Amandine raises her rapier defensively and turns her mind inward for a moment, accelerating the synaptic links between her thoughts and her body's response.
"Stay behind us, Festo," Meraki says, drawing a dagger from within her cloak and turning to face the serpent. She reaches out with her free hand and clenches it into a fist, causing the creature's own shadow to turn against it.
From her vantage point upon the stairs carved into the canyone wall, Greenly has a clear shot at the water serpent. The strength she is able to put into her shot, courtesy of the mighty draw of the bow and her own lean but powerful muscles, allows her thistle arrow to just manage to pierce the creature's stony hide.
The body on the far bank stirs, but thankfully it does not rise as some manner of undead. Instead, a pair of large waterborne insects emerge from whence they were feeding on the corpse and begin swimming over, eager to get a head start feeding on the serpent's next kill.
Dro'gan releases his magical belt and forms it into his favorite blade, the brass lion's-head hilt flashes in the sunlight.
"Kill it!"
= Auto miss
= Success
= Failure
The river serpent lurches forward and snaps at Meraki, catching her leg in its fanged maw. Despite the pain and the monster's strength, she shakes free of its hold and narrowly escapes being dragged into the water. The bite wound burns, but it does not spread as her body resists the venom.
Meraki casts her spell in response, and the weak-willed serpent is caught in the shadow trap - its own shadow now pinned to the muddy shores.
The giant dragonfly nymphs wriggle through the water and swim towards the party, before hauling themselves onto the shore.
Greenly draws another thistle arrow and shoots it at the rightmost grub.
Moving to put himself between Amandine and the monsters, Dro'gan lets off his only real ranged combat spell at the large snake.
Casting Time 1 standard action; Components S, V, M (a bundle of sulfur wrapped in cloth); Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level); Effect: dragon-shaped fireworks; Duration 1 round/level;Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance yes; Description: A favorite display at halfling midsummer festivals, this spell lets you create fireworks in the shape of tiny dragons. Once per round, as a move action, you may designate a target 5-foot-square within range and launch a pyrotechnic in that direction. The pyrotechnic takes a zigzag path from you to that square, always missing creatures and objects in its path, and detonates in that square with a bang and a colorful burst of fire and light. Creatures in the target square take 1d4 points of fire damage and are dazzled for 1 round (Reflex half, a successful save negates the dazzled condition). Normally when this spell is used as part of a festival, the chosen target is high in the sky to increase visibility and protect observers.
A blue-white flaming mini-dragon streaks forth from Dro'gan's outstretched hand, streaking haphazardly through the air a short distance to explode in to scattering sparks on the snake's head!
Somewhat less boldly, Meraki retreats from the giant snake, but not before passing on a measure of divine protection to Lady Espinosa.
= 22 total damage
= Success
= Failure
Greenly's aim is unerring as she turns slightly to target one of the approaching grubs. Her arrow skewers the insect right through its thorax. It wriggles mightily in pain and panic.
The goldpebble dedicates all its effort into breaking free from Meraki's trap, even forgoing its chance to bite the cleric again to focus its feeble willpower upon the task. It manages to escape the spell's hold, sliding slightly back into the water as it aims to abandon this doomed hunt.
However, Dro'gan magic firecracker sears the top of he serpent's head and dazzles its senses, leaving it thrashing wildly. This provides Olivia her opening to deliver a blow with Koriana's Blade. Even if the beast has no sense of morality for her divine wrath to fall upon, the sword stroke alone is still a fine wound upon its thick hide.
Amandine runs past Dro'gan toward the serpent but is blocked from reaching it by a nymph. She thrusts her rapier into it, trying to clear it from her way.
Amandine's rapier thrust ends one of the dragonfly nymphs, leaving it to bleed to death with Greenly's arrow deeply embedded in its wriggling body.
The other nymph snaps at Olivia with its set of sickeningly extendable jaws, but its tiny teeth are unable to even scratch her greaves.
Greenly drops her bow and rushes beside her companions, sheathed in the green-white light of her wisps, and strikes out against the creature with her adamantine blade.
With a horse's hooves bearing down upon it, and another arrow from Greenly just managing to wedge its way between the creature's rocky scales, the dazzled serpent begins to withdraw back into the stagnant water.
