# [[015_20210227 The Assassin's Gauntlet]] ## Session Summary We ran the Assassin's Gauntlet, a long path that included mechanical poisonous snakes, falling pillars, and a magical rune of fear. We sprinted past the first two and deactivated the third, with Boris seeing a brand on Jamedi's neck in the process. Boris poured one of the snake potions we'd gotten from the first room of the temple into the mouth of the six-armed snake-like humanoid. The statue twisted open to reveal something in a magical field that was deactivated along with the rune: The Lash of Shadows. Exhausted, wounded, and spent, we all took a long rest in the platform by the now-unlocked door. ^summary ## Housekeeping - Ora and CTE still have disadvantage on Con checks - Disarming a trap should be Dexterity + proficiency (ability, not skill) check ## Recap ![[014_20210220 Temple of the Cloaked Serpent - Poison Room#^summary]] - fought priest at top - got into temple - two chambers - got out with vials - pool - mosaic snake trap - something golden at the end of the hallway - snake-trapped tiles - boris and ora are disarming - snake mechanisms are damaged - none of the lore ## Dungeon: [[Temple of the Cloaked Serpent]] ## Review the characters [[Ora]] [[Boris]] [[Lira]] ## Strong start We're now all at the beginning of this long hallway lined with snakes. Boris, Jamedi, and Three Earrings have all attacked the snakes, chipping away at the hard stone they're made of and, in some cases, exposing some crude piping behind them. Lira has managed to spot some patterns in the way they're moving that has given clues about how the snakes seem to speed up when they don't hit. Ora has used her thieves' tools to disable part of the mechanism, causing the snakes to move a little more clumsily. Boris, it's your turn, and you know the snakes acted just before you and again just after you. The one next to you, where Ora is, is looking damaged but functional. Ahead of you is an area where the hallway appears to widen, and you don't see snakes on the walls there. What do you do? ## Scenes - [x] Disabling or running past the snakes - [x] Triggering the crushing pillars - [x] Disabling the rune of fear - [x] The big stone sculpture of a humanoid in the throes of transformation has grooves in its tongue. It's a six-armed humanoid with a gargantuan serpentine head, fanged and frilled in agression. When one of the snake potions is poured in (Assassin's Venom), it twists open to reveal the [[Lash of Shadows]]. - [ ] The warning on the door at the end: "The night is your greatest ally." ## Secrets and Clues - [ ] The [[Temple of the Cloaked Serpent]] was created to trap [[Uk'otoa]]. If someone takes the second orb, it disables one of the three magical chains that bind Uk'otoa and he will reward them with Control Water. If they put the orb in, whoever does it will gain the ire of Uk'otoa and his sahuagin will track them. - [x] [[Zehir]] awards serpentine qualities to servants who earn his favor. - [ ] [[Uk'otoa]] was one of [[Zehir]]'s most prized servant, and was thus turned into a gigantic sea serpent as a reward. - [ ] [[Uk'otoa]] went on to lead the people called [[Ki'Nau]]. - [x] [[Zehir]]'s followers are called [[Yuan-ti]]. - [x] Eight [[The Arms of the Betrayers]] from the [[Betrayer Gods]], including [[Zehir]], were scattered across the earth. Zehir's is the [[Lash of Shadows]] whip. Symbolism of [[ttrpgs/The Slayers Five/Gruumsh]] calls out to [[Boris]]. - [ ] The giant phoenix [[ttrpgs/The Slayers Five/Desirat]] (dark purple feathers and purple black flames, sharp beak, three onyx eyes) is an ally of [[Uk'otoa]]. - [ ] The giant worm [[ttrpgs/The Slayers Five/Quajath]] with tooth-like scales and three ivory eyes is an ally of [[Uk'otoa]]. - [x] [[Jamedi Cosko]] is part of the blood hunter faction, [[Claret Orders]]. He is singlemindedly obsessed with rooting out evil in all forms. - Boris saw his brand ## Fantastic Locations ### The Assassin's Gauntlet - Hidden message in ancient Draconic: "Strike quickly and without reason." - At the end, a statue of a six-armed humanoid with a gargantuan serpentine head, fanged and frilled in agression guards the [[Lash of Shadows]]. - Relief depicts the [[The Arms of the Betrayers]]. ### The Chamber of Darkness - (outside), a hidden message in ancient Draconic: "The night is your greatest ally." - The dead, withered carcass of a large serpent lies inert on the floor. (later) The corrupted guardian naga comes to life, iridescent scales glinting. - There is an invisible pool of water that can only be found by Boris, Ora, and Lira, who took the potions. (DC 15 with eyes closed.) ## NPCs - [ ] - [ ] ## Monsters - [ ] [Corrupted Guardian Naga](https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/guardian-naga) that gives disadvantage to attack rolls if the attacker looks at it. - [ ] ## Loot - [ ] [[Lash of Shadows]] - [ ] 500 gp - [ ] Potion of Poison Resistance --- ## Log Initiative Boris 22 Snakes 20 Lira 21 Jamedi 16 CTE 15 Ora 14 Snakes 10 Pillars 10 Rune of fear 10 start with Boris's turn. 1 snake to the left of Ora is -8 bonus action to take a potion down one snake potion Things to identify - Deck of Illusions - Lash of Shadows - Assassin's Blood (Boris and Ora have one each) - Assassin's Fire (Lira)