Apparently awoke from her brain fever. She had only a vague idea that several days had elapsed. She was in a familiar-looking camp within a walled compound with no roof. The ground was covered in blood. Vinnie was nearby grooming the behemoths. No one else was around. It was morning. Vinnie informed her that the others had left to invade some secret underground warren of snake-people. He told her the sign Bramble would leave for her to follow. She prepared herself and took Chak'sa to join them.
She followed their tracks through the ruins of Omu. She passed the giant lake of boiling lava. She crossed the fallen tree that spanned the river. Every few blocks she'd find a bowl of stew placed on a flat rock with a hand-scrawled sign that read "FREE STEW! EAT ME!" She raised a wary eyebrow and continued on.
She eventually arrived at the entrance to a ramp that led underground. Tracks showed heavy traffic into and out of the tunnel with piles of recently excavated debris nearby. She strung her bow and prepared an arrow, took a deep breath and a sidelong look at her companion Chak'sa, and descended into the darkness.
CHAPTER 23, "THE SLAVE PITS OF FENTHAZA"
THE EXPEDITION
- Bramble Wolf - a theran barbarian wise-man (Wildhunt Shifter Druid) searching for the legendary origin of his tribe.
- Apparently Jones - a blue-skinned demijin caravan guide and animal trainer (Air Genasi Ranger) from Akasa, the land of sky mountains. Having failed to find work in Port Nyanzaru as an animal handler, she has joined the expedition to the interior as a scout.
- Chak'sa - Apparently's honker (parasaurolophus) companion.
- Xoc-Wik - a b'alam warrior (Tabaxi Fighter) from the jungles of Bres, searching for those responsible for the destruction of his tribe.
- Zeynap Shiravadakar - a Eusebean smuggler (Human Warlock) bearing the spirit of a celestial unicorn.
- Argent Truth-Sayer - a golden azi knight errant of Bahamut (Dragonborn Paladin) in the service of Bahamut, sent on a holy mission to join the expedition to destroy the Soul Monger.
NPCs
- Eku - a mysterious shape-changing wise-woman from Chult, hired as a guide.
- Vinnie - rough and tumble dinosaur wrangler who wished to learn from Apparently, possibly from 19th century Boston on Earth.
Violence of Action
Apparently walked past a pair of bronze doors that had been forced open. Just beyond the doors was a pit of snakes. She and Chak'sa jumped across easily. Just beyond were the remains of several degenerate snake-men that had died in battle.
The entrance narrowed to a hallway at the rear. She could hear the sound of battle and shouting in the room beyond. The battle died down, there was a quick shout, the sound of running, then two lound gongs that echoed throughout the subterranean complex.
She passed through the short hallway and rejoined the party. They were wounded. There were two large bears moving towards a passage to the left. There was a frightened three-horn behemoth.
"Oh, hi Apparently! Feeling better?" asked Zeynap.
She nodded, "What's going on?"
"We're killing snake-men and looking for the Soulmonger. They just sounded the alarm. Ready?"
Apparently soothed the tri-horn with a shush and a gentle touch. She opened the gate so it could leave its small enclosure. "Ready!"
Bramble moved the two large bears into the hallway.
DM Note- Wall of Bears!
The Fane of Blood
The entrance narrowed to a hallway at the rear. She could hear the sound of battle and shouting in the room beyond. The battle died down, there was a quick shout, the sound of running, then two lound gongs that echoed throughout the subterranean complex.
She passed through the short hallway and rejoined the party. They were wounded. There were two large bears moving towards a passage to the left. There was a frightened three-horn behemoth.
"Oh, hi Apparently! Feeling better?" asked Zeynap.
She nodded, "What's going on?"
"We're killing snake-men and looking for the Soulmonger. They just sounded the alarm. Ready?"
Apparently soothed the tri-horn with a shush and a gentle touch. She opened the gate so it could leave its small enclosure. "Ready!"
Bramble moved the two large bears into the hallway.
DM Note- Wall of Bears!
