The two elementals move in, coming from each side. Not flanking but making the druid look from side to side. The room is slowly heating up, making Sevak feel the heat on his eye, parching his throat.
One ventures in range. Sevak's blow goes wide, missing the mark.
It tries to slam the druid.
The blow lands, burning the nagaji.
The heat from the creature attempts to catch the druid on fire, searing his skin.
But the druid is an old hand at heat and manages to twist and avoid the savage burns.
Ont he other side, the elemental tries to bullrush the druid, knocking him away from the safety of the door.
The blow lands, slicing into the creature fiery form.
It does a great deal of damage, nearly hacking off a whole limb.
The rush catches Sevak off guard and pushes him away from the door, and elemental now stands in the doorway, blocking off the retreat and allowing flanking.
Sevak snarls at the creature, and, noticing that it seems surprisingly vulnerable to his sword-blows, slices at it again more forcefully, hoping to destroy it before it has another chance to attack.
Sevak blows destroy the fiery elemental, scattered molten rock across the floor. The other creature, alone now, attacks again.
It connects but the fires are weak and barely singe Sevak's tough hide.
Sevak also avoids any lasting flames.
"Go and join your comrade!" Sevak hisses, slashing fiercely at the other elemental.
Sevak slays the creature with one swift blow, slicing the head clean off. Lava pours from the wound as it falls to the floor, crumbling.
Sevak is left alone in the increasingly warm dining room. Only silence echoes in the sweltering rooms.
Surely it was not weaklings like these that slew so many here? Sevak thought to himself as he checked his blade for damage. Finding it surprisingly unharmed, he decides to press onward while he can, braving the fearsome heat.
Sevak travels deeper into the bowels of the super-heated monastery. Finally he steps into the charred remains of an armory. All is burned and twisted except for the anvils, proof against hotter flames then this.
Along the back wall, an open channel of lava flows past, throwing up shimmering waves of heat. At that end of the room, even the stone walls are melting and buckling.
A figure is hunched over the magma, murmuring. As Sevak enter it turns and takes a few paces toward the nagaji. A muscular humanoid with crimson skin, smoldering eyes, and small black horns. Smoke rises in curls from its flesh, lost in the haze of the inferno room.
"One of my rats have escaped from below?" the voice says, sharp and laughing. 'Or perhaps a trick from above, from my foe? Speak and amuse me before I burn the flesh from your bones, if you posses them."
The traps above... they were meant to guard against beings of fire, Sevak realizes as the creature in front of him speaks.
He gives a small bow. "Neither, but rather one from outside, and also, foe to your foe." He did not mention that he was most certainly this creature's foe, as well. "For the one above has something of my Mistress's," he added, "Which the one above is quite unwilling to return."
Not that he had asked, but he rather suspected it to be the case. Now, if only he could use their enmity against one another...
"Mistress." the creature laughs, deep in his chest. "What petty worm of this plane do you serve? What do you seek? I have burned much and my foe has changed much himself. Our battles have turned this place into a battleground while others huddle below. I doubt what you seek survives."
The figure takes a step forward and the heat in the room soars even more, and Sevak is happy he has scales, not skin.
"Arise" Out of the magma, a fire elemental, slightly larger then the magma ones he recently slew, climbs up. 'Speak quickly and then my servant can slay you."
"I serve Iskassala the Five-Headed, whose very glance can render one both deaf and blind, she who long ago constructed this place. I seek but a few simple writings, left here long ago but now desired," Sevak replies as he takes a wary step backward, subconsciously sinking into a combat stance as he eyes the elemental. "Many traps I learned the way around as I ascended to seek it, but I thought it not wise to face an unknown foe alone, and so turned back."
He does not know if the fiery one will catch the implication in his words... and is not certain he would trust such an unsteady ally even for the brief moment it would take to accomplish his purpose. But he hopes the fiery one will keep speaking, for he at least keeps learning more that might be of use as he listens.
The fiery creature remains silent for a long time. The heat builds, and the lava rolls past, flowing along some channel recently hacked from the mountain. The fire elemental hovers, little more then flickering flame, pale compared to the fiery intensity of the magma.
Suddenly, the voice booms, 'You would be a weapon against my foe? But what do I gain if you steal your crumbs of paper and vanish into the world?
