As Fenchurch is plunged into the ooze, she offers a mirthful grin and a thumbs-up to the group, as if to communicate "Everything is fine! This was mostly the plan!"
Liamae squeaks in surprise as Fenchurch is engulfed. Not wanting to burn the knight, the elf backs up and uses her magic to hurl a large rock—
—somewhere far from the general vicinity of the slime!
Fenchurch musters all of her strength in an attempt to rip the animate pile of goop off of herself.
As Liamae backs away, the slime mold wobbles at her.
Liamae gets hit, and finds herself coated in black moldy slime.
Projectiles and missiles fly errantly around the slime mold, and, try as she might, Fenchurch can't break free of its hold.
Somehow, Fenchurch stands strong against what germs thrive in the slime.
Nighttail stabs at the slime, careful to aim around Fenchurch.
As she pulls her spear out, the slime mold springs a leak, and like its brethren, quickly loses cohesion and collapses into a black puddle on the ground.
Fenchurch stands free, although covered in goop. In a moment, she shrinks back down to normal size.
As calm settles over the scene, a quiet weeping can be heard coming from the direction of Arnholde's body. Khari reappears in her natural, full arachnid form, crying over her lost love.
Moira, seeing Liamae's mold, shrieks a wild finale!
Liamae reels from the impact, falling on her bottom! Fortunately, the ooze is quickly destroyed. Unfortunately, the elf's beautiful clothes are coated with slime! "Ew, gross!" she whines.
Moira rushes forward and puts a comforting arm around Khari's... hmm, where's the appropriate place? She opts for thorax.
"I'm glad we found him. Now we can take him home."
Khari’s mandibles hiss, "I’m s-s-sorry I wasn’t more help." She caresses Arnholde’s moldy face with a spindly leg, then starts wrapping his body in silk.
Iagon staggers and falls to one knee. He’s covered in dark slime and badly bruised and battered. He stands back up and groans, "What an awful place." He stumbles over and sits on the base of the statue, moaning and rubbing his head.
Nighttail stands triumphantly with her spear for a moment, then checks on Fenchurch. She glances up at the statue of the serpentine god and then over at the four egg shaped sarcophagi.
She begins walking over to the sarcophagi.
Moira looks over her shoulder at Nighttail and calls out, "Don't forget to check for traps, ranger! And don't open those coffins just yet. No reason to hurry this. Wait until we can cover you as you uncover... whatever.'"
As Khari is now busy, Moira heads to Liamae and Iagon and begins doing what she can to clean them off with Prestidigitation. "It might not stain? Maybe?" she says hopefully.
"Hopefully. Magical cleaning can only go so far. I'll need to properly wash them all when we get back. And take hot bath myself!" Liamae says.
"Hold up there a moment," Túrante says. "Let me have a look in case of any little surprises left behind." The ranger takes a careful look over the sarcophagus and then the statue.
The statue towers over the center of the room, standing at about 15 feet tall. It would be taller but for the missing head. The statue looks ancient, archaic, unworldly, but otherwise well preserved, all things considered.
Smeared across the statue in black mold-paste is an unholy symbol, uneasy to look upon. It appears to be a recent addition.
The statue appears trap free.
The sarcophagi are egg-shaped and decorated with serpentine motifs, as well as depictions of serpentfolk at war with giant one-eyed humanoids. The serpentfolk emerge victorious. In Draconic text are carved the names of the occupants, Noz-Tu, Zhoz-Tu, Szahlisha of the Glittering Eyes, and Metluithee the Lesser, Bone Prophet, Slayer of Grokaros. On Metluithee's sarcophagus is the depiction of a serpentfolk priestess triumphantly striking down a horned and tusked one-eyed giant with a magical spear.
There is the faint noise of movement coming from within Metluithee's sarcophagus.
Liamae follows behind Turante, examining the statue and sarcophagus but not making much sense of the decorations. She pauses when she hears the sounds inside the sarcophagus. "Something is moving in there..."
Moira hums a few tunes and tries to remember if any of them are relevant:
"I've heard of these guys! Just some doggerel rhymes, but here they are:
"The Sundered God Ydersius/
"In serpents was immersing us/
"Was Ydersius/
a' cursing us?/
Of course he was!"
