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<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 2948824" data-attributes="member: 5203">Early the next morning, each of the party members was awoken by a loud knock on their doors.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Osborn sighed, and jumped off the side of his bed, tiptoeing past the sprawled forms of several natives who had decided to continue the evening’s celebrations in his hut.&nbsp; He opened the door to see two men standing there.&nbsp; Both men carried spears and wore headdresses made of long grasses, and wore sarongs of a darker material printed with grass and leaf patterns rather than the floral patterns he’d seen last night.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “His Majesty, King Bali, requests that you meet with him at his home,” one of the warriors said.&nbsp; “He apologizes for the intrusion into your time of rest, but he has need of your aid.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Sure, no problem,” Osborn walked back and grabbed his clothes and belongings, and a minute later was following one of the warriors up to Bali’s home.&nbsp; On the way, they met up with other members of the party, also being escorted by Bali’s men.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They were led to the dining room, where a breakfast of fruits was laid out on the floor.&nbsp; King Bali sat at the center of the table, with his son Aruna on his right.&nbsp; Lanara was already at the table, sitting on the other side of the king.&nbsp; The others sat down as they arrived, until only Xu was missing.&nbsp; It was several minutes later before she came in.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “My apologies,” she said to King Bali, sitting down, “I was not in my hut when your men came this morning.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “My apologies to you, as well.” the king said.&nbsp; “I didn’t wish to trouble you with this, but something has happened that is very unusual, and truly is beyond our ability to deal with.&nbsp; This place has been a paradise for so long that when trouble comes that is outside of our usual concerns we scarcely know to handle it.”&nbsp; King Bali sighed.&nbsp; “One of our villages on the other side of the island has been destroyed, down to the foundations.&nbsp; Not a single person left alive, not a single home left standing.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party looked at each other.&nbsp; “Well, everyone,” Tolly said, clapping his hands together, “back to work.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Were this not such a drastic issue, I wouldn’t bring it to you,” the king continued.&nbsp; “But several of our people have been found not only dead, but partially eaten.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Ew!” Lanara said, voicing her initial gut reaction.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Sahuagin?” Tolly inquired.&nbsp; “Kuo-toa?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Possibly,” the king said, “but I haven’t been there myself.&nbsp; And my people are accustomed to the occasional sahuagin raid.&nbsp; This was different.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Then, shall we be off?” Tolly asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “My son Aruna will accompany you,” Bali said, “so that my people will know that their king watches over them.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party returned to their huts to gather their gear.&nbsp; Tolly brought Iria up to the king’s home, and asked Bali if someone could watch her.&nbsp; His two daughters immediately agreed.&nbsp; The party then set out through the jungle, with Aruna leading the way.&nbsp; Two hours later, they merged onto the beach, into a scene of carnage.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The village had been small, no more than half a dozen huts, and sat on the beach above the high tide mark.&nbsp; Several warriors were patrolling the jungle perimeter to ward off scavengers, and a few dolphin riders could be seen just off shore.&nbsp; The huts were smashed into kindling, and several corpses lay scattered on the sand.&nbsp; The party immediately began to spread out and gather what information they could, while Aruna went to speak with the warriors along the perimeter.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I found something!” Autumn called out after about twenty minutes.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Me too!” Osborn said.&nbsp; “Can you bring yours over?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Not really,” she replied.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’ll come to you then.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party gathered around Autumn, who was poking at a patch of greenish-gray slime that was just above the high tide mark.&nbsp; The slime was very sticky, adhering to the stick and lifting off the ground when she pulled it up.&nbsp; Sand stuck to the underside of the patch.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Anyone recognize this stuff?” she asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; No one could place it.