The girls simply accept their fate, whatever it may be. Silkworm, who is fully clothed in many layers of silk. introduces the girls.
There is Jitterbug, who is completely nude, and three others who are hardly dressed themselves: Sockhop (clad in stockings), Rackpat (topless) and Moonitune (bottomless).
The other three, like Silkworm, are fully clothed: Ragdoll is wearing a wig made of long, curly human hair: red, blonde, and black. Mudpie is wearing nail polish on fingers and toes, and make-up on her lips, cheeks, and around her serpentine eyes. Toadstool's posture and frilly gown make her look more like a princess than a slave.
The girls have scaled patterned skin, like snakes. Aside from a long neck, lack of hair (not even eyebrows) or a belly button, and some sharp ridges along the back and chin, they have a rather human quality to them. They smile pleasantly at the bird and the man who took a risk to set them free.
Silkworm then says, "Thank you for freeing us. The Prince has not mistreated us."
Rackpat adds, "We were certainly prepared to suffer when he commanded us to strip."
Jitterbug says with a shudder, "I thought..." She does dare say it.
Sockhop says in a consoling tone, "He had us strip slowly, but at one point he commanded, 'stop.'"
Moonitune mutters, "It would have been nice if he had us put our clothes back on."
Sockhop goes on, "But he just had us stop and don our chains. He said he could not wait. His men had failed him, and we needed to use magic to sail to the king in one day."
Toadstool says, "By royal decree, we were not to be toys, but serve a more royal purpose. He offered us diamonds."
Silkworm says, "Yes. That is what he offered us. But we were not fooled. A slave cannot accept riches. The diamonds were quite tempting."
Mudpie says, "They had a sweet smell, like a dessert Mother used to make back when she cooked for the Boggard Queen. I waned to just lick the diamond... just once."
Ragdoll says, "The Dawnflower would have forgiven us."
Silkworm speaks in the tone of a leader, and a religious one at that. "We do not test our goddess' forgiving ways by knowing doing wrong, and the Dawnflower is the goddess of our former human owner, so it is known: a slave cannot accept a possession from her owner no differently than a doll cannot own another doll."
Ragdoll shrugs. She looks at Alistair and says, "In the end, it was just another slaver messing with us. The Frog Prince asked us why we didn't accept his gift, then answered his own question. 'Cause they're mine, he said. And he ate all eight of the diamonds."
Toadstool shakes her head. "He was dribbling the purple liquid center. What kind of a prince drools his food, even if it is an edible jewel of some sort?
By the time the girls have said all this, Alistair is removing the final bolt. But the girls just sit there.
Silkworm says to him, "I suppose this makes you our owner, though the Prince may have words with you over this. We will do as you command."
Jitterbug asks Alistair, "Can you please command us to bring our clothes wherever you're taking us? I can't put 'em on with these stupid shackles, but Ragdoll can pick the locks with her hairpins later."
First, there was the gaseous stench as soon as he Prince retreated (as any skykin would expect from a frog). The human noticed this stench as well. It was the stench of a stomach's inside when a bird of prey rips open a creature so ill it is best left uneaten.
Second, there was a struggle. Humanoid ears did not notice this, or the people would have looked toward the door and pointed while they were talking so much. There was a sound of a lock being undone, after the gunshot was fired. Immediately following that was the sound of a body pressed against the door, and a muffled whimper. And the smell of death to subtle for a humanoid to perceive. It seems the Prince smothered his own guard to death.
The third smell is from the Prince again. It occurred as the guard was dying. It is like the first smell, only stronger, and accompanied by a worse stench. It reeks of death. For reasons Hunter does not quite understand, the Prince is dead. And yet, the creature senses danger. Something about the Prince's death feels very dangerous to Hunter.
Sabs grabs a hold of one of the toadies' legs lighting it on fire.
Henrietta shrugs the tongue off of her, thrusting out with her lance into the frog's belly.
