Both Taalik and Davlaran are caught off guard by the viper's swift attack, and though they strike out, both miss terribly.
Ixen draws his rapier and swings at the snake.
Dra'zaak swears loudly in Draconic when he spots the snake he and Ixen failed to spot. Before it can successfully bite someone, he charges at the thing, pulling his shortsword out as he does so, and tries to stab it. "Watch its fangs! This one's poisonous!" He thinks a moment, despite combat, and adds shortly after, "Dibs on its poison!"
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Despite being able to surround the large snake on all sides and all attack it, only Gunnarrex manages to actually hit the albino cave viper. Turning its attention from Aardiac to the one who hit it, the viper lunges at Gunnarrex and tries to bite him, but Gunnarrex easily dodges the snake. Horgus lets out a shriek as he realizes how large the snake you're fighting is and nearly drops the torch he's carrying, and Anevia awkwardly unslings her bow while balancing on her one good foot so as to attempt to take a shot at the snake.
Taalik slashes as the beast again, lunging in with an errant bite of his own as well.
Davlaran tries to bite the beast as well.
Gunnarrex grins. "You will have to do better than that, beast!" he says, coming out of his dodge. He puts his momentum into another swing of his hammer. His second blow crushes the snake's skull .
Dra'zaak keeps a close eye on the beast's fangs, hoping to avoid them at all costs considering the poison. He takes his shortsword and lunges at the beast, attempting to skewer it.
As a matter of fact, Ixen's rapier did manage to penetrate the viper's scales, and it was actually Aardiac's crossbow bolt that penetrated the creature's hide. When Taalik, Gunnarrex, and Dra'zaak all manage to easily hit the snake after it's attention turns to Gunnarrex, it is easily dispatched.
There doesn't seem to be anything in the cavern aside from the now very dead cave viper, which may be posthumously milked for a dose of venom if you like before continuing onward, deeper into the caverns beneath Kenabres. It's about half an hour of traveling through a twisting passageway before the tunnel splits in two directions. To the right, the passageway continues much as it has, while to the left the narrow corridor quickly widens into a much larger cavern filled with a sickly green light. The light illuminates a sizable building, perhaps twenty feet tall, filling much of the cavern but not quite reaching to the ceiling or the cavern walls. Even from this distance you can see a massive ten-foot tall relief carving of a hammer dominating much of the front of the strange building.
Ixen looks at the strange cavern with a hidden building.
He recognizes the symbol.
"That's the symbol of Torag, god of dwarves. We may find an ally in there or at least a safe haven to rest. Should we go?"
Kobolds and dwarves did not get along normally but that was when the kobolds did not worship Apsu as they did. The two gods never had any trouble so why should their worshipers.
After the snake is defeated, Dra'zaak takes a moment to harvest what he can from its venom glands, carefully putting it into a small flask he took from his alchemical toolkit. With that done, he continues along with the group.
As far as the building goes, Dra'zaak shrugs. "It would be a good place to rest and recouperate. Never been particular to Torag, but in absense of a more preferable shrine, its better than nothing."
aardiac nods.
"yeah, that could be good. Or the dwarves might not even be here anymore. No idea."
"I'll lead the way?" Gunarrex asks. If no one objects he approaches the door to the structure and takes a look at it for any obvious traps.
Dra'zaak manages to carefully milk two full doses of venom from the deceased cave adder's fangs before catching up to the rest of the group, being able to move more quickly than the two injured soft-skins, who are still a bit behind the rest of you when you all reach the fork in the passageway. Stepping into the large cavern containing the apparent shrine, you can see more clearly that the building is constructed of worked stone blocks, has no windows, and the massive stone door leading inside is shut. To the left and right of the shrine, you can see the ruins of two smaller buildings, once built right into the side of the cavern, which look to have collapsed recently in the same earthquakes that brought you all down here.
Gunnarrex doesn't see any traps, but does spy a massive giant fly sleeping atop the shrine, possibly the same species as the giant maggots you fought earlier. It doesn't respond immediately to the group, but attempting to open the large stone door will almost certainly disturb it from its slumber.
After patiently listening to the exchange of his companions, then shares his perspective, "Indeed, dwarves are good, hardy folk, if you can get past the beards. They are methodical planners, and the shrine is likely stocked with a variety of supplies that could prove useful."