&nbsp; “It’s similar to the stuff they pack in a tanglefoot bag,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “It probably has a similar purpose.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It sort of looks like the trail a slug leaves,” Tolly said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, what about this?” Osborn asked.&nbsp; He held out the severed end of a finger, pale and puffy.&nbsp; They all bent to examine it.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It wasn’t cut or pulled off,” Osborn said, “it looks more like it just fell off.&nbsp; And it’s been underwater.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “For a while, I’d say,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “Whoever this came from died a long time ago, and has been underwater most of that time.&nbsp; Drowning victim, maybe?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrie looked around.&nbsp; “What else have we figured out?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Most of the villagers died from blunt force wounds,” Tolly said.&nbsp; “There were remains of one that had been eaten.&nbsp; From what I can tell, he was being eaten before he died.&nbsp; The creature has a large bite radius, larger than human sized, and nothing but sharp teeth – no molars or incisors as far as I can tell.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The huts look like they were smashed by a large force,” Kyle added.&nbsp; “Some look like a huge weight was dropped on them from above, others look like they were hit from the side and knocked off their support poles.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrie thought for a moment.&nbsp; “Tolly, are there flesh-eating zombies?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Not really,” Tolly replied, “ghouls tend to be the most common flesh-eating undead.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Do they drop fingers?” Autumn asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No, they don’t.”&nbsp; Tolly picked up the finger that Osborn had found.&nbsp; “You know, whatever ate these villagers was large, and the smashed huts also suggest a large creature.&nbsp; This finger could have been the remnants of an old meal that fell out of its mouth during this attack.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You mean, like it was stuck in its teeth?” Arrie asked.&nbsp; “But it looks like it fell off, not like it was severed.&nbsp; So unless this thing has the rest of the hand still in its jaw…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That’s a good point,” Tolly admitted.&nbsp; “Kyle, is there any lingering magic in the area?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “None.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn concentrated for a moment.&nbsp; “There is a lingering evil in the village.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrie looked up and down the shore.&nbsp; “You know, it’d actually be handy to have Razael around right now.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, whatever it was probably came from the ocean,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “We’d have seen evidence if it had come out of the jungle.&nbsp; And it looks like the villagers that were eaten are all closer to the water, which means that whatever it was got full before it got to the village.&nbsp; If the creature had flown in, the eaten ones would be in the middle of the village.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, we could send a few people down to look,” Arrie said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I did pray for a water breathing spell,” Tolly said.&nbsp; “Perhaps Osborn, Kyle, and myself?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As the party talked, a dolphin rider came in close to shore and leapt from his mount, running through the surf to where Aruna was standing.&nbsp; After speaking to the rider in rapid tones, the king’s son ran up to the party.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’ve just received word,” Aruna said.&nbsp; “The dolphins tell us that another village is being attacked.&nbsp; There are things coming out of the water.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Where?” Tolly asked, getting to his feet.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That way,” Aruna pointed, down the shore.&nbsp; “About half a mile.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Let’s go,” Autumn said, and she began to run.&nbsp; But her plate armor slowed her down in the sand.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I have a better way,” Kyle called out.&nbsp; He cast a spell, and a rift to the Shadow Plane opened.&nbsp; “Sorry, Aruna,” Kyle said, grabbing the king’s son by the shoulder, “unlike your brother, this time you don’t get a choice.”*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They emerged in the middle of the beach, close to the shore.&nbsp; Villagers were running about everywhere, screaming, as three zombie-like creatures shambled up and smashed into them with club-like fists, instantly snapping spines and crushing skulls.