"The Rage and the Mage" Chapter 10 of the Dwellers of the Forbidden City

The team allies with Kwairno to infiltrate the lair of the Ophidian Yuan-Ti, fight the immortal naga Explictica Defilus, discover a secret Yuan-Ti fortress, and free an sylvan princess!

The Group (in order of seniority):

• Aline, a Thaumaturge of half-Human/half-Sylvan* parentage (Wizard 8)
• Gravy, Human Priest of Thumina (Cleric 8)
• Lodar, Prairiefolk** Barbarian (Barbarian 7)
• Randalf Azul, Human Abjurer (Wizard 8)
• Sorjin, Human Adventurer, Bounty Hunter, ...Ladies Man (Fighter 5/Warlock 2)

Not Present this week:

• Inza, aka "The Shadow", Human Shadow-Warrior (Monk 7/Sorcerer 1)

* Elf
** Halfling
*** Half-Orc

Last week, the party defeated the wizard Horan and captured his female protege, Kwairno.

An Unlikely Ally
Back at their hideout, the party struck a deal with Kwairno. She had no love for or loyalty to the Yuan-Ti. Horan was only working form them so he could get access to the Seed of Anuran. She told Aline everything she wanted to know.

Aline then offered to set Kwairno free on the condition that she promise not to betray the party. Kwairno admitted that she was angry that the party killed her mentor, but her poor position made revenge unlikely. Aline freed the witch. Rubbing her wrists, Kwairno sheepishly said that she didn't feel like she would safely make it out of the city without help, so she made the party an offer. Kwairno said she would help the party defeat the yuan-ti in exchange for her life, her freedom, the return of her wand, her magic ring, and the rest of her belongings, and an escort back to Thither. The party agreed.

A Clever Ruse
Kwairno led the party to the Yuan-ti base, a green ziggurat near a ravine. Aline cast an illusion spell over the party so that they appeared to be bound slaves. Sorjin was made to resemble a reptile-man warrior. They rode on the back of a cart drawn by a giant monitor lizard up the boulevard to the Yuan-ti base.

When they arrived, they found that the bronze doors at the base of the ziggurat were unguarded. Kwairno said the doors were always guarded and that his was most strange.

The party warily opened the bronze doors to reveal a wide deep hall descending into the earth beneath the ziggurat. The ceiling was supported by four massive columns. Two deep pits were located between the columns. In the back of the room was another bronze door. In each corner was a cage containing human slaves huddling in fear. Two giant snakes advanced on the slaves menacingly!

The party charged in and attacked the snakes. Suddenly, the human slaves threw off their illusions, revealing themselves to be yuan-ti disguised by an illusion! The yuan-ti attacked from range with bows!

Lodar and Randalf took the left flank while Gravy and Sorjin went up the center. Aline took to the sky and threw a fireball. Kwairno stayed on the stairs and used her firebolt cantrip

Gravy was constricted by a giant snake. Sorjin was momentarily mind-controlled but was soon released by Randalf's counter-magics. Aline, too, was subjected to mind-control but released by a wave of Randalf magic-nullifying hand.

Lodar threw himself into a battle-frenzy, attacking snake and yuan-ti and allowing Randalf to finish them off. After the battle, Lodar commented to Randalf that they made a good team, calling their strategy, "The Rage and the Mage!"

DM Note- This got a good laugh!

The snakes and the yuan-ti were soon dispatched. Their bodies hurled to the bottoms of the pits.

Explictica Defilus
The party cautiously advanced. Kwairno indicated that the slaves were usually held in cages in the laboratory to the left. The party decided, however, to take the door to the right.

Behind the heavy bronze door was a massive coiled serpent with the face of a human! The serpent was flanked by two humanoid attendants with scaly skin.

The serpentine creature spoke in a shrill raspy voice, "Who dares disturb the abode of EXPLICTICA DEFILUS?!? You will die for your insolence!!"

Sorjin and Lodar rushed in, only to discover that the center of the room, an area marked by the symbol of Set, was cursed! They quickly adjusted their strategy and positioned themselves between the naga and one of its attendants.

Explictica Defilus opened its mouth and small glowing motes of electricity danced like fireflies in a tornado, suddenly a bolt of lightning shot out - only to be snuffed by a dismissive wave of Randalf's hand!

Explictica Defilus' rage did not last long as Sorjin spun around and cut the head off the coiled monstrosity in a single powerful stroke!

