A/N: And here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Dungeons and Dragons. I only own my original ideas
Chapter 67: Coils of the Serpent
As my companions were packing up camp, I noticed Krisyra looking worried, and mediating on something.
"We should be careful," said Krisyra, "There's something strage about the forest ahead. I communed with the spirits of the land, and there's a place I can't get anything on".
"Like someone is blocking you?" asked Charles.
"Not exactly," said Krisyra, "it was more like part of the forest was… missing. I guess we'll have to see what's there".
We continued on, heading into the deeper forest again. The trees became more and more dead-looking as we continued, but soon we saw our way.
Through the dead woods, a path uncoiled. The lifeless branches above formed a dense canopy, blotting out all but tiny specks of the sky, which appeared like stars in the darkness. Shadows grew long here, and the dry air left a bitter taste in my mouth and a strange burning in my lungs. The very air in this place tasted wrong. Glancing back, I couldn't see the path we'd come from. There was nothing for it now, we had to continue on. As we continued down the path through the dark forest, the wind whispered ominously, and I couldn't help having old worries and fear run through my mind.
The dust carried on the wind swirled, and shaped into a familiar form, one much larger than myself. I recognized those scales, each old scar and the shape of his horns. It was my father what was he doing here? How could he be here!?
"You will fail, runt," said father, "Your path ends here, and I shall consume your servants!"
Charles stmbled back in fear from father's sudden appearance… it almost seemed like it was too sudden. I thought about it for a moment, and then realized the impossibility of this circumstance. We were quite far from where he laired, combined with the fact he would have announced his presence somehow and literally appeared from the swirling dust. I started down 'father'. And for a moment his form seemed to waver.
"Nice try, whoever you are," I snarled, "but I know an illusion when I see one!"
'Father' roared at this, and unleased a torrent of flame. Felt a minor amount of heat, and I responded by charging forwards, dissipating the illusion.
Charles recovered from the illusions effects, and we continued deeper into the forest. The woods opened up into long narrow valley. The stone walls rose upwards into a shifting grey sky. I coulds see no evidence of the world beyond this valley could be seen. The valley bent ahead and opens further. A terrible wind blew through this place. Nothing was growing from the blasted, slate ground. Condensation was running down the valley was collecting dust as it went, making it seem like the valley was crying.
"This isn't a good place," I said, still feeling a bit out of sorts from this previous illusion, "not at all".
The dust swirled again, and a trio of clouds of dust formed, taking vaguely humanoid shape as they swirled towards us, screaming for mercy as they continued their hostile motions. We had not choice but to fight.
The first of these dust creatures (elementals?) drifted forwards, pummeling Lydratir and leaving him reeling. I could tell he was badly injured. Lydratir was breathing hard, and struck back with his rapier, getting in two good blows. Krisyra moved over to him, and poured restorative magic into him, patching up most of his wounds. Another of these creatures moved up to Narcrath, striking him once but still hitting hard. I repositioned, and found the angle I was looking for. I inhaled deeply, and unleashed my flame, fulling cathing all these dust creatures. Charles moved up to one of the dust creatures, striking two good blows with his greatsword. Narcrath poited at the dust creature nar him, and seemed to sipon off some of the power keeping it active. The dust creature near Charles attempted to strike him, but his armor absorbed the blows.
The dust creature near Lydratir attacked again, hitting once, while him dodged the second attack. Laydratir struck out with his rapier again, finishing off the dust creature. Krisyra gestured towards the dust creature near Narcrath, and the swirling dust seemed to slow. This creature tried to strike Narcrath, but its slowed movedments allowed him to easily dodge. He retaliated with an orb of fire, taking the dust creature down.I moved up to assist Charles, doing what I could to strike the dust creature, my claws finding more purchase than I expected for a creature like this. Charles took a single step forwards, and drove his sword into the dust creature finishing it off. Narcrath looked at where the creatures had been, and frowned.
"Those weren't elementals," said Narcrath, "they had an aura of necromantic magic around them… I think they were tortured souls… from who or what, I can't say".
We patched up out wounds, and continued deeper into the dark valley, bracing ourselves as a fierce gust blew down the valley, nearly knocking us to the ground. We needed to find the source of these problems, and get out of here fast. At the end of the valley, we found the entrance to a cave.