&nbsp; The zombies had the same waterlogged appearance as the finger they’d found, and the three had obviously just emerged from the ocean, still dripping seawater.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As the party stepped back into the land of the living, they immediately noticed an odd pressure on their lungs, as though they’d come out under the ocean surface instead of on the beach.&nbsp; The villagers seemed to be experiencing the same sensation, as they gasped for air and clutched their throats even as they ran.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Osborn immediately stepped up behind one of the sea-zombies, and planted a half-dozen daggers in its back.&nbsp; The undead creature seemed to barely notice.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That’s not right,” Osborn said, watching as a pair of Arrie’s shotputs bounced off the sea-zombie’s head.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly raised his holy symbol and tried to destroy the undead, but they seemed unperturbed by the waves of positive energy being emitted by the priest.&nbsp; Instead, one of them broke off from attacking villagers and ran over to land a solid blow on Tolly’s chest.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “These are not normal zombies!” he called out.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What was your first hint?” Osborn shouted back, as a pair of fists from the zombie he’d attacked, who’d turned and advanced on the hin far faster than he’d expected, hammered him.&nbsp; Autumn, who had cut into the third zombie, was also being pummeled, despite landing several solid blows with her greataxe that rang with peals of thunderous energy.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Are we this out of practice?” Arrie said, as she unfurled her spiked chain and went to help Osborn.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Hardly,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “If they go faster than we expect, then we should return the favor.” He wizard stepped into the midst of his companions and cast a haste spell.&nbsp; At the same time, Lanara’s inspirational song began, bolstered not only by the power of the True Instruments but by her own magic as well.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Brimming with potency, Xu leapt into battle with the sea-zombie that had struck Autumn.&nbsp; Having fought undead many times in her career, she knew that there were no organs to burst, no blood vessels to collapse, no nerve clusters to overload.&nbsp; Instead, she focused on simply battering the corpse into a mangled, fleshy pulp.&nbsp; Fists and feet flashed, lightning fast, and the sea-zombie withered under the assault.&nbsp; Autumn’s follow-up attack, infused with divine power, was an extreme example of overkill.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The second zombie was torn apart by combined efforts from Osborn and Arrie, while the last was brought down by Kyle’s scorching rays and Tolly’s enormous maul.&nbsp; The instant the last undead was destroyed, they all felt the pressure lift from their lungs, like a heavy fog lifting in the sun.&nbsp; They all gasped for air as if they’d just emerged from a long dive.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That was odd,” Kyle remarked.&nbsp; The rest of the party was moving around among the villagers, healing their wounds.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What are these things?” Lanara asked, poking at one of the waterlogged corpses.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That,” Autumn replied, “is what we’re going to find out.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Indeed,” Tolly said.&nbsp; “This isn’t over.&nbsp; These undead didn’t make the bite marks I saw.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We should report back to the king,” Autumn said, “let him know what we’ve found.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, let’s start back,” said Osborn, noting that the island’s warriors were starting to arrive, and were tending to the villagers.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Autumn, will you take my armor?” Arrie said.&nbsp; “I’d like to swim out and talk to the dolphin riders.&nbsp; See if they can keep an eye out for anything odd.&nbsp; I’ll see if I can get a ride back to Bali’s village with them.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “All right,” Autumn said.&nbsp; “We’ll meet you back there.&nbsp; But hurry – we have a monster to hunt.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; The party, minus Arrie, made their way through the jungle.&nbsp; Aruna had also stayed behind, to provide leadership and comfort to the terrified villagers.&nbsp; They followed a trail the king’s son had pointed out, a barely visible meandering track through the jungle.&nbsp; It took longer than they expected, but eventually they emerged into the clearing when the island’s largest village lay.&nbsp; The party went immediately to see Bali; fortunately, on this island, gaining an audience with the king was as simple as going to his home and shouting his name.