DM Note - Critical hit! Explictica Defilus did not last long!

As the body of the naga shriveled up, turned to dust, and evaporated before everyone's eyes, the sound of ethereal laughter echoed through the halls. "You can never defeat me! EXPLICTICA DEFILUS SHALL RETURN! HA HA HA!"

With the death of their master, the attendants were soon defeated.

A Secret Portal
Inside the room, the party found a small box of platinum taels a length of rope within which was woven strands of silvery material. On a hunch, Lodar played a tune on his piccolo and the rope magically reached into the air of its own accord! What's more, the rope passed through the ceiling!

Sorjin climbed the rope to scout around. He poked his head into the ceiling and discovered that it emerged on a desolate plain of broken shale under a massive black cliff. Built into the cliff was a dark fortress with two towers suspended beneath the massive overhang, like to great serpent fangs. The fortress was no doubt the home of the yuan-ti and this portal was how they entered into the forbidden city!

DM Note- The portal leads to the 3rd edition module The Fortress of the Yuan-Ti.

Lodar, hearing Sorjin's reports from atop the rope, stopped playing his piccolo and said, "I want to see!" and moved to climb the rope behind Sorjin, but as the music stopped the rope suddenly collapsed  and Sorjin fell to the floor with a painful thud!

Sorjin got up and rubbed his sore butt as he looked menacingly at Lodar. Lodar sheepishly responded, "Sorry!"

With the rope safely in their possession, Randalf figured that the yuan-ti would be unable to enter or exit the forbidden city. They popped in to Horan's laboratory to check on the captives then made sure the rest of the base was clear.

The Slaves
After ensuring the ruins were secure, they freed the captives. Among them were several human villagers captured by coastal slavers, a few feral bullywugs which were promptly put down, some strange humanoids that appeared to be patchwork amalgamations of various races, and a female sylvan.

Sorjin asked the sylvan several identifying questions and was eventually satisfied that this was the sylvan princess he was sent to rescue! Her name was Aratheas. She was travelling when her ship was attacked by pirates. She was captured and sold into slavery. She managed to escape and had been hiding with the mongrel-men for many weeks. She had even become their leader, in spite of her disgust for the wretched creatures. Then, last week, she was re-captured by the reptile-men and brought here. She said that if the party helped her escape Sinopia, she would reward them with one of her magical treasures that she kept hidden in ruins of the mongrel-men. The party agreed.

Before they freed the prisoners, the party checked on the rest of the underground ruins and passages beneath the ziggurat. It seemed that the Yuan-ti had abandoned this base, perhaps retreating to the fortress through the portal. The hoard of platinum they were expecting to find was probably taken back to the fortress. But that would be a quest for another day.

Escape From Sinopia
After freeing the slaves, the party, including Kwairno and Aratheas, made their way out of the city the way they came in. They faced no opposition and were soon back in the Crying Swamp. The guardians of the forbidden city, sensing that the Yuan-Ti had abandoned Sinopia with their naga god-king, were satisfied and allowed safe passage through the wall of thickets.

After several hours of slow travel through the swamps, often utilizing Aline's magical flying broom to cross river channels one passenger at a time, they arrived at the far bank of the Xanthus river, the city of Thither lay on the other shore. It was late afternoon and smoke arose from various buildings across the city, the sound of battle drifted across the muddy yellow water of the river.

Aline took Sorjin across the river and the pair observed the state of affairs from behind the screen of an illusion spell.

The city was in chaos. Battle clogged the streets as a slave revolt unfolded. Hundreds of free slaves ran wild in a riot of destruction and bloodshed. The city guard had abandoned their posts, leaving the protection of the aristocracy to the household guards of each wealthy family and foreign mercenaries. Many wealthy merchants and patricians were hung from towers and wall or impaled on spikes.

A woman was seen shouting orders, a woman seemed to be leading the revolt. In the chaos of battle, a man ran up to fight alongside her, side-by-side. The pair looked at each other and smiled, kissed passionately, and returned to fighting. The woman was Feisty of Flinch. The man was Bo-Mont Oacha, wealthy philanthropist of Thither.

TO BE CONTINUED...

MAYBE...

SOMEDAY

DM Note- I'm taking a break from running D&D for a few months. One of the other players will be running his new campaign world. After that, I'll run a few weeks of Exiled in Eris. I may return to this campaign and these characters, I may return to D&D with a different, more deliberate, campaign. Heck, I have an idea for an all-arcane 4th Edition campaign! We'll see. 

