" That went well. This is why I'm a hermit, and not a teacher." He talks to the monkey after Aerys storms off, rubbing the back of his own neck.
After a moment he wanders back to the campfire just in time to help the sick to tents where Jask could treat them.
He goes by Jesari's tent to make sure she had made it alright, and to encourage her to speak to Aerys. " The woman is angry, and I can understand why, but we need to rein her in. Speak with her Jesari, for whatever reason she seems to only have eyes for you."
-----------------------------------------------------------
Later, he'll rejoin the others by the campfire, but is happy to gaze idly into the embers for now, letting Alexite conduct the line of questions regarding the lighthouse.
"Perhaps I should hunt and forage as well? I'm feeling fine, and Sasha isn't expecting to feed this many heads."
======================
Date - 28 Sarenith 4710 AR Time - Afternoon
======================
Hakeem leads the group as they come upon the odd scene and frowns adamantly at the lax security. Still he managed a smile at Jask after Aerys stormed off. " Good to see you Jask, I wish we had arrived a moment earlier to save the soup." He begins jokingly, before stepping out of the way of Sizara and Jesari and motioning to the ladies." If you could take a look, I think our friends here could use a healer's hand."
He moved to the tree that Aerys was taking her frustrations out on and laughed." What a fool you'd feel like if mother tree here picked up her roots and kicked back!" He went on laughing. " But really, this energy could be put to better use, no?" He asks.
" We aren't dead, not yet...let's not make it so easy for Pharasma. We're doing what we can, but patience is a virtue. It can't be expected to find a way off in the first couple days. We could use another scout, one experienced with treating wounds, and this base needs someone to make it really work. If we were man-eaters or wild beasts we would have slaughtered every one of you... Not a soul on watch." Hakeem scolds.
" I think you'd be good at one or the other, Is what I'm saying...But you've gota keep your head on straight Aerys" He leans in close and taps the side of her noggin for emphasis like an older brother.
Hakeem slows his pace as he notices the group slow quite a bit. Sizara seemed sick, and that worried him. As he was lost in these thoughts, he heard Alexite call out for him to slow down, and Hakeem did as asked.
He turned with a worried look at his companions. " I'm sorry friends...Let us make camp and rest. Alexite has the right idea, we'll head back to the main camp in the morning."
He does his best to help out to the best of his ability when setting up camp, even doing more than his share to assist the other travelers.
Once things are settled in, Hakeem stands from the group " Rest friends, I'm going down to the shore to try to speak with Gozreh. Stay vigilant." With that he is gone
At the shore(GM)
Spoiler:
Hakeem walks with his eyes towards the water at first, and the sky above. He follows the horizon to the cliffs at his side, and glimpses the strange 'blot' 60 feet up.
Hakeem weighs the options in his head and decides to not try to scale the cliff on his own. The party was tired and Hakeem was the only one unhindered, it'd be best not to risk injury unnecessarily. Still, he searched for any ways to ease the climb.
[ooc]I've got some rope, anything in sight that that could try to be hooked on?
Terribly sorry for falling behind here guys, life just got busy on me but no real excuses. I'm catching up in thread and working on a post now.
Regarding romances: I'm with the GM, when it isn't forced it can add to the narrative, but even then I think it's best to keep it subtle.
I had a character that I played to about 15th level that married our party's npc noble lady benefactor. We kept details "behind closed doors" but it added a lot to the story, it was a jungle-island going game similar to serpents skull and the character and npc eventually had a hand in establishing a colony, defeated pirates, took their ships and my character became an admiral of his own fleet. All helped along with the "romance" for the narrative, but no make-out scenes lol.
Okay folks, I think the time is right for us to start to implement some more "complex" aspects to this game.
First of all, I created a "Smuggler's Shiv Weather Table" for me to use, so from now on weather will play a much more influent role in our game.
Second, I think we should keep track of rations, as Kali'da pointed out some time ago. Let's suppose you left 20 out of your 50 rations at the base camp for NPCs to use them. This means that you have taken 30 rations with you when leaving the base camp. You have already used 10 rations during the two days you spent exploring the jungle, so you're currently carrying 20 rations with you. Please split them among yourself or tell me who's carrying them, and add them to your equipment. I will constantly update the remaining rations.
Third, I'm currently working on a XP tracking sheet so you can see how far your characters are from gaining new levels.
