Lukas studies the peculiar coffins, scratching his head a moment. As he and his companions uncover the recently dead man, Lukas can almost recall something this reminds him of. "I'm trying to recall what this means...does anyone have any idea"?"
Wasn't there...
...a children's story about...no, that was about a stone giant.
Kn Religion
Hmm interesting. I read about something like this some time ago. There's these weird Irorian monks who'd engage in fasting and sensory deprivation. I heard that they lock themselves in these dark metal coffins and meditate.
Jeb informs his companions.
Cobb scratches his head.
"Was gonna say - a coffin with a vent's a bit unusual if you ask me, but I suppose those monks'd need a way to breathe."
Cobb takes a closer look at the "fresh" corpse.
"Who's entombing someone here? A caretaker we missed? I don't wager it was our druid friend."
The corpse appears to be a corpse. Unless you have a way to interrogate a dead person, this room holds little else of interest.
Sarasha moves carefully up the hallway.
Not wanting Asha to get in trouble again, Lukas moves along behind her.
As you round the corner, you deftly avoid the non-existent traps and find a staircase leading up and a doorway leading to another room.
Lukas shudders at Tessa's question, but prefers not to think about the range of possible answers. When they arrive at the door, he examines it for any hazards, then steps aside for Asha to check it, as she's a bit more skilled in that area.
Cobb "supervises" Lukas and Sarasha, wisdom twinkling in his eyes as he recalls how he may have hurried through such tasks in his youth.
Celes will grab her potion, and quaff it.
Celes, keeps her axe at the ready. She expects something nasty to want to hack her to bits again. In a low whisper, she looks to Cobb.
So, stairwell first, or door?
Lukas and Sarasha look over the door frame and keyhole for any signs of traps, but they quickly declare that the door is clean. Cobb, deciding to check their work, does indeed declare that it is clean.
Tessa has to grab the small barbarian away from the stairs and point her to the door before the trio opens it.
With a creak, the door swings inward and an iron-y smell hits the group's noses. This space apparently served as the monastery's kitchen. It appears to have been used recently, though the strange stains and smells don't seem like they were created by preparing food. A cauldron of bubbling fluid sits atop a small fire burning in one of the fire places.
"Hmm," Lukas observes, trepidation in his tone, "I wonder what that stuff is?"
Sarasha sniffs dubiously.
Whew! Whatever it is, it's not my mother's plomeek soup.
INT
Mhhhmmm... reminds me of mom's cooking!
Cobb sniffs the air.
"Smells like iron. Not sure that'll do us much good against a dragon..."
Celes, walks into the funky smelling room, takes a few breathes and coughs a bit. The fumes wreck her nostrils, and she sputters out a singles phrase,
Beats..me..what She stops mid sentence and hacks.
So, this room is pointless, unless you wanna go back and ask the other guy his thoughts?
Celes, while awaiting any response from the others, starts checking the room for any signs of life, or anything that may be useful in defeating the dragon of doom.
Sarasha quietly scouts up the stairs.
Scattered about this room are coils of thick rope and three large bells. There is no ceiling-merely the steeple of the monastery's bell tower high above, accessible via the spiral stairs that you are currently on. A long rope dangles down from above, attached to the great bell sixty feet overhead.
Lukas quietly follows Asha up the stairs. The bells they find remind him that this place really was a monastery, with bizarre, dangerous practices in its worship. I wonder if it was still in use when the dragon took it over? I'd guess so, given the poor fellow we found in that coffin thing.
Shaking himself out of his reverie, he whispers to Asha, "I guess we keep going up, no? How about we wait for the others to get up here, so we don't get too far ahead."
Agreed.
Sarasha and Lukas wait for the others before continuing their quiet scouting.
Jebediah follows hot on the heels of Lukas and Sarasha.
Stealth
You move down the hallway into the next room, opening the door with a creak. A wooden veranda runs around the edges of this atrium. A large planter, overgrown with various shubberies and plants, grows in the center of the area under the open sky.
In the center of the room, you spy an odd creature that you have never seen before. Stark white hair frames the fair face of this snake-bodied woman, and its black scales sparkle hypnotically. You see that she is staring up into the sky.
"Oh, I have guests." she hisses as her head cranes towards you. "Have you heard word from Szangi? Is that why you are here? He's not emerged from his lair since his last visit to that little human village, and I worry for the dear!"
Sadly, no. We are worried for him. But we have news that may cheer him if we can make it safely to his lair. Can you point the way?
Sarasha senses no deception in the words of the snakelike woman
"What is this news, warmblood?" the creature asks.
It is news for Szangi himself, and no other until he decides to share it. We have been sworn to secrecy.
We must make haste. Which way to his lair?
Keep her on the defensive and we might just be able to bypass her entirely.
"You dare to say his name, warmblood?!" screeches the woman. "Repent now on your knees for this transgression or I shall inter you in the coffins like the other misbegotten slave!"
She rises up to her full height, clearly focused on you. "And you do not get to make claims of what is private news, mouse! Prostrate yourself on the floor before me and beg for forgiveness and I may let you live!"
Lukas' eyes widen as he sees the conversation with the strange snake-woman going very badly indeed. When she demands that the party subordinate themselves to her, he drops to his knees and lowers his head, responding just as he would when the dock boss used to chastise him for mistakes when he was a lad.
I'm not sure this is going to end well...
They have a nasty bite that leaves behind a venom that outright kill even the staunchest of warriors.
You realize this is Thaena, a lieutenant of Aeteperax.
Celes, heads up the stairs, but doesn't go near the rope. She doesn't know what it would do, and the last things she wants is to attract a crowd. She bites her tongue, as the snake lady talks, as she would love nothing more that to take her axe and chop her head off.
Ohhh, I they say that to kill a snake you need to chop the head off. I wonder if the same holds true to snake like creatures! Please be an enemy, I look to see if its TRUE!
You can see that Celes grows antsy, and fidgets with her axe. She grows tired of this banter back and forth of of whose better and has more power.
Sarasha speaks loudly enough to be heard down the stairs.
I...don't...think...
Sarasha clicks her heels together.
...that you have that authority any longer, Thaena.
She casually walks up the nearest wall.
You see, our news is that your failures and your insolence can no longer be overlooked.
Sarasha continues walking on the ceiling, trying to hold the naga's attention while staying just out of reach.
And your poison bite no longer commands fear among the minions.
I hope the gang catches that.
So I'm afraid you're out, and I'm in. Leave now and The Master will allow you until dawn as a head start. Leave. Now.
The naga watches as Sarasha takes to the walls with her shoes and the creature begins to shift uncontrollably. "You would dare to try and tarnish my name in front of Szangi himself?!" Thaena hisses before rapidly coiling up into a ball in the center of the room. "What have I done to deserve this treatment! Oh, Szangi! Why would you forsake me?!" she cries. As she buries herself into a swirl of coils, the pair of prostrated individuals (Tessa and Lukas) share a glance at each other.
Initiative for Surprise Round:
"Why! Why!" she screams in agony, but Cobb sense some underlying malice to these actions and quickly readies his bow, however he isn't quite fast enough.
Rest of the Party:
As the coiling and shifting naga pulsates, the group looks on at the creature in awe as she begins to shine like the moon.
Surprise Round (Standard or Move Action only):
1st: Thaena
2nd: Cobb
Initiative:
1st: Thaena
2nd: Sarasha; Jebidiah; Lukas; Cobb; Tessa; Celes
Status
Lukas - Prone
Tessa - Prone
Sarasha - 10' Up
Pending
All - Will Saves against Fascination