Standing before the party are two suits of armor held together by the masses of snakes writhing within them. They heft their shields into place and ready their jagged swords to strike. Tobin’s Revenge is confident to return the aggression, at first. The skirmish begins, and the party quickly realizes that whatever they are facing receive their landed blows with less than expected effect. Even as Sariel calls lightning down upon one soloed against EKIM, the energy passes through without even phasing the creature. With thoughts of a possible retreat looming, Belgwyn finally hits with her mace and finds a weakness.
Having expended much of their remaining magical energy and making good tactical decisions, Fionne and Belgwyn land the final blows. As the remaining few snakes retreat back into their burrows, the members of Tobin’s Revenge begin to feel the weight of the long night and physical excursion the Tomb of Diderius has imposed upon them. They quietly look for a place to hole up. Belgwyn, EKIM, Groz, and Fionne take the lead while the others nervously hold up the rear. In their search they finally settingly on the foulest smelling, trash and waste filled room. Guessing it to be the resting place of the lizardfolk, the party feels like they have no choice but to entrench themselves here.
The first watch goes by tenuously as Belgwyn hears much movement in the passageways outside the two doors. Lucius’ second watch begins much the same until he hears one of the doors begin slowly pushed open. Rushing over to the door, Lucius manages to hold it shut against whatever is on the other side as the second door is kicked in and several lizardfolk and yuan-ti flood into the room intent on forcefully removing the intruders from the tomb. The remaining members wake just three hours into their rest to face the newest threat.
Taking a more creative approach this time, the yuan-ti forces are now faced with Sariel in the form of a lion, Oogway polymorphed into a giant snapping turtle, and Groz in her weregnoll hybridform. As these three take on the stronger yuan-ti the rest of the party focuses on the lizardfolk. Lucius remains vigilant in holding the door until EKIM instructs him to open it so he can send two bolts through to the waiting foes. As the door flies open, EKIM target is the largest and most snake-formed yuan-ti they have encountered to this point. As soon as the bolts fly by, Lucius slams the door shut and takes a free opportunity to find more advantageous ground. In his monk-like style he lands the final blow against the giant snake being held tight in the jaws of the snapping turtle as he runs past.
Having lost their edge the yuan-ti forces begin to retreat back into the unexplored passageways. Groz takes off in pursuit ahead of an attempt by Oogway, now reverted back to his normal form to fit through the passageway. Oogway is stopped as the lionform of Sariel holds his tail in her teeth. The party has lost sight of Groz, and when she does not return, decides to finish their rest with the hopes that she makes her way back. The remainder of the watches begins with heard movement, seemingly rushed when passing the doors between them and the party, and concludes in relative silence. Ranking high on the list of ways not to sleep, the party finds themselves just barely rested to continue.
Once again EKIM, Fionne, and Belgwyn lead the way down the tunnel they believe Groz and the sounds heard during the last watch retreated. Three heads, one above the other with EKIM on top and Fionne on the bottom, peek around the first corner. Unfortunately, Belgwyn can’t keep her balance between the other two, and all three spill into the entrance of a large room. As they look up they are greeted with an ominous sight. The room is long with stone benches lined down the middle facing an altar at the far end. The altar is covered in blood, fresh and old, signs of numerous sacrifices. Along the side walls are several statues, much like the ones from the room with the snake knights. There are at least a dozen yuan-ti, some half snake half human and the others more human with snake-like features, spread throughout the room. The fully snakeformed yuan-ti from before stands about two-thirds of the way down the length of the room, an unconscious but breathing Groz in its coiled tail posed to slight her throat. Standing on the steps of the altar is the largest yuan-ti holding a motionless female dwarf in its coil.
Beckoning the troublemakers in for a talk, Oogway steps up to speak for the group. Starting off with well spoken words, Oogway makes immediate headway into a resolution without violence. Unfortunately, he provides too much information, and the yuan-ti who originally thought she was only going to be bargaining for the life of the gnoll now understands the reason for these intruders’ trespass. Seeing EKIM on edge she turns the screws. With a flash of her eyes, all but Fionne and EKIM see the yuan-ti holding Groz pull the knife across her throat and begin the deluge of blood from within. The party in fear of losing their companion begin to offer much of what they have on them as ransom including Belgwyn secretly held gem she had found in the Wave Echo Cave. As one yuan-ti scoops up the ransom and presents it to the leader, another is given the signal and a secret passage is revealed as an exit. Grabbing Groz and Varrum, the party makes their way out of the chamber and finds themselves outside down the gorge from the tomb’s entrance.
Now feeling safe, Oogway heals both Varrum and Groz. Varrum is confused at first, looking up at this group of strangers, but as she finds relief in her salvation from the yuan-ti, she is visibly defeated in spirit. Through interrogation that shortly becomes a full confession, Varrum floods Tobin’s Revenge with a plethora of information. She has lost the white dragon mask (one of five), the reason for her visit to the Tomb of Diderius, but discovered that it had already been returned to Severin when she sacrificed one of her followers at the divination pool. She knows she cannot return to the leader of the cult without the loss of her life. She knows that Severin is gathering his power, wealth, and followers in the north of Faerun at a place named the Well of Dragons. She does not know the exact location. She also does not know the location of the Draakhorn but confirms that its function is to call all dragons to Severin at the well.
Digesting this information, the group agrees that they need to get Varrum to the council in Waterdeep. They are taken aback slightly as Varrum knows of at least one member, Lady Haventree, of the supposed secret council, but she asserts that she is willing to work with the council and give all she knows of the cult in exchange for her life. Collecting themselves, they begin their departure from the Serpent Hills and the Tomb of Diderius, intent on making the trek back to Waterdeep directly before heading north to find the Draakhown in the Sea of Moving Ice.
Session Date – 31 October 2025
Roster
- Oogway
- Fionne ‘The Ankle Biter’
- Sariel
- Belgwyn
- Grozniir
- Reverend Father Divad
- Lucius
- EKIM