It moves away from the women on the shore, and it slips through the legs of Olivia's summoned steed, evading its stomping hooves. It only makes it about 60 feet away when Meraki unleashes her next spell.
The serpent twists its head this way and that, hissing in fearful confusion.
Meanwhile, Olivia delivers a deep slice along the insect grub's writhing flank.
Amandine is determined to keep the serpent from slipping away while they have such and advantage over it. She chases after it along the shore, hoping Meraki's spell will slow its flight and give her a chance to catch it.
Dro'gan fires off another zigzagging mini-dragon, this time of emerald green fire, to explode near the creature's singed snout again! He then moves up the shoreline in an attempt to be closer to Amandine and try to keep her alive as long as possible.
Casting Time 1 standard action; Components S, V, M (a bundle of sulfur wrapped in cloth); Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level); Effect: dragon-shaped fireworks; Duration 1 round/level;Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance yes; Description: A favorite display at halfling midsummer festivals, this spell lets you create fireworks in the shape of tiny dragons. Once per round, as a move action, you may designate a target 5-foot-square within range and launch a pyrotechnic in that direction. The pyrotechnic takes a zigzag path from you to that square, always missing creatures and objects in its path, and detonates in that square with a bang and a colorful burst of fire and light. Creatures in the target square take 1d4 points of fire damage and are dazzled for 1 round (Reflex half, a successful save negates the dazzled condition). Normally when this spell is used as part of a festival, the chosen target is high in the sky to increase visibility and protect observers.
Dro'gan's second firecracker only singes the serpent. Bedeviled as it is by Meraki's spell, the creature's frantic movements save it from being dazzled again.
The dragonfly nymph snaps ineffectively at Olivia's greaves again as it slips cautiously back into the water.
Greenly lowers her sword and gives chase to the snake, piercing its hide deep and pulling back with a dramatic spray of blood.
It is not until Greenly has withdrawn her sword and the spray of blood has subsided that she realizes she has nearly cleft the serpent's head from its body, leaving it hanging by only slivers of sinews and flesh. The remaining dragonfly nymph is quickly dispatched in turn, as well.
"You are avenged, Dradi," Festo sighs when he realizes - upon seeing the blood-soaked warrior woman return, tromping through the calf-deep water along the shore - that the goldpebble has been slain.
"Thank...thank you," he groans, fighting to get the words out against the shivers wracking his cold body. "I'd just about...resigned myself to...to following my Abadaran sis...sister into the beyond," he says, feebly raising an arm to point towards the body upon the opposite shore.
Moving to retrieve the snake's nearly severed head, 'Gandro' calls out to his comrades.
"Well done everyone! Excellent work Lady Greenly! We should take this head back for proof of our...your...work here."
Quickly setting the venomous snake's head out of the water, he lets it drain what remaining blood it has on the small pebbles lining the side of the stream.
"I've heard snakes make good food. That's thing was as big as a cow. I say we set up a temporary camp here and make sure our rescued traveler can survive a journey back before we move him."
"Like, thank you, but I prefer Sir Greenly, Gandro," pants Greenly, catching her breath. Cleaning her sword, she turns to the acolyte and asks "What do you want us to do with the body? Should we take her and you both back to, like, the Bankster or whoever?"
With the giant snake slain, Meraki limps over to stand next to Festo, taking one of his hands into hers. "I'm sorry that we were too late to save her," she says, closing her eyes for a moment as she sends out a pulse of healing energy to wash over the party. "I can see that the monster's venom has taken hold of you, Festo. Give me some time, and I will be able to cure you."
She sits in quiet meditation for several minutes, before returning to the Abadaran's side and pressing a glowing palm against his bite wound. As she does so, she looks to the others with a smile. "I hardly expected to find myself fighting alongside all of you, especially so soon, but I'm glad you brought me along."
"Are snakes anything like eel? Like, I like eel," grunts Greenly blankly, dragging the carcass behind her and up the stairs.
Greenly outpaces Amandine and handily puts down the serpent. Amandine slows, covering the last few yards at a jog. She looks at the headless goldpebble. She pats Greenly on the shoulder.
"Nicely done. You have real talent."
