When Jordan sneaks off and no one else accompanies him, Tilly frowns before whispering, "I'm going with him!" Culder returns the frown and growls, "Signal?" to which Tilly turns back a moment to give a quick nod before hopping through the jungle after Jordan.
"I meant 'What'sa signal gunna be?" the big sailor grunts to anyone who'll listen while shaking his head.
Aretta has frowns for everyone. Then she turns her attention to the stranger in your midst. Lythric offers the pirate woman a polite smile which, not surprisingly, Aretta does not return.
When you emerge from the beach, you see two forms lying on the beach to your north. The furthest one seems to be a motionless Jack Scrimshaw; the nearer body is mummified in what appears to be a shroud of seaweed. Even as you puzzle over this bit of strangeness, a pair of razor-sharp claws emerge from within the seaweed wrap and tear it asunder with frightful ease. Then a wet, lanky figure rises out of the weed. Its frame is thin and its skin rather pale and grayish, but you recognize the thing's gray-striped hair: it's Badger Medlar...or once was your half-elf crewmate. She's a hag now, but you feel nothing bad happen as you view her from this distance...but then again, her back is turned and her face isn't visible.
"Vincent," Jordan whispers into the spell. "Remember what you said about Badger turning into a hag? Any chance of changing her back?"
Jordan puts an nocks an arrow onto his bow string, waiting to see what happens, and for a response from Vincent.
"We ought just head back to yer beach an' signal the Wormwood," Aretta grouses to anyone who'll listen. All's quiet in the jungle until Vincent receives a whispered message from your scout, Jordan.
After whispering his message to Vincent, Jordan watches the half-elf-turned-hag as she stands a bit unsteadily. She looks out to sea almost longingly while picking some dangling strands of seaweed off her form. Then she notices poor Jack lying motionless in the sand nearby and takes a couple of steps in the young sailor's direction.
"I like tha' plan," Culder says nodding at the cloak, "ye get tha' o'er her head 'n' I'll give her a whack she ain' likely t'forget."
"Vincent," Jordan whispered. "Looks like Badger's been turned into a hag. Any chance of changing her back?"
I'm not sure I'm the guy you want throwing the cloak, like a net, over the hag. My reflexes aren't really the best in the business... Aghon says, still wary to approach the hag.
vincent responds to culders need of a signal"don't worry the signal will be when we hear someone screaming"
"I could try talking to her? hm, I'm not sure I've ever heard of people trying to reverse a metamorphosis, what is she doing right now?"
"You think she remembers us and won't want to hurt us?" Jordan asks Vincent. "You'd best be getting Culder and them a bit closer. I'm going to get a bit closer to her myself. You hear any yelling, get here fast."
With that, Jordan sneaks closer still.
The Badger-hag has her back to you and doesn't notice as you scurry closer to her along the beach 9to within a distance of 15-20 ft.). She bends over Jack's prone form and suddenly tears the shirt off the young pirate's chest.
"you know what, this will be the dumbest idea I'll even consider, I'm going to go talk to her, everyone else just stick the the brush and get ready to knock her unconscious, worst case we bind her and let the mage lady cure her, the signal for coming in and rescuing my sorry arse will be when you lot hear me screaming for help, anyone object this completely? or will you let me do it despite common sense? well too bad you didn't speak fast enough lets do this" and with that vincent will turn around and begin to go towards the area where badger is
When Vincent voices his plan and asks if any one objects, Aretta Bansion shrugs and says, "None here." Then she quietly adds, "It's yer funeral."
Culder shrugs and gestures Vincent towards the hag in buffoonish mimicry of the way a gentleman might gesture a lady through a door before him.
I mean, if you have the adamantine balls to do it...? Aghon looks at Vincent with new found respect. Yeah, go for it. You want us to close position, just in case, though, right?
"Can't say I'd be too upset at the loss of another pirate," Jordan mutters to himself. To Vincent, Jordan says "After seeing what one of these things can do to a town, it's probably best if we just try and end it right here. Make sure you bring the gang with you."
With that, Jordan aims for the hag and lets the arrow fly.
As soon as the arrow is loosed, Jordan ducks down behind a dune, knowing he won't have too much cover, but praying it will be enough.
"forget the comment on the state of my balls, our sneaky friend had an itchy finger and is probably loosing arrows at this moment, let us run quicker, as stealth holds no point for us now" with that vincent takes off running full speed to make sure he can at least try to save one life today to fill his good deed quota
Ah well, might be we're all rich dead men in the near future, but at least we'll have died trying. Aghon says, and takes off running trying to catch up with Vincent.
Dead, dying, thrashed by Scourge and Plugg. What difference does it make? Jarvis thinks to himself as he takes off after Vincent and Aghon.
good thing we wasted all that time talkin' about plans
Culder, with a scowl plastered across his weathered face, crashes through the woods after his shipmates.
