SWEETSPEARGIRL RETURNS: Chapter 7: Desert-Dwelling Snake Demons
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Cast of Characters:
- SweetSpearGirl, the Mighty Jabazon
- Euyfura, the Sarcastic Rogue

TAKE HEED AND BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRUTHS THAT LIE HEREIN, FOR THEY ARE THE
LAST LEGACY OF THE HORADRIM...

After a nice rest, SweetSpearGirl and Euyfura wandered out to the Far Oasis
again via the waypoint. Packs of Itchies, nests of Black Raptors and a few
Undead Scavengers menaced them, but no Maggots or lightning beetles today so
it was routine. It wasn't long before they entered the Lost City and shortly
after that, darkness abruptly fell, as if someone had closed their fist over
the sun.

"I knew this was too easy," Euyfura groused.

"Hush, you," SweetSpearGirl said. "We'll get some nice Experience down in
these Ancient Tunnels, anyway."

So down they went. Horror Mages menaced them and Embalmed and Plague Bearers
shambled around looking for trouble. They found Wind Drool (Embalmed,
lightning-enchanted) guarding a golden chest and shortly after that some
nameless beastie coughed up - a golden ring! SweetSpearGirl pounced on it
and waved a conveniently-nearby-dropped identify scrool over it.

"Nagelring," she muttered. "Well, I might swap it out for my life replenish
ring anyway. It does have magic find *and* magic damage reduction."

Well, onward and upward. Well... onward, anyway. The Ancient Tunnels were a
bit skanky, though. Euyfura levelled, then they ran into Shadow Call the
Slayer (Plague Bearer, extra strong, and not much of a slayer), who was
little more than an inconvenience. He did, however, drop an Arctic Belt
(which SweetSpearGirl discarded in the Rogue Camp for any wandering
adventurer to grab) and a Nef rune (which she carefully stowed away).

Back out in the dark Lost City, they ran into Vile Thorn (Tomb Creeper,
conviction-aura enchanted) who SweetSpearGirl stabbed relentlessly while
Euyfura peppered the minions with arrers. Night Tigers and Champion Plague
Bearers proved little trouble (although SweetSpearGirl was still bemoaning
her lack of mana steal) and Tomb Creepers were just annoying.

"If they're Tomb Creepers, why aren't they creeping in tombs instead of
leaping around out here?" SweetSpearGirl grumbled.

"They do it deliberately to annoy you," Euyfura said sticking her tongue
out, and went back to shooting them.

"Well it's easy for you, your arrows don't rely on a mana supply that only
lasts about five seconds!"

Dark Elder (extra fast, magic resistant) and his Plague Bearer minions
intercepted the intrepid duo near a Fire Tower, but he did give up a couple
of purples which the zon could cube up, and she did level to 21 on his
death, so she didn't mind. Another 5 points in dexterity and point in
Critical Strike later, they found the entrance to the Valley of Snakes so
decided to skip waypoint searching, following Drognan's spiel about Claw
Viper Temples. Down we go!

Eeeek, stair trap! There were a pair of Bone Warrior-resurrecting Guardians
lurking in the corners of the first big room, and a pack of Claw Vipers
slinking up for the kill. Salamanders followed suit; they looked just like
their Viper cousins only they were a bright and most un-blending-in red.
Down *you* go!

Euyfura levelled again further in. Almost every room was infested with
Guardians herding and resurrecting packs of Bone Warriors, with Claw Vipers
and their ilk getting in the way and underfoot. Twice, SweetSpearGirl opened
a door only to release the floodgates: finding no less than *five* Guardians
in one chamber and a veritable horde of other enemies. The Experience shrine
she found halfway through certainly didn't hurt to boost her up!

The second level of the Temple, by contrast, was small, and inhabited only
by a few Claw Vipers, Fangskin (extra fast, lightning enchanted) and his
Salamander minions. The lightning hurt, but fortunately SweetSpearGirl was
more robust than her enemies and very soon the floor was covered in dead
snake-demons and she was kicking over the altar and grabbing herself a Viper
Amulet. Nice! She cubed herself a Horadric Staff and the couple headed back
to Lut Gholein for a well-earned rest.

TO BE CONTINUED...