Tough As Dirt #8

Tough As Dirt stood by and watched as Executrix Altar approached the two individuals emerging from the jungle, two elven women, in their late teens, very obviously sisters, and also very obviously oblivious to why a Dawn Chaser was approaching them with malicious intent

When the younger sister spoke up to clear the way, Altar attacked, chasing the older sister off into the jungle when the two sisters split up

The younger approached the dead beast on the shore and raised it back to an undeath

• The necromantic power emanated in waves from the younger sister, and one of her eyes went black as she used her power to raise the "child" Tough As Dirt had fought over just minutes before

• Additionally, Gideon observed the necromancy, as unbelievably powerful as it was, was also tinged with a spark of creation magic

• This spark became even more evident as the younger sister collapsed and the beast took on a mind of its own, wrapping up and protecting Varsmak, something uncharacteristic of a mindless undead

The Child crushed Altar beneath a massive tentacle and then retreated to the ocean

• Upon checking on Altar, she was unconscious but breathing

The group discovered the two sisters were named Lily and Dahlia, half-elven, and despite the group thinking they were the Daughters of Eve, the sisters had no idea who Eve was or what the group was talking about, claiming they were orphans

• The two sister seemed entirely motivated by finding cool things to bring back from the dead, admitting they tried to bring the "skull island" to life but ended up raising a bunch of angry skeletons instead

Ricco and Varsmak went to finish of Altar but found her missing from where she fell in the jungle

• The two followed a trail of blood to a stream where they found the Air Genasi trying to treat her considerable wounds

• Gaining the drop on her, the two finished off Altar, killing her and removing all trace of their having done so

Tough As Dirt, along with Babbitt, invited the sister onto their ship and offered to take them where they wanted to go, which happened to be Megalon, where they said a giant skull existed they wanted to raise from the dead

That night, Dahlia, the younger sister with one completely black eye, awoke Varsmak and asked him whether he enjoyed killing. She mentioned she saw a very big death in his future, but it wouldn't be his

The next day, the group was approached on the open ocean by a many tentacled aquatic woman who begged for their help

• Her mother, who she claimed was a "Keeper of Ancient Secrets" refused to leave a home that was falling into ruin, where fissures were releasing a deadly smoke, polluting their waters

• She asked the group of they followed Tsh'Ah, and claimed her mother believed "if you hold the key, you keep the gate."

The group agreed to help after convincing Ricco, and the woman, named Uola, cast Water Breathing on all of them and took them toward her home beneath the sea