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We’ve identified at least some of the attackers,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “They’re undead, like zombies, but much faster and stronger.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “And they make you feel like you’re underwater even on the land,” Lanara added.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’m familiar with them,” King Bali said.&nbsp; “They are the Drowned; bodies of those who died at sea.&nbsp; They bring their fate onto land with them so that others may share it.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “There was another creature that attacked,” Kyle continued.&nbsp; “Either in conjunction with the Drowned, or at the same time by coincidence…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Or it was commanding them,” offered Tolly.&nbsp; “It had a bite radius of about a foot and a half, all incisors.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We believe it produces some sort of sticky slime,” Xu commented.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly nodded to confirm the monk’s report.&nbsp; “We also think it’s capable of destroying a hut in a single blow.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bali frowned.&nbsp; “If the creature is large enough to do this, then it seems the bite radius is too small.&nbsp; Unless they are different creatures.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That’s what I was thinking,” Tolly said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “This is disturbing,” Bali said, still frowning.&nbsp; “The Drowned normally stay far out to sea.&nbsp; They harass our ships and dolphin riders on occasion, but they don’t approach the island.&nbsp; I don’t understand this.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I suspect they are under the command of something else,” Tolly said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Either that,” Kyle suggested, “or they’re being driven this way by something worse down there.&nbsp; About the only way we’re going to find out for sure is to take a look.&nbsp; As far as that goes, I’m not well prepared for that right now.&nbsp; If we could avoid any more Drowned attacks for the day, then tomorrow…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I have a water breathing spell prepared now,” Tolly said.&nbsp; “We could go now.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Go where?” asked Arrie, who suddenly came up behind them.&nbsp; She was soaking wet, but seemed unfazed by it.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You’re back already?” Autumn asked, impressed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I got a ride from the dolphins,” she explained, before turning back to the rest of the group.&nbsp; “I learned a few things, too.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Everyone turned to listen to Arrie.&nbsp; “There are a lot of places that whatever is responsible for this could be, because there’s a lot of sea-caves down there.&nbsp; So, fun times there.&nbsp;&nbsp; But the paladins said something else.&nbsp; You know how animals on land start acting weird before a big storm?&nbsp; They either flee or act strangely?&nbsp; The same thing happens in the sea, just before a storm, or a hurricane, or a tidal wave.&nbsp; Well, the riders and dolphins have noticed the same thing recently, even though there are no storms that have been spotted.&nbsp; And it’s not just the fish – things as big as sea drakes, and even a few sea hags have been seen acting jittery.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What on Aelfenn could be creepy enough to make a sea drake nervous?” Lanra asked, “or a sea hag, for that matter?&nbsp; I’m not really up on my aquatic lore.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, sea drakes are about as smart as a human child,” Arrie pointed out, “so they’re not stupid.&nbsp; And sea hags, of course, are usually smarter than adult humans.&nbsp; Whatever could be disturbing them has to be something pretty awful.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Then we should find whatever it is quickly, before more people die,” Tolly said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “But we don’t even know where to start looking!” Osborn said.&nbsp; “You heard Arrie say there’s a ton of caves under the ocean.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party began to argue over what their best course of action was.&nbsp; Lanara, however, remained silent, thinking.&nbsp; Though her phobia of open water had given her a distinct lack of interest in learning many tales and legends involving ships or the ocean, there was one story she remembered hearing years ago…&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Tishalullé!” Lanara said suddenly.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Bless you,” said Osborn.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No, the sea hag Tishalullé.&nbsp; She lives not far from here, not more than a couple of miles.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You think this hag is responsible for the attacks?” Tolly said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No, Tishalullé is a seer,” Lanara explained.