"You Wince Some; You Lose Some" Chapter 13 of the Xanthus River Campaign

Our party consists of:

Valerius (Level 2 Warrior)
Absalom (Level 2 Cleric of Justica)
Gwen (Level 2 Elf)
Babu (Level 2 Thief)
Jalani (Level 1 Cleric of Amun-Tor)
Knott (Level 1 Warrior)
Helise (Level 1 Cleric of Justica)

Burk (Level 1 Thief)
Hadrud (Archon of Wince)

After escaping from their imprisonment in the swampy dungeon of the serpent cult, and killing Explictica Defilus, AGAIN, the party returned to the village of Wince, this time with Archon Hadrus. However, weary of their ongoing battle with the agents of the serpent cult, they sought shelter in one of the several farmstead compounds within sight of the walls of Wince. 

The first few farms refused to answer. Eventually, they were welcomed by a farmer named Dunth and his wife Luretia. Dunth allowed them to stay for the night and share a common peasant meal of barley gruel and beer. The party was welcome to sleep in the barn with the animals on one condition: No matter what you hear or see, do NOT go into the root cellar! When asked why, he simply replied, "It is a private matter!"

Late at night, of course loud noises came from the root cellar. Thumpings and bumpings as if something or someone was trying to escape. Remarkably, the party kept their word and did not go near the cellar door. Suddenly, the door burst into splinters. Into the courtyard emerged a frenzied-looking girl in her teens with wild hair, pallid skin, and frightening eyes. She cast about wildly for an exit. Valerius caught her while Absalom went to fetch farmer Dunth. Jalani woke the others. Farmer Dunth was soon out of the house with a lanthorn and pitchfork.

Dunth explained that this was his daughter, Fransca, and that she had recently come under the sway of the vile serpent cult. For the past few weeks, she had left the farm to join the cult in town. He followed her one night into the village temple, but lost her after that, finding nothing but an empty temple within. He said that the cult had changed her, that she had become rebellious, wild, and preternaturally strong. 

Fransca thrashed about in an attempt to break free, "Let me go! Infidels! My mistress calls to me! My brothers and my sisters need me! I must go to them!"

A freak magical storm was brewing over the village. Clouds swirled and eerie green lightning flashed, some striking the temple. Something was obviously going on.

The party decided to tie to a post and keep watch over her, with Dunth's permission. They thought about interrupting whatever was happening in the village, but Fransca cried, "No! No! Leave them be!" After soe debate, they decided to wait until morning. Fransca, hearing this, shouted excitedly, "Yes! YES! Good! Sleep well! My mistress returns! When next you face her, she will be MORE POWERFUL than you can possibly imagine! Ha ha ha ha!" At that point, the party decided to put a gag on her.

The dawn brought a pouring rain. The party had a breakfast of porridge, curds, and milk with the farmer and formulated a plan. They would go through the gate and head straight to the temple and kill anyone that tried to stop them. 

Valerius took the farmer aside. He told the farmer he would like to pay him for his assistance. The farmer requested a paltry sum of 1 silver per person. Valerius paid the man 500 gold coin! Dunth was dumbfounded and confused. 500 gold coins was more money than the farmer would see for a hundred harvests! Valerius assured him of the gift, admonishing him to keep it hidden and secret and to not spend it all at once. 

Leaving for the village, Valerius asked Dunth if they could borrow a wagon, an animal, and some cloaks. Dunth said that all he had was a rouncey merychippus and a cart, but that the party was welcome to take them and keep them! Heck, you could take the daughter, if you wished! The party, silencing Knott, politely declined but took the merychippus and the cart. 

The party, clad in simple homespun hooded ponchos and carrying a bundle in the back of a cart, approached the village gate. The gate was mysteriously closed and no other farmers were seeking entry. At the gate, they called out. A strange voice answered, "The village is shut! Go away! You are not wanted here!"

While Absalom and Valerius distracted the gate guards, Babu and Burk slipped away from the group and scaled the wall beside the gatehouse. They slipped down and Babu activated his short sword, Scute, creating an impenetrable zone of darkness. Babu easily killed the two guards behind the gate, then climbed the ladder and slew the other two guards upstairs as they fumbled about looking for the alarm gong. When the darkness ended, Burk opened the gate and let the others in. 

