With the sea scorpion lying lifeless on the floor, the party can resume its exploration of the wreck.
The ranger wiped his blade on the edge of the wall before sheathing it. He turned to the barbarian woman, "Good work. I guess we better be friends, eh?"
Although wanting to see his cabin and get the rest of his gear, Alexite was more intrigued by the blood coming from under the door. "Hey everyone, pay attention and stay close to me. I think there may be another lobster-scorpion on the other side here."
Having defeated the sea scorpion, the elf's rage subsided.
When Alexite said they should be friends, she smiled and laughed before saying, "That would be a good idea!"
She looked at the door with the blood underneath it.
"Strange that the monster was trying to get through this door. I'm guessing someone was attacked by the sea scorpion and was able to lock the door. I fear we are too late to save whoever it was. But if there is another scorpion on the other side I best get ready now that I can retrieve my equipment."
Sizara ran to her cabin and quickly gathered her equipment along with anything in there that might be useful before heading back to the door and seeing if Alexite needs any help opening it.
"Hakuna kitu hapa kweli..." He said to himself in his native tongue as he quickly gave the lifeboat a once-over.
Before he could investigate further, Hakeem heard the frantic shuffle of footsteps; the elevated breathing; and the brandishing of weapons that signaled battle coming from the ship.
Without a word, Hakeem carefully bounded his way back to the main part of the wrecked ship and followed the sounds through the hole in the deck into the Captain's cabin. Darting through the door with fists bared, he relaxed a bit as he saw Alexite and Sizara standing over the carcass of some sort of sea-scorpion.
" Mwingine wa mambo haya ... hii moja inaonekana kidogo tofauti. Je, zote kupata ufunguo wa bure Jask ?" He stepped up beside Kali'da and asked her in polygot.
After waiting for an answer, he walks to his cabin where he goes to retrieve his backpack with his belongings and his weapons. He secures his pack over his shoulders, as well as his spear and bundle of shorter spears . He leans on his bulb-headed knobkierie like a walking cane, and keeps an eye out for anything strange or out of place in his room in particular.
Surprised to see Hakeem, she replied, "Naamini hivyo. Umegundua nini? Pia tunadhani kuna wanaweza kuwa mwingine nge bahari lakini hatuna uhakika. Ingawa ni uwezekano kwamba yeyote kutuleta kwa pwani inaweza kuwa wamekutana mnyama na alikuwa uwezo wa muhuri wenyewe ndani. Mimi hofu sisi ni kuchelewa mno kuokoa yeyote ilivyokuwa. Wanaweza kuwa kweli imekuwa moja ambaye alituokoa."
I believe so. What did you find? Also we think there might be another sea scorpion but we aren't sure. Although whoever may have brought us ashore may have encountered the monster and sealed themselves inside. I fear we maybe too late to save them."
She was still puzzled by the blood underneath the door and what it entailed.
"Alexite do you need any help on getting the door open?"
Jesari breathed a heavy sigh of relief and hugged her grandfather's urn tightly against her chest for what felt like forever. Several 'thank yous' were whispered to her goddess from within her cabin for providing this small miracle amid all the other tragedies that led to her current situation. Still latched onto the urn and determined to never let it out of her sight again, Jesari gathered up the rest of her belongings, pausing in her tracks when she stumbled upon the flower left behind among her things. She picked it up and studied it intently, puzzling over its existence. How did someone on the ship even get a flower like this? Perplexed, Jesari scanned her room for anything that was out of place or any other signs of who might have left the flower behind.
Jesari exited her cabin and rejoined the others in the hall slowly, still looking down at the flower held between her fingers with a raised eyebrow. "Umm...has anyone been in my room?"
Neither Jesari nor Hakeem notice nothing unusual in their respective rooms-everything seems to be exactly how and where you remember to have left it, except for the inexplicable appearance of the colorful flower Jesari now holds between her fingers.
In the meanwhile, Alexite tries to open the door to the supply room, but notices that it's apparently stuck, even if already damaged. As a consequence, the ranger tries to break open the door with his strenght.
