Corliss provides a healing burst. All is quiet from the enemy wreck.
Cue the mournful shanty...
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"Let's take these guys out. They're responsible for my best friends death".
"Corliss, if you have any lightning left, drop it on the cabin roof. Let's make life a little more exciting for them in there, and maybe smoke them out."
Jim strings his bow and takes a shot at Svetesky through the window.
"Aye-aye, Jimmer!" Corliss barks as he calls down a 5th lightning strike.
Dingus heads towards the building, determined to take revenge for Kaul's murder.
"Let's see if I can distract him a bit".
"Here, I don't think Sveteski did the deed--I don't remember blood on his sword until he shed some of mine. I think it was the other two gladiators, and we already got them." He grins wolfishly. "On the other hand, Sveteski needs killing on general principles, and Jaravo's between us and our crew and gear."
Madman Jim-
Dingus-
Corliss-
foe-
The crew spends a few moments healing and resting before Dingus vows vengeance and the attack renews. Jim sends an arrow right at Sveteski's head which is peering through the cabin window. They hear a curse as the sudden shot appears to hit and the head ducks out of view. There's another rumble and lightning strikes the cabin's roof, but it is unclear whether it hit the hidden enemies within. Dingus calls across the planes for assistance-
Everything is quiet aboard the wreckage as there is a burst of heat and sulfur stink as a portal opens above Dingus and a dog-sized black beetle with many jagged horns and a fiery glow radiating from its joints and eyes appears and flies loudly and ponderously for the ship.
It doesn't fly particularly fast and the crew could match it's speed if they weren't slogging through thigh-deep marsh. It reaches the cabin first and flies in as a tendril of smoke rises from the wreck's roof in the location of the recent lightning strike. The satanic scarab clatters back out of the cabin moments later and rises circling as if looking for a target.
After climbing up the ladder to the deck the crew look around and spot Svetesky just on the other side of the ship trying to escape north (30') while about 80' away, Jaravo and the smuggler are removing a camouflaged net from a jolly boat to make their escape to the south near open water. Jaravo has the target chest in his possession. Much closer, Kaul is seen lying within the cabin surrounded by a pool of blood.
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A look of determination comes upon Dingus face as he spots the two scamps heading for the jolly boat.
"Corliss! Go put Kaul's blood back in"!
"Go get them Richard".
"Corliss, get after Kaul. I can move faster than any of you in the water--I'll follow the boat." The Taldan half-swims after the leader.
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Dingus sends a welcoming gift of Vapor Vipers to Javaro to warm him up for Jim's visit.
Force Damage
Corliss nods to his two mates and goes into action.
...or....
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Jim jumps down from the boat and splashes forward to reach the coast. Corliss can see that there likely isn't enough blood left in Kaul to fill a small cup so he sends a bolt at Svetesky, grazing him just as he ducks behind a rotting hull.
Jaravo pushes the boat free of its resting spot and jumps in with the smuggler just as Dingus sends viper bolts into him. Nathan the fiendish firefly bumbles heavily forward toward the departing boat as Richard gives a disbelieving snort and then disappears into the marsh leaving a sharp V-shaped wake as he speeds ahead.
Blade in hand, Jim splashes toward the deeper water and dives in, the magic of the Sea Pact Ring taking hold as he swims after the boat.
Jaravo sends Nathan the fiend beetle back to hell with a dismissive bow shot, barely looking at it as he focuses on Jim speeding right at the boat. Lowering his bow, Jaravo shouts at the water, "Jim, Let's talk!"
"I'm listening."
"Whatever this is, gang war, vendetta; I have no allegiance with Zincher or Riddleport for that matter. I've been considering heading south and back to more reasonable climates lately," he gestures tiredly at the cold gray late-winter sky and scattered mounds of dormant brown marsh reeds inland. "Looks like the best gladiators I had are dead now so this appears to be an opportune moment to move on."
"I hope that you understand that I bear you and your companions no ill will. It was just business. Was the dead orc thief an acquaintance? Perhaps I can offer some amends there in exchange for striking a truce."
Dingus senses Richard's hesitancy to get any closer to the boat and possible death after witnessing what happened to Nathan.
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"Acquaintance? Too weak a word, mate. Kaul and I have pulled each other's @$$es out of more tight spots than I care to remember over the years. Sorry about your lads, too--if we weren't in hock to those b!tches at the Goblin...well." He grins. "Except Svetesky. How do you put up with him whining all the time?"
Jaravo chuckles. "Northern peacocks are a strange breed; not as pretty but just as preening, loud, and annoying. He earns his keep in the arena though. They all did but, risk goes with the job. Sounds like your mate was more than just a coworker. Apologies for that." He gazes southward into the Gulf of Varisia. "I think it's time to be my own boss again."
"Fair enough. He's certainly a good bladesman. So what're you proposing?" Despite the friendliness of the byplay, Jim keeps a weather eye out for treachery.
