As you enter the chamber those of you with a streetwise or dungeoneering of 25 or over begin pointing out the traped piles of rock to everyone the ones marked with a yellow X. If you step into an adjacent square the rock pile will collaspe onto you.
A hissing voice responds to the groups hushed conversation "You are trespassing, your lives now belong to the flame. Come easily and the flame may make you one of his instead of just consuming you."
5 figures approch from the tunnles. They have the body and head of a cobra and the torso of a well mussled man. 2 have bow and the other 3 are weilding wicked looking bastard swords one being larger than the other 2.
The Yuan-ti wait for a response (Ragna).
<Rocks are rough terrain, 2 MP to move through them>
<Pool takes 2 MP to move through them and you cannot charge in the pool>
Ragna
Yuan-ti archer 1
Yuan-ti archer 2
Yuan-tian
Rennik
Uriel
Flint
Malick
Yuan-ti 1
Yuan-ti 2
Ferdinand
Typhus
Ragna is up.
"Yippe da-day. Snake people. You friends of Blondie?"
"When you say Flame, do you perchance mean the Silver Flame." Ragna holds up her holy symbol.
The Yuan-ti bow their heads breifly and chant a brief prayer.
"The flame consumes the unpure,
The flame consumes the weak,
The flame comands us."
The largest one speaks, "You wear a symbol of fire, do you speak for the flame, will you submit to the test of fire?"
"What most I do?"
"Well that's a development," Rennik mutters quietly to Malick.
"Test of fire...that doesn't sound good...", mutters Uriel.
"We should take this test. Fire has always been an ally to us. Flames, fires, burning blood. It will all freeze in the places in between."
"Yeah. It's got novelty value. Sounds like I'm getting scorch marks to add to my scars. Blondie's debt's getting bigger."
"What most I do?"
"Step naked into the flame, only the impure will consumed."
"What most I do?""Step naked into the flame, only the impure will consumed."
Uriel leans close to Ragna and whispers, "That is not a good idea, kid."
You haven't seen it yet.
The glowing green crystal is magical though, if used right pieces of it could be used to augment powers with the radiant keyword.
"Can I confer with my friends, to let them know what is going?"
"You all must take the test together. Discuss what you will." The lead Yuan-ti hisses.
For the first time since entering the cavern, Typhus looks interested. "A naked fire test that may destroy us? I say we do it; Caiphon teaches that we must pit ourselves against peril in order to make ourselves worthier sacrifices for the Outer Darkness."
"This seems unnecessarily dangerous."
"I don't think the snakes are just going to let us walk back out without jumping into the fire. Question is, which would be more dangerous?"
"So our options are walking through flame or fighting some fanatic yuan-ti. Oddly enough, it's not a choice I like much either way."
"I would prefer putting the business end of my blades into the snake people rather than stripping down so everyone can see my furry bits, jumping into a fire and then having the snakes take our equipment and slither away only to run my britches up a flagpole for all to see. I fell for that ruse when I was a rookie in training, never again."
"We probably should take a look at the flame before we decide one way or another."
"I will bow to the greater knowledge and experience of our practioners."
Typhus looks around at the debate raging around him, shrugs, strips down to his skin, leaving his items in a pile while everyone talks. He walks, naked into the Flame, pausing only to smile before he takes the final step into the fire.
After a very pious life, Ragna struggles not to gawk.
"Uhhh Typhus...is this a good idea?", asks Uriel as Typhus walks towards the flame.
Uriel walks with Typhus over to the flames, keeping his guard up in case of an attack. "Oh yes...tha' sacred flame", says Uriel, "I must be cleansed by it...oh yes..."
"Are ya' mad...errr serious about this, Typhus?", mutters Uriel to Typhus as they move closer towards the flame.
Uriel walks with Typhus over to the flames, keeping his guard up in case of an attack. "Oh yes...tha' sacred flame", says Uriel, "I must be cleansed by it...oh yes..."
"Are ya' mad...errr serious about this, Typhus?", mutters Uriel to Typhus as they move closer towards the flame.
"Who is the bigger fool; the fool or the fools who follow him into the cleansing flame of the unholy snake people and their mad blind god?"
"Who is the bigger fool; the fool or the fools who follow him into the cleansing flame of the unholy snake people and their mad blind god?"
Uriel walks with Typhus over to the flames, keeping his guard up in case of an attack. "Oh yes...tha' sacred flame", says Uriel, "I must be cleansed by it...oh yes..."
"Are ya' mad...errr serious about this, Typhus?", mutters Uriel to Typhus as they move closer towards the flame.