After the first try, Alexite isn't able to break down the door. As a consequence, he tries again, drawing upon all of his strenght.
After Alexite's second try, it's clear to everyone that the door won't open easily. Sizara joins the ranger in the effort, aided by Hakeem, and the three tries to tear down the door with their united efforts.
First try:
Second try:
Third try:
After trying for two times without success, Alexite, Sizara and Hakeem push to their limits and in the end, in the third attempt, they are able to break the door, which is smacked down to the floor with a crushing boom.
Once the dust and the wooden splinters cease to float into the air, everyone who has helped to open the door and any other who's is in front of the smashed door can see the horrific scene that stand out before his eyes. The body of the First Mate, Alton Devers, lies slumped against the wall-he's obviously dead.
The rest of the room contains several crates and barrels,which need to be opened to reveal what they're holding.
"That would explain the blood," Sizara thought when she saw the dead first mate.
"The poor soul...may the animal spirits, Shimye-Magalla, and Ketephys guide his soul to the next life," the elf said, praying for the dead sailor's soul. "I bet he was killed by the sea scorpion. Alton Devers was a brave man. He was probably the one who rowed us to shore and saved all our lives."
The elf studied his body for a moment.
"I don't notice anything but maybe one of you would like to look in case I may have missed something," she said to her companions.
The ranger sheathed his hunting knife and went over to inspect the corpse to try and determine how he had died. He propped the half-elf up and looked for wounds or any clues that may indicate how he was killed.
Once that was done, he took a good look at the cabin to see if any valuables still remained.
After the search, he went by his former cabin and retrieved his belongings. the shaft of his spear felt good in his hands.
He addressed both the elven woman and Mwangi man, "Ni vizuri kuzungumza lugha ya asili lakini tunapaswa kurejea kwenye kawaida. Najisikia wengine hawazungumzi asili."
He looked at the precarious position of the ship, "We should hurry. Who knows how long until this ship is reclaimed by the ocean."
Kali'da gives Hakeem a grim look and nod. "Karibu tena , Hakeem . Hii ni moja ya lahaja ya aina. Hubeba sumu nasty kwa kuumwa yake . Kama kwa funguo , inawezekana ni moja juu ya pete wao tulikuta katika dawati nahodha, lakini hatutaweza kujua mpaka sisi kujaribu."
"Welcome back, Hakeem. This one is a variant of the species. Carries a nasty poison to its sting. As for the keys, it's possible it is one on the ring of them we found in the captain's desk, but we won't know until we try it."
After greeting Hakeem and answering his inquiries, Kali'da peeks into the room and shakes her head. "Not a nice way to die, I don't imagine. Wit' all dat blood, I mean. Did ya get any idea a' what killed de poor fellow?" she asked Alexite as he examined the corpse.
"We should check all dese crates fa' supplies. In de mean time, I'm going to fetch my t'ings from my room."
She leaves the others to the unpleasant room, the rituals she'd normally perform for the dead were not for the eyes, or souls, of ben kudu. She heads into what was her cabin and looks about for her belongings, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.
Alexite's examination of the dead body of Alton Devers reveals that underneath his clothes there's a well-crafted black studded leather armor ). At his side, the man carried an amazing cutlass, with fine etchings on its blade . Around his neck there's also a small chain with the golden symbol of an eagle as a pendant.
You recognize the symbol of the pendant as the Eagle Knight emblem. Eagle Knights, as far as Alexite knows, are an Andoren faction of freedom fighters who fiercely oppose slavery and fight for democracy throughout the Inner Sea region. They are sworn enemy of Cheliax, especially in its actual, "diabolical" form.
Apart from Alton's equipment, Alexite notices that the First Mate bears two sets of different wounds. The first seem to be a bit older and consist of rapier wounds, while the others are inflamed stings. Alexite's examination reveals that although the rapier wound were painful, it was the poison that finished off the First Mate.
