Believing to be heading in the correct direction...

[DM Bob]

Coden picks up his spear and positions himself to the side of the hall as the others pass, leaving Attilius in the direct line of sight. He then activates combat mind.

Everyone gets a -1 bonus to initiative.

No lightning strikes this time as Umbris fathoms the magical traps before him. There are two distinct runes. However, when he looks at them he can't help but try and fathom their meaning. A brief feeling of dread comes over him and his muscles begin to tighten...

But he fights the two effects with his very being, this time successfully. The others can see a dark grey-brown wisp of magical smoke dissipate afterwards. The runes are now missing.

And that's when you see a giant dark blue black snake - human headed, with an oddly beautiful face. Think dark fae, David Bowie features (minus the Goblyn King bulge from Labyrinth). It tenses at the opening of the room and hisses menacingly. It fills the corridor opening well enough that you cannot see if it has support.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Seen that it might be another encounter, still non-friendly for the look of it, Skrye calls for the protection of the earth

[OOC: Initiative 2, Barkskin (AC 0, 12rnds), Invisibility to undead (4rnds).

AC 3, 15/48HP; SPELLS 1stLvl(3/5), 2ndLvl(4/5), 3rdLvl(1/4), 4thLvl(2/3)]

[Attilius]

Attilius refocuses his attention on the newly arrived hissing snake-MAN

Round 4

-69 HP; -1 Str (= -1 to hit & damage)
Aid spell (8 rounds - +1 to attack & saves, 5 Temp H.P.)
-1 bonus to initiative
Armor Class: -8 / vs. missile weapons: -10
Initiative: 9

Not wanting a repeat of the bone snakes tail whip-rake across his neck, Attilius readies his shield for a tail strike
Top of initiative: Shield Block snake-man's tail strike - hit AC: -10

Initiative 14
Attilius spins his body to try and cleave the snakes head off.

Attack 1: hits AC -8
Damage: 24 magical Slashing

Attack 2: Crit! hits AC -11
Damage: 36 magical Slashing

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Round 4
Initiative: 7 (rolled 3, -2 dex, +6 weapon speed)

If Quila sees the snake-figure appear and has a clear sightline to it, she will use her composite short bow and shoot two arrows at it.

Attack 1: hits AC -5
Damage: 2 piercing

Attack 2: hits AC 6
Damage: 3 piercing

She will then astutely observe the creature and base her next actions on it's reaction.

[AthasianLaborer]

Round 4 Initiative: 9 (8 on the die, -1 for Combat Mind, -1 for Dex, +3 from Casting Time)
Intention: Spectral Force (The ceiling above the Bowie snake turns viscous and fluid like kank honey, thick and sticky like muddy Elmer's. If anything tastes it, it tastes like the elemental.  The flow will engulf it and spread out towards the hall.  Damage isn't the intention, impeding movement for our enemies is.)

[Umbris (AC 2 | HP 37/37)]

Giggles as he pops the traps, before hearing a hiss. Turning around, he loads and fires a stone.



Init 4. Rolled a 3, +6 from my Sling, -1 from Combat Mind, -4 from Dex

Rolled a 7 to hit ac 4 (+4 from Dex, +1 from HSB, 16 Thac0)

Damage of 3 if able to be damaged by NM attacks

[Niachi]

Round 4 initiative: 4 (rolled 5, -4 for Dex, -1 Combat Mind, +4 casting time)

CON roll: 1 success

Niachi hisses angrily in reply to the snakething. An immobile 5-foot radius dome of pulsing pale light forms around him and whoever is near. His hissing ends with whispers just audible enough for his companions to hear:

"Minor spellproofing. No casting within the dome except mine."

Iron scents the chamber. He unpacks his blackened club, sets it on the floor in easy reach, and draws his 2-handed sword in his familiar crouching attack stance to stay protected within his spell.

Minor Globe of Invulnerability: Duration 8 rounds
his spell creates an immobile, faintly shimmering magical sphere around the caster that prevents any 1st-, 2nd-, or 3rd-level spell effects from penetrating (i.e., the area of effect of any such spells does not include the area of the minor globe of invulnerability).

This includes innate abilities and effects from devices. However, any type of spell can be cast out of the magical globe, and these pass from the caster of the globe to their subject without affecting the globe.

Fourth and higher level spells are not affected by the globe. The globe can be brought down by a successful dispel magic spell. The caster can leave and return to the globe without penalty. Note that spell effects are not actually disrupted by the globe unless cast directly through or into it: The caster would still see a mirror image created by a wizard outside the globe. If that wizard then entered the globe, the images would wink out, to reappear when the wizard exited the globe. Likewise, a wizard standing in the area of a light spell would still receive sufficient light for vision, even though that part of the light spell volume in the globe would not be luminous.