The Fane of Blood
The bears pushed through the heavy curtain separating the hall of war from the large chamber beyond. Argent and Zeynap followed closely behind.
The large chamber measured seventy feet long and fifty feet wide. The ceiling was supported fifty feet above the floor by eight slender columns. The southern half of the floor was raised ten feet above the northern half like a stage. The north wall was dominated by five forty-foot stone statues of cobras arranged around a central pillar that formed a balcony forty feet above the floor below. The mouths of the stone cobras were stained with dried blood. A trough at the base of statues that drained into a wide shallow basin in the center of the room was likewise stained with dried blood.
The party emerged into the west wall of the chamber onto a balcony. The humanoid nagina that had recently escaped through the corridor stood near a large gong atop the balcony. The bears immediately set upon the nagina, killing him instantly. Argent and Zeynap took up position next to the bears overlooking the chamber.
A set of double-doors on the northeast wall opened and out poured a large serpent-man carrying a seven-foot long curved scimitar. The serpent-man was accompanied by two serpent-headed archers and three clawed degenerates.
The large chamber measured seventy feet long and fifty feet wide. The ceiling was supported fifty feet above the floor by eight slender columns. The southern half of the floor was raised ten feet above the northern half like a stage. The north wall was dominated by five forty-foot stone statues of cobras arranged around a central pillar that formed a balcony forty feet above the floor below. The mouths of the stone cobras were stained with dried blood. A trough at the base of statues that drained into a wide shallow basin in the center of the room was likewise stained with dried blood.
The party emerged into the west wall of the chamber onto a balcony. The humanoid nagina that had recently escaped through the corridor stood near a large gong atop the balcony. The bears immediately set upon the nagina, killing him instantly. Argent and Zeynap took up position next to the bears overlooking the chamber.
A set of double-doors on the northeast wall opened and out poured a large serpent-man carrying a seven-foot long curved scimitar. The serpent-man was accompanied by two serpent-headed archers and three clawed degenerates.
Zeynap cast some hex spells at the newcomers. In return, the archers loosed poisoned arrows at Argent. Argent grimached as the poison coursed through his draconic blood. The scimitar-wielding leader, accompanied by the degenerates, rushed across the room.
Bramble moved past the curtain and summoned the spirits of the sky. The spirits created a wall fo wind around the balcony that deflected the arrows. As a result, the spirit bears disappeared.
Apparently summoned her healing spirit. A translucent archaeopteryx formed and moved onto the balcony.
A group of ten robed cultists rushed through the exit to the south. Followed by three serpent-headed warriors, four strange warriors with thick snakes for arms, and three warriors with humanoid upper torsos and snake tails replacing their lower torsos, and two humanoid warriors carrying spears and shields and wearing leather armor.
Zeynap reported the situation to Bramble in the corridor. Bramble replied that they were out-matched. He called for a retreat. Zeynap immediately moves from the balcony into the hallway to escape.
Apparently directed Chak'sa to the balcony stairs to block the retreat. Several of the newcomers turned back the way they came, obviously to loop around and approach from a different direction.
The robed cultists loosed arrows from shortbows at Chak'sa. Chak'sa emitted sad howls in pain and fell before their assault. The leader, two degenerates, and two armored humanoids rushed the stairs and into the corridor, blocking Argent's escape. Argent shoved the humanoids and moved past them as the humanoids shoved him down with their shields. This gave the serpentine leader an opportunity to move past and block the hallway, trapping Argent.
Argent, having suffered several poisoned arrows, fell before the attack of a degenerate snake-man. The degenerate prepared to rip up Argent's fallen body but was stopped by a command from the leader. The degenerate snarled with displeasure. The two armored humanoids retrieved Argent's unconscious form and carried him away. The leader continued down the hallway after the fleeing party.
Argent, having suffered several poisoned arrows, fell before the attack of a degenerate snake-man. The degenerate prepared to rip up Argent's fallen body but was stopped by a command from the leader. The degenerate snarled with displeasure. The two armored humanoids retrieved Argent's unconscious form and carried him away. The leader continued down the hallway after the fleeing party.
