Hastos carefully walks over to examine the lever, keeping his distance from the manhole cover. Watching carefully at the walls and floors for anything that might be a lethal trap. (Investigation: 19)
Zombie Red staggers over the glyph, but nothing happens, and it turns into the alcove and just stands there. Ororana chances a peek down the corridor. Though she has darkvision, the deeper shadows created by the limit of Blinky's range obscure her vision. "Hastos?" She rasps inquisitively. She darts over to the northern wall of the corridor and sidesteps closer to the glyph, then taps it with her boot. She can see the zombies cold dead eyes staring in her direction, but nothing else happens. She looks over to Merkas and jerks her head sideways as a guesture to follow her. Then, she continues on. Once she's out of the deeper shadows of Blinky's range, her eyes adjust to the darkness.
"Hastos... do you hear what I hear?" Her ears perk up as if she's found a sex party. "Water." Her eyes are wide with excitement. Of all the treasures she's found in this dungeon so far, nothing compares to the blissful sound of fresh, running water. On her cue, you detect it too. On the south side of the chamber, there's a stairway leading down to what sounds exactly like an underground stream!
There are 5 directions you can go:
West, back the way you came.
Northwest, towards a closed door.
North, down another corridor that leads to some more stairs.
East, into another large chamber that appears to be a gathering hall, perhaps for assemblies and sacred rituals. (There is another glyph right before the stairway leading down into it. Ignore the letters. They mean nothing. I just didn't have time to clean them up.)
South, towards the underground stream.
You each receive 3300 XP for surviving the traps.
Map:
Team SNS:
Stuck in the rear, with no clear method of attack, Sharn waits for an opening...
cheapjoke123 I delayed your initiative until after the statue goes. I'll drop you a message in case you're not getting notifications.
The statue breaks free from Nare's psychic torment and lunges forward with a hammering strike at Sera's chest, sending her flying to the ground, as she strugglings against the darkness clouding her vision.
Statue hits Sera (crit, sorry 😬), and deals 44 damage: Bludgeoning Larskolstad, please make a Death Saving Throw
Content that the threat is defeated, the statue turns around stiffly and lumbers back to its resting place, bumping into zombies and knocking them aside with each heavy step.
Team SNS is currently out of initiative. XP results pending...
"Merkas, sweetie... wanna send your little double out there to see what in the hells just happened?"
"Hmm, oh sure, Blinky you wanna come with me?" The kender looks back at the illuminated apparition, What's wrong? are you worried about what happened last time, That shouldn't bother you, it didn't even affect you last time." A breath later "Don't give me that look, we can go together..."
"Hastos... do you hear what I hear?" Her ears perk up as if she's found a sex party. "Water." Her eyes are wide with excitement. Of all the treasures she's found in this dungeon so far, nothing compares to the blissful sound of fresh, running water. On her cue, you detect it too. On the south side of the chamber, there's a stairway leading down to what sounds exactly like an underground stream!
"What's that? There's water right below the town, these guys better be down here trying to restore it, not keeping it from everybody." Merkas comes rushing into the room towards the south exit. "You think we should let the others know yet? not sure if I can tell them through all this stone but I could try!" The glowing kender is nowhere in sight, but for some reason Merkas is emitting light. He watches the ground for other runes or pressure plates as he noses his way towards the sound of the water."Y'know we best get rid of whoever is limiting this water before we go exploring it. Wouldn't want them shutting it off right after we open it would we? Any suggestions?"
(Insight: 10 for a hint as to what the best step forward is, / Perception:10 for what's inside the water chamber)
Even braced for the impact, Sera couldn't stop the full force of the stone minotaur’s charge. It slammed into her like a battering ram, bypassing her shield and driving its massive fist into her chest. She heard—felt—her ribs crack beneath the blow.
Pain exploded through her chest. Her breath hitched, and a hot gush of blood spilled from her lips. The corridor spun.
She staggered, then fell, her body hitting the cold stone floor. Darkness rose to meet her—cold, quiet, final.
No.
( death save 20. Sorry I am not done for yet ;) )
A single thought burned through the haze. I am not done.
