Gelik looks momentarily flustered, but he quickly regains his composure, stands up and straightens his hat. "I would be honoured to read the poem aloud. Assuming of course that the quality of the writing is up to my usual standards." He glances at Aerys, whose eyes have narrowed. "Well, even if it's not, I can always embellish a little." Aerys's eyes have narrowed even further. "Erm..." Gelik continues. "Or not, as the case may be. Yes, yes. I shall read it out exactly as written, for I have no doubt that it will be a thrilling and inspiring tale!"
He turns to Jask and considers him for a moment before his gaze is drawn away away by one of his phantom wolves.
"The mantras. They help concentration? If no one else minds, I will take watch with you tonight so I may learn one. I have.. found myself distracted during watches at times."
"It is nothing serious." He reassures everyone as he sees their worried expressions. "Just some.. old memories coming back."
Jask studies Makoa intently for a moment, then nods. "I would be happy to sit watch with you tonight, my friend. If Aakif doesn't mind switching with you and sitting with Douena, that is. I would like to continue with the final watch of the night if you don't mind. It is convenient for my communion with Nethys. And seeing as I have ended up as the cook for our little ragtag group of castaways, it's also convenient for preparing breakfast."
Makoa bursts out laughing at Gelik's one-sided 'conversation' with Aerys.
"Haha, surely Gelik's talents will do the poem justice!"
As Jask says he would gladly let Makoa take watch with him(if Aakif is okay with it), he lets out a sigh of relief and begins to eat the wonderful food Jask has prepared.
"Well you're a really good cook, Jask." Lorenz says earnestly.
Douena, who has just seen a long reading assigment she could most likely have avoided change into a long performance for which she will be a captive audience, eats her dinner in a thoroughly bad mood.
"Don't worry, Gelik may have notions on what makes for a performance - but he would never botch it," Mahjik whispers to Aerys.
"Well you're a really good cook, Jask." Lorenz says earnestly.
Jask laughs. "I'm glad you think so. I certainly never would have guessed it. It's not something I ever trained for, either during my time with the Sargavan government or in the monastery. The culinary arts aren't commonly taught by Nethys's clergy."
"Consider what you've had to work with: lizardwings, snake, monkey, crab...I can cook a relatively edible meal with fish or goat but I wouldn't have a clue how to go about preparing snake or monkey!"
Lorenz says as he takes a large bite of the evening meal.
You finish your meals and quickly settle down for the night. Ishirou returns from resetting the warning system above.
After finishing her meal, Douena glances up at the sky. "I'm late tonight sitting with Desna," she remarks, blessing everyone for a healthy night before heading for the shoreline, where she usually sits to commune with her goddess. Before settling in, she lets Desna's healing power flow through her, soothing her bruises (and wounded pride) from her fall.
Her time with her goddess over, Douena bids Sasha and Lorenz goodnight. When she is awakened for her watch later, she smiles at Aakif. "What do you and Jask talk about on watch all the time?" she asks. "Makoa mostly talks about wolves."
Lorenz fought back a yawn as night fell. "Wow," he said quietly to Sasha. "It was quite a day, wasn't it? I always thought that ghosts would be really scary but they weren't so bad. It felt like quite an accomplishment, releasing that Captain's spirit. It was fun having you along for the journey too." He smiled a little shyly.
"Say, how's your egg doing?"
Sasha nods. "That was quite the day. I regret not going back with you when you returned the locket. I would have liked to see that ghost. As for my egg..." She gestures to the egg and its nest. "I don't really know, but I have a feeling it will be soon. Maybe tomorrow or the day after?" She shrugs.
Makoa spends some time just looking toward the night sky, feeling the moon instead of seeing it. After that, he seems to be watching something out of the corner of his eye.
Then he sighs and looks farther around to keep an eye on the jungle.
Jask sits down beside Makoa. "The mantras and chants are relatively simple in structure, but have subtleties that can be difficult to master," he says. "But before we start on those, I am curious, what has been troubling you, my friend? You mentioned being distracted. Is it the island or something else?"
"It is not the island, but rather, what shouldn't be here." He seems to have only just remembered that Jask is there. "Douena wasn't off when she said I talked about wolves. Lately, I've been seeing the pack I used to run with all around the camp. At first I thought I was just seeing them because I wanted to, but them I saw a paw print.. She thinks I'm calling spirits to me."
