Rodrigo calls the archons to him, where the float above his head. "I leave that choice up to you all. My little friends here will be around for several more minutes in any case."
Well, at they can definitely all fight. That's always a good thing.
[dice=Kn. Dungeoneering for Naga]1d20+12
"Naga can be nasty enemies with their spells and poison. If we can avoid fighting one, we should. Though we can probably take it if push comes to shove, or it gets greedy."
"Well, I was thinking that maybe I could give one more go in this adventure at pathetically trying to find a use for fascinate and suggestion performances try and kind of... befuddle her. Convince her to just let us pass without paying her off. Though if Xyrxog hasn't just enslaved her by now, she might have a really strong will, and she'd just get angry."
Carina folds her arms and smirks as her bomb explodes in the drow's face. "Good boy."
She lets the rest of the team heal her before moving to salvage the drow's formula book.
"Maybe we can scrounge something up from these guys to bribe the naga?"
[dice=Kn. Dungeoneering for Naga]1d20+12
"Naga can be nasty enemies with their spells and poison. If we can avoid fighting one, we should. Though we can probably take it if push comes to shove, or it gets greedy."
"This one might be a Spirit Naga, so this Spirit Pool is probably some site of pure, malevolent corruption. So falling in is probably a bad idea."
The party advances towards the Spirit Pool.
The gently sloping passageway ends in a large chamber dominated on the far side by a pool of water formed by a leaking cistern above before flowing out of the room in a thin stream. Something in the pool glows pale green, bathing the room in shining curtains of light.
On the other side of the stream is a massive snake, coiled and evidently sleeping. As Farrukh enters, the snake stirs, lifting its head—her head. Her face is that of a pale woman, neither old nor young, with long stringy black hair.
She stares balefully at the approaching party. The moment Farrukh's eyes meet hers, he senses something...off.
The spirit naga rears up, snarling. "How dare you disturb my slumber, you sniveling fools! Beg forgiveness for your presumption!"
Each opponent within range of a gaze attack must attempt a saving throw each round at the beginning of his or her turn in the initiative order. Only looking directly at a creature with a gaze attack leaves an opponent vulnerable. Opponents can avoid the need to make the saving throw by not looking at the creature, in one of two ways.
Averting Eyes: The opponent avoids looking at the creature's face, instead looking at its body, watching its shadow, tracking it in a reflective surface, etc. Each round, the opponent has a 50% chance to avoid having to make a saving throw against the gaze attack. The creature with the gaze attack, however, gains concealment against that opponent.
Wearing a Blindfold: The foe cannot see the creature at all (also possible to achieve by turning one's back on the creature or shutting one's eyes). The creature with the gaze attack gains total concealment against the opponent.
"Yeah, really sorry about that. Didn't know you were sleeping."
Even with Farrukh’s description the sight of the naga through Tanith for a loop. Where do things like that even come from?
”Sorry, we didn’t know you were in the middle of resting. The drow back there really should have said something.”
After healing the group, Astraden takes a look at the potions, whispering, "Što e trikot?" and waving her hands over them. "They're all four magic," she says, plucking one up.
As the group walks down towards the pool, she watches the area ahead with her powerful new vision. "Naga, would you like a gift?" she calls down once the creature wakens.
Tanith's hulking form shivers as something about the monstrous snake-woman gaze sends a chill down his spine. The big man finds himself avoiding looking her/it in the eyes.
"A tribute really", he adds to Astraden's offer. "In exchange for seeing us peacefully on our way further down that passage way."
Carina promptly kneels and casts her eyes to the ground. "Our sincerest of apologies, great one. We really should have knocked first. How may we appease you, so that we may earn forgiveness?"
Seeing Farrukh and especially Carina act massively more subservient to the naga than their usual wont would be, Eben pulls up short. Are they play-acting here? Normally that would be my job... but... He surreptitously holds a hand behind him, palm back, giving a 'stay back' signal to Astraden, Rodrigo, and all Rodrigo's servants.
Instead of moving forward, he calls over Carina's kneeling form, "We are very sorry for disturbing you, dear lady. Our business is with your neighbor, not yourself. It was rude of us to bother you, unintentional as it may have been, but perhaps ruder of Xyrxog to hide behind you, as it were."
Rodrigo heeds Eben's hand gesture and stays at the back of the group.
"Come closer guys, you can't hold a conversation from way back there. She won't bite. Though she does have a lovely set of fangs to do so with."
Rodrigo just quirks one eyebrow at Farrukh. Then shakes his head slowly. To command the archons to attack, or not to command. This is the question...