"Wash your mouth sometimes, eugh."
Hank continues his usual routine of trying to throttle the frog.
Henrietta resists the grapple and strikes back. Her father crushes the dying foe, and finds that the bigger the frogman, the slimier the squish.
The last few bits of frog fall from the sky, but the result is just a few froglegs and eyeballs bouncing harmlessly off of our heroes.
The one remaining Toadie stabs downward at Sabrina, taking advantage of her prone position in the grease spot—
—but as his spear manages to slip by the tiny target, Sabrina grabs the Toadie's leg and lights him up. He croaks in agony as a burning spear is thrown from his wildly flailing limbs and into the sea. The Toadie dives overboard to quench the flames engulfing him, but ends up diving onto the dock just a few feet below. Fortunately, he does not seem to be conscious after the face plant. His charred body twitches a moment, then all is calm outside.
Those outside hear a gunshot from inside the ship...! And by the time our heroes can get to the door, they see black tentacles blocking the way in. But apparently, the tentacles do not stretch ceiling to floor through out the entire room. There is a sound of women talking, and the voices are rather calm despite the gunfire and creepy writhing tentacles.
A princess-like voice demands to know, "What kind of a prince drools his food, even if it is..." Some of her words are muffled by writhing tentacles.
Another girl with a confident voice says, "I suppose this makes you our owner, though the Prince may have words..."
Another sounds like she's asking permission for something: "Can you please........... wherever you're taking us? ..........these stupid shackles..."
The three eagles find perches in the rigging, watching for danger until the magic holding them in material plane fades.
Through their empathic link, the wizards sensed Hunter’s emotions shift from calm to concerned. Underlying the concern was the familiar sense of frustration Hunter often felt when unable to communicate something urgent.
Though his eyes never left the door through which Hunter and the Prince departed, Caldeon made a complicated gesture that dismissed the grease spell.
Turning from the door, Caledon knelt by the prone gnome and offered her a hand, speaking in Sylvan.
The black tentacles start to separate from the door. Some still twitch as they land; others dissipate as the fall. From inside, our heroes on the deck can hear a plop-plop-plopping, and some very wet splats. Girls scream, but not in pain, and the screaming is calmed easily. There are footsteps, the rattling of chains...
...then they emerge: Alistair and eight slave-girls. One has Hunter cradled in her arms. She is wearing many layers of silk, as well as three shackles: one on each wrist, and one on her ankle. Each shackle chains her to a different slave girl, but the chains have enough slack the the girls can move in formation.
Only four are clothed. One is nude, one is topless, one is wearing only a shirt, and one is wearing only stockings. Their skin is like that of a snake, but have the shape of women—aside from the long necks, sharp ridges along the spine and chin, and lack of a belly button and hair. (One of the fully-clothed has long curls of red, blonde and black, but it is obviously a wig.)
The one in silk sees some of our heroes are hurt. She says, "I live to serve." The girls bow their heads in prayer...
The slave with the wig says, "Yeah, I'm happy to serve new masters myself. The further we get away from that diamond-eating weirdo, the better."
Although he took care not to scratch Silkworm, Hunter immediately took flight upon reaching the main deck. Taking considerably less care to keep from scratching Caledon, the falcon alights on the Wizard's shoulder and makes urgent scratches at Caledon's backpack.
Unlimbering the pack Caledon deadpans, "The errant paladin returns from his quest, and his humble squire is obliged to serve."
From his pack, Caledon produces several items. He hands a bedroll bundled with a poncho to the nearest slave girl. "There is a blanket and sheets in the roll. You are welcome to fortify yourselves against the chill. The mule at the end of the pier
has another blanket as well as food and drink.
The last item is a large, well used piece of parchment that he rolls out on the deck. With an impatient flutter, Hunter moves from the shoulder perch to the parchment. The falcon starts making a series of gestures over the document, which Caledon interprets.