That's all for now! Happy gaming everyone :)
Regarding the rations, on the first day, Hakeem hunted and foraged for enough to feed himself and 5 others, so wouldn't we have only used 5 rations in two days, not 10?
however many we have left, Hakeem should be able to carry a few of them for the group, as he's still 10 pounds or so within his light load.
Hakeem struggles a little more with the swim than he had hoped to, as he pulled himself up onto the wreckage he feels the sting of a few scrapes from the jagged rocks. " I'll hafta work on this swimming thing if I'm gonna spend the rest of my life on an island." He jokes, but quickly turns his attention to Jesari. " Jesari are you alright?!" He helps her up and stays at her side as she takes the healing potion.
Once that's tended to he stands to his feet and follows behind the others headed for the trapdoor." Let's hope we find something useful here....Kali'da watch out yourself, dese steps will be slippery." He says, offering the Mwangi woman a hand as she descends in front of him.
Date - 27 Sarenith 4710 AR Exploration Action - Guiding the Group
Hakeem spends the early morning hour enjoying the crisp air, meditating on Gozreh's teachings as his old mentor had once orated to him from Hymns to the Winds and Waves. He also watches the interactions between Alexite and his new monkey friend, amused but with a genuine smile.
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Later, at the ship wreck
Once the group is ready to move, Hakeem manages to guide the group, successfully avoiding snakes thus far in the day.
He stops and looks out to the shipwreck when the ranger points it out to the group.
" If da two of you think you can make the swim, go ahead and check it out. There may be something in the wreckage there to help us out." He looks around at Jesari and Kali'da and nods. " I'll stay here on shore in case something wild gets after us. "
Before Sizara and Alexite take the dive, Hakeem speaks again. " Go check it out, but if you get in over your heads, don't get yourselves killed. We've still gotta get off this island." He offered the words of encouragement, revealing a bit of his nervousness about the scouting party splitting up.
Hakeem instinctively did as Kali'da said even before his fellow Mwangi could say it. Crouching low he bowed his head and kept his arms down being as least-threatening as possible to the monkeys. He kept a wary eye on Alexite as he approached one of the creatures, occasionally glancing up towards the canopy for signs of approaching danger, always wary of avoiding eye contact with the simians.
Perception to scan our flanks/ and above us for threats:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
" Damn snakes!" Hakeem snorts out under his breath, pumping his legs to rush to the side of the elven warrior. " Get Down!" He shouts, as a strong recommendation before carrying his momentum into a twirling kick, he tries to punt the little serpent away.
Right around midnight, by the placement of the moon above the jungle canopy, the group had crested a hill full of lush vegetation when Hakeem spots the head of a red snake showing up between two huge rocks. Before he had time to react, the creature had slithered onward and struck out at the leg of Alexite. Hakeem was hopeful that the fangs had only bitten down on the pale man's pant-leg but it was hard to tell and there wasn't time to check now.
Instinctively he changed grip on the knobkierie that he leans on like a walking stick and flung it head-over-haft at the serpent.
Club attack, - 4 throwing into melee :1d20 - 2 ⇒ (18) - 2 = 16
Hakeem goes out looking for water -> comes back and finds Kali'da has already filled everyone's waterskins magically. Literally magically.
Convenient!
lol
Well with that roll, I guess maybe Hakeem found some small game, or edible plants/fruits/ berries to keep us well fed and away from dipping into our trail rations for another day.
Date - Exploration day 1 Exploration Action - Guide the Group Rest Action - Hunt and ForageSurvival:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21enough food and water for 5 others
Hakeem double checks his belongings and decides o leave a few things behind at the camp. He leaves five of his ten torches, " Don't use these unless you really hafta. It'll be best not to attract attention in the middle of the night." He leaves them with Jask, as well as a bedroll and blanket.
Taking a glance at the maps that they had secured from the wreckage, he places a thick finger on the western tip of the island" Here, first." He says simply before setting off. " Be careful, watch your step." He tells the group.
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Rest
Once they break camp for the day, Hakeem finds a sturdy place to hang his hammock between a couple trees or within the branches of one. After he takes a good look around to be sure he isn't near a wild beast's nest or anything like that (Roll Perception for Hakeem if need be GM!), he takes his bundle of javelins and looks for any usable water or food near the camp.
He comes back some time later , with enough food and full waterskins to sustain the group
I believe that's correct, I wrote down the Cure Moderate Wounds potion too, I hope that's alright.
