SNAKE GOD & TOAD

The heroes realized their presence was known all along. Sir Frederick raised his longsword in defiance, as Kelar and Agis prepared their arrows. Pheara prepared her hammer. Shaman Quazky mumble unrecognizable words in his native tongue, his warriors irradiated a faint light for a moment, as they raised their lances and start to walk towards the enemy. Sir Frederick moved ahead of them, and upon seeing him charging, the warrior lizard folk followed his lead, charging as well.

 The heroes, the lizard folk, and Merrshaulky met in a deadly embrace at the base of the crooked hill. Although quick and feral, the Merrshaulky didn’t have good aim and mostly missed when attacking. This further encouraged their hysterical, fanatical rage. The lizard folk took care of most of them. Sir Frederick and Agis went on to directly fight the giant snake-god. He laughed in delight while moving his tail as if swatting flies. All the time he remained hovering over the well.

“Puny human…”

The serpent-god attacked with his clawed hands, striking down the ranger elf and the human warrior. The Vistana threw small bottles at the giant snake, which distracted the beast long enough for Sir Frederic to strike two dangerous blows. Agis followed his lead. The serpent-god looked surprised at this, at the dark thick blood coming out of his flanks. He wailed a deafening scream. A piercing buzzing was suddenly heard, and from the highest areas from the giant tree, a dark cloud began to move towards the group. The cloud seemed to be made of bats, but as they drew closer upon the group, their shapes became clear. Bat-like creatures moving the wings so fast that it made that buzzing sound, dark brown bodies and insectoid head with a long, needle-like elongated appendage, a tubular mouthpart used perhaps for feeding or sucking… The piercing appendage slashed the air as it looked for its prey. These creatures fell over lizard folk and Merrshaulky alike. They attached themselves to Sir Frederick, and Agis as well. Kelar tried battling them with his arrow-bolts, but soon fell as two of the creatures attached themselves to his body.

The serpent-god collapsed over the well, but with the dark winged maelstrom, he seemed to vanish. Soon all Merrshaulky were dead on the floor. Lizard folk were also in the floor, except shaman Quazky who frantically tried to bring his people to safety. Sir Frederick, Pheara and Agis managed to destroy all bat-winged creatures. They realized Kelar was in the floor, along with 3 more lizard folk and all Merrshaulky. The bubbling of the mud called their attention as it had loud popping, and as they explored around the edges of the mud, a long tongue slapped one of them. Something lurked inside the pond. Soon, two eyes came up from under the mud pool, and the visage of a giant frog was quite evident. As it arises from its lair, the giant toad presented its 6 legs. It was covered in muddy spikes, plates, and warty bumps. Its yellowish eyes grew fixed on Sir Frederick.

Agis and Sir Frederick tried battling the giant toad, but the injuries and lack of rest from previous battles had taken their toll. The toad somehow made the mud bubble in extreme heat. Mixed together, fumes and heat were just too much for the adventurers as they were badly hurt. Using Merrshaulky bodies to throw at the toad, and distract it, they decided to retreat to the top of the crooked hill to rest and think their next move. Reaching the top, they found shaman Quazky, also wounded, seated. His fellow warriors had fallen. Four were nearby him, as he had tended their wounds, but they were not conscious.

Shaman Quazky looked at the heroes and at fallen Kelar. “Not natural… This place… No nature… Too dry.” Agis tried looking around, but there was no hint of the way back. The surrounding wilderness extended high and spread in luscious but dry woodland that was also mixed with mists that became thicker until there was no possible vision… Further exploration seemed extremely hard. Agis and Sir Frederick came to decide they would go back down and find a way. Through the overlook they could see Luc was still collapsed inside the cage, hanging over the boiling mud.

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!”

AUGURY AND GREEN FLAMES

The lizardfolk helped to take the "sleeping" people to Fen (the lizardfolk village). In Fen, the humans were placed on improvised hay cots. They had been drugged with Copa Padre, and the effects of this plant's white dust can last up to three tendays. The lizardfolk are both curious and suspicious of the human's presence but their shaman has made it clear that they are safe. So far, Kelar, sir Frederich and Agis have not met the lizardfolk leader.

The paladin and the ranger are cursed by the land. They must atone to restore themselves. The head shaman of the lizardfolk, Quazky, revealed that they must seek restitution to break their curses. They have been quested. And placed a warning "7th time the son of suns doth rise to send the knave to an eternity of cries". He suggests finding the young human they must go back to the ziggurat and find the way to the gate that leads to wherever Luc was taken.

Quazky goes with Kelar, sir Frederich, Agis and Pheora. He brings along 4 lizardfolk warriors in case that they are needed. The paladin has caused a deep impact on the warriors and they look forward to finding the great crocodile that lurks the ziggurat.

Upon reaching the Merrshaulk folk village, everything looks as it was left. The village's huts had burned to the ground. The ziggurat's half-constructed shape remained throwing its shade over the village's grounds. The wall of fire that lay between the platform and the ziggurat remained intact, its green flames flickering and dancing, taunting anyone to defy them. Snakes scattered around the area, some not concerning themselves with the visitors.

Quazky went close to check on the wall of flame. He found nothing new, feeling that the gate had closed but somehow a way remained nearby. The party decided to go back to the ziggurat, to the crocodile chamber that lay underneath the level ground... They wanted to confront and kill the giant crocodile that they had left alive and explore the source of the greenish light that they had seen on the walls surrounding the pit.

The group went into a tunnel that Agis had discovered and that they had used to escape. The inner level where they have found a man was empty and had traces of dried blood. They went on to the pit. Kelar went first trying to reach the wall with the source of the green light. A crocodile moved to bit him but missed. The paladin made a deep cut on the creature, and it receded going into the blend of murky water and reptiles. Most of the crocodiles seemed dormant, a few changed their eyes from the dormant membrane to the alert eyesight. Their slithe pupils followed the party as they gathered to look closely at the area that glowed with eerie green shades. The paladin wanted to break the wall in that glowing spot, but the shaman stops him. Quazky walked slowly over the crocodile carpet of the pit, almost hovering over them. Upon reaching the wall he reached the light source with his hand. He closed his eyes for a moment then gravely said "It is alive".