Anga casts detect magic and examines the items
Take ten on spellcraft, result is 21
Anga identifies two vials of Cure Light Wounds. She does not identify the belt.
Ulfgard raises his hand, still need a little bit of healing... just to be on the safe side.
Ragnir makes his way down to the prisoner, eye blazing beneath his hair and beard. Seeing the woman prisoner, he approaches her with a snarl, "Well it be seemin' tha' yer pig-dog friends came te try an exact some revenge, as ye were instructin'. He slams he axe against the wall next to her or the bars of the cage, Well guess wha' happened? He shows that he doesn't have a wound on him or even marred armor from a blow, "No a damned thin'! Other than t'crew'll be cleanin' some stains fraim t'deck, an' crocs'll be feastin' well on orc carcasses." He huffs out a breath and shrugs, "I be kennin' why ye did it, ye was upset a'cause ye were thinkin' we *murdered* yer alchemist lover. Just ken tha' he laid siege t'me town. He started war, an' lost. Weren't no murder. Was a straight up fight, n'he lost. Trouble f'r ye lass, is t'cap'n n crew are all fer sellin' ye t pay f'r repairs. Ye're a pretty enou' lass tha' I be cringin' t'think who'll be buyin' ye. Fill me in on wha' ye all be plannin' an' why ye're attackin' and I'll do me best t'stop em fraim sellin' ye. If'n ye don't? Ragnir shrugs again, "Cap'n's well within his rights t'be sellin' ye ta make up fer the repairs yer orders cost the ship."
Melira is still bound and in the bilge. In her skivvies, she is dirty and stinks to high heaven. Her hair is matted with blood and bilge sludge. She looks at Ragnir, tears forming, "Skeed loved me. He really loved me." The hard woman begins to break and cry. But then tears quickly turn to anger, "Grenseldek was going to make Skreed ruler over both Trunau and Freedom Town. He was going to build and empire and I was going to be his queen. But then you usurpers came along and ruined it all." Melira grits her teeth and scowls at the Warpriest. She lunges at the Dwarf, but to no avail. She may seem delusional in her current state, but without the party, Trunau could have easily fallen to Skreed and the Twisted Nail Orcs that day.
Haskyll takes a few moments to prepare a cure spell, and then will look over the belt.
"Aye lass, ye may think he did, but seems te me this Genseldek used ye and yer love fer his own ends, an went n'sent him off against a force he couldna beat. We weren't usurpin', just protectin' our homes." Ragnir stops, looking thoughtfully at the girl, Might even be Genseldek be sendin' yer Skreed there on purpose. Maybe wantin' a powerful Alchemist wot may have been someone others would follow out of the way? Turn yer rage te him as the commander what be sendin' out his troops unprepared. Now do ye ken wha' this man wot sent yer love to his death be plannin' next?" Ragnir will look about to see if there's some clean water about that he can offer to her so she can clean up.
Ragnir would need to go topside to find clean water. "Skreed talked about getting this thing for Grenseldek. A weapon I suppose. What Grenseldek was going to do with it, I don't know. In exchange, Skreed could use the Twisted Nail tribe to take Trunau. He believed that with the Twisted Nails he could take Freedom Town too. Grenseldek would then have an ally between her lands and those "do gooders" in Lastwall." Their is real contempt in her voice when she mentions Lastwall.
The rest of this day goes without event. Ulfgard will note a crude path from the stone marker into the Ghostlight Marsh.
Day Twenty-Three
Looking around Ulfgard kneels down to check the path.
"Well, seems we have found our way to go!"
"Aye. We will wait until your return," the Captain then adds, "within reason."
Anga casts mage armour, and keeps alert. She'll go middle of the pack, say third in the marching order.
Onward
Aye, then lead on Ulfgard
Haskyll takes up a position at the back of the party.
In the morning, Haskyll looks over the belt again.
Haskyll magically determines that the belt is a Belt of Incredible Dexterity +2.
At first light the party heads north of the stone marker on the riverbank. Ghostlight Marsh is comprised of slow-moving streams, pools of stagnant water, and scattered hummocks of mud and waterlogged reeds. The process is slow. A little over a half of a mile (800m) north of the keelboat, you comes across one of the many denizens of the swamp. Though it is a large creature, it hides well within the deep bog.