Amandine turns and starts back in the direction of the Abadaran acolyte. On the way she bends down to pick up a couple of small rocks. She throws them out into the water, aiming to spread them out across the area between herself and the body of the acolyte on the other side. She doubts there's anything else dangerous would be sharing the space with the goldpebble, but the dragonfly nymphs presence making it worth checking.
She watches the rocks' splashes and ripples for any sign of a reaction, then continues on to the rescued man.
"We need to go get the acolyte's remains on the other side. Her name was Dradi?"
"I don't know if I'd eat it, Sir Greenly. It's poisonous, after all."
Greenly looks at the thing she's dragging. "I mean I, like, cut off the head. That's, like, the part with the poison, right? If Gandro says he can cook it, I'll give it a try. Don't wanna let all this meat go to waste."
"Correct! A snake's venom is generally located in glands in its head. Unless this one is different in ways not only related to size."
He then wonders to himself.
'I only wish I could figure out a way to extract it...'
Festo is weakened by a combination of goldpebble venom and more mundane exposure and dehydration. Taking the time to more closely examine his wounds and condition, you discover the bizarre nature of the slain creature's supernatural venom: the goldpebble's poison apparently causes its victim's blood to slowly turn to water, causing extreme anemia that ultimately leads to death. You suspect that Festo only survived this long thanks to his own divine magic allowing him to stave off such a fate.
The magical origin of the goldpebble makes its anatomy more...uncanny, when compared to ordinary serpents. Harvesting its venom glands or cutting edible meat from the creature would be a very careful and experimental process.
Bolstered by Meraki's channeled energy until the venom can be properly purged from his veins, Festo breathes easier - especially if a campfire or blanket is provided to warm him up. He explains that, in life, his counterpart's name was Dradi Maladus.
"We studied together at the seminary in Lotheedar," he says, his shivering more under control, and his breathing less labored now. "Although she hailed from Cassomir, while I was born and raised in Ridonport. Maybe if I was from Meratt and knew to beware this wretched canyon, or maybe if I'd taken the time to better study the county's dangers, perhaps she'd yet live," he rues bitterly.
Dro'gan carefully wraps the snake's head for transport back to town, placing it in his magical backpack for safekeeping.
'If nothing else, we can mount it on the wall next to the Manticore's head in the town drinking hall. It will draw people for miles to see such a sight. Maybe even rename the place the 'Manticore and Snake' or something like that.'
Amandine wades out into the water. At about knee deep she turns back to ask "will someone help me bring her across so we can take her back?"
Once disturbed from among the mud that cradles it, Dradi's body releases an overpowering, putrid odor. With the goldpebble venom having turned her blood into water, rigor mortis never set in, so the acolyte's body remains limp as a rag doll. Between the moisture and the maws of the insect larvae, significant decay has already set in. If you were to try and transport the body for burial, it would likely fall apart like soggy, moldy bread before a couple miles.
Of course, you recall Amandine mention that Gold Canyon is actually a sacred site and minor pilgrimage destination for Abadarans.
Thus, a burial nearby would be a respectable honor for Dradi.
When Amandine discovers the state of the body her gorge rises. She steps away from the corpse gagging, eyes watering. When she can compose herself enough to speak, she sounds defeated.
"We can't move it. I don't think we have anything to dig with."
"I may be able to help with that," Meraki says, stepping up next to Amandine with a hand held over her nose. "I know of a spell that would welcome her body into the earth, or build a coffin of stone around where she is now." She turns back to Festo. "I don't know Abadaran customs. Would that be fitting for her?"
Festo nods.
"A well-appointed mausoleum or sepulcher would be ideal, but given the circumstances...
"Well, this canyon has provided much wealth, not just for the county but the whole prefecture. Returning Dradi's body to the canyon will be like repaying a loan. I think it will be fitting. She would be happy with this."
Dro'gan keeps watch while the others 'inter' the body.
Meraki nods and, clutching her amulet in one hand, touches the ground around Dradi's body with the other. The stone around Dradi ripples and shifts, drawing her body into the ground and raising a marker above the burial site. In the cleanest lettering she can manage, Meraki carves out the woman's name on the grave marker.
Her work done, Meraki takes a few steps back and sits on the ground, a hand resting in the stream nearby. "Is it like this every day with your household?" she asks Lady Amandine.