Volume 4, Chapter 2: Red Sashes and Sacred Charms

(A quick update! Oh, and by the way, the whole stuff I made up about Agnes and her parents having a birthday here - totally my artistic license. I love Cool Ranch, despite how long it is[and you'll have to return to Skull Island for some quest midway through], and I wanted to have Agnes have a backstory instead of 'okay, you are a pirate, you were captured by Deacon, you were rescued, have fun!' The stuff I gave for Agnes - her parents slain by the Armada - really made my fiction writing gears turn. I think this is my most involved blog yet. KingsIsle games will eat my money for the rest of my life. ^_^)

The Red Sash prisoners we took gave us the location of their hideout, Hidden Valley Ranch. Somehow, I had a yen for salad after hearing that name. (Sorry for the obvious reference.)

We got the expected welcome...

And we responded.

Inside the hideout, we ran into more trouble...

But nothing we couldn't handle.

"Anyone there?" cried a voice. "Halp!"

"It's coming from behind that curtain, Captain!" said Bonnie Anne.

I pulled the curtain away and found a wounded soldier. I used Rouse on him. "Are you healed enough to get to the docks?" I asked. "Our ship is there, you should be safe while we distract the Red Sash."

"Thank ye kindly, ma'am," said Sanders, tipping his hat. "I think I can, just don't die out there. I can't pilot the ship in my condition."

We chased down the scum through some tunnels, beat up some of their goons...

And then we subdued them before they got away on their ship.


"Here are the Bison charms, Captain my Captain," said Old Scratch, holding a bag in his bony fingers. "Now we go speak to the Bison warriors."

"Rght, but first we have to escort Mr. Sanders to Doctor Coop, he's in bad condition," I said.

 
I decided to take the time to update my wardrobe. The Bison hunters wouldn't dare try anything yet as long as we had the charms, but I wasn't going to press my luck. (Actually, Agnes got these clothes after speaking with Seven Storms as that caused her to hit Level 25, so she got an upgrade to her armor and weapons. Awesome!)

I did not appreciate the insults Seven Storms gave to my friends, but I bit my tongue. "What?"

"You must go to the Burial Grounds and restore the charms to their graves," he said. "But beware, they may try to resist you."

Boy, did they resist! The bison ghosts were restless and we had to put them to rest by force, but they weren't too hard to deal with. But we eventually got the charms reinstated.

A ghost rose up and thanked us for restoring the charms. (If you are playing a Witch Doctor, you would also get this guy as a companion!) After that, we headed back to Elder's Bluff.

"Good," I said, tipping my hat. "I understand why you have issues with outsiders, but please, don't get too crazy. Now can we take back Merri?"

"Yes, the Claw Foot Clark is free," said the chief. "We Sky Hunters keep our word."

"It's okay, Merri," I said, smiling. "So, let's get you home and we can talk about that map your father has..."

THERE ALWAYS HAS TO BE SOMETHING. *angry snarl*

We finally got rid of the Red Sash leader. He was a fool to ambush Clever Agnes. :p

"The Bisons attacked you because those stupid outlaws stole the charms and you were in the wrong place at the wrong time," I sighed. "So, Merri... we can catch up on old times later. Right now I have to find Marco Pollo's map. Your daddy was Marco's navigator, right? Did he have any maps?"

"Why yes, Aggie, he did," said Merriweather. "He told me that there was one special map nobody could see. He buried it under Scorpion Rock."

I hugged him. "Thanks for everything, Merri. Now, I have to get that map."

Merri's old map was right on the money, here we were at Scorpion Rock... with a stupid singing cactus. Ugh, my bleeding ears! :(

[To be continued...]