The EARTH story - October 23, 1372

A week later they head in.

Equinox, Al, Drinor, Aron, Op Code and Devlin head into the dungeon beneath the Gates of Asgard.

In the chamber at the bottom of the stairs you try to decide where to explore first.

The passage to the east has not been looked into, and there are unexplored ares to the north as well. Op Code has a map.

Op Code shows you the map.

"West sounds good," Al says with a smile as he is armed with Claw and his dark shield.

Equinox casts Protection from Fire and Protection from Lightning on himself before the party goes further into the dungeon.

You head west.

The passage only runs for 20' before opening up into a 30' square chamber (10' north, 10' south, 30' west; door in middle of north wall; 10' wide passage running west out of west wall; 10' wide passages running out of either end of the south wall).

This chamber is bare, and searching it does not change that.

You look down the passages.

To the west, the passage runs for 60' and on.

Down the passage running out of the south wall east section, you see that it runs for 50', turning west after 40'.

Down the passage running out of the south wall west section, you see that it runs for 30', then angles to the southwest.

Listening at the door, you hear nothing.

The cavalier kicks the door open and looks in.

You look into a 10' X 20' room (20' north; door at the north end).

In here are four enormous constrictor snakes, which immediately come slithering at you!

Op Code is bitten for 1 hit point.

"Hiyaaah!" Al yells as he strikes with Claw at the nearest snake.

The cavalier's first swing badly injures the snake as he avoids its bite. His second swing kills it.

"I thought they were supposed to constrict, not bite," Op Code says to nobody in particular as he slashes at the snake that bit him.

The ranger slashes the snake's scaly hide as he jumps back, saving himself from being entwined.

Aron smacks at the closest snake in the nose.

The snake lashes out at the monk, but the man is faster. Aron does, however, miss with his smack attack.

Drinor draws his new sword and charges into melee with the snakes.

The paladin, flashing his holy avenger around, easily connects. The snake hisses and lunges, but Drinor avoids its gaping mouth. However, he does not notice the tail of the snake in time, and suddenly it wraps itself around his lower torso. Drinor topples over, as he is squeezed for 3 hit points.

Equinox tries to stop the bloodbath. "Hold on a second, guys, I really don't want you to slaughter these things unless we have to."

Then he casts speak with animals to try to talk the snakes into leaving the party alone.

Aron pauses, as do the snakes.

"Hey guys, stop a minute!" says Equinox, and then starts speaking to the snakes.

Aron tries to hear what Equinox says to the snakes.

Op Code watches to see what transpires, keeping an eye on the snakes for any more aggressive moves.

Al also pauses.

Equinox begins hissing at one of the snakes. It hisses back at him. then the druid hisses more loudly. The snake again hisses back at him.

The rest of you watch the proceedings with interest.

"Tell them to let me go!" says Drinor, rolling around on the floor and struggling to get free of the snakes' grasp.

Equinox turns to his party and shrugs. "They are not going to release Drinor.  I guess we have to kill them."

Equinox draws MC Hammer and moves to attack the snake constricting Drinor.

"Perhaps we can try to knock them out," says the monk, who attacks, trying to stun the snake attacking him.

Op Code starts slashing at the nearest snake again.

So, after a brief, conversational interlude, the battle continues.

The ranger dodges another fangy bite and connects with longsword #2. His snake looks really hurt now. His next blow kills it.

Close by, Drinor is pulped for 4 more hit points, but still manages to connect with his avenger, killing the monster.

Aron barely misses his snake while avoiding its maw. It then coils itself around him, pinning his arms to his side, and squishing him for 5 hit points.

Devlin, followed by Equinox and Al, come to his aid.

The warrior lands two tremendous blows with his bastard sword, and the last snake is dead.

Searching the room, you come up with nothing of interest.

"Let's try the north door."

Opening the north door, you behold a 40' square room (10' east, 20' west, 40' north; door in north wall directly across from you; door in east wall south corner and east wall 20' - 30' section as measured from the south). This place is barren. It smells of dampness and mould.

You open the southeast door.

Before you is a 20' X 30' room (20' south, 20' east). It is also bare. Of interest, though, is the fact that this room has a domed ceiling. You have not seen anything else like it in this dungeon, and you wonder what the significance of it is.

Launching himself into the air, Al examines the ceiling to see if there are any inscriptions or anything of interest on the ceiling.

Aron loads his crossbow in case anything attacks Al in the air.

As the cavalier flies up to the ceiling a voice booms out of it.

"WHY DON'T YOU LEAVE THESE HALLS FOREVER?" it suggests.

Aron thinks that this is a pretty good idea, and so turns and walks away, making for the exit.

"Why should we do that? We seek the Gates of Asgard!" Al says to the ceiling.

Al gets no reply.

"Aron, get your skinny ass back in here!" he says as he watches the monk leave. "Anyone else leaving?"

Aron maintains a steady pace, and is soon gone.

"He is a weakling," says Devlin. "Where to now?"

"Everyone else here?" Al asks, "Can we get a role call?"

"Here," Op Code calls over.

"I am here," says Equinox, "and I think everyone else except Aron."

Drinor shrugs. "I'm still here as well."

Al continues to explore the room to see what exits are available.

In the room with the domed ceiling there are no other exits. In the adjacent room there are two unopened doors.

He intones, "Great Thor, let me see all," as he casts true seeing. He does a scan of the room.

All he notices is that the domed ceiling radiates magic.

After a few hours Aron returns to camp alone...followed a short time later by the rest of the people who went back into the Gates of Asgard dungeon.

Next day

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