[Adventure] Serpent's Skull: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv (DM: Mewness; Judge: THB)

[Dekana]

Castile gathers her effects from the sand and then joins Takahaan at Jade's side. Upon hearing his tale, she puts a hand to her chest in shock.

"How barbaric! To think that our employer would haul you off in shackles like this. Here, let me see your hands." Castile steps next to Jade and raises his manacles to the light. While examining them, she introduces herself. "I'm Castile. Sorry we had to meet like this." She giggles a little as she speaks - as if this situation were anything to laugh about.

[sblock=manacles]Do I need a key to open the manacles? Or a well-aimed strike from an axe maybe?[/sblock]

 

[GROMkill]

As Castile fiddles with the dwarf's manacles, Takahaan continues to soothe the prisoner's spirits and prod more about his fate. "So, Jade, for what reason would the Masked One believe that you have committed a crime worthy of capture? Were you framed?" Takahaan asks as he squints his eyes, pondering the ancestor's intentions.

"It did seem a little strange that the Masked One did not accompany us on the voyage," Takahaan thought, scratching his scales under his thick jaw.

Turning to address the group, he raises his voice. "Perhaps we should continue searching the coast for survivors. After all, we are only a fragment of who was aboard the ship. The crew, the other dwarf that the Masked One left to guide us, and possible other prisoners could still be alive, needing our help."

 

[Mewness]

"Yes, I am frame!" says Jade. "I try to explain. Years ago, when I still in Cactizatziliztli, I work as a ... clerk, is how I t'ink you call. I keep records. I am very careful, and I see somet'ing I t'ink is very suspicious. Every mont', you see, de King receive tribute from de Isle of Opposition. And de numbers, dey do not add up quite right. I t'ink maybe it is not'ing. Maybe it is just a little mistake, one time only, perhaps. But it happen again, every mont'. I suspect someone steal some of de tribute, but I cannot prove. So I go to Opposition Isle, to investigate. And after I have been dere a few days de King's guards come t'rough from Cactizatziliztli and arrest me, and say I am de one who steal. I say no no, but dey do not believe. De one I suspect, he is close to de King, de King trust him. I t'ink he is de one who accuse me. I escape from de guards and I flee to Daunton, where I stay, until de ancestor see me and catch me. I don't know how he can know me--I don't remember dat I ever see him before."

[sblock=manacles]It looks like you'll need a key or a good Thievery check. A heavy blow probably won't do it (and would risk injuring Jade).[/sblock]
[sblock=map]North is up on the little map.

A. Where you fought the lobster fiends.

B. This appears to be the wreck of the Jenivere. It's about half a mile away.[/sblock]

 

[Cleverusername]

"Yes, I am frame!" says Jade. "I try to explain. Years ago, when I still in Cactizatziliztli, I work as a ... clerk, is how I t'ink you call. I keep records. I am very careful, and I see somet'ing I t'ink is very suspicious. Every mont', you see, de King receive tribute from de Isle of Opposition. And de numbers, dey do not add up quite right. I t'ink maybe it is not'ing. Maybe it is just a little mistake, one time only, perhaps. But it happen again, every mont'. I suspect someone steal some of de tribute, but I cannot prove. So I go to Opposition Isle, to investigate. And after I have been dere a few days de King's guards come t'rough from Cactizatziliztli and arrest me, and say I am de one who steal. I say no no, but dey do not believe. De one I suspect, he is close to de King, de King trust him. I t'ink he is de one who accuse me. I escape from de guards and I flee to Daunton, where I stay, until de ancestor see me and catch me. I don't know how he can know me--I don't remember dat I ever see him before."

"Well, at this point even if you're a thief it doesn't matter, we'll probably need everyone alive and helping out if we want to get out of here. So, I've survived much worse than this. I grew up alone on an island, I didn't have food or water or help. I'm sure we can at least have a go at it. First thing we need to get some shelter and a source of food and water. I'm sure our supplies won't last long with more mouths than planned. So, maybe if we head to the wreck we can grab some supplies, whether its wood for some sort of lean-to structure or if there's some of the foodstuffs that will help. If everyone can walk I think we should move soon before more crabs come up. I can carry Nelli until we can bury him properly." Alkas suggests.

 

[BenBrown]

"Do we split into groups to search?" Hú Lí asks. "Or should we stick together?"

She gathers up the rest of her equipment, looking curiously at where it lay. She removes a small sword from the pile and buckles it under her outer robe, then straps her drum under her arm again and gives it a few taps to make sure it's intact.

She turns to Noriaki. "Minstrels of the future may sing your deeds. Shall minstrels of the present sing to help pass the time? Perhaps singing will alert other survivors." Her face darkens. "Or perhaps it will attract strange things from the woods. . . I will sing quietly."[sblock=question for Mewness]Did our equipment look like someone placed it where we found it or was it just washed up there?[/sblock][sblock=rolls]History on Smuggler's Shiv (1d20+5=19)
Perception check examining equipment. (1d20+6=14)[/sblock]

 

[Mewness]

[sblock=equipment]Your stuff is strewn around rather randomly, but not as though it washed up on a wave (and it's all in better condition than it would be if it had been in the water for any period). It looks more like it was tossed down hastily.[/sblock]

 

[Mewness]

"I am no t'ief," insists Jade. "I know I cannot prove, but I t'ink it is a very serious t'ing, and I promise you I never do anyt'ing like dat."

The other passengers still show no signs of activity except to start moaning quietly when there is talk of going to the wreck to fetch supplies. Jade peers into Aerys's eyes. "I learn in Daunton somet'ing about healing," he explains. He gets her to open her mouth and examines that as well. "She eat poison," he says. "I t'ink all of you eat. Your eyes and tongues are discolor."

 

[Pentius]

Noriaki ignores Gelik to focus on Jade. At the Magari's words, he holds his chin high, but his eyes downcast. "Discolor? You must be mistaken." He turns to Hu Li, his smile returning. "Sing as you will, minstrel, but let's not split up. It would be dangerous for those we leave behind. It would ruin the grandeur of the tale to lose our comrades here." Picking through the rest of the scattered possessions, Noriaki grabs a satchel of supplies of puts it over his shoulder, though by his movements, he is clearly unused to carrying it himself. "Thankfully, my things seem undamaged. In any case, I grow tired of this beach. We shall take Alkas's idea, and search the wreck."

[sblock=ooc]I'm not trying to be bossy as a player, it's just that Noriaki is pretty much used to people doing what he says. If you want to override him when he does this, it won't ruffle my feathers any.[/sblock]

 

[Mewness]

[sblock=ooc]There seems to be a fair amount of consensus on searching the wreck. Are you leaving the NPCs somewhere or taking them along? Keep in mind that they will slow you down (Aerys, Sasha, Gelik, and Ishirou are unwell, and Jade's legs are chained together).[/sblock]

 

[Pentius]

[sblock=ooc]While I'm not in a good position to do much about them feeling ill or being chained, I'd like to take them along, even if it means slowing us down. I'd hate to get supplies from the ship just to come back and discover something had happened to them while we were away. I'm also not in favor of splitting up, lest one of our groups come upon a fight.[/sblock]