Swamped

"What is that?" the priest asks as you hold it out. "It almost looks like a locket, except it's wood and string instead of proper jewelry."

"I expect it serves much the same purpose for its owner," you reply. "I haven't looked inside. All I can tell you is, he values it."

The priest just stares at it, befuddled. He can't seem to grasp how such a simple and crude-looking object could have value to anyone. Which explains quite a bit about his attitude.

But you think there may be some hope. Behind his confusion, you see a desire to understand. He's looking at it, not as some impossibility, but as though it's a puzzle that he might just be able to solve.

After a few minutes of that, he speaks up.

"You said you didn't look inside. Do you have a guess as to what's in there?"

"A memory, I expect," you say calmly. "But I think it's not simply what's inside that matters to him."

"What do you mean?"

"A locket is not simply meant to hold something. It's meant to protect it - to keep unwanted eyes off it, but also to preserve it against the ravages of time. Whatever memory lies within, Corvus thought it mattered enough to protect it, and if he couldn't afford a good locket, then he'd use whatever he could get his hands on. The locket itself holds meaning to him."

The priest looks more thoughtful than he has in a while. He stares for another few minutes, then suddenly looks excited. Far more than you've previously seen him.

"I see it! I see the issat! Reth has blessed me with the wisdom to understand it!"

"Then can you find Corvus?"

"I think so." He looks upwards. "Hmm... Well, I can see a few, at least. Six... no, maybe seven? It's a bit hard to make out the differences, since I've only just now seen them at all. But I think I can figure it out with a little time. Once I do, I'll do as you asked."

He just stands there, looking, thinking. He seems very different than he did just a few minutes ago. Perhaps all he really needed to do was open his eyes.

You opt to readjust the gears in the meantime. And now you'll have little choice but to wait here.

---

"Ouch! What... where am I?"

You're now Corvus, and Captain Long has finally woken up. That's one less thing to worry about, at least.

The ship seems to have stopped shaking, too. Maybe Carma finished up whatever she was doing.

You were thinking of asking Long about the call of the swamp... but maybe that's not your highest priority right now. For one thing, he's clearly a bit confused, and you need to get him up to speed.

"What is Ash doing here?" he asks after a bit.

"You're injured. And he was the only one around who could help me carry you. Then the ship started shaking and we dropped you."

You think of asking if he can walk, but he's the sort who might say "yes" even if he can't. Perhaps you need a different approach.