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""You are a cleric of Nethys? When you have the time I woul love to hear something about your god teachings." Jask seems genuinely pleased to see more castaways. He stands and shakes hands with the new men. As Mikail mentions the teachings of Nethys he says, "I do have some mantras and focusing chants I could teach those that dabble in magic. It would help your casting ability, especially when under duress. Come see me this evening, and I will teach them to you."
As you unlock the manacles, Jask rubs his sore wrists wistfully. "Actually," he says in a low voice, "There may be a coincidence that works in our favor. One of the pirate vessels that was involved in the graft for which I am accused was said to have run-aground on Smuggler's Shiv. If we can find that ship, perhaps we can find some evidence to clear my name as well. It may be stretch, but if we see the wreck of the Brine Demon, I would be most intrigued to go aboard." He takes back his gear, threading the holy symbol around his neck on a thong. "With this and free hands, I can create enough fresh water to keep us safe. I can also aid in healing and hunting as necessary."
Derindi shrugs as Smythe asks a question he hadn't considered much. "I had pretty much given up hope of having choices. If we get out of here, I'd rather be given up for dead, and return to my quiet life in Corentyn than set foot in my hometown ever again." He looks at Felix and nods. "I too would like to be free of this manacles but yet, here I still sit, chained. I don't expect they will be easy to break, and the key is likely lost in the wreckage."
With a sigh, the cleric of Nethys begins his tale. "Some time ago, when I was a younger man, I worked in the government in Sargava. There I uncovered significant corruption -- my superiors were paying the Shackles pirates protection money, and grafting a certain amount back for themselves. I brought this to light, but my administrator turned the tables on me, altering the evidence so I appeared to be the guilty party." "Without recourse, I fled Sargava, my home, for Cheliax. I lived in Corentyn contentedly for many years, nearly forgetting about the entire affair, when suddenly just a week ago, bounty hunters knocked in my door, and put me in chains. At Corentyn, I was put aboard this ship, and without any trial or judgment, shipped back to Sargava for punishment aboard the Jenivere. And that is where you found me following the wreck." His bitterness at the injustice of it all is quite apparent as he tells the story. Some of that venom is reserved for you also. "Just another guilty man in irons I suppose. Yes, I would like my things back that might have recovered from the ship. I would like my wrists out of these manacles even more. I would like a fair trial most of all..." A tear of anger runs down his face, and his voice cracks as he speaks this last. Then is silent.
Harbek pulls up a spot in front of the manacled castaway who is quite dour. The man barely looks at him before looking away again, but as Harbek holds out the symbol the man looks back more forlornly. "So now you want to hear the story, when before it was lets keep the prisoner locked away eh? All the sudden I'm not the security risk you thought? Yes, the symbol is mine. I am a follower of the All-Seeing Eye, is that a crime now also?" His tone is hurt and sarcastic. He is not particularly friendly.
"Guessing it won't be long until they have their way with the black man in chains either," mutters Jask Derindi, still quite angry about being dragged around by his irons.
Jask nods readily. "Since my primary role here is healer and conjurer of water, it is best if I stay back at camp. I can hunt and act as a medic if required. Besides, I am not as young as i used to be. If you see the Brine Demon along the coast, search it for me, eh friends?"
"Aye," says Jask Derindi bitterly. "Wrongly accused, wrongly imprisoned, wrongly transported against my will, and wrongly shipwrecked with pinheads who see a man in chains as guilty without the benefit of the doubt." He slumps against the tree, miserably hanging there, ignoring the rest of you.
As Harbek drags the manacled man around, eventually tying him to a tree, the man gives out a sigh. "No need to be so rough friend. I am no threat to you or any of these people. I am a liability to you bound, but free, I may be of some aid. Try removing these chains, and see if I don't earn my keep around here."
Jask Derindi pipes up at the mention of water. "Now that you have restored the Eye to me, and freed my hands, I to can create water enough for us to drink. With that, if we split up, both groups will have water. I propose to stay with the camp. I can hunt a bit, and also can act as medic if someone gets injured...or worse." Jask has geared back up in his suit of leather armor, buckled on his dagger, and spell pouch, and brandishes his holy symbol plainly. The two potions of curing are at his belt. You can tell he is quite pleased to have his gear back.