She had felt this before—steel piercing her, life slipping through her fingers. But she had clawed her way back once. And she would again. This is not worse.
She stayed still. Motionless. The pain was unbearable, and yet she welcomed it—it meant she was alive. Her sunblade, still clutched in her hand, flickered faintly with holy light. She hadn’t let it go.
She listened.
The statue shifted, the sound of stone scraping against stone. Heavy footsteps. It was moving away—satisfied. It thought her dead.
Dumb as a brick, she thought bitterly, her teeth gritted in silence.
She lay in the shadows, fighting the urge to groan. The pain in her chest was white-hot, every breath a battle. But she endured, waiting for her moment. Her sword still burned with the light of Paladine.
Hastos walks over and flips the lever, deactivating the spear device.
”Maybe we should just verify this is what we think it is before we make our next move. But you’re right, we need to get rid of this guy. Let’s check those stairs to see if our ‘friend’ went down there, then look elsewhere.” Hastos motions to the stairs and heads that direction.
Ororana enters the chamber more cautiously than Merkas does, but when she sees you've disarmed the trap, she relaxes visibly, and her shoulders droop a bit. "A river... right under us... all this time." She picks up a pebble and throws it against a wall in frustration. "Many good people... friends of mine, have died from dehydration and sickness right above our heads. I'm going to kill them, Hastos. These bastards are going to regret the day they were born when my axe comes for their heads. Council be damned. I'll slaughter the whole f*cking cult myself if I have to." Her eyes are unusually hard in Merkas's flickering light. There's a rage building up inside her that demands justice.
Your available routes are:
North: Another corridor leads north. It's difficult to see at the range of Merkas's light, but you remember a stairway leading down. East: Into the sanctum chamber. South: To the underground stream. West: Back the way you came. Northwest: Through a door that (through a crack, you can see) also leads to some stairs.
Map:
Team SNS:
The statue remains still... seeming completely lifeless as if it had never moved, except for the scratch left behind on its chest by Sera's sword. More zombies can be heard shuffling around in the room just north of where Sera is laying. Out of the corner of her eyes, Sera counts four zombies total.
Hastos places a hand on her shoulder. ”This cruelty is unfathomable. We'll bring those responsible to justice, one way or another.”
He found it odd that he was now comforting someone who, just earlier, he was sure was trying to lure him away from the party to remove his head from his shoulders. “You’re staring too long.” The voice in his head shouted, snapping his attention back to the present.
“Merkas, you’re right - maybe let’s check out that chamber.” Hastos points to the East.
Ororana sets her chin, and she nods at Hastos's words of support. But her strides are more determined now, almost stomping, as she gives her axe a heavy spin, then clutches it tightly in a determined fist and moves into the chamber to the east. As she reaches the entrance to the chamber, her mood changes drastically. "Un-holy sh*t!" she exclaims. "I've never wanted a bag of holding more in my whole life!" Motivated by her reward-seeker nature, she charges into the room. An incredulous chuckle escapes her lips.
When Hastos follows her in, you can see what her excitement is about. The room is filled with offerings to the cult. New converts must've given most, if not all their wealth, to join the ranks in this very chamber. When the cultists evacuated in anticipation of your invasion, they must not have had time to clear this room out. At the end of the chamber, to the far east, there is a pulpit and altar, with a tapestry of a giant red condor behind it.
I changed my mind about the letters. 😅 It was too much work to cover all of them up. So now, each letter represents treasure quality. The closer to Z the letter is, the more the treasure on that tile is worth. Enjoy your candy shop. The "P" represents the pulpit, I decided.
And please, MrUncleTio, roll a Perception check, with Advantage. Hrothbert_Neruca, when Merkas enters the room, roll Perception and Arcana, please. No Advantage, but you may use your HI if you wish (for reasons...)
Northwest: Through a door that (through a crack, you can see) also leads to some stairs.
