CH 4: Heart of Darkness

[HorizonsDream]

Jocelyn could only shrug in answer to Dalaim's question because she wasn't sure how she represented the group at this point. "Honestly, that is more than I was expecting," she admitted. "Considering we didn't finish the job that we were hired to do. Plus, since I was the only that talked to you for the job, I kind of feel the need to apologize. I didn't realize the others would do this."

[Nuke]

Val continues to stare into the horizon, lost in her own thoughts. Glad for the moments of silence and solitude that she is afforded.

After a bit, she presses her finger to her lips lets out a loud whistle.

[JadedDM]

While Areilon practices loading and unloading her new crossbow, Ouragana knocks on the door of the captain's cabin, and after a moment, a voice beckons her to enter.

Inside, she finds the storm sorceress, a middle-aged woman with dark skin but light hair and eyes, pouring over maps with a compass and taking down notes on a ledger. "What is it?" she asks, not taking her eyes off her work.

Meanwhile, Dalaim shakes his head. "It's not your fault, my dear. And perhaps in the long run, it's for the better. Things were more dangerous than I initially had thought. Now that I know of the heart, I can get more funding and go back with a much bigger expedition, and be better prepared. So perhaps this is all Gonto's will after all." He hands her a small pouch of gold. "Here, I'll leave it to you to distribute to your group. I'm sure an acolyte of Octhanus is trustworthy, yes?"

Val's whistle can be heard all over the ship. After a few moments, Mist makes an appearance off the bow, splashing upward in an arc before crashing back down into the waves.

[Breila]

"Madam, if you could spare a few minutes of your time, I would like to talk to you. This has been nearly my first venture out into the world, and I think I may have misjudged things and I certainly have come at odds with other people. Your advice would be most welcome" Ouragana says in the respectful tone expected from young storm sorcerers towards more experienced ones.

[JadedDM]

The woman pauses in what she is doing, then actually sets the compass and quill down to face Ouragana. "I see," she says. "Well, I don't know what kind of advice I can give, but I can lend an ear for a bit. What is the problem?" she asks, offering Ouragana a seat at the table.

[Breila]

"Thank you very much, Madam" Ouragana says as she takes the offered seat.

"I do not know if you are familiar with the endeavour this ship was hired for, Madam. A priest of Gonto who studies ancient ruins chartered it because there are interesting ruins on this island, and he hired a bodyguard to make studying them possible. On a previous expedition, everybody who went on land went missing.
When we landed, we found the dead bodies of the dwarven members of the landing party quickly.
We too were ambushed but could defend ourselves, killing all the attackers who were human, with a technology that doesn't use metals, but has a command of magic. This is what they use" she puts down the stonehead arrow.

"Later, we found one of their camps, a hunting camp perhaps, and could defeat them again, making a prisoner. She was probaly a kind of shaman. I tried to communicate with her, but she was uncooperative. The only thing I could find out was their word for water, when I withheld it from her until she had said it.

When we progressed further, we were once again attacked. What was strange to me was that everybody who saw us attacked us, even when we held one of their leaders hostage. I even made clear I was ready to hurt the hostage, well I did hurt her, but they continued to attack. Also, everybody fought to their deaths, it was only because there was an illusionist on our side that it was possible to take a hostage at all.

I felt that the population on the island was probably held by a spell, and argued that we retreat with our hostage, perhaps she would make efforts to communicate when she was brought away from the island, without hope for her people to free her, but nobody listened. Most wanted to press on, especially when they learned about a large ruby who was said to be on the island and was the center of the native's cult. We learned that from the surviving memeber of the first crew we could free.

I said that I felt it was wrong to go on, because we were being attacked on our every move, and going on would mean killing many people. thus annihilating the culture of these people. I was told that this was "self-righteous" and "naive" and I made the expedition leader and most of the group very angry at me. Only the elven sailor seemed to be of the same opinon as me. But because the expedition leader wanted to do it only with a unified group, we returned here.

But all the anger that was concentrated on me makes me wonder: Did I do the right thing? I wanted to protect the indigenous culture. Someone said, after I said I could not go on, that the natives had fallen prey to a demon cult and that it could spread if we didn't eradicate it now."

All this had come rushing out, and now Ouragana sighs. "I wanted to do the right thing. But maybe I was wrong."

[HorizonsDream]

"Not long ago, some people wouldn't have trusted me," Jocelyn admitted as she looks down at the small pouch of gold.

[JadedDM]

Captain's Cabin
"I am well informed on this expedition, as I am also the first mate of this vessel," she says. After listening to Ouragana's whole tale patiently, she thinks to herself before speaking. "I suppose a Detect Magic spell might have revealed if they were under some enchantment or not, but I guess that doesn't really help you now. As for what is right or wrong, I don't know if I can really be called an expert on such things. Ultimately, Storm Sorcerers are mercenaries; we hire ourselves out to whoever pays the best. And most mercenaries don't worry about such things; only whether they can do the job they were hired for.

"If these people were as evil and cruel as you describe, though, would it really be worth saving their culture? Perhaps not all cultures deserve to be saved, if all they have to offer the world is malice and hate. But then again, I am no philosopher or ethicist myself; just a mercenary and a navigator."

On Deck, Starboard side
"Maybe so, my dear," Dalaim says to Jocelyn. "I don't know your past or who you used to be; and frankly, that's none of my business. I just know who you are now, and you seem pretty honest to me. Of course, you wouldn't last long in the clergy of Octhanus were that not true."

[Nuke]

Val, elated at the sight of her best friend, looks to find a way down to the water without actually jumping in.

[HorizonsDream]

"There aren't many within the order that believe I can make it as a follower of Octhanus," Jocelyn says. "I struggle with some of the concepts, but I'm trying," she admits. "Apparently, peace at all times is a concept I have a hard time understanding."

[Breila]

Ouragana sighs. "I guess I will have to ask the question to my teachers at the Academy, then" she says. "Thank you for listening." Her head hanging a little, she takes the arrow back and then moves to the door, prepared to leave the cabin.

[JadedDM]

"I wish I could help you there," Dalaim says. "But my calling is with Gonto, not Octhanus. And we dwarves have never been great with peace. Guess that's why there aren't too many dwarven followers of Octhanus, heh."

As Ouragana leaves the cabin, Val spots some nearby rope that could easily be tied to the railing so she can repel down into the water.

[Jenara]

Areilion watches the door while checking the weapon, the weapon was heavier than she was used to, but she remembered the basics. Seeing Oura leave she hefts the weapon and straps it to her back.

"How did it go?" she asks approaching the Sorcerer. "We did what we thought was right."

[Breila]

Ouragana nods. "Yes, we followed our consience. And no, talking to her did not help me." She leans to the railing, looking out to the sea, raising her arms to let the wind play with her hair and her scarves. "I want to get the feel of the wind again" she whispers.

[Jenara]

"Let us climb to the crows nest. The wind is strong there." She suggests, looking up and checking the crossbow.