He pauses to smile weakly at something near the fire.
"Just last night, during watch, I felt.. I'm not sure how to describe it. I felt like I was.. more I guess. Like I had a deeper connection with them. I'm starting to think being away from my forest is making me a little crazy. I'm hoping the mantras can help."
"Well, Aerys, how are you feeling tonight? Excited about finishing your poem? And do you feel any different after eating those berries yet? I know it's rather soon, but I'm still hoping you can overcome it."
Jask nods understandingly. "I don't know much about running with wolf packs, but I do understand family, and I suspect there's some similarity between the two. Separation from family can create a great longing for them. It has been a very long time since I saw anyone from my family. I don't even know if I have any family left, but I still think about them a lot. My parents, my sister."
He looks by the fire where Makoa had been looking. "There is also something about this island. I think we're all starting to feel it. I think there is a close connection to the spirit world here, or something similar. The haunted ships, the walking dead, and perhaps even our own personal spirits. Haunted by our own memories perhaps. I think the mantras will help you." With that, he starts describing the mantras to Makoa.
"Well, Aerys, how are you feeling tonight? Excited about finishing your poem? And do you feel any different after eating those berries yet? I know it's rather soon, but I'm still hoping you can overcome it."
"Well," Aerys says, "I can say that I haven't had the urge to drink since eating those berries. Of course, the urge is something that can come and go at times, so it's hard to say for sure, but they definitely haven't made things worse. And finishing the poem is exciting." She pulls out the thick collection of papers. "But I should point out that it's not strictly finished finished. It's just the initial draft that's done. I'll want to go back over it and tweak a few things here and there. Actually, hearing Gelik recite it ought to help me identify any problem areas. Provided he's faithful to what I wrote, that is. But it's mostly finished." She beams.
"Of course it's not finished. I'm just happy to have been able to help in whatever small way." Urza looks off into the night. "It's a marvel how life puts you into situations. Stuff you didn't think would happen to you, stuff you couldn't plan for. I believe, with my heart, that we'll get off this island. The only question is, how will this experience change us, change me? What lessons will be taken with us when we finally get back? And, of course, how successful you'll be?" Urza looks over at Aerys with a grin and gleem in his eyes.
"Yes, I'm sure it'll be any day now. I can't wait to see you train the little beastie."
You are back on board the Brine Demon, wandering through the various parts of the wreck. You easily climb up and down the rope in the hold because this time you made sure it was secured correctly. You are starting to get bored though because there just doesn't seem to be anything interesting on this ship. Then you arrive back in the captain's cabin. The skeleton is still lying on the floor with its arm outstretched. However, the desk has been repaired and the ghost is sitting at it. Standing behind him is the red-haired woman from the locket. "My Aeshamara," the captain says.
Suddenly, you are on a different ship. There is a storm raging, and the crew is fighting valiantly to keep the ship from crashing on the rocks. Unfortunately, they don't succeed and the ship crashes. Then you are with the survivors on the island. They are falling ill to a sickness. There is a woman tending them, but she too becomes ill. As you watch, her features change. Her skin becomes tight and dry. Her teeth become pointed and her tongue grows to a huge length. With a hiss, she bites into one of her patients and begins eating.
Then you are on another ship. This one is wedged between a pair of rocks. There is no one on board, but there is a strange fungus growing in the rigging. The fungus begins to expand, spreading across the rest of the ship. There is nowhere to escape from it except to jump into the water. You do that, but realize too late that the fungus is in the water, too.
"What motivates you, Ishirou-san?"
Ishirou remains silent for several seconds after Mahjik's question. He simply stares out over the bay. Finally he says, "Once, it was money and riches. When I was young, I behaved foolishly and my father died because of my foolishness. Now that I have paid off my debt to the Aspis Consortium, I wish only to begin a new life. I am not sure I have discovered yet what will motivate me in that new life." He falls silent again and continues to stare out over the bay.
Mahjik stares into the middle distance. Eventually he replies: "It is a sad truth that wisdom and insight so often are only understood after the fact. I hope that you will find an answer for yourself that you can make peace with."
The mantras are easy enough for Makoa to learn, like Jask had said, but some of the subtleties still elude his mind. He is able to grasp the basics of the subtleties, but more than that is beyond him for now.
