Jack shrugs and opens the door.
It being clear the ashes are not those of a being Jack goes ahead an opens the door there being no objections...
A low stone altar its sides carved like coiling snakes and its top top carved to resemble a yawning viper's maw, sits in the center of this room. The walls of this chamber are carved with images of anthropomorphic serpents using strange, pointed megaliths of stone to work great feats of magic - transforming an army of humans into zombies, calling down flaming bolts of lightening from the stars, or parting the waters of the sea to dash human ship son the exposed rocks of the seabed below. This final image seems to have been recently cleared of dust, and several lines of text have been made legible by the application of inks and perhaps blood.
None of you can read the words of the strange language, but besides the parting the sea image are smaller carving which depict serpentfolk splashing blood on upright stones before a red mountain, and then holding venomous serpents against the blood so they might lick the stones, pouring water onto a pyramid shaped block of red stone from a bowl, and standing before the pyramid of stone with arms upraised and mouths agape as if shouting to the heavens as a bolt of lightening arcs up from the stones into the sky.
"Oh, that doesn't look good," Quinta says as she looks at the carvings. "That really, but really doesn't look good. If I'm reading this right, Ieana wants to activate some ancient, magical Serpentfolk superweapon through blood sacrifices."
The Chelishgirl turns a pale face to the rest of the group. "I think we need to stop her before we can get off of this island. If we don't, this weapon could annihilate any ship that even comes close to Smuggler's Shiv."
Jack takes a few minutes to peruse the strange writings on the wall. Though he wasn't an expert linguist by any stretch of the imagination, it was something of a hobby of his -- at least in his old line of work.
With Quinta aiding him Jack is able to decipher the text which he recognizes as Aklo. It reads...
"That makes no sense - yet," Quinta says, shaking her head at the translation. "Let's write it down and try again later."
Alexite was as confused as everyone else was with regards to the writing, probably more so. "Isn't that what the pictures show?"
He shook his head, "They talk about the waves below but I thought that snakes breathed air? Anybody make any sense of this?"
Ever the practical man, Alexite let the smarter people of the group decipher the riddle. He again surveyed his wounds and frowned; he was not in the best of shapes and he was cast as a primary fighter of the group. Speaking to everyone in the group, he sighed, "If we go after this 'thing' now then I need some healing. I am loathe to drink the potion; I wanted to save it for an emergency but will do so if that's what the group thinks it's best. In any case, I either get some healing or we pull out and come back tomorrow. What do y'all think?"
"I have already made my preference known; I am not using my remaining life force to heal you, because I fear that the powerful undead I sensed will come upon us while we are spending time on archaeological investigations."
"Let's get out of here. If we are lucky, Jask might have some knowledge of what we saw down here."
"Let's get out of here. If we are lucky, Jask might have some knowledge of what we saw down here."
Content with the group's decision, the ranger led the way. "C'mon then, let's get out of this cave. I'll ask Jask for some healing later tonight."
Alexite picked up his bow and left the confined room, entering the vast underground temple. He headed towards the small side door when something made his nape hairs stand on end. He lifted his left hand quieting down everyone and whispered, "Unless our friends followed us, there's someone outside the temple."
Quickly drinking his healing potion, the ranger took up a position with his bow and watched the entrance.
Joll grabs his potion and downs it in one gulp as quietly as he can. He trembles slightly as the unnatural sensations of knitting flesh and renewed vigor course through his body. When his shaking stops he mutters a low petition to Asmodeus for his favor in facing this new threat.
Jack ducks behind the pillar across from the temple entrance and waits.
Quinta uncoils her whip and hides near Jack's position.
Dragolan recasts detect undead and lumbers over behind Alexite.
Dragolan detects undead auras, even as a voice calls out from beyond the temple, a deep soft velvet voice throaty and feminine dripping with self assurance and certainty,
"You have done well, children, your valor and prowess have been ably demonstrated. But I can offer you so much more, my god has granted me eternal life, strength and vigor. All of this I offer to you, join me become my children and you shall never taste the bitter infinite, but live on forever under the blessing of Ydersius. I am called Nylithati, or by some Mother Thrunefang, let me bite you and become my immortal children. Please, I do not wish to snuff your lights but help them burn eternal."
The oracle murmurs, "I sense four of the walking dead, one of which is quite potent."
"Walking dead? but what does such a thing mean, I am stronger, I am eternal, I retain my mind and my body is more durable and vital than it ever was. I no longer need to draw breath, but is that such a pleasure, when weighed against all that I have gained? I am not undead I am more alive than I have ever been! And you can be to, it would be so easy, a little bite, and you would be reborn!"
Alexite breathed deep to bolster his courage; this did not sound good. He lowered his voice hoping whoever was outside did not hear him, "We are in danger and we need to be really smart if we are to survive. it seems there are four outside; let's hold our action and see if we can draw them in and attack them."
He looked at Quinta, "Girl, call them in. Tell them you're too scared to go out but accept its offer and call it in. Hopefully, we can all get one attack at it before it can react."
"Do I have to be mindless? I could probably get used to being undead as long as I was still Jack. Otherwise, that wouldn't be very fun."
Jack strokes his chin in disturbingly serious contemplation of the offer.
"There would be a few decades where the hunger would drive you more than you would wish, but you have already proven yourselves stronger than the common herd, have you not? Those who are masters of themselves need not fear, for them it is only an awakening of potential. Even the weak retain their minds, they are only driven by their hunger. Time is man's greatest foe, is it fair that the vacant eyed elves enjoy thrice our span of years? Do not let your legacy be dictated by fickle fate or outdated morality, join me in eternity!"
"Daughter of Ydersius," Quinta calls out. "Mother Thrunefang. Are you... were you one of the Serpentfolk before your ascension to... immortality?"
