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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DustinGebhardt" data-source="post: 5442827" data-attributes="member: 82905">Session 38             Session 38<img src="http://static.wetpaint.com/img/bg/1.png?v=20110120041852" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />                                             Of Serpents and SwordsThe  days went by and Jek said very little as he led the group eventually to  a dilapidated ziggurat in what might have once been a clearing. Under  the thick layer of foliage, including vines, creepers, and a multitude  of weeds, are the signs of an epic battle. So engrossed with the new  sights, the group took little notice of Jek turning around and leaving  the party at their desired destination. "Check this out, these claws  are not Rakasta." Hekuba stated. The rest of the group took longer to  notice, and the signs the half-orc indicated were too deep and spread  apart gouges in the stone to be of the feline race. "Looks like it was  over a year ago too." the half-orc continued."Are we going to the  ziggurat or what?" Mort commented impatiently as he began to walk toward  the broken archway leading to the ruined structure."Wait Mort! Just because it's old doesn't mean there is no reason to be cautious, in fact it could mean..."The  rogue's words were cut short as a gargantuan anaconda dropped in front  of the monk. Mythyria sprang into action first, charring the snake and  leaving a sizable scorch mark. Hekuba let fly a crossbow bolt that  connected but did not pierce the thick scales of the creature. Hoppup  sent an electric charge that seemed to have little effect, while Eriks  took to the air and flew behind the giant serpent. Disregarding the  rest of the company, the snake only has eyes for Mort. With startling  speed, the creature coiled around the monk and began to squeeze. The  monk let out a gasp of pain, that he immediately regretted as it was  terribly difficult to draw his next breath. Kamal, seeing Mort's plight,  channeled the power of his god. Mort felt his ribs strengthen and his  breath return. Mythyria created a glowing hand of energy and used it to  deliver a shock to the snake; Hoppup created a colorful sphere of  energy, both attacks bypassing the thick scales of the huge beast. Eriks  managed to place his sword between two scales and draw blood, while  Hekuba attacked with a wave of sword strokes that failed to penetrated  the snake's scales.The companions were in dire straits, not piercing  its scales, and the creature squeezing the life from Mort. Kamal  approached the massive beast with determination in his eyes and a  powerful spell on his tongue. As the power of Sarenrae gathered,  Mythyria conjured a layer of grease upon Mort. With the combined effort  of the monk's writhing, the pressure of snake's constriction, and the  augmentation of Mythyria's spell, Mort squeezed out of his peril and was  thrust into the trees.Kamal finished his spell, a ray of life  draining energy erupting from his palm. The creature, however, resisted  the worst of the curse and took advantage of the priest's proximity to  snatch him in its coils and squeeze. Mythyria lets out an exasperated  sigh and began to recall her spell of grease. Hoppup continued to  conjure spheres of light, but the spell was having little effect. More  so, however, than Eriks and Hekuba were having trying to pierce the  creature with their weapons. Kamal let out a cry of agony as the snake's  coils tightened and the priest felt bones snap. Mythyria's grease spell  flowed over him, and with little effort of its own, the snake's coils  shot Kamal nearly thirty feet away into the tree canopy.Frustration  gripping the creature, it lashed at Hekuba and in one lightning quick  motion, the half-orc was in its coils and being crushed. Hoppup  continued to cast his spheres and Mythyria recited a quick curse to  drain the snake's life force. A burst of healing energy shot from the  trees where Kamal decided to stay put. Hekuba, trapped in the same  general area as Mort and Kamal before him manages to free himself from  the coils, and is launched into the trees in the same fashion.Eriks  then braved an attack from the snake, but the quick rogue managed to  evade being coiled in the creature's grip. A war cry is heard as Mort  runs from the trees, his crown aglow with an earthen power. Mythyria,  now free to cast more effective spells, uses her spectral hand to  deliver more draining magic to the creature. Hoppup summons a loop of  electric energy that rattles across the creature's scales. Kamal's  healing energy bursts over and over, and Mythyria cants one of her most  powerful curses. The snake visibly weakens as Mort begins to pummel the  creature with smiting energy. Hoppup's