A short tunnel led us to a massive cave. Large piles of candles revealed hundreds of strange glyphs and sigils painted on the floor and walls. Bones were scattered here and there; skulls leered silently. A massive painted eye dominated the floor of the main chamber. In the flickering light of the candles, it almost seemed like the eye was moving— watching us as we arrived. At the back of the chamber, resting atop a massive pile of splintered bones, was a large black and red serpent with a hood like a cobra, looking at us coldly.
"I thought I felt someone intruding in my lands," hissed the serpent, "for whatever reason you have interrupted my meditations, know that you have found naught but your grave!"
It was clear that this serpent didn't wish to speak to us further. It slithered forwards, and was soon joined by two twisting, roiling masses of flesh, covered in yellow eyes and sharp-toothed maws, all speaking in a cacophony of different voices.
Narcrath was the swiftest to react this, and the air around our foes buzzed with unseen power. The amorphous monsters recoiled from the blast of energy, while the serpent hissed in anger as it seemed less effected.
"My mind is stronger than that, sorcerer!" hissed the serpent, "your bones will fuel my rituals!"
Krisyra called upon her druidic magic, calling down a fierce hailstorm to pummel our foes. The serpent was looking rather wounded, as were its minions. The serpent slithered forwards, coming right at me.
"I taste your fears, wyrm," said the serpent, "they are delicious, your spirit will serve me eternally in undeath!"
The serpent struck out at me with its fangs, but my scales shielded me from harm. I could feel the trickle of venom running down my side and hissing softly as it hit the ground. I stuck back, tearing into the serpent with my claws and biting it hard. By this point, the serpent was breathing hard, and looking even more enraged.
"You cannot slay me," snarled the serpent, "No matter what you try, I will return, all you know will know my eternal wrath!"
One of the amorphous masses of flesh roiled forwards, gibbering nonsense the whole way. Lydratir look aim with his bow, finishing off the more wounded of these strange creatures while leaving the last one barely holding on. Charles moved in, and finished off the second of the gibbering creatures, and then drove his blade deep into the serpent, taking it out as well.
As the dust settled, we took a closer looking the the creatues we'd fought. Narcrath identified the masses of flash as Gibbering Mouthers, and looked at the serpent with worry.
"Hells, I thought that what this was," said Narcrath, "this is a Naga, they don't die easily. If nothing is done, this creature will resurrect itself in less than a tenday!"
"Is there a way to prevent this from happening?" I asked.
Narcrath looked around the room and frowned.
"I can't think of anything immediately," said Narcrath, "from what I remember only the most powerful of magic can prevent this for happening".
At that, my eyes went wide. The most powerful of magic… I knew what as needed.
"I have an idea," I said, "remember when we drew from the Deck?"
"Of course, I'm still uncertain what you got." said Narcrath.
"I think its time to reveal what boon I received," I said, "I Wish that this Naga was permanently dead!"
For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, then the magic poured into the room, surrounding the Naga. It was lifted up by the power, and it was carried into a large mortar and pestle sitting off the the side of the room. The pestle lifted up and began its task, grinding the Naga down until nothing was left but blood and dust. All of my companions were looking at me with interest.
"Well then, your full of surprises, aren't you," said Narcrath, "got any more of those?"
"I believe I do, but I plan on using them sparingly," I said, "I want them to last as long as possible".
"Good idea," said Lydratir, "you never know when a spell that powerful could come in handy".
We went to examine what this Naga and gathered in this place, and discovered many, many books, tomes of arcane lore, ancient histories, nd much more. Sitting among the stacks was a thin book bound in that looked to be humanoid flesh. We gathered up all that we could, and started making out way back. as we left the cave, I noticed the pall of darkness that had been covering the land was beginning to dissapate, and already the air felt less oppressive. We found our trail and started making our back to the Greenhall Academy.
A/N: And there we go! a quick rundown of what the party encountered here. This place has been used by the Spirit Naga, Lurinax, for many years to perform dark rituals. As a result the land has been tainted by its power, causing it to shift partially into a demi-plane. The first encounter was the magic covering this place causing something the party members feat to manifest before them, and the need to overcome they fear. Next the 'elementals' These wee a form of undead known as Annihilum, tortured, twisted souls that Lurinax had bound into his service. To be specific, they were the souls of those who investigated this place in the past, only to become fuel for the Naga's rituals. Finally, Lurinax and his two Gibbering Mouthers, not much to explain here.
With the conclusion of these events, Valingnatirisk is down to 2 Wishes remaining, while the party has reached Level 10! See you next time!