Sanctum of the Serpent God

The Azlanti Weapon

After they headed to the portal and then back to the Pathfinder base in the Artisan’s District, Eando spent the next  few days reuniting with Juliver, recovering from his wounds  and examining the wonders of the lost city. Eventually he  summoned the Party to a meeting. There he told them what he had learned of  the serpentfolk plans,while imprisoned. Not only where they assembling an army in Imurea and preparing to launch an assault  on the surface world, but even worse they were attempting to being back their ancient god Ydersius .

Given that the assembled might of the ancient Azlanti empire had only just managed to hold off the might of the serpentfolk with Ydersius, the current kingdoms of Golarion, fragmented and splintered as they were, would have no chance against a god-backed onslaught. In order to give the surface dwellers some kind of chance, they needed to stop the serpentfolk from completing the ritual to being their god back.

They would also need to secure further allies, in additon to the morlocks and the urdefhan, to help fight the massed serpenfolk armies.

The first order of business though, he informed them was to recover a lost Azlanti weapon he had discovered from the morlocks, was hidden in Ilmurea. He also informed them the morlocks were the degenerate descendents of the  Azlanti army that had invaded Ilmurea long ago, . 

Next morning they party returned through the portal and met with the morlocks. The shaman informed them that, according to their legends, the weapon was hidden somewhere in a maze to the north west of Ilmurea. The maze was past the gug-infested mushroom fields and the  morlocks also warned them that it was infested with all manner of unpleasant monsters. Undeterred, the party set off, Drusi casting wind walk to get them close.

They alighted in the rubble near what looked like it had once been an elegant aqueduct, although it was now full of foetid disgusting liquid more akin to sewage than water. As they transformed back from gaseous state, an immense mound of  what looked like black slime, hauled itself out of the water, eyes and mouths and even stranger things forming in its heaving bulk .

Grimmir and Savinesh moved to attack, but were almost immediately grappled by the creature. Seeing this Drusi and Malwen fell back and began casting spells against the monstrosity!

A Halo Of Flies

Savinesh used abundant step to get out of the shoggoth’s grasp and, somehow, Grimnir managed to wriggle free as well. The party took to their heels - scattering in various directions through the rubble. Malwen used a sunburst   spell in aan attempt to blind the creature and slow it's pursuit, but the shoggoth simply extruded more eyes from its form to see it's foes once more.

Malwen, Drusi and Dingle continued blasting the creature with a variety of spells, as it hauled it’s loathsome bulk fully out of the aqueduct, chasing them with preternatural speed for such a huge creature. Eventually however the party’s spells took their toll and the shoggoth collapsed into a pile of sludge, seeping back towards the foetid water of the aqueduct.

Barely pausing to rest, though Drusi did offer healing to those who had been grappled, they pushed on -  to where a stone ramp led up to a series of caves fronted by a wide ledge. Hiding in a ruined building near the foot of the ramp they could see the top of the ramp was blocked with a stone barricade and large winged figures patrolled beyond it.

Eventually, after some debate, Grimnir stepped out and issued a challenge while Malwen and Drusi began summoning elementals. Grimnir’s challenge was met by a horrid wilting spell from a jackal-like figure that had been unnoticed before, and battle was joined. Dingle began using his bardic abilities to support  as a huge earth elemental and air elemental appeared and attacked the daemons. Grimnir and  Savinesh charged forward, the monk leaping gracefully over the stone barricade and attacking the meladaemon.  Grimnir clambered up the barricades with main force, and  attacked one of the leukodaemons. Despite being caught in the leukodaemon’s disgusting Breath of Flies effect, his Holy waraxe proved most effective against the creature. A brutal and furious combat ensued, distracted to some extent by the bloated corpse flies and aura of hunger and disease effects generated from the daemons, but eventually the party prevailed.

While Drusi healed those wounded, especially Savinesh who had been badly injured by the meladaemon, they moved along the ledge, freeing some morlocks who were being imprisoned in a pen under the effects of a symbol of persuasion.

