THE SHIFT

As shaman Quazky mutters “It’s… alive…” the cavern stats to move. As tremors shock the land, dirt and rocks shift. At the same time there is a screeching sound, the sound of claws… A loud bang of the nearby shaft is followed by a heavy thud. A hulking creature emerges from the shaft, facing you. As it emerges, you see the torso of a man whose massive arms end up in claw like gator nails and whose head seems sew upon his shoulders. A transformed nose and mouth show a crocodile snout with a row of sharp teeth. From the torso down, the creature has the paws and tails of a giant crocodile. The adventurers recognize the distorted face as the face of Sandovor. The titanic body reminds them of the crocodile that you had previously faced in the same chamber.   

Sandovor screams enraged: “Puny humans! Defilers! Today, you die!”

Battling the titanic man beast seems a daunting task. Each time a hero hits the beast, the surroundings flash showing the cavern walls as walls of entwined roots made of mummified crocodile corpses and mummified priests. The beast roars, hisses, and attacks in a mad rampage, salivating pus and blood. His roar summons the mummified crocodiles, who crawled crookedly from the wall to his aid, attacking the lizard folk. The entwined roots transform into snakes that jump over the heroes as they show their venomous fangs in a deep hiss.

The ambience of confusion is furthered by mists raising from the walls, mixed with the sickening green light that seems to pulsate like the sound of a heart. The deafening heartbeat comes into a halt as Sir Frederick beheads the creature with a single strike! The heartbeat halts. Insane laughter from somewhere far, but near, fills the air… Laughter of diverse pitches, followed by a common chant that spreads around all voices…. Slowly rising from murmur to banged chant:” Merrshaulk! Merrshaulk! Merrshaulk! Merrshaulk!”

Sir Frederick, Agis, Kelar, shaman Quazky and his fellow lizard folk warriors stood hidden by swampland and mist, realizing they were at a location much different than the cave. The surrounding roots covering walls gave way to trees that raise up so high that they covered the sight of the sky. The swamp woods seemed extremely thick. Following the voices, our heroes realized they were in higher ground. From the natural overlook, they could see beyond the roots, what seemed to be a giant tree, whose roots and branches extended in such a way that they formed a barrier below that went far… a barrier holding a pond of bubbling mud. A cage was hanging from a branch of the gigantic tree, a bamboo cage holding young Luc inside. To the side, you see Sandovor standing, floating over a well. The well is surrounded by Merrshaulky lizard creatures, all with their voices united by saying over and over “Merrshaulk! Merrshaulk!”.

Luc screams from his hanging prison. The vapors and fumes from the heated mud pond burn his nostrils. The pungent miasma is too strong for him, his voice gives out as he falls unconscious. The Merrshaulky did not even glance at him. They were all enthralled by the transformation of their leader into their life-bringer, their creator, their dark flame… Merrshaulk! The serpent god rose higher and higher, his massive arms extended as if asking the Merrshaulky to rise with him. His chest inflated, as his head sprouted a cobra-like sides that ran down his chest and ribcage, framing him with a crown of shimmery dark scales. The sly eyes of the serpent-god flickered in delight.

“I am the way into the city of woe!

I am the way to the forsaken old,

I am the way into eternal human sorrow!

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!”

The snake-god moves his arms, signaling to the peak of the hill that crept upon the mud pond. The Merrshaulky screamed and squealed in glee, as a chorus began to voice and demand “Feast! Feast! Feast! Feast!”. The serpent-god screamed: “Puny humans! Defilers! Today, you shall die!”