Surprise Round
Mordea was quick to react to the creature rising out of the swamp. She turns and fires a crossbow bolt at the snake-like beast. She sticks a bolt into the body of the creature.
Ragnir moves next to Anga, holding his shield to protect them both, waiting for the creature to come close enough for him to hit it with his axe.
Haskyll attempts to deflect the creature from its strike with his spear.
Torag assist us in this time.
Surprise Round
As the huge multi-headed snake-like creature rises out of the watery bog, Mordea hits it with a crossbow bolt.
Ulfgard and Kaos don't immediately notice the creature.
Haskyll Blesses the party.
The creature rises out of the bog slinging mud all over. It is massive. You are amazed that such a huge beast could hide so well. But the bog can deceiving. It is deep in places.
Ragnir moves next to Anga.
Round One
surprise round
Anga casts shield
round 1
anga steps back 5 feet, casting a spell. flame gathers around her hand.
Moving carefully forward Ulfgard tries to find a way to attack the beasts central body.
On second thought Ulfgard retreats to stable ground.
"We have to get it to sure footing, or we are doomed."
Surprise Round Finish
Anga brings up a magical Shield upon herself.
Round One
Mordea moves back and loads another bolt. She stumbles in the muck of the bog causing the bolt to glance off the creatures leathery hide.
Anga, on the other hand, hits the huge multi-headed snake snake square in its body. She knows this creature, but its traits and names are just off the tip of her tongue.
Ulfgard moves to more solid ground.
Kaos takes a step back and puts up a Shield.
The six-headed snake move up a little. Its three right heads attack the big human. Its three left go after the female human. All three left heads strike the Rogue. Two of the three right heads strike Kaos; one was a near critical strike.
Round One and Two continued
Mordea freaks out. She fully withdraws from combat to drier ground.
Anga steps back five feet and casts magic missile
Ragnir steps between Anga and the creature, dropping his shield and taking up his longhammer
Get clear lass, and let us deal with this overgrown snake.
Haskyll moves up slightly to help the group.
Taste Acid you beast
Hefting his spear, he moves up to help spear the snake.
Ulfgard squeezes past Ragnir to get into position and strikes the beast.
Haskyll moves up slightly and hits the snakey beast with a blob of acid.
Round Two Start
Mordea withdraws from combat. She is really upset, seriously injured and covered in swamp muck.
Ulfgard advances on the six-headed beast.
Two of the heads snap at the Ranger Barbarian as he approaches. The first head's bite fails to penetrate Ulfgard's armor. But the second head draws Dwarven blood.
Ulfgard fights off the bite and drives Agrimmosh into the snakey body.
Anga steps back and pops the six-headed snake with a Magic Missile.
Kaos steps up and with a "Die you beast!" buries the giant-sized axe into the beast's body.
Each head of the beast begins to drop, one after the other. The creature dies.
A wanderer in these swamps can be seen.
After the beast falls dead, Mordea walks past the party, ignoring everything else "That's it! I am heading back to boat."
Hold on a minute Lass.
Sorry Lass, that is the best that I can do for right now, as I don't know how much I will need from Torag until we get back.
Leira is tired and lost. There has been days wandering in the swamps without direction Perhaps this was not that a good idea after all.
Then she overhears the sudden roar of multiple beasts followed by the noise of battle. The girl approaches carefully the place just to discover a group of adventurers as they destroy a six-headed huge reptile "The heroes of Bloodmarch Hill!" she cannot other but exclaim.
"Ei!" she screams from the other side of the deep bog "You! You come from Trunau don't you?" the girl tries to approach but a look at the fallen beast and the traitorous waters makes her change her mind.
"I think I am lost, I have been wandering around for hours, I need help" she looks at the garundi woman complaining and walking towards the boat "You are the heroes of Bloodmarch Hill, aren't you? I was there too, I saw you bringing down that giant next to the Hopespring"
"Oh, sorry, my name is Leira. Some of you might know me, I am the daughter of..." her voice breaks at that point for a second "Aliana... the small magic shop keepr in the middle neighbourhood"
you're a long way from home, lass. And real lucky.
The girl brings a hand to her front "Well, I have been certainly lucky" she giggles a bit nervous.