Written on the parchment in large block characters is the Common Alphabet and numerals 0 through 9.
Also written on the parchment is a variety of list, spaced apart and in a large enough hand that Hunter can easily point to the listed items.
Included on the parchment:
Letters: Common Alphabet
Numbers: Common Numerials
Yes/No/Maybe/or/Don't Know and Other common phrases
All of Caledon's known spells - coded as symbols and not labeled in case the parchment is stolen.
The Cardinal directions: North, South, East West.
Common types of terrain.
Weather conditions.
A variety of measurements: distances, heights, depths, time and weights.
A list of pronouns: he, she, them they etc.
Common Humanoid Racial types - human, elf, gnome etc.
The broad categories of Monster to types: Animal Aberration, Fey etc.
The main schools of magic.
Common types of Casters: Wizard, Witch, Cleric etc.
Common types of weapons.
Common titles, positions and social classes: i.e Baker, Guard, Noble, Peasant.
A Semiphore code designed for use with dancing lights, written dots and dash or even audible knocks.
"How many"
...1...
" I saw two enter"
...1...Guardman...d...I...e...
"The gunshot?"
...No...Nobleman..d...o...
"Your grammar is impeccable. The prince killed his bodyguard?"
...yes... Nobleman...Undead...or... Monsterious Humanoid... maybe... Aberration...s...m...e...l...l...d...e...a...t...h...
"Are you sure he didn't just Summon an Undead creature?"
...maybe...
"caster type?"
... don't know...
Mostly for the benefit of the others, Caledon summarizes, "The Prince is alone, his guardfrog is dead. The Prince killed him. You think the Prince has either transformed himself into or summoned an Undead creature?
...yes...
Caledon nods, replacing the parchment in the pack "Thank you."
The wizard makes another complicated gesture, followed by an intonation in Draconic.
While inspecting the door way, he is careful to do so at an oblique angle to avoid become the victim of any spells, ranged weapons or charges coming out of the door.
The girl wearing only stockings happily accepts the blanket, and helps her nude friend cover up. The girls slowly disembark the ship.
Silkworm, who seems to be the girls' spiritual leader, points out the wizard's mule. She thanks Caledon as she assists the last couple girls down the gangplank.
Caledon is able to inspect the tentacles before all of them fade. Being an advanced student of summoning magic himself, he can tell the the tentacles are some sort of summoned creature—though it is clearly a darker type of magic than summoning celestial eagles.
Cal also notices the door to the Prince's quarters is bulging. Cracks are forming, a pool of blood is spreading out from under the door and seeping through the cracks as well—and whatever is behind that door reeks! The stench is almost overwhelming.
Those outside the ship hear the sound of boards creaking and cracking. It's coming from the stern. Crack.. creak... crack...!
Happy to see the slave girls free, and un-infected. he holsters his weapon.
Thank you for the update Cal, of course I had pretty much deduced the same thing. I believe he transformed much like the one in the tavern. Which I do believe will be making a rather grand appearance any moment now.
Sabs gets up with Caledon's help and responds.
After casting recharge innate magic Sabs begins writing in a journal, apparently oblivious to the imminent danger.
Crack! Creeeeeaaaaak-k-k—CRACK!
One by one, boards pop into the air from the stern of the ship. It starts to tilt, as if sinking on the end opposite our heroes, only the ship has already hit bottom—
A large, green tentacle bursts through a portside wall—a starboard wall—and the roof of the ship becomes a rapidly expanding mound. POP! POP! Boards are catapulted into the air! CRUNCH! SPLOOSH! The hull is breached inside the ship! Water is flooding into the room where the slaves were chained moments ago!
The girls panic as the last is assisted onto the dock. Our heroes are on the deck—now slanted at a 10-15 degree slope—but the boards are above water. Our heroes can maintain their footing.
Whatever is inside, it is quite large—and growing—the captain's quarters can barely contain it! And surely, the slave-girls will not be able to outrun it...