"Thank you for this Jask. My mind feels.. more organized. I think I can get through Aerys' poem in one go now!"
"To be sure though, I think I'll keep going over them."
"Ah, so now we learn the real reason you wanted to learn!" Jask jokes. "I promise not to tell Aerys. But yes, keep going over them. With practice they will become easier and you will gain more benefit from them."
"Of course it's not finished. I'm just happy to have been able to help in whatever small way." Urza looks off into the night. "It's a marvel how life puts you into situations. Stuff you didn't think would happen to you, stuff you couldn't plan for. I believe, with my heart, that we'll get off this island. The only question is, how will this experience change us, change me? What lessons will be taken with us when we finally get back? And, of course, how successful you'll be?" Urza looks over at Aerys with a grin and gleem in his eyes.
Aerys grins back. "Successful? I hadn't really thought about that. It's not like I'm looking to be a famous poet or anything, but...well, yeah, that's an interesting idea!"
"You're beautiful, talented, and interesting. Success is out there waiting for you to grab hold of it. The only thing that keeps you from being absolutely perfect is that you're not a half-orc. But I'm sure you'll be able to overcome that shortcoming."
As Jask and Makoa start to rouse the camp in the morning, they find Douena once again whimpering and flailing about in her sleep. As Makoa reaches toward her to calm her, she startles away from his touch and her eyes come open. "There are more ships," she mumbles sleepily.
As Jask and Makoa start to rouse the camp in the morning, they find Douena once again whimpering and flailing about in her sleep. As Makoa reaches toward her to calm her, she startles away from his touch and her eyes come open. "There are more ships," she mumbles sleepily.
Jask comes over to her and Makoa. "Another dream, I take it. Do you mean more than just the ones you've already spotted?"
"Yes," she answers. "Maybe. I don't know. They could be ones we've already seen but just haven't been able to get to." She pauses to think a moment. "One was caught between two rocks and never made it to shore; we couldn't have gotten to it yet. The other one... there were survivors. They were here on the island, but then...." She shakes her head. "Oh, and Lorenz? Desna says you didn't tie the rope properly."
"What happened to the survivors?"
She frowns and shakes her head again, like it's an image she doesn't enjoy revisiting. "She ... bit them." Her eyes widen as she makes a connection in her mind. "Just like the cook," she says excitedly. "I think I know what happened on the Jenivere! Well, some of it, anyway. Listen, listen, listen," she gathers everyone around as she prepares to relate her dream.
"I started out on the Brine Demon, just walking around, not finding anything interesting. Then I went back in the captain's cabin. The skeleton was still on the ground, but the desk was all fixed, and the captain's ghost was sitting at it. Behind him was the woman from the locket -- Aeshemara."
"Then I was on another ship. There was a storm, and even though the crew was trying to save it, it crashed on the rocks. But there were survivors that made it here to the island. They were all getting sick, just like, well, we have been, I guess, but there was a woman trying to take care of them. But then ... she got sick too, and she changed: her skin changed, and her face, and her teeth grew sharp, and her tongue got long, and she...." Her voice falters. "She bit the people she had been trying to take care of and ate them."
"Then," she goes on, "I was on a different ship, the one stuck between two rocks. It was empty, but there was something growing in the sails and the ropes, some kind of mold or fungus. It started to grow over the whole ship. I jumped over the side to stay away from it, but then I saw that whatever-it-was was in the water, too."
"Listen, listen!" she says with excitement. "Remember when we were on the Brine Demon and we heard the voices and the fighting and I wondered if something like that happened on the Jenivere, too? I think it did. The captain on the Brine Demon loved Aeshemara, just like the Jenivere's captain loved Ieana. Maybe Aeshemara made the Brine Demon's captain come here, just like Ieana made our captain do. And whatever bit the cook? It wasn't a vampire, it was ... whatever that woman on the island became. And the last ship, the ship caught between the rocks?" She stands up dramatically and points out into the bay. "It's out there. The sickness Jask saw spreading and the green light and the mold that I dreamed about? It's all coming from that ship out there."
Gelik comes over, rubbing his eyes. He's still disheveled from sleep, obviously not having had a chance yet to clean and press his clothes with his spells. "I'm beginning to put more stock in these dreams," he says. "Perhaps it would be a good idea if you investigated the west side of the bay today. Follow the beach as far as you can and see what's there."