&nbsp; “Those willing to pay the price go to her for information.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What’s her price?” Arrie asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara frowned.&nbsp; “That’s the problem.&nbsp; No one who’s ever gone to see Tishalullé has ever spoken of the price they paid.&nbsp; I’d guess it’s not gold, and I’d guess it is something unpleasant.&nbsp; She is a hag, after all.&nbsp; But the stories say that what she tells those who pay the price is always very accurate.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly frowned.&nbsp; “I’m not sure I approve of the idea of dealing with a hag.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’m not so sure myself,” agreed Autumn.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, we could always try and talk to the sea drakes,” Arrie suggested, “but that conversation will be quite a bit… simpler, I think.”&nbsp; She turned to Kyle.&nbsp; “What do you think?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I think we’d benefit more from an intelligent answer to this problem,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “I say we find this Tishalullé.&nbsp; If we don’t like the price, we can always say no.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Should we go now, then, or wait?” Tolly asked.&nbsp; “Perhaps we should wait a day or so and see if there are more attacks.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That may be well, Inquisitor Nightsleaving,” said King Bali, “but I don’t wish to put any more of my people in danger.&nbsp; I would ask that you do what you can quickly so that these attacks can be stopped.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Do you have extra soldiers you can call on?” Lanara asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I will send messengers to the smaller islands surrounding this one, and order everyone to come to the main island.&nbsp; They will be easier to protect that way.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Sounds good.&nbsp; No sense protecting a bunch of huts that can be rebuilt.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The stormy season frequently destroys our dwellings,” King Bali explained.&nbsp; “We have learned not to become too attached to them.&nbsp; They are built to be easy to reassemble when knocked over.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly nodded.&nbsp; “The homes here do seem a bit unstable for my tastes.&nbsp; I would rather live higher up on the mountain, and dig into the rock.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We have no metal tools capable of digging into rock,” the king said.&nbsp; “But that is neither here nor there.&nbsp; Right now, I need to protect my people from danger, not debate architecture.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Osborn and I will stay on the island,” Autumn said.&nbsp; “In case of another Drowned attack.&nbsp; And having me along in a meeting with a sea hag might not go over well anyway.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well then,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “Looks like all we need is a boat.”</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 2948824, member: 5203"] Early the next morning, each of the party members was awoken by a loud knock on their doors. Osborn sighed, and jumped off the side of his bed, tiptoeing past the sprawled forms of several natives who had decided to continue the evening’s celebrations in his hut. He opened the door to see two men standing there. Both men carried spears and wore headdresses made of long grasses, and wore sarongs of a darker material printed with grass and leaf patterns rather than the floral patterns he’d seen last night. “His Majesty, King Bali, requests that you meet with him at his home,” one of the warriors said. “He apologizes for the intrusion into your time of rest, but he has need of your aid.” “Sure, no problem,” Osborn walked back and grabbed his clothes and belongings, and a minute later was following one of the warriors up to Bali’s home. On the way, they met up with other members of the party, also being escorted by Bali’s men. They were led to the dining room, where a breakfast of fruits was laid out on the floor. King Bali sat at the center of the table, with his son Aruna on his right. Lanara was already at the table, sitting on the other side of the king. The others sat down as they arrived, until only Xu was missing. It was several minutes later before she came in. “My apologies,” she said to King Bali, sitting down, “I was not in my hut when your men came this morning.” “My apologies to you, as well.” the king said. “I didn’t wish to trouble you with this, but something has happened that is very unusual, and truly is beyond our ability to deal with. This place has been a paradise for so long that when trouble comes that is outside of our usual concerns we scarcely know to handle it.” King Bali sighed. “One of our villages on the other side of the island has been destroyed, down to the foundations. Not a single person left alive, not