nigh at hand.  And I don't think the snake I burned was more than a larva of the beast ... there's darkness in that staff yet."

"We should be able to raise it between two ordinary staffs, like a pincers.  Or I could use my faerie hand again ... I'd not ask Fergus to have to touch it again even that much."

Ori nudges Fergus, "Seems to me you could wrap that thing up and carry with ya. Then whenever we do meet our bitter end on the road, you can rest easy knowing that the dirty rat that tries to loot your goods has quite the surprise waiting for em!"  He chuckles, trying to lighten the mood and take the focus off Fergus's slip. Ori knows deep down he woukd have done the same so he sure isn't going to hold ot against Fergus.

Hearing Ori's words, Famh looks over at him.  "Ye may have just uttered wisdom under cloak of a jest, Ori.  Except we'd only needs carry it far enough to deliver it to Myrddin, together with our warning as to what it is and does.  He ought to be a wise enough sage to know how to keep it safe.  Let's put it in a corner afar from the stairs if we mean to do that, and bind it up to carry with us once we've checked the rest of this place."

"We'll have to carry it like the venomous Birgha if we do though.  'Twas a spear in Thulish legend, the tale of Fionn macUail; and its malice was so great it had to be kept chained to a wall with its head wrapped in blankets and stuck in a bucket of water so it didn't kill people all on its own.  Once Fionn faced a faerie laird who played such unearthly music on his pipe and timpan that all who heard it fell asleep; and he kept awake by putting his head near the head of the spear so its heat and acrid stench and all its pernicious qualities would prevent him from falling to slumber.  As the friend who brought it to him said, 'You couldn't go to sleep near that stench.  No one could.'  And it had been the faerie laird's own spear, and ...,"  She suddenly realizes she is starting to babble as the first shock of the serpent wears off, and goes to stand quietly by Cainneach.  Only very occasionally, as she looks at the thoroughly charbroiled remains of the serpent, you would swear you hear her mutter, "There've been days ..., " before shaking her head and swallowing hard.  She draws very close to him each time this happens, a darkness of memory haunting her eyes.

Thatchs search of the staircase interrupted by the dramatics above resumes and he concludes that the stairs are safe to descend.

Quote from OisinmacCameron >>

Hearing Ori's words, Famh looks over at him.  "Ye may have just uttered wisdom under cloak of a jest, Ori.  Except we'd only needs carry it far enough to deliver it to Myrddin, together with our warning as to what it is and does.  He ought to be a wise enough sage to know how to keep it safe.  Let's put it in a corner afar from the stairs if we mean to do that, and bind it up to carry with us once we've checked the rest of this place."

"We'll have to carry it like the venomous Birgha if we do though.  'Twas a spear in Thulish legend, the tale of Fionn macUail; and its malice was so great it had to be kept chained to a wall with its head wrapped in blankets and stuck in a bucket of water so it didn't kill people all on its own.  Once Fionn faced a faerie laird who played such unearthly music on his pipe and timpan that all who heard it fell asleep; and he kept awake by putting his head near the head of the spear so its heat and acrid stench and all its pernicious qualities would prevent him from falling to slumber.  As the friend who brought it to him said, 'You couldn't go to sleep near that stench.  No one could.'  And it had been the faerie laird's own spear, and ...,"  She suddenly realizes she is starting to babble as the first shock of the serpent wears off, and goes to stand quietly by Cainneach.  Only very occasionally, as she looks at the thoroughly charbroiled remains of the serpent, you would swear you hear her mutter, "There've been days ..., " before shaking her head and swallowing hard.  She draws very close to him each time this happens, a darkness of memory haunting her eyes.

Cainneach nods along knowingly as Famh relates this Thulish myth to the party.  His formative days had been rich with these sorts of tales, full of bombastic characters and powerful artifacts that stood in contrast to the stories of the Aos Si told him by Dru in Fenring Forest.  As Famh approaches, he looks with sadness upon her lovely face, a combination of elfin features and mortal worries, all framed in fiery auburn.  He silently wraps his arm around her as she stands by his side, wishing to keep whatever shadows dwell in this place away from her.

With Famh and Salt by his side, Cainneach feels complete and comfortable for a fleeting moment, but with Thatch ready to proceed, he knows he must join the diminutive rogue in forging a path for the party.  He gives Famh one last reassuring hug and heads up to join Thatch, leaving Salt with her for the moment.

Perception:  15

Ori clammers down the stairs like it's a path he's taken a hundred times before, trying to put on a little show of confidence and hopes it will perk up the group. The big man wasn't sure what he was going to run into, at least Thatch said the way was clear before he bounded down them. Appearance is half the battle to combat fear and and give a sense of confidence, and sometimes the right attitude makes the difference in a winning or losing performance. "Next prize is mine!"

When Cainneach wraps his arm comfortingly around Famh, he feels her absolutely melt into his embrace!  "Oh, Cainneach ... !," she murmurs, her eyes soft and far away.  A moment later, she becomes acutely aware they are not alone together in the slightest, and that this is perhaps not the safest or most comfortable place for a courting hearth.   NOT that she intends moving away, mind; she simply straightens in the circle of his arm just enough to restore what could still be interpreted as hug-between-good-friends distance and smiles at him.  "You do know how to make me feel better, 'neach leannan."

As he steps forward to join Thatch by the stairway, she gives Salt a reassuring pat on the head and then rests her hand lightly on his flank or back if he allows it. While the scouts examine the way forward, she steps up into the second rank behind them and begins carefully looking at the three skeletons sprawling where the staff had been. She is most particular not to touch them in any way, nor to approach closer than necessary for her examination; but she bends and twists and peers until she is sure she's seen as much as she can. That done, she will turn to gaze down the stairway over Cainneach's shoulder.

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Investigation 8

Perception 12