Written by the Almighty DM

Players Present: Kanye, Nor, Sophitia, Elgard, Zyldi

BOA? I HARDLY KNOW HER!

After a short rest back at Papazotl’s Shrine, Zyldi offers to Wildshape into a snake and scout out the Fane of the Night Serpent. She transforms into a Giant Contrictor Snake and heads to the entrance. 

There is a Malison and 4 Broodguards guarding the front gate. The gate has small holes for snakes at the bottom, but these are much too small for Zyldi’s giant form. She intimidates the guards who open the gate up for her, and begins her exploration as the gate slides shut behind her.

As she explores this enormous compound, she makes the following discoveries:

• There are lamps around so seeing is not an issue
• The place is teeming with snakes, Broodguards, Malisons, and the occasional Pureblood
• Large room near the gate has a giant snake statue, a triceratops, carts, and some mysterious eight-legged lizard creatures chained within 2 dark alcoves
• Wall reliefs showing the rise of Ras Nsi, Dendar the night serpent eating the nightmares of sleeping Chultans, and the rise of the Serpent from the Iron Gate to devour the sun
• A sacrificial altar that feeds blood into a cauldron that sits in the middle of a foul Cathedral
• Zyldi hears moaning from some slave pits kept near the altar. There is an unknown group of people being kept in horrifying conditions
• A venom distillery
• Another Giant Constrictor Snake is counting items in a storeroom, and speaks to Zyldi in Common as she enters the room. Zyldi acts like she has no idea what he’s saying, and he slithers over her which creeps her out immensely

Having explored all she can as a giant snake, she decides that she needs to become a small snake. The main gate is closed and there are no other exits to be found. 

SLITHER IN TO DANGER

There are swarms of snakes in a pit right next to the main gate. Zyldi slithers to the bottom of the pit, pops out of her Wildshape, and spends 6 agonizing seconds POLYMORPHING into a small garter snake. She slithers out of the pit and resumes her exploration, knowing she only has 1 hour to find a way out. 

Beyond the storeroom she finds a slave encampment within an earthen cave. The slaves are guarded, and beyond this small cave she finds an underground lake.

• There are 2 rowboats chained to the shore. Each boat has a cowbell on a hook at the bow of the ship. There are 4 Broodguards guarding these boats 
• The lake is In a massive cavern
• There is a pillar in a wide grotto whose base is heaped with bones 
• Near this pillar Zyldi feels something HUGE moving beneath the water-
• At the north end of the cavern there is an opening into a throne room. Zyldi slithers in and sees Ras Nsi addressing several Malisons. Near him is his champion, a huge Pureblood with grey scales. Also in this room are several Broodguards, one of whom sees Zyldi and shoos her back into the lake before she can explore further
• A tunnel near the south end of the cavern has a skeleton covered in a buttery mold. There is a brass key around the neck. Zyldi slithers the necklace off the dead body and onto hers, disturbing the Mold in the process. Her Druidic constitution steels her against its effects, and she slithers on key in…hand? 
• At the south end of the cavern there is a tunnel right near the lake that leads to the surface. 

After emerging from the secret back entrance, Zyldi snakes her way as fast as she can back to home base. She is very traumatized by what she has seen in this foul temple. 

RELIVING HISSSSSSSSTORY 

Upon waking from her nightmares, Zyldi gains a fresh insight on what she saw down in the depths. Though she only saw him for an instant, she noticed Ras Nsi was covered in bandages. 

Not yet knowing what this means, our brave heroes plan their assault. These snakes are going to pay.