Almost without warning, the road opened up into a sprawling city that clung to the sides of the mountain. Although this place was once a great metropolis, it was now a ruin. Shattered buildings, broken roads, and burned out temples stretched for miles ahead of the group. Clinging vines and other tenacious jungle life had moved in to reclaim sections of the city, but even those plants could do nothing to lessen the impression of lifeless desolation that hung over the place.
One building stood near the center of the city. Clearly a temple of great size, it was the only intact structure visible as far as the eye could see. Although the building retained a majesty that harkened back to the ages when the city must have teemed with life, there was something sinister and deadly about it.
The heroes had to take a meandering route toward the impressive temple to find a path through the ruins. Soon enough the smell of rotting flesh began to assail the party. It seemed as though they were being watched. Every shadow threatened to conceal an enemy. Animals darted in and out of the ruins and stones skittered down the few roof lines left intact. Just as the group turned a corner a great Naga rose from the ground and let loose a fireball just as Arvien cast empowered scorching rays.
Ralom suggested running away but Seglun headed straight to the creature and found her sword biting nothing. She was sure she had hit this thing. Arvien wasn't too sure about her rays either. Baru charged and found that his sword also bit nothing. It sure seemed as though this Naga was not exactly where it appeared to be. Grunyar fired arrows from the cover of a collapsed building. Minja hid next to Varrid, who wound up the crossbow, she was determined to become more efficient using this weapon.
Ralom said a prayer and Drovic let loose lightning, which appeared to actually damage the monstrosity. Summergale flew around to provide flanking attacks for Seglun and Baru. Arvien moved a few steps and then was targeted with magic missiles. "I have to get out of here!" she cried disappearing from view of the party. Physical attacks were again hit and miss as the apparent placement of the Naga was fluid. Varrid let loose the crossbow and wound it up again. Drovic continued with lightning attacks as these seemed to cause damage on each attack. Grunyar fired arrows at will. The Naga bit Seglun and Baru. Baru found his stamina weakening as a poison flowed into the wound. The battle raged for a short period but the Naga finally fell to the party's ministrations. Collecting their thoughts and healing up took a short time and Baru found his Constitution overcoming the poison. Grunyar sent Dirk down into the Naga'a lair where he found 1,054 GP of coinage. Seglun stored it in the Haversack. Finally the party headed toward the Great Temple.
As Seglun and Baru moved further toward the doors, a bright light flashed to life within the emerald eyes of the tiger. The entire area around the mouth and the brass doors was bathed in a macabre green glow that threw long shadows behind. It was hard to shake the feeling that the entire building was a great beast waiting to swallow all.
Finally Baru moved up to the doors and lightly pushed on one. The doors swung open easily at his touch. Inside was an antechamber some 20 feet wide by 30 feet long. There were no torches or lanterns in the chamber, although a half dozen empty sconces shaped like bestial hands adorned the walls. A soft carpet with a color like fresh blood covered the floor and the smell of distant fires lingered in the air. Double brass doors offered as way out the far end of the room. Baru and Seglun entered cautiously, Ralom noted that there was no dust or detritus anywhere in the room. Arvien declared that the entire chamber shone of illusion magic. Baru moved to the far doors, which appeared exactly the same as the pair they used to enter the chamber. Varrid was searching for secret doors, false ceilings, anything that might offer another way out of the chamber, or hide a trap. Minja moved up to the doorway, not wanting to be the rear guard. Baru pushed lightly on the interior doors, which did not move. So he and Seglun both leaned into them to no avail. Ralom and Arvien finally decided to enter the chamber. As they did so a grinding sound filled the air behind them. Whirling around they saw the great marble jaws close with a thunderous crack. As the last view of the outside world vanished, the roar of a great cat echoes in the darkness around. Arvien immediately cast dancing lights which illuminated the chamber just as Baru and Seglun stumbled into the next chamber through the now open doors.
The newly visible chamber was a long, slender room that ran eighty feet east to west but was only twenty feet wide. Four pair of alcoves, each with a life-sized statue of a man in it, were evenly spaces down its length. The walls were decorated with mosaics depicting maps, traveling equipment, and various landscapes. Unlit lanterns fashioned from gleaming bronze and silver hung from hooks on the wall between the alcoves.
