| “ | You go on. I really need to rest. That storm really took it out of me. I feel exhausted. I'm going to stay here for a while…. Don't worry about me. Be careful out there. I saw a path to the north, looked like it led further inland. Maybe there's a village or something up there. | ” |
Chapter 1 begins with exploring Faranga.
The Forbidden Island is the name of the first chapter in Risen. It begins right after the Nameless Hero agrees to look for help, leaving Sara at the abandoned cottage up from the beach a bit. During the chapter, the Hero discovers what happened to the Inquisitor after fleeing their ship doomed to wreck on Faranga. He also learns about recent ruins that have risen from the ground, the source of somewhat heated competition between two major factions: the Don and His Followers and the Inquisition.
Description[]
After leaving Sara, the Hero continues to ascend up the path from the beach, discovering a second house, guarded by Jan, who explains the dangers of wandering the island alone, and suggests he acquire a decent weapon. He also encourages the Hero to visit the swamp, where the Don and his Followers have holed up. Regardless of whether the Hero chooses to visit the swamp or to head toward Harbour Town, Jan acts as guide for a part of the way. He warns that lingering too closely to certain areas can result in abduction by the Inquisition and forced servitude among their ranks.
Summary[]
Bandit Camp[]
When the Castaway reaches the swamp, he discovers the camp of the Don's men. When the Inquisition arrived on the island, they fought with the Don and his Men and forced them out of Harbour Town, where they were headquartered. The ousted men reached the swamp, where they hoped to regroup, gather strength, and prepare for a counter assault when the time was right. The Don himself is with a few chosen followers, close to the entrance of a ruin, behind armed guards that refuse nearly everyone passage. To speak with Don Esteban, the Hero needs something valuable that the Don might appreciate.
After speaking with several others in the camp, he learns of such an object. There are shards of a golden sword, each either held by some individual in the camp or hidden near where it was found, a small dig site a short distance into the swamp from the camp. Were those shards to be reforged into the original sword artifact, it would surely be something worth showing the Don. Unfortunately, members of the camp holding their own shards are reluctant to part with them. Some combination of bribery (payment in gold), threat (competition in the arena), or high skill in thievery (picking someone's pockets) is first required.
Were all of this not enough of a hassle, the camp itself is fractured into four effective groups. The workers are digging up items and hauling their findings to be delivered to the Don, but the dangers of the swamp have them spooked. They refuse to continue laboring without the promise of protection. The hunters are to provide the food for the camp so everyone has the energy to continue their work, but they have been conscripted into pointless tasks serving individuals rather than the good of the camp. The fighters are to provide protection to the workers and the hunters, but they have become lazy and greedy, extorting extra funds from the others under various threats.
Finally, the camp leadership remaining to oversee those not at the ruin itself are Rachel (the Don's wife), Oscar (the camp smith), Hawkins (the lieutenant over the workers), Sam (the lieutenant over the hunters), and Brogar (the lieutenant over the fighters). Rachel, in charge of the entire camp, possesses no power to enforce her orders. Brogar, seeing no one strong enough to challenge him, bullied Rachel into sullen silence while strong-arming Sam into constantly getting him firewood. He convinces his fighters to avoid their jobs and start their extortion of the others. Hawkins, although in charge of the workers, is himself not strong enough to resist Brogar, so no actual work is getting done around the camp.
In addition to the situation of the camp at the swamp, the Castaway learns that a portion of the Don's forces have remained behind in Harbour Town to undermine the Inquisition's efforts there. At some point, he heads for and arrives at the port town, where he learns which citizens are on the side of the Inquisition, which are for the Don, and which are neutral. After fulfilling at least four quests in favor of the Don's men, the Hero gains enough trust to be admitted to see Scordo, the Don's lieutenant in charge there. With the trust of Scordo, he delivers a package to the Don as proof of the bandits' progress in town. It is a sign that they are ready to move on word from Esteban.
After also running many errands at the swamp camp (reassuring workers of their safety, ensuring artifacts are delivered to the Don again, defeating fighters both in and out of the arena, and getting the hunters back to collecting food for the camp), the Castaway is able to convince, bribe, steal, or threaten the pieces of the sword into his own possession. Delivering these to Oscar, the sword artifact is reforged, allowing an audience with the Don. The golden sword and the package from Scordo together convince the Don of the Hero's intentions, and that he can be trusted.
In speaking with Esteban, he learns of a personal feud between him and Inquisitor Mendoza, a kind of power play for control of the island. The feud has not served either side well, however. The Don's men are divided between the swamp camp and Harbour Town, limiting the strength they might possess together. The Inquisition is in a similar position: half their force is in town and half is divided among small farms and Volcano Keep. What's worse, the dangers spilling from the ruins threaten to overrun both groups if not stopped. However, the Don is not yet ready to reconsider his feud. Instead, should the Castaway join the Don and His Followers, Esteban reveals his plans. He gives the Hero the assignment of going to Volcano Keep to speak with Mendoza so he can learn of the Inquisitor's plans. His hope is to use this information to gain the upper hand against his opponent.
Monastery[]
When the Castaway reaches the novices' farm (Jan refuses to go there, but points him in the right direction after guiding him a short ways), he learns that occasionally a Warrior of the Order will patrol to the farm. Anyone not already a part of either the Crystal Mages or the Inquisition will be dragged off to the Monastery and conscripted. Should the Hero be seen by this guard — or approach any Inquisition position outside of Harbour Town — while not already part of a specific faction, he will be "escorted" to the monastery, where he can either train as a Warrior of the Order or as a mage.