Karathiel silently tallies the results in her head. In favour of giving him his freedom: Cethel, Sasha, Adornis, Ishirou, Amboy. Five
In favour of keeping the status quo: Aerys, Gelik, Karathiel, St John. Four
Assuming Imhara votes the way that Karathiel expects her to - or even if she abstains - it looks like the man will be freed.
Imhara's temper rises at the display Adornis puts on, his seemingly cavalier treatment of the issue setting her teeth on edge. In another circumstance, the half-elf's theatrics might well have been received favorably, but in this instance, Imhara wants nothing more than to lash out with sharp words, to put an end to the farce she sees playing out in front of her and unshackle Jask, the opinions of all else be damned. Only by the grace and wisdom of her ancestors is the witch able to realize how her actions would only cause further rifts in the group at a time when they need to work together, and so she bites her tongue and lets everyone else have their say.
She lets out a breath she hadn't realizing she'd been holding when Ishirou gives his vote. Without waiting for any further debate on the topic, Imhara grabs up the holy symbol of Nethys from the pile of scavenged gear before making her way over to Jask, the ring of keys clutched firmly in her hand. "I think this belongs to you," she says with a warm smile, placing the symbol in his hands before curling his fingers over it. With that, Imhara begins trying each of the keys on the manacles, eager to see the irons off the Garundi man.
With a clink, the manacles unlock. Jask crouches there, rubbing his wrists and saying nothing. When he finally rises, he seems to stand a little taller than before. He looks Imhara in the eyes, a fiery intensity replacing the earlier defeated. "You have my thanks, mkembozi. I will work to repay your kindness."
He turns to the rest gathered around the loot. "I do not know how, but I will prove my innocence." With that, he walks silently back towards the camp.
Smiling over the small victory, Amboy addresses Jask.
"I am sure that you will be of great help to our happy little family"
Amboy points to the gear that is laid out.
"Jask, does any of this belong to you?"
"Wonderful, wonderful!" Adornis exclaims jumping off his rock. To Jask, he continued. "If I could be of any assistance in helping you, Jask, please let me know! The only thing worst than being locked against your will, is being locked with your consent..."
Adornis then points them to the camp he and the other survivors have been made. "Isn't it wonderful? It could be improved, of course, but for now it will be enough I think. I suggest we rest now, share some food and think of better times... a bad mood and pessimistic behavior had never helped anyone!" Smiling to Sasha, Adornis ushers the others to sit around the fire.
The first night on the Shiv begins. Ishirou offers to act as a guard and Jask shows anybody who is interested how to better protect themselves from the biting insects native to the island. Sasha has gathered enough food to feed eight people. Aerys and Gelik offer no help. Ultimately, the night passes without incident.
The following morning, Jask calls everybody to attention. In proper clothing and with the holy symbol of Nethys around his neck, the Garundi man seems reborn. "I told you all last night that I intended to prove my innocence, and I believe I can. As I mentioned before, I once served as a scribe for the Sargavan government. During my discovery of the papers that would eventually lead to my arrest, I saw that one of my superior's criminal contacts was a Shackles pirate named Avret Kinkarian. As fate would have it, Kinkarian's ship, the Brine Demon, reputedly wrecked here on the Smuggler's Shiv. If we have the time, I would love to check the wreckage. There could be some proof of my claims there."
You're back aboard the Jenivere, bent over the railing being seasick. After your latest bout of retching, you slump back and see the rest of the passengers and crew are on deck as well, all of them sick save for the captain and the quiet Varisian scholar, Ieana. She whispers in the captain's ear, then gives him a kiss on the cheek. At that point the captain holds up a wooden soup spoon, and you realize that you're holding one as well. Everyone has a spoon. The ship is sinking, and the only way to stop it is to bail out the hold with your spoon! You work feverishly, but the waters keep rushing in. Just before you wake, you can see monstrous things with pincers in the water trying to claw their way into the ship...
"If we find it we'll look, but our first prioity is surviving and getting off this island. We should do some exploring. East, west or inland?" St. John says as he finishes his shaving.
Karathiel nods in agreement. "Till we can get out of here, we need to survive. That means knowing what's out there." Squinting in the early morning light, she is ready to go.
"Scout the nearby area, then press inland."
