Nomen Infernale XLXXIII: Her Seed Shall Crush Thy Head
General Summary
The serpent remained serene as Theophilus Chandler marched up the path that once would have been a nave in the ruined shrine. He pulled a scroll from his satchel and intoned the mystical words that would grant him the ability to speak with animals. The serpent enjoyed the warmth Aelos provided.
Alex puzzled over the Khemian heiroglyphics on the archway that would have been an entrance. He could discern their sound but not their meaning and became frustrated.
As Theo began hissing and flicking his tongue the snake opened one eye and asked why his prey was talking to him. The snake slowly woke from its sun-drenched stupor passing through confusion to annoyance. Theo masterfully threaded the needle between being unassuming enough to not be a threat but threatening enough to not be dinner, but the snake did not have categorical space for nuance and became increasingly hostile. Theo began to pound his mace against his shield which alarmed the snake and slithered with alacrity toward the party. Alex, Elissa, Teleptyon began moving to the left of the main shrine hoping to evade the snake as it advanced. Elissa and Alex dodged from fallen pillar to fallen pillar hoping to avoid the snake's attention, but Teleptyon moved without regard to his safety. Kegho moved with them to guard against sudden movements. Asbjørn suppressed his disgust to join Kegho in guarding the group.
Theo drew from his own spiritual well to call on Bira to take another chance at convinging the snake they were not enemies. He drove the serpent back temporarily but it was drawn by the heat of the barbarians' thews and slithered over to where they were guarding the retreat of the others. Theo moved from deterrence to attack and charged, swinging his mace at the surprised snake. Asbjørn was migtily relieved that the party was no longer pussyfooting around the foul beast. He swung the bone-hilted sword he had taken from the attackers at the Ayadin Hermitage and it slid with satisfying smoothness through the neck of the snake. It's eyes dimmed as venom dripped from fangs from now slack glands. Alex offered to butcher the serpent, but the Ouranics believed that the flesh would be foul with venom and declined. Instead he carefully skinned the snake and suggested they have matching hotpants made at the next city. Elissa, Kegho and Riven assisted him. Theo moved to study the mosaic in the main chapel of the shrine where the snake had been resting. He saw two Rusati reaching toward a point and blew dust away from it but did not see anything notable and moved on. The party left and found a road leading up to the main chapel from the south and agreed that it had to lead somewhere and was generally where they had wanted to go. They reached a crossroads and the Ouranics asked blessings from their respective gods of crossroads. Alex suggested that the Oameni believe that offering incense at a cross-roads could mitigate ill fate. With Teleptyon's recent astrological forecast in mind the party went over-and-above to make a smalle shrine, blessed by Theo and burn incense. Teleptyon again rode the threads of fate and declared that fortune favors preparedness. Given their history the party was unsure that it was an improvement. Riven raised the rod again and they followed the road to the southwest, passing untouched salt flats, which Alex begged to dig up for culinary purposes and also to salt the snake skin. They feared losing the road and instead continued a day to the southwest where the road abruptly ended. Asbjørn was furious that the road would be so inconsiderate.
They set up camp just south of the end of the road among the rocks and rubble and near a cliff. As the night passed, Kegho saw a pillar of flame moving toward them and groaned. He roused the party as the flame dispersed and Abu Emir Azmi bin Faisal bin Haroun al-Jasrul, al-Madinat Annuhas appeared before them. "I see you took my advice and headed south! I'm here to collect my tribute."
Asbjørn thought sullenly that it would be a great work to topple the City of Brass before remembering that Ghamdi the Lifetaker had read their thoughts and retreated into memories of the horrible rituals that had made him to hide his intentions.
