Asking around, the trio learned that the Curse of Blackbeard might be able to be healed if they headed into the jungle and meet with the woman in the swamp. Recruiting the help of a giant named "Dim" and his fishing boat the group headed deep into the jungle following a dirty river that quickly turned to swamp.
They survived an attack by trolls, who wanted to overturn their boat and eat them. They bargained with a couple of giant crocodiles and their many smaller brethren to pass by the river and they fought off the strange racoon/ badger/ wolverine creatures that tried to overcome their camp on the first night.
The second day they made their way to a long abandoned and ruined swamp village and met with Uma, the peculiar old woman who lives in the swamp. Let's be honest....she is a shriveled up hag of a woman who looks like she might be undead - but she speaks with the softest most gentle voice, which is even more off-putting. She said she could help the group but they must do her some favors.
She want's them to go to the next abandoned village down the river and search for her wedding ring. Long ago, her beau was supposed to bring it to her, but he never arrived. (How friggen' long ago that was is anyone's guess, but these huts and ruins looked REALLY old). She also wanted them to pick some things up back in civilization that she needed. Once they return with the ring she would send them off to find some very specific ingredients that will help her create a cure for the black mark.
The PCs agreed and ventured off down the river with Dim poling them along in his river boat. After travelling some long ways they fell into an ambush as a bloody storm of arrows rained down death upon them and their boat. They barely survived to flee (Thanks to Griznak pulling the boat along with his swim speed) and soon were heading back to the camp site to sleep before trying it again.
They came up with a better plan the next day. Dim would not take them up the river again, but he would go back to town for Uma's supplies. He was given gold and soon he was on his way. The PC's rigged up another boat with defenses, cast breath water on themselves and swam the boat back to the ambush spot, with them all concealing themselves under the water. They moved their boat right in amongst the ambushers who did not react. About a score of skeletons with bows stood on several small boats waiting for targets to fire upon.
The PCs ambushed them this time. Griznak send lightning strikes down from the sky into the boats one by one as Delgato blasted them with shadow blasts and Nog swept through them absolutely demolishing them with his maul. That fight was soon over and they could see the next village and it's docks and boardwalk and Delgato was sent ahead to scout. All of the buildings were empty and he soon called forth the rest of the party.
They had to search through every rotted building in the village looking for the lost ring. In one of the last huts to be checked, a secret compartment in one of the floors was discovered and within it was a small chest. As Delgato was disarming a trap on the chest, a dozen or more shadowy undead began to rise up from the floor. They began sucking the life force out of Nog and Delgato as Griznack bamfed away to climb upon the roof. Still quite wounded from the fight with the skeletons, Nog quickly went down. Griznack cast a healing spirit spell that brought him to his feet once again, but they were so outnumbered he would not stay that way long.
In desperation, Delgato opened the small chest and saw some valuables inside - including a wedding ring. He quickly took the ring and dropped the rest of the treasure to the floor. Holding the ring up, he taunted the shadow monsters to follow him as he had the RING! Waving the ring, Delgato engaged his feline agility and took off like a shot, hoping he could lure the shadows away from Nog and Griznack.
This completely un-thought through plan seemed to work as the majority of the creatures took off after Delgato down the boardwalk. This allowed Griznack and Nog to head off to the river, jump in and try swimming back to their boat. Delgato ran with the ring all the way down the docks and leapt into the scummy river with the ring, praying that the great Cat was watching and that the shadow creatures would be held at bay by the water of the river. If not....what a hell of a way to go.....