Blackwater Keep: The King (part 5)

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As the party listened to the offer put forth by the jarak-sinn shaman, Jesswin asked the question everyone was thinking.

"Why do you want this?"

"His pride threatens all the 'folk. I want our tribe to live, Shukak only wants power for himself," the shaman confessed.

Jesswin talked quietly with the other party members before speaking again.

"We may be able to make a deal, but we need one other thing from you?"

"What do you need 'soft-skin'?"

"You must leave the area and never return."

After some time mulling it over, the shaman replied, "We will leave."

As the party moved to free the prisoners in this room, they could see no female, let alone a wizard among them. The shaman added, "Shukak keeps the female in his chamber."

The party continued to tend the prisoners in this room as as Jesswin continued speaking with the jarak-sinn.

"Where is his chambers?"

"Just down this hall," the shaman indicated. "He has several guards in there too."
The party made their way down to hall as quietly as they could. Looking inside, they could see Marzena tied up in a corner while the massive form of Shukak talked with one of his warriors. In addition to the shining bracers and amulet the king wore, parts of his body were covered in mottled patches of black scales.

Everyone rushed into the room and were able to surprise the guards (the one they saw and another unseen one in a far corner of the room) along with king and the other jarak-sinn.

Fanning out, the party split up to engage all the jarak-sinn at the same time in an effort to prevent them from organizing a counter attack.

The guards proved to be the easiest opponents and quickly fell to a combination of blade and bow, while the king and the other warrior held out longer--the warrior using his bare hands while Shukak effectively wielding his trident.

As the party rained their attacks on the two jarak-sinn, it was apparent they had no plans to surrender as the increased their ferocity against the party. Eventually the both fell to the unrelenting attacks.

Afterward the party was able to rescue Marzena, and leave the lair with the rest of the rescued prisoners. The two day trek back to Blackwater Keep was uneventful. Once inside the keep, the prisoners were tended to by healers and the party got to enjoy cooked meals and dry, warm beds for the first time in days.

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