Adornis wakes up and shakes his head, trying to make sense if his dream was some sort of repressed memory, just a dream, or, probably, a mix of the two. He them glimpses at Sasha, Imhara, and Karathiel, while slightly knocking his head with his fist. Hey you there! There are much more nice and gorgeous things for you to dream about! Get your stuff together! He sighs. Well, at least everyone was on their clothes... which is already an improvement...
While listening to Jask's request, Adornis gets on his feet. "As I've said before, Jask, it will be a pleasure to help you. Also, regarding our exploration plan, I think we should look for somewhere with a good view of the surroundings, so we'd, at least, discover about the general shape of this island... I once knew a pathfinder girl from Absalon that told me just that."
Looking around an scratching his chin, he wondered. "Also, I'm thinking if we should all go together, or should some of us stay behind and guard the camp... we are in quite a big number and it would be quite hard for us to remain discreet, which is quite an important thing until we discover who is living here."
Despite wanting nothing more than to cast the manacles into the sea, Imhara understands that they could prove useful in the future - particularly if they should find the first mate's killer - and so retrieves them from where they've dropped in the sand and stores them in her pack. After heading into camp, she eagerly pays attention to Jask's demonstration, knowing full well the wisdom that comes from one's elders.
-----
The next morning, Imhara listens to Jask's proposal as she runs her fingers through her hair, carefully working the knots accumulated during her fitful sleep out. She is pleasantly surprised to find St. John is amenable to the newly freed man's idea - or at least not outright dismissive of it. Nodding along when Adornis voices his suggestions, Imhara briefly adds her thoughts to the matter. "I think separating into two roughly even groups would do. That way neither one is completely ill-prepared should we have any more encounters with the island's denizens."
Amboy rises the next morning, eats a meager meal, and gathers his things. He joins the discussion on what to do next.
"I am thinking that we head for high ground. It will give us a view of the island and possibly see if there is anyone else here."
"Aerys, Gelik, Sasha, Ishirou, and I could stay here. We can gather food, improve the camp, and defend it." Jask suggests. "The six of you could go and explore."
Ishirou grunts. "If you seek high ground, the closest hill seems to be to the southwest."
"Very well, this sounds like a plan!" Adornis exclaims while putting his hand on Jask's shoulder. "We shall not take long, I believe... meanwhile, take care of yourselves."
Moving towards Sasha, Adornis continued. "Don't worry about me, Sasha, for I'll return soon enough, and I shall show you that nothing is yet lost if you have the will to endure and to live another day... we shall honor the dead, by living and enjoying our lives as much as we can." With a bow, a smile, and a wink, Adornis turns to the others while grabbing his trident and his net.
"I'm ready to explore... how shall we proceed?"
"Heading toward high ground sounds good to me. I'll take the lead up that way unless someone else has a better idea." St. John says as he rolls up his map and store it in his backpack.
"If you're certain," Imhara tentatively agrees with Jask's proposal, her hazel eyes briefly looking over to Gelik and Aerys before fixing back on the Garundi man. She would prefer having the former fugitive watching her back in the wilderness - But perhaps this will be an exercise in building trust for us all. Heading over to her makeshift 'quarters', Imhara retrieves her crossbow, quiver and pack before heading back to the others.
With the group set on seeking higher ground, Imhara glances at the sky, shielding her eyes from the morning sun as she determines true north. Once she's found that, she points in the direction Ishirou spoke of. "So, southwest then?" Imhara will follow behind St. John, crossbow loaded and at the ready.
Amboy gathers his things and is ready to go.
"I will take rear guard in case something sneaks up on us?"
Karathiel breathes deeply, before lifting up the hood of her tunic to cover her face as best she can, protecting her eyes from the harsh daylight. "Ready."
She will follow closely behind St John, ready to join any combat with her pistol.
While awaiting for Cethel's confirmation that he was ready to go, Adornis moved to the front with St. John, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Very well, St. John, it looks like we'll take the lead then! I fully believe we'll be able to protect the others, considering we are both in a pretty good shape."
"Let's go!"
Cethel follows in the middle of the group, with his shield out and a few pebbles handy.
The journey to the hill is a difficult trek, but not impossible. It seems impossible to travel through the Shiv in a straight line, the terrain broken up by jungle and sharp ridges. First, they party had to move south, close the the rocky precipice that hangs over a large interior bay, before turning north to clamber up the hill. Before you reach the top however...
Karathiel hisses an alarm to the others, not quite a whistle but enough to get their attention. Her quiet voice barely carries as she explains what she's noticed: "Whatever's here is driving away the other animals - or eating them. Careful."
