They had agreed to keep quiet about there discussion last night. Walls had ears, some could even listen to stray thoughts. They would keep quiet about the discovered spy, until they had the rest of there plan in place. A few knowing looks and a nod was all that Milroy shared. A day of nothing but going through paperwork, interrogating prisoners and comparing notes had driven certain members of the group a little stir crazy. Martin was just aching to zealously smite a monster of some sort. David was fiddling with his sword ready to fight something. Alice was quite happy to sit and read a book rather than slinging spells. Vivian didn't care if she was inside or outside a settlement, duty was duty.

They did a little preparation that morning before breakfast, Martin still had some leather with him. There latest purchases could really be life savers, a small healing potion ready to be used as a last reserve to knit there wounds back together. They would be no use if the glass container shattered, so he had a little bit of tough leather and set about his task. Martin made up a small black bag for each member of the group, for that little read vial that could meant the difference between life and death.

They sat down at the table with the hunter deputies and apprentices. There was a lot of bread, fried vegetables some eggs. It was all downed to keep them going, fuel for the relentless machines they were becoming. When they started on there second helping of bread there was a knocking at the door. One of the deputies went to check on it, a minute later one of the town guards arrived. He looked worried and out of breath, he had probably charged from one side of forge hold to the other to get them.

They were ready for anything, there weapons within easy reach. David was even wearing most of his plate, his helmet shield and gauntlets were put to one side. The guard took a breath then turned to the group. “please see Lord Graham urgently.” David nodded, “we will be with you shortly”. They shoved the last of the bread down there throats, then grabbed there equipment and headed out. The guard lead them to the lords tower in the centre of town, a few militia stepped out of the way allowing them access.

Lord Graham seemed to be busy over looking a map, two of the town guard and a man that looked like a scout or hunter were with him. They fell silent when the group entered. He turned round, “I employ foresters to co-ordinate hunting and gathering party's in the local area. The snake nest is getting riled up, I suspect they are allied with the vampires, its to much of a coincidence. I am authorised to pay you to decimate them, it will deplete the local monster population dramatically.”

He took a breath, “we have been considering it anyway for a few years. They have been hunting uncomfortably close to our farming land. It will deny the vampires troops, don't forget to dispose of the body's, we don't want undead serpent men. Also the alchemists can use fangs and tongues for a little extra coin, I am not sure what for”. The party had heard that there was a snake men or lamia nest near by, now they would get to see it first hand.

David spoke up, “what are we talking about in terms of numbers and rewards”. He was straight to numbers as usual. The lord looked at a report from his scouts, “you probably know that they grow form snakes then metamorphosis into serpent men. From the size of the nest we anticipate 100-120 basic non sentient fodder. Then about the same number of awakened individuals that have become sentient monsters. Opponents that have crossed the threshold of awareness, also at least one queen that has not yet evolved into a gorgon or medusa”.

David made a motion like he was counting coin, the lord got to the point. “A hundred silver to cull them back. Fifty silver to kill the queen and another hundred if they are completely wiped out. I mean down to every last egg”.

Vivian looked at Martin and Alice, “They are tribal monsters, blood alchemy creations, they organise themselves in a three rank system. A vanguard of the weakest but fastest creatures, we are looking at little opposition. Then a second rank of more experienced higher level fighters with a few support types. There is a final rank of veterans, smaller in number better weapons, we cant take them head on. We can thin there numbers hit and run and wear them down, with magic thermite explosives, we can keep killing them until they are decimated. It will take weeks but we can purge this nest and get a lot of levels.”

Martin looked happy, a solid enemy to kill. “Two hundred and fifty silver is a very good payday, we can get even more for alchemical supplies, plus whatever they happen to be carrying.” David added, he was already counting the silver before he had earned it. They Headed over to the merchants guild to get supplies and some sacks for ingredients, a loan from the guild. Vivian had her backpack, they stuffed it with dry provisions, then grabbed a couple of extra skins of water. Vivian got bundle of extra iron breadhead arrows, she could go through a lot of them very quickly.

They got a couple of waves and even a few good luck shouts behind them, as they made there way out of the town and through the gate house, simon waved them off. They headed to the boarder of the farmland. They paused and Martin checked a map that lord Graham had given them.

They headed off down a side trail map in hand, there was a pole sunk into the ground it had a black and red paint band on it this indicated a known monster lair and not to progress. Fifty meters down the trail was a second more crudely fashioned pole sunk into the ground, a layer of old snake skin wrapped around it, the implication was that the serpent men had erected there own warning about the humans.