“Hey Ory, I know it’s tough to watch someone you care about die, believe me I do, but this Chagrinless character, and that scythe Tekel has, seems to be really happy when people get all vengeful and stuff, so we need to be sure that giving justice to these jerks doesn’t let him cause even more havoc around here”
Merkas goes to follow the troupe before the door to the northwest catches his eye. Moving over to it he glances through, trying to see if there’s any hidden enemies behind it before trying to sing it open.
Merkas peers through a crack in the door, and sees another staircase that descends towards what sounds like more water. There's heavier sloshing around in there. Something big is waiting in that area.
Backing away from the door and heading to rejoin his cohorts, Merkas is looking back towards the hall as he enters "Hey, these cultist type people might be keeping some strange creatures down here in the water, like there's that other door in the corner and listening down below it seemed there was a large critter of some sort. Speaking of which, I am pretty sure now that we went the wrong way to catch that guy that was running from us, it might be....What on earth is this all down here for?
Having finally turned to look at the room he'd just entered, Merkas stops in his tracks, looking over all the stuff piled in the area. (14- Perception, 14- Arcana using HI)
"Anyone else notice that we seem to have moved to under the HQ and farming areas, like they're keeping this from a starving people when it's right under the farms?"The Kender starts to carefully sort through some of the more interesting looking piles as he talks, "Like it's a good bet that the guy we're following wouldn'ta lead us this way, being that this is what they're hiding, in some twisted way to make these people get their vengeance on someone in some way. You think that the water down there is connected to the fancy water we found in them caves we were in the other day? We best not load up on to much of this stuff until we come back after catching our robed runner" (14 - sleight of hand to pocket a few treasures as he yammering on)
The statue stands there for several moments while Sharn and Nare stare at Sera's still form. "What are you waiting for, fools? Clean that body up. I am not your housekeeper. And get to your chores. Begin by dispersing those zombies. They keep clustering up in the supply room. Then take some brooms and poles and start cleaning up the channels, and keep a sharp eye out for other intruders. Check in with me in intervals with updates of your progress."
Sharn and Nare look at each other incredulously, then scoop up Sera and bring her back around the corner, until the light of the flame sword can no longer be seen by the statue. "Sorry," Nare whispers to Sera, "we'll find you as soon as we can shake of the eidelon's suspicion."
With that, Sharn and Nare head back towards the supply room where the zombies are and commence the duties of cult acolytes. Just as they leave, Sera can hear the hissing of a snake approaching from around the corner. It seems to think Sera's limp form is an easy meal.
Team HOM:
Ororana sifts through a pile of offerings. "Gold, jewels, weapons, armor... POTIONS!" She grins as she notes a small collection of common potions. "That'll restock my supply, at least, and there's some extra ones for you two!" She holds up a Potion of Healing and a Potion of Comprehend Languages and swirls them around towards Hastos and Merkas. "Some extra supplies can't hurt. Who knows? We may need it later." She pockets three potions for herself in her little pouch, and helps herself to a rather fetching gold necklace with an engraving of open palms reaching up to the sun. Once she puts it on, her eyes pop open. "Whoa! Hastos! You have to try this on!"
Sera heard it—soft scales rasping across stone. A low hiss. The serpent was coming.
She didn’t move at first, just breathed—shallow, pained breaths, as memory surfaced through the haze.
Her father’s voice. Warm. Patient.
"Snakes keep the rodents in check, Sera. They can’t swallow you—not unless you’re the size of a rabbit. Don’t provoke them, don’t startle them. They don’t want to waste venom on something they can’t eat. They avoid fights if they can."
And so she rose.
Slowly. Calmly.
Her body screamed in protest, ribs flaring like iron bars heated red-hot. Her vision blurred. But she stood—tall and steady—her sword held low, her stance not aggressive but firm. She was too big to be prey. She made no sudden moves. Her breathing was shallow but controlled.
The snake halted a few feet away. Its tongue flicked the air, tasting her presence. Searching for threat.
“I’m not your meal,” Sera whispered, not sure why. Perhaps for herself more than the creature.
( animal handling 24 )
She closed her eyes briefly and raised her hand to her chest, fingers brushing over the sun-shaped symbol at her collar.
