L
Lair Spirit
Guest
My apologies for the long wait for this much anticipated conclusion.
Finally, the whole translated transcript. The shorthand this writer used is quite magnificent, so much so I might adopt a style of it for myself. I digress. I will now follow with the rest of the "Twelfth Day off Equinox".
The snake queen creates another gate. Out of this cold hell I hope. Feet numb but dry; boots cost enough!
Note: No words of power used for casting gate.
People cram through gate. Step through into a wall of heat! HOT! Snake queen seems more relaxed here. Armour clad people shifting restlessly. Three tables set up in a niche just off a path. Foul smelling swamp nearby and... brimstone? There is another snake statue on a table. This one is red.
"Who completed the Chaos Path?" the Matriarch asks, looking around.
As before, voices call out and hands are raised. People jostle for foremost position. Elbows out; the heat is stifling.
The snake queen beckons a yellow robed elf forward wearing some freaky elf headband like they wear. Aqua hair?!
"Where are the forces Petrify?" the yellow robe is asked.
He glances to the crowd, menacing stares and some curiously mocking smiles are aimed at him.
"I believe one is in Montor in Ilshenar." he says.
"We must concentrate and bring them here." says the snake queen.
Someone stirs in the crowd, the hairs on the back of my neck raise. Words of Power. The yellow robe is suddenly the flaming robe; as if it isn't hot enough here. Attacked here? Can't see who cast, faces are all portraits of pure innocence. Quickly healed the yellow robe pushes on unfazed.
"That was uncalled for. Chaos or not we are all on the same side." the Matriarch says, "Concentrate Serpents."
"Enthusiasm I believe" yellow robe says, Petrify the snake queen called him.
The crowd looks drugged again. Dehydrated perhaps; yes someone has collapsed at the back. Watching the table, waiting for more cheap tricks. Sure enough, as if on cue, it appears. A ruby red rose, incised with Enthusiasm.
"Another is at Gwenno's grave. I believe it's Emotion." says yellow robe.
"Concentrate Serpents, Emotion calls us." snake queen says.
I try to push closer to the tables. Squinting, I can't see anything. No mirrors, no hidden boxes or lever or switches. This is quite convincing trickery. The rose does not look affected by the heat at all. There is no water around this area, enchanted no doubt. As suddenly and as quietly some sort of fleshy organ appears on the table to the right. Red as the rose the heart has Emotion carved into it.
"One more Petrify." she says.
"And the last is Tolerance In a dungeon near Honor shrine." Petrify says.
"Concentrate on Tolerance. Something some here perhaps need more study in."
The crowd falls mostly silent again, concentrating. The crowd is beginning to smell. People really should wash more, change their clothing perhaps. Yes, the walking rags in front of me is most unpleasant. Giant serpents attack the outer crowd of people. An efreet too! Dispatched of quickly, no deaths (sadly). Missed appearance of a pile of chains with Tolerance cut into them.
"The Shrine is open Petrify, know thee the word of Chaos?"
Picture courtesy of Ovrmage.
"I might," says yellow robe, looking as uncertain as green robe, "tenet."
Nothing happened. The Matriarch stirred but Petrify suddenly disappeared, the last image of him was mouthing some other word. Lee? Leet? Seat? Unsure. Startled gasps around me cause new unpleasant smells to waft to my nostrils. Need air!
"It seems he is awaiting us at the Temple of Serpents. This Shrine will also open after we have visited Balance."
Temple? These shrines lead to a Temple with those modge podge words of power? Sounds like there is another Shrine out there too. The snake queen pushes past people and creates another gate. Nearly first I rush through. GRASS! Cooler climate. Better.
"The Matriarch announces the Shrine of Balance opens after Shrines Order and Chaos open.
"The Word is secret still I believe. Any here know it?"
She looks around. People look to each other. I look at my pen. No-one appears to have followed the Path of Balance.
"I will gate us to the Temple of Serpents. Petrify awaits us there."
"The Matriarch creates a gate to Temple of Serpents."