electric loop arcs once more and  the snake freezes in place. Eriks scores another hit, and Mort continues  his assault on the foe, now unable to slither away. With the foe now  helpless the companions at last inflict enough hurt on the creature; the  great snake falls to the earth with a great rush of displaced air and a  loud crash. Eriks went to work extracting teeth from the giant snake  and saving some of its scales for his prize collection as the rest of  the companions regrouped in the clearing that the creature had blocked.Kamal  returned from his precarious perch and beheld the bruises evident on  his friends. A pang of guilt ran through the cleric, but he reminded  himself that all of them had a role to play. Satisfied that he was  needed, the cleric clasped his holy symbol and made his body a vessel  for the power of his goddess. A warm and familiar light washed over the  party; cuts closed, bruises faded, skin re-knitted, and even a bone or  two could be heard cracking back into place. Somberly, the group  crossed the remainder of the way into the opening of the ziggurat;  mostly ignoring the many more old scorched stone and claw marks that  marred the area. Before they could enter though, Hoppup stepped in front  of the entrance."Okay, is anyone going to break the silence?"  Hoppup's words seemed resounding even against the backdrop of clatter  from the jungle. "You all call this the Isle of Dread no? I think,  particularly after our trip into Demi-gorgon's temple, we have grown in  despair. Eriks, you used to be the spirit of this group." Mythyria made a  clucking noise with her teeth. "Do not scoff, it is the truth of  things." Hoppup scolded the elf. "We each have a part to play, and if  one of us falters, then the rest of us suffer. When Karyan died, we lost  a piece, but we cannot afford to lose two." The Nythyian leveled his  gaze toward Eriks. "And besides that, we know she will return." All eyes  went to the rogue, and he wished that he could simply disappear. How  could any of them possibly understand the pain it caused him to see his  family slain? As the tall man swallowed hard to form a reply, Hekuba  spoke up. "The lizard is right, I think this place is doing  something to us. Maybe 'cause I haven't been here as long, I can see it a  little clearer, but it as if the island feeds on our hope." "I feel  fine." Mort commented, though his face clearly showed that he didn't  quite believe his own words. A silence that lasted a few heartbeats and  an eternity followed, then at last Eriks found his voice."Perhaps  that means there was never any hope for you." The group turned squarely  upon Eriks, who at last wore a smile they had not seen in some time.  Kamal stifled a small hiccup, but then it erupted into a great laugh.  Hekuba, Hoppup, and Mythyria joined; Eriks kept smiling and began to  shake himself. Mort's gaze remained cold and dead on Eriks, but the  twitching of his lips betrayed the true emotion he was trying to hide.  At last the monk also burst into laughter and the whole group nearly  lost their breaths letting out the pent up frustrations of months in a  hostile land filled with terror and hardships.The first to recover  enough to speak Mythyria addressed her trusted friends. "I do not think  we are free from the influence of this place, but being aware of it will  surely help in the days to come. Now let's see what the Rakastas left  for us." The group finished their laughing fits one by one and entered  the ruined structure.Inside the temple, the group is astounded to  find several very well preserved statues. All of them are various jungle  cats, some that look more human than feline, but all in poses of  defense and aggression. A dozen statues of finely crafted stone form a  circle; in the center of which is a jaguar that looked as if it would  pounce at any moment were it not crafted entirely of jade. The jade  jaguar stands atop a large stand. Eriks begins examining it and the  rogue's eyes widen as he realizes the truth of the statue. "This is  obviously where they would hide anything." Mort says and crouches into a  stance that shows his intention of jumping onto the jade jaguar. "Not  twice today!" Eriks managed to make a leap of his own, but not onto the  stature. The rogue tackles Mort to the floor, leaving them both in a  heap and the group looking inquisitively. "The jaguar isn't real." Eriks  reports. "Can anyone dispel its magic?" "I happened to think we  would need that today." the priest reports. He chants a simple prayer  and waves his hand toward the center statue. A blue shimmer can be seen  wavering in the air as it passes through a ray of sunlight. The wave  flares and strikes the statue. For an instant nothing happens, then with  an audible 'pop!' the jaguar and every other statue in the place vanish  from sight."Well done sir." Hoppup commends the priest.Where  the statue stood, instead there is a long drop into a large, poorly lit,  tunnel. Mort and Eriks, have untangle from one another peer over the  side. "Are the two of you sight-seeing or treasure hunting?"  