“Paladine...” Her voice was hoarse. “Your servant has been foolish. Reckless. But I still have work to do. I ask no favor—just the strength to walk again.”
A soft warmth spread through her chest—radiating outward, easing the fire in her ribs. Not gone. But dulled. Bearable.
She opened her eyes and met the serpent’s gaze. The two watched each other for a moment longer—would it slither away? She hoped so.
Sera exhaled, slow and steady. Her muscles trembled, but her balance held.
Merkas also manages to pocket a yellow sapphire, and a silver necklace with a gemstone pendant (art object) on his way to rummage through the magic items.
Sera:
As the snake slithers away, you hear something charge up to it and start rending and tearing. The tail of the snake seems to be writhing in agony. But another sound, much more unnerving than the slow, violent death of the snake, sounds like malignant wheezing laughter. Based on the overlappig sounds of amusement, more than one enemy is around the bend...
Sera stood frozen. Just around the corner, she heard the unmistakable sounds of something—or someone—killing the snake. The wet, abrupt violence of it disturbed her.
And she was alone.
A wave of unease washed over her. She wished her sword would darken, and the comforting shine and buzz of her energy blade vanish...she was retreating into shadow. Reaching into her pouch with deliberate care, she pulled out a piece of chalk.
It had been a long time since she'd used that power. Merkas had always loved his flashy illusions, his radiant displays. She preferred quiet. Subtlety.
( casting Light on the chalk)
Still, she murmured the cantrip, infusing the chalk with light until it glowed like a tiny star in her hand. Then, with a quick flick of her wrist, she tossed it forward—toward the snake's twitching tail.
As the glowing chalk skittered across the ground, casting long, sharp shadows, Sera stepped back—out of its aura—into darkness.
( retrieating out of its shining aura and watching in the darkness. )
Now she waited… to see who, or what, would investigate the light.
As the chalk clacks along the floor, you hear burbling sounds of startled surprise, Looking around the corner, you see three horrid abominations of nature! Ball-shaped creatures blink and roll their eyes at the sudden presence of light. The one closest to the chalk (Ball Creature Black) floats up into the air and its many eyes scan the area you were at to find out who threw such a thing. It's eyes squint in frustration, and it cautiously floats forward, with the other two straggling behind...
Larskolstad to my surprise, they failed their spot check, so you have a surprise round. Go ahead and roll initiative with it. Don't forget, you may also roll and INT check to know the stat block of the creatures. Due to the bizarre nature of their anatomy, a Medine check to determine their HP will not help until you either know what it is, or damage it some.
Sera pressed her hand against the rough wall, breath steadying as she watched the scene ahead. So that was it—three summoned goonballoons. A ridiculous name for something that could poison her, but the name fit. They bobbed eerily in place, like grotesque jellyfish with twitching eyes and a sickly glow.
She checked her pouch. Buckaran’s antidote vial was still there, snug against the leather. Good.
No time to waste. She had the drop on them.
Sliding her sunblade into its sheath, she drew her dagger instead—smaller, faster, perfect for something that floated and twitched. Poison or not, she’d pop those ugly things like blisters.
Long strides. Sile steps.
Then—she struck.
( hit ac 20 with dagger. Give 7 piercing )
She lunged, dagger first, driving it into the nearest orb's bulging eye. It gave a squealing hiss as the blade sank in, fluid spraying in a burst of pressure. She was already twisting, spinning behind it to jam the pointed tip of her elemental-metal shield into the next one’s side—driving it like a battering ram.
( hits ac 20 with shield. Give 6 piercing.)
Sera held her breath.
Any second now..
She half-expected an explosion. Or maybe a sickly green puff like stepping on a rotten mushroom.
