Surkoff is becoming obviously irritated by Torch's attitude. "At no time did I declare this man guilty, but neither did anyone declare him innocent or trustworthy. I am merely looking out for those here that might be in danger having one such as he running around free. Are you willing to vouch for this man and take full responsibility for him, taking any punishment for crimes that he might commit? If so, you are the fool who pets the chained dog and then is surprised and confused as to why you get bitten."
Sitting under the shade, Quij leans over to Torch and Surkoff. "Gentlemen, please - it's miserable enough in this island heat without all this bickering." He punctuates this statement with a lopsided smile.
Torch looks sideways at the gnome, then, visibly trying to calm himself, turns to stare back into the human's eyes. "Yes, he says simply, lifting Jask's wrists and slipping the key into the lock, "I will. I'll watch him, and I'll vouch for him. If he attacks or steals from us, I will take the punishment alongside him." The statement made, the half-elf looks suddenly uncertain, and he looks into Jask's eyes instead as he turns the key in the lock and cuffs fall open. "Please don't make me regret saying that," he whispers plaintively.
Surkoff shakes his head "At least return the irons to his wrists when night falls, I am sure that we will all sleep better." Then whispering loudly enough for Torch to hear. "Give me the patience to deal with these fools."
Turning to Jask "Know that I am watching every move you make, waiting for that moment when your true nature will reveal itself." Surkoff then hands his shovel to Jask. "Here, start enjoying your freedom."
"Well, good paladin, I share your misgivings about this, but short of gutting each other there seems to be no way of solving this problem. We should be content with mr Torch promise he'll take the blame for any criminal action undertaken by mr Jask, here" says the dwarf loudly so everyone (besides Ralf, probably) hears him.
Then he speaks to Jask:"You said you were a servant of Nethys or somesuch, right? I figure since you are free there's no harm in giving you the symbol of your faith back, but Iremember I can call to the power of Torag if I need to, so don't make me regret my curtesy"
Jask rubs his wrists and looks at you. "Thank you for the courtesy of returning what is mine, dwarf" he says with a stiff bow. Then he turns to Torch and thanks him a bit more warmly, before asking to examine his poisoned wounds. Unfortunately there is not much he can do about them.
Surkoff:
Ishirou sits aloof and smiles enigmatically, while Sasha has invented some kind of game tossing pebbles. Gelik just gives you a wry smile.
Do you want to try and explore the island or will you try to fortify your camp first?
"Thanks for trying," Torch tells the cleric of Nethys in response to the examination. Looking over at Aerys, he says, "If you want to drink, wait till we get the camp set up and it's closer to nightfall. You'll dry yourself out drinking in the heat of the day."
As the group begins to settle into its makeshift camp, Quij makes his way around, laughing and joking with as many individuals he can, as best he can. He's anxious to learn more of their surroundings, but for the time being, he decides to be patient (at least as patient as a gnome can be).
Ralf slaps his balding head with dismay after reading the journal. "Oh my stars and garters! I should've known there was something fishy with the Captain's course, but I just figured he was doing a little business on the side. I never reckoned he'd gone off his nut for some woman. I must be gettin' old -- mighty, mighty old..."
--
Ralf nods with approval as the shackles come off Jask. "That's better. Now don't think for a second that we're not keeping an eye on you, mister. I don't trust you further than I can throw you. But we all got to stick together if we're gonna make it out of here. Now let's get this campsite as ship-shape as we can; who knows what nasty buggers might come crawling in here after dark."
--
When he has a moment, he turns to Qui and clears his throat. "I don't know quite how to say this, little feller, but did you notice you got some kind of monster following you about? I hope it's a tame one. He don't bite, do he?"
Quij saddles up to his fellow gnome Aberwhinge, and begins speaking quietly to him. "My good sir - now that we have a bit of time alone, I just wanted to let you know that I'd appreciate your help in keeping morale around this camp above the water line, so to speak. Every bit helps," he finishes with a wink.
At Ralf's wariness, Quij laughs and pats the eidolon fondly. The eidolon is basically a living shadow - a small, entirely black humanoid figure quite resembling an outline of Quij, which so far hasn't spoke except in whispered conference with the gnome. "Don't worry yourself over Ilum, old fellow - he's quite a friendly beast. His bite is worse than his bark, of course, given that he's not prone to speaking, but as long as you treat us right, you're doubtful to ever get metaphorically bit yourself. He tends to save such things for our enemies." At this last bit, the outsider mimes confrontation, with Quij encouraging him playfully.