"Are you really the heroes of Bloodmarch Hill? Wow, I am certainly lucky" the girl seems not to believe her own good luck.
"I am going to avenge the death of my father killing the Twisted Nail's chieftain" despite the obvious craziness of the statement the girl seems serious and determined "I left Trunau the very same day of the siege after I discovered their attack had also finished with the life of my mother"
Despite not crying, you sense Leira is clearly emotional. Perhaps pride is not letting her showing her feelings up plain.
"As for how did I get here... well, I run through the plains and hide from the orcs and giants during the midday. I got to a group of them and hide on one of the siege engines they were taking back home. I hide there during days" the girl seems despised at the remember of the experience "The machine broke one wheel at some point and they left it abandoned in the road. When I got out I tried to track down their footprints, which I should say it was not difficult at all... but during the morning I saw an enormous bird flying over my head looking for prey. I think it was this kind called roc"
The girl shivers at that moment "I tried to hide but it was too late and the bird attacked me. Fortunately instead of killing me it grabbed me in its talons. I thought I was going to die, so I tried to simulate to be already dead. Somehow, I convinced the thing because it flew during hours without bothering with me. I guess it just wanted to feed with fresh meet its baby birds"
Probably her interlocutors are full of disbelieve or shock at this point so the girl brings a brilliant red feather "This one had some strange red feathers among its regular ones. I do not know how far or what direction we took, but after long hours the creature stopped to drink water in these marshes and I profited the chance to escape. I think I got lucky again as the bird got distracted with a large crocodile letting me to go far away its sight"
"And well... that's mostly all of it... I have been in these marshes for one day totally lost... and had too much for me for a long time so if I could join you for a while, at least until I can rest and ready myself to continue my pursuit..." she suddenly seems struck by something herself "But wait! What are you doing here yourselves?"
Leira gladly follows the party if offered or suggested to.
After listening for a moment to the girls words, Ulfgard shakes his head. "This ain´t no place for a lonely laddie. You should come with us. Won´t say it´s safe, but for sure its safer. Wich reminds me, I alays wanted to taste Hydra flesh, anyone else for some steaks for dinner?" With that the dwarf starts to go for some choice pieces of hydra flesh.
Mordea stomps her way back to the boat. The party with Leira follow her. When Mordea reaches the river, she removes her soft mud soaked boots and jumps into the river to clean off the muck and blood. After a quick bath, she climbs aboard the keelboat. Mordea heads straight to the Captain, barefoot and soaking wet, "If you will take me, I will serve you as a member of your crew."
The Captain's look is a mix of confusion and surprise. He simply says, "Sure." He looks at the rest of the party with a puzzled shrug raising his hands with the gesture.
Mordea looks at the party, she is a little more calm, "I like this boat. I don't like the swamp. No more huge multi-headed snakes. This is where I belong."
Mordea climbs up the main mast. She evicts the Half-Orc there and climbs into the crow's nest. The Half-Orc crewmember climbs down. The Captain orders the other Crewmember to the kitchen, "It looks like we will have more for dinner."
Captain Bloodtusk then looks at the party, "What is all this about? And who is this?" He looks at Leira.
The party tells the Captain the story. The party and crew then work to dine on some Hydra steaks. The taste was very pleasing.
Level Five
Well, we are not done in the swamp, but it looks like we will be going again in the morning.
Leira looks amazed at Mordea's outburst. Then she accepts the hospitality of the captain and the party with delight.
"This is a real improvement after days lost in the marshes" says the girl as she takes whatever place the crew offers her.
During the dinner she eats Hydra steaks as if it was the tastiest of the spicy lambs "Well cooked this one" she looks around still amazed of her company "So what happened after the siege? What are you looking for in the Ghostlight marsh?"
After the dinner, the girl attempts to have her clothes and items clean from the abundant mud. And then she takes her first full rest after days.
Ragnir just watched as the orphan girl 'attached' herself to the group, and gave a small smile. Seems like we be collectin' misfits and outcasts. She just became another one he'd have to lend a shield to. To his surprise he found that he didn't mind it so much. The dwarves were natural, but he found that the humans he was starting to think of as friends too.
He came up out of the reverie at Leira's question, "We be lookin' fer a wisp. Ye didn't happen te be seein' one while wanderin' about, did ye?"