Bramble turned into a gargantuan anaconda and grabbed the leader with his tail, pulling him out of the hallway. The leader struggled against Bramble but could not escape. Xoc-Wik paused at the entrance to the complex to loose a few arrows into the leader.
A force of serpentine warriors rushed from the rear of the colonnade to the south. Apparently ordered the tri-horn to block their approach. The tri-horn stopped their advance but soon fell before their onslaught. By that time, Apparently, Zeynap, Eku, and Xoc-Wik had fled up the ramp and back to the surface.
The serpentine leader finally broke free from Bramble's constricting grip. Bramble transformed himself into a sabertooth tiger and ran away up the ramp towards the exit. The nagina did not give chase.
DM Note - the retreat was scary and confusing. Players kept second-guessing their actions or hesitating in their retreat. I had to enforce some decision making. I'd ask, "What do you do?" and each player would look at the other players all nervous and uncertain, "What are we doing? Are we retreating? What do I do? Do you need help?" and I'd have to step in and say, "I'm not asking what they're doing. I need to know what YOU are doing, right now! Quickly!" This served to increase the tension and confusion and uncertainty of the retreat.
Yahru
DM Note - I took Argent's player into another room for some one-on-one.
Argent woke in a dark room surrounded by nagina warriors. An elderly serpent-man with old cracked skin badly in need of a shedding hovered over him.
"Good, you live," said the serpent-man. "You may prove useful."
The serpent-man introduced himself as Yahru. He asked Argent to identify himself and to explain their mission. He asked some questions about the Soulmonger and what he knew of Ras Nsi. Argent answered truthfully and civilly.
Yahru then asked if his companions would be coming back to free him. Argent said that he did not think so and that he had no reason to suspect that they would. Yahru agreed.
"I have use for you, dragon-man. A use that will ultimately result in your freedom. But for now you are a prisoner of the Nagina Samrajya. You will assist Azi Mas in the storeroom. Cooperate and I will set you free. Resist and you will be sacrificed to the god Jivantaka."
Argent was shackled and a muzzle was placed upon his head. He was taken to the storeroom and left alone with a large talking python and a human named Orvex Ocrammas. The python held court over a room filled with supplies and stolen contraband. The python was named Azi Mas and Argent was to be the snake's hands.
Orvex was a translator who had been hired by the wizards in the service of Unglaub the Lich Queen. He didn't like his employers but their money was good. His camp had been attacked by the nagina two days earlier and he had been captured.
Azi Mas, for his part, was talkative for a python. The python was lonely and loved interacting with the slaves assigned to help him. He would speak at length about temple gossip, the invasion attempt from a few hours earlier, and other minor bits of news and information.
"You were one of the invaders from earlier," observed Azi Mas wryly, "That you are alive means old Yahru is up to something. He's probably out trying to recruit your friends as we speak. He's in league with the witch Fenthaza, you see." The python returned to reading his book, "They're probably planning a coup."
Regroup
The party retreated to a spot near the grung compound. The grung made it clear they were not welcome within bow range so the party stayed clear. There they decided to rest and plan their next move.
Three figures came into view just over an hour later. One was a serpent-man with old cracked skin badly in need of a shedding. He carried a staff and wore the robes of a sage or scholar. He was accompanied by the two humanoid guards carrying spears. He introduced himself as Yahru and requested parley. The party warily agreed.
Yahru informed the party that the nagina had captured the dragon-man alive and were holding him prisoner. He had come to inform them that his mistress, Fenthaza, mistress of nightmares, wished to employ their services as assassins. If they refused the offer, the dragon-man would be sacrificed to Jivantaka. The choice was theirs.
They discussed the options. Bramble and Eku were vehemently against dealing with the nagina. Apparently and Xoc-Wik considered the offer but were ambivalent. Zeynap, at the urging of the unicorn cohabitating within his mind, spoke passionately in favor of accepting the offer if it meant saving the life of their companion. Zeynap's plea swayed Apparently and Xoc-Wik. Bramble reluctantly agreed to accompany them.