Ralf looks relieved at whatever Qui was mumbling.
Gelik lightens up considerably at Quij's skillful flattery. His jokes turn from sarcastic to cheerful, and everybody feels a little less dejected at your plight.
As the afternoon heat begins to abate, Quij begins to get ansy. "So gentle men and women, what say that we have a look around the island, now that we're settled into camp? Even a few hours of looking would be preferable to waiting until morning, in my humble opinion."
If you want to explore the island, maybe you should study the map. :)
You are at the small bay at the top of the map.
Surkoff nods to Quij "I agree, we should at least investigate the immediate surroundings so something isn't going to pounce on us in the middle of the night."
"Exploring? And what about building a raft and escaping before all those horrors the old human mentioned decide to have us for breakfast? I think it to be much more sensible to fortify camp and build something to escape from here. We've got some sailors with us after all. That said, if you insist with this crazy idea about "exploring" the island I suggest we keep on the beach without going into the forest, and I also suggest traveling by night and sleeping by day, the heat is really unpleasant around here"
"My night vision's likely a lot better than most," Torch observes dryly, "but even I can't see in the pitch dark, master dwarf. Resting in the afternoons? That's a good idea. Trying to explore a jungle island in the dark? I'm not so sure. Also, we shouldn't forget - there are two ways off this island that I can think of. One is we build a boat, like you suggest; the other is we find that lighthouse master Pennywhistle mentioned and use it to signal for help. Given that we'd need supplies to try to make a raft, I can't see how we do either one without exploring some of this island's interior."
Aerys comes to life for the first time in a long while. "Build a raft? Are you crazy? Didn't you hear what the bald guy told us? Have you any idea about how many ships have wrecked upon this cursed island, with its treacherous currents? Go ahead, build your raft, but I prefer to be dry and cozy when I expire, rather than to find a watery grave, dashed upon some jagged rock."
And to Surkoff: "Why are you trying to deprive a poor dying gal her last ounce of comfort. I'll fight you for that brandy, that's for sure."
Quij wrinkles his nose at the dwarf's negativity. "I'm with our stuttering friend here - I can see fairly well at night, but walking around in an unfamiliar and likely dangerous jungle in the dark is a good way to get most of us killed."
"Perhaps if we head to the west, there looks to be something of a hill there..."
Apropos of nothing in particular, Ralf opines: "I love the night time -- the moon and the stars above are so beautiful, and they calm my soul. It's too bad it's so blasted hard to see in the dark, at least compared to whatever wild animals are out there. Well, we better get some shut-eye pretty soon; tomorrow we have to work on finding a way out of here, somehow."
To Aerys "Poor dying gal is it? Nothing like a little bit of positivity to help us get through the day. As this is perhaps the last bottle of anything worth drinking that you or any will see in while perhaps we could ration it out, in small quantities that is."
Surkoff grabs a seat under some trees finding what little shade he can. "We should let the heat of the sun pass a bit and then we need to secure the area directly around us. Then we try and scout a better and more defensible position for a camp."
Aerys softens up considerably as Surkoff offers to share the bottle. She even agrees to try to make it last and slumps down beside him at the tree, sipping the brandy pensively. For the first time it becomes evident that she really is a remarkably beautiful half-elf woman.
"You know" she says, "I could guard the camp if you're going to explore the surroundings. No point in us abandoning it to wild animals or worse while you're gone. I think there is a good spot by that rock that has a decent overview."
To Surkoff:
"I can see pretty well in the dark, but I suppose not everyone has my same luck. Anyway I didn't suggest to explore the jungle on the contrary I suggested to stay here, fortify the camp and build something able to take us away from this blasted isle... if we are dead set on exploring then I suggested to follow the coastline instead of entering the jungle, and doing that should be possible even by night, after all we found enough lamps even for shortsighted fellows, travelling in the dark may very well be dangerous, but travelling the day heat would be madness"says the dwarf to his fellow castaways, then specifically to Aerys "building a raft is a sound idea, girl, much saner than staying on this island and hoping someone saves us, as ships actually try to avoid this place, no one is going to save us, we need to do it ourselves"
"If they were building a lighthouse, there must be a safe apporach there," Torch points out. "Isn't that why you build the things?"
