Session 23: Death Snake!

The group continued to consider the gold fountain with its strange gold inlays. Mannon noted that the statue was built by barbaric shaman to imbues worthy parties with special, feral powers.

Alton touched the owl inlay and sprouted feathers. Krius touched the bear and got large and muscled (straining the limits of his armor). Prophit touched the turtle and his became leathery and thick. Mannon touched the fox (after exhausting all other options) and gained tawny fur. Elarios touched the tiger and gained razor-sharp claws.

Prophit checked out the door in the room, and could hear struggling on the other side. It sounded like lizard-folk fighting over food. He advised the group to proceed quietly. They cracked the door quietly, and the group launched into the lizard-men’s midst, surprising them.

The party tore the lizards to shreds, but Krius spared one for questioning. Prophit determined that the lizards were being led by a witch doctor (not a king as is usual).

The king was put in a dark hole. The lizard gave the group directions to their leader, and once they were done, they killed the remaining lizard where it lay. They moved along the halls and came to a set of doors beyond which, the drums grew louder...with the sound of hissing timed to the beat.

Around the corner, a massive snake was coiled and swaying to the drums. The party weighed their options and chose to launch an assault on the serpent.

They approached stealthily at first, then pounced. Krius blasted the beast with a radiant blast of energy, rousing it from its trance. The rest of the party fell in line with a volley of attacks.

The creature fully aware and angered, answered the groups attacks with a spray of burning poison and a terrifying glare that rendered most of the group helplessly shaken with fear.

Krius and Mannon, unshaken by its fearsome gaze, flung themselves forward to flank the beast and unleashed a flurry of attacks into its scaled hide, while the rest of the group struggled to regain their senses.

The serpent conjured a magical cloud that plunged half the room into utter darkness just as the rest of the party shook off the fearful effects and began their offensive anew. Their new attack was tentative as they struggled to determine how to attack the beast without injuring their friends in the process.

They fired volleys of energy and arrows into the darkness hoping to get an edge. The creature lashed out and its steely coils enveloped Krius. It began to squeeze and the group could hear warping bone and metal mixed with the pained gasps from their friend.

Prophit desperately surged forward, assailing the lurking beast in the darkness with a pulse of divine energy, while simultaneously healing Krius and setting up Mannon for a massive attack of his own. Mannon blasted away with a devastating attack of fey energies, but still the creature fought on...

The characters present:
* Alton/Morrainna (Aaron), drow wizard
* Mannon (Dave), halfling warlock
* Prophit (Jeff), human cleric
* Squire Krius (Matt), human paladin
* Elarios Amanodel (Mark, absent ran by DM), elf ranger

Rumors and clues gathered (this session):
* Krius interrogations of lizardman...
* Lizard tribe ruled by a witch doctor who imprisoned the old lizardfolk king
* Brood mothers guard the whelps

Treasure found (this session):
* None

Foes/traps/tricks overcome (this session):
* 3 lizardmen guards
* 1 lizardmen bully
* 1 hypno-death snake (no xp, fight on going)
* 50 bouns XP each PC, thanks to Dave for taking notes

Experience gained (this session):
180 each player