Chapter 1: After the Storm

[Woe]

"Maju, what's he saying?"

[mTeasdale]

"Yeah Maju, do you need a little help to make him talk ?"

[mTeasdale]

"We saw some ruins to the east when we were on the top of the mountain. We were actually heading there. Do you have some informations about these ruins ? Are they still inhabited, who was living there ?"

[8sidedDave]

Teruk paused to think before replying, careful with his words as he replied. “The place of old stones?” He shook his head slowly. “My people do not go there. The elders say the monkeys live there. Not monkeys…they are like monkeys and like you, me.” He then points to his head. “Smart. Some are good. Some bad. Elders say this. But I never go there, see one. Avoid this place.”

“My father, chief of my people, prisoner of evil Ishakt. Ishakt use terrible magic. Village under Ishakt’s rule. I take warriors with me, fight back from jungle. But Ishakt too powerful, has ogres in thrall.”

The Teruk looks at each of the party, his eyes sharp and his voice earnest. “I see you are powerful, fearless. Help me defeat Ishakt, free my father. You save village, my people very grateful. I know this island and I will fight with you. Will you help?”

[Longman]

Oops.

(I think MTeasdale (Jaali) meant to the north-west. In the desert. It's marked 'ruins' on the main player's map. Anyway, the only ruins the party have seen are definitely to the north west, in the desert. I think that's what Jaali the halfling is referring to.)

[MevlyTM]

Maju says, "Where is this Ishakt now?"

[8sidedDave]

“Ishakt now lives in old stones near village, where he holds my father captive. Old stones are forbidden, cursed. Ishakt has magic, is…,” Teruk pauses, searching for the right word, “…is ‘witch’ of village. He disappear one night, I track him to the old stones. Days pass, he come back, says he is a Great Spirit, a…a god. He is to be worshipped. Ishakt is mad, has crazy eyes. My father rebukes him. Ishakt brings in ogres, takes my father. The village follow Ishakt or he kill my father.”

“With you,” Teruk says, gesturing to the whole party, “I can face Ishakt and his ogres, destroy them. My village south of here, at lake. You come…you help?”

[quozl]

Assuming Yuan-Cheng returned soon enough to hear this or was informed later after he returned, Yuan-Cheng says, "Yes, we must go help."

[MevlyTM]

"Teruk, wait a moment while I discuss this with my companions."

Maju relays the message to the rest of the party. He then adds, "My own curiosity in the arcane as been piqued by learning of this witch. I would like to help them if for no other reason than that there may be new knowledge in it. But besides that, these locals may be important and powerful allies should it come down to us versus the pirates. What's more, these locals likely know the best and easiest route to their village; that was one thing keeping me from wanting to go there. And if we go to help them, our group would stay together, I presume…" He nodded toward Sonja.

[mTeasdale]

(Yeah, Jaali meant to the west. I didn't had the map when I wrote the post)

"Those monkey men seemed funny enough, I bet I could have kept one as a bodyguard. But I'm not against helping your people killing that witch, I prefer to attack her than getting backstabbed by her troops later."