07 The Lady's Light

Tsadok's vision was of a stone statue, massive, with a stone sceptre, towering over a tangled swamp. Iradil's knowledge of geography placed this as The Lady's Light, the massive 200 foot tall statue set at the edge of the Varisian Mushfens marsh. Iradil shared the rumour that she was a statue of a Runelord, with the statue placed where the ancient realm of Bakrakhan was, ruled over by the Runelord Alaznist.

Knowledge of the Lady's Light and lore of what might lie within was scant. It was known that an eccentric cleric, Jasper Kandamerus, had travelled the fetid marshes and knew much of the locale. Venturing to meet this cleric, rescuing him for a beating by 3 local rogues (from the Black Kiss Boys gang), he ranted and prophesised but shared some wisdom. He knew of a woman, Maroux, who could help, "She's the Lady of the Swamps. Offer to help her!"

The party sought passage to the swamps about the "Wanton Ways" vessel, sailed by Captain Yarnelle Fessender. At night, deep at sea, one guest Dialla Marteme was seen to murder a deck hand.

She claimed that this man had murdered her 13 year old neice. Dialla Marteme escaped overboard, although Shikoba shot at her she swiftly was lost in the night, making good her escape after he cold swift vengeance.

The party arrived at the Mushfens, disembarking and having to trudge the rest of the way through the swamp, seeking answers in the reef around the still lagoon. An old and rickety bridge spanned the waters below, leading to a crude hut.

Within, the party found Maroux, a wary half-orc. Offering to help, she suggested finding kelpie's hair, a seaweed on a nearby shipwreck, so she could cook a meal for all to share. The ship, "Impdrake", was cursed. Skeletal pirates, rising up from the waters to slay the party, were swiftly laid to rest and the tangled fresh seaweed recovered.

Returning with the seaweed and feigning enjoying a terrible inedible meal she cooked up, Maroux then spoke of recent visitors, plate mail armoured female warriors wearing red plumes, the local caves, demon worshipping troglodytes and boggards. She spoke of Oriana, leader of the female warriors, also seeking a way in the the Lady's Light and claiming that she had found the Runelord of Lust, Sorshen.