Griznack and Nog had little option but to watch as Delgato's plan fell apart before their eyes. Delgato had provided a distraction for them to escape, true, but the shadows all dove into the water after him and as his friends moved to help, they witnessed the last of his life force being sucked out of him as a dark shadow separated from his body. Just as quickly the shadow force re-entered his form and he began moving back to the ruined village with the other shadows.
Their appointed "Captain" was lost and the duo had no recourse but to head back - there were just too many shadows. Getting back to their boat they made their way back to Una's shack and let her know of the situation and the loss of Delgato. She suggested that there might be something that could help their situation. There was another ruined village not too far away where they might find a special painted skull which could aid them.
Resting and following her directions brought them to this ancient village. Una had send along a pet of hers to help - a shadow mastiff. Skulls lined the edges of this area and the group snuck in slowly to appraise the situation. They saw a likely place where they might find the skull, but the entire area was swarming with impossibly large mosquito type creatures (Stirges).
Before you knew it, the group was rushing from a gooey structure with a skull in their arms fighting off a swarm of these stirges. Just as they were getting to their boat and the water, Nog fell from his many wounds. Chewie, the shadow mastiff, grabbed him in his jaws and tossed him into the water. Griznak was able to revive him and soon they were all headed back to Una with the skull. Trying to attune the skull on the way back caused the same lines and runes that were on the skull to appear on Nog's own head.
Una didn't really give much instruction other than to use the skull and it should help. So...yeah. The PCs loaded back up after resting and headed back to the shadow village. It was a fairly simple matter to get back to the village and sneak up upon the shack where they found the ring before and there they found Delgato's corpse laying upon the rotted wooden floor, right over top of where the ring was hidden.
Nog was unsure exactly how the skull could be helpful in this situation as all he understood was that it would charm undead. He held it forth and called it's power forth upon the corpse of Delgato and waited a few long moments. Delgato's soul, his shadow, heard the call of the skull and was compelled to return to his body. His body twitched, his chest rose, and his head snapped eerily towards Nog before he sluggishly got to his feet.
There was a brief conversation and it seemed that Delgato was fine, except for being a little weak kneed and stiff. Griznak cast water walk on them all and their rather familiar new plan was enacted. Delgato opened the hidden niche and grabbed the small chest within and ran for all he was worth. He ran as if over a dozen shadow creatures were chasing him, which of course there were. Using his feline agility and dexterity he ran right past where his comrades were in the boat and ran and ran.
The other two failed pirates rowed after him and eventually had to yell for his to stop so they could catch up. They managed to evade any chasing shadows and made their way back to Una's hut. She was not the most expressive of creatures, but she seemed pleased to have gotten her ring back. In keeping with the deal she made with them, she told them that they needed to go to the source of the river and journey to the black mound. This place was the source of the fouling of the river.
They took rest again and headed out the next day travelling up the slow moving river. When they came to their final cross-roads in river branches, the decided to check out the left fork which led to supposedly a Lizardfolk tribe. Griznak was hoping to find allies there. They had to portage around a large group of crocodiles blocking the river and eventually encountered a small band of lizardmen who told them in no uncertain terms that to continue would be their death. The group reluctantly back-tracked and went back to the river fork.
The continued on the proper course and soon found themselves before an immense black colored mound of dirt and stone. There was a low entrance into the base of the structure and they went forth to investigate. There were kelp plants in the water there and trying to sneak past them proved impossible, so the group moved it to fight their way through. The fight had just begun and Nog soon found himself grappled by the kelp and pulled underwater.
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