With the group basically all in agreement, they decide to leave the upraised stretch of land behind and head back out into the jungle in the dwindling light. The sun remains up for another two hours, but the thick overhead canopy means that it gets dark well before that. Cai'nan's everburning torch casts light for the group to see by, and they walk in search of a better place to rest.
The ground gets progressively swampier in this stretch of land, sinking the group up to the mid-thigh in disgusting swampy water. As you travel, you notice the occasional pinprick of pain, raising your leg out of the water to discover a leech attached. A quick scrape of a fingernail and a flick detaches it, but the leech infestation seems to be thick in this area, leading to more and more leeches as the swamp gets deeper, up to the waist.
Ahead, you can see the light of torches in the distance, but you can also see disturbances in the water in all directions, heading towards you.
A leech swarm is a Diminutive vermin with the aquatic and swarm subtypes and is thus immune to mind-affecting abilities and weapon attacks. Their attacks drain the victim's blood, gradually weakening the target as they are eaten.
Swamp-dwelling leech swarms are also frequently poisonous, their poison numbing the wounds they cause and also causing gradual and permanent paralysis in their victims. Leech swarms other great weakness is their mindlessness - incapable of any form of tactic or thought other than to surge forward and feed.
Unafe's face scrunches up in horror as she picks two leeches off of her in quick succession.
"Oh no! Get back! The leaches...
"We have minutes, at best, before they attack in force."
Unafe chants nervously, calling the ancestors to lend Haste to her companions...hoping it'll help them to avoid the swarm.
Salla starts moving away from the gathering swarm, looking around for an area that is safer, or defensible. "Salt will harm them!" She calls, actually speaking up for a change.
You are in the middle of a swampy wilderness. The terrain as far as you can see (which is only 60') is a damp mire filled with diseased-looking trees. You think that to the northeast and southwest is drier land in between the Mwangi Expanse and the Sodden Lands, and to the north are inhabited human settlements, but they're likely too far to simply run to.
You can go back the way you came, hoping for drier land - including that patch which you know is there. You can forge ahead, looking for something. To the northeast, you can see the light of torches through the darkness, but it is a bit too far away to determine any details about the source of the torchlight.
You have been walking for about the last ninety minutes. It is currently dusk, though on the jungle floor it is completely dark.
”If we can see their torches, they can see mine,” Cai’nan says to the others. ”Lets just get out of this muck before the muck eats us!”
He then makes a sprint for the direction of the torchlight, hoping that is the closest dry land.
Ciervo removes one of the leeches from his leg with the edge of a knife and holds it up to his eye, before flicking it away with a sneer. The bloodsucking creature invited a comparison that he did not care to contemplate. With no time to raise an argument, he dashes after Cai'nan, drawing another dagger just in case.
The group flees from the leech swarm towards the nearby torchlight, helped along by Unafe's speed to keep a faster pace than the swarm is able to congregate. The group is relatively close, and makes it to within easy sight of the light source before her spell even expires.
The light-source is a small swamp village, perhaps fifteen houses. Each building is suspended on wooden pylons to be above the surface of the murky water. Lightly clothed humans walk on wooden walkways between the buildings, and a few small boats sit on the swamp's surface at various points of the construction.
A small crowd - perhaps eight individuals - have gathered at the village's edge to watch the incoming torchlight.
"Hello!" calls one of the humans, a gangly and dirty male, as he waves. "You need some help?"
”Some dry land would be nice!” Cai’nan calls out as he continues to make his way towards the village. ”These accursed leeches are everywhere!”
The man calls over a few other men, who are carrying poles pilfered from their boats. The men lower the poles down into the water to help people clamber up onto the wooden platforms. "Please, come up! We no want the leeches to get you."
"You speak Kobotonese? My Taldane not so good. Only a few speak."
"Do you know that particular language Unafe?" Nicholas asks quietly.
Ciervo somehow manages to make climbing out of swamp muck look graceful. He occupies himself with extracting a few more leeches from his legs, while keeping a wary eye on their rescuers. His suspicious nature made it difficult for him to just assume that these were good samaritans.
"Kobotonese? Is that some Polyglot dialect?" he asks the others, frowning when he hears the man's broken Common.
Salla finds a quiet spot and cleans herself of any passengers, making sure her crossbow isn't damaged by the time in the swamp, and eyeing the new people with silent wariness.
The man shrugs. "Kalua there speak Polyglot if you want."
"I can use Taldane good if you need." The young man thumbs his chest proudly. "I trader. I talk with others for buy and sell. Why are you in swamp? Many danger at night. You get eat."
Unafe sighs with relief as the villagers appear to be friendly.
"Mauruuru koe mo to manaaki. Kia tata tonu o ou tupuna. Thank you for your hospitality. May your ancestors ever be close.
"I am happy to speak Polyglot--I know several dialects--but if you know Taldane that may be best for my companions.
"We are trying to prevent a nui te raru,, a Great Danger, which leads us into the Sodden Lands. If you could give us respite for the night, we would be grateful. If you could guide us in any way in reaching our destination in the Sodden Lands our gratitude would be as bountiful as the fruits of the baobab tree.
"Meanwhile, I have the honor and responsibility of being Rua-Ngakau. If any in your village are in need or healing I would be honored to offer my aid."
The man grins, waving away some of the other villagers who are spectating still. "Yes. I take you to see our leader. I think we will let you sleep here." He grasps a spear and gestures for the party to follow him, and then takes off across the wooden platform towards the small village's largest building, a longhall roofed with straw.