a single home left standing.” The party looked at each other. “Well, everyone,” Tolly said, clapping his hands together, “back to work.” “Were this not such a drastic issue, I wouldn’t bring it to you,” the king continued. “But several of our people have been found not only dead, but partially eaten.” “Ew!” Lanara said, voicing her initial gut reaction. “Sahuagin?” Tolly inquired. “Kuo-toa?” “Possibly,” the king said, “but I haven’t been there myself. And my people are accustomed to the occasional sahuagin raid. This was different.” “Then, shall we be off?” Tolly asked. “My son Aruna will accompany you,” Bali said, “so that my people will know that their king watches over them.” The party returned to their huts to gather their gear. Tolly brought Iria up to the king’s home, and asked Bali if someone could watch her. His two daughters immediately agreed. The party then set out through the jungle, with Aruna leading the way. Two hours later, they merged onto the beach, into a scene of carnage. The village had been small, no more than half a dozen huts, and sat on the beach above the high tide mark. Several warriors were patrolling the jungle perimeter to ward off scavengers, and a few dolphin riders could be seen just off shore. The huts were smashed into kindling, and several corpses lay scattered on the sand. The party immediately began to spread out and gather what information they could, while Aruna went to speak with the warriors along the perimeter. “I found something!” Autumn called out after about twenty minutes. “Me too!” Osborn said. “Can you bring yours over?” “Not really,” she replied. “I’ll come to you then.” The party gathered around Autumn, who was poking at a patch of greenish-gray slime that was just above the high tide mark. The slime was very sticky, adhering to the stick and lifting off the ground when she pulled it up. Sand stuck to the underside of the patch. “Anyone recognize this stuff?” she asked. No one could place it. “It’s similar to the stuff they pack in a tanglefoot bag,” Kyle said. “It probably has a similar purpose.” “It sort of looks like the trail a slug leaves,” Tolly said. “Well, what about this?” Osborn asked. He held out the severed end of a finger, pale and puffy. They all bent to examine it. “It wasn’t cut or pulled off,” Osborn said, “it looks more like it just fell off. And it’s been underwater.” “For a while, I’d say,” Kyle said. “Whoever this came from died a long time ago, and has been underwater most of that time. Drowning victim, maybe?” Arrie looked around. “What else have we figured out?” “Most of the villagers died from blunt force wounds,” Tolly said. “There were remains of one that had been eaten. From what I can tell, he was being eaten before he died. The creature has a large bite radius, larger than human sized, and nothing but sharp teeth – no molars or incisors as far as I can tell.” “The huts look like they were smashed by a large force,” Kyle added. “Some look like a huge weight was dropped on them from above, others look like they were hit from the side and knocked off their support poles.” Arrie thought for a moment. “Tolly, are there flesh-eating zombies?” “Not really,” Tolly replied, “ghouls tend to be the most common flesh-eating undead.” “Do they drop fingers?” Autumn asked. “No, they don’t.” Tolly picked up the finger that Osborn had found. “You know, whatever ate these villagers was large, and the smashed huts also suggest a large creature. This finger could have been the remnants of an old meal that fell out of its mouth during this attack.” “You mean, like it was stuck in its teeth?” Arrie asked. “But it looks like it fell off, not like it was severed. So unless this thing has the rest of the hand still in its jaw…” “That’s a good point,” Tolly admitted. “Kyle, is there any lingering magic in the area?” “None.” Autumn concentrated for a moment. “There is a lingering evil in the village.” Arrie looked up and down the shore. “You know, it’d actually be handy to have Razael around right now.” “Well, whatever it was probably came from the ocean,” Kyle said. “We’d have seen evidence if it had come out of the jungle. And it looks like the villagers that were eaten are all closer to the water, which means that whatever it was got full before it got to the village. If the creature had flown in, the eaten ones would be in the middle of the village.” “Well, we could send a few people down to look,” Arrie said. “I did pray for a [I]water breathing[/I] spell,” Tolly said. “Perhaps Osborn, Kyle, and myself?” As the party talked, a dolphin rider came in close to shore and leapt from his mount, running through the surf to where Aruna was standing. After speaking to the rider in rapid tones, the king’s son ran up to the party. “I’ve just received word,” Aruna said. “The dolphins tell us that another village is being attacked. There are things coming out of the water.” “Where?” Tolly asked, getting to his feet. “That way,” Aruna pointed, down the shore. “About half a mile.” “Let’s go,” Autumn said, and she began to run. But her plate armor slowed her down in the sand. “I have a better way,” Kyle called out. He cast a spell, and a rift to the Shadow Plane opened. “Sorry, Aruna,” Kyle