How Quickly a Two-Headed Serpent Becomes Jealous of Sartoss

Arodus 26, 4711, continued

The Coopers spend a few moments gathering themselves and banding their wounds. Finally regrouped, they leave the temple and enter through the next room. They discover two ogres guarding a barred gate, and, strangely, the bars are on the inside of the room. Clearly, Sartoss was worried about something on the other side of this door.

Combat ensues, and the Coopers quickly dispatch the two rather clumsy ogres. Roscoe searches the dead bodies and discovers a large bronze key. The room's door is barred with four heavy rods locked in place by four bronze locks. Roscoe then unlocks and removes the bars. Behind the door, the Coopers discover a staircase heading down into the depths. Deciding against exploring the remaining of the 7th level, they head down the stairs.

After a hundred steps, they arrive on the 8th level. The last step leads to a small room with a large serpent statue against one of the walls, surrounded by a five-feet radius of water. There does not appear to be a door anywhere. Atop the statue is a large green emerald.

The Coopers begin to discuss what to do next. Thorne jumps the small distance between the ledge of the pool and the statue and tries to pry the emerald out of the serpent's mouth. He immediately disappears. Eventually, every Cooper touches the emerald and is transported away to be reunited with the thief.

The Coopers find themselves in a small hallway. A shaking and the rattling sound of a snake can be heard, and suddenly a large snake head, looking like the serpent statue and occupying the entire hallway, begins to push against the Coopers. Daryle gets pushed twice, and then begins to fight back, along with Darelle. Their attacks strike true, but do not stop the serpent's head. Thorne abandons the party and follows the path, reaching a small room. Slowly herded towards the room, the remaining Coopers end up in the same room. The serpent's head reaches the edge of the room and stops, followed by another head in the exiting hallway. The Coopers are caught! A gas comes out of the serpents' heads, and they all fall asleep.

Arodus 27, 4711

Gerald is the first one to awaken. He is shackled to a low wall, with his brothers and sisters shackled in similar positions. Their gear has been piled along wall next to a large stone platform twenty feet away. With them is another person also shackled to the wall. Gerald questions the woman and discover that she is Tiavask, a missing wizard from the Goldenfire Order of Thornkeep. The remaining Coopers regain consciousness. While discussing among themselves how to escape from their predicament, a large double-headed serpent similar to Sartoss walks in on the platform, accompanied by more serpentfolk.

The leader introduces himself as Uzar-Kus, leader of this level and true high priest of Kro'akoth, unlike that pretender Sartoss. He advises the Coopers that they will be sacrificed to release the demon into the prime material plane, which will lead Uzar-Kus to dominate both the 8th and the 7th level of the Emerald Spire. Thorne bluffs Uzar-Kus and tells him that Sartoss has already succeeded in summoning Kro'akoth. Uzar-Kus is unable to maintain his facade of power and storms out of the room with his sycophants.

This allows the Coopers to escape their shackles. After a short conversation, they decide to free Tiavask as well. The wizard tells them where the exit is. The Coopers maneuver down the many hallways, when they discover a large set of golden double doors with a serpent head similar to the moving walls. Opposite the door is a large serpent statue. Roscoe takes this opportunity to detects evil on Tiavask and he discovers that she has a faint aura of evil. Thorne defeats the trap on the large  serpent door and he opens it.

Beyond is the Temple of the Serpent, a large shrine dedicated to Ydersius. A large stone path bridges a greenish pool, with two flights of stairs ascending towards a gigantic serpent statue. Uzar-Kus stands at the top of the stairs. Upon Thorne's entrance, he berates them, asking why they seek him while he wallows in despair at Satross' supposed success in summoning their demon. Gerald immediately unleashes a fireball at Uzar-Kus, and battle ensues...