True Dungeon 2020 - Infernal Redoubt - Snakes Alive!

Already down one party member, our adventurers press on through hell.  Remember?  They're in hell.  Or something like it.  Looking for Blackthorn.  For "untold" powers.  Catch up.

 We continued down the corridor, following Erica’s lead.  She held up her hand and we stopped.  Now that we were making no noise I heard it, too – a soft sliding sound.  I squinted around the corner and saw some sort of half snake, half human, slithering around and studying a scroll.

We asked Patrick if he could sneak up and stab her in the back, but he said there was no way he’d be able to do so with no cover unless we made a distraction.  We all looked at each other and nodded.  Distractions we could handle.

We turned to unleash a storm on her, but found she’d apparently noticed us and snuck up behind Drew.  Fortunately, he noticed before she was close enough to sink her fangs into him, but he was caught off guard and, based on his reaction, she probably took a few years off his life.  Better a few years than ending his life!

Fire flew from the Walloper’s fingertips as Darrel rosined up his bow.  The Walloper conjured up the largest fireball I’d ever seen and unleashed it on the beast.  She recoiled and the rest of us seized the opportunity to begin our assault.  Darrel’s fiddle music echoed in the cavern and I stabbed the she-viper in her chest as she flinched under our onslaught.

Just then, a figure leapt from the shadows and I recognized Patrick as he brought his axe down, cleaving one of her horns as he yelled, “Saw ‘em off!”  The "distraction" had worked!  Unfortunately, she seemed unfazed by having one of her horns sawn off – I’m sure it was a point of pride for her, but I suppose she had more pressing concerns.

I looked to the dwarf, waiting for him to display his wit with one of his characteristic insults and draw the beast's attention, but he had nothing to say – usually he had a tongue as sharp as his axe, but this time it seemed like a snake had his tongue.

I returned my attention to the beast as she lashed out at the wizard.  Not missing a beat, Erica sprang into action to selflessly protect the defenseless wizard and the she-viper’s claws bounced uselessly off of Erica’s armor.  I breathed a sigh of relief as we continued the fight.

The snake didn’t last long under our assault.  As the creature crumpled to the ground, I saw the scroll she’d been studying roll out from under her.  Before I could reach it, the barbarian had snatched it up.  “Give it here and let’s have a look,” I said.

To everyone’s complete and utter surprise, Matt began reading it and explained it was an incantation to sow discord amongst our enemies and cause them to fight each other.

With the beast vanquished, we pressed onward through the dark world.