LK wants to note that his belt of Dwarven Constitution was taken off him, so his beard...has fallen off. Like a Keanu Reeves beard.
There's only this spiral staircase left.
VS and Hal descend down the stairs; the Zorns are holding hands.
It's getting...very humid? Like 90% humidity. There's a large circular room with...many plants of the tropical variety and flowers, and artificial sunlight.
There's a stream, and moss, lots of things like that. Very rainforest. Lots of snakes.
And perched atop a log, a very...rotund humanoid snake-man. Red scales, giant sword, but the sword is...weird? It's not a blade, it's covered in pointy grey scales.
He looks at us with some measure of excitement.
Quinn is biting back a question to Yex as to whether lizard-guy knows this guy.
This guy whispers "you finally made it down here; I didn't think you would survive my men. I am Cervantes...the brood lord! I'll make you a deal: give me the woman Quinn, and I will let you live."
Hal asks him to speak up.
"I think you should go with him, he seems nice!" Quinn fixes VS with a withering look.
"What do you want him for?" Z13 asks. Apparently they want her for...Black Lotus induction?
Quinn has a sneaking suspicion that she's the fricking Time Lock child.
"I can give you...one of these?" Cervantes offers up a regular snake. "Or 20 thousand gold?"
"Did you brood all of these yourself?" "No they're just regular snakes." "Oh I'm sorry that was probably offensive."
Yex has assessed Cervantes - he's higher on DEX and AC.
Z13 wants to trade Quinn for Zorn for Gate. Quinn whispers back "you know I can hear you."
"We'll backstab him and get you back!"
Hal, with his hand on Quinn's shoulder, says she should go with him.
Yex remains silent - Cervantes is a something of a legend in the reptile community, and he's a little awed. Duplicitous!
The tide is rapidly turning against Quinn.
Yex says "this guy's a real humdinger, guys."
Quinn says why don't you get Zorn and come back?
Cervantes offers his ten-thousand-reptilian-soul sword as collateral. Yex is...conflicted. But everybody is on board.
It's the real deal, according to Z3, henceforth Chef Zorn. This is a real powerful sword: has the ability to sap magical powers from people, has a mind of its own, can only be wielded by its own master, unless...it's convinced otherwise.
The sword is apparently autonomous and can slither around. VS wants to take it and sway it.
The Zorns cast Thaumaturgy and yell NO DEAL!
I was hoping you would say that, he slithers.
It's fight time! Z13 begins with Evard's Black Tentacles. Unfortunately he passes the DEX check. On his turn, he burrows straight into the ground, soulsword first.
Chef Zorn backs up and preps a Cone of Cold in preparation. VS similarly backs up, and Hastes a grateful Yex, blowing him a kiss.
Yex is now confused. Lizardfolk don't have lips. Kisses don't make sense to them.
Hal is also confused and readies an attack for when he emerges.
Quinn shouts that he's probably tracking us by footfalls; try to walk without rhythm. She leaps on top of a rock and calls the three Giant Spiders, who promptly spread out and ready Webs for when he attacks. K didn't see anything.
Z13 places Kalashnikov on the ground and asks if he feels anything.
Kalashnikov...figures out that he's right underneath the Zorns. Very quickly Z13 picks up Kalashnikov and scuttles away, and levitates.
Cervantes leaps out of the ground...promptly into a waiting Cone of Cold. Yex is juuuuuuust in the range of the Cone, but passes the CON check.
One of the spiders nails Cervantes with a Web! He's quite irked on his being restrained, and spouts off a Dragonbreath in its direction while making a spiral cleave with the soulsword...chopping down a tree while doing so.
And...an Intelligence saving throw? Chef Zorn and VS are imperiled: VS doesn't make it, and has a spell slot drained...while also taking a bunch of damage.
The first Spider, close to Hal's aura, survives the Dragonbreath. The second Spider also survives. Quinn thankfully aces the DEX check and takes no damage. K definitely doesn't survive this.
The Web is sadly burnt away.
Z13 Misty Steps away and drops 10 Magic Missiles on Cervantes. 39 damage, in a storm of red magic darts.
VS, in a fit of pique, drops Empowered Immolation on him, dealing 30 fire damage. Now he's on fire. And she Misty Steps away.
Hal attempts a glaive attack, which hits! A 24 damage Divine Smite.
The Spiders get off a single Bite on Cervantes, but sadly he is immune to poison. Their presence puts Quinn into Advantage, loosing a 27 damage Sneak Attack with Nature Bowie.
Yex is exhausted: VS' Immolation replaced his Haste, and now he's tired.
Z13's Hypnotic Pattern goes off, and Cervantes is Charmed and Incapacitated.
"Stop Concentrating on the Immolation!" Z13 yells to a startled VS.
We manacle Cervantes.
Yex attempts to grab the soulsword: it grows spikes and bites him for 10 damage. No dice.
Hal bows to the sword and asks if it would like to live a life of vengeance with him. The sword thinks about it...and goes for it. The Greatsword of Cervantes.
Yex is super jealous. Steeltus taps him expectantly on the shoulder. "Ooh, big deal, Most Powerful Sword In The World, fat lot of good you were."
The Greatsword of Cervantes...has to be fed with spell slots. Hal is Chaotic Good and is a little...undecided as to whether this is a bad thing for his alignment.
An Investigation check later, Quinn sees a weird...burnt seal on his hand, in the shape of an...hourglass.
Quinn is starting to get very anxious about whether she's the Time Lock child.
Z13 asks about the Time Lock: he tells us that there's 4 more after him in this dungeon.
Naruk, the Dark Elf, she's the master of death.
Rizzet the Goblin King, lord of traps and mines.
Master Zorn (Prime), he's...a Zorn. What is this, the Pagoda of Death? He has strange otherworldly powers.
Rodun, the leader of all of them. The puppeteer of the marionettes.
Zorn is on the 3rd level: we are currently on the firsssssst.
What do they want? Is Quinn the Time Baby?
What do you want her for?
"We need to sacrifice her existence...so I can rule all the snake people."
Holy shit. Quinn is the Time Baby.
What are their weaknesses?
No idea, we're in a fragile alliance, the last one standing gets the power. It's a tontine of power.
Hal deduces that the sword might return to Cervantes and is pro-killing. So's VS and Z13. Everybody piles in with the death dealing, except for Quinn, who is...still somewhat stunned as to this development.
Got to figure out how to get them to fight each other. Not going to be particularly viable to fight all of them.