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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 348683" data-attributes="member: 1210">Sometimes it's good to look like an orcIt’s not often that it’s good to look like an orc, thinks Spukoni, but this is one such time.   He clambers up the sandy slope towards the orcish voices, Vito following him as a troll.  As they get a little closer, the orcish conversation becomes comprehensible to Spukoni- being from Valonia, and a former spy among the orcs, he speaks their tongue.  It sounds as though there are two orcs talking, and they sound sullen and resentful.  The first voice is saying something about “...don’t see why we’re doing this.”“The captain says so, that’s why,” the second answers.“Vegetables!  Hah!  When was the last time _you_ ate vegetables?”“Well, you never know.  Cap’n says we might be taking on new crew members soon.”Then Spukoni and Vito top the rise and see the orcs through the mist.  They’re lightly armored, armed with cutlasses and dressed as sailors.  They stop talking as the two adventurers come into view.  “Orcs!” cries Spukoni.  “Me thought me heard voices.  Me very hungry.  You help me?”  The two strange orcs exchange a glance.  The first turns to Spukoni and asks, “Who’re you?”“Uh... me Sith.  Me very hungry!”Again, a knowing look passes between the orcs.  “Well, then!  What are ya doing here, and who’s your friend?” the first one inquires, sounding jovial and friendly.“Uh, ship sank in mist.  Very hungry!  Not eaten in days!”“Hmm... maybe you’re looking for work?  We could use a few new hands.”  The orc pauses, looking Spukoni over.  “You say you came from a ship?”Spukoni nods.  “We pirates!  We raid good, but mist bad.  Me want to get out of mist.  You have ship?”A crafty look seems to pass between the two pirate orcs.  “Sure, we have a ship, or at least we sail on one.  Why don’t you come down and meet the captain?”“No tricks,” the polymorphed Vito growls out in his most intimidating troll voice, “or I eat you!”The two orcs laugh gruffly.  “No, no- no tricks.  Come on, we’ll take you to the ship and you can meet the captain.  He’ll take good care of you.”“You have food?” Spukoni inquires.“We’ll take good care of you,” the orc responds.  “We’ve got lots of rum.  C’mon.”The rest of the group, meanwhile, moves slowly to keep up with the voices but to avoid being spotted in the mist.  Clambake clutches his shield wetly in the omnipresent fog, the clam scribed upon it reassuring him.  Stone moves clumsily up the slope, followed by Krunkshank.  They try to move as quietly as possible, hoping the strange distortions of the mist will prevent them from being heard as they clank along with their heavy armors and creaking weapons.Spukoni and Vito find themselves descending into the sacred cove described to them by the giant days ago.  The mist seems lighter here, less cloying.  It’s as if something about the cove itself helps keep it at bay.  Anchored a little off shore is a ship, appearing tattered and weathered at this distance, and moving on it are some orcs.  On the shore are still more, perhaps another ten.  As the two disguised adventurers and their escorts move up towards the group of pirates, the orcs on shore move towards them in turn.  “Hey there,” calls one of the orcs on shore.  “Who are these?”  He squints towards Spukoni and Vito.“We very hungry,” Spukoni says, trying to sound humble.  “You have food?”“Let’s get these fellows some rum,” says the orc who spoke to them atop the rise.  “They’ll be joining us.”“Right,” answers the fellow who asked who they were.  With a gesture, he directs a few of his men- for he’s obviously the one in charge of this group- to a small rowboat.  “Go tell the captain we’ve got some new recruits.  And bring back some rum.”  Four of the orcs trot to the boat and push it into the water.“Food?” asks Spukoni again.“Oh, don’t worry,” the leader-type sneers.  “We’ll take good care of you.”Just then, looking hard and menacing at the orcs, Vito realizes something quite unsettling.  They don’t have any color in their eyes at all.  They’re just pure white.  It’s disturbing.  He grunts out, “What’s wrong with your eyes?”The orcs exchange pale-eyed glances.  “Nothing,” the leader growls.  “Everything’s fine.  You just wait a few minutes and the cap’n will be here.  He’ll set ya straight on everything.  Everything...”“Any tricks,” Vito grunts, “and I eat your friends.”“Food?” Spukoni asks again, but now he’s trying to get a good look at the orcs’ eyes as well.  Whatever Vito saw, it’s clearly rattled him, and Spukoni is beginning to be uneasy.“Don’t worry, friend,” the first orc who spoke to them on the rise answers, “you won’t be hungry for long.”  The orcs chuckle.“What’s so funny?” asks Vito.  He’s starting to get worried now; this whole thing smells more like trouble with every second.  “You not funny!”  He starts to back away, and Spukoni decides that it may be time to get out while the getting’s good; he too starts to retreat.“Where are you going, friends?” the leader type asks.  The pirates are starting to spread out in a semicircle around the two adventurers.  “The cap’n will be here any minute.  He’ll answer any questions you have.”“Uh, we want food,” Spukoni says, trying not to squeak.  “Maybe we go find and come back?”“No,” the orcish leader says, “you’ll wait right here.”  The orcs’ hands have strayed to the hilts of their cutlasses.Glancing to the cove, Vito notes that the orcs in the rowboat have reached the pirate ship.  Doubtless they’re summoning up their captain even now.  He glances sidelong at Spukoni, wondering how far away backup is from the rest of the group.  Screw it, he thinks, stepping back and casting a sound burst.There’s a flurry of motion, and then everything happens at once.Next update: Fighting pirates!  Will Vito eat the orcs?  Where's that hat I mentioned?  Did someone say Captain Clambake?  Will the party get the sacred sand and plant the eggs?  Will they take the pirate ship?  Will it still be good to look like an orc?  Will they find their other friends?  Will they all die??</blockquote>

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