The party then examine the supply room in search of something useful. The examination reveals several tools and lumber that could come in handy in building a secure campsite: a block and tackle, three large canvas sheets, two fishing nets, a grappling hook, two bullseye latnerns, 12 flasks of lantern oil, 150 feet of hemp rope, and five shovels.
When everything contained in the supply room has been examinated and possibly reclaimed by the group of castaways, the party moves towards the door leading to what, as you remember, should be the larder. The door is partially left ajar, and when Alexite opens it, behind it there's another gruesome scene. The dead body of ship's cook, Rambar Terillo, lies to the ground. There's not all that blood in here, just the cook's corpse and some crates and barrels containing several foodstuff.
"We should take Alton's equipment to use. He would have wanted us to use it to survive on this island. Also I feel we should cremate his body so that we may scatter his ashes into the wind. It's a custom of my people," Sizara said.
Upon opening the larder and seeing the dead cook, the elf was puzzled. "Strange. Why is the cook dead? He was with us last night. Curious...."
"I'll examine his body if the rest of you wish to start checking to see what supplies we can take from here."
"Oh, Jesmari did you find what you were looking for? And no I haven't been in your room. Was I supposed to?"
Sizara was puzzled by Jesmari's question. Did the human like her in that way? Usually close friends, family, and lovers were allowed in another's tent back among her people. Sizara assumed the same rules applied to people's rooms and cabins. Shaking her head, trying to clear it she went back to studying the dead chef.
The ranger pockets the pendant and lets everyone know what he found on the body of Anton.
"So it appears that the First mate was fighting someone. I wonder if we were boarded by pirates or some sort of sea creatures."
He then asks the others, "So are all the bodies accounted for. Who's missing here?"
Hakeem was slightly surprised that Alexite and Sizara were both fluent in his native tongue. This could perhaps be attributed to some level of naivety of his, and he made a note not to make the same mistake of assumption next time.
He heaved and smashed his shoulder into the door with the human and the elf until he ached from the effort. Even while he exerted this effort, a part of him seemed to sense the death behind the door. That still didn't stop the shock of the sight of the first mate's corpse.
" Alton Devers was a good man." Hakeem stated simply and nodded to Sizara. " While I think he deserves to be honored, I don't know if a fire large enough to consume him is a good idea. There might be plenty of dangers in the jungle, including perhaps whoever did this to Alton. It will be best to lay low until we can be sure. "
He thought for a moment then added " Perhaps a burial into the water here... as a sadaka" he hesitated-" sorry, an offering to Gozreh... Burials at sea are customary for men and women who live on it."
" But we should get as much as we can back to the camp and check on the other group.... If they encountered any danger..." He trails off, clearly worried, but not willing to call into question the other groups competence yet. " I hope Ishirou is good with that Katana he carries." he said half-jokingly in an attempt to lighten the mood.
When Hakeem mentioned about the burial at sea for Alton, she was quite surprised as this hadn't crossed her mind.
"I...I didn't think of that," she said, embarrassed that she had not thought of that. Still a part of her called out to the elf, reminding her that these people were like a new tribe a new family. She was only one person and that her new companions were there for her and she for them.
She nodded before saying, "That is a good idea Hakeem. We should prepare a burial for the ship's cook as well. Both were men of the sea and it is best to return them to the sea. The spirits will be most pleased by our actions. I think it best if you teach us Hakeem of how to perform the ritual."
"And good idea on gathering all we can get from the ship. It will aid us and the others in surviving till we are able to get off the island or someone passes by. And Alexite, do you think pirates reside on this island?"
Kali'da, sure that her comanions have most everything sorted out and in hand for the time being, moves to open the door to what she remembers being Ishirou's cabin. Seeing as he wasn't here to claim his own belongings, the least she could do is see what she could bring out for him. It would hardly do to leave behind his things simply because he was not here.
"So much death. Once we are all safe fa' de night, we will have to try to solve dis mystery. And figya' out where de rest of de crew washed up. If they did."
