[IC] To The Edge of the World...

[Lunar]

June heard someone yell danger and instantly her back tensed as she knew what was happening. There was some one or something behind her. When her back tensed she had slammed what was behind her on the ground. Turning around seeing what it was she said "it's called personal space mr goblin thing, learn it" she said in a snooty tone looking at the goblin being crushed by gravy. "We don't know what thinks it's got, stay sharp" @Garth@Kelewen

[Garth]

Rockmar looked at June in surprise. Not that she needed help, but he ran around June and knelt next to the creature. He swung the handaxe down, hoping to split its skull.

[Wick]

Eve had gotten up and went inside at the first sounds of a ruckus and she was not far behind Tarquin. "Is everyone okay?" She said worried that someone was hurt. She got there just in time to see Rockmar slam his axe into something's skull and she cringed slightly. "What was that?"

[Kelewen]

As June and Rockmar got a better look at what had attacked them, they would see that it was human sized and shaped, but its skin was a lifeless gray, its fingernails grown out into twisted claws. It tried to rise as June's powers held it down and screeched a dying gasp cut short by Rockmar's axe splitting open its skull.

"Are you two okay?" Cedric asked loudly, echoing Eve's concern. He was still stuck on the near side of the pit with Wimena. "Eve! June!" he exclaimed "Can you two get us across?!"

@Garth Something inside the ghoulish creature's belly moved unnaturally, then erupted suddenly, pushing its way out of the dead husk. A revolting humanoid-headed snake lunged straight toward the half-orc kneeling next to the ghoul, striking out with long-fangs.

[Garth]

Rockmar relaxed a little, knowing the creature was dead. He shook off its brains from his lucky axe. "We are alright, Cedric! whhhooooo!"
He was surprised to say the least from the snake creature coming at him. Rockmar is not a quick man, He tried to dodge out of the way and used his arm to try to parry the creature's attack. He was able to get his armored forearm in front of the creatures attack. His armor protected him from the fangs, He could feel the creature's mouth clamping down on his forearm. The fangs and teeth couldn't penetrate his armor, so his skin wasn't broken, but still his arm will hurt later from so much pressure being squeezed onto his arm.

He then twisted his body as he swung at the snake body with his hand axe. The adrenaline gave him extra strength if not accuracy. He swung with his whole body, driving the axe forward.

[Wick]

Eve stepped up and chanted something and held out her hand and Cedric and Wimena were kind of floated to where they needed to go. "Rockmar! Did it penetrate your skin?" She prayed his answer would be no. Those kind of poisons can be very difficult to cure and thus fatal.

[Marcus XVI]

Tarquin examined the situation cautiously while glancing around. "I hope there aren't more of those damn monsters in here..." He mumbled and shook his head.

[Kelewen]

The serpent's body moved sideways quickly to avoid the blow, preventing the Rockmar's hand axe from slicing it cleanly in half, but it still received a nick. The grotesque serpent slithered fully out of the ghoul's belly and rose up again, hissing and rocking slowly back and forth as it looked for an opportunity to strike. This time it lunged toward June's leg.

Cedric, distracted by being lifted up by Eve's magic, stumbled just slightly as she set him down in the opposite hallway. "Well, that will take some getting used to. .... Oh!..." he exclaimed as he realized the snake was still alive.

[Marcus XVI]

For the first time during this whole little adventure Tarquin unsheathed his rapier, nimbly dashed past the hole and aimed a swift stab towards the snake's head just as it was about to sink it's teeth in June's leg.

[Kelewen]

The rapier impaled the serpent just behind its head, catching it before its fangs could sink into June. It writhed madly, thrashing its body, twisting its tail around Tarquin's arm.

[Wick]

Eve watched as the snake twisted around Tarquin's arm and She hoped it's teeth didn't tear his flesh as even dying it could still poison him if they did. She stood at the ready just in case.

[Marcus XVI]

The tall elf very calmly moved the tip of the rapier to rest against the floor, making sure the snake's teeth wouldn't be touching anyone. "Now, would someone get this damn snake off of my arm?"

[Wick]

Eve walked over to Tarquin and very carefully removed the dead snake holding it right behind it's head to make sure it's venom is held in place. She had an idea and pulled a small jar out of her bag and milked the venom into it. "Maybe we can use the venom for something in the future." When she was finished she handed the snake to the constable.

[Lunar]

"I don't like snakes" June said looking at there dead bodies. "There so slithery and bitey" she said to the group as she levitated across the room trying to see what else she could find.

[Marcus XVI]

The tall elf wiped the blade of his rapier to his surcoat very carefully and then sheathed the weapon. "I must admit I am not quite fond of snakes myself." He began examining the strange humanoid creature that had attacked them.

[Garth]

"It's not just the snakes, it's what ever that is." He said as he pointed to the dead ghoul(?). "Let me have a minute." He unbuckled and removed his leather vambrace from his forearm. There was a large bruise where the snake=thing tried to bite him, but the skin wasn't broken. He rested the vambrace on his thigh as he buckled it back up. "Alright. Ready. Let us head to the north and see what is down the hall that way."

[Kelewen]

As June examines the area, she finds that they are in a hallway with multiple avenues to explore.

To the south - the room with the slimy sided deathtrap pit
To the north - an unexplored room
To the east - two passages: the one with the stairs that June and Rockmar just walked up and an unexplored tunnel. A small bit of daylight trickles in from here, so presumably the hole in the hillside is somewhere down this tunnel.
To the west - an unexplored set of stairs leading down.



@Marcus XVI - the body appears to have once been human, but now merely a dried husk (even before Rockmar's axe split open its head). Its skin is grey and shriveled. Its fingernails have grown out into long claws.

[Kelewen]

The constable took the now-dead snake from Eve, but seemed uncertain what to do with it. "I think I'll leave it here," he said after a few moments. "If we want to examine it further, we can retrieve it on the way out."

Cedric nodded to Rockmar. Since they both had lights, the human took the lead this time and tread cautiously into the chamber to the north, stone lantern in one hand and sword in the other...

Tall slabs of stone support the high ceiling here. Three long steps descend to the floor of the antechamber. Two hammered bronze braziers rest before a towering stone door at the end of the chamber. The door is carved with hundreds of spiraling runes, spinning into infinity. Inscribed above the portal is the image of an enormous wolf being crushed to death by a giant snake.

The floor is covered by what appears to be thousands of thin, translucent strips of vellum. After only a moment, you realize the crackling dried strips are the discarded skins of an untold number of serpents!

[Wick]

Eve looked at Tarquin, "Do you know what that thing is?" Looking at the corpse gave her the creeps and it made her shiver slightly. She had never seen something like that before. Eve looked at where it had come from and shivered again. "It is really quite scary in here. We need to move faster, it's going to be dark soon." She looked nervously at the shadowy light coming from the opening.

[Marcus XVI]

Tarquin tilted his head slightly and kept examining the creature. "Well... I am going to rule out it being a ghast due to the lack of a horrible stench... I'd say it is some kind of a ghoul or maybe a zombie." He glanced towards the direction the others had already went. "I think we should go with the others. Just in case they get in to a scuffle." as the tall elf began following after the others he flashed a little smile at Eve. "I'm not as good a swordsman as my brother, but at least I know the pointy end is supposed to go to the enemy."