“I vote we explore the water,” piped up Xaveon, eagerness written in his eyes.

“As do I,” agreed Aeslin.

Theric peered into the water. A large shadow swooped past his vision. “I’ll stand guard on the surface,” grumbled the guardian.

Xaveon slid a dirk from his belt and dove in. Aeslin jumped in after him, her sword poised to strike any large creature. Together they swam into the murky depths, all sight was lost save for the strange soft glow within a large crack in the wall

Aeslin pointed at the large crack and flared her fire magic around her sword. Immediately a swarm of hot bubbles blurred from her blade. She swam her way into the cave-like hole.

There she found a mysterious globe nestled between a set of green stones. She palmed it and a rush of comfort overcame her. She couldn’t help but smile.

Xaveon rubbed the orb and he as well felt at peace. He pointed to the surface and watched as Aeslin made her way back to Theric, who waited for them at the water’s edge. On instinct Xaveon took a passing glance back to the cave. His eye widened in terror as the gaping maw of a giant eel crushed its teeth down into his arm. (-11 dam)

Xaveon screamed as loud as he could, but he was alone. He jerked his arm side to side, desperately trying to loosen the eel’s grip, but its spiny fangs sunk deeper in his flesh (-3 dam)

Xaveon’s trapped hand went numb as his dirk drifted to the pool floor. He concentrated his mind away from the agonizing pain and focused on his magic to forge an Arcane Weapon in his good hand. With a well aimed strike he drove his newly formed dagger through the eel’s body (18 dam, CRIT!)

The eel’s jaw slacked as it vaporized into dust and bone. Xaveon grabbed his wounded wrist. It throbbed and continued to bleed.(-4 dam)

He looked towards the surface as his vision darkened and blacked out.

***

“He’s lost a lot of blood and I don’t know if Nurture can heal him fully before I run out of mana.”

“You need to try!”

+7 hp

+9 hp

+5 hp

“That will have to—LOOK! He is waking up!”

Xaveon stirred and groaned as he slowly awoke from his stupor. His forearm was swathed in bandages. Although the bleeding had stopped and his Hit Points were full, he still felt at a weakened state. He checked his status.

25/25 Hp

Diseased: Take +3 damage until cured.

Xaveon struggled to stand, his knees wobbled and he used the cave wall to steady himself.

“Can you walk, Xaveon?” asked Theric with concern in his voice.

“I’ll—I’ll be fine,” Xaveon said with a dry wheeze. He collapsed to the ground. “I just need some rest.”

Theric squatted and examined Xaveon’s sickly form. “I don’t think rest will do you any good. You need a proper healer. Perhaps the druid can assist you when we rescue her.”

Aeslin took out the orb once more.“I wish we knew what this was.” It was the size of a large stone and pulsed a warm, golden light. Despite its size, it seemed lightweight. “Touch it, Theric.”

Theric obliged and placed a hefty hand on the smooth surface. A wave of cozy warmth enveloped him. “How peculiar.” he looked at Xaveon who continued to lay on the ground. “May I?” he asked Aeslin.

Aeslin nodded and Theric placed it next to the vampire. The orb let off a magnificent glow and then shrunk one size smaller.

Xaveon snapped open his eyes and leapt to his feet, as spry as ever. He checked his status and found that the disease had disappeared.

“It cures status effects?” Xaveon pondered out loud.

“It would seem so, but it has a limited amount of uses. We should be careful how we use this.”

“How many do you think we have, Theric?” asked Aeslin.

“I would wager…” Theric measured the orb size and compared it to its former self. Finally he came to an educated guess. “...three.”

“So then it has two left,” concluded Aeslin. “I’ll hold onto it, since I seemed to be designated as the healer of our merry band.”

Theric refreshed his Ice Armor and reformed Scion into his Dragon Edge. “Let us continue.”

***

The party crossed the threshold of the creaky rope bridge and rushed headlong into battle against the pair of nagas. Theric dashed forward and drove his fire-forged sword into the first enemy. (5 dam)

Xaveon jumped off of Theric’s shoulder and while in mid-air fired a brilliant array of Arcane Daggers at the second. (4 dam)

Aeslin snaked her way to the center of the melee and with her Wind Flare weapon, slashed at the first naga (7 dam) and cleaved the other. (8 dam, CRIT!)

The force of the wind sent both naga flying clear off the cliff. They shrieked all the way down to their shadowy doom.

Theric lifted his blade on his shoulder and gave a long whistle. “Not going to give us even a little fun, eh Aeslin?”

Aeslin peered off the edge, there was no sound or sign of the naga. “I think they still may be falling.”

Xaveon slid to the druid’s side and broked the enchanted bind with his arcane dagger. “You are free.”

The druid rubbed her wrists. “I thank you, kind warriors, but what of my siblings?”

Aeslin walked over and helped the druid to her feet. “You are the last, save for Loredyn. Alandra awaits all of you at the Spirit Cave’s entrance.”

“The Serpent Witch has Loredyn imprisoned in the next chamber, but be weary, adventurers. She is a crafty hag and will not allow you to take Loredyn back without a fight!” the druid explained.

Theric looked at the others. They nodded and he turned back to the druid. “We are ready for anything the witch throws our way!”

The druid smiled in glee. “I wish you all the luck then.” With that she transformed into a bat and flapped away.

Xaveon took point and crept stealthy to the neighboring cavern. Inside he found the naga witch. Larger than her underlings and colored with turquoise scales. She wore a ragged shawl of baubles and trinkets. They jingled as she swayed back and forth. In her hand she raised a long bone staff, inscribed with ancient naga runes. The room itself was wide and round. Along each of the four walls were fetish totems stuck into the ground. They hummed and seeped green, gassy clouds. Xaveon spotted Loredyn trapped in a cage of flowing acid bars.

“You are not prepared to die, Vampire! Leave while you still can!” cackled the witch in a low hiss.

Xaveon ignored her and ran back to Theric and Aeslin, who waited outside the mouth of the cavern. He relayed what he scouted.

“It is clear that we can not free Loredyn without slaying the witch,” surmised Theric. “Do you suppose her staff is the source of her magic?”

“It is possible, perhaps we can all charge her in hopes to wretch the staff away from her?” gathered Aeslin.

“I am more concerned with her totems. I think we should spend time investigating them.”

“Can you do that while we keep her busy?” asked Theric.

“No, my stealth is useless in there and I would require you two help me. There are four of them and three of us,” Xaveon responded.

“Then we can only do one or the other, but not both. If we attack her, sooner or later those totems will come into play,” said Aeslin.

“But if we don’t investigate them, they may spell trouble for us,” added Xaveon.

“And ignoring the witch can’t be the best strategy either,” finished Theric.

“Then what do we do?” asked Aeslin.

Attack the Serpent Witch head on?

Investigate the totems before attacking?

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