The party made a dash down the town's main street. The town seemed deserted. Several of the entrance doors of the village shops were torn off their hinges and windows were smashed. Streaks of blood ran out of the entrances and across the covered boardwalks in front of shops. An alarm gong soon sounded from one of the other guard towers. The party turned right and made for the temple. Archers atop the gatehouse of the archon's keep began firing arrows, inuring a few of the slower members of the party. 

Once inside, the party made for the rear of the temple. They checked on the priests' quarters. Three of the four were scenes of violence and bloodshed, but no bodies were to be seen. They went downstairs to where the acolytes lived. The library was burned, the holy relics were desecrated. The acolytes' quarters held evidence of a struggle and bloodshed. The door to the senior acolytes' room was battered but secure, and braced from behind. Absalom called out and was answered by the young acolyte that summoned him in the middle of the night. The acolytes removed their barricades and opened their door. There were four survivors. 

Continuing their search, the party found a scene of charnel hell in the kitchen and dining halls. Several of the bodies of the villagers and acolytes had been prepared and eaten, their carcasses left on the tables, entrails spread across the room, bodies hanging from meat hooks, and other gruesome horrors!

So far, there was no trace of the cult. However, the party followed a trail of bloody footprints on the floor to a secret door hidden in the store-room. Stairs led down.

The party rushed headlong towards righteous vengeance, bursting through the door at the bottom of the stairs! They made short work of the four cultists standing guard at the entrance of the narthex.

A Traffic Jam of PCs!

They opened the door to the right to reveal four ophidian ghouls and four ophidian zombies, the corpses of the dead animated by muscles comprised of living serpents, feasting on the body of an acolyte! The squamous undead left their gruesome meal and rushed the doorway. Valerius, Knott, and Jalani held them at bay, killing each one at a time as they tried to exit.

A blurry shot of Serpent-Ghouls and Serpent-Zombies

When there were but a few left, they pushed into the room so that the remaining creatures could be surrounded and killed. 

Searching the room revealing nothing but a coat-room and simple storage. 

Across the hall, the party found a prison with four cells containing villagers and acolytes. When told of the atrocities committed in the village, one of the prisoners called out "By the Gods! I may be to blame!"

When asked for details, he revealed himself as Karzun, a sage and expert in ancient cultures. He had come to Wince searching for ruins of the ancient empire of Nagina Samrajya. Nagina Samrajya was the empire of the serpent ones, who ruled the earth millions of years ere the rise of man. He found the buried ruins of a city in the swamps a day's journey southwest of town. He even found what he believed to be the buried remains of the god-king and god-queen of Nagina Samrajya. Unfortunately, he was betrayed by the men he hired for the excavation. They stole the remains roughly six weeks ago. Later, he was captured by agents of a sinister serpent cult! They were led by at least two surviving members of the ancient serpent race. Apparently, the serpent race can cast illusions and can make themselves appear human, even specific humans! However, they have a weakness, because of the shape of their mouths, they are unable to pronounce the phrase, "Ka nama kaa lajerama", by this you can know who is human and who is ophidian.

The party asked Karzun about Babu's sword. Karzun said the sword was named "Scute" and was an ancient weapon of Nagina Samrajya. He said that Scute was the only weapon that could permanently kill Explictica Defilus.

The party release the prisoners but admonish them to stay back and be safe. They continue on and find a large room, the chamber of the serpent cult!

Explictica Defilus... AGAIN!!

 

The God-Queen of Serpents on her Throne

The room was large, nearly seventy feet per side with a twenty foot ceiling. A narthex on the west wall gave the room two entrances. A large raised platform dominated the east wall which was dominated by a large frieze and symbol of Set, God of Serpents. Lounging atop the dais was Eplictica Defilus, the undying God-Queen of the ancient Serpent Race, flanked by two priests wearing green robes: the priest of Justica known as Wethis and the elusive priest from the excavated dungeon whose name was Garliss. In the room were six snake-human hybrids, each armed with two scimitars, and two human acolytes of Set. A mysterious pit sank into the floor in front of the platform.

The party advances... cautiously with eyes closed.