"Then you would still have seen a way through the maze of traps your foe has made, for I am certain you would have me followed, would you not?" Sevak suggests. "It is that which I offer--a path to your foe's door, through the traps that guard it, and in return I ask something of no value to you. What have you to lose?"
At the same time he spoke, Sevak feverishly thought of how to free his kin that the fiery one had hinted were below. Before he had doubted there were survivors, but if there were, he would not abandon them.
The creature steps forward again, and Sevak can feel the heat radiating off of the being. 'Very well. We shall do as you say." It holds up one long-fingered hand,t he nails more like tough claws. 'Betray me, and I shall scourge your living body with whips of fire.'
'My servants will follow you, secretly, and if you gain access....they will attack. If you help me, perhaps I will let you live. If you try to flee, I will follow. Now, go and serve me."
"I shall need only time to prepare," Sevak said, giving another small bow. "For I rather doubt the one above shall appreciate my guiding of your servants, so I shall need to be prepared for battle. My strength for the day is mostly spent, but I shall be ready on the morrow to do this."
"Time is an illusion of this plane." the creature snaps, making a fist. 'You who live here are chained to it like ox to a yoke. It makes you slaves."
'Begone!" it barks, "before I bore of you." And the creature turns back to the fiery channel of magma. the fire elemental waits, silent.
Sevak turns and leaves, aiming to return to the entrance room again, doing his best to listen for any following him. He is not certain whether to make of the statement a grudging acceptance of Sevak's need to prepare or a dismissal of it. Whatever the case, he will be glad enough to be out of this heat.
Sevak finds himself in the foyer again. So far no earth, fire or magma creature have boiled out of the walls to kill him or drag them back to their varied and diverse masters.
Sevak closed the door behind himself and then waited several minutes, wishing it were not so easy for these creatures to travel through the walls and observe him without his knowing.
No doubt that is part of why they were capable of taking the temple, Sevak thinks to himself. Though I wonder... how did they come to be here in the first place? Might there be some way to banish them back to their planes by undoing whatever first brought them here?
Once he has done his best to satisfy himself that he is not being followed, ( ) Sevak heads downstairs. If he helps the fiery one win their war on the morrow, he doubts he will any longer have time to save his kin...
The way down is damp and dark, a welcome relief from the fiery heat above. These rooms seem to have been storerooms and basements. No traps are here, just stairs.
He soon comes to a grand doorway, carved out of the shiny obsidian stone. The words engraved are formal and magical and beyond Sevak's skill but it appears to be a ward against outsiders of all types among others. There is no door.
That, at least, explains why they would shelter here... Sevak thought. Warily, he strides through the doorway.
Sevak steps inside. The chamber is round, cluttered with bookshelves, work tables, hanging magical lamps. It appears to have been a workroom of study area, perhaps for magical experiments.
Walking through he hears a voice, 'Hello...hello/" From a small doorway a three other nagaji appear. The have the look and dress of priests of the temple. Only one is armed, with a long bo staff. All look hungry, scared and dirty.
Sevak tenses, then immediately relaxes as he sees the other nagaji. He sheathes his Fang-Blade.
"Hello! It is good to see that not all here have perished in this terrible disaster," Sevak says, giving the priests--still holy men, even with all that had happened--a bow. "I wish I brought you news of a great army coming to retake this place... but I fear no news of what has happened here has reached the outside world, and I came alone, expecting no trouble. But I am here, at the least, and perhaps that is enough cause for hope... but perhaps I say too much too soon."
He shakes his head slightly. "Please, tell me your tale. I have learned something of what has happened in my exploration, but the details yet escape me. Perhaps a new listener will hear something dismissed before, yes?"
The priest with the bo staff moves toward the door, looking out for danger. While he does so the other priests beckon Sevak into a smaller side room, set up the same as the larger room.
"Madness gripped the temple." They say simply, 'Utter madness. For long years we have studied the ways of magic and the arcane, looking for wisdom among such things. Recently, we had taken to summoning creatures from the Other Planes, asking them questions, holding dialogue. That is why these rooms were built, to house and promote such studies."
The priest sighs heavily,'As in all things, the greed of the world interfered. One faction of priests thought they could summon a much more powerful being. Not only could it share wisdom, it could be put too work, do tasks, maybe even serve as a strong arm of the law, protection. And so an Efreeti was brought into the temple, outside the wards, for what use was a servant inside these rooms alone? It was foolhardy."
The bo staffed priest returns, taking guard by the door, and nods. The others continue on.
