Serpent's Descent

*Serpent's Descent* is the title of the fourth episode of the fourth season of S.H.A.D.O.W. and the fortieth session of the entire game.

This session was played on December 2nd, 2018

## Serpent's Descent

### Writer

Jonny Christie, Matt Christie, Richie Maynard, Eric Rios, Corey Sexton

## Plot

Aragi begins to bond with his brother, Artiss.

## Synopsis

Darrow and the rest of team Phylyco are standing over the edge of the crater south of Eastmaer. He has a sack of bones on his side. He unsheathes his sword and begins to recite his family crest. He then takes the bones, now burned into ash, and spreads them across the blade. He lifts the blade and it is struck by lightning. The blade glows for a second before fading back to normal. A man dressed as a plague doctor is looking for Elatherial Ebonscar. Mal tells the man that she is dead so he asks, begrudgingly, to speak with Calapharious. Mal tells him he’s also dead. The Man is concerned and asks to speak with the man in charge. Aragi asks for the man’s name and he introduces himself as Doctor Pachosis. A name that seems weirdly familiar. They bring him to Hylophagous. Team Phylyco arrive back in Eastmaer. Darrow and Amelia go to The FORGE and speak with a young apprentice named Zinonna. They buy a weapon from her for Amelia and promise to see her again in the future.

Aragi and pals arrive at Big H with their guest. Hylophagous asks why Horsemen are so drawn to his circus and the doctor claims he sensed the energy of them both within the confines and he needs to find them before calamity strikes. The Saint has to rethink his evaluation of the new people and decides to have the four in this meeting will run the new questionnaire. Team Phylyco are on their way home when Darrow stops the party because he wants to test out his new blade. He seeks out a creature and finds two behir mating. He attacks and these things are not happy about it. Luckily Phylyco is there to save the day… again. However, He is surprisingly outmatched and is flung away into the forest. The other three can’t rely on the ace but manage to hold their own, barely.

Aragi, Artiss, Mal, and Sirobe are conducting interviews under the pretenses that this is standard procedure. It seems like no one is causing much suspicion. They go on a brief recess so the Maxul brothers go for a walk. While they chat, Artiss offers to fill out Aragi’s sentence under the Saint. Aragi contemplates but doesn’t disagree. Phylyco still manages to come in at the end and get the final blow on the Behir, just because. He gets them on their feet and they move on, no more pitstops. The Maxul’s go hunting for a bit and catch a boar. They talk about their mothers. They return and the interviews are over. Only a handful of people are deemed suspicious and are brought to the Saint. Aragi visits Lara on a hunch but it comes up short. Lara says she loves him as he leaves, he doesn’t respond. Pachosis then determines that at least one of the people in the room have the twin’s aura, but he’s not sure which. So, the experimentation begins. None of them end up being what they’re looking for which is troubling. The Saint asks to speak with Artiss. He allows Aragi to stay. Pachosis takes some blood and they are free to go.

Darrow is proud of Amelia for her first fight, Amelia is not… at all. She’s unsettled. Phylyco chimes in that yes, they are a unique group but they lack discipline and need to be taught how to use their strengths better as a unit if they don’t all want to die. This might actually be the first team he can stomach. They just need to listen to him. Aragi and the boys meet up at The Bloodjaw, which was recently reopened, to get a drink. Sirobe is very quiet and Aragi catches on as the cat leaves, unannounced. He goes to a secluded spot in the city, making sure he wasn’t followed. He enters a room to a tied up Sirobe. The one standing shifts and shapes into a different figure who smirks at her successful evasion from Pachosis.

## Cast

### Main

* Aragi Maxul
* Phylyco Brokenwhisper
* Lara Youngheart
* Mal Bloodjaw
* Ravela
* Sirobe
* Locus Fochuckl
* Artiss Maxul
* Darrow Emberstorm
* Amelia Retter
* Saint Hylophagous

### Supporting

* Pachosis
* Alidiana Pegason
* Hayvard Ximer
* Mort Soulspark

### Guest

* Zinonna Murium
* Belgrim Coalgrinder

## Trivia

* This session reveals the antagonist of this season, Ravela.