Hakeem's a little bit the selfless type so he'll use it as a last resort and if one of the others should need it, he'll take priority to get it to them.
I'm still at work and I've had a bit of a busy day, so I'm sorry if Hakeem is holding things up here, since he's the guide, effectively.
I don't really think He'll have an issue with weights of things, being a monk and all, but I'll try to crunch some numbers and I'll get a post up a little after I get off work. ( So probably should get an in character post up around 9 or 10 eastern time, that is in the next 3 or 4 hours.
I'm thinking we scout out the western tip of the island ( to the left of the base camp on the map) since we're near that edge before venturing deeper into the island's innards.
Hakeem scoffs out loud when the little gnome teases about another interesting thing about this island.
" Come little one... surely you won't be with-holding information from your fellow castaways?" he inquires in a sharp, scolding tone.
Not waiting immediately for a response, mainly because he wasn't sure how much merit he placed in Gelik's words, Hakeem carried this momentum and turned to Ishiourou." And another thing..." He began, his voice booming, even without raising his voice. " Now's hardly the time to be talking about gold, don't be a fool. We're all in this together Tian." He shakes his head and leans in closer. " If we come back to this camp and find that you abandoned these people or left them in cowardice when you could have helped, I will seek you out and hold you responsible myself." He narrows his brows and makes eye contact." Dat's a promise, not a threat friend."
He shoots a quick glance at Gellik" And don't think I've forgot about you."
A gift from your GM: Exploration Rules. Please read them as soon as you have the time to.
Cool! I dig it.
So per the GM Tip under exploration, team: (That is...} GM’s tip: To speed things up, the party is strongly encouraged to decide the actions performed by each member one and for all, so we can proceed without me waiting for you to tell me what specific action you intend to perform that day.
Should we try to define our roles here in the OOC discussion?
I suppose the two best survivalists should be responsible for Avoiding Natural Hazards(DC 15) and Guiding the Group(DC varies) respectively with the rest of the group dividing their efforts between the two and helping(DC 10) the two group-leaders.
That would be by default, we'd have to factor in when to Take Care when the weather demands it, and Getting along in the wild as a last resort, but let's try to do that in the resting hours whenever possible!
At a glance, It looks like Hakeem and Alexite have the best modifiers ( +8 and +6, respectively) So perhaps the two of us should tackle those main two roles(or rolls)?
" Aye, I'll be scoutin' too." He piped up once the group was safely back at camp and discussing their next move. " I don't have the knowledge that Kali'da has but I was born and reared under the sky, and spent quite a bit of that time under da jungle canopy. " He picks over some scraps of his dinner absent-mindedly as he speaks.
He shakes his head at Sizara's suggestion. " I disagree." He says simply at first, glancing down at the little gnome. " The little one will only slow us down, and we'll have enough hurdles to leap without the addition of that one. " He did his best to offer Gellik a comforting smile " Besides, we'll need your touch in maintaining this base camp. " He added, in an attempt to appeal to the gnome's vanity.
Hakeem stood by with arms crossed as the group devolved into bickering. He was far from happy to have wasted two hours rescuing the gnome, but decided against scolding. He doubted it would do any real good, and if the little gnome insisted on not learning from his mistakes, Hakeem knew there would come a time when they wouldn't be there to save him. Then Gelik would have to survive or die and fertilize the greenery, such was the way of things.
After Alexite speaks up rather forcefully, Hakeem nods and uncrosses his arms. He leaned on his spear now and watched as the human and elf went to scout their surroundings. More quietly after the tension had died down he crouched low to whisper to Gellik. " You really must be more careful, little one."
As if reminding himself, he kept an eye out for danger from the groups flank as they waited.
Darn! I forgot to include the -2 penalty to attack rolls because of the entangled condition! Sorry about that. Here are the correct ones from above with the penalty added in:
Longsword Attack: 25-2=23
Longsword Damage: 17-2=15
Again sorry about this. Was trying to hurry up and post before my break ended.
If Hakeem's flanking maneuver is successful, You'd get a +2 to attack, so that would cancel out the -2 there.
Hakeem set out on the search for Gellik with Jask's words still weighing on his mind, but after two hours trekking through the jungle in the shadowy light of dawn, his thoughts were on the present.
He saw the silky cocoon that encased Gellik and started to call out a warning, but wasn't quite fast enough. In the blink of an eye, a large spider had shown itself and entangled three of his companions.