The Hunter’s Maze

The first entrance chosen by Enelia, led to some kind of barracks that had been populated by someone who wasn’t too bothered about hygiene in  their living spaces, judging by the gnawed bones and other more unpleasant detritus strewn around their sleeping area. However there was no sign of the occupants and the cave had no other exits.

The next entrance chosen was one of hose flanked by the serpentfolk statues. Enelia used wind walk to bypass the large set of barred double doors he found about 15 feet down the passageway and opened the doors for the others. Grimnir charged though and down the passageway, managing to trip a Symbol of Fear trap as he did. Fortunately, most of the party seemed unaffected by the trap except, in accordance with tradition, Enelia - who immediately tried to flee down the corridor in panic. The ranger’s  attempted flight was brought short when Grimnir tackled him to the ground and sat on him till the spell’s effects abated. Once calm was restored they headed down the passageway which ended where a flight of stairs led up to another set of double doors.

As ever Enelia led the way and threw the doors open. Multiple stairways exited the room beyond, most leading deeper underground. In the middle of the floor, a pattern of gold-inlaid tiles formed a square; each tile etched with a strange rune. To the north, twin statues of defaced serpentfolk warriors stood upon five-foot-high platforms, their arms stretching to the thirty-foot ceiling overhead. The room was guarded by four insect-like creatures carrying tridents.

The mezzodaemon’s reaction to their intrusion was to cast a Cloudkill spell at them, but the party pushed through, Enelia leading the way quickly followed by Savinesh and Grimnir. As Dingle used his bardic abilities to support them, Malwen and Drusi began unleashing their spells, against which the mezzodaemon’s spell resistance proved little defence. When the daemons were slain they quickly moved to secure the area. Dingle and Malwen examined the gold-inlaid tiles, detecting an faint aura of illusion magic upon them. Their arcane ruminations were foreshortened when Enelia went dancing across them and a pulsing glowing sphere appeared. Unheard by the others a voice from the sphere spoke in Aklo , welcoming the ranger to the competition of the Hunter’s Maze and informing him that suitable slaves have been released in the maze for  his delectation.

Ignoring Dingle’s suggestion that it might be prudent to rest as the spellcasters were running neigh on empty, they decided on taking the northern exit which led to a massive cavern from which  numerous tunnels led off. The cavern’s 60-foot-high ceiling arched high overhead. Several small plateaus stood in the centre of the cavern floor with twisting  narrow crevices running between them. As they looked out, it suddenly seemed to them that resting might be a good idea. Using Wind Walk they went to the top of one of the plateaus and Dingle cast Secure Shelter. Grimnir stood guard outside for a while , but a couple of lightning bolts slamming in to him out of the darkness soon persuaded him to join the others in the shelter.

Next morning, aware that there may be an ambush awaiting them, they hatched a complicated plan including a Darkness spell and the use of Feather Fall to exit their secure accommodations safely. The plan was executed flawlessly and they found themselves on the floor of the cavern. Malwen and Grimnir headed northward while Enelia headed westwards – and almost immediately ran straight into a meladaemon!

The Weapon

Wisely, Enelia withdrew, a lightning bolt following swiftly on his heels. As the party rallied to his aid, they ran into a second meladaemon and battle was joined. While Dingle supported with his bardic abilities, and spells crackled across
 the cavern from both sides, it proved a frustrating combat as the meladaemons flew or teleported away as soon as they felt themselves in danger  - mainly whenever Grimnir got close to one. True to form Enelia was nearly slain again, only a Mass Vigour spell from Malwen once again keeping him alive long enough for Drusi to get to him with healing magics. Eventually, the meladaemon were defeated with the assistance of a huge air elemental summoned by Drusi, and Grimnir finally getting to grips.

Once the meladaemons were slain, Enelia confidently led the way forward to a set of doors to the north, Opening the door revealed a large room the far corner of which was dominated by a glowing blue sphere.  Moving forward they could see that locked within the sphere was an armour-clad Cyclops frozen in the act of killing a woman. After examining the scene Drusi conjectured that the two were frozen in some kind of temporal stasis. Dingle immediately cast a targeted Dispel Magic. As the blue sphere faded the woman’s body slid off the sword, transforming into a serpentfolk on death. The Cyclops screamed a battle cry in Azlanti and charged forward his sword poised to thrust and then stopped suddenly and spoke to them when he realised the party were not  attacking. Eventually after a few abortive attempts they found a common language in Aklo.