Captain first offers what he can for the girl's attire. Then looks to seeing about if not removing, at least sundering the chains between them.
Being distracted with the finer points of removing the chains, Capt is rather slow to react to the growing danger.
Anabel helps the nagaji women out of the ship, but her green eyes widen when they mention the prince has swallowed all of the diamonds. "Then that means he's going to--"
And indeed, the ship nearly explodes as the shuddering bulk of a tentacled form begins to emerge. "Go! Run!" she shouts to the women as she rushes forward. Her scarves swirl about her as she casts a spell and gets ready to fight!
Henrietta trods forward on Hank, not liking a single thing she hears. As the ship creaks, Hank slides on the greasy floor, delaying their entry into the fray.
A fully-dressed slave with a curls of red, blonde and black human hair introduces herself as "Ragdoll" as the Captain frees one of her wrists.
"Smooth moves for a man with strong hands, hon." She pulls a hairpin from her wig, not caring as the black-hair wig falls to the street. "I take it yer not a slaver, so you won't stop me from pickin' me girls' locks."
It seems Andoran's action not only freed the wrist of a slave with an escape plan, but he emboldened her to start putting her plan into action. Between that and Anabel's command to move, the girls put more effort into escaping knowing that this is not a battle between old owner and new, but clearly a battle for freedom.
With the girls moving double-time, neither Ragdoll nor Andoran will be able to undo more manacles. But it is in the girls' best interest to keep moving as quickly as possible—a fact that becomes especially clear as the ship breaks apart to reveal the Prince's demonic form—
Boards fly! The Prince emerges as a creature with four tentacles, a body that could envelop an elephant, and a mouth big enough to accommodate a party of four (each with a gnome as their +1 guest)—
This thing that some might describe as a "froghemoth" tears through the ship like it's built of cardboard and toothpicks! Anabel bravely dashes into melee reach even as floorboards are crushed into the harbor floor.
Legs thick as oak trunks stomp through the broken ship. The impossibly large "Prince" mindlessly attacks anyone within twenty feet!
The tentacles send splinters into the air as the creature misses!
The jockey is hit—HARD!—by the brute force of the monster! It tries to grab her, but the slippery skin of the creature is unable to hold Henrietta!
The creature also lashed out at the Elegant Edge! If she can't escape, she'll be drawn into the monster's mouth!
...
”Well…that’s disconcerting” Caledon took a few steps back, trying to think of anything that might be helpful.
Multiple thoughts race through his mind:
I need more time to think! I need to delay this beast.
The wizard reached once more into his spell pouch and from it produced the small bag and candle. He then repeated the celestial Incantation from before. The only difference from the previous casting being the tiny gestures made with the two spell foci.
hp [7] [1d8+3]
Fort +3 [+5], Ref +4, Will +2; SR 5
Celestial – Resist acid, cold, and electricity 5
Melee
2 talons [+3] [1d4+2]
bite[+3] [1d4+2]
Special Attacks smite evil/good
Str [14], Dex 15, Con [16], Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 7
Base Atk +0; CMB [+1]; CMD [13]
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Fly +8, Perception +10; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
Sab's hand is enveloped in fire again and steps to within 15ft of the frog monster, "Hey! Pick on someone who's civilized!"
With a little help given to the ladies Capt turns back to the monster tearing its way out of the ship.
" Bad guys should have brought a bigger boat..." He mutters to himself even as he moves to help... flank... the thing... some how...
As the ship starts to fall apart, its probably only a matter of time before it goes under.
Alistair moves quickly from the deck and onto the docks. pulling out is revolver as he moves.
taking up a decent firing position he glances at his gun then at the beast that was once the prince. yeah this ain't gonna do much, better than nothing I guess
takes aim and shoots for what he hopes is a vital area.
Anabel’s eyes widen as she sees the froghemoth emerge. Steeling her will, she silently lashes out with her electrified scarf!
