At Jimmer's shout, Kaul scowls at the distant shape trying to discern more...
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As he does so he stands ready with Lopper should any of the gurgling deadfants come within a hack;
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Kaul sees a vaguely woman-shaped thing on the shore is a horrid amalgamation of marsh weed, algae and flotsam littered with detritus of the swamp. Slime sticks to its skeletal face like a veil.
It slides into the water with a hideous sucking noise on to a column of water that rises under its feet and releases a horribly piercing shriek that cuts through the sound of Dibbets' musket as he releases a shot into the heart of the darkness.
The bubbly ones keep their distance, but join in with soft lisping voices as a weird lullaby rises from the shadowy figure near the shore.
Will:
Will Save
"My what a lovely tune. "I believe I shall lay here for a moment and bask in it's beauty... or maybe get closer... yes that is a good idea.
Jim shakes his head, grinning. "Nice try, little bubblers, but that hole in my head's gone now."
Dingus and Jim find the will to resist the charming lullaby, but the others do not fare as well. Forewarned, the two women though terrified stay on board tightly holding Rafe and the other boy. The adolescent girl immediately moves to the edge of the raft gazing longingly at the dark water. Anatoly resists and tries to wrestle his mates down as they also seek to jump into the water and swim for the shadowy singing woman.
Grumbling as the rest of the makeshift crew succumb, Dibbets looks to Jimmer and queries "Iffin I get us close, ye snot tha b1tch?"
Jim nods. "I'll do my level best, mate."
Holding onto the edge of the raft with his hands, Dibbets goes head down and exhales a musty baited breath to try and surge the raft forwards...
The Taldan crouches at the edge of the raft, preparing to leap as soon as he's close enough.
Dibbets blasts a gust of wind into the mire behind the large raft. A wave forms that doesn't do much, but at least sustains the momentum forward as the crew succumbs to the Crying Woman's call. The raft continues coasting toward the shore and the tall shadowy figure.
Jim crouches on the edge with his rapier point forward. Anatoly holds on to Zossrov as the other crewman leaps overboard. The young lady joins him a moment later. Kaul and Dingus are the last two into the slimy water.
The two burbling water wraiths close on the flailing girl, pulling her under. The shadowy matron charges forward on a whirling watery platform. It meets the raft with a vomited gout of fetid black water that washes over those that remain aboard.
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In his dwam, Kaul takes the gout of brackish water without malady, but it does little to snap him from his charmed state...
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FORT Save
Not only is the song in this area outstanding, the drink is delicious.
Jim stabs at the creature as it closes, then takes a quick breath before the black water rolls on. Shaking the water from his eyes, he attempts to perforate the unfriendly spirit again.
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Fort:
Groaning as the fetid waters wash away at his fortitude Dibbets leg quavers and threatens to give way. Gritting his teeth and seething the filthy halfling looks for a straw to clutch... and feels the outline of something metallic in his sporran. Throwing caution to the wind he pulls out the bell borne by the wee feckers in the jungle that tried to shank em... and gives it a sonorous peal...
Jim's prepared thrust is repelled by the thick petrified hide of the undead giant. His second strike pierces its mildewing flesh, however. Dibbets rings the Eloko bell hoping that it will counteract the monster's song...
Jim's prepared thrust is repelled by the thick petrified hide of the undead giant. His second strike pierces its mildewing flesh, however. Dibbets rings the Eloko bell hoping that it will counteract the monster's song...
Dingus takes no notice Dibbets' ding-a-ling, but Kaul shakes the Slough Shade's call and finds himself in deep water. The Eloko bell also has its desired effect on one of Anatoly's charges and the lost swab swims back and pulls himself in the raft just as the pair of small swirling spirits move toward him. Sadly, the teenage girl does not reappear.
Kaul paddles toward the tall dank figure with vengeance in mind and sets Jim up for a flank. Dingus follows slowly lulled by her song. The smothering mother lays into Jim with two tremendous slams.
Unaware of the loss of life in the water, Dibbets is more focused upon that on land. As Jimmer suffers twin blows, the wee oracle limps up behind him and gives him a fortifying smack on the leg...
CSW:
...bellowing "Keep at tha b1tch Jimmer!"