The snake queen pushes past the crowd a ways and made another gate. People shove through the gate, pets treading on other citizens. Smelly beasts, I keep clear. More grass. A huge building surrounded by some sort of moat. No, a temple on a lagoon perhaps. White marble walls, no clear view from here and no clear way to reach it. Tall black monolithic gates in front. Left on pedestal sits a Fire Ruby of Chaos, opposite it an Ice Diamond of Order. Firmly affixed, I can't remove. Petrify is standing on steps leading into the "Temple" looking pleased with himself. Snake queen joins him.
"Welcome to the Temple of Serpents. The only way in is via a Command word at a Shrine of Serpents. Petrify has earned a place within. Are my other Commanders Present?"
Does she have an army? Is this cause for concern for Commander Faolain? A large number of body of people fight for balance, what happens when the scales tip the other way? Guards against Serpents? Interesting. Two more people step up to the bank of the lagoon. Both in green robes. Ovrmage and Cymoril? Interview? They disappear and reappear on Temple steps.
"Come Serpents, we will go inside and see if we can effect this summoning."
"The Matriarch, Petrify, Commanders Cymoril, Thorn and Ovrmage prepare to summon the Great Earth Serpent."
Picture courtesy of Ovrmage.
"The Great Earth Serpent is summoned."
Picture courtesy of Ovrmage.
The Matriarch, three Commanders and Petrify walk up the steps and disappear leaving us plebeians outside. Some recall away and moments later appear on the steps of temple to disappear inside right after. No-one comes out to share knowledge. Quiet. RUMBLING!!! Quiet again. Finally! The snake queen emerges, with more following her than went in.
"I know where the fight will commence."
Fight? I can't fight! But my public! They need to know... The snake creates another gate. Unsure whether to go through many hang back. Don't blame them. Fighting? Quite barbaric, if it involves me.
"Go!" she commanded.
Power behind the words prompted the mass to move through. My shoes, really, were not meant for so much mundane walking. Through the gate. Trees, grass and... grass. No sign of civilisation anywhere. Where are we? Many wander directionless.
"The Serpent said we must meet here." the snake queen says.
Tops. What Serpent?
"The Great Earth Serpent we have summoned. He says that an ancient enemy has also been summoned to this plane."
Hearing a buzzing sound, move towards small eastern rise. Looking over I see many recognised and some suspect Minions chanting. Cellophane? No, Crysophane! Over and over, summoning perhaps their champion as the serpents supposedly did? Looking back to Serpents I see a HUGE serpent type creature. Coloured in shades of brown and green, it towers over twice as high as any person here. It's moving fast towards me and the Minions. Looking around, a giant spider stood in the midst of them; the chanting has stopped. Crysophane spots the Great Earth Serpent and runs for it at amazing speed. Without any preamble they attack one another. Minions start attacking the giant snake, serpents attacking the giant spider. Getting somewhere safer.
I'm a little ways off and can see most of the battle. The two deities are looking the worse for wear, tiring out but still not stopping. Many deaths. This isn't what I tagged along for! No battles for me, I don't fight! Whoa what's that? Green fog rising from the ground around the spider and spreading out. People within it fall to their knees retching. Warriors get up again looking ill but still fighting, some are unaffected.
"Poison sweeps the battlefield, sickening most combatants."
I... can't run away in time. The gaseous cloud reaches...SICK... DIZZY...WRETCHING...CAN'T BREATHE...PAIN...BLOOD...
This is where the author finishes. Blood has spattered the page causing some ink to run near the end but I'm confident I have translated it correctly. There is no evidence to suggest the author died but I do not think that had he or she lived, they would have left their work behind. To find closure on this battle I have researched this battle and found some people willing to tell me the end.
The battle raged on for a time after where the journal finishes. The Great Earth Serpent was eventually victorious. Marcel (in his twisted half breed spider form) was present and some banter was exchanged between himself and the Matriarch. He disappeared and the Matriarch stayed to collect books from her Serpents. She caused a gate to appear and returned people, who wished to go, back to the throne room of Castle British.
I would like to thank Ovrmage for sending me the pictures. They helped clarify the inside happenings of the temple.
~ Lair Spirit
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