The party split up, with Valerius, Gwen, and Jilani taking the left flank and Absalom, Knott, Babu, and ten-year-old Helise, truly a brave little princess, taking the right flank. Burk stayed behind in the narthex with the acolytes.  Gwen, Babu, and Helise, being ranged fighters, stayed back, avoiding the hypnotizing gaze of the naga queen. The rest blindly rushed forward, literally, their eyes squeezed shut against the effects of the charm. Gwen summoned a magic eagle which flew up and harassed Explictica for much of the fight before being bitten and dying from venom.

The battle bogged down at the stairs leading up to the dais. Valerius was caught in a magical web spell cast by the naga but managed to pull himself free. Shortly thereafter, Valerius, Absalom, and Knott were all three paralyzed by the effects of a dark incantation from Wethis. Unable to move or attack and only partially able to defend themselves, the charge was stopped.

Jilani rushed to the aid of Valerius but was of little help. Helise moved out from behind cover to likewise aid her allies, but in her haste did not close her eyes and was charmed by the queen of serpents. Explictica teased Helise, taunting her with descriptions of the torment of her people, forcing her to look into the well. The pit was clogged with the dying victims of the serpent cult's atrocities. Villagers were flung, living, into the deep pit. Their bones broken. There the poor wretches were left to die, heaped on top of one another like living garbage. Their pitiful moans and feeble cries for help  could not be drowned out by the din of battle that filled the room.

Knott fell to Garliss. Wethis, confident that the north flank was secure, moved over to the south flank and began to slowly choke the life out of Absalom, taunting him and declaring Justica a dead goddess and that all justice was false. Valerius had lost all faith and was ready to declare defeat. The battle seemed lost.

Babu activated the darkness of Scute and rushed forward to Absalom's aid, only to be covered in another web spell. The darkness was apparently ineffective against the dark-vision of the Naga Queen and her minions. However, Babu made it to the steps of the platform and Wethis, confused by the darkness, was killed by Babu and Scute. Babu, however, was cut down on the steps by a snake-human hybrid.

However, killing Wethis ended the paralysis. Valerius and Absalom broke free. Absalom rushed the north steps of the platform, followed closely behind by Jalani and now Burk. Jalani uttered a prayer and paralyzed Explictica Defilus. At the top of the platform, Valerius drew Duirn's Dwarven Dagger and began stabbing the naga in the head. Burk was charmed by the Naga and began attacking Valerius. Valerius was finally able to blind the Naga. Jalani crawled over the twisting coils of the blind Explictica to reach the other side of the platform, where she grabbed Scute. With a final blow from Valerius and Jalani, Explictica Defilus was killed.

Explictica Defilus' corpse slid off the platform and into the pit, where it exploded into a geyser of glowing blood like liquid sparks that rained from the ceiling of the chamber.

The god-queen of serpents was dead!

Meanwhile, during the confusion of the final moments, Garliss, who had been constrained by webs and ignored, managed to transform himself into snakes and slither away, again.

TO BE CONTINUED!

 Post-Game Analysis
My original plan was to use the teenage girl to provide the party with some intelligence on the cult, and bait to get them to destroy the cult once and for all. You see, Explictica Defilus had to be resurrected by Garliss each time she was killed, each time requiring a human sacrifice. The party had a small window to destroy the cult while Explictica was still "dead". Had they taken the bait, the assault on the temple would have been quick and easy. Two priests and a few acolyte guards.

Unfortunately, the party didn't take the bait and played it safe so I amped up the planned encounter as well as the consequences of their inaction. Explictica was returned, and this time more powerful than before, with a bigger hit die and +1 to her spell check. Emboldened, the cult then went on a rampage throughout the town, killing and pillaging most of the villagers. Garliss reanimated many of the corpses of the villagers into snake zombies to guard the walls.

The fight itself was very touch and go for the party. Paralyzing Valerius, Knott, and Absalom was almost a game-ender. I rolled REALLY well! Fortunately, paralysis is very loosely defined in the DCC rules. I gave the PCs the same benefit I gave the monsters when they were paralyzed by Absalom or Jalani: they could not move or act, but they still got their AC, minus their Agility bonus. In retrospect, I should have treated their Agility as 0 (-3).  Anyway, the paralysis was very demoralizing for the players and I had to encourage them to keep going.

Later, I looked up how paralysis worked in 3rd edition, and had I used THOSE rules, it would have been game over for the party. My paralysis is more forgiving, but I apply the same rules to the monsters, so there.

Gwen was a non-participant in the fight. She's still at -5 to all actions after losing Cake, and as a result Gwen's player was disengaged. I gave him Helise to play, but that was a mistake since no one wanted to endanger the ten-year-old orphan princess, despite her now being a first-level Cleric.