"Nighttail, is he someone you know about?"
"And the symbol is Cyth V'sug. I, uh, don't remember the song but he's a demon lord of mushrooms, parasites, and diseases. Makes sense."
Before popping open the sarcophagus, she bops Fenchurch and Turante with the Wand.
Iagon dips into the party supply and helps himself to a curative drought.
He still looks battered and broken. He looks nervously over at the party gathering at the sarcophagi.
Khari continues wrapping Arnholde's body in spider silk, preparing for the journey back to town, quietly weeping to herself.
Nighttail shakes her head, "I'm not much for religion." She points at the imagery depicted on Metluithee's sarcophagus, "This must be the one!" she says excitedly. When the elves point out movement from within, she stands ready with spear in hand.
"Me either," Moira replies to Nighttail. She draws her magic sword and takes up a position outside of normal spore burst range, but close to the sarcophagus.
"I'll start singing. Then, bust it open. Like last time. Better stay back, Iagon."
"Fenchurch? Or I could take this one... maybe."
As final slime mold falls away form her, Fenchurch inhales greatfully.
She wipes away some of the residual slime from her face and eyes, but seems otherwise unconcerned with post-battle cleanliness.
After hearing Moira identify the involvement of Cyth V'sug, Fenchurch is filled with a minor upswell of confidence. Her instincts had proven correct: despite appearances, this calamity could hardly be considered "natural".
Scanning the battered group, the woodland knight seems pensive. "We're a good bit worse for wear, but I suppose there's no sense in waiting to see if whatever is in there can get itself out. I trust your judgement."
With that, she returns her greataxe to it's sling on her back. She stretches, adopts a braced position suitable for lifting, and attempts to remove the stone lid of the sarcophagus.
Moira starts up a song, something respectful, with a hint of irreverence. Y'know, a grave-robbing ditty.
Fenchurch grabs the sarcophagus lid, and with a mighty heave, slides it open. As she does, a cold wind seems to blow through the chamber. A skeletal hand, coated in blood and gore, emerges from inside the sarcophagus and helps to push the lid aside.
Within stands a serpentfolk skeleton, dripping red with blood, undying as the headless god she once served. It seems to match the depiction of Metluithee the Lesser on the coffin lid, with gleaming chainmail and spear, an unholy symbol of Ydersius hanging from its neck.
Coiled at its feet, a metal cobra hisses, ready to strike.
Iagon groans as he rises to his feet, "Oh you've gone and done it now." He limps around the statue base to where he can get a clean shot.
Despite their poor tactical situation, Fenchurch practically grins as the blood-soaked skeleton climbs it's way up from the sarcophagus.
"Finally, something more my speed! Right here, I'm the one you want you blighted bag of bones!"
The tall warrior unslings her greataxe as she taunts the skeleton, bringing it around in a sideswipe at her undead foe.
"Look out!" Liamae shouts. Knowing her weapons won't be of much use here, the elf reaches out to touch Fenchurch's armor, infusing it with protective magic.
Moira desperately wants to show off her undead humor trick... but she passes her will save to resist the temptation to cast Hideous Laughter on the skeleton. She steps up and swings instead.
Túrante misses.
Liamae bolsters Fenchurch as the green knight challenges the emerging undead priestess. Fenchurch strikes true, blood slicked bones crush beneath the weight of her axe, although they seem to resist the cutting blade.
Moira’s blade misses its mark, while Túrante’s fails to harm the iron cobra.
The gleam of Metluithee’s spear reflects in Nighttail’s eye, and her kobold lust for power and shiny grabs hold. She thrusts her spear at the bloody skeleton.
She gets past the chain mail but her pointy stick only chips the bone beneath.
Sensing the rising commotion, Khari, still in her arachnid form, drags Arnholde’s silk-wrapped body to the far side of the room.
The bloody Serpentfolk skeleton unhinges it’s jaw and attacks the tomb raiders.
It misses Nighttail with both spear and bite. Beneath its armor, blood and gore flow towards broken bones, slowly repairing the damage done by Fenchurch and Nighttail.
The iron cobra also lashes out with dripping fangs.