Before actually opening the door, she pauses and listens for any other disturbances. No need to walk right into another eurypterid, after all. Assuming all is quite, she opens the door just enough to peek in and give the room a once over before opening it all the way.
Jesari hung her head solemnly at the sight of the first mate's body, nodding in agreement with Hakeem's assessment of his character. Being around a dead body though, especially one killed violently, made Jesari visibly uncomfortable. She did her best to put off having to enter the room for as long as she could, trying to avert her eyes from Alton's corpse as she moved through the supply room. Jesari took a few of the things from the supply room deemed essential with little hesitation but watching the others pick through Alton's possessions left her uneasy. It didn't feel right.
Following the others into the larder, Jesari inhaled sharply upon seeing the body of the cook and turned around with a shake of her head. One dead body was enough for her, a second was just a brutal reminder that she didn't want to deal with right now. A shiver shot down her spine and a few uneasy breaths escaped her lungs, a feeling that caused her to clutch her grandfather's urn even tighter. Trying to shake her morbid thoughts, Jesari turned her attention to Sizara and her questions.
"Yes, I found my grandfather's ashes. I was supposed to return them to his homeland but..." Jesari shrugged and looked over the room's interior with her eyes, "This happened. And no, you shouldn't be in my room but someone was. They left me a...flower." That last word almost came across as a question in Jesari's confusion, her mind still trying to work out the why and the who of her personal mystery.
The group has now searched all the cabins in the mid-deck. The only thing left for examination is the trapdoor on the floor.
The ranger makes a neat pile of the things they will take back to shore, including the equipment to make a campsite. However, there was still more exploration to do and it had to be done within the next half hour.
He orders the others to make haste, "C'mon, let's leave what we found except our weapons on deck and continue exploring the ship. or what remains of it. But let's move before it's all claimed by Gozreh."
Spear in hand, he then makes his way to the trap door...
"Your grandfather's ashes? I see...That is quite noble of you Jesmari. My people scatter our dead ashes into the wind to allow the spirits to guide to the next life. Was he from these lands? And a flower? That's strange."
After speaking to Jesmari and hearing Alexite suggest that they finish exploring the ship, she nods.
"You are correct Alexite but I have discovered something about the cook. He appears to have been bitten by a snake...a very large snake, judging from the size of the bite marks on his neck and shoulders. I don't ever recall seeing a snake onboard. And this worries me. How did a snake of such size get onboard this ship? Was it the pet of the pirates that attacked us or did someone smuggle it onboard and it got loose and attacked the cook? However neither of those answer the most obvious question: why was he in the larder? Doesn't make sense. The more clues we find the more questions we gain."
Sizara readied her sword as she followed close behind Alexite. Then she asked Jesmari, "May I see the flower real quickly before we finish our exploration please? Should only take a second..."
Kali'da doesn't hesitate to grab the lone belonging from Ishirou's room, though she certainly doesn't look inside. That would be rude. She'd nose over his shoulder later when Ishirou opened it himself. Much more polite.
Kali'da agrees and looks out one of the gaps in the ships hull at the water to confirm they hadn't run out of time before high tide was coming in. "I agree. We don't have much longa' befoa' the tide threatens what's left a' de ship."
She follows Alexite's lead and heads towards the trapdoor. She listens for any disturbances by pressing her ear against the trapdoor itself before allowing anyone to open it. "Betta' safe den sorry," she murmurs to the group.
"Good thinking, Kali'da," Sizara said, praising Kali'da's idea to check for danger. As she adventured longer with these people, the more the elf realized that each was skilled in his or her own way.
Kali'da hears only the waves crushing against the lower decks through the trapdoor. Alexite decides to open it, but it seems like the tide has already begun to rise, covering with water the whole lower deck. Maybe it's still possible to dive into the water and try to find something useful in the remaining rooms, but the risk of attracting some sea creature which may have chosen the wreck as their new home is consistent.