"Oh I am clearly tha' bigger fool fer' comin' along wit' ya, Typhus", whispers Uriel with a grimace, "but I have no intention of followin' ya' into the flames of their blind god...or lettin' you burn up fer nothin'. Besides you amuse me far too much fer' me to let ya go an' impersonate a torch. I say we use this most opportune moment to jump those fools by the flame."
"He surely helps increase the interest rate, I'll give him that. Madder than a box of snakes. And I'm using that phrase for a reason," mutters Malick to Rennick and Ferdinand.
He quirks an eyebrow as Typhus walks towards the flames and gets a better grip on his halberd.
Naked, Typhus pauses just before the Flame. "Self destruction is the only destruction worth pursuing." He then leaps into it.
"Oh balls...", exclaims Uriel with wide eyes...err a widened eye.
As I said before the Flame is not in the chamber you are in. It is also not the big glowing green crystal.
The Big Yuan-ti listens in to your debate and when typhus starts taking off his clothes he says, "You have decided leave your possestions here, they will be returned to you if you survive."
"Follow Qi to the temple", he points to the Yuan-ti guarding the east passageway.
"Who will face the Flame, Typhus and ?
As I said before the Flame is [u]not[/u/] in the chamber your in. It is also not the big glowing green crystal.
The Big Yuan-ti listens in to your debate and when typhus starts taking off his clothes he says, "You have decided leave your possestions here, they will be returned to you if you survive."
"Follow Qi to the temple", he points to the Yuan-ti guarding the east passageway."Who will face the Flame, Typhus and ?
"How does your Qi feel about impartial observation? Typhus is a friend. Kinda reluctant to let him undergo a major test unsupported."
"How does your Qi feel about impartial observation? Typhus is a friend. Kinda reluctant to let him undergo a major test unsupported."
"Damnit, Malick", growls Uriel, "I hate it when yer' right..."
Ragna strips off her cloths and places them with the other equipment. Her forms shifts to match that of man as she undresses.
Ragna strips off her cloths and places them with the other equipment. Her forms shifts to match that of man as she undresses.
Uriel stands stunned, mouth wide open, as Ragna changes her form...
Ragna strips off her cloths and places them with the other equipment. Her forms shifts to match that of man as she undresses.
"Well, this explains why we didn't recognize you. Also, you all are crazy, you know that?" Ferdinand says as he undresses, careful to not break the vials in his pockets.
"Nope, I am just modest. The other form was my true form. I do not normally like to deceive."
Ragna whispers to Malick, "Do you think if I took the form of blondie it would help the situation?"
"Who says I'm right? You ever think Typhus might be infectious?"
Malick grins and removes his clothes, casting an appraising glance at Ragna.
"Not sure she'd suit your style of beauty, Ragna, but that's not a stupid idea."
He looks thoughtful.
"Not sure she'd suit your style of beauty, Ragna, but that's not a stupid idea."
He looks thoughtful.
"Disguises only work if they don't see you change into them. I think they've realized by now that you're not Ruing."
"See that proves how out of practice at deceit, I am."
"You don't think they'd accept it as a complex double bluff then?"
After striping down the large Yuan-ti gestures to the east passageway, “Follow Xi-tain to the altar of fire.”
The smaller Yuan-ti leads you down winding passageway to a chamber covered with glowing dragonscript. In the center of the chamber is a pattern that all of you recognize as a melding of the twelve house dragonmark's plus a thirteenth that has been chiseled out of the floor.
A set of crudely carved steps lead up to an alcove where multi-colored fumes swirl from a crack in the floor..
What the chamber of flame looks like.
Xi-tain leads you to the steps and waits for you to enter the alcove. As Typhus walks over the central pattern the Lyrandar part glows a bright purple.
The following Yuan-ti mutter in hushed whispers and one slithers rapidly back up the passageway out, returning with many more Yuan-ti with what could be described as curious expressions on their snake like faces.
Once the entire group enters the alcove the large Yuan-ti begins to speak. “Behold the trespassers, they have chosen to have their fates decided by the Flame. The Flame will burn away all those of false conviction, it will consume the weak and infirm, only those valued by the prophecy will survive.”
As he finishes speaking he tosses in a stone that sparks when it hits the floor instantly igniting the gases in the alcove. Pain from the fire sweeps over you and the intense heat quickly burns your lungs causing you to pass out while gasping for air.
You awake to find yourself in a damp cold cell. A quick examination finds that you are unharmed lying in a filthy prison cell.
Uriel comes to, his head throbbing, and lies on his back on the floor of the filthy cell. "Ughhh...we shoulda' fought I'm startin' to think" says Uriel sourly.
"Damn it! Typhus, if you're still alive, I'm never following you again!" Ferdinand begins glancing around his cell, hoping for something he could use as a lockpick.