Eku said she would stay behind.
Zeynap asked Yahru how they would get back inside.
Yahru provided several robes and silver masks, "Wear these. Wrap your weapons in these blankets. It will be assumed that you are nothing more than fellow pilgrims."
Fenthaza
Three figures came into view just over an hour later. One was a serpent-man with old cracked skin badly in need of a shedding. He carried a staff and wore the robes of a sage or scholar. He was accompanied by the two humanoid guards carrying spears. He introduced himself as Yahru and requested parley. The party warily agreed.
Yahru informed the party that the nagina had captured the dragon-man alive and were holding him prisoner. He had come to inform them that his mistress, Fenthaza, mistress of nightmares, wished to employ their services as assassins. If they refused the offer, the dragon-man would be sacrificed to Jivantaka. The choice was theirs.
They discussed the options. Bramble and Eku were vehemently against dealing with the nagina. Apparently and Xoc-Wik considered the offer but were ambivalent. Zeynap, at the urging of the unicorn cohabitating within his mind, spoke passionately in favor of accepting the offer if it meant saving the life of their companion. Zeynap's plea swayed Apparently and Xoc-Wik. Bramble reluctantly agreed to accompany them.
Eku said she would stay behind.
Zeynap asked Yahru how they would get back inside.
Yahru provided several robes and silver masks, "Wear these. Wrap your weapons in these blankets. It will be assumed that you are nothing more than fellow pilgrims."
Fenthaza
Yahru led the part of "pilgrims" into the temple complex. Slaves were already repairing the sliding bronze doors. Yahru turned down the corridor to the left, past a curtain, and into a door on the left.
The party entered a cramped room. A dense haze of incense hung in the air, masking the foul stench of the serpent men. Ancient murals and fine arabesque lattice work hung on the walls. The floor was covered with throw rugs and cushions. An engraved chest rested in one corner near a stone urn adorned with carvings of serpents.
A creature lounged on the piles of pillows. She had the upper body of a dark-skinned humanoid woman but possessed the lower body of a serpent's tail from the hips down. She lazily drew from a hookah pipe and exhaled decadently.
She was Fenthaza, the mistress of nightmares. She greeted them and offered them wine which they refused. Her voice was languid, drawing out every "s" like a serpent's hiss.
"I have a tasssk for you, if you are interessssted. I wisssh for you to assssassssinate our dear leader, Rasss Nsssssi"
"Ras Nsi was oncccce an immortal human from Mezzzzro who underwent the transsssformation and became one of the chossssen. His power and his immortality made him a valuable assssset and he eventually became leader of this outposssst.
"However, he sssstill longed to regain his humanity and wasss obsessssssed with his lossssst city of Mezzzzro. This hassss made him weak and has led him to make unwisssse choices in alliancessss that are counterproductive to our caussssse of resssstoring the glory of the Nagina Samrajya. He is a poor leader and needsssss to be removed.
"But Sssssekelok defends him, not out of loyalty to Rasss Nssssi, but out of devotion to the authority of the Commander. I cannot make a move against him. If it were known that it wassss I who killed the Master, Ssssekelok the Defender would challenge me and I would lose. Luckily, Sekelok has no ambitttion to become commander himssself.
"An outsider must kill Ras Nsi. YOU must kill Ras Nsi!"
"What do we get if we do?" asked Zeynap.
"Once I am Commander, you have my word that no nagina will cause you harm while you are in Omu. On one condition - so long as you cause no harm to a nagina while you are also in Omu. Once you leave this city, our arrangement will end. You may take your dragon-man and leave with any of Ras Nsi's possessions."
"Where will Sekelok be?" inquired Xoc-Wik.
"When the time comes, I will summon him and away along with the commander's advisssers. This will leave Rasss Nsssi with only his wretched undying protectors for you to deal with."
Zeynap said that if they tried now, they would fail. They needed time to rest and prepare themselves.