You continue to the top of the hill and are rewarded with an impressive view. To the south is a large bay, the only path around is a long curving peninsula; the beach you washed up on appears to be one of the northernmost points on the island. To the south, along the beach of the bay, you see a pair of comprised of wooden buildings. One of the camps sits at the mouth of a lush valley that runs further south. Further to the west of the camps appears to be an enormous crab, so large that you can see it from this great distance. It lies unmoving on the beach.
Beyond the shore of the bay, you see a number of hills, including what appears to be the tallest on the island, a massive dormant volcano.
Finally, to the north and west, running towards the very end of the island, you see a shipwreck washed up on the northern beach.
Karathiel looks down at the view, silently taking it all in. The extent of the desolation on this island, the distance from anything resembling civilisation, sinks in and she shakes her head.
Oh well. Nothing to be done but carry on.
Hefting her pack, she looks at the others. "Next plan?"
Clearly uncomfortable of standing within some unknown predator den, Adornis looked around. Adornis first points to the north, towards the shipwreck and then to the two wooden buildings. "Well, I believe we should check that shipwreck first... it is a long shot, but perhaps that ship was shipwrecked by the same storm the brought us here... there might be survivors... then, we could take a look on those shelters."
Looking around once more, he urged them to move. "But what we really need to do, is leave this place... we are risking our luck by standing so close to this unknown predator den.
I wonder if that might be the Brine Demon that Jask was talking about... After Adornis suggests what their next plan ought to be, Imhara is quick to second the idea, quite keen on finding some proof that will exonerate the Garundi man in the eyes of their fellow survivors, and the colonial authorities that await his return. "A sound plan. With any luck, at the least there might be some supplies we could scavenge from the wreck." With that, she resecures her grip on her crossbow, and waits for St. John and Adornis to take point again.
Continuing, now with a more mischievous smile, Adornis comes a bit closer to her. "On the other hand, moving around the island has its advantages, since I'm taking the rear positioning..."
"Agreed."
When the party gets close to the ship, Cethel touches his holy symbol, muttering something in a strange language, and his pebbles he picked up from earlier begin to softly glow.
"Sound like as good a plan as any. Let's get moving before this predator finds us."
Amboy continues to follow along watching back to see if they are being followed.
Leaving the predator's den alone, you head west and north, moving along the northern most shore of the island. Eventually, you come upon the shipwreck, just as the heat of the midday sun begins to beat upon the group.
This galley, a large ship propelled by oars and a single sail, lies shattered on the beach, waves from the sea crashing into it. Even from a distance, you can see people wandering around the wreckage, stumbling as if in shock.
Cethel shouts to the people near the ship to make their presence known.
"Hello! We were shipwrecked here as well! We have healing if anyone is injured!"
Amboy steps up next to Cethel and smiles at the helpful gnome, "You realize that they might not be as friendly as we are. No sense in hiding now."
He pulls out his bow and begins to approach the ship. As he crosses the open expanse of beach he watches for signs of danger.
Stopping closer to Amboy, Adornis nods in agreement. "I don't quite like the way they stumble around it... if you think about it... if they were shipwrecked by the same storm we were, should not they have already arranged for an encampment like we did?"
"If they are stupid enough to keep wandering for a whole day, they won't be living for much longer..." Then, just like that, something occurred to him. "Wait... do we know if they are actually alive? Oh please, don't tell me we are now on a zombie island... it will for sure ruin all the mood I've trying to raise here... the possibilities of a romantic vacation are much dimmer when you introduce zombies!"
"You're optimistic enough to consider being shipwrecked on an uninhabited and dangerous island a "romantic vacation", yet you're pessimistic enough to think other survivors might be zombies? If you're scared of zombies, take this."
With a smile, Cethel hands Adornis one of his glowing pebbles as they walk toward the ship.
Karathiel shakes her head. "Friendly or not, best we find out soon."
Making sure her gun is oiled loaded, she moves forward with the others.
Imhara brings up the rear as they make their way toward the wreckage, evidently not as warm to the idea of sharing the island with another group of survivors as others seem to be. At the mention of zombies, she recalls the tales of Smuggler's Shiv which spoke of the spirits of the dead who haunt the island, and feels a cold chill seep down her spine in spite of the midday sun. "It isn't pessimism to consider the possibility," Imhara replies to the gnome, not unkindly. "There's a reason civilization has yet to leave its mark on this island. There are some places man wasn't meant to explore. So much death gives a place bad juju, makes it hard for the dead to find any peace. And if they can't rest, there's no good reason for them to stay in the ground. At least, that's how my people speak of this island."
