Sitting in Kyoshiro's cabin again, the captain pours the sake and leans back in his chair. "Denaren's Corpse? It's been at least five years since I was last there...The town's a little unique. The people there don't deal with Horace or his cronies. Nah, they have a minotaur that gives them trouble. Denaren, as legends put it, was a crusader. He went around smiting evil or what have you. Well, he came to the island and found it was overrun with those bull-headed beasts. So he got rid of all of them except one. That last minotaur did him in, but, when Denaren died, a labyrinth arose out of his bones to contain the monster."
He takes a long drink. "Anyway, the monster knows his way around the labyrinth after being trapped there for so long. He threatens the townspeople for food and a virgin woman every month, saying he'll come out of the labyrinth if they don't give in. It's probably a lie, but the people are too afraid to call the beast on it."
”A minotaur!” Skaar grunts in surprise at the explanation. ”You think the people livin’ in Denaren’s Corpse’ll be willin’ to take up arms and go to war if I save their virgin daughters from the beast? On the other hand, if they’re not virgins…” he add with a rough laugh.
The conversation brings Skaar’s attention to Corda briefly and his own neglected needs.
Forcing another drink down his throat to distract himself, the hulking greenskin turns back to Kyoshiro, ”I wouldn’t mind a chance to test my strength against a bull minotaur.”
Accepting the cloak from Skaar she said, "Awww, how sweet." Then Corda kissed him on the cheek. Putting down the garment, the Witch continued, "I'll clean it tomorrow. Shall we eat?"
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At the mention on taking on the Minotaur, Corda's mind just pictured the titanic scene in her head, and it made her feel all fuzzy.
"I don't know if they'll go to war for you," Kyoshiro says, downing his "lucky" seventh drink. "But they have good mines in the area. Good mines mean good weapons or some leverage in trading."
Between the rice wine and the information, Skaar’s head starts to spin. He never thought he’d been involved in directing a war effort and yet that’s where he found himself. But he couldn’t do this alone. He needed someone with the skills and experience to put the resources he was gathering into use.
The big orc grunts as the idea hits him, ”Randall! I need to get a message to Randall. He’s a little guy, sea captain, you heard of him?”
"You mean Rando Saltspray? How do you know him?"
"Yea, him", Skaar grunts. "Me and some friends were on his ship when one of Horace's goon's sank us with some magic. We traveled together for a while after that."
"Have you met his whore?"
"You mean the half-orc woman?"
"No, that's Zahira and she's not a whore", Skaar growls at the assumption.
"She's a little person like him. So you know him and his crew?"
"Yeah, what's left of it, but there was never a halfling woman with him."
"I need to contact him. I know there's a spell that let's people talk from far away - we used to get our orders that way. D'you think there might be a spellcaster in Denaren's Corpse that knows the spell?"
"Anything's possible," Kyoshiro says off-handedly.
"What do you know 'bout him?"
"Apparently since he lost his ship a few weeks ago, he had been traveling with some vishkanya. Gambled and won a ship in Jin Zhao. Lately, he's been sailing around these isles looking for people to join up with him. I suppose he thinks it's high time to take the fight to Horace."
"He's around here? What are the chances... You think you could track him down while I deal with the rumored minotaur?"
"もちろん! No problem. As long as you don't have me swinging a sword at anything, I'm your guy."
Skaar grunts, tips back another cup of the rice wine, and tries not to think about the nubile young woman purring against his side.
After a good amount of drinking and discussion, you head to your cabin. Corda collapses on the bed while Skaar settles on the floor. You awake the next morning, the movement of the ship rocking you back and forth.
Skaar spends his day fiddling with the choker around his neck and studying what's become of Hanely's mace.
The choker remains firmly clasped around Skaar's neck nor does he glean anything from fiddling with it. The mace however imparts its secrets as the orc studies it, but he cannot conceive of a reason why it changed so.
