There has been peace in Arishamal since the defeat of the Ürgod and the Scarlet Brotherhood. The Wizard, Robbia Veritus has been tasked by the Mother-Goddess Arisha, the Golden Spider, to find magically gifted beasts to fill the vacant seats of the...
There were other beasts whose pasts intruded upon their present journeys with little or no affect. Yagun Skaar had been left to die in the desert only to be saved by the Scarlet Brotherhood. The course of his life had changed and whether out of gratitude or desperation, he had dedicated his life to the service of the leader of the monks who had saved him, Azmeritus.
For the majority of his life he had been a loyal and constant acolyte to the misguided holy man whose purpose had been the annihilation of the world. When this was lost to him he felt betrayed and pointless, a life wasted. Then, as though the gods had had heard his existential despair, he found himself dying once more and once more saved by a fellow lost soul.
The beast who saved him was named Deeb Shatus, the last of the Minge...the last of the cursed Deev. Yet he was now neither. He had died and been resurrected by Azmeritus and in that process been cleansed of all experience and memory.
A blank slate without bitterness or regret he was reborn into a world that was new to him. His mind was open to the world and in that world he heard voices that no one else did. They called to him like sirens and he was determined to follow them.
When he saved Skaar, he did so without ulterior motive and he had expected no reward or thanks. To Skaar, however, it was a sign from the heavens and as he had with Azmeritus, he determined to follow and protect the odd mink as penance for a misguided life.
Deeb did not try to dissuade the rough looking human from being his companion and protector and his voices did not object. When Deeb Shatus told Skaar of the beckoning voices, the former bishop simply nodded and together they constructed a vessel built of local woods with which to follow the siren's call across the seas. It was a surprisingly fine craft. Twenty feet long, six feet wide and steadied by two long outriggers constructed out of a light balsa-like wood, the boat was propelled by a single lateen sail and aided in its propulsion when necessary by oars.
They had been traveling the islands of the Northern seas for more than a year. It was discovered that Deeb had a true talent as a healer and the pair had survived by accepting food and favors in exchange for this newly discovered skill.
When beasts were in need, but without anything of value to trade, a heartfelt thank you was enough payment. Yagun found himself gratified at aiding the ill and the destitute and this new found selflessness cheered him greatly. As a beast who had seen great violence in his life, bringing comfort seemed somehow correct. As for Deeb, he simply followed wherever his heart and his voices guided him. He seemed to hav no great plan and showed no impatience at discovering the source of his inner dialog. He simply assumed that at some point all would be revealed. This simple yet profound faith reassured Skaar, who had seen enough intrigue to last a dozen lives. Their small craft had been named the Sojourner and served them well in the clear warm waters of the Borogovian Isles and beyond.
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The warm dawn found the Sojourner sailing lazily eastward on a placid ocean. Deeb sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat while Skaar leaned comfortably at the rear of the vessel manning the rudder. The pair had just left one of the smaller islands where Deeb Shatus had successfully eradicated an outbreak of sand-flea fever. As a result of this mission of mercy, the Sojourner was fully laden with a variety of foods and beverages which were gratefully accepted as payment for the task. Yagun smiled peacefully, enjoying the day. He looked up toward his companion and called out. "Friend Deeb, which way shall I head?"