The Cyclops introduced himself as General Aveshai, who had been part of Savith’s assault on the serpent god Ydersius. He was somewhat nonplussed to discover that Savith was long dead and that  he had been frozen in time for uncounted thousands of years, but still seemed particularly keen to kill serpentfolk and join their cause. When asked about the ”weapon” he informed them that the weapon – The Seven Spears of Azlant - had still been under construction on the surface when Savith discovered that the serpentfolk had summoned Ydersius in person to Ilmurea, and decided to launch a pre-emptive strike.

After considerable initial confusion Malwen eventually realised that the “seven Spears of Azlant related to the seven spires atop the pyramids in the city of Saventh-Yhi and that the city must be directly above them.

Without further ado, they made their way back to the portal and the city above, whereupon they immediately entered a war-council with Eando and the other Pathfinders.

The Many Headed Beasts

Dingle joined the diplomatic effort to forge an alliance against the serpentfolk. He did have to call on some of the other from time to time for their particular fields of expertise but mostly they generally went shopping and polished their swords! Eventually agreements were forged with most of the inhabitants and interloper groups in Saventh-Yhi. No one seriously expected the serpentfolk in the central island to join the Alliance, so general Aveshai led a punitive expedition, accompanied by Grimnir,  to drive them out of the city and seize control of the pyramid. The serpentfolk’s leader, Akarundo the rakshasa, fled as soon as the general’s forces launched their assault.

Once all the pyramids were secure, the process of assembling the army to assault Ilmurea began, general Aveshai meanwhile began inspecting and insuring the seven spears were ready to be used. Meanwhile a plan was hatched – or rather presented to the party that while the assault was underway, they would attempt to infiltrate the Sanctum of the Serpent God and deal with the incipient threat of the returning Ydersius. Finally everything was ready, and as general Aveshai triggered the first of the Spears, the party made their way to the portal and back to Ilmurea.

While crossing the subterranean city using Wind Walk, the Seven Spears crashed through the roof of the cave and plunged down into the serpentfolk city, the Army  of the Alliance following in their wake down the tunnels the Spears had bored. Once the wind walkers reached the area Aveshai had told them was the location of the  Sanctum they found their way blocked by a mass of rubble infused with wild magical energy that seemed to block anything magical from passing.

Reverting to corporeal form, they tried moving though the gaps in the rubble, but those with strong magical armour found moving forward difficult. As they moved deeper through the tunnels the spellcasters in the party began to be increasingly affected by the wild magic surging around them. Dingle seemed particularly badly affected and once they passed through the worst of it Drusi stepped up help the stricken bard with a Restoration spell.

As they were passing through the tunnels they were attacked by some feral morlocks, but they proved little challenge to the Party, who pressed on to where the tunnels opened out into a wide debris field on the far side of which they could see the imposing shape of the Sanctum – guarded by a thessalhydra!

While Drusi, Malwen and Dingle began casting spells, concentrating furiously to cast against the wild magic raging around them, Grimnir unlimbered his bow and began firing. Savinesh and Enelia moved forward to close range – the monk managing to get in a solid series of hit before being dropped by the flurry of attacks from the huge monster. Drusi seeing this, dashed forward to try and get to within range of her healing magics.

The Watchtower

As Drusi moved to heal Savinesh, Enelia closed to attack the thessalhydra. Drusi then summoned a huge earth elemental to aid their attack while Malwen plumped for a rampaging herd of spectral dinosaurs! Under this combined assault the thessalhydra soon fell – just as Grimnir arrived to help!

Moving forward they headed to the nearest entrance to the Sanctum, heading to a huge set of adamantine doors ornately carved with serpents. As they neared the doors, they heard a voice saying something in Aklo. Dingle advised that it seemed to be demanding some kind of password! Not actually having a password, they sent the huge earth elemental forward to try and open the doors. As it touched the doors however, spectral snakes appeared to swarm out of the carvings, enveloped the elemental and damaged it severely with a Harm spell.
 