Jim tries to parry one of the incoming slams, but fails. He then returns the favor with a pair of swift but shallow sticks into the horrid foe. Gozreh's indifference restores much of his composure after the wounds. "Thanks, mate!" He gives the specter a carefree grin. "I can keep this up all day--can you?"
"So beautiful... And that lovely voice... I'm coming my dear".
Dingus continues towards the source of his infatuation.
"Jim why do you hurt my love? No wonder she strikes at you in defense. Why... just listen to her sing.
Round 4
Kaul moves toward the claggy crone, and brings a soggy chop to bear...
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Once per day, when the rogue misses with an attack on a flanked opponent, she can designate a single ally who is also flanking the target that her attack missed. That ally can make a single melee attack against the opponent as an immediate action.
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"Thanks for the setup, mate!" Jim attempts to make the foe into more of a pincushion.
Jim's persistence takes a toll on the muddy water matron. The giant muck encrusted skeleton seems to be slowing as the heavy arms slam down on the swashbuckler. Jim dances aside and they miss their target. The little lost spirits of drowned children move on Kaul, but he shoulders the groping waves aside. Dingus paddles about, enthralled by the tall and stately woman that towers over them all.
Jim ducks under and away from the creature's slimy fists before seeing an opportunity and landing a devastating riposte. His rapier, unfortunately, gets hung up on some part of the giant skeleton, and he's unable to pull it free in time to hit the creature again. "Take that, you slimy b1tch!"
Jim presses his advantage and darts beneath the slow assault from the towering mother of muck to sink his blade deep in the moldering form. There is a muffled crack like punky wood breaking and he is showered with dropping rot and retched gore as the undead swamp stalker collapses splattering across the raft and back into the viscous bog.
Kaul turns grinning on the wailing corpse's wee followers, but they disappear into the soup and all is quiet again as night falls on the rescue party and the surviving crew and slaves.
Dibbs rocks back with the shower of rot and lands on his bare arse as his kilt billows. With half an eye to Dingus to see if the lad's got his brain in order again the wee oracle calls to Kaul "See iffin ye cannae help get 'em all back aboards like."
Jim retches, then turns to his diminutive companion. "Dibbets, mate, some clean water?"
Looking up with slightly furrowed brows Dibbs starts with a "Eh?" before realizing and proceeding to douse those showered with a refreshingly salty torrent of water.
The Taldan grins through the sting of salt water in his remaining wounds. "Much obliged. Are we all here?"
It would be tricky to define normal for Dingus, but indeed, it appears that all have returned to their senses with the cessation of the shade song.
Kaul moves to help haul the raft to the shore from the water while Anatoly directs the other crew to pole. It is only once the raft is moving forward that the crying boy looks up from Mili's protective embrace to notice the slave girl is missing.
"Sevra? Where is Sevra?" he cries.
Jim looks around, cursing at the low light. "Kaul! See any sign of the girl?"
More grim faced than Jimmer Dibbets just outright closes hope "She's dead lad... you're not. Chin up an on less ye wants tae be dead too like."
Kaul takes a swim around not minding the dark, but finds nothing. He surfaces shrugging to the dark crowd on the shore huddled beneath the dense tree canopy that blocks most of the light from the rising gibbous moon beyond.
"Not a scrap of skirt to find like. Hur. Tough luck, boy-o."
The child sobs, but there is nothing to do but hike back through the night to the plantation.
Dibbs is sure to keep the way lit and his eyes open on the walk... he doesn't want to stumble into any more wildlife if they can help it. He also sees to his crewmate's injuries and shares a wink with Anatoly.
No additional mention of liberating the slaves comes from his mouth, seemingly he's left it to the mwangi to make their own decision.
"No! Don't! Then Dingus sees the creature for her true self, and tries to pretend he was just distracting her for the others to defeat her.
"Did you notice how I kept her from attacking the innocents"?
Dingus will keep "light" cast on a pebble that he can conceal when needed, as he tromps about in his now wet and clinging robes.
Richard swims contentedly by his side ducking now and then for a tender morsel to eat.
By the light of the odd Tian's pebble, the group makes their long and wearying way back through the Hunger Mire. No trouble finds them though the rumbling roars of giant alligators seem all about the group. No more mention of freedom comes from the slaves as Mili and Ula fret over the grieving boy. Rafe stays close to his mentor and Anatoly and his mates are silent in their own thoughts about the strange recent occurrences.