Quinta gulps audibly, and her voice becomes higher, more like that of a little girl -- or a vain little debutante. "I am afraid," she calls out. "This island has wrought many changes on me already, and I do not understand them. Now you offer a transformation into... immortality. All the other immortals we have encountered on this island have been so... dark, so violent, so, so... uncivilized.
Please... I need some reassurance. I want to see what you look like, at least. I'm pretty! I don't want to end up looking like Kovacks did! I want to know I'll still be able to walk into a ball uninvited and be fussed and petted over by everyone as if I'm Queen Abrogail's favourite niece!"
Alexite looked around; it was clear that Joll, Jack, and himself were hurt despite the healing potions. He turned to Dragolan, "I understand you trying to save your life burst to hurt the undead but three of us could use some healing. Do you have any spells or potions that you can distribute in case you go down?"
He looked at the girl, nodded, and whispered, "Good. keep it up. We're in no position to go out there. They are going to have to come in for us."
"Oh child beauty is ephemeral, magic can render anything beautiful. I am not beautiful, and I was never a serpent I only found my true calling when I discovered this Temple and Ydersius elevated me. Asmodeus failed us, but Ydersius offered us forever. How long before your beauty fades and you crumple like a grape withering on the vine? Mere decades, and then your mind dulls and you become subject to the vagaries of death. There is a difference between beauty and charisma my dear..."
"I have a few cure spells remaining; that is all."
"I have a few cure spells remaining; that is all."
"Well, from the looks of things the order of recipients should be Jack then Joll then myself if there are any left over. Maybe the girl has some as well. If so, don't use all of yours up and let her do some healing as well. Quickly now before they get in."
Joll winces when he hears the wretch claim that Asmodeus failed them. It helps to steel his will to fight. He is a realist and knows that this cavern might serve as his tomb. Nonetheless, he will fight to his last breath and drop of blood.
"Not Serpentfolk?" Quinta asks. "You are not Serpentfolk, and yet you claim that your soul lies in Ydersius' coils?"
Quinta's voice lowers an octave and becomes dry and dusty; a rasping hiss. Her appearance shifts, going from her human form to the shape of a Serpentfolk, as seen on the wall.
"Show yourself," Quinta's voice rasps. "Show yourself to me, if you are a true servant of Ydersius. Now."
Nylithati hisses,
"Then you are here to look at the writings to. Then you must leave me a price as Yarzoth did. She left me her thrall to join my children, you have already slain several of my true children, the Festrogs are of no matter, but you must replace the others. Give me three of your companions and you may pass on to the Mountain Temple in peace... If not, it will take more than scales to save you from a true servant of Ydersius."
Jack whispers:
"Agree to her terms and see if she'll come to us. If not, there's no other way out. We'll have to fight."
Afterwards, he moves to the northernmost pillar and watches the narrow entrance to the temple with bow at the ready.
Quinta utters a coarse, rasping laugh.
"Three? When your 'children' attacked me and my thralls without warning? You are greedy, child, and guilty of not setting out a warning for the children of Ydersius who might come here to view the master's sacred place. Not to mention threatening one of them after offering such insults. You may choose one from among my herd - provided you come forward now. I grow weary of talking to a faceless voice."
Quinta steps out of her hiding place -- well short of the entrance, and her whip ready to attack if need be.
"Come. Forward," Serpent-Quinta hisses, her fangs flashing in the dim light, the scales bristling along her spine, her tail lashing.
"Please, not being a Serpent does not make me a fool I have offered you terms Ydersius will claim your soul."
"Fine, then," Quinta hisses, as she slowly backs off. "Come in and take your pick. Only you. I do not trust your children; as you yourself have said, they are ruled by their Hunger for longer than they might wish."
"No child, I will simply kill you all and let Ydersius judge. Ashatth sarakarr gessh? Nerith tarsssh."
Quinta tries to translate what was just said for herself - but unless she sees an opportunity to pull the wool over the undead's eyes a little longer, she replies in a very different tongue:
The Chelishgirl starts to sing in that same, ancient language as she makes her way over to stand by Dragolan. A familiar surge of confidence fills the party.
You who dwell in inequity and night
Fell before Aroden's blade like all your blight
Rose up again, now fall before our might!"
The oracle's touch sends shivers through Joll's limbs. The inquisitor momentarily starts and must force himself to stand still despite his urge to withdraw. Once the spell is completed Joll feels his breathing slow and the strength return to his limbs. He feels renewed, as if he were untouched by the day's travails.
The group ready delay waiting to see what their foes will do...
There is chanting from beyond the passage and then a wall of darkness appears advancing upon the group and instantly snuffing their magical light sources leaving them in inky blackness as the Lacedons caper forward howling with hungry lust!
The creatures bite at Joll, Alexite, and Quinta their shadowy forms barely visible in the darkness which does not seem to impede them at all! The two warriors are able to fend off their foes, Joll's shield of faith turning the creatures fangs aside, but Quinta is not so lucky at she feels a damp hot pain in her scalp as the creatures teeth come away with a clump of bloody hair!
Initially Joll believed the darkness to be smoke. But its preternatural speed and the lack of smell told him otherwise. He did not think long on its nature, instead he listened for footsteps on the stone floor that would mark an attacker's position. But the unseen enemy still caught him by surprise and only the favor of Asmodeus saved him.
Almost by reflex he invoked the justice of Asmodeus and lashed out in response to the attack. His swing meets with a satisfying impact upon something wet and soft.
Attack
Miss Chance
Damage
Jack takes a literal shot in the dark with his blade, using the sound of the creature's gnashing teeth to determine its general location. His dagger sinks into the creature's flesh all the way down to the hilt in a desperate attempt to fend off the unseen assailant.