They stepped back, and pondered their options. Grimnir tried to get a grappling hook up the cliff-face to where a watchtower loomed over them but was met by a deluge of boiling oil, which fortunately he nimbly managed to avoid. Eventually, Dingle used Shadow Walk to get them up to the watchtower where the four serpentfolk guards stationed  there were soon despatched. They entered into the watchtower and began to explore, quickly running in to another three guards and their serpent companions who were also swiftly dealt with, before heading for a stairway that led down into the complex.

The Armoury

The stairs led them down to a large rectangular chamber whose ceiling rose forty feet overhead. Underfoot, the stone tiles were pitted and scratched from centuries of heavy abuse. Twenty-foot-wide hallways exited to the east and west, while an open archway led to another chamber to the northwest. Enelia was first into the room whereupon he was immediately attacked by a huge snakelike construct covered in spikes and blades with a head at each end – a siege serpent. A second huge construct could be seen in the shadowy illumination across the room.

As Grimnir and Savinesh charged up to help Enelia, someone unseen cast a chain lightning at them from the darkness behind the second construct. Dingle immediately began using his bardic skills to support his friends while Malwen and Drusi summoned huge earth elementals to help beat-down on the constructs. The combat was brutal as the contracts seemed resistant to any damage the party could dish out, while the enemy spellcaster used dimension door  to flit about the room casting spells at them. Eventually however, though many of theme were sorely wounded,  both of the huge constructs lay destroyed and the enemy spellcaster made a strategic withdrawal, and used his change shape ability to turn into an earth elemental and earth glided away.

The Serpentstone Sentinel

Exploring the immediate area they found a huge Arcane Forge where it was apparent the Siege Serpent constructs had been forged. There was also a storeroom that Enelia noted as a possible place to rest up if required.
Taking the  eastward passageway Grimnir led the way, kicking open some massive double doors leading to an irregularly shaped room. Rubble-choked stairs climbed a short way before a complete cave-in blocked their progress to the northeast. To the south, a smaller set of doors provided the room’s only other exit. Two serpentfolk Temple Guards, accompanying a heavily armoured troglodyte occupied the room. The troglodyte proved a dangerous fore almost killing Enelia before he and his guards were defeated.  Fortunately Drusi, and a goodly number of the healing potions being hoarded by Dingle helped the party recover.

After some spirited debate about which  way to go next, Grimnir being overruled, they headed through the smaller set of doors to the south which eventually led to what looked like a courtyard. Three serpentfolk guarded the area who on seeing the Party immediately retreated to the base of a large statue in the centre of the courtyard. Grimnir immediately charged forward, only for the statue to animate and start beating -down on him. As the rest of the party deployed the serpentfolk retaliated with a series of unholy blight spells.

Drusi summoned a huge earth elemental only for one of the serpentfolk to dispel it, so Malwen summoned an even more powerful one, while Dingle, mostly trying to stay in cover an unnoticed, gamely tried to keep everyone alive supporting them with his bardic abilities. Eventually the party were triumphant , but not before the mighty Grimnir was nearly slain and Enelia sorely wounded.

Battle of the Transmuters

After spending a thankfully quiet night resting in the storeroom, Enelia received word via a message spell from the General that the Allied forces had secured the southern half of Ilmurea despite fierce opposition! He then peeked out into the room beyond to see the serpentfolk magic user they had fought yesterday poking around the remains of one of the siege serpents near the arcane forges. Calling out a warning to the others, he immediately charged. As the others joined him in attacking, the transmuter  unleashed a chain lightning spell. They briefly managed to surround their opponent before he used dimension door to escape.

After a brief discussion they left the area by the eastward passageway, but coming to a set of double doors and peeking through Grimnir saw a courtyard with exits to the south north and west, as well as another of the huge statue constructs. Remembering what had happened yesterday,when he had nearly died, Grimnir decided they should perhaps try the other way!