The jungle undergrowth not only makes a lot of noise as your group hustles to the beach to confront the hag, but it also makes it impossible to run. You can see the sunlight from the beach several yards ahead, but it appears that Jordan's already taken the fight to the monster.
Jordan's arrow files true, catching the being that was formerly the half-elf Badger Medlar in the shoulder, the force of the missile spinning her about. Jordan sees that the woman's elven features are unrecognizable now beneath leathery blotched skin and a colony of warts and similar deformities. His breath catches in his lungs at the horror Badger has become.
Result 14+: You fight off the strange horror you felt merely glimpsing the hag in all her hideousness.
Result 13 or less: You take the following amount of Strength damage:
"Banner," the Badger-Hag intones slowly, as though it's a bit of an effort recalling her pre-hag existence. Then she turns in confusion toward the sea, calling out forlornly, "Mother?" Last, she hears several people crashing through the jungle toward her position.
"I will have my vengeance!" she roars. "On Harrigan. On Scourge. On anyone who dares oppose me!" The hag starts closing on Jordan but then stops, giving some consideration to the larger force approaching from the treeline.
vincent, is going to run through the woods and then clumsily slide down the 5ft drop, stopping for a second to dust himself off and then looks over at both badger and banner and thinks to himself I seem to have a problem with being near bad situations
"Badger! the hell is going on right now?!"
I'll now delay my action until I get a response from her or she moves towards me
btw, quick question, did we here what badger yelled? and is that two double moves?[/ooc]
As Vincent bursts onto the beach and confronts Badger, the former half-elf--now a hideous sea hag herself--levels a deadly stare in the sorcerer's direction without answering his question.
Result = 14+: Although you find Badger's new appearance most hideous, you fight off any negative effect it might have conveyed.
Result = 13 or Less: The hag's wretched appearance weakens you magically; take the following amount of Strength damage.
Result = 14+: Your breath catches in your throat for an instant as you feel the hateful power of the hag's gaze, but you fight off its magic.
Result = 13 or Less: You are staggered by a foreboding sense of impending doom.
Jordan tries to move and weakly takes a step away from Badger.
"Well, as much as I might not like some of the crew of the Wormwood, can't have you going around and sinking our only way back to port, can we?" he says, haggardly.
Using what bit of his strength he can to draw another arrow back, Jordan shoots again at the Badger-hag.
Jarvis mutters quickly, keeping his head down, summoning up the sound of the Graverobber yelling.
To hell with it. Aghon mutters and conjures up another flying ice bolt.
After the bolt hits, Aghon moves to stand right beside Vincent. Allo mate. He says, giving him a good wink'n'grin.
Culder moves to within striking distance of the hag, but his last few steps are slower and more deliberate. "Le's all think on this fer a minute..." he calls out, "iffin all she be wan'in' is some r'venge, 'n' she ain' gonna mess up our way back t'port, that ain' a bad idea..."
Jarvis's fake Gravedigger roar doesn't seem to phase Badger in the least; her brow drops in anger and her now-jagged teeth clench as she prepares to fight. The halfling bard might get a little something out of his attempt, however, as Aretta Bansion jumps in fright and then refuses to move toward the fight.
Culder and Aghon get their first good look at the frightful monstrosity Badger has become .
Tilly looks back over her shoulder briefly when she hears the fake monster noise but then bursts onto the beach, intending to sing an inspirational war song. When she catches a glimpse of Badger, however, her knees go weak and she collapses face-first on the sand, lying motionless.
Lythric continues to slowly continue toward the beach and the battle.
Result = 14+: Although you find Badger's new appearance most hideous, you fight off any negative effect it might have conveyed.
Result = 13 or Less: The hag's wretched appearance weakens you magically; take the following amount of Strength damage.
Damn. That didn't work. Jarvis says, almost to himself. Flinging a finger out at Badgerhag. In a whisper, he sends his words out to her.
Badger, this isn't the you we know. We know you hate Scourge, and you detest Plugg. Let alone the Captain on board. Stop this fighting with us and instead work with us to go back and kill them! They are the real enemies!
Sweet crabmeat! She is thrice-damned ugly!
Badger seems confused as Jarvis magically whispers in her ear and Culder refrains from trying to bash her with the oar he wields. She gives a parting glance at Jack Scrimshaw, hisses, and withdraws to the water, quickly diving beneath the ocean's surface.
Back in the jungle, Lythric slowly moves through the undergrowth toward the beach while Aretta stays near Jarvis, giving the halfling an unfriendly glare.
Oh calm yer sea bitties Aretta. You've never tried spooking someone during a boarding party before? Jarvis says with a grin.
Well that was not at all how I planned it in my head. Still, all's well that ends well, 'mIright? Now to get that treasure back to the ship, and see how many people that Badger-hag killed before she got run through. Who's with me?!