Túrante kicks it away.
Finding his opening, Iagon fires a blast at the skeleton.
Flying mushroom chunks are deflected by chain mail.
Moira keeps singin' and swingin', taking advantage of Nighttail's flank:
Fenchurch's eyes narrow as the skeleton's bones slowly knit together. "We've got to kill this thing quickly!" she shouts before brining her axe down in a mighty overhead chop.
Túrante misses again.
Liamae grants Turante the protection of her aegis as well.
Liamae skirts around the fray to help keep the Princess from further harm.
Fenchurch focuses her fury into another crushing blow, bone and sinew snapping under the force of her axe. It looks like the skeleton my soon fall if she can manage another hit like that.
Moira and Túrante can’t get through mail and iron.
Nighttail stabs at the skeleton again.
The skeleton avoids her this time.
Khari moves back towards the action and tries to goop up the iron cobra.
Webs scatter uselessly across the floor.
The bloody skeleton redirects its attention to the biggest threat.
Liamae’s aegis keeps Fenchurch safe. The broken bones continue to mend.
The iron cobra continues to lash out.
Fenchurch is so focused on the skeleton, she doesn’t see the cobra at her feet. Steel fangs pierce into her calf muscles, a dose of injected venom begins burning through her veins.
Iagon blasts again from close range, this time at the iron cobra
Wooden particles dent the cobra’s metal form. Any fleshy creature would have suffered more.
Túrante finally lands a blow with a resounding clang against the iron cobra. Sparks shower as her sword deflects off the thing's metal scales, but she leaves a scratch.
Moira sings a hack n' slash song, acting out the lyrics as she goes:
It's hard to multitask.
Fenchurch hisses as the cobra pumps it's venom into her veins, but remains undeterred from felling her quarry.
Liamae casts resistance on Fenchurch to try to help her fight off the poison!
Túrante somehow slips her blade between the steel scales that make up the iron cobra’s body. She strikes something vital to the construct, and when the sparks clear, it lies on the floor unmoving.
The bloody Serpentfolk skeleton deflects Moira’s blade, but is unable to avoid Fenchurch’s final blow. Green steel crushes into the skeleton and it crumbles, bones, spear and armor clatter to the floor. However, danger yet remains.
The burning sensation subsides, but the poison has taken its toll.
Blood-slicked bones lie scattered across the floor among gleaming chain mail and a spear of phenomenal craft. A white headband with golden medallion rests on the Serpentfolk’ s skull, and a unholy symbol of pale green stone with gold and silvery veins lies tangled among the cervical bones.
An ornate ivory coffer remains within the sarcophagus.
"Yes!” Nighttail quickly goes for Metluithee’s spear.
"In my professional opinion, that bloody one's not done yet. Who's got Holy Water?"
Moira shakes up a vial of holy water before sprinkling it on the Bloody Skeleton.
Holy water fizzes across Metluithee’s remains. Vibrant red blood and gore darkens and then crumbles to gray dust. Only stark white bones remain. May they ever be at rest.
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When the snake and skeleton fall, Fenchurch lets loose a ragged sigh. She briefly takes a moment to pitch the head of her greataxe to the ground and lean against the haft. Any members of the group observing would notice she's a bit paler than usual.
However when the moment passes she gamely stands straight again, hefting her large axe across her shoulder and resuming her expression of steely determination as though she felt as fresh as she did waking up this morning.
She grins at Nighttail, "I'd say you've more than earned it. Anyone have any objections?"
Once Moira lays the bones to their final rest, Fenchurch inspects the twice-fallen priestess' gleaming chain armor.
Sparing a glance at the coffer, she gestures towards it with a nod. "What do we make of that? Perhaps there's a smaller, bloodier undead lizard in that one?"
The spear is a Giants Bane Spear
The armor is Giants Defiant Chainmail
The headband is a Headband of Deathless Devotion.