Cat's Grace 7+ hours, Dex 22
Enchanted weapon (gouge) about 12 rounds left
Detect Invisibile: about 12 rounds
Spectral Hand: 2 rounds

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Skrye, seeing the wonder that Niachi casted, moves inside the area nearby him, to be fully protected by it

[OOC: Initiative 2, Barkskin (AC 0, 12rnds), Invisibility to undead (4rnds).

AC 3, 15/48HP; SPELLS 1stLvl(3/5), 2ndLvl(4/5), 3rdLvl(1/4), 4thLvl(2/3)]

[DM Bob]

You shoot arrows. Throw a rock. Run into melee and try chilling the threat.

It then drops. And by drops, it doesn't die...

The serpentine threat disappears as quickly as it came. POOF. Out of existence.

Behind it though? Down the corridor? Two similar beasts are coiled together, snake bodies and heads entwined in a vulgar display of power. They spit. Two black ichor thick lougies are vomited upon the goliath at a distance.

While it does not touch his skin, it festers and sizzles upon his armor, shield & helm. Currently, only Attilius has line-of-sight.

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

”Did you see that? Was this creature like the Eater of Tongues and extraplanar in origin or are we encountering illusions here? Anyone have a magic detection up?” Quila shouts incredulously to her teammates when she sees the snake-man-thing pop out.

[Attilius]

"Or a portin' mindbender!" Attilius retorts while watching the black stuff on his armor dribble off.

It dribbles not. It's quite stuck.

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Next round (round 5?)

Initiative: 7 (rolled 5, -2 dex, -1 combat mind Coden, +5 spell)

Intent: Quila will take another look down the hallway just like when she shot some arrows. Seeing the other two snakes and hearing Att talk about them, she hatches another plan: a Snake Charm (lvl 2).
She begins a ritualistic swaying belly-dance movement and chanting in a nasal tone for a moment and then a rich swirling hypnotic pattern appears before the snakes in the hallway, hindering none but the snakes.

(OOC: Snake Charm works for 1d4+4 rounds, rolled 3 so that's 7 rounds, and can affect creatures up to my hitpoints. I've got 62 so hope that is enough.)

[Attilius]

Round 5

-68 HP; -1 Str (= -1 to hit & damage)
Aid spell (7 rounds - +1 to attack & saves, 5 Temp H.P.)
-1 bonus to initiative
Armor Class: -8 / vs. missile weapons: -10
Initiative: 9

The giant sneers as he sees the templar start to dance of all things in front of these two massive snake-men. Regardless he decides to protect her none-the-less. The Murmillo steps forward a bit to be directly behind her with his shield ready to intercept anything that comes their way.
Top of initiative: Shield Block anything coming at Q; hit AC: -12

Initiative 14
If anything comes within his 10' reach he will reach over Q and slice the enemy in two

Attack 1: hits AC -5
Damage: 21 magical Slashing

Attack 2: hits AC -6
Damage: 14 magical Slashing

[DM Bob]

The twin snek team does not advance. They do not regard the illusion in any apparent way. Quila begins to attempt to charm them as well...

To no effect.

Instead, balls of fire circle the air before smiling pair. Twelve dancing globes of intense heat to be exact. At first, two flash forward, followed by another pair then another pair, until only two dancing balls of fire swirl before your foes.

Attilius is able to block one such missile from striking the templaress.

Five such missiles strike Quila for 14 total damage. Even the missed volleys erupt and singe those in the way... Attilius takes 5 such damage from the splash (the rest of the splash damage was already included in Quila's total).

[Niachi]

Initiative round 5:

Rolled 1, spellcasting +3, +4 Dex bonus = 1
CON roll for casting: 4 success.

Niachi sees the mini-fireballs smack into their spymaster and hisses an angry response until he's out of breath. Quick as lightning he huffs in a breath. His exhale summons the odor of black metallic shavings filling the sarcophagus chamber.
And a cloud of icy black nothingness slams into the serpentthings, starting 1 foot in front of the swirling flames with at least 1 foot clear in front of Q and A. The Touch of Black fills the corridor to 40 square feet. Those in the cloud are unable to see through it.

They suffer a chill unlike anything they have ever felt as they save vs magic or each take 28 points of shadowy damage, save for half. Their attack rolls are at -2 for the duration they stay inside. (Duration 8 rounds)

The elf droops exhausted inside his bubble of protection, still hissing in challenge, leaning on his club, his sword at his feet.

Kaw-Rawk squawks a happy note.