( will make first ave vs poisin but not second . Gets initiative 3)
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Hastos carefully walks over to examine the lever, keeping his distance from the manhole cover. Watching carefully at the walls and floors for anything that might be a lethal trap. (Investigation: 19)
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Team HOM:
Zombie Red staggers over the glyph, but nothing happens, and it turns into the alcove and just stands there. Ororana chances a peek down the corridor. Though she has darkvision, the deeper shadows created by the limit of Blinky's range obscure her vision. "Hastos?" She rasps inquisitively. She darts over to the northern wall of the corridor and sidesteps closer to the glyph, then taps it with her boot. She can see the zombies cold dead eyes staring in her direction, but nothing else happens. She looks over to Merkas and jerks her head sideways as a guesture to follow her. Then, she continues on. Once she's out of the deeper shadows of Blinky's range, her eyes adjust to the darkness.
"Hastos... do you hear what I hear?" Her ears perk up as if she's found a sex party. "Water." Her eyes are wide with excitement. Of all the treasures she's found in this dungeon so far, nothing compares to the blissful sound of fresh, running water. On her cue, you detect it too. On the south side of the chamber, there's a stairway leading down to what sounds exactly like an underground stream!
There are 5 directions you can go:
You each receive 3300 XP for surviving the traps.
Map:
Team SNS:
Stuck in the rear, with no clear method of attack, Sharn waits for an opening...
cheapjoke123 I delayed your initiative until after the statue goes. I'll drop you a message in case you're not getting notifications.
The statue breaks free from Nare's psychic torment and lunges forward with a hammering strike at Sera's chest, sending her flying to the ground, as she strugglings against the darkness clouding her vision.
Statue hits Sera (crit, sorry 😬), and deals 44 damage: Bludgeoning
Larskolstad, please make a Death Saving Throw
Content that the threat is defeated, the statue turns around stiffly and lumbers back to its resting place, bumping into zombies and knocking them aside with each heavy step.
Team SNS is currently out of initiative. XP results pending...
Map:
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
"Hmm, oh sure, Blinky you wanna come with me?" The kender looks back at the illuminated apparition, What's wrong? are you worried about what happened last time, That shouldn't bother you, it didn't even affect you last time." A breath later "Don't give me that look, we can go together..."
"What's that? There's water right below the town, these guys better be down here trying to restore it, not keeping it from everybody." Merkas comes rushing into the room towards the south exit. "You think we should let the others know yet? not sure if I can tell them through all this stone but I could try!" The glowing kender is nowhere in sight, but for some reason Merkas is emitting light. He watches the ground for other runes or pressure plates as he noses his way towards the sound of the water. "Y'know we best get rid of whoever is limiting this water before we go exploring it. Wouldn't want them shutting it off right after we open it would we? Any suggestions?"
(Insight: 10 for a hint as to what the best step forward is, / Perception:10 for what's inside the water chamber)
Loyalty Begets Honour
Even braced for the impact, Sera couldn't stop the full force of the stone minotaur’s charge. It slammed into her like a battering ram, bypassing her shield and driving its massive fist into her chest. She heard—felt—her ribs crack beneath the blow.
Pain exploded through her chest. Her breath hitched, and a hot gush of blood spilled from her lips. The corridor spun.
She staggered, then fell, her body hitting the cold stone floor. Darkness rose to meet her—cold, quiet, final.
No.
( death save 20. Sorry I am not done for yet ;) )
A single thought burned through the haze. I am not done.
She had felt this before—steel piercing her, life slipping through her fingers. But she had clawed her way back once. And she would again. This is not worse.
She stayed still. Motionless. The pain was unbearable, and yet she welcomed it—it meant she was alive. Her sunblade, still clutched in her hand, flickered faintly with holy light. She hadn’t let it go.
She listened.
The statue shifted, the sound of stone scraping against stone. Heavy footsteps. It was moving away—satisfied. It thought her dead.
Dumb as a brick, she thought bitterly, her teeth gritted in silence.
She lay in the shadows, fighting the urge to groan. The pain in her chest was white-hot, every breath a battle. But she endured, waiting for her moment. Her sword still burned with the light of Paladine.
Let it turn its back...
Then she would strike.
Hastos walks over and flips the lever, deactivating the spear device.
”Maybe we should just verify this is what we think it is before we make our next move. But you’re right, we need to get rid of this guy. Let’s check those stairs to see if our ‘friend’ went down there, then look elsewhere.” Hastos motions to the stairs and heads that direction.
