Shards and Scabfoot

Kani sent the following report to TMN:

Darkstone Shards

As many ThoomCare readers may be aware, there has been a restless unease stirring in the Darshak of late. Frequently have they have raided Puddleby, from the north as well as the west coast. These raids may largely be attributed to the discovery of two unusual crystal fragments.

These "darkstone shards," as they are called, were both recovered in what might be considered Darshak territory. The first was found in the depths of the Dark Chamber, near the blazing pentagram. The second was looted from a ship sunken in the waters of a subterranean cavern on Devil's Island. As shown in the illustration above, they are irregular and may be pieces of the same whole.

Valuable as the crystal pieces may be, they have held no good luck for those who bore them. Unusual ranks of Darshak chased Diana D'Fey across Ash's barren forests, and as Garr held the crystal, his mind twisted and led him towards the Pentagram in the Dark Temple. I myself have have experienced a dark haze descending over my thoughts as I held the second shard.

Captain Scabfoot and the Necromancer

One evening, I had contacted Diana D'Fey to compare observations and craft a plan for the future of the crystals. We met with a small group of friends in the Meadow, far from Darshak territory, and began to discuss what we'd experienced. Soon thereafter, Pluq Strindham cried for help from the Northern Beaches, where he'd been beset by a landing party of Darshak. A stready stream of sunstone messages from falling exiles in the Plains and surrounding area soon followed.

Captain Scabfoot, who had been well-established in Balengil's farm, disappeared as the band of Darshak swarmed inland. Back in the Meadow, worries of being caught in a pincer movement began to cross my mind, and our party broke company to find other havens. Diana and I both eventually found our way to town, while hearing from our far-flung friends that the Darshak masses were being held at bay.

Secure as we felt, we did not expect the arrival of an unusually cunning, persistent, and persuasive undine. We were quickly pursuaded to fall by the grasping of limbs of one Captain Scabfoot, coerced by foul magic to the guise of a corpse warrior. He dragged our limp corpses to the undine hut, where his master, a Necromancer, congratulated and curtly dismissed him.

Friends rushed to our aid, but their efforts were stymied by the waves of greater Undine summoned by our captor. As he surrounded himself with the walking and floating dead, he demanded that we turn over what was rightfully his. He wouldn't say what exactly it was that he wanted, and of course I couldn't bring to mind what it was, so our friendly discussion didn't make much progress.

Resourceful as exiles are, they quickly laid waste to the Necromancer's minions, and sent him fleeing to the dark cave and Alchemist's Folly with me pulled behind. Diana escaped to Purgatory just before this retreat, and so missed his later threats and cold words. Though we spoke many minutes more, he made no concessions save an offer of eternal life as an undine in trade. He had not yet managed to state what exactly it was that he wanted when he was slain by the flood of exiles pouring forth into Alchemist's Folly.

Back in town, Captain Scabfoot was encountered again, returned to his usual swashbuckling form. He was suffering from amnesia, and almost immediately after his memory started to return he changed form into an undine and attacked the townsfolk. This happened in several cycles, before Caesar and others sat on his chest to prevent him getting up. They pinned him there for most of an hour, before Noivad dragged him to the jail, where his curse seemed to be lifted.

Regards,
-Kani

An anonymous exile submitted this report:

An incident occurred recently in Puddleby. The rebel darshak, Captain Scabfoot, kidnapped an exile against his will. The exile was chained deep underground where a gruesome scene unfolded. The Puddlebean was burned and tortured while being interrogated by the Necro.

Heroically, the exiles risked life and limb to rescue their own. After the pile of fallens and undine corpses stretched to the sea, finally, the kidnapped exile was liberated. However, the traitorous darshak, Captain Scabfoot, soon stumbled out of the dark cavern . . .

As the furious exiles quickly assailed him, it was apparent that this Captain had been cursed. Captain Scabfoot continued to shift between life and death. Puddleby was unable to control the continued metamorphosis, and exile after exile fell to the cursed blade.

Eventually, the exiles and Puddleby's sheriff were able to contain this madness within a cell. Within the jailhouse, the mental enhancements of a mystic helped the beleaguered Captain Scabfoot stave off the shadow consuming him.

As Scabfoot came out of the hazy dream, the Captain began to remember the atrocities committed. With a strong feeling of remorse, Captain Scabfoot began to answer some of the exiles' questions . . .

A highly abridged version of what spoken in the jailhouse between the exiles and Capt'n Scabfoot follows:

Captain Scabfoot says, "I were tryin' ta protect tha grapes."
Captain Scabfoot says, "There were too many."
Captain Scabfoot says, "It ain't no beer. But Gatsby be a good lad."
Melben asks, "Do you remember where they cursed you?"
Captain Scabfoot says, "It be fuzzy"
Captain Scabfoot says, "I were fleein"
Captain Scabfoot says, "Darkness..."

Captain Scabfoot says, "I were pulled towards a dark force."
Captain Scabfoot says, "I were drawn ta sumthin', I dunno what..."
Melben asks, "What do you know about the crystals, Captain?"
Captain Scabfoot asks, "What crystals?"
Melben says, "Let's just say the darshak are not the only skilled thieves in the island chain."
Captain Scabfoot asks, "Aye?"
Melben says, "And that we have heard a crystal or shard might be desired by some..."
Captain Scabfoot asks, "Ye think that be what I were after?"
Melben says, "It is the rumor."
Melben asks, "What use would the Cult have for it?"
Captain Scabfoot says, "Whatever it be. It 'as a whale o' evil 'nergy"

Posted by Para at October 12, 2006 11:35 PM