Finally, Scute's darkness ability is over-powered. The ability is poorly defined in the DCC rulebook, saying only that the wielder can create 20' of darkness at will. Can the wielder see in the darkness? Do creatures with darkvision see through the darkness? We decided that Babu could see fine in the darkness and that creatures with dark-vision could see fine. However, I am reconsidering changing that so that Babu can't see in the darkness but neither can darkvision.

Finally, the players are very concerned with the death spiral of taking on a permanent -1 penalty each time they are rolled over from death. We are having fun with these characters and the death-spiral mechanic is not fun.

I'm all about my players having fun. So I'm replacing that mechanic (we kept forgetting about it anyway, so it's never been implemented) with a permanent disfiguring scar table. Each time you survive a mortal wound, you receive a gruesome scar.

Finally, my players are worried about getting Luck back. As a result, I will be implementing the Luck guidelines from Kill it with Fire. However, I will be using the guidelines to make flat awards of 1-5 Luck per session, rather than forcing them to roll for them.

Does that make me a more forgiving GM? Yes. I'm not quite as harsh on the PCs as DCC suggests. We are telling a fantastic story, having fun, and enjoying our characters. If I need to increase the survival rate a little bit so that the players are having more fun, then I'll do it. If they're not having fun, I'll stop.

"Death is a Dish Best Served Cold!" Chapter 12 of the Xanthus River Campaign

Our party consists of:

Valerius (Level 2 Warrior)
Absalom (Level 2 Cleric)
Gwen (Level 2 Elf)
Sausage (Level 1 Dwarf)
Babu (Level 1 Thief)
Jilani (Level 1 Cleric)
Knott (Level 1 Warrior)
Wheezy (Level 1 Halfling)

The party had been invited to attend a luncheon party to be held in their honor at the keep of the Archon of Wince. Archon Hadrus gave a toast to their wealth. Almost immediately afterwards, Sausage, Absalom, and Wheezy keeled over unconscious, the rest staggered disoriented, all except Valerius who abstained.

We are betrayed! To arms!

The Archon's personal guard were immediately called in to surround the party. Those still awake drew arms and prepared to defend themselves. Tapestries behind the Archon were pulled aside, revealing the shadowy presence and hissing voice of the Queen of Serpents and Avatar of Set, "Foolish humans! No mortal blade can kill Explictica Defilus!"

"Foolish humans! No mortal blade can kill Explictica Defilus!"

A battle ensued. Many of the Archon's guards were killed, revealing them to be nothing more than empty husks with muscles made of serpents! Gwen and Valerius were both charmed by the naga. Jilani prayed to her god Amun-Ra and Sausage was miraculously cured of the poison that afflicted him, only to be taken down with everyone else by a fiery explosion belched forth by the evil naga. The entire party fell to the fire ball, killing Sausage, Wheezy, and Cake instantly.

BOOM!

Darkness.

Eventually, the surviving members of the party awoke in cages located in a muddy subterranean chamber supported by crude timbers. Everyone was wounded, burned, and tired. Valerius, still charmed, stood guard at the doorway. 

"Where are we?"

Absalom and Jilani tried to distract Valerius while Gwen called upon the strength and assistance of the King of Elfland. Valerius was undeterred and rushed to strike Gwen with the butt of his blade. In doing so, Gwen discharged her sleep spell, sending Valerius into unconsciousness. Meanwhile, Knott was able to force his cage open, retrieve the keys from Valerius, kick Valerius in the face, and free the surviving members of the party. In addition, other cells were occupied by some captured merchants, Helise, the ten-year-old sister of the Archon, and Archon Hadrus himself, emaciated, tortured, and wearing nothing but a loincloth. All were freed. Prayers were made and everyone was miraculously healed of their injuries. When Valerius was revived, he was free of the charm and ready to slay the naga.

When Gwen was revived, she was overcome with the loss of her familiar, Cake. Distraught with mourning, she descended into depression and madness. She was designated to watch over Helise. For the rest of the night, Gwen stroked Helise's hair and held her protectively, calling her "Cake". 

Leaving the prison cells, Valerius scouted ahead. The corridor beyond the only exit led to another corridor to the left and a door to the right. Valerius opened the door and saw a gaunt hideous figure of death standing near a pillar. Having roused it from its slumber, Valerius closed the door and admonished everyone to not open it.

