He steps out away from the fire, and screams. A sharp pain bolts up his leg, and he awakens the party. He looks down and a snake is attached to his leg by the jaw, possibly unable to let go of its prize. Saren leaps out from his slumber and with the agility unknown to most 70 year olds, slips a rapier blade into the creature's skull and pulls it off. Trey's leg aches and he can barely walk. He is treated by saren, who carefully collects and boils rainwater, and with clean, boiled cloth covers the snakebite.
Morning comes. The party survived their first night. They wonder, quietly, if they will make it to the second. Still, they pack up and move on. Hours of jungle travel pass without incident, the dull wet travel of moist plants, punctuated by moments of unease and fear. But Saren spots creation, or well, creation by man. A square stone block, sticking out of the jungle plants, larger than he is. The writing is too worn to make out, but there is another nearby. Moving to this, a clearing is visible through the dense brush - A stone temple. A ruined ziggurat stands alone in a clearing, covered in vines and history. Almost 30 metres tall, it towers alone in this wild country.
Getting closer they notice an old skeleton at the base of the ziggurat, half covered in vines. They climb. Or at least they try. Stepping around this skeleton, the vine underneath the feet reacts with a lightning snap, wrapping vine around the feet of Trey, barbs pinning Trey to the spot. They party wrestle to cut, slash and burn the vine off, but not fast enough for Trey to avoid an injection of vine poison, a burning liquid that flows up his veins and carves the god known as pain around his heart. He is freed by stabs and slashes from the party. The party looks up at this ziggurat, the stairs covered in vines. There must be something at the top here. They push forward. Again the vines attack, again they send their toxic fluid into the adventurers. And again, and again. Fith uses bonfires to scope the way. The longest stair climb of Trey's life ensues, and he is toppled by a plant as he runs ahead of the cleared area. It lets go after Trey's body gives up, and finds targets anew. Powerful healing magics raise Trey up from the grave, and he is felled yet again. The brave soul is stabilised to his mortal body, and after the vine is felled, he is raised once again with a greater healing potion from his own pouch.
There is no rest for the wicked, and Saren immediately inspec
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