"You may rest with the ssslaves. For thisss to work you mussst pretend to BE a ssslave. But only for a day. When it is time, Yahru will open the grates to the slave pens. You will be allowed to exit. Yahru will leave a map to the armory where you can retrieve your weapons. From there, follow the map to Ras Nsi's quarters. He will be vulnerable. But do not take long. I cannot detain Sssekelok and the other advisers indefinitely.
Bramble gumbled, "How can this go wrong?"
Zeynap said, "Whazzat?"
"Nothing" smiled the theran wise man.
Zeynap agreed and the party turned over their weapons. They were disguised as captured prisoners, chained and shackled, and led to the slave pits.
Slaves of the Serpent-Men
The party was led past a chamber containing an evil looking sacrificial altar that collected blood. The altar somehow magically amplified the blood, creating hundreds of gallons from only a small amount.
A portcullis was raised and they were taken into a dank room with four metal grates on the floor. Weak moaning rose from the pits beneath the grates. Zeynap, Apparently, Xoc-Wik, and Bramble were separated and each was thrown in a separate pit.
The pits were filled knee-deep with foul water. Within each pit were other prisoners that had been captured by the nagina.
Zeynap was lucky enough to meet a human named Commander Fredericks. The commander appeared to be an Avallonian who spoke a strange dialect. Commander Fredericks wore a leather coat lined in sheepskin and covered in patches. He wore a strange flat hat with a short shiny bill. An embroidered symbol of an eagle decorated the front of the hat. He described himself as a "bumbar paylit" whose air-ship had crashed in the jungle. He had been found by these dastardly snake-men, captured, and brought here. Commander Fredericks described the other prisoners to Zeynap.
Argent was amazed to see his companions. "What are you DOING here?" he said in disbelief.
"We've got a plan to rescue you!" replied Zeynap.
"Rescue me? I had a plan to rescue myself!" the dragonid said.
Zeynap explained the plan to Argent. Argent was hesitant. He had not met Fenthaza and was not a party to the arrangement. But he would play along.
Afterwards Argent told the party to Orvex and suggested his possible usefulness to the expedition.
The party was finally able to rest.
Later, after an indeterminate number of hours, they heard the sound of the portcullis being opened followed by the sound of the grates above them being removed. A chain was lowered.
It was time.
The party entered a cramped room. A dense haze of incense hung in the air, masking the foul stench of the serpent men. Ancient murals and fine arabesque lattice work hung on the walls. The floor was covered with throw rugs and cushions. An engraved chest rested in one corner near a stone urn adorned with carvings of serpents.
A creature lounged on the piles of pillows. She had the upper body of a dark-skinned humanoid woman but possessed the lower body of a serpent's tail from the hips down. She lazily drew from a hookah pipe and exhaled decadently.
She was Fenthaza, the mistress of nightmares. She greeted them and offered them wine which they refused. Her voice was languid, drawing out every "s" like a serpent's hiss.
"I have a tasssk for you, if you are interessssted. I wisssh for you to assssassssinate our dear leader, Rasss Nsssssi"
"Ras Nsi was oncccce an immortal human from Mezzzzro who underwent the transsssformation and became one of the chossssen. His power and his immortality made him a valuable assssset and he eventually became leader of this outposssst.
"However, he sssstill longed to regain his humanity and wasss obsessssssed with his lossssst city of Mezzzzro. This hassss made him weak and has led him to make unwisssse choices in alliancessss that are counterproductive to our caussssse of resssstoring the glory of the Nagina Samrajya. He is a poor leader and needsssss to be removed.
"But Sssssekelok defends him, not out of loyalty to Rasss Nssssi, but out of devotion to the authority of the Commander. I cannot make a move against him. If it were known that it wassss I who killed the Master, Ssssekelok the Defender would challenge me and I would lose. Luckily, Sekelok has no ambitttion to become commander himssself.
"An outsider must kill Ras Nsi. YOU must kill Ras Nsi!"
"What do we get if we do?" asked Zeynap.
"Once I am Commander, you have my word that no nagina will cause you harm while you are in Omu. On one condition - so long as you cause no harm to a nagina while you are also in Omu. Once you leave this city, our arrangement will end. You may take your dragon-man and leave with any of Ras Nsi's possessions."
