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After a very thorough session of note taking Mr Peppers passes around the journal for all to see and also sign their name as Pathfinders. He then stows away the journal in his water proof bag next to another book. "While gaining knowledge is very important to the society, recognizing those who took the risk to gain it in my opinion is nearly as important."
After stowing away his notes Mr Peppers pulls out a bit of rations and has a quick snack then stands up and brushes off his robes then casts a spell to do a more effective job.
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Sirettis stares at the impromptu surgery, standing as still as possible.
The bird chirps and Sirettis breaks out of some kind of trance. She shakes her head. "Are we done? Let us continue."
She takes note of Mr. Peppers need to clean himself. The bird tweets again.
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Gallix stands up out of the crouching position he had assumed to help Uesugi with the dissection. He wipes the dust from his loose-fitting pants and looks around at the various corridors and passages that lead out from the current room. "Looks like the eastern passages are a bit of a mess, though the extra humidity over that way might be something interesting. Before we head off that way, should we check these other passages to the west and north? Don't wanna miss anything now do we?" He moves toward the passage heading west and shines his torch down the hall, trying to see if he can make sense of where it leads or if it meets up with the passage they had skipped in the previous room.
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As Gallix takes a peek into the corridor, he's able to determine that indeed, the path meets up with the previous passage. The long hallway wraps around to the south and features similar architecture to that seen upon entering the Gardens. No carvings are here, and the passage is unremarkable overall.
A small room extends off the corridor and appears empty, with the exception a few compsognathus tracks and what you can only imagine must be dinosaur feces.
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"Looks like this passage might hook up with that northern exit too. Seems kinda pointless if you ask me. Better check it out though, eh Peppers? We are Pathfinders after all." Chuckling to himself, but harboring a growing pride in what it really means to be a part of this organization, Gallix ventures farther into the hall. As he looks around, he notes the lack of carvings and the general lack of interesting features and relays this information--or lack thereof--to the others.
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The rest of that corridor really is unremarkable.
As you head into the humid room to the east, clouds of steam rise from the balmy chamber’s countless pools. Small, rocky islands abound, separated by cloudy, mineral-laden waters. Each island supports a stone plinth carved with minute glyphs and elaborate pictograms. Sliding across the floors and floating in the pools, thousands of snakes of various species and sizes slither throughout the chamber and bask in its tropical heat.
You stand at the entrance to the chamber. In front of you are five islands that appear generally pretty far apart - it's difficult to know exactly how far - and you get the idea that jumping from island to island may be tough, but still doable.
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The bird tweets as Sirettis prepares to leap towards an island. Something about leaping from pillar inspires her.
Unfortunately agility fails her and she falls right into the sea.
Sirettis pays careful attention to the language on the plinth, recalling the history of this area and its denizens.
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Mr Peppers follows the group towards the large 'snake sauna' room and survey's the situation. Lots of snakes and heat, likely a birthing room or maybe just a good place to relax? Reptiles sure do like the warmth. Seeing Sirettis fall into the water and yelp from a snake bite didn't look very nice.
"Perhaps we should brainstorm a bit here before we go getting ourselves too many snake bitten ankles? Some possible ideas to investigate these things safely: Do we maybe have a way to chill the pools, maybe send the reptiles into a state of torpor? Is there anything to fashion a temporary land bridge, tip over a tall plinth or pile in some rocks? Is there a central island that we could work to get to and be able to survey the remaining islands from there? Think about that for a minute while I grab something from one of the other rooms"
Mr Peppers retreats to the room where we battled the lizardman and the dinos. He then attempts to find the scent glands of the lizardman and remove it with this dagger and return to the group.
"Perhaps we can fool the snakes into thinking at least one of us are friends. Make us smell like the lizardman and maybe they won't bite us. I can volunteer if you want unless someone has a certain way with animals? Sirettis perhaps considering your feathered friend there?"
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"That is worth a try, Peppers-San."
D. turns around and heads back a bit.
"I'll be back shortly."
D. picks up some smaller stones from the rubble, those that are between 5 and 10 lbs, and carries them to the snake room. As he has a small amount of about 15 of them, he concentrates on two of them.
"Uesugi-San, i will try to disorientate the snakes, could you make your way to one of those plinths if it works?"
As the stones float in the air, D. drops them from 10 feet high, lifting another from the pile and doing the same quickly, alternating the spots they fall upon.
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Mr Peppers will watch everyone as each attempts their own method of crossing the pools. He'll take off his backpack and set it down on the ground in a snake free area. He'll then take out a vial, remove the cork, and drink it down, cap the empty vial and return it to his pack.
He'll then go to applying some of the lizard scent to a cloth and tossing it near the 'high and dry' snakes, seeing how they react.
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"Sirettis! Are you okay?!" Gallix was halfway back to the room with the lizards when he heard the girl's shriek of pain as the snake bit into her ankle. He watched with horror as she clambered onto the first island and appeared to collapse. In a panic to reach his injured ally, he hesitates for a moment at the entrance to the passage. He had hoped to go back and grab part of the lizard or dinosaurs to throw to the snakes as a distraction. He thought that might help draw them off.