Jesari peeked over the edge of trapdoor into the waves below and backed away. "I'm not really that great of a swimmer. Maybe it would be safer if we just headed back? We've found plenty of stuff, right?" Jesari looked over her shoulder back towards the captain's chambers, already trying to imagine what life on the remote island would be like.
"Looks like the tide is starting to rise. I agree with Jesari that it might be best to come back later. We can always check when the tide is low and see what can be salvage. I can swim but still something may have decided to move in and I prefer we don't run into anything while we have supplies to worry about. But I'm leaving the final decision to Alexite."
The elf stayed behind the ranger ready to move.
"Looks like the tide is starting to rise. I agree with Jesari that it might be best to come back later. We can always check when the tide is low and see what can be salvage. I can swim but still something may have decided to move in and I prefer we don't run into anything while we have supplies to worry about. But I'm leaving the final decision to Alexite."
The elf stayed behind the ranger ready to move.
The ranger took stock of the supplies they had already salvaged and the risk of going underwater on a ship that may be swallowed by the sea at any moment.
It wasn't a difficult decision. "I think we have enough for now. We may be able to come back at a later. But I think that if everyone has their belongings, then we should head back to set up camp."
He looked to see if there were other opinions.
Sizara nodded and smiled at Alexite.
"I think you make an excellent leader, Alexite," she said as she prepared to head back to shore but first she asked Hakeem concerning the last rites for Alton and the cook. "Do you need any aid or assistance in preparing them, Hakeem? I'm curious to see how it is performed."
Kali'da makes no arguments. The sea could claim what she wanted; they had what they needed. No doubt there were useful things below, but the dangers outweighed the desire to explore the lower decks. She gave a nod and turned to follow Alexite and Sizara, helping bring out the supplies and get them safely off the ship.
"We should hurry to back to where de oda's are makin' camp. No doubt de got some need fa' what we bringin' back. Not to mention de tide an' de creepy crawlies who may be lurkin' around waitin' fa' a chance to nip at oua toes..." she says, remembering the nips she had gotten earlier.
It wasn't the fastest process, getting all that cargo down the cliffs, but thankfully the ropes made it much easier.
Having picked out her way around the slick rocks once, she finds it even easier the second time, even laden with the additional load.
Hakeem did what little he could to quickly clean off the corpses, and laid them out in a way that was as least-demeaning as possible. It seemed the Elf looked to him for knowledge of last rites, but the truth was that he was no priest, even if it sometimes seemed that way. " Last rites?" he stammered out the words as Sizara brought it to his attention again.
" I don't speak for Gozreh, nor the dead." He began, placing a hand over his chest humbly. " But I believe all involved will have to forgive our lack of ceremony. The tide will rise, Gozreh will claim what's his. The bodies of these men will nourish new life here in da sea and the shore.. just as our bodies will do the same someday."
He crouched one last time and closed their eyelids. " May dey find peace in the here-after."
He followed along with the group, although part of him wanted to see what they could find within the rising tide below the trap door. Although they had gathered plenty of supplies to help them stay alive, Hakeem and the others were no closer to unraveling the mystery of how the Jeneviere and it's passengers arrived at this fate.
"I see. A strange custom, but appropriate nonetheless given the circumstances."
After Hakeem finished, Sizara followed behind the others, navigating the slippery rocks. As she did so, she thought about her companions. While they may be strange and a bit odd at times, they were skilled and knowledgable about things she didn't know much about. She smiled hoping to learn more about them.
As she navigated the rocks, she leapt from one rock to the next like a cat, even getting ahead of the others without even realizing it!
When she turned around and saw that she began to wonder, had the cheetah spirit finally accepted her?
After scavenging everything deemed useful from the wreck of the Jenivere, the party returns to the shore, easily navigating the slippery rocks, made even more perilous by the rising tide.
Once you reach the shoreline, you find your fellow castaways waiting for you. They’re all there-Jask is sitting quietly on the sand, Ishirou and Aerys scan the horizon with absorbed expressions, while Sasha and Gelik are involved in a conversation regarding jungle vermins. When they notice you, Ishirou and Aerys continue to do what they were doing before, paying apparently no interest in your arrival; Sasha and Gelik halt their conversation and move forward towards you, while Jask looks at you with hopeful eyes.