Exceptionally resilient, all serpentstone is magically treated stone. When properly worked and treated through eldritch means known only to ancient serpentfolk wizards and sorcerers, serpentstone can be programmed to emit sound and light in a variety of ways, shifting at predetermined times from color to color and tone to tone, from brightness equal to that of daylight to a dim, shadowy glimmer like that of a candle. In addition, serpentstone can be set to radiate heat or cold, or produce illusory smoke, roiling forth thin streams of scented, incense-like fumes designed to delight, enlighten, or otherwise inform serpentfolk in the vicinity. All of these effects function as major image (caster level 18th).
A rare material created by ancient Serpentfolk alchemists, it may catch a decent value in the right markets.
The coffer is ornately carved, with pearl and coral inlay. It could probably fetch a fair price itself. Túrante likely looks it over and deems it safe to open. Opening reveals more treasure. A pouch full of platinum (29pp to be exact), another of gold (240gp), and a tiny wooden box with a dark, pearl-like bead within. Liamae soon enough deduces this is a Bead of Force. The coins are of rare and ancient mint. They are heptagonal in shape and bear the mark of Ydersius on one side, and in Draconian script on the other, the words 'Cursed be the Empire of Man'.
Nighttail proudly claims the giant slaying spear and suggests a return to Varkol and the other kobolds.
Moira figures they can spare the spear (it makes Nighttail so happy) and sell the armor and the bead. With so much of the party looking ill, it's probably wisest to hang on to the headband. She carries it over to Liamae and tries to tie it in a fetching and fashionable way that won't clash with the elf's style. And she weighs in on the party's plans:
"So, as much as I care for the dead, it's really all about the living. And since I don't see any signs of living serpentfolk mourners in these tombs... let's pop those lids and see what's inside! Maybe there's something useful."
Moira's alignment teeters on the edge on Neutral as her eyes gleam with eager avarice.
"Then, we should probably take Arnholde home to his mother, I think? Get some rest? Have some drinks? Drop off Iagon at the hospital? But I am just dying to know what's down that staircase, so if y'all feel like wrecking more, I'll reckon I'll be reckless. But first, someone should check those sarcophagi for traps."
And, because it's Moira, she gets bored, shifts her light spell onto a rock, and throws it down the stairs.
Nighttail joins Túrante in looking over the sarcophagi again. They're fairly certain it all checks out. Fenchurch puts her back into it and slides open the next sarcophagus over, the one labeled Szahlihsha of the Glttering Eyes.
As the stone coffin opens, she's met face to face with another fanged serpent skull. Almost immediately, the jaw unhinges as the skeleton falls forward. But, this time, the lower jaw completely falls off, and the skeletal frame almost immediately crumbles to the floor. Whatever red silken robes which once adorned the corpse are faded and tattered. However, a few items remain intact: a dagger carved from blood red crystal, an amulet of pale green stone with gold and silvery veins, a ring of electrum, and a book grasped within its boney hands. The book is bound in snakeskin, with golden letters embossed along the spine in Draconic 'Figments of Light and Shadow'. Peering within it appears to be a spellbook, the arcane writing within sparkles with a soft golden light. A more simple stone coffer contains 500sp, 90gp, and 4pp.
The next two sarcophagi are labeled Noz-Tu and Zhoz-Tu. Like Szahlihsha, their remains quickly crumble upon opening. However, each has a magical longbow with their names carved into them among arcane runes of power. Each sarcophagus also contains a magical quiver and set of arrows. Simple wooden coffers hold 250sp, and 110gp each.
Szahlihsha's dagger is a Spellstoring Blood Crystal Dagger.
The amulet is an Amulet of Natural Armor +1. it is made of Serpentstone (see Kn Arcana spoiler above).
The electrum ring is a Ring of Counterspells.
The spellbook is detailed in spoiler below.
The Longbow of Noz-Tu is a Cunning Longbow.
The Longbow of Zhoz-Tu is an Adaptive Longbow.
The quivers are both Efficient Quivers with 5 Giants Bane Arrows each.
This tome is bound in snakeskin and the spine is embossed with golden Draconic lettering, titled “Figments of Light and Shadow”. When reading from the book, the writing within sparkles with dim light (sheds light equal to a candle).