Heading left, the found a laboratory filled with alchemical apparatuses, books written in an ancient unknown script, several cages filled with venomous snakes, and the flayed and disemboweled corpse of Sausage.

While Absalom gave last rites to Sausage the party located a locked wardrobe filled with their equipment. Suitably re-equipped, the party exited the room through the opposite door. A short corridor and doorway opened into an altar room. There they found a bald ashen-faced priest wearing black robes conducting a vile ceremony with the corpse of Wheezy, the same priest that conducted the human sacrifice in the root cellar weeks ago, the very ceremony that returned Explictica Defilus to the living world!

The altar was a stone sacrificial table on a raised dais. Before the table was a plinth with a jade statue of the naga. The priest was accompanied by a hunched bestial figure of deathly pallor. Four robed acolytes chanted dark hymns in the corners of the rooms. 

As soon as Valerius entered, the priest challenged, "Valerius! You were told to guard the prisoners! Why do you disturb the sacred rite of feasting?" 

Valerius replied that needed the assistance of the priest. The priest's eyes narrowed as he examined the stout defender of justice, then shouted, "The fool has broken his enchantment! Vile perfidy! Kill them!" and battle was enjoined!

"Vile perfidy!"

Valerius rushed into the room. The priest pulled the green statue and retreated behind the safety of his bestial companion. Valerius soon found that his sword stabbed and cut the creature but the cuts drew no blood and caused no pain. The acolytes blocked the entrance. While Valerius fought against the supernatural foe on the dais and one of the acolytes, the others battled against the three remaining acolytes to gain entry into the room.  Gwen held Helise to the rear, protecting her, whispering, "No, Cake, this is not your fight!" Despite this, Helise took a sling and let fly several bullets into the acolytes.

"I could use a cleric right about now!"

The wall opened up behind the priest. The priest fled with the wall closing behind him. Eventually, the acolytes blocking the entrance were killed allowing the party entrance. The supernatural foe was surrounded by the survivors of the captured merchant caravan. Many of the brave prisoners were killed by the hideous beast before Absalom was able to cow the creature before the holy power of Justica! Babu killed the beast as it clawed the corner of the room in fear.

The remaining acolyte gave himself up, throwing his scimitar onto the floor and bowing in acquiescence. While the rest of the party tended to wounds and explored the wall for the secret door, the acolyte tried to quietly crawl away. Knott walked over to the wretched fool, filled with wide-eyed vengeance. The acolyte begged for mercy but was executed in righteous fury by the deadly might of Knott's pitiless battle-axe.

Babu eventually pulled the jade statue and opened the secret door. A short passage led to another, poorly disguised, secret door. Beyond lay the cave of the naga!

They were on the muddy bank where the naga had stored her treasure. They found the priest on his knees in the mud, begging his mistress for forgiveness. He stood and made ready as the party rushed into the flooded cavernous chamber, charging the priest and the naga.

Charge! Charge now!

 Battle was joined! The naga charmed Valerius and ordered him away. Babu and one of the survivors of the merchant caravan took on the priest whiel the rest fought against the naga. The naga, blinded and paralyzed, ordered Valerius to fight in her defense. Valerius rushed forth and killed Knott with a single blow. Valerius was then paralyzed by Jilani. 

The priest began muttering an evil prayer,sting still and taking the blows that rained down upon him. The final blow that would have killed the priest instead transformed him into a mass of wriggling snakes, escaping in all directions!

Soon afterwards, a killing blow was struck the naga, causing the creature to explode in a fiery flash, knocking everyone into the mud. A vile hissing voice echoed against the walls of the cavern, "Foolish humans! No mortal blade can slay EXPLICTICA DEFILUS! Ha ha ha ha ha!!!" The echoing laughter faded into the darkness. 

The party regrouped. Valerius was no longer under the charm. They retrieved the boat from the opposite side of the lake and began their journey out of the caves. 

On their way out, on the first level of the dungeon, a boa constrictor fell onto Valerius. Entangled, Valerius felt the life being crushed out of him. He stabbed with his dagger until the serpent was dead. The rest of the journey back to Wince was uneventful.

Upon their return, the swollen sun fell behind the horizon to the west. While in sight of the village, not trusting their chances at an inn, the party decided to seek rest at one of the many farming compounds found outside the village walls. 

TO BE CONTINUED...