The Black Citadel
You put the key in the hole and turn it. Emblems of snakes light up on the door for a split second and then disappear. Upon opening the door and entering, you find the room is quite musty smelling and dark. There is only a flickering of light emanating from the torches on the walls, giving you just enough light to see ahead. Six large roughly carved pillars are situated disorderly around the large bare room. Next to the first pillar you see a stone statue of an elf, its facial features frozen in what looks like a mixture of surprise and horror. Upon nearing the second pillar you find a stone statue of an orc, it's also frozen with a shocked look on its twisted face. It must have been the result of some enchantment you think to yourself. You wonder what lies ahead in the gloomy darkness and the end of the room.
You reach the third pillar and notice three skeletons of what appear to be men, lying flat on the ground. Though as soon as you past them you hear something like a rustle of bones, making you spin around with your sword in hand to find, to your horror, that the skeletons have risen and are standing there with rusty scimitars in hand. They don't advance, only stand there in the perfect silence and gaze at you through empty eye sockets.
You hear a noise from behind you, sounding like a hissing of snakes. Curiosity is tempting you to turn around and find out what's approaching you from behind, but you don't trust the shifty skeletons in front of you. There is no doubt these soulless slaves would quite mindlessly put one of those rusty swords through your back. Somebody speaks,
"Mortal, it seems you've met my two little pets here," says a hissing sounding woman's voice that sends an instant shiver down your spine. "Turn around and gaze upon me mortal, gaze upon my ageless beauty. Don't fear my pets, they can only harm you if I command it."
A sudden realisation dawns upon you of the identity behind you. You remember the legends from your youth. Men turned to stone by the snake headed one. In fact, you just past first an elf and then an orc in their stony silence.
There aren't many alternatives to get out of this tight situation.
You reach the third pillar and notice three skeletons of what appear to be men, lying flat on the ground. Though as soon as you past them you hear something like a rustle of bones, making you spin around with your sword in hand to find, to your horror, that the skeletons have risen and are standing there with rusty scimitars in hand. They don't advance, only stand there in the perfect silence and gaze at you through empty eye sockets.
You hear a noise from behind you, sounding like a hissing of snakes. Curiosity is tempting you to turn around and find out what's approaching you from behind, but you don't trust the shifty skeletons in front of you. There is no doubt these soulless slaves would quite mindlessly put one of those rusty swords through your back. Somebody speaks,
"Mortal, it seems you've met my two little pets here," says a hissing sounding woman's voice that sends an instant shiver down your spine. "Turn around and gaze upon me mortal, gaze upon my ageless beauty. Don't fear my pets, they can only harm you if I command it."
A sudden realisation dawns upon you of the identity behind you. You remember the legends from your youth. Men turned to stone by the snake headed one. In fact, you just past first an elf and then an orc in their stony silence.
There aren't many alternatives to get out of this tight situation.