Lvl 1: Alarm, Auditory Hallucination, Charm Person, Color Spray, Floating Disk, Hypnotism, Polypurpose Panacea, Obscure Poison, Shield, Shocking Grasp, Silent Image, Sleep, Vanish
Lvl 2: Blindness/Deafness, Burning Gaze, Darkness, Detect Thoughts, Hidden Presence, Illusion of Calm, Invisibility, Make Whole, Minor Image, Pernicious Poison
Preparation Ritual: Glittering Eyes (Su): If a spellcaster prepares at least three spells using this book, they gain a special boon. Whenever the spellcaster casts a spell from the Illusion School, their eyes glitter with golden light and they gain Darkvision for 1 hr. If they already have Darkvision, their Darkvision is extended by another 30 feet.
Moira's illuminated rock bounces down the steps until it comes to rest in another chamber about 60 feet below. From this distance and angle, it's hard to see what's down there, but at least nothing stirs to life or unlife.
Nighttail got what she came for and is eager to return. However, seeing all the riches unearthed, she too wonders what lies further below.
Khari got what she came for and is also eager to return. She won't go anywheres without you folks, though.
Iagon moans, "I like the sound of a hospital, please."
Moira gleefully scans the spellbook with Read Magic as Liamae identifies the various other treasures.
"I think... I think we're rich?!"
Eyeing the blood dagger, she holds it up to her similarly ensorceled blade and proclaims, "I love spell-storing! I can load Chill Touch into this if anyone wants. That's what I keep in my sword. Pretty solid option to have, ya know? Can drive away undead or make this thing sting a little more. Or Hideous Laughter... stab, hahahaha!" She chuckles manically as she thrusts the dagger at an invisible foe. Is she illustrating the point, so to speak, or is she just excited?
She holds up the amulet and smiles again, "It'll actually literally make you tougher? That's so fun. Someone who gets hit a lot should wear it." She winks at the battered party. We get hit a lot.
The Ring of Counterspells puzzles her. "I guess if you really 'know thy enemy,' it might be useful. But I vote 'sell' on this piece."
The cunning longbow, well. Moira's no academic. She shrugs. "Doesn't do anything for me."
She grins as she flexes the adaptive longbow. "Feels so natural. Now you try, Fench! And Túrante! Give it a pull, Liamae! See, it changes!"
As for the arrows, she muses aloud, "I wonder if any of those giants are still alive around here somewhere..."
Turning over platinum coins in her fingers, she says, "Ok, now I really want to go to town."
"We accomplished what we came for. No reason to press our luck and risk undoing it all," says Túrante.
"The inscription is interesting. This indicates that these corpses date to an era after the rise of humans and the collapse of old serpent-empires. So, remnants of a crumbling polity that was already declining, yet still awash in wealth."
The elf princess leans against a wall for a moment to catch her breath.
"I, for one, do not feel comfortable dealing with further hazards at the moment."
Liamae agrees with Turante, offering the princess a shoulder rub in support. "Yes, let us return to Belhaim with all haste!"
After sorting through ancient treasure, the group takes stock of their injuries and decides to return and complete their mission. Nighttail returns triumphantly to the Hangtooth survivors. After showing off her new, oversized, spear, there is some dispute between she and Varkol over who should claim the prize. Varkol argues he is the de facto leader of the expedition, and Nighttail argues she’s the one who risked her life. After some back and forth, Nighttail wins out and the kobolds pack up what they can carry, and head out.
Khari returns to her human guise, and asks Fenchurch for help carrying Arnholde’s remains back home. Winded as she is, Fenchurch retains the strength of an oak tree, and has no problem.
As such, the group emerges from the caves and finds it is early afternoon. The crystal clear waters of the nearby waterfall create a refreshing mist as you emerge into the sunlight. Having spent a full day in subterranean darkness, it might take a moment to readjust to the light of day. However, fresh spring air, a cool breeze, the sounds of the rushing creek and arboreal life, should all help to lighten the load, and the mood.
After reuniting with Hak, Nighttail helps to lead you back to the clearing in which you met, then bids her leave. "If you need help, come find the Hangtooth." She points you to a general direction on your map, somewhere about a days journey north of here, on the western hills of the Verdant Slopes, near where Ogre’s Head Baldy is marked. She’s happy to shake hands, maybe even a hug, if one’s available.
From here you will need to find your own way back to town.