Gremory and Isrul barely recognize these as Brykolakas, rare aquatic undead that can create and control Lacedons, and change shape into seemingly benign aquatic animals (usually mantas and dolphins).
These brykolakas seem...different though, and yo can't put your fingers on how.
Gremory splattering small bloody pieces of one of them all across the deck does help clarify one of their abilities: when killed, Brykolakas melt into a puddle of green liquid. It doesn't seem to agree with Gortus very much.
But he suffers no overt adverse effects.
@Ace: There are now 4 of them.
"Undead shapeshifters, eh? No match for my magic blade! Ace boasted
He then casts versatile weapon: silver and taps his feet to activate the boots of haste,and goes to flank the other bykola by Gortus.
The brykolakas nearest Ace turns its attention on the new threat!
And manages to land a claw.
The other three move as well, flanking Ace and Daliya as the only landbound members of the party not protected by a giant firebreathing monster.
The first flails ineffectually, but both manage a hit on Daliya!
Daliya attempted to punch her way through the problem.
Krom drops his crossbow and draws his lance, while giving Gremory an apologetic look.
"We'll try frost breath next time."
The duo then charges at one of the Brykolakas attacking Daliya, striking diagonally from above.
One blur of the hands go by, and the sleek musket is back in working order.
"There is a scourge in the guise of sanctity."
With words of prayer, her weapon glows with a hateful red.
Ace, now poisoned, gets upset with the offending Brykolaka and proceeds to slice and dice.
Ixrul casts summon monster 6 for a Dire Tiger.
The dire tiger picks the strongest enemy and unsummons it.
It also has Rake.
In a spectacular show of why you guys are the A Team, you mop up the Elder Brykolakas within a few seconds, and their Lacedon minions either flee or are cut down in droves by your officers and more skilled crewmates.
"Thanks boss. It was rough going there for a bit." breathes Rosie, as Sandara tends to her wounds and makes sure none of the crew is infected with Ghoul Fever.
You actually have a few (about 6) that have been infected, and Sandara quarantines them.
She comes to you afterwards.
"What should we do with them, Captains?"s he asks, looking form Ixrul to Gremory.
"I don't have enough magic to cure them all, and they may die before the morning is up. If they rise again I'm not sure what they'll be like, or if the ghouls that scratched them are even alive. If their will is strong they could end up like Arron, which has worked out, but I'm not so sure they'll turn out that way."
"Save who you can. I will tend to the others myself."
"Now, about the pending conflagration." Gremory changes the discussions course to what's really important: Her things.
Daliya shook her head. "I'll deal with the fire. The only spell I have that might help the wounded is Lesser Restoration, and I don't think this is within its ability to fix." She used Create Water to damp down any flames from the firebreathing.
Gurram runs toward the fire and starts stamping on it with her huge paws, while Krom joins the discussion.
"What if we leave the ones we can't cure shackled in the brig, and see if they come back as themselves? Personally, I'd rather avoid losing any more crew than we already have."
Given the size of the fire and your usual on deck precautions against a blaze, the flames are easily smothered with no expenditure of resources.
Rubbing her hands, Daliya turned back to the others. "Is there anything else we can do for the infected crew?"
"Beyond divine healing, nothing springs to mind. The diseases are magical and best treated magically. If treatment does not seem viable, perhaps will-fortifying magic could be used to heighten the likelihood they remain free-willed."
"Either way, there's nothing we can do for them right now. So why don't we try to find Scags - or what's left of him - before another undead mob decides to attack the ship?"
"Agreed."
Turning to the his crew, Ixrul speaks. "Pull out from the shore a bit. I want a double watch as long as we're near this island."
They do so.
Arron leads you on the trail up the ridge, where a strange clearing lies, large boulders encircling what appears to be a spring (sluices cut into the hillside send the water burbling down the mountain, and eventually to the sea).
"Here we have some meandering footprints...it looks like whoever we're tracking co-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" he cuts off with a yell, as he approaches too close. His flesh, upon passing the ring of boulders, begins smoking and a pure white light eats at the edges of the burns, widening them.