The tide is out at present, which makes it a not very difficult proposition to march out to the wrecked ship and check it out through the waist deep water. Alternatively, as you point out, you could climb the cliffs on either side, and lower yourselves down to the deck. As Harbek hauls the man in chains up to the shelter of the jungle, he wakens. "Hullo friend, what has happened to us?" Upon hearing the news, the man laughs long and loud, a discordant cheerful sound among the misery of the shipwreck. "I guess The All-Seeing Eye works in strange and wonderful ways. I am out of the frying pan, into the fire, as they say. Do we know where we are?" The man is a middle-aged, plain looking Garundi man with hair starting to grey, and watery eyes. His clothes are quite ragged and his manacles bind his hands behind his back.
Rubbing his wrists where the manacles cinched him for so long, Jask sighs. "It is good to be free again. But it is rather ironic to be shipwrecked instead," he laughs the good-natured laugh you have heard from him before. "My story is not a terribly exciting one, but I will tell it, since there seems to be nothing else to do on the beach today." he says with a wry smile. "A long time ago, I worked in the Sargavian government in Eleder. The Governor-General there was afraid of the growing power of the pirates of The Shackles. Their piracy was choking off trade to Sargava, and the colony had little seapower to stop them. The Governor met secretly with the pirate captains and paid them off. I uncovered evidence of those illicit and corrupt deals, but instead of being hailed a hero, I was framed for the very crimes I had discovered." "Faced with imprisonment, I fled to Corentyn where i lived a modest life as a scribe for nearly a decade. But recently, a Sargavan agent caught up with me and put me in irons. I was dragged aboard the Jenivere to be returned to my homeland to stand trial for crimes I did not commit. And here you find me, now doomed to die on this desert island instead." He looks forlorn for a moment, his black eyes lustrous and brimming with tears. But he quickly blinks them away, "Unless of course you have other plans for us!" "As I said, if we are indeed on the Shiv, then perhaps Fate has had on more final joke on me. You see, the pirate leader that was my superior's contacts --and took the bribes and Saragava's honor -- his ship was said to have foundered on the rocks of this very isle. The Brine Demon commanded by Avert Kinkarian. If we could find that ship, there may be evidence which exonerates me."
"I am not sure my protestations of innocence can be proven in this setting," says Jask wearily. "However, should we really be on The Smuggler's Shiv, perhaps there is a longshot. Just perhaps the great god Nethys brought me here for a reason. I am happy to explain, once these shackles are off." He shakes his hands for good effect, watching the half-elf stomp off into the canopy.
Jask readily holds out his hands for Mikhail to try the keys. "Aye, I am a priest of the All-Seeing Eye, though I have been bound long enough that I haven't been communing like I should. Perhaps you can release me and that can change," the bound man says with a grin. Mikhail tries the first few keys, but they don't work. There are a few left to try.
At the mention of an expedition to the Jenivere to retrieve supplies and possibly a key for his manacles, Jask Derindi pipes in, "I would be willing to go and assist as I might on this salvage mission, but as you can see, my hands are quite literally tied." He shrugs and looks at the other castaways to see who will aid them.
"I do not require any food now, good fellow, but thanks for the offering. I do hope the key is found at the wreck, or I have worries about my future odds." says Jask, looking a bit troubled. The wreck of the Jenivere sits, leaning at an angle, against the left side of the cove cliffs, it's ruined hull exposed. To see any more details, you would have to get much closer.
"Aye, I am Jask. Jask Derindi. Unfortunately, I cannot shake hands at the moment." he says warmly, nodding at this still-manacled hands. "The All-Seeing Eye, is of course the God of Magic, Nethys. He is my patron, though is sense of humor seems as dual as his personality." Mikail does not see any wounds on the man, but his manacles are locked tightly enough. They appear to be finely made, and it appears they will not be easy to get open without the key. "As to why I am imprisoned, that is a long story." says Jask with a sigh. "Every scandal needs a scapegoat, and I, unfortunately am footing that bill. Let's just leave it that I am not dangerous or insane." Derindi looks at Okhosa after his question about the biggest threat on the Shiv. "Sir, I would more concerned about eating and drinking or you might end up joining both the cannibals and the ghouls. In my present state of incarceration, I am afraid I will not be of much help, and likely a hindrance".
As Okhosa moves to the unconscious man, he gets a good look at the fellow. He is a middle-aged Garundi man, his dark hair going to gray. He is clothed only in torn rags, and his hands are still bound behind his back in iron manacles. As you bend to wake him, his eyelids flutter, then open with a start showing watery grey eyes. Those eyes take a few moments to focus, but when they do, the man gives a start. "Who are you? Where am I? What happened?" He forces himself into a sitting position and looks around. As understanding starts to dawn on him, a big smile fills his face, followed on by a full-bellied laugh. "Unbelievable! The All-Seeing Eye be praised! Shipwrecked on the way to prison....It's too ironic not to laugh." |