said, grabbing the king’s son by the shoulder, “unlike your brother, this time you don’t get a choice.” [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] They emerged in the middle of the beach, close to the shore. Villagers were running about everywhere, screaming, as three zombie-like creatures shambled up and smashed into them with club-like fists, instantly snapping spines and crushing skulls. The zombies had the same waterlogged appearance as the finger they’d found, and the three had obviously just emerged from the ocean, still dripping seawater. As the party stepped back into the land of the living, they immediately noticed an odd pressure on their lungs, as though they’d come out under the ocean surface instead of on the beach. The villagers seemed to be experiencing the same sensation, as they gasped for air and clutched their throats even as they ran. Osborn immediately stepped up behind one of the sea-zombies, and planted a half-dozen daggers in its back. The undead creature seemed to barely notice. “That’s not right,” Osborn said, watching as a pair of Arrie’s shotputs bounced off the sea-zombie’s head. Tolly raised his holy symbol and tried to destroy the undead, but they seemed unperturbed by the waves of positive energy being emitted by the priest. Instead, one of them broke off from attacking villagers and ran over to land a solid blow on Tolly’s chest. “These are not normal zombies!” he called out. “What was your first hint?” Osborn shouted back, as a pair of fists from the zombie he’d attacked, who’d turned and advanced on the hin far faster than he’d expected, hammered him. Autumn, who had cut into the third zombie, was also being pummeled, despite landing several solid blows with her greataxe that rang with peals of thunderous energy. “Are we this out of practice?” Arrie said, as she unfurled her spiked chain and went to help Osborn. “Hardly,” Kyle said. “If they go faster than we expect, then we should return the favor.” He wizard stepped into the midst of his companions and cast a [I]haste [/I]spell. At the same time, Lanara’s inspirational song began, bolstered not only by the power of the True Instruments but by her own magic as well. Brimming with potency, Xu leapt into battle with the sea-zombie that had struck Autumn. Having fought undead many times in her career, she knew that there were no organs to burst, no blood vessels to collapse, no nerve clusters to overload. Instead, she focused on simply battering the corpse into a mangled, fleshy pulp. Fists and feet flashed, lightning fast, and the sea-zombie withered under the assault. Autumn’s follow-up attack, infused with divine power, was an extreme example of overkill. The second zombie was torn apart by combined efforts from Osborn and Arrie, while the last was brought down by Kyle’s [I]scorching rays[/I] and Tolly’s enormous maul. The instant the last undead was destroyed, they all felt the pressure lift from their lungs, like a heavy fog lifting in the sun. They all gasped for air as if they’d just emerged from a long dive. “That was odd,” Kyle remarked. The rest of the party was moving around among the villagers, healing their wounds. “What are these things?” Lanara asked, poking at one of the waterlogged corpses. “That,” Autumn replied, “is what we’re going to find out.” “Indeed,” Tolly said. “This isn’t over. These undead didn’t make the bite marks I saw.” “We should report back to the king,” Autumn said, “let him know what we’ve found.” “Well, let’s start back,” said Osborn, noting that the island’s warriors were starting to arrive, and were tending to the villagers. “Autumn, will you take my armor?” Arrie said. “I’d like to swim out and talk to the dolphin riders. See if they can keep an eye out for anything odd. I’ll see if I can get a ride back to Bali’s village with them.” “All right,” Autumn said. “We’ll meet you back there. But hurry – we have a monster to hunt.” The party, minus Arrie, made their way through the jungle. Aruna had also stayed behind, to provide leadership and comfort to the terrified villagers. They followed a trail the king’s son had pointed out, a barely visible meandering track through the jungle. It took longer than they expected, but eventually they emerged into the clearing when the island’s largest village lay. The party went immediately to see Bali; fortunately, on this island, gaining an audience with the king was as simple as going to his home and shouting his name. “We’ve identified at least some of the attackers,” Kyle said. “They’re undead, like zombies, but much faster and stronger.” “And they make you feel like you’re underwater even on the land,” Lanara added. “I’m familiar with them,” King Bali said. “They are the Drowned; bodies of those who died at sea. They bring their fate onto land with them so that others may share it.” “There was another creature that attacked,” Kyle continued. “Either in conjunction with the Drowned, or at the same time by coincidence…” “Or it was commanding them,” offered Tolly. “It had a bite radius of about a foot and a half, all incisors.” “We believe it produces some sort of sticky slime,” Xu commented. Tolly nodded to confirm the monk’s report. “We also