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<blockquote data-quote="drnuncheon" data-source="post: 569067" data-attributes="member: 96">Session Fifteen, Part One: The Swamp HagJim's JournalB says we hav ben heer a hol week. He is verry smart and is keeping a jernal so I am too.&nbsp; We are outsid the jungel and going to go to a sity. Wher we hope we can find a way hom.Droo and Die Feer sed that they met zombees in the jungel with there lips sode shut. They are wureed that the sity wil be ful of neckromansirs but I dont no what that is. They had a fite about taking sivilians into a danjerus place but Die Feer sed that we are all sivilians here.I am tird of smoked fish but it is nise to have enuf to eet.<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Dru growled.&nbsp; She'd gone out to try to hunt up something to eat, but the damned jungle had moved around and gotten her lost.&quot;Stupid jungle,&quot; she said, slicing bark from a tree to mark her path.&nbsp; &quot;Want to be in the city, where there are street signs.&nbsp; What the hell kind of a tree is that anyway?&nbsp; Damnit, I hate mosquitos.&nbsp; Hey, that tree's already got a blaze on it...damnit! I'm walking in circles again!&quot;In frustration, she stabbed her blade into a hummock and leaned against a tree, arms folded and expression sour.&nbsp; Her grumbling subsided into mutters, then nothing.&nbsp; They'll find me.&nbsp; Or the sun will rise.&nbsp; I'd climb a tree but it wouldn't do any good with all the other plants about.That was when she heard the voice.<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />&quot;Ampiel's nervous about something.&nbsp; I'm bringing him back.&quot;Benares nodded, still scanning the woods vainly for any sign of Dru.&nbsp; Within moments, the black form of the raven emerged from the twilight to settle on Di'Fier's outstretched hand.&quot;Bird,&quot; Ampiel croaked.&nbsp; &quot;Big bird.&nbsp; Saw its crap. Big crap.&quot;Di'Fier's brow wrinkled.&nbsp; &quot;Big like the ones that attacked us on the beach?&quot;&quot;Big big.&quot;&nbsp; Ampiel fluttered his wings, then flew in a circle several feet across.&nbsp; &quot;Crap this big. Bird bigger.&quot;&quot;Let's, ah, send you in another direction for now.&quot;&quot;Too dark.&quot;<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />&quot;Yes...yes...you'll be happy in the swamp, my poppet.&nbsp; Yes, you will.&quot;Dru crawled stealthily through the underbrush, her eyes picking through the gloom, searching for the owner of the voice.&nbsp; Nothing there but trees and vines - no, wait, that wasn't a vine, it was a snake draped over a titanic stump.&nbsp; Is it the snake?Then one of the branches shifted as if to stroke the reptile's back, and Dru shook her head.&nbsp; It was no stump...it was a woman.&nbsp; She squinted, trying to make out the details.&nbsp; An enormous woman - ten feet tall and five across, with skin a strange brown-green that made her blend in with the jungle.&nbsp; She let the snake drape across her shoulders as she stroked it and crooned.Dru glanced behind her, only to see a light zig-zagging crazily through the trees, far behind her. Stupid jungles, she thought, and then cleared her throat.<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Ampiel returned, dropping the twig that still glowed with the light of day.&nbsp; &quot;No Dru,&quot; he reported.Di'Fier's hand closed around the bit of wood, cutting the light to a mere red glow between his fingers.&nbsp; &quot;We'll find her tomorrow,&quot; he told himself.&nbsp; &quot;We have to.&quot;<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Dru found herself subjected to the intense scrutiny of the enormous woman as she bent over to peer at the elf.&nbsp; The snake that rode her shoulders flickered its tongue in her direction, tasting the air.&quot;It looks like a man, but it isn't,&quot; said the green woman.&nbsp; &quot;And so pale.&nbsp; Did it come out from underground?&quot;Dru scowled.&nbsp; &quot;From the sea, actually.&quot;&nbsp; Something in the woman's tone made her ask: &quot;Do you not like men?&quot;&quot;They have their uses.&nbsp; They come to us when they want something.&quot;&quot;Do you give it to them?&quot;The woman smiled, revealing twin rows of ivory teeth that were perhaps too pointed to be comforting.&nbsp; &quot;If there's a bargain to be had.&quot;&nbsp; She studied Dru again. &quot;Are you sure you didn't crawl from the earth?&quot;&quot;Reasonably. Why do you ask?&quot;&quot;You are touched by old powers.&quot;&quot;Oh. That's probably Yig.&quot;Dru found herself relating the story of their shipwreck to the strange woman, as the darkness gathered ever closer.&nbsp; The snake appeared as caught up in her words as the woman, watching her intently from its unblinking eyes.&quot;So. Lost and shipwrecked. How sad,&quot; the woman said. &quot;What are you trying to find?&quot;&quot;...what a profound question,&quot; reflected Dru.&quot;I could help you become un-lost...&quot;&quot;What would you want?&quot;&quot;To find something that was lost in return.&nbsp; Just a little trinket, a necklace in the shape of an eye.&quot;&quot;...all right.&quot;&quot;I'll ask the trees where your friends are, my darling.&nbsp; We'll have you back to them soon enough.&quot;The woman lifted Dru into her arms as if the elf were no more than an infant.&nbsp; The snake slid down to curl on top of her, tasting her chin with its flickering tongue.