Chapter 3: The Monastery at Dimwater

[Inferno]

P.T. Codswallop, halfling impresario:

Phineas collects the ring, shines it up on his vest, and has a closer look at it, his mighty mustache wiggling with interest.

[Storm11]

"We should bury him, in the gardens of his gods monastery, and then make sure it is cleansed of evil, don't you think yes yes yes?" Hexalon stutters as he moves beside the poor moon priest and closes his terror filled eyes for the final time.

The rainbow halfling quietly retrieves the gloves of the crook from the fallen mans pack, knowing they will need them to complete their task

[coil23]

Osprey Palearctic, elven fighter/magic-user

Seeing the serpent escape into the underbrush he leans on his sword a moment to gather himself. Osprey eyes the halfling, Phineas, shining a newly found ring. You wanted us to leave it be? I hope you sleep peacefully tonight knowing that thing is still out there somewhere slithering silently.

[Storm11]

"Do not worry overmuch elf friend, I believe the barbarian can track sneaky serpent back to its lair. It looked severely injured did it not? Vengeance for poor dead Luna yes yes?" the halfling says looking up at the altercation.

[Grognardsw]

Aric sets to binding his wounds with first aid on himself. (1 HP) Then he takes out a dosage of the Maiden Cap herb and ingests it (Maiden Cap herb [1d2] = 2)

"I want a snake belt," Aric says afterwards. The barbarian looks at the area the serpent retreated through and tries to pick up the trail.

[Mant72]

Aric can easily find the snake's trail; however, he will have to work his way through the dense thorns, brambles, and briars. The serpent seemed to be headed toward the back wall of the garden, to the west.

[GreyWolfVT]

Kragg "I'm with you Aric if you're thinking to take revenge upon the vile serphant that killed Luna."

[Mant72]

Phineas picks up the ring and polishes it on his vest. It is cold to the touch, not uncomfortably so, just cool. It is constructed of silver and weighs less than what he expected. There are fine runes that run around the inside of the ring; however, Phineas is unable to decipher their meaning.

[Inferno]

P.T. Codswalop, halfling impresario:

Phineas slides the ring onto his finger and tries to reason with these excitable adventurer types. He orates, "Vengeance? Against a poor dumb animal whose lair we stumbled into?
If the sea swamped your beachside home, would you seek revenge against the ocean?
If you thrust your hand into a bee hive and got stung, would you swear vengeance upon the bees?
Gentlemen, let's be reasonable. This pointless, tragic loss is a conspicuous and meaningful lesson: we need to avoid further unnecessary distractions and focus upon the task at hand."

[Mant72]

As Phineas tries to persuade the others to abandon their notions of pursuing the serpent, he slides the ring onto his finger (Inferno, please see PM).

To the party's horror, Phineas' finger slowly begins to take on a desiccated or mummified look.

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[Inferno]

P.T. Codswallop, halfling impresario:

Phineas feels no pain or discomfort. He looks at the ring with curiosity. "What a nifty little magic trick," he says. "I'll need to add it to my collection."

He tests what happens to his finger when he removes the ring. When it returns to normal he says, "And there's The Prestige. Very nice indeed!
"Hmm. Monks with magic tricks? ...It must be very boring without wine, women or song."

Phineas returns the pinky ring to his finger.

[Grognardsw]

"I see its trail, but the way is covered by briars," says Aric the barbarian. "I will hack it away, but I'd like archers next to me to fire if the snake emerges."

He begins chopping.

[Storm11]

Hex will keep watch on the exit track as the others begin their chase of the snake. If Phineas comes closely the other halfling will try and get a look at the finger and the ring it sports.

"Do you feel any different hmmmm?" he asks with interest.

[GreyWolfVT]

Kragg replies to the very sad attempt at persuasion "You don't know barbarians and dwarfs do ya. Unlike you're kin we do fight back rather than hide and amass a collection of things we never plan to use. We fight what's killed our kin and our friends and family."

[coil23]

Osprey Palearctic, elven fighter/magic-user

Osprey exchanges his sword for his bow and nocks an arrow, ready to fire if the snake emerges.

[ravenn4544]

Wil retrieves the pendant that he had given Luna - the suggestion that it may be of some use in the temple is sound advice. With no immediate threat he'll close Luna's eyes and see a quiet prayer of passing. He'll resume to support the group's perimeter with a bit of melancholy at the ironic hand of fate's choices with an acolyte of Luna so close to her chosen temple. He ponders that perhaps there is yet a message to be deciphered in this experience....

[Inferno]

P.T. Codswallop, halfling impresario:

Unable to make the horses drink his water, Phineas readies his famed trickshot bow at the shirtless man's request, and will keep his distance from the cornered, injured animal.

"I don't feel different at all," he tells Hex while scanning around. "An interesting little trinket. I'll keep it safe on behalf of the group!"

[Storm11]

Hex will recover the fallen clerics blanket and rations and head with the others at a distance keeping watch on the exit route.

[ChubbyPixie]

Yon readies his club and trails after Aric and the others. "It's not that I don't agree, Phineas, but it seems our choice is made." He says a quick blessing over Luna before he goes.

[Mant72]

Brother Wil stays back beside the cat-shaped fountain, tending to the fallen Luna and monitoring the garden's perimeter while the other adventurers decide to begin their hunt for the giant constrictor.

Aric and Kragg are driven by outright vengeance, while Osprey wishes to put his mind at ease knowing that if the thing is dead, it will not be able to plague them any further. Phineas and Yon frown upon the idea of confronting an injured, cornered animal; however, they grudgingly join the hunters in their pursuit. Hexalon also reluctantly follows at a safe distance. Regardless of their motives, the group’s end goal is mutual: to finish the beast once and for all.

Aric begins clearing away the underbrush, hacking at the brambles and briars with his bastard sword. Scores of scrapes and scratches cover the barbarian's arms and legs, but this doesn't deter the giant from his task, not in the least. Kragg, Osprey, Phineas, and Yon follow close by, the dwarf armed with his scimitar, the elf and halfling equipped with their bows, the cleric brandishing his club.

The serpent is finally tracked down at the far end of the garden, lying at the base of the monastery wall. Its immense head peers out from a mass of coils and scales. The thing is obviously gravely wounded, but it is none the less deadly, and it is poised ready to strike. It hisses a warning as its head darts from side to side, eyeing the group as they fan out for the attack.

Actions!