Then he hears the yelps of pain as Blaster fell in among the snakes. The kitsune doesn't stop at the first plinth like Sirettis, though. He leaps to the next island, but fell short and suffers another bite. That is too much. He has to go help them. Maybe, if he was careful, he could use the distraction D was providing with his stones and sneak past the snakes. He rushes over to the edge of the pool, wipes sweat from his eyes -The humidity is awful in here! - and makes his way in.
Gallix makes his way through the pool as carefully as he could, but gets a bit too close to a brilliant orange and black viper. He isn't sure if he had just imagined it, but he could swear he felt a bite on his hand. Eventually, though, he makes it to the island, and bends over Sirettis to try to provide some kind of help. In a panic, he puts his mouth to her ankle and attempts to suck the venom out.
After doing his best to help the girl, he looks up at the plinth. Is this thing really worth losing a life over?
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Uesugi waits even as D. drops the stones causing panic in the snake laden pools and waits for the right moment. Proceeding through the pool in the aftermath he does his best to stay clear of the frantic snakes by identifying those which would be more aggresive than the others. Carefully moving about the pools so as not to stir things up anymore.
Making it to the first plinth he watches the others tending to the venomous bites. Noting he can do nothing for them he moves to the first plinth and does his best to decode it's meaning.
Gathering whatever facts he can for that one he moves to next plinth following the same strategy of observing the snakes and moving amongst the snakes so as not to aggravate them.
However he finds going in the wake of the others the snakes are too riled up and one particular small black and ruby colored snakes bites him on his ankle.
Fortunately the poison is mild and while it stings it does not any other complicating effects on the samurai. He moves onto the second island and walks over to the plinth.
He looks at it but cannot discern much from. It at all. He decides to wait and looks at the progress of the others.
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As Mr. Peppers drops his scent-infused cloth into a few of the pools , the snakes swim over to it, curiously inspecting the cloth. It seems that the scent attracts them and provides a calming effect, much like the water itself does.
The venom takes control over Sirettis' body, and a great deal of her energy is sapped before the poison finally subsides.
Blaster Corsac attempts to jump to the first and second islands. The first time, his legs slips on the wet ground as he makes his jump, and he loses his footing and falls in. An angry black and gold snake rises up and chomps on his thigh as Blaster gets up. The bite doesn't penetrate deep enough to poison him. He isn't able to get a good enough look at Plinth #1 before continuing.
Making another desperate leap for the second island, Corsac looks over for a minute, distracted by Isa's chirping, and he fails to cover enough distance, again landing just short of the plinth. He's bitten again, but this time takes a good look at Plinth #2, deciphering the foreign text covering it. He's also able to resist the effects of the poison.
Much like a frog, he continues his leap from plinth to plinth, having a quick look and scribbling some notes down in the process, and he's able to decipher three of the ancient plaques in total.
Gallix rushes over after seeing his friends being bitten and slowly moves through the first pool of snakes. As he nears the end of the shallow water, a blue-scaled snake reveals its sharp fangs and chomps on his hand. The venom courses through his veins, affecting his vitality. Shaking his hand in pain, Gallix stares at the plinth, and is able to recognize it as similar to a creature of his own time.
Uesugi is one with the room and the snakes do not even notice his presence in the water, but he's unable to get a good enough look at the first plinth before moving on. He attempts another calm walk through the second pool, but a ruby and black-scaled mamba isn't fooled and gets a piece of his ankle. Uesugi shakes off the snake and runs out of the pool before the snake's poison can penetrate deeply into him. Analyzing it closely, he can't seem to understand the plinth on the wall before him.
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With Sirettis tending to his wound, Gallix is able to pull through the worst of the poison's effects. "Thank you, Sirettis. Wish I could have been a bit more helpful in treating your wounds. Guess I know a bit more about inflicting wounds than I do about patching them up." The young man smiles sheepishly at Sirettis as he rubs the bandaged spot on his hand. He then turns toward the next plinth. "Well, suppose we have to get over there somehow. Here goes nothin'"
Once again, he does his best to sneak past the writhing mass of serpents as he makes his way to the second island.
The pain from his initial bite distracts him, however, and he treads on a smaller, acid green snake, which whips around at the affront and bites Gallix in the leg.
When he finally reaches the second island, he looks the plinth over and considers its real worth to the Pathfinders.
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Mr Peppers watches as things around him in the pools are moving at what seems like a breakneck pace, which is rapidly increasing as some panic sets in due to snake bites taking hold of ankles. I'm surprised everyone is acting so recklessly, poisonous snakes are no joke.