Inside the longhall (which is still only about thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide) is a large middle-aged, dark-skinned man sitting on a large wooden chair. To his left is an extremely tall, extremely skinny woman with very curly hair, carrying a quarterstaff. Two guards wait on chairs in the corners of the room. The man escorting you holds up one finger to indicate that you wait a moment, and then scampers forward to whisper in the chief's ear. They have a quick and quiet conversation, and then he gestures the group forward. "This is Lao. He is village chief." the man says. "He no speak Taldane, though. I can speak for you."
Salla loads her crossbow covertly under her cloak. Brushing close to Ciervo and Nicholas she whispers in Shadowtongue
"I think we're on the menu. Be ready for trouble!"
She repeats this to Unafe using Aklo, again being stealthy about the message, and then to Cai'nan in Elven.
Cai’nan doesn’t notice what Salla claims, but nods along and tightens his grip on his glaive.
Nicholas sighs and carefully adjusts his robes, allowing him quick access to his tattoos.
Ciervo lets out a very dry chuckle, as though Salla had just told him a mildly amusing joke. After a moment however, he looks back to her with a very pronounced frown. "Ah. You're serious. Well then."
He looks to the chief and his compatriots, trying to determine their best course of action if things came down to a fight.
Unafe frowns at Salla's warning. She replies, in Aklo, "That's troubling. There were neighboring tribes to the Goapeke who sometimes practiced cannibalism, though not many. I don't know if violence can be prevented, but let me try."
When introduced to the village chieftain, Unafe bows.
Speaking first in Polyglot and then in Taldane, Unafe speaks with the confidence of one trained to lead her people from a young age (and that makes her seem far older than her seventeen years).
"Ka whakanui nga mihi i te rangatira o Lao. Tuku ke fakahinohino'i'e ho'o ngaahi kuí taau ngaahi founga. Ko ahau te Unafe Rua-Ngakau, tohunga o te Goapeke. Ko oku hoa me ahau kei te haere ki roto i nga Whenua Motuhake kia kore ai e raruraru tetahi Rangata Nui, tetahi e tino pawera ana i to taone kia puta.
"E tono ana matou ma te ngakau papau mehemea ka taea e koe te whakarato ki a matou i tenei ahiahi. Ka taea e au te whangai i te nuinga o tou iwi i roto i nga manaaki o nga tupuna.
"I tua atu, ki te mea kei roto i a koe tetahi o nga kaitohu e arahi ana, e kawe ana ranei ki a matou ki nga Whenua Motuhake, e pai ana matou ki te utu ki a koe me a raatau.
"Greetings honored chief Lao. May your worthy ancestors ever guide your ways. I am Unafe Two-Hearted, Shaman of the Goapeke. My companions and I are journeying into the Sodden Lands to prevent a Great Danger, one which might well threaten your village should it come to pass.
"We humbly ask if you would provide us safe harbor this evening. If you would, I am happy to provide healing and care to any in your village in need. Additionally, I know that food can be hard to come by out here. If you would, I can feed many of your people through the blessings of our sacred ancestors.
"Additionally, if there is one among you who could guide or transport us into the Sodden Lands, we would be willing to compensate you and them handsomely."
Unafe pauses and then adds, "Mena ka tutaki koe ki a matou me te atawhai, kia mohio ka utua e matou taua atawhai kia toru nga wa. Mena ka whakakore koe ki te pupuri ia matou, ka mohio matou ko to tika me te neke atu ... A kia mohio koe mehemea kei te rapu nga tangata i roto ia koe ki te kino ia matou, ka tino pouri ratou. He nui te mana, ka nui ake te whakamahi hei awhina i te hunga e tutaki ana ki a tatou, i te mea kaore i hinga i a ratau, ahakoa e mohio ana ahau kei te pai koe ki te tiaki ia tatou mehemea e hiahia ana.
"If you meet us with kindness, know that we will repay that kindness three-fold. If you will refuse to harbor us, we will understand that as your right and move on, though with heavy hearts...And please understand that if those among you seek to harm us, they will surely regret it. We have considerable power and would much rather use it to aid those we meet than to defeat them, though I'm sure you understand that we are ready to defend ourselves if need be. I trust that in your wisdom, guided by your own sacred ancestors, you will understand that we are worth far more to you as allies."
The Koboto chieftain listens carefully to Unafe's words, translated in a murmur into his ear by the tall woman next to him. She must speak Polyglot, then. He whispers back into her ear, and then she stands tall to respond to Unafe. "E ai ki a ia ka taea e koe te noho. Kua rongo matou ki to iwi, a he atawhai ki a ratau mate. Kaore matou e hiahia ana ki te whawhai me te hoa whawhai, me nga hoa ka taea te rongoa he manuhiri tonu."
That night, Unafe's skills are put to the test. The chieftain whispers another command, and a warrior leads her to another tent with several Koboto villagers. They seem to have a variety of wounds from swamp beasts. Two have festering wounds and appear to be diseased, one appears to be suffering from acute blood loss from a leech swarm and two more are simply crippled by severe injuries.
The Koboto villagers ask what good the foreigners are.
Unafe shrugs in reply, wiping the sweat from her brow as she bandages another wound. "He tino kaha ki te whawhai...a ka wehi ahau me nga mea e puta ana i nga Whenua Motuhake e pai ana i nga wa katoa. They're very capable in combat...and I'm afraid that with what's going on in the Sodden Lands that might be useful all too soon."
"Ah, yes." Nicholas only follows a small fragment of the conversation, but he at least has a general idea of what's going on. "Many of my skills aren't useful out in the wilderness, but I am quite good at killing things that are a threat to me and my allies." He tries his best to make it sound like an offer of friendship, not a threat.