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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mahiro Satsu" data-source="post: 304786" data-attributes="member: 4970">Episode IX Crown of Fire part 6The History of the Selûnite OrderVol. 12, From Bane to BoonCHAPTER SIX: The Coiled KingThe party immediately moved from the Speculum, in case some of the panicked creatures of Bane returned. It wouldn’t do to have to go through another deadly ambush. They returned to Haela’s Shrine, where they discovered the missing Svirfneblin cowering in the corner. Since he had the opportunity to save Roman during the Battle of the Lunar Speculum, and instead decided to administer a coup de grace to a goblin which had surrendered, the party allowed him to stay, but did not seek to have him join them the next morning when they left to find Clangeddin’s Hall.One encounter with a pair of “shocker-lizards” and some troglodyte guards later, Selune’s Champions found themselves facing the bleak wall of an intact hall that they suspected was their target. Unfortunately, the troglodytes had made it their base of operations, and several guards were stationed along the edge of the roof. One of the trogs saw or heard something below and sent out a scout party. Instead of waiting for the scouts to raise the alarm, Roman Gemmalee downed the remaining guard with a very well-placed moonmote arrow, then the Champions ran up to the wall, out of sight of any remaining guards, quickly working themselves along the wall until they came to a door. Along the way, the wizard Bronn, bard Cara, and cleric Velm complained of unusual headaches—precursor to areas in which magic either did not work or the results of which might be unpredictable. Van’s attempts to pick the lock on the door were unsuccessful, so instead the party put their strength to the test, eventually breaking into the hall and immediately closing the door after them.Inside, the Champions focused on finding the stairs downward, being careful not to disturb the gibbering and chanting trogs that they could hear behind certain closed doors. Upon descending, the party spied a creature chained to the wall. Through sign language, they confirmed that his guards were just around the corner. Encouraged through signs to taunt the guard and lead him into their trap, the creature started hissing and spitting until the guard walked into view, to be quickly downed by the weapons against him, which then brought a number of unlucky fellow guards, fried to cinders by a strong lightning bolt cast from the hands of Bronn.The released creature, nicknamed Hissenspit, indicated that Yss-Fara and “Winter” were along a thin hallway. At another door, the party could hear more of their enemies. But this time, rather than simply rushing in and engaging in battle, Bronn summoned a Celestial Bison on the other side of the door, as a diversion. After hearing the roars of pain from the trogs, the Champions stormed into the room, focused on removing Winter from this world. Instead, they were confronted by two horrible monstrosities: their former companion, Corwyn Black, now changed into half-man, half-serpent; and a tall serpent-like woman like the one they had faced once before in the ruins. The courageous bison had an entire phalanx of troglodytes armed with spears around it. Saeita, Roman and Velm rushed into the room, deciding on taking out the female snake-thing first. Another foul snake-thing poked its head out from among the shadows and Roman instantly transformed into a viper. Van called upon the power of Enthandas to return Roman to his natural form. That is why Yss-Fara, the coiled king, said to bear the blood of dragons, revealed himself. The Champions slowly overcame their enemies, suffering terrible wounds themselves, but their saving grace, Cara, invisible through the use of a potion, was there to cure them. During the fighting, another of the snake things was able to change Van into a viper, but Bronn’s use of the moon salve returned him to his natural form.Victorious, the party spiked the door to Yss-Fara’s throne room and debated their next move. The one troglodyte who had surrendered indicated that Winter was down a hidden staircase, which the party believed to be the way to Moradin’s Hall, and the goal of their quest—the way to remove Hathos’ curse from Aerunedar. They took an hour to refresh and heal, while Bronn scribbled frantically in his spell book, trying to capture the polymorph spell exactly, now that he had heard it three times.Among the order, debate rages as to when exactly Van took the cloth. Some say that it was after the Battle of the Lunar Speculum, considering that was the seventh trial of Enthandas. Others say it was immediately after being visited by the Goddess. Still others speculate that it was at this time, when he realized that he needed to reflect his faith in his life.</blockquote>

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