As they approach the wreck, Imhara addresses her companions in a lowered voice, "I think it's best we keep our distance until we have some indication of what or whom we are dealing with."
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Karathiel shakes her head in disgust at Imhara's mention of juju and places man wasn't meant to explore. "Superstition and mumbo-jumbo are no match for the tools of civilisation." She pats the pistol that hangs from her belt. "And Abadar teaches us that sometimes the light of civilisation begins with a cleansing fire." She looks around meaningfully at the jungle around them. "This land is fertile, it could be farmed well enough, given time."
The fact that this would take decades, or possibly even centuries, doesn't matter to her in the slightest.
Adornis almost chuckles with Karathiel's reprimand to Imhara's words, even if he remained silent. He clearly doubted anyone of them had experienced anything closely similar to what he did... to jump from the real to the impossible. If anything, Adornis learnt not to doubt anything. Hell... he wasn't able to, his mind once lost to a world where the concepts of insanity were nothing outside the common sense.
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Having been accustomed to seeing her people's advice go unheeded by colonists and other non-natives, Karathiel's response does not get much of a rise out of Imhara. Keeping her retort brief as they have more pressing matters to attend to outside of debating religion, Imhara makes a point of looking around at all the untamed wilderness about them before turning back to Karathiel with a slight smirk. "Clearly no match."
St. John leads to group toward the ship and says quietly, "I'd have prefered to approach unknown as well until we know their intentions but since that isn't possible everyone be on your toes." and continues toward the shipwreck.
As you approach, the name of the beached ship becomes apparent. The words "The Tattooed Lady" are emblazoned on the hull in sun-faded white paint.
You smell rot on the wind as the shipwrecked figures in the distance grow closer. Shambling aimlessly, it becomes obvious from their appearance and rasping cries that something is terribly wrong.
Five zombies, their bodies bloated with water, horribly baked from the sun, and wearing the tattered remains of Chelaxian sailor uniforms amble around the shipwreck unaware of your advance.
Amboy pulls back on the bow string a couple of times to test its strength and cheerfully says to Adornis, "Your prediction of zombies seems to have been correct. I guess we are going to have to slay them. We can't have them getting loose on our island paradise. How shall we proceed?"
"We can easily take that many. The potential benefits of making contact outweighed the risk of alerting zombies. Anyone else want a magic rock to throw?"
"I say we approach the zombies and those of you with ranged weapons engage them. I'll stand ahead and keep them off of you. What do you think?" St. John says as he readies his gear.
"Ah!" Adornis exclaims, with a mixed feelings. "I honestly don't know if I'm happy about being correct, or alarmed... well back to business."
Looking at Amboy's bow, Imhara's crossbow, and Kara's firearms, Adornis shrugged. "I guess we could potentially slay all of them from some safe distance..." Turning to Cethel, he continued. "St. Jhon, you could take one of this shinning stones from Cethel, and when they come closer, I'll join you in the frontline. Sounds nice? Remember this day guys, as the day we defeat the terrible zombies from the tattooed lady!"
Imhara tsks in disappointment at discovering that the ship was not the Brine Demon, but her determination to search the wreckage is not diminished any less by this knowledge. Nor is it diminished by the reek of rotted flesh that blows in with the sea breeze, though it's hard for her to contain her disgusted reaction to it. "Ugh," Imhara utters, holding a hand to her nose to lessen the smell. In light of the circumstances, she manages to refrain from tossing another smug comment to Karathiel - for the time being, at least - and instead prepares to lay the sailors to rest once more.
"I am ready when you are," Imhara says to the group, readying her crossbow.
Karathiel nods at Cethel "Thanks - but I'll take my chances with this." Drawing her pistol, her red eyes squint, gauging the distance to the zombies. "Ready."
Once within 30 feet, she fires.
The sharp crack of the black powder explosion is followed almost immediately by the sound of the bullet sinking deeply into undead flesh.
Amboy holds out his hand to Cethel, "If those rocks hurt zombies I'll throw one for you."
When he gets within 10 feet of a zombie he lets the rock fly.
Cethel mutters something resembling a prayer in a strange language, and the group is filled with courage.
Like the others, Adornis, with Cethel's magic stone in his hand, gets ready to throw it as soon as the zombies come closer.