DM's Log of Session Forty Six
Having slain two of the three Ssvaklors, the party spent a few moments seeing to their numerous wounds, before setting off through the ruined depot to seek out the third one, none of them having seen it fly off. What they found instead was a blood smeared site where Ash had been sleeping, but no sign of their paladin or his pack. Crouching down. Masembe poked a finger into the blood and licked it, pronouncing it to be human. the sheer amount of blood on the floor told them all they needed to know.
Aeron is quite upset that the paladin's gear is missing, especially the Hat of Disguise that Ash had possessed. With Ash dead and gone, the group move their campsite to a nearby building, before bedding back down for what remains of the night.
Nightal 22nd dawns, a light rain soaking the ruined city (and the party). Despite their misgivings about Ash's intended plan, none of the group have any beter ideas, and so, perhaps in honour of their fallen comrade, they decide to go ahead and meet with Esau Enoch. Aeron casts Seeming on the group while Masembe shifts into snake form and drapes himself around Jebodiah's shoulders, as well as casting Tongues on himself. Aeron makes sure to make himself look like the image of the Yuan-ti Ash had disguised himself as, and the group head through the streets towards Esau's laboratory.
On arriving there, they linger on the ground floor until Esau and Domino make their daily appearance on the lower level to talk to their underling scientists and are then invited upstairs. There seated comfortably in Esau's well appointed study, they learn that the renegade genius has devised a way to destroy his work:
"A binary liquid, quite clever of me if I do say so myself"
"How do you mean binary liquid?" asked Aeron.
"Quite simply that, a solution that I have devised and had in prepartion for some time now."
"What does it do?" queried Zamtap.
"The liquid that circulates in the cloning tanks now is a complex mixture of venoms, acids, quicksilver..."
"Yes we know all that from your journal and from what Broca House were stealing back in Baldur's Gate" growled Aeron, "Get to the point".
"Anyway... I've devised a solution to add to that existing mixture to destabilise it. It will make the liquid highly corrosive, which will destroy the clones currently in the cylinders as well as born it's way through the glass tubes they grow in".
"What about the other apparatus, the tubes can be replaced. We need to ensure that this place never produces any more of your Megalomen" Zamtap stated bluntly.
Esau grinned broadly, and added nonchalantly "Ohh did I forget to mention that when the combined solution is exposed to the air it will detonate?".
"Detonate?" asked Zamtap, the look on his face warring between caution and delight "How big an explosion will that cause?"
"Big enough to annihilate the laboratories... might even even level this building now that I think on it".
"So what do we do now?" asked Jebodiah.
"I'd suggest casting any spells you need to cast, grabbing your packs and getting ready to head out. We'll walk across the plaza to the temple and then head down to the portal to Hlondeth, fighting our way down if needed. Ahh that's where your talents will be needed" answered Domino.
"Very well, let's get on with this" muttered Masembe.
The party spent a minute or two, shouldering their packs again, and casting various defensive spells on themselves as Chan and Esau added the new solution into the cloning apparatus, before the whole group readied itself and headed downstairs, Aeron asking as they descended to the ground floor of the lab "So, just how long until it all goes kaboom then?"
"A couple minutes give or take" was his nonplussed reply from Esau.
The group drew stares as they walked through the hall at the centre of the downstairs laboratories, but none of Esau's subordinates questioned why he was leaving the building, their glares mostly reserved for the snakemen with their leader, a firm look of "Who are they and why do they rate his personal attention?" written large on their envious faces.
Outside though was another matter, the group had barely gone more than forty feet from the doorway to the laboratory before a deep voice boomed out, it coming from the throat of a red and blue giant of a Yuan-ti, this one standing nearly nine feet in height and with a tail ending in a distinctive rattle.
"Esau Enoch, you are under house arrest and know this, return to your laboratory at once"
"Well it was worth a try" smiled Esau, stepping closer to Domino. "Come my dear, let us be gone". And with that Domino, Esau and Chan vanished, Aeron recognising the effect as a teleportation spell and the whole group immediately realising that they've been set up and that Esau could have escaped at any time. Not bothering to try and talk his way out of things, Aeron chants and casts a Hold Person spell at the giant snakeman (Rattlor) who issued the challenge, but it has no effect on him. Masembe slithers off Jebodiah's shoulders and starts casting.
Several more snakemen begin moving towards the group to back up Rattlor, one with a flared cobra-like head (Kobra Khan) moving towards Aeron. Zamtap chants a Prayer to bolster the party and hinder Rattlor and then heads towards the temple, Jebodiah moving with him even as Aeron calls out "Don't go too far from me!", but too late, the pair leaving the Seeming spell's area of effect and resuming their normal appearances. Another snakeman with long arms (Sssqueeze) casts Divine Power on himself and moves towards Zamtap, while another, long tongue flicking about his face (Tung Lashor) casts Cat's Grace on himself. Rattlor charges Chand but misses his swipe at the cleric, as Aeron enchants himself with an Expeditious Retreat spell and moves, using the standing stones along one side of the plaza as cover. Running towards Jebodiah, yet another snakeman screams "Look at me!" as his head comes alive with writhing snakes (Snake Face), but he fails to petrify the dwarf. Chand casts Righteous Might on himself, even as Masembe summons a brown bear to molest Ratlor, the bear's claws gouging the giant Yuan-ti.
Kobra Khan spits venom at Chand but misses him. Zamtap casts Spiritual Weapon and sends the glowing warhammer to attack Snake Face, but the medusa-like Yuan-ti easily dodges it. Jebodiah roars and charges Snake Face, his axe cutting into the snakeman. Sssqueeze moves closer and stretches out one arm to an impressive 15' touching Snake Face and healing his wounds with a Cure Serious Wounds spell.Tung Lashor runs towards Snake Face to aid him in fighting the dwarf. Rattlor attacks Chand but fails to hit the armour plated cleric with either his sword, bite or tail. Aeron sends a Phantasmal Killer at Kobra, but the Yuan-ti laughs off the spell, much to the genasi wizards annoyance. Snake Face takes a step back from Jebodiah and stares again, the dwarf ducking his face behind his shield just in time. Chand steps up and whacks Rattlor twice with his mace, the bear clawing the giant snakeman. A short distance away, Masembe starts summoning again.
DM's Notes:
Every once in a while it is nice to give the party exactly what they expect. Especially just after they've convinced themselves that their initial thoughts were wrong. So Esau betrayed them and now they have to fight their way out of Ss'inthee'ssaree. Knowing my players, I don't think they'd really want it any other way!
One of the things that inspired this whole campaign was the modern Masters of the Universe cartoon, in particular the first season episode Snake Pit and the bulk of the second season which featured the Snakemen. The party are fighting 5 of them now (they'll meet King Hsss at a later date as he's too high powered for this fight). This battle is resolved in the next session.