Eventually they arrived at another set of huge double doors, Malwen listing at the door could hear voices talking in Aklo. Grimnir knocked on the door and then Enelia threw them open! This proved to be a mistake as they walked in to a veritable barrage of spells – a chain lighting, a cone of cold and multiples of  unholy blight – cast by the serpentfolk occupying the huge octagonal library. There were four serpentfolk guards as well as the transmuter that had escaped them earlier and another female serpentfolk flying above them. A ferocious battle ensued with mighty magics cracling through the air from both sides, but, despite Savinesh nearly being killed (saved only by a mass vigour spell from Drusi)  the party eventually forced the magic users to flee using teleport. This left the guards to their fate – which was predictably short lived. After the battle, Drusi’s other healing services were once again heavily required, as were a goodly serving of the Party’s stock of healing potions!

Moving forward, they decided to brave the courtyard, this time deciding to try stealth. Everything went well as one by one they snuck into the dark courtyard until Enelia dramatically threw open the doors to the north. This drew the attention of some serpentfolk guards, who had singularly failed to spot them sneaking through, who immediately activated the serpentfolk sentinel. Grimnir charged forward as the huge construct began beating up the dwarf until Malwen and Drusi both summoned huge earth elementals to come to his rescue!

The Emperor of Scales

Searching the surrounding area revealed little except empty barracks, the soldiers presumably out fighting in the city, so they headed back through the courtyard and out the western exit. This led them though a series of double doors to an octagonal chamber where two serpentfolk statues made of iron dominated, standing guard next to a wide staircase descending to the north. The stairway appeared to be lined with iridescent snake scales, pulsing and moving with eerie life of their own. Along the south walls, twin tapestries made of the same iridescent snakeskin shifted and billowed with the same rhythm. Double doors exit the chamber to the east. Someone suggested that the two statues might be golems, but as they deployed into the room, rather than the statues animating, something else floated up the stairs accompanied by the sound of hissing snakes - a giant, severed snake’s head floated into view, with a gaping mouth and twin fangs dripping virulent poison. Its eyes were milky and blind, but its forked tongue constantly tested the air for fresh scents. Below the head, where a body should be, numerous hissing serpents thrashed like tendrils of torn flesh. Blood dripped from the severed head, sizzling as it burned like acid through anything it touched. The Emperor of scales proved a formidable foe, but aided bay a huge earth elemental summoned by Malwen and a huge air elemental summoned by Drusi, and the fact that Dingle remembered an ancient tale where electricity stopped the Herald of Ydersius from regenerating damage, the Party were ultimately triumphant.

They barely had time to swallow some healing potions, when to no-ones real surprise the two iron golems animated and pulverised Savinesh as soon as he put his foot on the steps, before returning to their stations. Malwen cast last breath to retrieve Savinesh from the icy jaws of death and they moved on down the stairs, leaving the two elementals to pulverise the golems to scrap! They found some uninteresting storerooms before the corridor split going north and east. They decided to take the eastward path before reversing the decision when the huge  room beyond was filled with hundreds and thousands of hissing snakes. Before they left, Dingle sent  some dancing lights across the room to confirm there was an exit at the far end.

The northern  fork of the passage led to a an immense vaulted chamber, the ceiling nearly fifty feet overhead. A five-foot-deep, concave depression of iridescent green tiles ran in a slithering pattern down the middle of the room between two rows of columns, similar to the trail a giant snake would make. Each column bore a painted script of runes and glyphs around its base. Large adamantine doors stood in the north wall. To the east and west, several smaller doors stood between alcoves holding towering statues of robed serpentfolk, each crafted into a different likeness.

Enelia checked out the doors at the far end but was unable to budge them, believing them to be blocked on the other side. Malwen and Drusi explored the side chambers, finding them to be sleeping chambers. Just as everyone was leaving, Dingle wandered over to examine the Aklo inscription on the nearest pillar., finding them to be prayers to Ydersius. Fortunately for Dingle he was able to avoid the sepia snake sigil spell laid on the runes, unfortunately for the bard, the wasn’t able to do anything to supress the alarm spell that was also triggered. Even more unfortunately for our comedy genius there was little humour to be found when a marilith teleported into the room and pummelled him near to death!