Gritting her teeth, Henrietta and Hank charge forward, stabbing into the beast's stomach.
Our heroes bravely face the monstrosity! The captain's attack hits thick hide, but thanks to Anabel's shocking dance moves, the froghemoth's skin becomes more sensitive. Lightning dances all over the monster's body—and he becomes slower!
He only unleashes a single attack—
—and he clobbers the poor little gnome! But the tentacles are writhing too much from the lightning to attempt a grab, and the left tentacles make no attack at all.
The froghemoth licks his lips, and glares at the Vigilante heroine who managed to slip away.
The net will not hold the creature. He'll tear it easily.
While the magic of demon seeds is beyond Cal's understanding, he does sense that this monster's body is unstable. Perhaps the form grew too quickly, and it can be undone as quickly. (?) In any case, the frog's body has tumor-like lumps that expand and deflate like bubbles in gravy that is heated almost to a boil. This is not normal, even for an 'aberration' ...which might be the best word to describe it, based on the choices on Hunter's parchment.
Caledon took another few steps back, from the prince and began his summoning spell once more.
Anabel winces as Sabrina is struck. "Keep up the pressure! Bring him down!"
Her best spells exhausted, the elf whips her scarf at the thing's shuddering bulk.
Cap moves to protect the fallen. Putting himself in the way to act as a shield for his smaller ally to recover.
A brief frown crosses Sabs’ face as Captain Andoran blocks her charge lane, thinking to herself It’s ok he’s just human he can’t help himself. Sabs switches to a language that burbles and flows like water,
Sabs hoped that the humans would run and save themselves while she distracted the creature. She didn’t feel fear in the situation only excitement for the new studies that were already composing themselves in some remote part of her brain. Still the pain she felt from the staggering blow made her think, heal thy self and she exploded in positive energy.
Our heroes continue their relentless attack! Every strike hits, and it looks like the gigantic monster's form will break apart from the beating! Beet-purple blood oozes from the armpits—one of which screams in agony as its tentacles try to finish off the pesky gnome!
Captain Andoran gets in the way—
—and is knocked back a few feet, but otherwise unharmed as the blow from the tentacle is deflected through the wooden dock! Our heroes will need to leap yard-wide gaps as they battle on!
The left tentacles try to sweep Henrietta's mount out from under her!
Hank takes the hit, but the dad won't let his daughter go without a fight!
The eagles tear at the froghemoth's head! The monster bites back!
Though Cal knows his magic safely returns the celestial eagle to its home plane, the monster licks its lips... same as it did when its tongue got a lick of the Elegant Edge, despite that she is clearly unharmed.
Two shrieks echo deep within the monster's giant skull. Its eyes glow purple ands sink into its body—and the monster doubles over and vomits into the sea!
Our heroes notice something in the vomit—the shape of a person, and feathery wings—even though neither the Edge nor the bird was swallowed!
As bubbles rise from the tainted water, the froghemoth turns to face our heroes on the dock. A third eye emerges from its gaping maw—on the tip of the monster's tongue, like a fleshy periscope! The flesh on the creature's body pulsates and oozes purple blood. Screams are heard within the beast, but not its dumbly slack-jawed mouth...
Anabel tries not to gag as the disgusting creature vomits somebody up. Before she can move to his aid, she hears the screams from inside of it. "There are more people in its stomach! Slice it open!" She rakes her bladed scarf across its prodigious gut.
Hank gets scooped despite his best efforts to the contrary. He is unconcerned however- he had been killed before, but he always grew back.
Unseated, Henrietta charges forth and stabs the prince twice in the belly.
Hank wriggles and writhes in the grip of the larger creature.
Alistair takes another shot at the large prince beast.