"The temple was chaos as the creature slayed many of us and summoned other elementals from inside the mountain to fight with it, to remake this holy place. So, in desperation, another faction summoned another being, to fight the first. They summoned a djinni and it soon joined our woes. It took up our library, apparently having a love of books and knowledge, and soon began a war with the Efreeti, and we were merely pawns to be used or killed at whim. We are all that remains."
Sevak sighs. "I see... and so it makes sense, now. I had wondered how these creatures came to be here..."
He is silent for a moment. "Given... what I saw in the entrance, it seems the Efreeti does not suffer you to leave?"
'Some have tried, to flee or fight. All have been killed by him or the other, the dijinni. We believe they have us watched, waiting for us to leave."
After a pause, 'How did you escape without being killed when you entered?"
"I simply walked in, in truth," Sevak said, speaking in Naga. "First I went upwards, evading various water traps set by the Djinn's forces, until I reached high enough it finally paid me mind and sent and illusion to speak with me. I then retreated for the time, wishing to learn more, and explored into the kitchens, finding the Efreeti there."
He paused a moment. "The Efreeti seemed... distracted, almost, willing to leave killing me to one of its elementals. But I suggested that it could have its minions follow me when next I went up to the upper levels, that it might see the path past its foe's traps, and in return, I might depart with that which I was sent to acquire."
Sevak sighed. "I had hope to somehow use this to bring the two into a final conflict--one which might leave the victor weakened enough to be defeated. But I doubt this is possible."
The monk with the bo staff speaks, for the first time. "You need not fight them directly. Each still has only a tenuous connection to this plane. For each, there is a simple design of sand and salt that was used to summon and bind them. Disturb even one grain and they will be sent back, unable to return."
"Indeed?" Sevak brightens considerably at this news. "But they must have these designs very well-guarded indeed, if you have not been able to disrupt them yourselves. But please, tell me what you know of where they are and what attempts have failed to reach them. Perhaps, no matter how remote the chance, there might be some way for me to reach them."
The monk shrugs, "I know little but the dijinni's is in the library. I have no idea of the Efeerti, but I would guess it is in the vaults behind the armory. We have made little serious effort o reach them,merely to survivie."
He pauses then smiles, 'But I have a lan. It will require killing a very large snake however."
He leads Sevak to a third room in the tiny warded complex. Out the back is a stout copper door, bound and sealed. 'Behind this door is a staircase that leads up and behind much of the temple. It leads to both areas you seek, or close to them. The downside, and the reason we have not tried it is...there is a very large snake on the other side."
Another priest spoke up, "We believe it was a pet of one of the mages but was experimented on and gone deadly. It blocks the way for us. But perhaps you..." They wave to the door.
"Perhaps I might be able to pass it, yes," Sevak agrees, nodding. "Perhaps I might even calm it rather than fighting it, but I shall prepare for the worst."
He pauses a moment. "Is there any aid you could give me before I attempt this? Any spells to prepare for battle? For my own part, I could share some of my provisions. If I win, there will be time enough for me to hunt after this crisis is resolved. If I lose..."
He shrugs slightly. "I shall have no further need for them."
The monk stands up straighter, his scales a dark forest green. "My name is Rasthiss. I would be honored to fight alongside you, servant of lords." He bows low in archaic style. The monk is unpracticed at such displays but seems to be fervent.
The other two eagerly accept some food, looking bone thin and exhausted.
"Ah! Forgive me. I never gave you my name. I am Sevak Iskassala'naj," Sevak states. "And I would be glad to have you fight by my side, Rasthiss. But first, we should eat and recover our strength."
After sharing his food--and stopping to eat himself, having not eaten for several hours--Sevak turns to the copper-bound door.
"A moment," Sevak says, then murmurs a couple prayers to the Naga spirits. His scales thicken and harden, and then his muscles swell and strengthen.
"I am ready," he states, and strides to the door to throw it open.
Sevak also pulled a piece of the meat he had brought out and worked it in his hands. Snakes rarely ate already-dead meat, but if warmed with his body heat, it might be acceptable.
Sevak opens the door. A rush of damp, fetid air reaches his nostrils instantly. The room is small, dark as a tomb, glistening with moisture on the walls. Ahead, barely visible are stairs rising up into deeper blackness. Peering he sees...a skeleton of a massive snake, in the center of the room, white and stripped clean of flesh.