A short while later, the boat stops at a small town. From the porthole in the room you can see the buildings are mostly run down, but you see folk milling about in the center of the town. Beyond the buildings, you see a towering bone white structure. Kyoshiro stumbles into your cabin after a respectful knock.
"We're here."
"That was quick", Skaar as he tugs at the choker one last time.
The big orc slings his pack over his back and gestures for Corda. "Come on girl, let's see what these people are like"
Kyoshiro waves as you depart from the boat. "I'll be back in a couple of days. I'll see if I can find Rando for you."
You walk down the gangplank into the small town. The townspeople eye you suspiciously, but the mace at your side seems to assuage whatever fears they may have.
Skaar glances at the mace on his hip that seemed to be calming the people of Denaren's Corpse. Thanks again Hanely.
Not knowing especially where to start, the big greenskin goes to what he knows, asking for the nearest bar.
A rugged looking man, deeply bronzed by the sun, answers Skaar's inquiry. "There is no bar here. Even if we had one, it'd be dry on account of that minotaur."
Skaar studies the speaker, "I heard 'bout your minotaur. Is he drinkin' all your booze too?"
"He would if we had any. This town's too piss poor to worry about alcohol," the man says, wiping some sweat from his brow. "So why are you here?"
"I'm just passin' through", Skaar grunts. "But I'm interested in hearin' more 'bout your problem. The girl and I might be able to help."
"Heh, really?" the man asks, incredulous. "The minotaur's been here as long as the town. The only way into the labyrinth are those doors over yonder."
He points to a pair of great iron doors, marked with sigils. You see sizable cracks along the sides of them. "He's been wearing them down all these years. They'll probably give soon enough."
Skaar approaches the great doors to study their soundness.
"I heard this place was created when the beast inside killed some big paladin. You know anything 'bout the legend?"
Corda awoke the morning after dinner feeling very refreshed. After healing up Skaar with her wand, she proceeded to clean the fat man's cloak. It took about an hour to get the smell out, but she did it. Upon putting it on, the young woman couldn't help twirl around a couple of times. Once she was finished, Corda went to inspect the choker when the captain informed them of their arrival.
Entering the village, she spoke little, and stayed close to Skaar.
The iron doors look like they could have kept back the Asmodean horde, if needed. That is, if they were in the condition they used to be in.
"Ayup, the legend is why this town was built. Tourist trap, if you know what I mean. But like all things, it wasn't meant to last. It was kind of stupid to build a town outside of a labyrinth. It's not like anyone here is its caretaker. Well, there's never an end to the dumb things people'll do for money. Oh, and there's the mines, of course."
"I heard 'bout those mines too..." Skaar says.
"What's yer name and do you speak for everyone here?"
"I'm Creighton and, no, I don't speak for everyone," the man says, rubbing the back of his head with a calloused hand. "We really don't have anyone who does anymore. Anyone with sense has already left and those too weak or too stubborn to leave are all you see here. I suppose I'd be one of the stubborn ones."
"I'm Skaar and this is Corda", the big orc says with a nod. "D'you think you can get everyone together. The girl and I are gunna deal with your minotaur but we need somethin' from all of you in return."
Hope this works. Corda thought.
While he waits for Creighton's response, Skaar leans over and whispers to Corda.
"You don't have to do this. This is gunna be dangerous, maybe more than dealin' with the skulls..."
"It's only one Minotaur. I have faith you can handle one." After giving him a peck on the cheek, she smiled and continued, Perhaps even three, my godly love.
Skaar chuckles at the girl's devotion, "Still, it doesn't sound like this is just any minotaur. We gotta be careful. He has a thing for virgins after all", the big orc adds with a raised brow.
Patting the Orc's cheek, she responded, "You wouldn't let some over-sized bull take what is rightfully yours, would you?"
Skaar snorts as the now familiar painful tightness fills his leggings.
"Girl, you've a talent that would make a Calistran jealous... Only one bull's claiming you and that's me."
Giving him another peck on the cheek, Corda playfully added, "Just a few more days, my love, and you will."