"Where will Sekelok be?" inquired Xoc-Wik.
"When the time comes, I will summon him and away along with the commander's advisssers. This will leave Rasss Nsssi with only his wretched undying protectors for you to deal with."
Zeynap said that if they tried now, they would fail. They needed time to rest and prepare themselves.
"You may rest with the ssslaves. For thisss to work you mussst pretend to BE a ssslave. But only for a day. When it is time, Yahru will open the grates to the slave pens. You will be allowed to exit. Yahru will leave a map to the armory where you can retrieve your weapons. From there, follow the map to Ras Nsi's quarters. He will be vulnerable. But do not take long. I cannot detain Sssekelok and the other advisers indefinitely.
Bramble gumbled, "How can this go wrong?"
Zeynap said, "Whazzat?"
"Nothing" smiled the theran wise man.
Zeynap agreed and the party turned over their weapons. They were disguised as captured prisoners, chained and shackled, and led to the slave pits.
Slaves of the Serpent-Men
The party was led past a chamber containing an evil looking sacrificial altar that collected blood. The altar somehow magically amplified the blood, creating hundreds of gallons from only a small amount.
A portcullis was raised and they were taken into a dank room with four metal grates on the floor. Weak moaning rose from the pits beneath the grates. Zeynap, Apparently, Xoc-Wik, and Bramble were separated and each was thrown in a separate pit.
The pits were filled knee-deep with foul water. Within each pit were other prisoners that had been captured by the nagina.
- Tahvo, a ten year old Chultan boy showing signs of malnourshment. Talvo was constantly rocking back and forth praying to Justica, the protector of the innocent.
- Sev, a deranged and drooling nagina taken by Monkey Madness.
- Pottery Shard, a b'alam minstrel from Port Nyanzaru.
- Gorvax, a strange red-skinned humanoid amphibian.
- Lomar Dral, a Eusebean and a Watcher from the Erelim. He had been assigned to find and kill Artus Cimber.
- Mung, a yellow-skinned pygmy from the forest.
- Kanush Natombe, a Chultan tribesman who came to Omu to prove his bravery and win the hand of his beloved in marriage over his rival.
- Zilla Atazi, a Chultan pirate who had been thrown overboard by Captain Jaharwon of the Dragonfang.
- Zeynap was assigned to help Xopal in the venom distillery. Xopal was a humanoid zealot with a bald head and scaly skin. Xopal assigned Zeynap with the task of going into the nearby grotto to gather fungi and slimes, trusting him to go unescorted. "Oh, and look out for the hydra!" warned Xopal. Zeynap gulped but performed his task without incident.
- Apparently was assigned to clean the nests. While there she overheard two humanoid zealots speaking in common. One informed the other that tomorrow's password was to be "white feather, black mask", which translated into nagese as "Traaapantaka"
- Xoc-Wik and Bramble were assigned to clean the baths. While there they overheard one humanoid zealot tell another that they had heard that Fenthaza had witnessed a prophetic vision of the Black Opal Crown, a treasure that would release Jivantaka to cleanse the world!
Reunited
After their duties were completed the party was returned to their cells. This time the cells had been drained and food had been provided. There they found Argent waiting for them.
Argent was amazed to see his companions. "What are you DOING here?" he said in disbelief.
"We've got a plan to rescue you!" replied Zeynap.
"Rescue me? I had a plan to rescue myself!" the dragonid said.
Zeynap explained the plan to Argent. Argent was hesitant. He had not met Fenthaza and was not a party to the arrangement. But he would play along.
Afterwards Argent told the party to Orvex and suggested his possible usefulness to the expedition.
The party was finally able to rest.
Later, after an indeterminate number of hours, they heard the sound of the portcullis being opened followed by the sound of the grates above them being removed. A chain was lowered.
It was time.
To Be Continued...
RIP Chak'sa
Let's pause for a moment of silence for dear Chak'sa who gave his reptilian life for the team.
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