They noted some of the snake tracks, they were made by creatures a lot larger than a regular snake. Not that snakes were very common in the farthest northern part of the kingdom. As they moved along the trail they noticed signs of game animal some boar some deer. They herd a rustling in the grass a few hisses, something was coming they got ready.

The party was attacked by a group of snakes. 5 dread snakes lead the group they were distinctly larger and tougher, 20 giant snakes that were merely a lot larger than regular snakes and 30 smaller regular ones made up the hunting group. Martin didn't bother using focus shots, his regular pistol shots dug into the flesh of the dread snakes gouging chunks out of them. The creatures writhed hissed flailed and died on the ground. Alice hit the main group with a fire ball killing most of the small fry.

Vivian used regular shots which were easily powerfully enough to kill the snakes. Martin pulled his triple barrel pistol and claimed a few more. David waded in sword and shield ready, the remaining few stood no chance. The last kill was taken by Alice, who could kill the weaklings with a strike from the butt of her staff. The snakes were quite a range of sizes and levels, but ultimately a small foraging group.

These creatures were on the same sort of instinctual level as the giant rats, that they had fought before, creatures of blood alchemy. The giant snakes would similarly level up through cannibalism infighting, as well as whatever prey animals they met. The hunting group that they had demolished had ranged from level 1 for the regular green and brown snakes, through level 6 when they started to grow a lot larger gaining a darker green colour. It was lead by level 10 creatures, that were better armoured with thicker darker green scales, the dread giant snakes. When they grew to three times as long as a man was tall. They would undergo the metamorphosis and awakening into tribal monsters.

Martin checked his little monster book, only the five dread giant snakes had parts worth harvesting for alchemy. The rest was doused in oil and set on fire. They remembered the ghouls, a bunch of zombified giant snakes would be almost as useful as live ones to the vampires.

They moved forwards along the trail heading for the snakes nest. They noted a few pools of boiling mud. It was the source of the heat that the giant snakes relied on to keep active. This was as far north as they got. They were enhanced with blood alchemy so the cold didn't affect them as much, but the weather was still a significant limiting factor.

David was slightly nervous, “how potent is there poison”? Martin checked the book, “not very, until we get to the snakes about ready to metamorphose. The large dread giant snakes, maybe the snake men. Poison is not so potent with the tool wielding members of the group. The lamia and the queens have some of it, but they have weapons with longer reaches. There are some specialist poison spitting units but a nest would have to be around 400 individuals for them to appear. This nest doesn't seem to be big enough its between 200 and 250 at the most”.

They ran into a similar foraging group, warming up by one of the bubbling mud pools. Alice got a well aimed fire ball off. She then stayed back ready to heal anyone that got injured. The snakes hissed in pain thrashed about afflicted with the magical fire. The snakes outside the blast range were panicking but not injured.

Vivian picked off the three remaining dread snakes before they could do anything. Martin shot his pistols into the group then waded in reinforcing himself with the blessing “armour of faith”. He started swinging his mallet crushing heads left and right. David followed quickly behind with his shield down low and sword swinging, he killed almost as many under the edge of his shield as with his sword swings.

As they were finishing off the survivors they met there first serpent man. His human torso made up about a quarter of his body, the majority of his being was completely serpentine. He had arms that were quite thin, his fingers ended in short claws, he still had the ability to manipulate objects, but the evolved form the lamia was far better at it. His snout was far shorter, a human like nose was present if flattened.

He had a very thick neck, some human like teeth filled his mouth two large fangs were present unlike a vampire they were curved to inject venom. He had a roughly human shaped torso and carried a crude wood and flint spear. He wore leather robes that were stitched together from his own shed skin, it covered him from shoulder to below the waist. It was crudely stitched but added a little protection and a place to carry things.

The serpent man spoke in a hissing clicking language that the adventures had no ability to translate. The snakes around him seemed to understand, so maybe they were not so dumb. He definitely lead the group of snakes, he pointed his spear left and right hissing orders. The snakes started using tactics splitting up so that they would not be fire balled so easily, they tried to move round the front line fighters to attack the weaker back row. They were showing at least as much cunning as the thrall wolves, but there was less cover for them to use.

Vivian put a iron arrow into the torso of the serpent man, she used an adrenalin power shot to really give the arrow penetrating power, not sure how tough the group leader was. The serpent man dropped his spear and fell to the ground he hissed in pain. He reached out and tried to pull the arrow out, he hissed in more pain as he tugged on the arrow. With a hacking cough he brought up black blood, he seemed to reach for something a piece of parchment in the folds of his crudely stitched clothing, the serpent stopped twitched a few more times then lay still.