"Maybe there is, but according to our deaf friend here the isle is shunned by all, there are cannibals on it and only the desparate or the foolish brave these waters... I can't see anyone saving us soon, and with "soon" I mean "before those cannibals decide to have lunch with us". No escaping as soon as possible seems the best course of action, although I admit the notion the captain and this scholar who sinked us here are still alive and somewhere here is quite offensive as they need to pay for their crimes"
"Not to be contrarian, Mr.Dwarf, but I'm for having a look into the woods to the south - if danger is to come, it's likely to come from such concealment."
"On the logic that we should leave as little chance as possible for a surprise to take us from behind, I'd like to head west and explore this peninsula before we turn east or south," Torch replies with a sideways grin. The burns on his face turn it into a ghastly grimace.
So we all want to go in different directions? I can agree about going west as long as we keep to the coastline, the woods are precisely the place where we should not venture unless armed to the theeth, and I'd like to keep the risks for us all to the minimum. Why searching for danger if we don't need to? We should be building a raft but we could search for useful materials on the coast, where danger is certainly lower than in those woods, besides I reckon that blasted fool we had for a captain is marooned here too, probably camping on a beach near here... I'd fully agree with any action, including entering inside the island's woods as long as that bastard pays for what he did"
Ralf nods sagely in agreement with all of the suggestions.
To Aerys. "M'lady, as we leave the camp to search for dangers around I want only for you and the others that will stay behind to be safe and secure. Take my whistle and if trouble presents itself, blow it and I will come running to your aid. Also, take my dagger, hoping to never have to use it of course." Surkoff takes his whistle from around his neck and places it around hers, then hands her the dagger as well.
To the rest of the group. "As much as this pains me, I would have to agree with Torch, but also a bit with Hrakar as well. We head west along the coastline and then come back through the jungle, making sure we don't leave any dangers behind us."
As the heat of the midday sun starts to fade a bit Surkoff puts his armor back on, slings his sword over his back and starts to head off down the coastline.
Shrugging off the dissension, Quij follows Torch and Surkoff as they set off to the west.
Ralf struggles to his feet and totters after them. "Say, where are you going? It's dangerous out there, you might get lost! I better go with you, make sure you all make it back to camp in one piece."
"Very well, let's go west then, I just hope this will be worth the risk" Says the dwarf gruffly.
Surkoff:
As we head away from the camp along the beach: "Aerys has mentioned that there might be viper nettle berries that are helpful for some medicinal purposes that grow in these climates. We should keep an eye out for them." Surkoff describes the berries as best he can from what Aerys told him.
The berries are bright red and grow on bushes with red thorns that can grow up to 6 inches long.
As you proceed along the coastline, caught between a steep cliff and the ocean, you make decent speed and hope to be able to reach the tip of the island and be back by nightfall.
After walking the better part of a mile, you may notice something:
Survival 20:
Further ahead, as you approach the tip of the island, you spy the wreck of a ship. It is probably too old for you even to salvage any materials from it. On the stern you can make out its name: "The Tattooed Lady".
Do you want to explore it more closely?
Surkoff eyes the wreck carefully. "It may be old but there may be something useful inside her, I say we have a quick look."
Survival check:
Hrakar doesn't notice anything strange.
"Sure! Let's check for planks and the like. We will need them when we come to our senses and understand we need to build our means of escape!"
Quij and Ilum walk along with the rest of the group, whistling a duet as they keep an eye out for the berries.
"A second wreck in just a handful of miles of coastline," Torch comments with either respect or disgust (it's hard to tell). "This place is extremely... impressive."
Surkoof throws his grappling hook and prepares to get on board the wreck. As he starts to climb, though, the rotten wood gives way, and he is unceremoniously dumped to the ground, taking 1 point of damage.
After that you are a little more careful, but it doesn't take long to realize that there is nothing useful or valuable on the ship.
Pressing on, you are overtaken by a sudden downpour of rain, leaving you soaking wet, but relieving the oppressive heat somewhat. The pounding rain continues for what feels like an eternity and you take a -4 penalty to Perception checks while it lasts.
Will you be pressing on towards the tip of the island or do you prefer to return to camp?
Despite the rain, Quij and Ilum continue their whistling duet, perfectly happy to continue onward.
"A little moisture never hurt anyone, lets get this job done and then return to camp."