He pumped the muscles in his legs and darted past Sizara. Rolling forward across the jungle-floor, he tried to get behind the beast and divide it's attention.
Acrobatics to try to avoid an AoO here:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25 " Here! Behind you beast!" He shouted out from it's flank.
If that's successful( and legal), it should be flanked!
Hakeem takes a bit of pride in the castaway's ability to quickly make camp. He also rests a little easier, as he feels that Jask's words are genuine. He bids his goodnights to the others as they bed down to rest, and sets up shop with Jask.
" So Jask, Tell me about yourself." He begins, crouching low with his eyes to the horizon. " Your troubles lie in Cheliax but is that where you were born and reared? "
After some time and some silence he continues " And you've mentioned this 'Nethys' ...Tell me more of him?"
Perception:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
Collective Scene
Hakeem shakes his head disapprovingly at the runaway gnome. " The last thing we need is folks running off on their own out here....but let's go."
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.
Sense Motive on Jask, when he speaks after being set free:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
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.
Survival:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
He nods to Kali'da's sentiment. " I'll take first watch. Perhaps Jask will join me?"
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.
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.
So just as a note: using google translate, I went with Swahili to represent Polygot.
(i.e. translate English->Swahili=Polygot)
this is a pbp convention I've seen a couple times, and I think it's a fun way to represent the differing languages. If everyone is okay with it, Can we try to continue to use Swahili as Polygot?
"Hakuna kitu hapa kweli..." He said to himself in his native tongue as he quickly gave the lifeboat a once-over.
Polygot:
Spoiler:
" Nothing here really..."
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.
Polygot:
Spoiler:
" Another of these things...this one seems a bit different. Did we find the key to free Jask?"
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 (javelins). 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.
Perception, particularly for things out of place in his room/ signs of his things being gone through, exc.:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Please, before posting notice that I left your PC behind to justify his absence. You can begin to post again when (if) the others manage to get away from the wreck. Hope this doesn't bother you, but I chose to leave Hakeem instead of forcing you to post frequently :)
No worries, We had a few posts in my absence so it gives me plenty of time to read over them thoroughly.
Did anyone get a chance to create that google doc of found items?
Please, before posting notice that I left your PC behind to justify his absence. You can begin to post again when (if) the others manage to get away from the wreck. Hope this doesn't bother you, but I chose to leave Hakeem instead of forcing you to post frequently :)
No worries, We had a few posts in my absence so it gives me plenty of time to read over them thoroughly.
Did anyone get a chance to create that google doc of found items?
Our little dude was born Sunday and he's been a wonderful little handful, but I think I'll have a good amount of time to post while he feeds.
I'll spend this time catching up, and then I'll likely post in the next few hours. Sleep is happening a little more sporadically now, so my post times might be too! ( as in, I'll probably post after midnight some days, which is weird for me)
Thanks for the understanding!
I'd love for the game to continue as long as we're all having a good time, GM included.
I'm not certain I could do 3 a day everyday, but honestly I should be able to check in every couple of hours now, so I'll do my best to at least try to keep my post rate high.
Sorry for the silence guys, Yesterday was my lady's due date. No kid yet, but we spent some time at the hospital this morning. Real life's likely gonna keep me from being super diligent for the next week or so. Bot my character as necessary, and I'll try to get a post up today .
Sorry for the inconvenience GM Giuseppe. I'm super grateful you chose Hakeem to play in your Serpent Skull, and I think this will turn out to be a solid game ( has been thus far). But I just want to make it clear that this is not me abandoning the game, just a fair warning. If it becomes a drag on the game, I'll happily bow out.
Hakeem did what he could to assist Kali'da and Alexite as they tended to the passengers who came to, one by one. Kali'da certainly did all of the skilled work, but Hakeem was good at taking instruction and took to the task with serious intent. As they woke, Hakeem helped their "patients" to their feet and stayed at their side till he could be relatively sure they wouldnt fall down.
Ishirou in particular seemed downtrodden, who had been eagerly awaiting arrival in Eleder. When he withdrew, Hakeem's instinct was to reach out and try to comfort the Tien man, but he thought better of it. Letting Ishirou find his new place on a rock not too far away, Hakeem studied him quietly as he walked. Odd... He thought to himself. Ishiriou still has his "Katana", as he called it...is it just luck?
Aerys too went off on her own, as she had made a habit of doing even on the Jenivere. " That was a good ship...da first of it's kind I'd seen." He told her, seeking to relate to Aerys on some level to offer some comfort.