Jaravo retrieves the small chest from the bottom of the boat and holds it up in his non-spear-wielding hand. "I believe that this is what you were after. Do you know what is inside?"
"No idea. They didn't tell me what it was, and I didn't ask--just that they wanted it." The Taldan pauses. "The cold must be doing a number on my head--should've thought of that."
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Jaravo chuckles in disbelief. "Must have been in pretty deep if you didn't even ask any questions. Well, if you had asked around you may have heard Clegg had somehow acquired a vial of sun orchid elixir. I'm sure he'd have bid for it if he could but that's an entirely different level of wealth. Not that he didn't feed those rumors with the whole Orchid show he was putting on down at the docks today. Everyone thinking that ship was going out to bring back his valuable purchase. Nope, it's already here in this chest. Not orchid elixir but something near as valuable."
He opens the chest to reveal a vial sitting on blue velvet. It is glowing with golden light and capped with a glyph inscribed ruby. "This is Aqua Vitae said to come from the stockpile of the Ruby Prince of Osirion himself. It is said to heal any wound and even restore the recently deceased."
Jim's jaw drops in astonishment. "That's some powerful magic, there. Wonder what he wants it for...." Pulling himself together, he continues, "You want to trade that for letting you go unharmed?"
The smuggler at Jaravo's feet echoes Jim with disgust, "You aren't giving it to them, are you?" Jaravo gives him a kick.
"Silence. I haven't decided if you're worth keeping around yet." He returns his attention to Jim. "It's well known that whatever happened to him on the Devils Elbow left Zincher paranoid and somewhat unstable. I thought about trying to sell the Vitae off for traveling money, but something like that is going to attract a lot of attention and I don't need the hassle. I've got miles to go and prefer to travel light and fast. So yeah, it's yours if you want it. I think the harming would be mutual if it came to that, but why not keep things amiable. I'm just tired of the Crimelords and ready to be on my way."
"You're probably right, at that." Jim looks back and forth at his shipmates. "I think we've got ourselves a deal." He chuckles as a thought crosses his mind. "We said we'd return what the b!tches wanted, but I don't recall them saying it needed to be in the original container...."
"Done." Jaravo hands the chest over to Jim, gives a wave to the others on the wreck, and prods the glaring rower with his spear. "Get going."
Jim swims rapidly back to the boat, treasure in hand. "Corliss! Dingus! Tell me I didn't just get cheated--ever hear of this stuff before?"
Corliss has been watching Svetloser as he departs in the off chance that there's some misdirection going on and the gladiator, in fact, carries the item they've been sent to retrieve. He rubs the bump on his noggin and tries to recall anything he might've heard of Aqua Vitae.
Spellcraft
"I think so! Regardless what do we have to lose at this point? Hurry... give it to Kaul".
Corliss can sense strong positive energy held within the fluid and Dingus confirms that it is indeed Aqua Vitae, an incredibly rare and valuable potion that only the mightiest priests of Golarion can produce.
Jim uncorks the bottle and pours the contents into Kaul's mouth. "Down the hatch, mate! Seawraith will have to wait a little longer."
Jim tips the potion into the Kaul's mouth and it flows slowly like honey into his body, illuminating it with its glow so that his bones are visible like fossils within glowing amber flesh. The pool of blood boils without heat and the mates have to look away as the light grows becoming blindingly bright. In moments, the painful glare disappears and one has to try to squint past the after images to see what has happened. Suddenly, the still corpse emits a hacking cough and then their companion sits up!
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Jim blinks rapidly to clear the afterimages from his eyes. "Feck me, I wasn't sure that would work! How are you feeling, mate?"
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Corliss blinks as well, shocked at this display of awesome magical power.
"Welcome back," he says simply, appearing to be deep in thought.
Sure looks like ol' Kaulie, but what iff'n this be some sort o' undead revenant, back from beyond the grave to wreak vengeance from the realm o' spirits? An' how would we even know iff'n it be Kaul or some force o' revenge personified? I be thinkin' Kaulie--be him alive or undead--would act the same way, with a single-minded murderous focus on payin' back Miss Lixi. Thar be some serious Choppin' in the near future 'til he gets 'is Lopper back...an' then there'll likely be a good deal o' Loppin' as well.
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Dingus claps and squeals like a homoecoming queen, then rushes to Kaul jumping onto him and clinging with all appendages.
"Kaul! Kaul! Thank the gods you're not dead. Now I don't have to conquer the world on my own... BTW... you're not a Zombie are you"?
Kaul blinks, his beady eyes looking all the beadier for his sojourn beyond the grave... and emits a low groan akin to one of the risen dead...
"Hurrrrrrr..."
He rubs his throat with a meaty paw, as a deep, stirring realisation dawns upon him;
"Feckin' 'ell, could bloody murder a drink lads..."