The Sanguine and Blackbeard's Cutlass
“We may be pirates, but we’re not animals…or even worse, lawyers. We’ll spread out to cover more ground. We’ll each lead half the crew in search. We’ll meet back here in a day’s time, with or without those two,” you say.
“So much for taking my advice about being funny. It’s a plan. Men! On me!” Victoria says.
Victoria and four of the crew set out east while you take the remaining three and head west. Once again, you’re back to hacking overgrown vines and branches blocking your path. After a few hours of hacking, whacking, and slashing, you discover a series of stone-carved statues. There are five of them total arranged in a crescent circle. Each cracked, moss-layered statue is a naked woman looking downward with hands in a prayer position barely covering the front of their chest. The sculptor definitely didn’t skip over emphasizing their womanly attributes as their curves are much more than a natural woman's. At first glance they appear the same, but a more in-depth look suggests subtle changes between them.
“Have we been at sea too long or are these statues beautiful?” one of the crew, Jack, asks.
You turn to blonde-haired youth. “They are quite alluring. Keep your distance though, we have no understanding of the magic of this place.”
Jack steps forward and points at the middle statue. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yes, those are breasts,” another crewman, Henry, interjects.
“I know what those are, asshole,” Jack replies. “I mean the ring on her finger.”
Sitting on the middle statue’s finger like a crown, is an extravagant ring. Freddy had many rings, too many for you to keep track of them all, but there’s no doubt in your mind it’s one of them. Freddy must have left it here as a breadcrumb to signify you’re on his trail.
Henry slowly walks towards the statues for a better look. At the last moment something catches your eye—
“—wait, stop!” you shout.
Too late. The ground beneath Henry collapses under his weight. In an avalanche of dirt, he falls into the pre-dug pit. You rush to save him, but not quickly enough. You arrive to the edge of the pit just before Henry hits the bottom. It’s not a far drop. Not even a lethal height. The sharpened pikes at the bottom are another story though. Henry lies unmoving held suspended in the air by three pikes. His eyes are still wide-eyed by the surprise fall.
“No one else move,” you command the remaining two members. Jack and William glance at each other perfectly willing to follow the order.
“He-he another man falls for us, sisters,” a woman’s voice projects from one of the statues.
“They can never help themselves,” another speaks.
“Even when they see another man’s ring on my finger,” the middle statue jumps in.
“Where is the man who gave you the ring?” you ask.
“My love had to leave. He’ll be back. They always come back.”
“Freddy’s left more than a few women waiting,” you whisper under your breath. Unsure of the statue’s power, and not wanting to upset them, you say, “I am a friend of Freddy, your, uh, love. I think he’s in danger and I need to find him.”
“Freddy?” the statue questions. “Oh you mean my love’s man-servant. Elizabeth has already claimed him.”
The statue’s eyes to the far left flash white for the briefest of moments. So fast, in fact, you’re not sure if you imagined it.
“You promised not to tell!” it says in an unusual pitch you determine to be embarrassment.
Ignoring the outburst you respond to the statue with the ring, “Do you mean your love is Procter? Why do you have Freddy’s ring then?”
“My love’s man-servant was carrying it for him of course. He’s such a strange man,” the statue answers.
“No arguments here. Where did they go?” you ask.
The voice answers quietly, “To the feathered serpent’s resting place.”
You nod. “Do you know the way?”
“I will tell you if only for the reason it will bring my love back to me sooner. Beware the guardian.”
You retrace your path back to the location to meet Victoria. You’re a bit early, so you, Jack, and William, set up camp. You volunteer for the first watch.
“So much for taking my advice about being funny. It’s a plan. Men! On me!” Victoria says.
Victoria and four of the crew set out east while you take the remaining three and head west. Once again, you’re back to hacking overgrown vines and branches blocking your path. After a few hours of hacking, whacking, and slashing, you discover a series of stone-carved statues. There are five of them total arranged in a crescent circle. Each cracked, moss-layered statue is a naked woman looking downward with hands in a prayer position barely covering the front of their chest. The sculptor definitely didn’t skip over emphasizing their womanly attributes as their curves are much more than a natural woman's. At first glance they appear the same, but a more in-depth look suggests subtle changes between them.
“Have we been at sea too long or are these statues beautiful?” one of the crew, Jack, asks.
You turn to blonde-haired youth. “They are quite alluring. Keep your distance though, we have no understanding of the magic of this place.”
Jack steps forward and points at the middle statue. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yes, those are breasts,” another crewman, Henry, interjects.
“I know what those are, asshole,” Jack replies. “I mean the ring on her finger.”
Sitting on the middle statue’s finger like a crown, is an extravagant ring. Freddy had many rings, too many for you to keep track of them all, but there’s no doubt in your mind it’s one of them. Freddy must have left it here as a breadcrumb to signify you’re on his trail.
Henry slowly walks towards the statues for a better look. At the last moment something catches your eye—
“—wait, stop!” you shout.
Too late. The ground beneath Henry collapses under his weight. In an avalanche of dirt, he falls into the pre-dug pit. You rush to save him, but not quickly enough. You arrive to the edge of the pit just before Henry hits the bottom. It’s not a far drop. Not even a lethal height. The sharpened pikes at the bottom are another story though. Henry lies unmoving held suspended in the air by three pikes. His eyes are still wide-eyed by the surprise fall.
“No one else move,” you command the remaining two members. Jack and William glance at each other perfectly willing to follow the order.
“He-he another man falls for us, sisters,” a woman’s voice projects from one of the statues.
“They can never help themselves,” another speaks.
“Even when they see another man’s ring on my finger,” the middle statue jumps in.
“Where is the man who gave you the ring?” you ask.
“My love had to leave. He’ll be back. They always come back.”
“Freddy’s left more than a few women waiting,” you whisper under your breath. Unsure of the statue’s power, and not wanting to upset them, you say, “I am a friend of Freddy, your, uh, love. I think he’s in danger and I need to find him.”
“Freddy?” the statue questions. “Oh you mean my love’s man-servant. Elizabeth has already claimed him.”
The statue’s eyes to the far left flash white for the briefest of moments. So fast, in fact, you’re not sure if you imagined it.
“You promised not to tell!” it says in an unusual pitch you determine to be embarrassment.
Ignoring the outburst you respond to the statue with the ring, “Do you mean your love is Procter? Why do you have Freddy’s ring then?”
“My love’s man-servant was carrying it for him of course. He’s such a strange man,” the statue answers.
“No arguments here. Where did they go?” you ask.
The voice answers quietly, “To the feathered serpent’s resting place.”
You nod. “Do you know the way?”
“I will tell you if only for the reason it will bring my love back to me sooner. Beware the guardian.”
You retrace your path back to the location to meet Victoria. You’re a bit early, so you, Jack, and William, set up camp. You volunteer for the first watch.