He casts a spell and begins work on his clothes.
"I see no reason not to - everybody agreed? ...Gelik, you'll have to prepare hard today to give a suitably stunning rendition of Aerys' masterpiece. As much as I enjoy Lorenz' performances, every once in a while it is good to see a maestro at work."
Gelik beams. "I will spend the day familiarizing myself with the text," he promises. "I will also find suitable breaking points since we will not be able to get through the whole thing in one sitting. I promise that it will be a truly mesmerizing performance!"
Sighing at Douena's customary flailing about first thing in the morning, Lorenz briefly considers hiding his head under his blanket and going back to sleep. Instead he sat up and yawned, listening -- reluctantly -- to Douena's latest dreams.
As she spoke of the mold, he began to look queasy.
"Hmm. It's hard to believe that everyone who gets shipwrecked here would be driven by the same things. But I don't know. Anyway, I hate the idea of that mold or fungus...that's just creepy. But if it's growing like you say, maybe we should focus on that first?"
Later, as Mahjik and Gelik spoke about the gnome's performance of Aerys' poem, Lorenz lightened. "I can't wait to see you bring the poem to life, Gelik. I've missed seeing you perform."
Makoa smiles grimly.
"If only it was Jask."
"If we do go to take care of the mold or fungus, I suggest we find some way to bring a torch. It'll be easier to burn it away than anything else."
"Investigating this mold seems like a wise idea," Jask says. "But be careful. It could carry disease worse than we've already encountered."
You gather your things together, making certain to have Aakif's torches with you. Then you set off down the beach.
"Don't have too much excitement without me!" Sasha calls as you leave.
The trek down the beach is uneventful and you reach the old abandoned camp in just under an hour. From there, you continue along the beach, which is now going in a mostly westward direction. It bends a bit, and for a short while, you are actually traveling northwest before it turns back west again.
The view is mostly the same along this stretch. You can see the jungle off to the south. The tide is out at the moment, but starting to move in. However, even once it's in, there will still be a sizable length of rocky beach before the jungle starts up again.
You've traveled for close to two hours total this morning when you start to notice signs of predator activity in the area. You pass a few small sea scorpion carcasses (just shells remaining) and even the bones of a flappybite! Makoa discovers giant crab tracks all about this area.
Moving forward with care, you soon spot two giant crabs some distance up the beach. The seem to be fighting over the body of some animal, a monkey you think. They haven't noticed you yet.
Mahjik yells back to Sasha: "And you have to have a little flappy when we back, so its first experience in this world can be Aerys' masterpiece!"
Mahjik spends a bit of time picking a handful (about 4) smooth stones that he carefully tests for balance and weight.
Lorenz draws his bow and nocks an arrow into place. "I wish we'd run into these things after we got to wherever we're going. It'd be a lot easier to carry the meat back to camp then." He mutters softly as he moves forward.
"We could try and go around," Douena suggests without any real hope her idea will be seconded.
"If the mold is as dangerous as Desna has you tell us(not that I'm doubting her) time may be our only advantage."
Urza remains in back near Douena. He prepares his crossbow, but does not fire it.
One of the crabs notices the group and lets go of the monkey. This in turn causes the other to notice the group.
Order: Aakif, Mahjik, Giant Crabs, Makoa, Douena, Lorenz, Urza
Aakif moves up beside Lorenz , pulling out his shortbow. He prepares to fire if they get closer .
Next Up: Giant Crabs, Makoa, Douena, Lorenz, Urza.
Mahjik moves forward . He's smiling suspiciously, each hand holding two rocks which he uses to clack together in a vaguely scissor-like motion.
Mahjik moves forward . He's smiling suspiciously, each hand holding two rocks which he uses to clack together in a vaguely scissor-like motion.
The crabs react to the Mahjik's clacking and begin to move in his direction . This brings them into closer range for Aakif who lets loose his arrow.
Unfortunately, the arrow lands in the sand well short of its target.
Next Up: Douena, Lorenz, Urza, Mahjik, Aakif, Giant Crabs.
Urza will follow Douena's lead.
Makoa moves to Mahjik's side, knowing he had some sort of plan.