The flames crackle and shake, unsteady. Without the benefit of Jericko's control the arcane energies they seek to channel have begun to run wild, only further driven out of alignment by the sabotage of the now discarded coin. 

Jericko himself disappears behind the hut and out of sight, still running at a dead sprint. The last you see of him for the moment is a black robe swirling around pale ankles as he makes his escape. 

Dahme'dre, you walk back over to the ladder and glance down at the boat, which has drifted slightly but remains reachable from either ladder or in a pinch, with a flying leap. The shimmering shield around the structure is now plainly visible, but also clearly unstable. Shifting color patterns play over its surface, coalescing and dispersing chaotically. 

In the pool of darkness beyond the barrier and the platform, you cannot discern much in the way of details. 

Dahme'dre moves down the ladder onto the boat.

Aio followed the directions from Erdan since she was unable to see. 

 What happened to the necromancer? Why aren't we helping him stop the undead? I hope my eyes heal soon, I need to get in the air.

Erdan, not quite comfortable leaving the weird fire alone, but decides to trust his new friends. 

"Birdy, you don't seem too comfortable with the water. Can you fly without seeing?" He will point her towards a clear stretch of land she could use to take off. "If you can, you have a clear path to take off infront of your. If not, I can help you into the boat. "

An idea does strike him. "Shiney, once we are on the boat, could you add some holy fire to the brazier? Maybe that will strengthen it?"

Above, the barrier flickers and bends as if struggling to maintain cohesion. It is entirely visible now, a swirling orb of sickly looking green and yellow light trembling in the still air of the Thar night.

Dahme'dre, you descend the ladder with swift, sure motions and hook the boat with one extended foot before pulling it close enough to clamber aboard. Ahead of you lies about thirty feet of dark water before the shimmering wall of the barrier cuts off vision to anything beyond. 

Aio, you feel your vision start to return, albeit slowly. Everything is still partially obscured by the afterglow of the bright light which seems to have seared itself onto your retinas, but with every furious blink the sensation fades somewhat. Still, your vision is no where near functional quite yet. 

Aio followed Erdan's guidance down into the boat, blinking as rapidly as possible. She wasn't quite up to flying just yet. Especially not in the darkness. 

I will have to trust them to keep me safe for now. At least that... thing is gone. She shuddered at the thought of the half-orc and settled into the boat.

(Are we all in the boat now?)

Once everyone is aboard Dahme'dre will encourage the strapping men to man the oars as she peers out into the darkness. (Perception: (1)13) She readies a Blast of Eldritch power to deter anything that may try to capsize the vessel.

"Worth a shot, but it seems like it'll do the opposite," once in the voat, Valen will call down a Sacred Flame to strike the brazier.

The Goliath jumps to the oars, rowing strongly.

"Who are you lot? Why did you make Jackiro run away?"

Her tone is slightly accusatory, but mostly curious.

"We didn't make him do anything..." Dahme'dre explains "We are simply friends on a journey. We were to begin an important mission tonight, but this city is unraveling beneath our very feet as we outset... We came to Jackiro to insure he didn't hault our progress as we leave the city. We'd heard he was preventing boats from crossing the district. It seems he's lost control of his minions though, so whether or not he could have prevented their attacks is fairly suspect."

Dahme'dre adds, "What business brought you to this island? You seem fairly lively  for his company?"

The Goliath's powerful strokes of the oars propel the boat rapidly through the water toward the shield. Dahme'dre, you stand on the prow, eldritch energies flickering around your hand as you hold a blast ready to smite any foes. 

Valen, you call forth the flames of your god's wroth and unleash them upon the brazier. Divine light washes over the flames but rapidly sputters out, the sheer volume of unstable necrotic energy too great for such a minor manifestation of divine power. Still, the spell the brazier is channeling doesn't appear to need much help to unravel. Before you, large gaps appear in the shield as the boat sails through the water toward it.

The boat explodes through the shield, the magic leaving a nasty residue on your skin but having no other ill effects as you are suddenly through the barrier and into the flooded streets beyond, where a hundred pairs of dead eyes stare at you from every surface. 

The dead are everywhere. On every building, perched atop flotsam in the water, clinging to the rocky remnants of foundations. Dozens. A hundred. More. Their milky white eyes follow you with jerky motions of necks driven by some force that has nothing to do with muscle or mortal will. 

Aio, as your vision slowly returns you see them all around you, and the blurry shapes suggest yet more below. An army. A horde. 

Dahme'dre, with so many potential foes staring unmovingly at you, you do not immediately release your spell, the environment too rich with targets and the odds too comically one sided. 

Slowly, a familiar black boat emerges from the west, Raidok once again sitting with eyes glowing on the middle seat. 