Varrid entered looking at the first statue on the right. She saw a carving of an aged man with a frail build, hawkish features and a long ponytail. The old man wore the roces of a commoner, despite his noble features. The craftsmanship was so fine that no detail had escaped the sculptor's notice. Even the obvious fact that the statue had been crafted from solid stone makes it difficult to shake the impression that it could jump down from its pedestal at any moment. Varrid saw the man was clearly a farmer. He held a sickle in his hand and had his arm drawn back as if about to sweep the blade through a clump of crops.
Varrid touched the statue trying to find any secret mechanism or way to move it. As she did the arm swept forward with the sickle passing directly through Varrid's body. Then it returned to its starting position. Meanwhile Seglun was looking at a lantern, no wick or oil appeared to be present. Ralom cast light into one of the lamps, which shown as normal. Ralom then moved to another lantern, took it off its hook, at which point a light appeared in the lantern, even a wick was obvious burning away. Again Arvien indicated the room was full of illusion magic.
Varrid moved to the first statue on the left. Here, was the same old man shown as a traveler in the jungles of Sri Raji. He held a machete in his had with which he is clearly about to chop a vine or other obstacle. Carefully Varrid moved alongside the statue to its rear, searching for secret doors or mechanisms. When she touched the statue it screamed as if in great pain. With strength she didn't know she had, Varrid pushed the statue which screamed again and fell over smashing on the floor.
Meanwhile Baru moved between the second pair of statues. On the right was the same old man portrayed as a warrior. While he wore no armor he held a circular shield before him as if to ward off an opponent blow. His other arm held a slender spear as if it were about to be thrown. On the left was the old man as an archer. His bow was an elegant re-curved weapon drawn back with obvious effort. A gleaming silver arrow had been notched and was ready to be fired. Seglun reached up to touch this statue and the arrow was released, flew over her head and hit Baru squarely in the side, drawing blood. Baru shot Seglun a look while saying "Don't do that again, little one."
Baru moved up to the next pair, on the right the stature depicted the old man holding a long, golden lance. Despite the fact that the weapon was twice his height, he had fixed it to receive a charge and showed no fear of the approaching enemy. On the left the old man held a cumbersome-looking axe high above his head. The weapon appeared to weigh at least as much as he did, yet he gripped it tightly and seemed to wield it as if it weighed no more than a dagger.
On the the final pair, on the right the old man held a long, slender dagger in one hand. He was crouched low and looked very much like a predator about to spring on an unsuspecting victim. On the left the old man knelt and carefully aimed a crossbow with a silver bolt at some unknown enemy. His face was set with concentration, giving the impression that the shot was a difficult one.
At this far end of the room stood brass doors, exactly the same as those previously seen. Seglun thought that maybe the crossbow in the final statue was important. So she move up to it, with Baru along side, but covered by the angle of the alcove. As Seglun tried to take the crossbow, the statue melted away into a pool on the floor. The liquid was acidic and both Baru and Seglun took damage to their feet. Quickly they both moved out of the pool of liquid.
Meanwhile Varrid stood before the statue with the golden lance. She touched that statue, which came to life and handed the weapon to her. It was substantial in her hands and she hefted it to test for balance, which was excellent. Seeing this Seglun approached the statue holding the dagger, touched it, and was petrified.
So Ralom was collecting lanterns, which all came to life as he took them off the walls. Nice illumination he thought as he schlepped two of them around. As he saw Seglun turn to stone he raced over but remembered he didn't have a dispel magic memorized. Asking around neither did Arvien. Baru and Varrid dragged the stone Seglun back to the antechamber while the party discussed their next action. Ralom noted illusion magic coming from Seglun when Drovic recalled that he did have a Dispel Magic memorized. Now what to do was the question, use the dispel or not? Would it work? No one could say. Ralom kept the discussion going for fifteen or so minutes, at which point Seglun moved once again, regaining her healthful condition.
DM's Notes: The party earned 914 XP for the evening.
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