Vivian was using her speed shooting ability to its fullest. Putting cheap iron arrow after arrow into the numerous snakes advancing on her. David hacked left and right to kill them off. Martin found them trying to bypass him but getting crushed under his mallet and boots. Alice used her acid strike spell to melt the four largest of the giant dread serpents, she was conserving her mana. Rather than taking on the small fry and wasting spells she moved back avoiding there attacks. The one or two snakes that got to Vivian were crushed under her boots.

They looked at the serpent man David spoke, “for a level 20 monster he is not very impressive”. Vivian shrugged, “the militia's can take these guys on in small numbers. But in larger numbers when they start to organise then they are very dangerous. This was little more than a inexperienced scout”. Martin nodded, “give him a decent shield to hide behind, a weapon he could throw effectively, the right sort of ground and he would be far more troublesome”. Alice looked about, “imagine if they had some decent leadership or coordinator, plus Vivian probably got a critical hit and killed this guy in one shot”.

Martin pulled out the piece of parchment from the serpent man's robe he unfolded it. There was a crude righting in the human language, “WE PEACE COME PARLEY WITH LEADER”. He shook his head, “the vampires have taught them a bit of language. Don't be fooled by any tricks no mercy”. He screwed up the parchment and threw it to the ground.

They harvested a few more alchemical ingredients from the group, then piled the bodies up, a splash of oil and kindling and they burnt them up. They soon found another unled group of snakes that seemed to be foraging in a rabbit warren. Alice managed to land a solid fire ball to the enemy group then Martin and David waded in.

With a cry, “shield of faith” Martin bulked himself up a bit and charged. A few more serpents rose up from the ground, one half swallowing a rabbit, with a few iron arrows they were gone. The result was as predictably one sided as ever, considering the level of the monsters, a few more ingredients and another pyre.

Vivian looked around seeing something in the distance her perception was very high, “OK now for the main event. Killing the foraging groups has attracted the vanguard of there forces. I count 20 of those serpent men, one alpha a leader and forty or fifty of those giant dread snakes, these guys will be tougher and harder to kill, we hit them hard first”.

Alice took cover behind a dead tree, David took centre stage Vivian and Martin stood left and right. The alpha serpent man hissed orders, two serpent men with crude shields and spears broke off left and right taking half the dread giant snakes with them in a flanking manoeuvrer. A front line of eight serpent men with more crude wooden shields made a solid line. The rest of the group had bundles of throwing javelin like spears approached behind them. One regular snake man had several clay pots around his waist, he remained behind the row of spear throwers, they advanced slowly ready to charge to close the gap as soon as they could.

Vivian aimed high curving her shots over the shields, she injured a few of the snake men. Martin emptied both of his pistols at the group. The shots pierced the shields but though the snake men hissed in pain, none were fatally wounded. Alice through a fire ball at the group, it damaged the shields and injured the front line but none of them fell. even if it was crude an inch of wood was quite resilient to a brief fire, even if it was heavy to carry.

The advance speeded up, Martin reached into his coat, the shrapnel grenades he had purchased were perfect for this sort of situation. He lit the fuse and rolled the grenade down hill towards them. It rolled under there front line of shields and exploded. Two of the snake men died taking the majority of their hits, leaving there formation disrupted. David charged in Alice used the opportunity to hit them with a fire ball. One of the snake men readied a clay pot to throw at David. Vivian hit the snake man with a power shot, causing him to drop the clay pot. it shattered releasing a cloud of black powder into the snake men's ranks. They started to hiss and cough rubbing there eyes and throats, whatever it was, it was not fatal but extremely distracting.

David released his power attacks, shattering shields and severing limbs as he met the front line of monsters, he was a living battering ram. The flanking forces arrived trying to swarm the rest of the group. Alice duel wielded fire balls obliterating the first group with Vivian putting a power shot into the head of the serpent man leading the group, putting him down instantly. Martin met the second group head on, he charged into there ranks using the ,“hallowed earth” blessing to deal with the small fry. He used his “smite” blessing to finish off the serpent man leading them.

.

With the flanking groups destroyed the party focused on the main group of snake men. David had broken up there formation, Martin pulled his triple pistol and charged in so that he was close enough to fire. He used his blessing “fortress of faith”, to give him some protection as the snake men hurled spears at him, they chipped away at the blessing. When he got close enough three overload shots killed off three more of the serpent men. They fell hissing and dyeing.

David was consumed by the urge to spill blood a battle lust, slicing and cutting he was moving around, not giving the snakes a chance to flank him. They kept retreating back so that he could not cut into there exposed serpentine bodies.

