Episode 94 - The Reverent

## Synopsis

Hearing footsteps, the students scrambled to hide. Mira dove under the table, Winsler squeezed into a kitchen cabinet,  Serinepth went invisible and readied an attack, Integrity slipped into the kitchen, and Yog followed Winsler’s command to hide in the reading room.

The fountain slowly scraped open, and Serinepth saw their mentor, Artis Artisian walk through. He looked very out of breath, and was carrying the *Staff of Fire*, and a backpack. Serinpeth dropped *Invisibility*, Artis saw her and after catching his breath explained that Delnys had shown him the letters they left, and he had come looking for them.

The students, except Winsler, slowly came out to see their mentor. Still unsure if this was a trick, Integrity asked Artis what was in the letter she wrote, and he correctly replied that it was her saying goodbye to her parents. Artis put the bag on the table and sighed, “*If this is what you’re going to do, I would’ve preferred if you got my help for it.*”

They explained their plans, including the black powder they took from the Cannon Lab. Artis asked if they knew where Neska was, to which they said she wasn’t in her chamber. Integrity suggested that if she was gone, they could potentially mix the black powder with the dust in the chamber, and blow it up when she returned. Artis agreed that could work, gave Winsler the staff, and took two items out of his bag.

The first was a long, jade dagger, and the second was a small note with “*Mira*” written on it. He also took off a small ring, and placed it next to them. Serinepth picked up the ring named “*Artis’ Ring*”. Mira took the note, and after a moment’s hesitation, opened it and read, “*You need to really come back please,*” in Delnys handwriting.

Integrity picked up the knife, and asked if it had any powers. Artis replied that he didn’t know, but given that it was used to kill Underbough, he felt it was better they had it instead of Neska. The students thanked and apologised to their mentor, who said he was grateful he had been their mentor,  it hoped that it would be less stressful after the fight. They then had a final group hug before descending once again, to Neska’s chamber.

They began mixing the black powder into the dust. While Winsler was stirring them together, he felt as though he hit soft flesh, as well as several hard items, buried underneath the sand. Mira put on her fancy hat and found a vantage point on the top brim of the room. Serinepth and Integrity checked their weapons and prepared for battle. Integrity once again tried to contact the Progenitor to ask for power, but got no response.

While alone at the top, Artis put his hand on Mira’s shoulder and begged her to careful, telling her that if things went bad, to just run away. She promised she would try. Yog and Winsler hugged and said their goodbyes.

After ten minutes of anticipation, the room was filled with the sounds of snapping bones, as something forced its way to the surface of the floor. The sand started to shift, they all felt like there was something watching and hunting them. Mira heard breathing in her head, then Neska spoke, “*That girl put up a much better fight than I expected.*”

Mira said, “*She’s here,*” and the students watched as the head of a massive snake with dark green eyes, green scales, and a pitch black underbelly emerged from the ground. In Neska’s forehead was a four-inch diameter green orb.

Neska looked directly at Integrity, who heard a voice dripping with malice in her head say, “*You!*” In response Integrity fired an arrow straight into her forehead. It deflected harmlessly off Neska’s scales, and Integrity ran behind a pillar. Mira raised her arm chanting, and green lights danced around Neska, who just managed to avoid them.

Yog threw their final barrel towards Neska, missing by quite a lot. Then Neska struck. She slithered out of the sand, rising to the roof and focused on Serinepth. The orb in her forehead started to glow, her scales seemed to boil, and Serinepth fell into a trance, unable to act as she revered the might and power of The Ascendent.

Luckily for her, Serinpeth soon heard a vile voice in her head say, “*Don’t fall for what she’s trying to do to you, you need to kill it,*” and she snapped out of her trance, also running behind a pillar. Winsler slammed his *Staff of Fire* on the ground, creating a massive ring of fire around Neska, and igniting the black powder in the sand.

Artis leant over the top ledge to see Serinepth and yelled, “*Please do something this time,*” before casting *Haste* on her. Neska turned her head back towards Serinpeth and prepared to shoot a crackling bolt of lightning at her, if not for a well timed *Counterspell* from Mira. Neska’s gaze snapped to Mira, who heard in her head, “*I like you girl, but don’t interrupt,*” before diving under the sand again.

Glancing round the side of the column, Integrity saw Neska’s exposed underbelly and sliced a part of her open. As she opened this wound, she saw a green light emitting from Neska’s body, and the loud sounds of several heartbeats.

Mira clenched her fist, attempting and failing to curse Neska. Yog readied themselves for an attack as she finished repositioning to shove her head between the pillars near Yog, Winsler, and Serinepth. She smashed Yog against the back wall, and opened her mouth to eject four urns.

Her eyes rolled back momentarily, as one urn cracked open and a humanoid figure stood up. Serinepth grabbed Winsler behind her and blasted both human and snake Neska with lightning and fire. The human Neska crumbled to ash, and Serinpeth sprinted round the columns.

Winsler stood alone against the massive snake, hearing her say in his head, “*Move, boy.*” In response he rolled his Poji dice, and summoned Poji the Dream Chicken. He commanded the small red bird to attack, then fled.

Artis ran to Mira, trying to decide what to do, then jumped down into the pit. Neska pushed her body through the columns that held the ledge up, causing them to crash down and slam into Serinepth, Winsler, and Mira. Continuing round the chamber, she came face to face with Integrity and ordered her to, “*Get over here,*” trying but failing to gain control of her mind.

Pressed against the wall, Serinpeth slammed her hand onto Neska’s body and sent even more lightning coursing into her, before sending out a wave of thunderous energy that failed to move the massive serpent. Still trapped under Neska, Winsler felt a static as Mr. Wiggles returned from wherever he’d been, and reduced himself to escape the crushing weight he was stuck under.

Artis dashed round to Neska’s head, enveloping her side in a cone of fire. Unperturbed, she lashed out and bit Integrity on the hip as she dived out of the way. As she landed, Neska caused another body to emerge from beneath the sand.

## Trivia

* Before going to Neska’s chamber, Luke asked the players to roll a d100, with the total combined roll being 248. This was later revealed to determine to outcome of the fight between Neska, Delnys, and Teb
* With the Orb of Reverence, Neska has a more powerful form called Neska, the Reverent