Winedark, Chapter Thirty-Three
General Summary
Wherein the Blasters return to a conquered land, navigate the Marsh, and prepare to do things subrosa
To do this, our heroes will have to navigate a bit of the Cold Marsh--a perma-frosted mire just brimming with predators and wildness. They will leave the VastBlaster about a day's travel away from what was once Scaraval, make the journey, and then wait for the fleet to arrive to sneak in while would-be defenders are distracted. That's the hope, anyway. But danger doesn't just lurk in the Cold Marsh. The Vast holds plenty of that, and the Blasters got a bit of a taste of such danger with the arrival of some nefarious Vrocks. Our heroes had just enough time to ponder why Vrocks--usually see on an entirely different plane of existence--might be in the northern part of the Drembari Isles before battle commenced. These three demon-birds were dispatched, leaving a familiar pile of purple goo on the deck as they expired and presumably returned to wherever they came from. Reader, mark well the goo. It is going to be a Thing.
With evening coming on, it was decided to get a good night's rest and look for the Fleet in the morning. So, Irk summoned his protective Tiny Hunt and everyone piled inside. This hut was, of course, an egg. There was plenty of room for everyone, and a special place for Irk's "special cargo."
A Goo-Based Situation
With the "distraction fleet"--designed to give the Vastblasters every advantage to sneak into the Northern Sun estate in Scaraval and determine what, exactly, is going on there-- days away from assembly, the Blasters decided to head out a bit early and approach the occupied settlement from the west. The thought here was that such an approach should help conceal the Blasters even further and, hopefully, contribute to better odds of survival.To do this, our heroes will have to navigate a bit of the Cold Marsh--a perma-frosted mire just brimming with predators and wildness. They will leave the VastBlaster about a day's travel away from what was once Scaraval, make the journey, and then wait for the fleet to arrive to sneak in while would-be defenders are distracted. That's the hope, anyway. But danger doesn't just lurk in the Cold Marsh. The Vast holds plenty of that, and the Blasters got a bit of a taste of such danger with the arrival of some nefarious Vrocks. Our heroes had just enough time to ponder why Vrocks--usually see on an entirely different plane of existence--might be in the northern part of the Drembari Isles before battle commenced. These three demon-birds were dispatched, leaving a familiar pile of purple goo on the deck as they expired and presumably returned to wherever they came from. Reader, mark well the goo. It is going to be a Thing.
On the Marsh
With the destination reached, the Blasters left their vessel in the care of Maltina Bigmoon and took the row boat ashore to begin their trek to Scaraval. It wouldn't be a journey across dangerous lands without a fair number of encounters. The Blasters experienced the first of these in the form of a strange blind woman roaming around the Marsh, seemingly entirely at ease in these deadly surroundings. Her name was Remelga, often called the Nosebleed, and she exchanged pleasantries and news of the Marsh with our heroes, as is custom for all who roam the frigid bog. But, the Blasters didn't come all this way for a chat, so it was back to the business at hand, which was walking. Pursuing said business led them to another encounter--this time with a bunch of Armanites, who seemed very much less interested in conversation. This was a tough fight, with the Blasters feeling the effects of some of the spells they usually unleash on their quarries. Namely, this was lightning and it damn near killed Kasula Neristina. Luckily, Pitch was able to smash a goodberry, really rolled up balls of Vastbloom and thoughtfully created by Kharlo Chondricht, in her mouth to revive her. Kasula then did her healing thing(s) and the mutated Armanites met their end, dissolving, once again, into goo. That can't be good for the ecosystem of the Cold Marsh. Marching on, the Blasters came across a horrid looking figure making a messy meal out of a dead Sahuagin. It was decided not to interrupt the dinner of whatever the fuck this thing was, so our adventurers successfully snuck on past. Late afternoon arrived and with it came a goblin merchant, selling all kinds of wares. Murkbone's Emporium operates, apparently, all over the Marsh. Water found themselves a nice Ring of Tagging, which just dovetails perfectly on whatever type of person they are becoming. In addition, a sculpture of a fish was acquired. It was promptly named Remora. Oh, and it is probable that Murkbone is a dragon in disguise, but don't worry about that.With evening coming on, it was decided to get a good night's rest and look for the Fleet in the morning. So, Irk summoned his protective Tiny Hunt and everyone piled inside. This hut was, of course, an egg. There was plenty of room for everyone, and a special place for Irk's "special cargo."
And That's Where We Left It
We'll see how the Second Battle for Scaravel proceeds during our next session.Various & Sundry Details
- On the way to Holapo, the Blasters spotted a naked mermaid swimming around the vessel. She did this a few times before swimming off without any interference by the Blasters, which ain't got time for whatever that was.
- Irk finished carving the figure of Captain Pitch and started work on one of Water, which also promised to be excellent.
- The VastBlaster got fitted out with an Eye of Ves Hull, which is totally sick.
Rewards Granted
- Remora the Fish Statue
- Ring of Tagging
Character(s) interacted with
- Remelga, called the Noseblood, a blind wanderer of the Marsh
- Murkbone, a goblin merchant meandering around the Marsh, likely a dragon
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