Vivian carefully targeted opponents, she switched to her more powerful bodkin arrows and clinically executed two more of the serpent men with power shots. Alice was conservative with her magic, slinging a few acid strike spells. She would have a lot of magic to use to cure poison and heal wounds, if one of the enemy got lucky, she still managed to fell another snake man.

The serpent man alpha was bulkier, with far better developed arms. He had a darker colouration he was a bit larger. He carried a metal spear not a simple stone. The spear looked like militia issue a bit old, probably looted from a patrol from forge hold. He stayed back either looking for an opportunity or prepared to retreat, he was smarter able to speak a little of the human language, “Kill... You...Trespassers...” He hissed at the adventures, the alpha made a few gestures and a hissing order, four serpent men suicidally tried to tackle Martin and David.

They underestimated exactly how strong David was, especially with his power attacks. One tried to grapple his shield and was thrown off stunned with an adrenalin block. The force flattened its torso against the iron door that was his tower shield. The second one that tried to disable his sword arm was hit with a power strike, that almost cut there torso in half. The serpent man hissed weakly then collapsed. The two that tackled Martin lasted slightly longer.

The first got a focus thrown knife in the throat leaving it bleeding out. The second did manage to tackle Martin to the ground. But it was taking one stab wound after another from the two silvered blades in Martins hands. He had armour and weapons, the hide armour the snake men wore didn't really cut it against steel. Martin had a lot of anger to work out on its scaly hide, it was unlucky enough to be in arms reach.

Vivian targeted the alpha, there were not enough of the remaining serpent men left to cover it. Three adrenalin power shots using bodkin arrows pierced its body. Two in the chest and one in the neck. It managed to throw its spear in retaliation, but it only bounced off David's heavy tower shield. David landed a power strike on a serpent man effectively cutting him in half. His tail spasmed about, free from his upper half, which in a futile effort tried to crawl away but bled out. Martin landed an attack empowered with, “divine retribution” anther serpent man fell. The remaining five serpent men turned and tired to flee.

Vivian got two with her arrows, Alice used fire bite spells to finish off two more. Martin used his focus reload ability and a quick pistol shot to finish off the last one. They levelled up. They had killed quite a number of opponents, Martin gained two levels reaching level 37 putting two more levels into his pistol specialisation, his ability to aim at range was improved. David levelled up next gaining a single class level so that his comprehensive training ability hit level 6 allowing him to train town guards.

The alpha must have been exceptionally strong as Vivian gained three levels easily surpassing David. She finished off her ability critical strike, raising it to level 8 getting the same class level as David and getting a skill which stacked with her other abilities Better criticals L1. If she could hit the soft spots of a monster she would do even more massive damage. The shock of getting three levels in one go was quite a hit, almost forcing her to black out as her body became tougher and stronger and her mind accommodated the extra knowledge.

Alice gained two levels, her healing aura spell was improved up to the greater version. The change was enough to send her dizzy for a few seconds as her mind adapted. She was tantalizingly close to level 30. At that level she would gain increased mana efficiency her spells would effectively become 25% cheaper to cast. she would be in a much better position to sling spells. Martin reloaded and recovered his throwing knives. They harvested the serpent men for ingredients. Vivian had the arduous task of recovering her arrows. David cleaned the blood and guts off his shield. Alice used her healing spells on Martin and David.

Vivian looked at the others, “we have used up most of our reserves for today, I am sure that we could keep going but it would be a waste of resources, we only have a few health potions a single mana potion and it will be dark soon”. David nodded, “we don't have enough time to return to the settlement. We have provisions, we rough it out hear. a cave is marked on the trail, Martin you have a chain smite ready in case anything large gets stupid”, Martin nodded stroking the dynamite, “I have a bit in reserve.” Alice looked about, “that was easy but there are meant to be four times the number of those serpent men about”.

Vivian nodded, “we will probably be sniping fire balling and running from the rest. It gets harder from hear”. They piled the remains up in one giant heap added kindling and oil. They ate a meal and had a drink, then set the corpses on fire. They moved on in case the smoke attracted anything. They made camp in a dry cave, that had been scouted out years ago according to the map. they took shifts keeping watch, even if lexicon knew they were out hear he had a lot of territory to cover to run into them.

On his watch David did find one random serpent crawl into the cave. It was, half burnt and blind, it must have been on the edge of a fire ball. He crushed it under his heal, an idea came to him they would have some fresh meat for breakfast. Martin had retained the spear from the alpha serpent man it might be useful to spit roast it.

Martin saw the serpent men as nothing but the servants of the vampires to be exterminated. Vivian was of a very similar mindset. David saw them as a payday nothing more. Alice wondered they were smart enough to speak to write, how much humanity did the blood alchemists pour into there creation she wondered.