&quot;What should I call you?&quot;&quot;You can call me...the swamp hag.&nbsp; It's what we've always been called.&quot;&quot;We? How many are there?&quot;&quot;Just me, dearie.&nbsp; Just me.&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="drnuncheon, post: 569067, member: 96"] [b]Session Fifteen, Part One: The Swamp Hag[/b] [b]Jim's Journal[/b] [i]B says we hav ben heer a hol week. He is verry smart and is keeping a jernal so I am too. We are outsid the jungel and going to go to a sity. Wher we hope we can find a way hom. Droo and Die Feer sed that they met zombees in the jungel with there lips sode shut. They are wureed that the sity wil be ful of neckromansirs but I dont no what that is. They had a fite about taking sivilians into a danjerus place but Die Feer sed that we are all sivilians here. I am tird of smoked fish but it is nise to have enuf to eet.[/i] [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] Dru growled. She'd gone out to try to hunt up something to eat, but the damned jungle had moved around and gotten her lost. "Stupid jungle," she said, slicing bark from a tree to mark her path. "Want to be in the city, where there are street signs. What the hell kind of a tree is that anyway? Damnit, I hate mosquitos. Hey, that tree's already got a blaze on it...damnit! I'm walking in circles again!" In frustration, she stabbed her blade into a hummock and leaned against a tree, arms folded and expression sour. Her grumbling subsided into mutters, then nothing. [i]They'll find me. Or the sun will rise. I'd climb a tree but it wouldn't do any good with all the other plants about.[/i] That was when she heard the voice. [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] "Ampiel's nervous about something. I'm bringing him back." Benares nodded, still scanning the woods vainly for any sign of Dru. Within moments, the black form of the raven emerged from the twilight to settle on Di'Fier's outstretched hand. "Bird," Ampiel croaked. "Big bird. Saw its crap. [i]Big[/i] crap." Di'Fier's brow wrinkled. "Big like the ones that attacked us on the beach?" "[i]Big[/i] big." Ampiel fluttered his wings, then flew in a circle several feet across. "Crap this big. Bird bigger." "Let's, ah, send you in another direction for now." "Too dark." [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] "Yes...yes...you'll be happy in the swamp, my poppet. Yes, you will." Dru crawled stealthily through the underbrush, her eyes picking through the gloom, searching for the owner of the voice. Nothing there but trees and vines - no, wait, that wasn't a vine, it was a snake draped over a titanic stump. [i]Is it the snake?[/i] Then one of the branches shifted as if to stroke the reptile's back, and Dru shook her head. It was no stump...it was a woman. She squinted, trying to make out the details. An [i]enormous[/i] woman - ten feet tall and five across, with skin a strange brown-green that made her blend in with the jungle. She let the snake drape across her shoulders as she stroked it and crooned. Dru glanced behind her, only to see a light zig-zagging crazily through the trees, far behind her. [i]Stupid jungles,[/i] she thought, and then cleared her throat. [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] Ampiel returned, dropping the twig that still glowed with the light of day. "No Dru," he reported. Di'Fier's hand closed around the bit of wood, cutting the light to a mere red glow between his fingers. "We'll find her tomorrow," he told himself. "We have to." [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] Dru found herself subjected to the intense scrutiny of the enormous woman as she bent over to peer at the elf. The snake that rode her shoulders flickered its tongue in her direction, tasting the air. "It looks like a man, but it isn't," said the green woman. "And so pale. Did it come out from underground?" Dru scowled. "From the sea, actually." Something in the woman's tone made her ask: "Do you not like men?" "They have their uses. They come to us when they want something." "Do you give it to them?" The woman smiled, revealing twin rows of ivory teeth that were perhaps too pointed to be comforting. "If there's a bargain to be had." She studied Dru again. "Are you [i]sure[/i] you didn't crawl from the earth?" "Reasonably. Why do you ask?" "You are touched by old powers." "Oh. That's probably Yig." Dru found herself relating the story of their shipwreck to the strange woman, as the darkness gathered ever closer. The snake appeared as caught up in her words as the woman, watching her intently from its unblinking eyes. "So. Lost and shipwrecked. How sad," the woman said. "What are you trying to find?" "...what a profound question," reflected Dru. "I could help you become un-lost..." "What would you want?" "To find something that was lost in return. Just a little trinket, a necklace in the shape of an eye." "...all right." "I'll ask the trees where your friends are, my darling. We'll have you back to them soon enough." The woman lifted Dru into her arms as if the elf were no more than an infant. The snake slid down to curl on top of her, tasting her chin with its flickering tongue. "What should I call you?" "You can call me...the swamp hag. It's what we've always been called." "We? How many are there?" "Just me, dearie. Just me." [/QUOTE]

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