He rolls down the hillside, coming to a rest some distance away.
"Whoa!"
Gurram quickly flies down toward Aaron, and Krom dismounts to help him stand up.
"That looked pretty nasty. You alright?"
Arron angrily glares at the spring.
"It's like walking into a f@&!ing shrine!" he yells, still smoldering.
"Who consecrates a spring?"
"One assumes it's some kind of blessing to keep out the new friends we made. Perhaps whoever did it can help cure our crewmen." Daliya examined the area to see if she was right, because she didn't enjoy bursting into flames.
Taking a look, the spring is highly magical, and this is evidently nothing new; ancient symbols faintly adorn the stone, archaic swirls representing that who (or what) ever erected the stone circle was a fervent worshiper of Pharasma.
"Pharasman," Daliya murmured outloud. "That would explain it's effect on poor Arron." She stepped inside, reasonably sure that Pharasma didn't have anything against Oreads or Orcs.
Daliya, in fact, feels her wounds start to heal just by entering the area.
"Oh," Daliya said as she looked at her wounds closing. "This whole place must be saturated with Positive Energy."
"There must be something more here. It's probably consecrated to dissuade the undead native to the island."
"Which means there's probably more places like this on the island. Aaron, are you good to keep going? Gurram and I can take point and warn you if we start feeling...um, healthier?"
Nodding, Daliya took a look around the sanctified area before they moved on. And gave herself a chance to heal her wounds. "If nothing else we should bring the wounded crewmen here, once we secure the area."
Ixrul can easily identify its exact properties, by the by.
Drinking from the fountain gives (once per day per character) the effects of a Cure Moderate Wounds potion with a CL of 10. Bottled water loses its properties.
Any weapon (up to 3/day) dipped in the spring also becomes an Undead Bane until the sun sets.
Krom dips his lance in the spring.
Baring her arms, Daliya coated them in the water. Putting the armour back on, she flexed her calloused fingers. She didn't feel that different...but she probably shouldn't touch Arron either.
Arron (more cautious now, even after drinking a vial that heals his wounds) points out the trail, which leads up the hill to a sheltered outcropping: a giant, vaguely pyramidal boulder perched precariously on the edge of a cliff, near which several tents are pitched and a fire blazes. As you approach, a woman's voice rings through the air.
"Wake up ya laggards! Here they come again!"
The camp begins rousing, most brandishing what (as far as you can tell at a distance) appear to be a smattering of muskets, and some crossbows.
Krom drops his lance and holds up his hands.
"Hold your fire!" he shouts. "We're not here to attack you!"
Daliya mentally added, if we'd attacked you once there likely wouldn't be an 'again', but held her hands up to show she was unarmed. Which, admittedly, didn't make much difference to her.
"Easy dears, we're just seeking an individual. Nothing nasty need become of anyone present." Gremory raises her hands away from her guns as well. Which could be somewhat reassuring.
The one in the lead lowers her sword and cautiously approaches, motioning the others to get within shooting range, but not point directly at you. As she gets nearer, it becomes apparent she is human, of Mwangi descent.
"Who are ye? And who ye lookin' fer? Maybe we could 'elp each other, aye?"
Ixrul steps forward, surveying the others. "My name is Ixrul Morcrom. My crew and I are looking for a man named Scags."
RETCON/
Ace stays in the circle to heal his wounds from the previous encounter.
also he dips his trusty magic blade into the water.
/retcon
Ace speaks after Ixrul "Were you lots bothered by those pesky undead...things...as well?"
"Bothered? BOTHERED!?! Tha bloody things ripped through the thrice damned crew! Eighteen we were when we started, and ye see only nine o' us left. We'd given up hope o' e'er seein' anyone again."
At Ixrul's statement:
"Scags went missin' damn near the start of all this and we ain't seen hide nor hair of 'im since. If'n 'e's still alive 'e's the luckiest son of a b*#!+ this side of the Eye, an' make no mistake. Not that I'd be eager to take a bet against the man, mind. 'e's always 'ad Besmara's own luck. Mebbe she shined on him one more time."