Finally, the trail comes to the edge of civilization such as it is and you see orderly rows of sugar cane silvery in the high moonlight as the jungle breaks.
Jim addresses the trio. "Choice time, sir and ladies. Your old life is there--it's not pleasant, but at least it's known. Or you could take your chances on the unknown. Up to you."
Mili looks from Jim to Dibbets and back. "We know that you are concerned about our life here, but we are common folk. We would all be worse than dead now if you did not kill the Caller and the Drowning Woman. We are safe here. We know how to work the plantation. It is hard work, but it is all we know and our family is here. Thank you for saving our lives."
The boy buries his face in Mili's hip. Ula looks less happy about it, but equally resigned.
The scarred thug looks non-plussed at their choice of a life of servitude over the one on the ocean waves:
"Hur... Savvy choice I reckons... Rough seas an' bloody deeds are our crew-mates..."
Kaul looks at the various wounds and bruises decorating his body with a grin;
"... a few more fer the collection... Right ain't we got a vessel tae claim?"
Dibbs shrugs and gives the mwangi a nod "Aye, yer choice an all..." before turning to his other crewmates "I ain't got much stomach fer seein tha lummoxes an Baron again like... I says we swing past the bar tae drown in some rum afore heading back tae the ship eh?"
Jim claps the halfling on the shoulder with a grin. "I like the cut of your jib, mate. First round's on me."
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"Unfeenished beesiness," Anatoly laughs giving Dibbets an exaggerated wink. The slaves make their way back to their cramped dormitory and the heroes and remaining crew head to the tavern drinking out the rest of the night.
The sky is brightening when they make their way back to the beach and find Yarba rousing the sailors for another long day of repairing the hull. Vancid Creed is the first to notice your return. "So you found the shirkers, good on you. Smells like you joined them for more than a couple rounds, too. That will likely earn everyone Yarba's gentle touch."
Battered and bilge stinking, Kaul is in no mood for idle threats. The scarred thug's brow threatens to envelop his beady eyes as he taps Lopper with a hook paw;
"Hur. Anyone kisses the lash an' Lopper kisses them... So if yer feelin' brave mate then feel feckin' free..."
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Creed actually blanches before the Kaul's dangerous glare and tick of the hook on his obscenely large and sharp axe. The gunner says no more as the captain and rest of the crew gather round.
Lanteri looks you over. "Well? What's the tale? Gone a day and a night, but you're back albeit stinking of bilge and booze. And two crew still missing."
Still half soused on piss and vinegar Dibbets is sassy in his response to the captain. He fishes out a half-empty skin of local winegar and holds it out "I prefers tae think o' tha crews we managed tae drag back anna fact that ye ain't lost any more like? eh? Hads tae fish em out ov some Dajobas cultists grasp... but we's here now like, an still ready tae work... so, ye goans congratulate us or whats?"
Diplomacy:
Lanteri seems unimpressed. "Dajobas? I know the old stories of the Demon 'Father of Sharks'. I guess Shark Island would probably be the place to find anyone still interested in those old stories. But even if true, that doesn't explain why you're drunk and hardly able to work."
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Despite feeling relatively hale and hearty himself Dibbs looks around at the sallow eyes and twisted stomachs of his companions and figures they wouldn't make it through the day in good condition. With that in hand he plays a long shot "Ye knows Dajobas right? Turns buggers intae half-men half-sharkie things? Some o' tha lads were halfway gones... only ways tae stop it takin proper hold like is drownin tha virus in liquor. Iffin we hadnae got licked, half these buggers'd be gills an fangs roight now."
"Sides, make nei difference, we'll take a nap this morning an work intae tha evenin like. Won't slow anythin down at all."
The Captain looks more annoyed and disgusted by the moment. She opens her mouth to respond, but is interrupted by Creed's announcement that they have company. The two overseers from the plantation, Mugg and Clayne, move forward looking a tad uncertain in the presence of tough sailors rather than fearful slaves.
Mugg addresses the Captain, "Uh, 'morning. Baron sent us down to check on something. Had some runaway slaves return last night. Said sharkmen had kidnapped them and were gonna sacrifice them in the Hunger Mire. Said those four rescued them." He indicated Dibbs, Jim, Kaul and Dingus. "Just wanted to hear their story to see what kind of whippin' the slaves will get."