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Team HOM:
Ororana enters the chamber more cautiously than Merkas does, but when she sees you've disarmed the trap, she relaxes visibly, and her shoulders droop a bit. "A river... right under us... all this time." She picks up a pebble and throws it against a wall in frustration. "Many good people... friends of mine, have died from dehydration and sickness right above our heads. I'm going to kill them, Hastos. These bastards are going to regret the day they were born when my axe comes for their heads. Council be damned. I'll slaughter the whole f*cking cult myself if I have to." Her eyes are unusually hard in Merkas's flickering light. There's a rage building up inside her that demands justice.
Your available routes are:
North: Another corridor leads north. It's difficult to see at the range of Merkas's light, but you remember a stairway leading down.
East: Into the sanctum chamber.
South: To the underground stream.
West: Back the way you came.
Northwest: Through a door that (through a crack, you can see) also leads to some stairs.
Map:
Team SNS:
The statue remains still... seeming completely lifeless as if it had never moved, except for the scratch left behind on its chest by Sera's sword. More zombies can be heard shuffling around in the room just north of where Sera is laying. Out of the corner of her eyes, Sera counts four zombies total.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Hastos places a hand on her shoulder. ”This cruelty is unfathomable. We'll bring those responsible to justice, one way or another.”
He found it odd that he was now comforting someone who, just earlier, he was sure was trying to lure him away from the party to remove his head from his shoulders. “You’re staring too long.” The voice in his head shouted, snapping his attention back to the present.
“Merkas, you’re right - maybe let’s check out that chamber.” Hastos points to the East.
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Team HOM:
Ororana sets her chin, and she nods at Hastos's words of support. But her strides are more determined now, almost stomping, as she gives her axe a heavy spin, then clutches it tightly in a determined fist and moves into the chamber to the east. As she reaches the entrance to the chamber, her mood changes drastically. "Un-holy sh*t!" she exclaims. "I've never wanted a bag of holding more in my whole life!" Motivated by her reward-seeker nature, she charges into the room. An incredulous chuckle escapes her lips.
When Hastos follows her in, you can see what her excitement is about. The room is filled with offerings to the cult. New converts must've given most, if not all their wealth, to join the ranks in this very chamber. When the cultists evacuated in anticipation of your invasion, they must not have had time to clear this room out. At the end of the chamber, to the far east, there is a pulpit and altar, with a tapestry of a giant red condor behind it.
I changed my mind about the letters. 😅 It was too much work to cover all of them up. So now, each letter represents treasure quality. The closer to Z the letter is, the more the treasure on that tile is worth. Enjoy your candy shop. The "P" represents the pulpit, I decided.
And please, MrUncleTio, roll a Perception check, with Advantage.
Hrothbert_Neruca, when Merkas enters the room, roll Perception and Arcana, please. No Advantage, but you may use your HI if you wish (for reasons...)
Map:
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
“Hey Ory, I know it’s tough to watch someone you care about die, believe me I do, but this Chagrinless character, and that scythe Tekel has, seems to be really happy when people get all vengeful and stuff, so we need to be sure that giving justice to these jerks doesn’t let him cause even more havoc around here”
Merkas goes to follow the troupe before the door to the northwest catches his eye. Moving over to it he glances through, trying to see if there’s any hidden enemies behind it before trying to sing it open.
Loyalty Begets Honour
Team HOM:
Merkas peers through a crack in the door, and sees another staircase that descends towards what sounds like more water. There's heavier sloshing around in there. Something big is waiting in that area.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Hastos enters the chamber behind Ororana. He’s stopped in his tracks at the amount of wealth in front of him (Perception: 7)
”Wow” was all he could say. He continued forward toward the pulpit, looking at the piles of riches on either side of the isle.
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Backing away from the door and heading to rejoin his cohorts, Merkas is looking back towards the hall as he enters "Hey, these cultist type people might be keeping some strange creatures down here in the water, like there's that other door in the corner and listening down below it seemed there was a large critter of some sort. Speaking of which, I am pretty sure now that we went the wrong way to catch that guy that was running from us, it might be....What on earth is this all down here for?
