She tells the party about a rare plant in the slurry that can restore life to the dead, and she knows how to prepare it. She never knew companions who had a chance of getting it before.
[ ] > DC 25 Herbalists Kit to know this “serpent lily” – its common as hell.Deep in the slurry is a 3 mile set of hills called Dorgal Ridge, there’s a cave halfway along the spine in which an ancient undying priestess guards a sacred water lily. She is filled with anger from ancient times when her people contested the white-haired Drun-ahd for this world, before history was recorded. The cave emits a foul odor (maybe the masks against the Troglodytes in Caliban’s Slurry will work), and faces southwest. Within is the Serpent Lily, green and white, it floats in a pool that catches the light of sundown and the moon. Return with one of these. I have a token which will allow you to find the entrance, as it is hidden from eyes of men.
Token = scale (snake)
It’s just a test to see if the party can survive.
In her research, she has come across a means of releasing the ancient priestess of Sissllenn from her burden.
She gives the party a piece of bark of the hangmans tree in the swamp, she claims that if all else fails, to approach and give the guardian of the place the piece of bark – though you will have to expose yourself to her wrath and if she decides to destroy you, there will be little you can do to resist that close of events. On the bark is written strange writing, that seems to shift.
[ ] > DC 25 Intelligence / language Dunlapian
It is written in Dunlapian, in a cipher only the Bronzemen would know.
“Sister, eye see the father. Here is written your mouth-token [SYMBOL]. Hiss loudly. The time now, is to lay your burden low. Step to Sissllenn, coiled heavenward. You are beholden no more. These are but foolish ones and trouble naught. Turn away towards vigil’s end, once the two-legs take the lily. ”
> Elon in Torrelsons Ford might be able to decipher.
The Undying Priestess
Dorgal Ridge is not hard to find. It’s a sharp spine-like ridge that’s next to impossible to climb up its sheer slopes for the last 200 feet. Each end of the ridge has a rugged approach that’s easy to climb, though slow. It allows access to the spine.
Travel along the spine is slow, but steady. If there is a cave, it’s well shielded. Anyone approaching along the spine would easily be seen from anyone with a vantage point who was watching. You feel you must be near when you reach the first skeleton. You find a few more, wedged in the rocks, as if they tried to hide and died where they were. There seems to be little left but the bones – all else appears to have been stripped – gear and all.
Perhaps the bones are left as a warning.
DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to find the cave entrance near the center.
Each time failed, the exposed characters will be fired upon by the “priestess” with her serpentine bow.
DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to climb down or DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to scramble. Once the PCs get to this point, the “priestess” will switch to her spears.
From this point, she will shriek warnings.
Travel along the base can be accomplished by moving from one obstacle to another, with plenty of cover.
DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check.
You feel you must be near, as you are finding scattered bones here and there. The bones appear to have been gnawed clean by predators, but there is no gear around. Scraps of old leather, rusted bits of metal, and a few pieces of bleached wood lay near the bones… its almost as if the bones were left intact to serve as a warning. Looking up, you can see the glint of something, an overhang set with quartz which is clearly the entrance to the cave you seek.
2 checks: Fast but possibly noisy. DC 10 Dexterity (Athletics) vs Wisdom (Perception)
6 checks: Slow, less noise. DC 15 Dexterity (Athletics); failed checks just means re-check unless fumble.
“Death waits for you, coiled and ready, intruders. No one seeks out the mysteries of the children of the great serpent! Flee now, while you can. Desperate must be your need to come here, surely you were warned!”
The Deeping
Coming even with the mouth of the cave, you can see a room that has veins of quartz running through it, and a quartz “pool” towards the center, which catches a small amount of steadily flowing water from above, overflowing the base and running towards the back of the cave. The cave is large, slopes downward towards the back, and has stalagmites and stalactites scattered throughout it. Using these as cover is a massive snake creature, 30’ long with the upper torso of a woman. But for the scales, needle-like teeth, and dark aura, she would be called beautiful.
If the PCs approach without attacking back and claim to come in peace, she says they may carefully take one of the flowers once, in peace, but never again will the gods reward them in such a way. Do not return ever again, to abuse the generosity of the great scaled ones, or the wrath of the scaled lords will be called down and their venom will pour forth upon them.
Water = Poison Effect; DC 10 (20 if not trying to avoid touching it/examining it) Dexterity to not touch the water. If they do, DC 15 Constitution of their skin takes a permanent scaly appearance (faint) -1 CHA/appearance
Offering: No poison effect – the water becomes a blessing. If the party offers something in return, she will take any offering. “May the great scaled lord pass by your clutch and spare your children.” The blessing of Sisslen will appear on their arms in the form of a tattoo of a snake where the head is on the back of their hand. The next time Poison would inflict the Poisoned condition, kill them or harm them greatly (50% hp), the tattoo will vanish, negating the effects of the poison.
Longbow, poison snake arrows (she shoots rigid snakes that bite) d6 + DC 11 Constitution or poisoned until Short Rest. The serpent arrows will wiggle in the wound, doing 1 pt of damage until its pulled free.
Spears (5) thrown, constrictor snakes. In addition to the d8 damage, the spear will turn into a constrictor snake and make a surprise attack (the first time) to immobilize a character. They will only attack the target. When she leaves, everything in the ancient temple loses its properties.
You present yourself to Bella. She eyes you carefully, and asks about your adventure.
She listens intently, her lips pursed. As you finish, and silence hangs in the air. She bursts out laughing for a moment, then regains her composure. “Its all really too much (chuckling). Everything has led to this and it’s almost a let down. Of course I’ll honor my side, though it will take a moment.” She holds out her hand, for you to place the flower in it. She holds a hand up, indicating you should wait, and with the other pops the lily into her mouth, shewing and swallowing. She walks back into her walled off sleeping palette, where her chest of tricks sits. She whispers like you’ve seen her do before and then pulls the key off her necklace and opens it. She reaches in and grabs a scroll tube, and returns to you, wiping the strange green liquid from the lily running down her chin. “What, you expected some alchemic miracle? No, this is it, a scroll with a ritual prayer of Ezrilus that can raise the dead. I never needed the flower – outside the temple it serves no purpose.”
I just wanted to see how capable you were. I want to know what i am working with.