Sasha's grim optimism was refreshing, when most of the faces around him looked at the point of tears. " I tend to agree with Sasha.... As bad as t'ings look, it's life and life only. I'd take that bet that there's a way to get out of this mess!" He smiled and spoke loudly enough to be adressing most of the group (apart from the stragglers). His eyes followed Sasha's eyes to the Jungle, and he shared that same sense of enthusiasm.
The little gnome Gelik recovered quickly, and as was his way, rambled on to the best of his ability about the current subject. Even amongst his recounting of man-eaters and pirate tales, there was something in the mess that rung a bell for Hakeem. He wasn't sure if Gelik was right about them being on the isle of smuggler's shiv , but he had heard of the place, and Alexite summed up the details of what he had heard. If they were right about being on the shiv, then they would have a challenge ahead of them in getting off the isle, but not an insurmountable one.
Hakeem turned his attention to Jask, who was slow to wake. The man looked as though he had something he wanted to say, and admittedly Hakeem had wanted to talk to him since he first boarded the Jenivere. " Hello Jask." He began, setting himself calmly down in the sand across from the prisoner. " My name is Hakeem Ibuk'o, of the Bas'o. I wish we could meet under better circumstances. I want to remove your shackles, but I need to know you aren't dangerous to me or those around us. Why were you being held, and is there something you have to say?" the Mwangi man spoke coolly and evenly and offered a reassuring smile as he prodded.
He remained seated while the group mulled over the options of camping on the beach or further into the jungle. " No need to be hurtful, Aerys." He interjected calmly after the comment about 'idiots'. " But you're probably right, the Jungle will offer shelter to us, we just have to remember that it is shelter for many more than us. A few of us should scout out the tree-line and make sure it's safe enough... the others can help with moving these foodstuffs and water out of the reach of high tide."
" It seems how we ended up on this beach is anything but simple. Drugged soups, waking up on a beach with dry clothes and mostly no weapons.... and our shady Captain Kovack no where to be seen. Doesn't quite add up."
Hakeem did what he could to comfort the woman as she sank to her knees, but it was clear he wasn't sure how to react. He simply placed a hand on her shoulder and rested it there for a moment. " It's okay, It's okay." He repeated softly.
Turning back to the unconcious passengers and Alexite he motioned the Mwangi oracle over "Perhaps Kali'da could help with them?"
As Jesari takes Hakeem's arm and pulls with all of her weight, the man halts her. " Whoa now girl." he began with authority. " I know you're scared and so are the rest of us, but we've got to overcome that, using our heads . " He tapped the side of his skull for emphasis, with what he hoped was a comforting smile on his face.
" Wait, please Jesari. One thing at a time, let's see if we can get everyone up to speed and get our bearings first." He glanced again towards the wreckage of the Jeneviere. " But after that, I promise I'll do everything I can do to help you recover what you lost." He spoke straight into her unfaltering eyes, his hands gripping her shoulders tight so as to show his conviction. " But we've gotta stick together."
Hakeem searches the crates and barrel with Jesari. " Just foods here, and a barrel of water. It's not your weapons, but it might be useful, depending on how long we are on this island."
Once Sizara points out the wreckage, Hakeem sighs and bows his head. " Our things may still be there, or spread on the cliffs below....and there could still be survivors who need help. We may have to search there."
Turning his attention back to the other passengers, he carries them one by one a little further up the beach (taking the time to do so, and taking any help in doing so willingly) .
" Any of you better at caring for the sick than me? Let's get these people awake, make sure they're alright. It might be a good idea to find a place to store these foodstuffs and water, so Gozreh's tide doesn't take em. I don't know what beach Gozreh's washed us up on this time, but let's try to stay alive long enough to figure it out."
The shuffle on the beach is over nearly as quickly as it began, thanks in large part to the Colonial named Alexite. His head still spinning, he did his best to take in the sights of the beach where he found himself at. Stooping low over the other passengers and crew that still hadn't awoken from the commotion, Hakeem carefully tried to stir them from their sleep.
'The last ting' I remember was that damned soup..." He spoke- as much to himself as to Alexite's question.
" I don't believe this is Eleder." He stated dryly, as the waves lapped at his ankles.
Perception, searching crates/ wreckage for clues or equipment:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14
Hakeem springs forward, leaping over the corpse of the odd sea-scorpion, rolling to the flanks and past the stinger of the creature attacking Kali'da. In one swift motion. he used the momentum to perform a vicious elbow strike, that doesn't quite connect.
