SWEETSPEARGIRL RETURNS
Chapter 7
Desert-Dwelling Snake Demons
Cast of Characters:
- SweetSpearGirl, the Mighty Jabazon
- Euyfura, the Sarcastic Rogue
TAKE HEED AND BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRUTHS THAT LIE HEREIN, FOR THEY ARE THE LAST LEGACY OF THE HORADRIM...
After a nice rest, SweetSpearGirl and Euyfura wandered out to the Far Oasis again via the waypoint. Packs of Itchies, nests of Black Raptors and a few Undead Scavengers menaced them, but no Maggots or lightning beetles today so it was routine.
It wasn't long before they entered the Lost City and shortly after that, darkness abruptly fell, as if someone had closed their fist over the sun.
"I knew this was too easy," Euyfura groused.
"Hush, you," SweetSpearGirl said. "We'll get some nice Experience down in these Ancient Tunnels, anyway."
So down they went. Horror Mages menaced them and Embalmed and Plague Bearers shambled around looking for trouble. They found Wind Drool (Embalmed, lightning-enchanted) guarding a golden chest and shortly after that some nameless beastie coughed up - a golden ring! SweetSpearGirl pounced on it and waved a conveniently-nearby-dropped identify scrool over it.
"Nagelring," she muttered. "Well, I might swap it out for my life replenish ring anyway. It does have magic find and magic damage reduction."
Well, onward and upward. Well... onward, anyway.
The Ancient Tunnels were a bit skanky, though. Euyfura levelled, then they ran into Shadow Call the Slayer (Plague Bearer, extra strong, and not much of a slayer), who was little more than an inconvenience. He did, however, drop an Arctic Belt (which SweetSpearGirl discarded in the Rogue Camp for any wandering adventurer to grab) and a Nef rune (which she carefully stowed away).
Back out in the dark Lost City, they ran into Vile Thorn (Tomb Creeper, conviction-aura enchanted) who SweetSpearGirl stabbed relentlessly while Euyfura peppered the minions with arrers.
Night Tigers and Champion Plague Bearers proved little trouble (although SweetSpearGirl was still bemoaning her lack of mana steal) and Tomb Creepers were just annoying.
"If they're Tomb Creepers, why aren't they creeping in tombs instead of leaping around out here?" SweetSpearGirl grumbled.
"They do it deliberately to annoy you," Euyfura said sticking her tongue out, and went back to shooting them.
"Well it's easy for you, your arrows don't rely on a mana supply that only lasts about five seconds!"
Dark Elder (extra fast, magic resistant) and his Plague Bearer minions intercepted the intrepid duo near a Fire Tower, but he did give up a couple of purples which the zon could cube up, and she did level to 21 on his death, so she didn't mind. Another 5 points in dexterity and point in Critical Strike later, they found the entrance to the Valley of Snakes so decided to skip waypoint searching, following Drognan's spiel about Claw Viper Temples. Down we go!
Eeeek, stair trap! There were a pair of Bone Warrior-resurrecting Guardians lurking in the corners of the first big room, and a pack of Claw Vipers slinking up for the kill. Salamanders followed suit; they looked just like their Viper cousins only they were a bright and most un-blending-in red. Down you go! Euyfura levelled again further in.
Almost every room was infested with Guardians herding and resurrecting packs of Bone Warriors, with Claw Vipers and their ilk getting in the way and underfoot. Twice, SweetSpearGirl opened a door only to release the floodgates: finding no less than five Guardians in one chamber and a veritable horde of other enemies. The Experience shrine she found halfway through certainly didn't hurt to boost her up!
The second level of the Temple, by contrast, was small, and inhabited only by a few Claw Vipers, Fangskin (extra fast, lightning enchanted) and his Salamander minions. The lightning hurt, but fortunately SweetSpearGirl was more robust than her enemies and very soon the floor was covered in dead snake-demons and she was kicking over the altar and grabbing herself a Viper Amulet. Nice! She cubed herself a Horadric Staff and the couple headed back to Lut Gholein for a well-earned rest.