The naga hears out the party, her head tilting to one side. She seems mostly appeased. "What was that? Who mentioned a gift? Step forward so Fassash can see you, and present your offering!"
"Um . . . there's not enough room. I can see you just fine from here - do you not also have darksight?" Astraden hands Marzena's dagger to Eben. "Pass that down the line, wouldja?"
She addresses Fassash again. "Farrukh, the man in the front, can bring you my gift. It is a magical dagger, once owned by a mighty wizard."
"Here you are. I truly hope you like it."
"Hmph. I can barely see you behind your companions. Come closer. I don't bite." Fassash gives a hissing sort of laugh. "Not when those I speak to show such proper reverence. Nothing like those pointy-eared arachnids beyond.
"But what do I care for little knives? I have in my pool a bottle that drools gaseous tar like a smokestack. I took this during my journey from a sightless man with bulging eyes. He used it so he and his followers could escape my greatness; from this story you learn that Fassash the Spirit Taster is unstoppable. Tell me, what story comes with your steel blade? I might be willing to bestow upon you a scrap of wisdom if you please me."
"Marzena the mage was stationed at the tower of Blackwall Keep in the Mistmarsh. She helped repel a lizardfolk assault on the Keep, but then was kidnapped, beaten, and poisoned. After we killed the ones who imprisoned her, Marzena gave us this dagger in thanks."
"Since then, I have taken that dagger to Diamond Lake in the northern hills and then to this city. I have used to intimidate thieves and thrown it at undead, living boxes, and drow. It has served me from one life to the next."
Fassash's eyebrows raise as she uncoils, lifting her head to peer over the heads of Tanith, Farrukh, Carina and Eben. She sniffs. "Fate and action trail over you all like snail slime. I will not bother to harry you."
She allows Farrukh to set the dagger at the base of her coils, smiling indulgently at him. "I know little of Zyrxog's ways. I am nothing more than a neighbor, and even that I have only been for a month or so—and soon I will be gone. Nonetheless, my eyes and ears are keen. I make it my business to know things."
"In the next room you will confront the spider priestess and her toys. She has had time to prepare, and I have smelt the stench of brimstone reeking from that place. Those you fight are wary of your magics and hateful of the good and true."
Her tail knocks the knife into the pool, and the naga gestures for Farrukh to back away. "Myrianaas was once a favored priestess of Lolth, believed to be destined for great and terrible things. Her mission to the surface would have brought ruin upon many had Zyrxog not intercepted her for his own strange purposes. Now she lingers in her cage, ship in a bottle, compressed in her fury. The layers on her can be cast off, but some of you will live to regret it if she leaves this place alive."
Tanith tries his best to pay attention but spends most of the time actively avoiding the snake-woman's gaze.
"Uh, thanks. Again, sorry for interrupting your nap. We'll just get going now", he says insistently. "Enjoy the dagger!"
"Thank you, Fassash," Astraden says, briefly meeting the serpent's eyes as she passes.
"It was an honor."
Before entering the next room, Astraden presses a hand to Carina's shoulder, saying, "Weather poison, fire, and blades." The priestess also lays a pair of fingers on her own bicep. "Give me strength, thief-king," she mutters. Her last spell is wordless, simply resummoning her illusory double; she then draws her keen-pointed blade.
"You have our thanks, revered one." Carina rises, still keeping her eyes on the ground. After all, she isn't worthy of looking upon such a magnificent beast.
She takes out two vials and hands them around. "If anyone needs ebon eyes, here ya go."
Carina quaffs her extract of Ebon Eyes. Her eyes promptly become glazed over with a glossy black film.
"Astraden? You need one? How about you Farrukh?"
Astraden shakes her head. "I'd like to see her blind these," she says, pointing to her mostly unremarkable violet irises.
"Mistress, they have appeased the serpent. She is telling them what she knows."
"No surprise. And you are certain?"
"Yes, Mistress. The alchemist identified it himself. Before he fell, that is. The crossbows will be useless."
"Choke them on silk. Nechemyah, Brandr, ready yourselves for battle. And remember the consequences for failure."
Astraden whispers to the others, "They know what Tanith's spell does. I think they are saying they'll 'choke us on silk.' And it sounds like they have some kind of telepathic bond or scrying powers."
Tanith furrows his brow. "What the hell does that mean?"
"Maybe they'll try to strangle us with spider silk rope?"
"I wonder . . . it might be like that spell Zalamandra used in the caverns of Erythnul. Or maybe a poison of some kind," Astraden says. "Carina, do you know of any spells that use silk as a component?"
Carina scratches her head and ponders Astraden's question...