Mythyria calls with a smile on her voice. The elf was apparently the  first to spot a ladder that goes down the side into the pit.The  tunnel slopes slowly downward and is faintly illuminated by what must be  everburning flames that rest behind more statues of jaguars that  overlook the companions about three feet above their heads. Eriks  notices that each jaguar has jewels for eyes as his thieves tools appear  in his dexterous hands. "Hey, no. No, man." Mort put a hand on the  rogue's shoulder. "You talk about traps? Well what if something down  here doesn't want us taking stuff?"Eriks processed this for a moment. "We're here to take stuff anyway, right Mythyria?""If I'm to be in this, then I side with Mort. We are here for a cache of weapons, not jewels."Much slower than he drew them, Eriks returned his tools; though his eyes remained on the jeweled eyes a few moments more.The  tunnel ends into a room that is much like the one the group left to  venture underground. A dozen statues of various feline forms circle the  center. On the walls, a detailed depiction of Rakastas fighting a  multitude of foes can be seen. The floor is thick with dust, and in the  center of the room is a smaller circle of pillars with bamboo mats at  the very center; noticeably clear of dust."Hold, we are not alone." Hekuba tells the group as he points to the floor. In the dim light, the group can just make out the slithering that give away a snake's path. "How old are these?" Kamal ask."Not  old, I think" The ranger replies. The group gives a start as the  whisper of steel on leather sounds. Eriks stands with his blade in a  defensive position and his gaze upward. "We are being watched, I know  it. It is not evil, but..." He let his words hang in the air.Hoppup  lets his vision slip to see the unseen sheen of magical auras. "I do not  detect any magic above, maybe under the mats..." The Nythyian's words  are cut off by a melodious voice from above the group. The words sound  sweet, but only Mythyria responds, in the same rhythmic language."Who are you?""We were sent to end the blood moon.""Why?""It is our mission and we seek the Rakasta's weapon to help our fight. Who are you?""Guardian."Mythyria visibly stiffened, and she told the group the conversation so far, then continued."If you guard the legacy of the Rakastas, you should know. There is nothing left.""You are mistaken. The Rakastas were careful; their legacy remains.""May we see you?""No.""What killed all the Rakastas?""Why do you care?""This island is threatened once more, we do not want history to repeat itself."A  breeze whirls through the chamber and the whole room begins to glow  with a soft light. A long serpent with angelic wings that shift with  every color in the rainbow appears before the group. The creature's gaze  meets them all. "The Nythyians used magic beyond their limits,  it summoned creatures called Skinwalkers. These evil creatures could  kill and wear the skin of their prey. The Rakastas knew the threat was  coming and tried to prepare by building up their strength. Alas, it was  not enough and the Skinwalkers slaughtered them all. This is all that  remains now of the Rakastas legacy."The mats in the center of  the room roll away and the stone floor raises with the grumble of stone  grating stone. The floor continues to rise to reveal a large weapon  rack, filled with finely made war-claws, bows, arrows, spears, and  javelins. A separate rack holds one bow, a greatsword, and a war-claw.  Mythyria approached the winged serpent that she later identified as a  Coatl."May we use these to hunt our enemies and yours?""Only if you do just that.""You have our thanks...""You may call me Tona-Tiuh. I am no longer needed here, but I will help in what ways I may. Take these." The Coatl presented three of her own feathers to the group."Three times, you may call me, and I will assist you. Now go and see the Skinwalkers dead."With that, Tona-Tiuh shimmered and faded from sight."I  didn't catch all of that, but I think we just got another strong ally."  Kamal remarked breaking another silence, though this one born of awe.The  group made preparations to rest in the underground temple. Taking their  watches in turn, Eriks declared that he wanted to make sure the tunnel  was still clear.The next morning, the group made their way back to  the surface, and only Hekuba noticed-with a hidden smile-that the  jeweled eyes in the statues of the tunnel were all missing.</blockquote>

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