frp

(Previous Session) (Back to V2 Index) (Next Session)

Note: This adventure comes from “Fortress of the Yuan-ti”, by Ari Marmell, as published by Wizards of the Coast.

The party is (at last) whole and reunited!

The party returns to Es Sarch the ring that he gave them to get into the Necromancer's Spire. He convinces them to leave the second ring in Fadheela's lair – since they need it to get back into the spire, but won't need it once they go through the gate. He promises not to retrieve this second ring for one week (in case the party needs to return through the gate and escape the spire).

Since he has a resistance to electricity, Ash opens the gate using Fadheela's Snake Key and holds it open while the rest of the party goes through. As they are the last two through, Freyrik and Ash get a mild shock as the gate drops. Without the resistance to electricity, Freyrik finds that his magical abilities have been “short circuited” and is unable to contribute in any meaningful way.

Area F) The Surrounding Fields

From a small rise, the party observes a small farming community outside the gates of a massive fortress set into a cliff face.

They proceed down and encounter a Dark Naga name Lieth, along with her pet Dire Snake and a squad of four Pureblood Yuan-Ti. Once this group is defeated, a group of human and halfling slaves timidly approach the party. Their leader is a woman named Clora – who tells the party of the snakemen and agrees to shelter them for the night.

Clora: The castle is called Serastis – a horrible place inhabited by hideous snake-folk. Some are almost human, while others arc like giant serpents with hands. Gods only know what they do in there.

Only a few of us are native to these lands, for the snake-folk are careful not to attract the attention of the closer villages. Most of our number were captured on the road or in distant settlements, brought here to serve the masters of the castle. We toil so that they might eat and keep warm. Those who take sick or become too weak for laboring are taken to the castle and never seen again.

There has been much activity in Serastis over the past few months. Many more groups of snake-folk go in and out than in the past. Whatever horrors that place hides, they appear to be escalating.

We thank you for your efforts, but I fear that few of us are strong enough to travel far, The snake-folk allow us little food or sleep. Even if we could leave, we would not get far enough to escape should they try to hunt us down. We will pray for your success, but as long as the snake-folk rule Castle Serastis, we remain slaves.

If you intend to enter Serastis, beware. A horrible skeletal lizard-creature appears there when the main door is open. We have also overheard guards whisper of strange magic controlling movement within the place.

Finally, the snake-folk have difficulty telling us 'mammals' apart. Should you need a place to hide, we might be able to pass you off as slaves for a time.

Area K1) The Serpent's Stair

In bird form, Ketamine scouts the fortress and learns there are no entrances other than the main door. She returns to her normal form and secures a rope to hold the portcullis open while the party plans on how to get in.

Area K2) The Mouth of Serastis

While the rest of the party is deciding that they should wait for a patrol to return and use that event to somehow gain access to the inside, Ketamine fiddles with the mechanism that controls the gate and portcullis. Quite by accident, she trips the portcullis – which fails to drop because of the rigging she put in place earlier. Undeterred, she continues fiddling and after a few minutes, the massive doors spring to life and open!

Area K3) The Great Hall

Fight an evil half-elf cleric and his pet Megaraptor Skeleton.

In the back of the room, at the bottom of a shallow pool, Ketamine discovers a 12-inch wide silver inlay in the shape of a coiled snake (worth 1,500 gp).

Area K4) Dining Hall

Under a large table in this room, Ketamine discovers a small drain that leads down into darkness.

Area K5) Kitchen

Another drain leads down from this room.

Area K6) Torture Chamber

Currently unoccupied, this room contains implements of torture and three small jail cells.

Area K7) Meeting Hall

Yosi “discovers” a hidden pit trap and falls into what appears to be a prison cell on a lower level. He hears ragged breathing and the occasional sob nearby, and concludes that the other cells must contain prisoners.

Líkami helps him back up and the party continues their exploration of what they realize is “Level 2” of the fortress.

Area K8) The Lesser Shrine

The party meets Chavakuth, a Lizardfolk of the Dark Talon tribe. He tries to convince them to kill rival Lizardfolk from the Poison Dusk tribe, but is insufficiently convincing and ends up dead.

Inching ever closer to the TPK!

(Previous Session) (Back to V2 Index) (Next Session)