Having finally turned to look at the room he'd just entered, Merkas stops in his tracks, looking over all the stuff piled in the area. (14- Perception, 14- Arcana using HI)
"Anyone else notice that we seem to have moved to under the HQ and farming areas, like they're keeping this from a starving people when it's right under the farms?"The Kender starts to carefully sort through some of the more interesting looking piles as he talks, "Like it's a good bet that the guy we're following wouldn'ta lead us this way, being that this is what they're hiding, in some twisted way to make these people get their vengeance on someone in some way. You think that the water down there is connected to the fancy water we found in them caves we were in the other day? We best not load up on to much of this stuff until we come back after catching our robed runner" (14 - sleight of hand to pocket a few treasures as he yammering on)
Loyalty Begets Honour
Team SNS:
The statue stands there for several moments while Sharn and Nare stare at Sera's still form. "What are you waiting for, fools? Clean that body up. I am not your housekeeper. And get to your chores. Begin by dispersing those zombies. They keep clustering up in the supply room. Then take some brooms and poles and start cleaning up the channels, and keep a sharp eye out for other intruders. Check in with me in intervals with updates of your progress."
Sharn and Nare look at each other incredulously, then scoop up Sera and bring her back around the corner, until the light of the flame sword can no longer be seen by the statue. "Sorry," Nare whispers to Sera, "we'll find you as soon as we can shake of the eidelon's suspicion."
With that, Sharn and Nare head back towards the supply room where the zombies are and commence the duties of cult acolytes. Just as they leave, Sera can hear the hissing of a snake approaching from around the corner. It seems to think Sera's limp form is an easy meal.
Team HOM:
Ororana sifts through a pile of offerings. "Gold, jewels, weapons, armor... POTIONS!" She grins as she notes a small collection of common potions. "That'll restock my supply, at least, and there's some extra ones for you two!" She holds up a Potion of Healing and a Potion of Comprehend Languages and swirls them around towards Hastos and Merkas. "Some extra supplies can't hurt. Who knows? We may need it later." She pockets three potions for herself in her little pouch, and helps herself to a rather fetching gold necklace with an engraving of open palms reaching up to the sun. Once she puts it on, her eyes pop open. "Whoa! Hastos! You have to try this on!"
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Sera heard it—soft scales rasping across stone. A low hiss. The serpent was coming.
She didn’t move at first, just breathed—shallow, pained breaths, as memory surfaced through the haze.
Her father’s voice. Warm. Patient.
"Snakes keep the rodents in check, Sera. They can’t swallow you—not unless you’re the size of a rabbit. Don’t provoke them, don’t startle them. They don’t want to waste venom on something they can’t eat. They avoid fights if they can."
And so she rose.
Slowly. Calmly.
Her body screamed in protest, ribs flaring like iron bars heated red-hot. Her vision blurred. But she stood—tall and steady—her sword held low, her stance not aggressive but firm. She was too big to be prey. She made no sudden moves. Her breathing was shallow but controlled.
The snake halted a few feet away. Its tongue flicked the air, tasting her presence. Searching for threat.
“I’m not your meal,” Sera whispered, not sure why. Perhaps for herself more than the creature.
( animal handling 24 )
She closed her eyes briefly and raised her hand to her chest, fingers brushing over the sun-shaped symbol at her collar.
“Paladine...” Her voice was hoarse. “Your servant has been foolish. Reckless. But I still have work to do. I ask no favor—just the strength to walk again.”
A soft warmth spread through her chest—radiating outward, easing the fire in her ribs. Not gone. But dulled. Bearable.
She opened her eyes and met the serpent’s gaze. The two watched each other for a moment longer—would it slither away? She hoped so.
Sera exhaled, slow and steady. Her muscles trembled, but her balance held.
She was sore as the Abyss—but she was alive.
And she wasn’t done yet.
( cast two cure light wounds. Heal 23 hp)
Team Hom:
Merkas discovers a ring with a jewel shaped like a brain. Under a pile of other magic items, he pulls out a very interesting looking bag.