“So you’re back from the wrecky! Desna be blessed! Ishirou you owe me your dagger” says Gelik looking at Ishirou with an amused expression. Ishirou limits himself to a grunt followed by a phlegmatic spit. “So-o-o, what were your findings, my esteemed colleagues?”, asks the gnome.
When you’ll have explained everything, Sasha says proudly: “We had some excellent results. too We found a good spot where to build a camp: it’s not far from here. We’ll take you there, right Gelik?”. In the meanwhile, Jask attends the conversation without explicitly stepping in, but he looks at you with curiosity mixed with hope that as the time goes turns into a resigned consternation.
"We were able to gather a great deal of supplies to aid us as well as retrieve our belongings. However we discovered some...unusual things. Turns out we all owe our lives to the first mate, Alton, for it was he saved us, but sadly he is dead. Alexite can tell you more about him. We also found the ship's cook dead as well. Unlike Alton who was killed by the sea scorpion that we fought onboard the ship, the cook had very large snake bites on him and that resulted in his demise. Strange though as I don't ever recall seeing a snake onboard, especially since one that size would be easy to spot. And Jask we may have found the keys to unlock your chains."
After finishing speaking, Sizara then addressed the gnome saying, "One moment."
The elf quickly went into some thick bushes, and a few moments later came back out. Her legs now bare and going barefoot, she had turned want remained of her clothes into a loincloth and a stripe of cloth to cover her breasts, although she had more success making the loincloth than her chest covering. Luckily her hide armor did a much better job covering up her chest. "Alright now I'm ready," she said with a grin.
"De keys. Let's have dem out before Jask's longin' face tugs at my heartstrings any longa'," she says with a grin aimed at Jask. He was far more patient than she'd have been in the same situation.
"An' afta' dat, we'll see to ya campsite. I imagine we got some t'ings from de ship dat'll help wit' settin' up somet'in' for a shelta'," she continued to Gelik and Sasha. "I imagine we are all tired, and de soona' we get set up, de soona' we can rest oua feet."
Kali'da looked about the beach again, not for anything in particular but to simply reconcile the predicament she was in.She thought of her tribe locked in the hold of a ship like cargo and shuddered. One thing at a time, she thought, returning her focus back to the tasks at hand. First, get off this god forsaken spit of land.
Alexite chimes in to complement the information, "Yes, Alton had two sets of wounds on him. Earlier wounds made by some sort of blade and the wounds that killed him, made by a large lobster-scorpion."
He then looked at the others, "I'm not so sure Alton saved us. We still haven't found the captain or that strange woman. Perhaps they could have saved us and be setting up camp somewhere here. Or they could have saved us and then have been attacked by the local fauna."
He shrugs, "What makes you so sure that Alton saved us?"
"Does anyone know if those lobster things are edible?"
Shrugging the elf replied, "Well it was the captain who changed our course, and you heard what Jesari read in his logbook. Still you do have a point. Until we discover the whereabouts of captain and hopefully the other crew members, who saved us will just be guesses I suppose. The most important question is are we alone on this island. I hope so, although I have heard from both pathfinders and other explorers that some islands are inhabited from anything like head hunters to dinosaurs to one horn one eye flying purple people eater...I'm not sure about that last one but I mean these pathfinders have seen the world so they can't make this stuff up right?"
The elf stood there thinking...
Jesari reluctantly moved toward Jask, pulling the keys she found in the captain's desk from her pocket as she walked forward. "You're not like...a violent criminal, right?" Jesari began trying each key in order on Jask's manacles, cautiously eyeing him as she did so, even if he tried to reassure her that he wasn't going to do anything.
As she worked, Jesari joined in on the conversation the others were having. "I have a feeling those wounds on the first mate were from the captain's sword. He seemed to think the crew, especially Alton, were trying to steal Ieana from him. I really hope the rest of the crew didn't end up like Alton and the cook. Maybe we should try searching for any other survivors?"