Alistair looks in disgust at the sight of what this thing is doing. a quick survey of the situation, Alistair soon realizes that the new creature is most likely not a friendly.
hold off on that slicing it open, I don't think that will help our situation at all.
he takes a shot at the humanoid that was vomited out (hopefully before it takes to air)
Having taken flight when the prince burst from through the hull, Hunter circles. He carefully watches the battle, but also keeps an eye on the slave girls.
Still holding the small bag and candle that served as the foci for his last two spells, Caledon repeats the same ritual that called forth ‘Proud Feather.’
Our heroes and summoned eagles tear into the monstrosity! Hank manages to wriggle his way out of the tentacle grip, which is immensely strong, but well-lubed by slimy skin! As the beast is being torn into a bloody mess, our more studious heroes announce their interpretations of the screaming and what everyone is sure is a vomited person!
Regardless of whether or not the monster should be torn open, it is. And the screams are not of victims, but of demonic beings within the huge beast—
—and this becomes evident as the eagles resist the foul stench exhaled from the maw and rake the creature's head until the "froghemoth" explodes violently, blasting the eagles back to the celestial plane! Acidic blood and guts rain down on our heroes!
Those safely distant from the bursting behemoth see—within the raining acid—five creatures raining down with the blood!
Four are much like the creature Biff became, except they can only attack with their face! Their bodies are the froghemoth's tentacles!
The fifth is similarly serpentine (or tadpolish?), but its tail is the froghemoth's tongue!
All five hit the ground HARD!
The one that lands near Alistair dies on impact! Its face plunges through the dock, shattering boards and bones and spattering rancid entrails!
The others slither and chomp at our heroes!
And rising from the sea is a female form...
Her face has a striking resemblance to Fifika, the Elegant Edge, though she has tentacles for hair. She is nude, but her torso is covered in slimy feathers. And where breasts should be, an eye-less eagle-head protrudes from the sternum. Its beak opens sideways as it caws in a shrill, demonic noise.
She has wings for arms and taloned feet. And Alistair is correct that this abomination is anything but friendly.
Alistair's attempt to fire as it was vomited into the sea hits only water, but now that the creature flies up, he may have a clear shot. And as it attacks, it's clear that Alistair's shooting skills will come in handy against this creature.
It flies by as it attacks its target—
—both talons fortunately fail to rake Alistair's head, but the creature does not linger within reach of our heroes. It lifts off fifteen feet overhead, and circles in search of its next victim…
Sabrina brings up her shield to, well shield herself from the explosion of gore and acid that rains from upon high. Used to burns she barely flinches in pain and yells, "Ok! Well that's like surrendering!" More concerned with her charges health than her own immediate safety she channels positive energy into them and only them again. Forgoing a fiery grasp on the nearby tentacle monster threatening her.
Caledon steps out of what he hopes is the immediate reach of the…thing. He then pulls from his spell component pouch a type one pearl of power. He summons an Eagle flanking the tentacle threatening Sabrina Sara Sierra Sabelsash.
Anabel dashes to the nearest blob monster and attacks!
Our heroes fight on, not entirely sure how or why the froghemoth has exploded to reveal six more monsters! Didn't the Prince transform only a minute ago? He couldn't have eaten anyone!
He surely didn't eat slaves earlier when he was a human-sized (or nagaji-sized) frogman. In fact, from what Alistair heard, the eight slaves are the only ones that were on the ship. They were never abused, never mind eaten. Well... not abused aside from being chained.
And speaking of chained slaves...
As Alistair doubles over from an agonizing pain in the gut, he notices the slaves haven't moved very far. The one with the wig is free of her manacles, and has just opened one of Silkworm's manacles with a hairpin.
She looks over at Alistair, then drops her hairpin and runs!
The harpy-like creature sees the slave-girl rushing toward the man who freed her! The eagle head caws! The winged monstrosity dives!
Talons rip at the slave's head!
The girl falls at Alistair's feet...
...and the winged creature glides up into the air with a blonde wig wrapped around one talon and a red wig around the other...!