Spoiler for Hrothbert_Neruca
Merkas also manages to pocket a yellow sapphire, and a silver necklace with a gemstone pendant (art object) on his way to rummage through the magic items.
Sera:
As the snake slithers away, you hear something charge up to it and start rending and tearing. The tail of the snake seems to be writhing in agony. But another sound, much more unnerving than the slow, violent death of the snake, sounds like malignant wheezing laughter. Based on the overlappig sounds of amusement, more than one enemy is around the bend...
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Sera stood frozen. Just around the corner, she heard the unmistakable sounds of something—or someone—killing the snake. The wet, abrupt violence of it disturbed her.
And she was alone.
A wave of unease washed over her. She wished her sword would darken, and the comforting shine and buzz of her energy blade vanish...she was retreating into shadow. Reaching into her pouch with deliberate care, she pulled out a piece of chalk.
It had been a long time since she'd used that power. Merkas had always loved his flashy illusions, his radiant displays. She preferred quiet. Subtlety.
( casting Light on the chalk)
Still, she murmured the cantrip, infusing the chalk with light until it glowed like a tiny star in her hand. Then, with a quick flick of her wrist, she tossed it forward—toward the snake's twitching tail.
As the glowing chalk skittered across the ground, casting long, sharp shadows, Sera stepped back—out of its aura—into darkness.
( retrieating out of its shining aura and watching in the darkness. )
Now she waited… to see who, or what, would investigate the light.
Sera:
As the chalk clacks along the floor, you hear burbling sounds of startled surprise, Looking around the corner, you see three horrid abominations of nature! Ball-shaped creatures blink and roll their eyes at the sudden presence of light. The one closest to the chalk (Ball Creature Black) floats up into the air and its many eyes scan the area you were at to find out who threw such a thing. It's eyes squint in frustration, and it cautiously floats forward, with the other two straggling behind...
Larskolstad to my surprise, they failed their spot check, so you have a surprise round. Go ahead and roll initiative with it. Don't forget, you may also roll and INT check to know the stat block of the creatures. Due to the bizarre nature of their anatomy, a Medine check to determine their HP will not help until you either know what it is, or damage it some.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
She peeked.
Three floating, ball-like creatures with many eyes hovered near the glowing chalk. Her eyes widened. She quickly ducked back and hurried to hide.
They seemed familiar… hadn’t she read about creatures like these?
She tried to recall—digging through half-remembered pages in her mind, reaching for whatever scraps of knowledge might help her now.
( int test 18 )
( the map not displaying on my mobile sadky. I must just use theater of mind)
Hastos wanders over to the pulpit and discovers a set of books.
”Helllllooooo.” He says slyly. He starts to reach for the books, then waves his hand over them in a side to side motion. (Detect Magic).
He looks up when Ororana suggests he try on the pendant. “Maybe we should hold off on trying anything on until we know what this stuff is.”
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Sera pressed her hand against the rough wall, breath steadying as she watched the scene ahead. So that was it—three summoned goonballoons. A ridiculous name for something that could poison her, but the name fit. They bobbed eerily in place, like grotesque jellyfish with twitching eyes and a sickly glow.
She checked her pouch. Buckaran’s antidote vial was still there, snug against the leather. Good.
No time to waste. She had the drop on them.
Sliding her sunblade into its sheath, she drew her dagger instead—smaller, faster, perfect for something that floated and twitched. Poison or not, she’d pop those ugly things like blisters.
Long strides. Sile steps.
Then—she struck.
( hit ac 20 with dagger. Give 7 piercing )
She lunged, dagger first, driving it into the nearest orb's bulging eye. It gave a squealing hiss as the blade sank in, fluid spraying in a burst of pressure. She was already twisting, spinning behind it to jam the pointed tip of her elemental-metal shield into the next one’s side—driving it like a battering ram.
( hits ac 20 with shield. Give 6 piercing.)
Sera held her breath.
Any second now..
She half-expected an explosion. Or maybe a sickly green puff like stepping on a rotten mushroom.
( will make first ave vs poisin but not second . Gets initiative 3)