"Oh! By the way..." Jesari turned her attention from Jask for a moment to place her pack at her feet and retrieve the mysterious flower left in her room. "Please tell me that someone here knows why this was left in my room with the rest of my things. It's starting to creep me out."
The elven barbarian smiled at the Jesari. Sizara liked the strange woman, so when she asked about the strange flower, she asked to see it, hoping to tell Jesari more about it.
"Oh! By the way..." Jesari turned her attention from Jask for a moment to place her pack at her feet and retrieve the mysterious flower left in her room. "Please tell me that someone here knows why this was left in my room with the rest of my things. It's starting to creep me out."
Alexite attempted to get a better look, "If it's from this island then perhaps that would signal that someone came here and then went back to the ship. Maybe that will help us determine what really happened."
The ranger turned to the others, "BTW, how many crew members were there? We know the cook, the captain, the first mate, and Ileana. Of those, only two bodies have been found..."
The strange flower Jesari is holding has nothing to do with normal flowers: its appearance is anything but natural. Its petals possess a vivid colouring, as is they were painted. Neither Sizara nor Alexite have never seen something like that. The flower seems to emanate a soft light-blue light, similar to an aura.
Jesari is able to unlock Jask's manacles. The Garundi stares at her gratefully, then looks at you and bends down his head in sign of gratitude. "My thanks for the trust you're according me. I promise you that you won't regret it." Then he looks at Jesari, and with a humble voice he says "I've never killed anything more dangerous than a mosquito. My troubles are...Many in Cheliax would define them as "bureaucratic" in nature. I've discovered the dark secrets of the wrong family when I was in Eleder. But it was a family I didn't wanted to hurt. So I stayed silent. That was my crime. I should have remembered that the law always asks for complete honesty, even when it entails hurting someone you love". In the last sentence, a veil of sorrow appears on Jask's face. "But I imagine we will have plenty of time to discuss my past. I'm willing to share every detail with you, if you'll have the time and patience to listen the story of an aging man who's trying to prove his innocence".
"I'm surely sure that your story will fill us all with wonder and admiration, my Garundi friend", steps in Gelik, "but even though it may sound strange, even me is able to recognize that this is not the right time for stories. We need to build our camp before night comes; as you will know, building a camp takes away a lot of time, and efforts, and work, and other boring things like these. Even at the cost of one or two of my wonderful hairs to turn white for the boredom, I must invite you all to follow us on the spot we've found in the jungle interior before it's too late. And if I go bleaching while building the camp, remember me as the gnome who saved you all from certain death on this aloof shore and send the complete report of my noble deeds to the Pathfinder Society in Absalom, so they can add Gelik Aberwhinge's name on the Wall of Names".
Sasha seems entertained and annoyed at the same time by Gelik's long-lasting talk and begin to venture into the jungle once he has concluded.
Alexite looks at the gnome and smiles. He can say something useful every once in a while.
He nods, "Gelik is right. We must make the camp before nightfall. Once camp is made, we'll take turns to keep watch during the night. We shouldn't sleep more than 6 hours so we can take watch in pairs. Sound good?"
That last question was rhetorical as the ranger was already moving.
Shaking her head, she says to Jesari, "I'm sorry Jesari but I'm not sure what to make of this flower. While unnatural and appearing painted, it is indeed beautiful. I suggest you hold onto it as it might be a sign of good fortune and blessings from the spirits...oh! Maybe it is a symbol of goodwill from your spirit animal...although that is strange. Spirit animals don't usually leave physical gifts but the spirits are strange in how they interact with us so it's possible. But I guess we should start building a camp as well as look for anything that could be useful in the jungle. I'll also check for any hidden secrets as well. The jungle can be quite...secretive with her mysteries. And don't worry Jask and Gelik. We will aid you as best as we can as I see you are good people. Oh Jask I almost forgot! Here are your belongings. Your dagger came in handy. It is a fine weapon. And I found this. I was wondering if you could tell me more about it."