When Gunnarrex points out the giant fly nested atop the tower, Taalik draws a javelin from his pack and prepares to throw it. "Shall I summon the beasty down for a fight?"
Aardiac watches the fly for a while.
"Perhaps that would be best?"
Ixen draws his crossbow and prepares to fire on the fly as soon as it moves.
"Let me know when we are ready."
"Do it!" Gunnarrex says. More yummy food!
Aardiac draws her own crossbow, and takes aim.
With everyone seemingly in agreement, he calls out "Now!" and hurls the javelin at the giant fly.
Add smashes his javelin poorly into the front of the stone shrine.
Ixen's bolt flies through the air with the rest as the signal is given.
Aardiac takes the shot at the giant fly when everyone else does.
Dra'zaak knocks an arrow into his shortbow moments before the group all attack the sleeping vermin and when Taalik yells, he looses the arrow, sending it hurling towards its target. Before it even hits the beast, he has another arrow knocked and ready, aiming for another shot.
>
=> Ixen Edar
Aardiac, Dra'zaak, and Ixen all manage to hit the giant creature, which makes a clacking noise as it is roused and then angrily dives down into combat, swooping towards Ixen and attempting to bite him, but missing horribly. It is a larger specimen than most, but like the others, you see no outward signs of demonic taint.
Taalik turns Davlaran and rides around the company to get to the side of the monstrous fly so that he may lend aid in the fight against the beast. Taalikswings his longsword while Davlaran lungs in with his vicious jaw.
Davlaran tears a massive chunk out of the giant fly and it collapses to the ground, its wings motionless, slowly bleeding to death, and Gunnarrex then dispatches it with a quick smashing blow from his mighty earthbreaker. The sounds of combat don't summon anything from inside, nor do you hear any further noises, aside from the soft-skins discussing whether they should approach, with the fat one, Horgus, apparently feeling it's too dangerous and that they should stay out of the way.
The door into the building is jammed, and it might take all of you working together to force the massive stone slab open.
Gunnarrex wedges the thick oak haft of his hammer into the door to use as a lever, and then lends all his strength to opening it. "Grab ahold an give me some aid, companions!"
"Wait!" Dra'zaak hisses at Gunnarrex as the gold-scale tries to open the door. "Let me listen at the door first before you go blundering in. We don't know whats in there!" As he approaches the door, Dra'zaak pulls out a small ear-trumpet and holds it to the door before putting his head to it to listen in.
Aardiac tires to help.
and accomplishes less then nothing.
Ixen was not very strong, most kobolds were not and in that case he was not an exception. None the less he tried.
Taalik and Davlaran both lend their aid in moving the door.
With a great amount of effort and working together, you're able to pry the door open, the stone grinding its way across the floor until you are able to easily push it the rest of the way. The entry leads into a small antechamber, too small to comfortably accommodate all of you at once without a lot of squeezing. A stone bench lines the interior wall closes to the tunnel network, and a large basin of water sits upon a carved stone pedestal on the far side of the room. To the left of the basin, another stone door leads further into the building, engraved with the same hammer image as on the outside.
Upon closer inspection, the water in the basin appears to be perfectly pure, undisturbed by the dust coating everything else in the antechamber. The door leading further in swings inward: unlike the outer door which had to be pried open, you can simply push against it until it opens, though its hinges are also in poor condition.
Ixen keeps his crossbow ready. As well as remaining alert.
"I think we should clear the building before considering any kind of rest. More flies may be around or other vermin."
Aardiac sighs, and nods.
"yeah. That would be the safe thing to do."
Stretching his arms after forcing open the giant door, Taalik steps into the antechamber. Hearing Ixen's words, he smiles and agrees, "Indeed, would be foolish to lay our heads on the dining platter of some unknown beast. Shall we sally forth through that door?" He points toward the next chamber, even as he leans in to listen for any sign of what may lie ahead.
Hearing Malzii's exclamation, he looks down at his canteen. "I have this, it has enough water left to get me through the day. After it's empty if we are nearby I will gladly fill it up. Though, is it wrong to drink holy water, even of another deity?"