" Over here Beast!" He shouted in an attempt to draw it's attention.
As the sensation of feeling begins to creep back into his limbs, Hakeem becomes aware of his souroundings and the sound and feel of the beach. For a moment it reminds him of his childhood and days spent relaxing by the riverside. The pleasant memory is interupted suddenly by the sharp pain in his foot. His eyes bolted open, and he leveled them at a strange scorpion-lobster that he had never seen that was apparently the source of this sudden pain. A shout from somewhere , and he knew that some of the other passengers were around him but the nausea that lurched in his stomach prevented him from making out details.
Instinctively, the monk pushed off the ground with his heels. Rolling his weight backwards through his shoulders Hakeem extended his arms and then a push from the palms of his hands to put him up and out of the creature's reach.
Even with the -2 from sickened, I'm assuming that one's a success, right? Full round action, Hakeem stands, moves 5-ft back.
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Hakeem could be the boisterous type if he felt it was needed, but more often than not he preferred to hold his tongue and observe what was going on around him. Before speaking, the man wanted to be sure that what he had to say was an improvement on the silence. This could sometimes be confused for timidness, but Hakeem had it well within himself to be bold, when it was called for.
Like a few of the other passengers aboard the Jeneviere, this was his first time aboard a vessel of it's size. He had been on river-going boats but the Jeneviere had an altogether different look and feel than those. In his days on the vessel he kept an eye to the Sea and Sky, beautiful signs of Gozreh's grace. He was a capable sort, and was willing to lend a hand when it was needed on deck. He had no training at sailing, but did alright at it through strength of intuition.
Aerys Mavato:
Hakeem has respectfully kept his distance from Aerys, who tended to keep to herself. He also liked to spend long hours away from the other passengers, and could sympathize with a desire for alone time on the seagoing vessel. He offers a kind smile her way when they cross paths, but it isn't often.
Alizandru Kovack:
Although this Chelish man is pleasant enough with Hakeem and the other passengers, Hakeem's Bas'o heritage instills a natural wariness of Chelish colonials, and he isn't sure about the way that he treats his crew.
Alton Devers
Hakeem likes first mate Devers quite a bit more than the hard-nosed captain of the Jeneviere. Hakeem sometimes shares stories with Alton regarding the free nature of the rolling waves in the sea and how that it's better to follow your heart than chafe under an oppressive personality.
Gelik Aberwhinge
Hakeem doesn't mind the long-winded stories of the little gnome, as they remind him of the stories of his tribal elders. Hakeem is also impressed with his dress, as he seems to take particular care of it. Still, his boasting is off-putting and he doesn't go out of his way to be in Gelik's company.
Ieana
Ieana had seemed intent on her studies since Hakeem boarded in Senghor. Although rumors abounded, He paid little mind to them. The scholar seemed nice enough, and her attention to her work was respectable.
Ishirou
The Tian man was the first of his kind that Hakeem had met, and he observed him with a quiet curiosity. Although aloof, Ishirou seemed to relate to Hakeem on some level and the two had had drinks once while in port at Senghor. Hakeem does what he can to impart his version of wisdom into the currently directionless man, but advice-giving seems to drive Ishirou away. When keeping to surface topics, the two seem fast friends. Hakeem hopes to eventually break through the shell and help his new friend.
Jask Derindi
Hakeem has seen many prisoners held wrongly, and under dehumanizing conditions, the thought of such was an affront to the man's morals. After learning about Jask, he went to the Captain Kovack and asked for this man to be treated fairly, but the Captain assured Hakeem things were fine, and insisted Jask be left alone. Hakeem has heeded the captain's orders while aboard his ship.
Rambar Terillo
Hakeem hasn't talked much to the silent cook from Senghor. His watery soups aren't all that desirable, and he missed the peppery taste of wild meat like he had grown used to.
Sasha Nevah
Hakeem has seen mostly Sasha's boisterous side since he boarded the Jenivere. He had heard rumors that the red-haired woman had boarded in Ilizmagorti and was much more somber then. Many take to the sea with the wind at their back to leave things behind and he expected that Sasha had done just that. Hakeem didn't pry, and got along very well with Sasha. He's shared stories and prayers with her from the Hymns to the Winds and Waves, engaged in other conversations and passed the time with games of dice and throwing knives.
Later, in the galley...
