The Circle of Vissk-Thar

The Serpent Maze

Unlike previous levels the stairs down were short, curving down to a small chamber. Across this room, another staircase led down into darkness. Off to one side was a calm pool of murky water with a pedestal in its centre. Atop the pedestal, a golden serpent idol grasped an emerald in its fangs. As the Party members saw the emerald, each felt a strange sense of disorientation. Then, one by one. they abruptly vanished, Yangrit and Seawyr last to be affected.

One by one, they appeared in a small dark room, the narrow corridor ahead had a strange serpentine pattern of green glass embedded in the floor. The pattern ran to the end of the corridor before turning east to head out of sight. As the began to explore the narrow corridors which wound round tightly, they head distant hissing and suddenly large ghostly spectral serpents appeared, pushing them back. As the serpent pushed into him, Sir Godfrey felt a cold chill piece him. He struck back, but his weapon passed harmlessly through the ghostly snake. At the back of the Party Sherm was facing the same challenge.

The Party closed up, bracketed by the spectral forms. Suddenly things shifted. The snake's spectral forms shimmered into physical reality. The large snakes then reared and breathed clouds of poison gas which rapidly filled the corridor with a cloying miasma. Things were touch-an-go for a moment as first Juntrik and then Seawyr succumbed to the poison gas, slumping unconscious to the ground. Sir Godfrey fought back, used his holy power to cleanse himself of the poison's effects, and this time his weapon seemed to strike solidly. Tamarie fired her crossbow at the serpent at the rear, Sherm having vanished as Juntrik passed out, and Yangrit cast a flaming sphere and then attacked. Fortunately when the giant snakes were slain the poison dispersed, and Seawyr and Juntrik eventually recovered consciousness.

After a brief rest they moved on. Juntrik ledthe way through a doorway at the end of the maze to a narrow chamber where a pool ran down the middle. Two emerald bridges crossed the pool, and three serpentfolk guarded it. Battle was swiftly joined as the others also deployed into the room. Juntrik, hit by a suggestion spell, immediately jumped into the pool, finding it was swarming with tiny snakelings. As Juntrik clambered out after shakig off the spell's efefcts, he was swiftly replaced in the pool by Seawyr who had slipped trying to hurridly cross one of the emerald bridges.

Sir Godfrey and Yangrit moved to attack the serpentfolk, badly injuring one. Tamarie, after helping Seawyr clamber out of the pool, fired her crossbow in support.