think it’s capable of destroying a hut in a single blow.” Bali frowned. “If the creature is large enough to do this, then it seems the bite radius is too small. Unless they are different creatures.” “That’s what I was thinking,” Tolly said. “This is disturbing,” Bali said, still frowning. “The Drowned normally stay far out to sea. They harass our ships and dolphin riders on occasion, but they don’t approach the island. I don’t understand this.” “I suspect they are under the command of something else,” Tolly said. “Either that,” Kyle suggested, “or they’re being driven this way by something worse down there. About the only way we’re going to find out for sure is to take a look. As far as that goes, I’m not well prepared for that right now. If we could avoid any more Drowned attacks for the day, then tomorrow…” “I have a [I]water breathing[/I] spell prepared now,” Tolly said. “We could go now.” “Go where?” asked Arrie, who suddenly came up behind them. She was soaking wet, but seemed unfazed by it. “You’re back already?” Autumn asked, impressed. “I got a ride from the dolphins,” she explained, before turning back to the rest of the group. “I learned a few things, too.” Everyone turned to listen to Arrie. “There are a lot of places that whatever is responsible for this could be, because there’s a lot of sea-caves down there. So, fun times there. But the paladins said something else. You know how animals on land start acting weird before a big storm? They either flee or act strangely? The same thing happens in the sea, just before a storm, or a hurricane, or a tidal wave. Well, the riders and dolphins have noticed the same thing recently, even though there are no storms that have been spotted. And it’s not just the fish – things as big as sea drakes, and even a few sea hags have been seen acting jittery.” “What on Aelfenn could be creepy enough to make a sea drake nervous?” Lanra asked, “or a sea hag, for that matter? I’m not really up on my aquatic lore.” “Well, sea drakes are about as smart as a human child,” Arrie pointed out, “so they’re not stupid. And sea hags, of course, are usually smarter than adult humans. Whatever could be disturbing them has to be something pretty awful.” “Then we should find whatever it is quickly, before more people die,” Tolly said. “But we don’t even know where to start looking!” Osborn said. “You heard Arrie say there’s a ton of caves under the ocean.” The party began to argue over what their best course of action was. Lanara, however, remained silent, thinking. Though her phobia of open water had given her a distinct lack of interest in learning many tales and legends involving ships or the ocean, there was one story she remembered hearing years ago… “Tishalullé!” Lanara said suddenly. “Bless you,” said Osborn. “No, the sea hag Tishalullé. She lives not far from here, not more than a couple of miles.” “You think this hag is responsible for the attacks?” Tolly said. “No, Tishalullé is a seer,” Lanara explained. “Those willing to pay the price go to her for information.” “What’s her price?” Arrie asked. Lanara frowned. “That’s the problem. No one who’s ever gone to see Tishalullé has ever spoken of the price they paid. I’d guess it’s not gold, and I’d guess it is something unpleasant. She is a hag, after all. But the stories say that what she tells those who pay the price is always very accurate.” Tolly frowned. “I’m not sure I approve of the idea of dealing with a hag.” “I’m not so sure myself,” agreed Autumn. “Well, we could always try and talk to the sea drakes,” Arrie suggested, “but that conversation will be quite a bit… simpler, I think.” She turned to Kyle. “What do you think?” “I think we’d benefit more from an intelligent answer to this problem,” Kyle said. “I say we find this Tishalullé. If we don’t like the price, we can always say no.” “Should we go now, then, or wait?” Tolly asked. “Perhaps we should wait a day or so and see if there are more attacks.” “That may be well, Inquisitor Nightsleaving,” said King Bali, “but I don’t wish to put any more of my people in danger. I would ask that you do what you can quickly so that these attacks can be stopped.” “Do you have extra soldiers you can call on?” Lanara asked. “I will send messengers to the smaller islands surrounding this one, and order everyone to come to the main island. They will be easier to protect that way.” “Sounds good. No sense protecting a bunch of huts that can be rebuilt.” “The stormy season frequently destroys our dwellings,” King Bali explained. “We have learned not to become too attached to them. They are built to be easy to reassemble when knocked over.” Tolly nodded. “The homes here do seem a bit unstable for my tastes. I would rather live higher up on the mountain, and dig into the rock.” “We have no metal tools capable of digging into rock,” the king said. “But that is neither here nor there. Right now, I need to protect my people from danger, not debate architecture.” “Osborn and I will stay on the island,” Autumn said. “In case of another Drowned attack. And having me along in a meeting with a sea hag might not go over well anyway.” “Well then,” Kyle said. “Looks like all we need is a boat.” [/QUOTE]

Verification