Hakeem had felt the tense vibrations on the Jenivere in the past few days. The crew was nervous, and that made the passengers nervous. Changes in the course, changes in intentions, it was all unverifiable rumors. Still, the uneasy atmosphere on board was prevalent, and he knew that first mate Devers worried about the Captain's strange behavior, despite his attempt to reassure the crew and passengers.
As they sat down for their supper, Hakeem found a seat beside Ishirou- and across from Kali'da Wedo. Squirrel Jack, as the boy was known, served up the watered-down soup as usual. Hunger pangs tightened across his broad abdomen as Hakeem stirred the contents of the mixture. " It hasn't killed me yet." he thought to himself as he began to eat spoonfuls of the soup along with the rest of the crew and passengers. Between looking at the bowl, he stole glances at Kali'da across from him. The Mwangi woman had caught his eye from the first time he saw her, but he looked at her altogether more respectfully than his friend Ishirou looked at Aerys.
Eating, and thinking about the woman across from him, he was taken off guard as everything turned black, darkness falling upon the galley.
Hakeem towers over most he meets, , at 6' 7" the pugilist is a sight to behold. He has a thick but athletic build that is often on display. In Senghor, he took to wearing the clothing of the Chelish colonists, but found the shirt and shoes restrictive, opting to keep these parts of his body bare for fighting. He has a square goatee that frames a confident smile, and his thick and ritualistically dread-locked hair hangs wildly down his back nearing his waist .
He wears a bundle of three spears across his lower back, and the perceptive eye might spy the dagger he keeps hidden at his waist. The wary might note the man's thick knuckles and strong jaw and rightly assume he doesn't need a weapon to do real damage. He leans on a long walking staff with a large knob at the top. The club is made of one solid piece of a dark wood and the head showed signs of it's violent use when peace wasn't possible.
He sometimes uses a silken blue sash to wrap his hair back and cover his head.(accounting for the avatar image).
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Prologue
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Hakeem was born on the plains surrounding Kalabuto twenty-four years ago to the Bas'o tribe. Raised communally by the matriarchal society on the Savannah, Hakeem was taught of their relatively peaceful ways of self-sustenance. His was a warrior culture, but only as a last-resort when threatened, challenged, or deeply insulted. They used simple weapons and their bare hands, wearing no armor into battle, preferring mobility to steel-skin. He was taught the basic skills in his youth that would aid him in surviving the Mwangi expanse in his later years, following the antelope herds through the plains. The young Zenj boy developed a deep respect for these creatures, and also the other dangerous jungle creatures that hunted the antelope. Particularly the Jaguar, whose fierce hunting techniques awed and inspired Hakeem.
Hakeem was a bold child who often defied orders and went against that Mwangi taboo against ancient ruins within the jungle. On several occasions, the boy would sneak off while his tribe made camp near these ruins and simply meditate on the silence he found there. Although he used it as a conduit to nature, he had a natural curiosity for the ruins that would bring him back to the deep jungle in his later years.
In his teenage years he was developing into a strong hunter and gatherer, true to his tribal upbringing. The next wrinkle in his story came when he befriended an old hermit and worshiper of Gozreh. This elder member of his tribe further refined the young Hakeem's practical skills in the natural world, as well as introduced a philosophical angle in quiet meditation and lessons on Gozreh's teachings from Hymns to the Winds and Waves which the old hermit orated from memory.
A life of survival still demanded a fierce physical regiment, that Hakeem supplemented with the prayers, rules for personal behavior and the respect of nature that Gozreh taught. Through either divine intervention or sheer force of will, the self-taught 'monk' of the Mwangi expanse has developed techniques that allow him to channel the power of storms, and imbue his strikes with electricity. The technique is taxing on the young monk, and he seeks out adventure partially to grow in his connection to the Wind and the Waves. Hakeem bid his friends and family in the Bas'o tribe farewell, and embarked on a wandering pilgrimage into the wild.
While on his journey , he passed through the town of Senghor for several days coinciding with the Jenivere's stay in port. During this time, he bartered for clothes in the style of the Chelish colonials, and some other basic "adventuring" gear. After learning that the Jenivere will be headed to the larger city of Eleder, he decided to go along to embark on the next leg of his journey. He had heard stories in Senghor of expeditions out of Eleder that ventured into the deep jungles and ancient ruins therein. Deciding to follow this curiosity led him to board the Jenivere when she left port a few days ago.