Mr Peppers then pulls out his bed roll from his backpack and will wrap each of his legs in the thick cloth, hoping to keep the short snake fangs from being able to reach his skin should he indeed get bitten. He then grabs his waterproof bag with his journal and ink/pen inside and proceeds to quietly move through the pool towards the plinth watching the calmed snakes closely as they sniff his cloth, also careful to keep to shallow water and arms and hands up high.
Once he reaches the plinth he'll take out his journal and begin taking notes and making drawings.
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Gallix is bitten by another venomous snake as he wades through the pool. Reaching the plinth, he can't quite figure out how valuable such an artifact might be.
Mr. Pepper's thick bedroll and lizardman-scented cloth are just the things an elf needs to be ignored in a pool of venomous snakes. They don't notice Mr. Peppers as he tiptoes through, and are more interested in harmlessly smelling the scent he carries with him. Reaching the plinth, he's able to recognize the image of the serpents on the plinth, and how he'd seen similar images of serpentfolk in various textbooks.
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Gallix is fortunate enough that the second snake's bite doesn't penetrate too deeply and he is able to stave off the effects of the poison. Determined not to let a few snakes keep him from doing the job, he wades through the next pool.
He steps onto the third island and looks over the third plinth.
Gallix decides the time has come to catch up with his vulpine comrade, and moves swiftly but carefully through the remaining islands.
Thankfully, he is able to make it to the final two islands without too much trouble, thanks in large part to D and Peppers' ingenuity. I'll have to buy those gentlemen a drink after this. He fails to notice anything special at the fourth island, but is able to pick up on some interesting detail on the final one.
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"Yes, care must be taken."
Sirettis takes a que from Mr. Peppers and wraps her bedroll against her legs, hoping it will provide some comfort. Too bad she doesn't have the scent of a lizardman about her.
She approaches the second plinth quietly, and observes it.
She kicks up much more water than expected and a snake bites her. By some strange miracle her body actually fights off the poison before it can do much to her.
Sirettis's recollection of history seems to be spot on as she observes the fourth plinth.
As her memories of the fifth and final plinth.
"If only my immune system were at the same strength of my history lessons..."
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Gallix manages to travel to the next few islands by quietly moving through the pools, and deciphers the third and fifth carvings by calming himself and paying particularly close attention to the fine carvings depicted on each one.
Sirettis thinks back to the history of serpentfolk as she looks closely at the plinths, and she comes away with new insight into the last four plinths.
With all of their efforts combined, the party now has a new understanding for the plinths and the surrounding area. You now have enough information to provide to the Society on serpentfolk biology. Certainly spending so much time analyzing the carvings and the pools' inhabitants has brought the party new discovery into the ritual importance of the hot springs. It would seem the stone plinths were etched to detail many secrets of serpentfolk animal husbandry, and these pools were used as a breeding ground for sacred cobras, mambas, and vipers.
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Mr Peppers slowly maneuvers his way back to high ground, careful to avoid the 'babies'.
Once there he again retrieves his journal and pen and thoroughly notes all of their findings, and once everyone has made it back out of the water has everyone review his notes and sign their names. After some discussion about the obvious divine powers of the water and the methods to unlock them, he advises everyone to take a sample with them for restorative purposes.
"How is everyone feeling? Not too much viper poison turning anyone green I hope?"
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Sirettis looks relatively well, all things considered. She looks at Uesugi Hideyoshi. "May I...help you with the snake venom?"
Sirettis takes one of her bowls and looks for a way to collect the waters and form an effective potion. "Intriguing...the restorative policies will be useful."
Another bite later, Sirettis tries to fight off the poison, but more of it flows through her. "Ugh. I tire of this room."
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As the rest of the party investigated the plinths, D stood back in deep thought. In between his forming of stones to aid in quelling the vipers, he looked back from where the party came, and wondered what else may be in this temple from the past. After performing a brief ritual using the sacred waters , you recall that your time here is limited, and so you head up the stairs towards what you hope is the temple plaza.
On your way there, you come across a chamber branching off the main path. As you continue to ascend, the smell of human sweat and blood overtakes your senses. Claustrophobic cells line the walls here, many crowded with three or four miserable-looking humans. The halls converge on a hewn-stone chamber lit with braziers and choked with herb-scented smoke.
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Gallix moves back across the pool to the entrance, able to make his way around the snakes once again. As he arrives and discusses his findings with the others, he is intrigued by the fabled restorative powers of the springs. He produces a vial from among his various alchemical gear and performs the ritual the plinths describe to activate its abilities.
He treks through the tunnels along with the others until they arrive in the slave rooms. "Well this is lovely," he says with a grimace. He moves to the nearest cell gazes inside. "Are you all alright? How can we get you out of here?"
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Satisfied all is done, and having completes the ritual to generate a healing potion, Blaster jumps back to the entrance... only to slip and fall right into a pool of snakes."Ack! It stings! Dag nabbit!"
Blaster limps his way up to the next area.
Sirettis is too busy with her own wounds to help Blaster's venom effectively.
When they enter the cell, Sirettis takes a glance at the prisoners to check for injuries.