"What?' Rasthiss says stepping forward.
Before he can say much else the druid hears the sibilant slithering of snakes. This holds no fear for a nagaji but it holds respect. From the corner comes a boiling, writhing mass of snakes, acting in unison, as one ball of attack and terror.
"Easy, now..." Sevak tosses the meat out in front of the swarm, trying to calm them with his tone and posture... but he doubts it will work.
A few break off to chase the meat, the smaller, less dominant snakes. Still, enough roll forward to maintain mass and cohesion. It surges in front of Sevak, biting and hissing.
"Close the door!" Sevak shouted to those they'd left behind as he drew his blade. He slashed at the swarm as he backed up, aiming to cut through as many as he could at once.
As he moves, he says to Rasthiss, "We should not need to kill them. If we can but get far enough from them, they should lose interest in us and cease to pursue us--and we are faster than they."
Sevak's blade is quick and strong, and slices through the snake's like a knife through water. The snakes mainly dodge the blade and he only catches a few, neatly slicing them in half. The main mass still rolls at his feet, biting savagely.
Behind him Rasthiss shuts the door, the old copper latching tightly.
Sevak can feel the poison in his veins, rising up in his torso. It feels like his blood is being turned to sickening jelly and his stomach lurches.
Sevak slashes again at the snakes while charging through the swarm, heading for the stairs.
Rasthiss leads the way, not being attacked by the snakes, either due to his staff or the fact he is not attacking the snakes.
The roiling ball of snakes is cut, but still manages cohesion. The number is far smaller now though, and they seem more hesitant.
Sevak gains the stairs, standing a few feet above the swarm of snakes.
Seeing the swarm weakening, Sevak presses the attack. "While we could run, it would be better to have our line of retreat open should we have need, he explains as he strikes.
This time the slash causes the swarm to disintegrate entirely. The chamber floor is full of thrashing and running snakes, hiding, running, avoiding the stairs. Soon nearly all are gone, except for the few who are eating the small bits of meat.
Rasthiss lets out a sigh,. "I never thought I'd be afraid of a snake, but I admit a large hissing swarm of them..." He bows to Sevak. 'Well done."
Sevak returns Rasthiss's bow. "I had heard of such things occurring in the deep jungle... but this seems to be an odd consequence of whatever experiments were done upon the original snake."
He pulls out a wand as he speaks, then waves it over his wounds.
Feeling much better, he puts his wand away.
"Now... might there be anything of use in that side room before we continue?" He points at the dark doorway.
As Sevak says so, one of the snakes eating the meat approach, hissing slightly. Carefully, almost playfully, it coils around the nagaji's druids feet, tiny tongue darting in and out.
'He's taken a liking to you.' the monk says, a smile on his scaly lips.
'As for the side room...it appears to be a storage for some of the mage's supplies. I don't know enough to name any of it, but some of it might be useful. Or dangerous, I can't say. Most of the bottles are unlabeled."
Sevak laughs loftly. "Indeed!" He reaches down and strokes the snake's head. "Much better than biting, is it not, little one?"
Straightening, he looks over at the side room. He hesitates only a moment. "I will look quickly, and then we must be on our way. If we can reach our destination before my spells run out, it shall be much better."
With that, he takes a quick look over the supplies for anything he immediately recognizes.
The snake bobs in 'agreement' and coils up his leg.
Much of the supplies is unlabeled, ruin by exposure or simply useless but he does spot two flasks of alchemists fire, one of acid and a small bottle of Quickfreeze Oil.
"If we climb, we might have a back way into the kitchens, but not into the vault itself. Unless you want to head up and do the Dijinni first?"
Sevak grins down at the little snake, then turns to Rasthiss. "Lead on. The Efreet seems to me the more dangerous of the two, so let us banish it first."
Quickly the pair bound the stairs, the snake hanging on rather easily. Rasthiss sets a quick pace but Sevak has skills of his own. The stairs are narrow and old, hacked out of the stone with little care for regularity or comfort, but they seem to be unguarded.
The air heats up however, as they venture upward, and soon Rasthiss is sweating. Soon an opening leads them into an overheated storeroom, all items charred and broken.
"Out the door, and tot he left is the vault. If the door is locked against us however.... Rasthiss shrugs.
"Where would the key be?" Sevak asks in a whisper. "Or is there another way in? I doubt we shall long survive if we try and fail."