Upon seeing the shape of Raidok once more, Aio leaped out of the boat and took to the air. 

There is no way I am going to be within reach of those corpses.

She felt at her belt where the deed was kept to make sure it was still secure.

If we can't all make it out of this city... I will warn the inhabitants outside the walls. I'm not ready to sing my swan song yet.

Dahme'dre stays her spell, lest she draw the force of this army against them.

"Raidok! Your request is fulfilled." Dahme'dre says. "My friend tossed your momento down before the wizard as he entreated us to aid him." (Deception: (4)10)

The words may be true, but Dahme'dre knows, anyone who had observed it would see the presentation was deceptive.

"Let us pass!"

The likelihood of surviving a battle against this force may be remote, but were they to attack, Dahme'dre would take out as many as she could as they drag her and her friends to the bottom. The ready spell was for anything that attacked, watching eerily is acceptable. Or at least, watching wouldn't warrant attack.

"As the lady said,  you have what you want, let us pass."

Erdan looks down for a moment, then looks back up with a sad smile on his face "I know if you so choose it, you could have these creatures drag us to the depths. However, if you truly believe in Justice, I have one favor to ask of you."

He looks to his new found friends, wondering if this is the end of there short adventure. He would like to protect them, but he knew that there are others in need of protection as well. "If you do go forth to punish those who caused this tragedy, please leave the innocence of this city alone. They do not deserve your wrath. They are just citizens trying to survive, as you were." His smile turns to a scowl as he continues "It is just the nobles who hid from the Withering in there ivory towers that truly deserve your wrath! It was there neglect that led to all this!" He will gesture around them. Erdan will let his words hang there, hoping that they will reach whatever is left of a soul in this undead creature. 

Kuori slows the boat down and draws her massive sword.

There is a long period of eerie silence following the rasp of steel of leather left by Kurai's drawing of her massive blade. Dead eyes stare at you from every direction, peering from the remnants of buildings and gazing up through the hazy water beneath your feet.

A dozen dead eyes unerringly follow Aio as you take to the skies, their dead gaze seeming to pierce the darkness as easily as if it were brightest day. 

Raidok cocks his head, and simply watches the rest of the party for long moments. Finally, he speaks, first addressing Dahme'dre, "the shield is down, though perhaps not entirely by your witting hand," he rasps. 

Turning to Erdan, he says, "Your inkling at mercy is laudable, but misplaced. You know nothing of justice." His eyes seem to glow more brightly, a furious, angry hue, "when this quarter fell beneath the waves, it was not the nobles who did not open their homes or their hearts, not the Emperor who formed torchlit mobs to drive us back into waisthigh water lest we pollute the more well-to-do with our misery." 

He indicates Kuori, standing with her blade drawn. "Ask her. She lives among us. She witnessed the injustice. The cruelty. The indifference." The entire monologue is delivered in a terrifyingly flat voice, devoid of emotion, even rage. 

He concludes addressing you all, "You have done the forgotten souls of this quarter a service this day, knowingly or not. For that, you may pass provided you vow to send no warning, to sound no alarm. The dead march slowly, all those who wish to flee our advance will be able to do so, but they shall do so as we did, without their possessions, in panic, and with nowhere to turn in an indifferent world."

Valen stands, not a stranger to those displaced by war and conflict, "Then let them follow us. We are set on mission by a noble seeking to reclaim her birthright. Let these people flee to her holdings. We can vouch that there will be hope at the end of that road. Is there some way you can pass this message? A harbinger or warning sent before your horde and in its wake?"

(I'm in bed and busy early tomorrow. You may not hear from me for a bit.)

Dahme'dre turns to the Giant, bare steel reflecting the dim lights of the night air. She turns back to Raidok. "She doesn't seem any more pleased with your work than the rest of us."

...

When the others in the party have said their peace, unless a bargain is met... 

Dahme'dre looks on the creature unflinching. "I will speak no words that are untrue. We did not intend to send warning into the city this night. Take the time you need to gather your forces."

Dahme'dre turns to nod to her companions and the oars. Time was short, but the moment for action was not at hand.

...

Once they were free of the prying faces of the undead Dahme'dre would continue "Hopefully he'll take the time we need to get more solid footing in this situation... What do we call you giant? I am Dahme'dre d'Lyric... I do believe draining the district is a wise course and over-due. Do we have any other suggestions or additions? I'd sooner not abandon the city to its fate, if we can act."

After a moment she adds, "Colluding with that diabolist seemed a poor choice. The option is lost now. Maybe we can approach the next hurdle with more foresight."

Kuori addresses Raidok "It is true that great injustice was visited upon the people of this district. But you are not those people, for they are dead. You are abominations, perverted shadows of who you once were. Go back to the hells, and stay there! You have no business here!"