She holds up the pendant she found on the ship in the wardrobe.
After handing back his equipment she quickly began to help set up a camp while also looking for anything that might aid them in surviving the island not to mention searching for anything...odd or dangerous! Growing up in the jungle had taught her to be cautious and to always keep both eyes out for danger or hidden advantages!
Kali'da gave an eye roll as the gnome killed time talking about not wasting time. He had a knack for talking. And talking. Though perhaps around a campfire tonight, it wouldn't be so bad.
"Lead de way den," Kali'da said promptly as the gnome finished up his speech, hoping to cut off anything further he has to say.
"I'll be sleepin' fa' eight houa's, no moa' no less. Ya can cut ya own sleep, but a sleepy person tomorra' is a useless person. We got enough people to let everyone sleep dere propa' eight even if we only take a shorta' watch."
Laughing a bit, Sizara put an arm around Kali'da, and wag her finger at the oracle saying, "We elves don't sleep. We mediate and we only need to do it for four hours which is the equivalent of a human getting eight hours of sleep. So I can help with the watch and guard duty."
She took her arm off of Kali'da and went back to putting together some shelters.
Hakeem is sure to be by Jask when Kali'da unbinds the man. He listens closely to his story, and feels that he speaks truthfully, but still is wary for any lies or misgivings that the man speaks.
___________________________________________________________________________ _
Hakeem watches Gelik's monologue with the same annoyed and slightly entertained expression that Sasha wore, but over-all agreed to the gnome's sentiment. Hakeem had already walked off to the edge of the Jungle by the time Gelik had started pontificating on his "hairs turning white". When the rest of the party approached, he fell in line behind Sasha and Gelik.
Once arriving at the site, he threw himself into helping with preparing the camp. He stuck close to Jask, partly to keep an eye on him, but more so out of general curiosity rather than feeling threatened.
He nods to Kali'da's sentiment. " I'll take first watch. Perhaps Jask will join me?"
Jesari was taken aback by what little of his story Jask had shared with her. "Oh...Cheliax." She knew all too well how the laws of her home nation could turn good people into criminals. Jesari nodded as Jask finished. "I'd like to hear it when we have time."
On the way to the campsite, Jesari looked down at the flower in her hands and sighed at the conclusions reached by the others. "Great..." Intrigued that her 'gift' might not be natural, Jesari takes a second to cast a quick spell.
Once at the camp, Jesari only does as she is told, following the orders of those that know what they are doing as best as she can. Living outside of the city was not one of her strengths.
Sizara looked over at Jesari. She was curious about learning more of her new companions, of her new friends. Deciding that the best way was to ask and see where it lead her, she asked the woman, "So Jesari what was your grandfather like? If you do not feel comfortable with me asking I understand."
The elven barbarian awaited Jesari's response while also continuing to work on the camp.
The campsite chosen by your fellow castaways seems proper, and you all work tirelessly to anticipate the shadows. For your surprise, the tools scavenged in the Jenivere allows to build the camp with amazing quickness, and soon the base camp is ready, thanks to your work and the aid of Gelik, Jask and Sasha. Ishirou and Aerys are not very collaborative, and do things only when directly asked, and even then, they seem tired and annoyied.
Your hard work allows you to have your base camp completely built in 1 hour. This allows you to rest far more then you'd expected. As time goes by, you split the watch among yourselves and your fellow castaways. Aerys and Ishirou proclaim themselves too tired to make the watch, so they don't help you with the watch.
The watch shifts are as follows:
- 1st shift - Hakeem and Jask
- 2nd shift - Sizara and Alexite
- 3rd shift - Gelik and Sasha
- 4th shift - Kali'da and Jesari
(Night)
The evening and the night following it pass by calmly. The campsite does a good job in protecting you from the disease carried by the island's pests.
Once the sun rises above the sealine, everyone is awake, hungry but rested. It's time to decide plan your next move.