On the positive side a mass vigour spell from Malwen stopped him dying, and although sorely wounded in the attempt, Enelia a managed to drag his unconscious body from danger. The Party retreated to the corridor, Drusi slamming the doors shut before casting a cure critical wounds mass.  It was fortunate she did as the marilith teleported into the corridor, blocking their exit!

The Writhing Hall

As Grimnir joined the battle with the marilith,  a badly injured Enelia withdrew from the combat to receive Heal spell from Drusi. Dingle clambered to his feet and began supporting his friends via his bardic abilities. Enelia re-joined Savinesh And Grimnir in attacking the marilith as Malwen and Drusi cast offensive spells at the demon – eventually Malwen summed a huge earth elemental the helped them finish the demon off.

After much consumption of healing potions, and spells from Malwen’s wand, they eventually moved on towards the chamber with the hissing snakes. Dingle quickly discerned that the snakes were actually a permanent image and confidently strode forward. The other’s followed the bard’s example except Grimnir who refused to believe that the snakes weren’t real – eventually causing Dingle to use fascinate on the dwarf to get him to enter the room.

Beyond they found room marked with all manner of arcane symbols none of which those with any spellcasting ability could determine the purpose off, so eventually they moved forward to a wide corridor piled with cast-off snake skins. Unusually, Drusi led the way -  only to be attacked as one of the snake skins revealed itself to be a hollow serpent. The undead was quickly despatched to its final rest and the moved on to another set of adamantine doors which  Grimnir quickly kicked-in. The serpentfolk guarding this chamber were swiftly dealt with leaving the party with another set of door from beyond which they could hear an unearthly chanting!

The Snake God Cometh (and Goeth)

After a brief round of preparation, Grimnir led the way through the adamantine doors straight into hail of arrows unleashed by four serpentfolk guards! Savinesh and Enelia followed into the huge chamber dominated by a stone dais at one side and a chasm on the other, the air was filled with an unearthly chanting sound, as a serpentfolk cleric rose up in the air. As battle was joined the cleric cast  blade barrier across the entrance, trapping Malwen, Drusi and Dingle on the other side.

As Grimnir engaged one of the serpentfolk guards, a huge snake slithered out from near the dais and attacked,  grappling the fighter much to his chagrin. Savinesh and Enelia engaged two of the other guards while Drusi and Malwen began summoning huge elementals to aid their colleagues. High above the serpentfolk cleric rained spells down upon them until Drusi summoned a huge air elemental to attack him. One by one the serpentfolk guards went down, but Savinesh was wounded near to death – saved (once again) by a vigor spell from Drusi. Grimnir was getting more and more frustrated as the huge serpent kept grappling him, keeping him from the combat. With the help of the elementals the guards and the snake were  dispatched allowing them to turn their attention and spells to the cleric! The cleric used dispel magic to get rid of the air elemental, but Malwen just summoned another one!

Suddenly the chanting sound coming from the chasm stopped – Enelia made his way over -only to be confronted by the avatar serpent god itself, it’s recently re-attached skull still fusing itself together in a grisly meld of bone and re-forming flesh. Supported by the two huge earth elementals, Enelia, Grimnir and Savinesh attacked the avatar, noting in horror that their weapons seemed to be having limited effect and what damage they did do was healing before their eyes! The avatar grabbed one of the elementals with his tail and tossed it into the bottomless chasm. Yet again, Malwen just summoned a replacement!

Meanwhile the spellcasters continued to target the cleric and powerful spells blasted the air, flying thick and fast on both sides. Suddenly a final surge of spells hit the cleric who stiffened and cried out  falling to the ground. In response the avatar seemed to freeze for a second, allowing all of his opponents to target him unhampered. As a barrage of hits and spells slammed into the avatar’s body it slumped to the ground. Grimnir immediately stepped up and before the avatar could regenerate, used a coup de grace to decapitate it. The headless body thrashed and jerked, falling back into the darkness of the chasm. Malwen gathered up the bits of the skull resolving to try and destroy them.

Outside the battle for the city suddenly stalled as the serpentfolk, in thrall to their god also froze with a howl of pain and despair. Sensing victory  General Avashai used the advantage of this to launch a devastating assault routing the disheartened serpenfolk army who retreated back into the caverns beyond the city.