Against the Slavers, Part 1

The depradations of the slavers off the coasts of Southern Flanneas were too terrible for many. Swift black-sailed ships roamed at will, pillaging defenseless villages, kiling many, enslaving the rest. Villages emptied, walled towns and cities became isolated fortresses, farmland turned fallow, merchants stayed at home rather than face this evil plague.

Vast migrations towards the central lands and into the Great Kingdom had made many old counties and duchies virtually wastelands, dark, wild places inhabited by bandits, savages, agents of the Hand, and worse. Finally, Keoland had endured enough. The Keolanders were going to strike back, at the heart of the slaver power. The rumored Pirate Keep of Highport.

An escaped slave had told of this ruined city in the orcish kingdom of the Pomarj (changed my mind about the Sea Barons). Racked with pain from torture, she described the city. Some in Keoland argued that an army and naval forces should be mustered to erase this scourge. BUt cooler heads prevailed. The armed forces were needed to fight the Scarlet Brotherhood and its allied in the Solnor Ocean. Besides, any large force would simply make the pirates dissapear, killing their beloved friends and relatives now imprisoned.

They have come upon a bold plan. The escaped slave told of ruined temple compound that provided a back door to the slaver stronghold. Highport, once a human city, is now overrun by evil humanoids. It would be relatively simple for a small band to sneak in, find the leaders of this evil gang, and eliminate them. Once their leaders were gone, the unoranginzed remaining slavers would lack the ability to cause extensive damage. Left unsaid was the hope that the infiltrators would kill many of the wicked creatures.

You were recruited for a variety of reasons. Money, prestige, advancement in the nobility, or a simple quest for justice or revenge for kidnapped relatives. Regardless, you have joined this mission. It seems daunting now, sneaking into a hostile city, infiltrating an evil organization, and finding and killing the leaders of a vast slave empire. Once you get to Highport, it will be simple to get the ruined temple entrance.

But first, you must find a slaver ship, capture it, and sail to Highport . . .

reserved.

reserved

Below is the good ship Favor's Folly, a merchantmen converted to you needs. A crew of 20 sailors under the command of Goodman Fitzman is sailing the ship. You have all been provided with sailors garb to wear if appropriate, and otherwise given appropriate-looking equipment to appear like a merchant guardsman of some sort. The plan is that the Folly will patrol the ocean trying to attract the attention of a pirate, and then turn the tables and take it over. Most of the crew will then head back to Keoland, while 9 sailors and Fitzman will take you to Highport. They will drop you off, sail off, and return in 10 days. You will recognize the returning Fitzmen by a small letter F in the top corner of the main sail. It is assumed that you will help sail the ship.

You have been dumped together with the others without much introduction. Your party is sleeping in a large section of the hold below. quarters are damp and mildewy, food is awful when even vaguely edible, and most of you are glad you brought trail rations with you. You barely know each others names, and may have forgotten that, and what basic skills each PC brings to the game. You get the feeling that this whole expedition was somewhat rushed, and that all will not go as smoothly as planned. In particular, if too many sailors are killed you will not be able to go on. What to do once you find the pirate has been left up to you.

If the boat looks a little large, it is. Much smaller, and it was too cramped for a fun combat. Hopefully, when I'm a little more organized, maps will look a little better.

In a few days, after it looks like the players have things sorted out a little, we'll start with a sighting of a pirate. Arr!

Rowena

Rowena spends as much time as possible on deck. Never having been to sea, she tries to enjoy the experience before it gets bloody. She leaves her precious chainmail in the cramped quarters below, but wears her longsword and quiver on her belt, slings her sheild over her back and keeps her bow in hand. She is a beautiful, young human, about 5 foot 5 inches tall, lean and muscular. Her hair is black, but a section just over her left eye is pure white. She lets her long hair fly in the breeze, and as it waves, the inch-wide white streak seems to flow like a bolt of lightening.

"I hope we get this ship-board part of the mission over with soon," she says to whomever is near, "I'm much happier with solid ground beneath my feet."

Norbac walks up and down the ship´s deck when his strenght is not used hoisting sails or carrying barrels all over the ship. A half-orc with a look of having few friends, strong but not massively muscular: wiry bulges of muscle snake and dissapear under his clothes. His face and body shows many scars, but those caused of weapons but the whip.

He turns to Rowena when he hears her comment: "And I´m much happier with my spear solidly placed in their slaver guts" answers. "Sea or land or the tallest mountain, I will fight them with the help of Trithereon"

Captain Fitzman walks towards Rowena and Norbac as the coast recedes behind them. This is the first chance they've had to see him up close. Earlier, they had hidden below in their quarters as the Favor got underway, trying to fool any pirate spies or Brotherhood agents hiding in port.

He wears a suit made of fine blue cloth, with shiny gold buttons on the jacket sleeves. A shame the clothes are stained and greasy and waft an odd, sickly-seet odor in front of them. Although the summer sun beats down mercilessly on the open deck, he is not sweating in his heavy clothing. A scimitar rattles at his side as he approaches.

Fitzman fixes a squinty eye on each, ignoring the bustling sailors climbing the rigging, holding the rudder, and doing a variety of tasks that mean little to these land-loving passengers. He speaks with a surprisingly cultured, educated voice.

"So the first two show their heads above-deck," he says. He rests a foot on the lowest rail running the side of the boat. "Not sea-sick, I hope? Good. Becasue we'll be teaching you how to be a real sailor today. Or at least look like one. Strip down to your barest, then come meet me on the aft castle," and he points aft, to the rear, near the rudder, "And I'll show you the ropes."

He turns to walk away, then stops and turns back.

"And tonight, if you favor, I'd like to host a card game in my cabin." He turns and begins to walk away.

(OOC - Any others who appear above deck are also met by Fitzman and told pretty much the same thing. Please first post an introduction as a response to Fitzman, and from there you can talk to Fitzman, any other PC's who are up, and so on. If you want to stay below, please come up briefly before going back. Sorry if I crimp your style a litte, I'd like to get the PC's situated early on. Tx! )

Rowena

"Well met, Norbac. I too will relax after my lace rests in a slaver's belly. How did you get involved in this endevour?"

"Captain Fitzman, I am glad to learn more about the ship. I will meet you there shortly."

Rowena will go below to doft her sheild, bow and arrows, and meet the captain in the aft.

Gwystyl grins at the Captain 'Cards, eh? Well, I could use a friendly game I suppose, after the last game that I was in, that is...'.

The elf goes belowdecks, doffing most of his clothes, returning dressed in grey hose and his black boots, with little else. Modesty, it seems, isn't one of his fine points. Wearing his belt (with dagger and a few slim wands protruding from it), Gwystyl seems ready to help in any manner needed.

Manzanita said:

"Well met, Norbac. I too will relax after my lace rests in a slaver's belly. How did you get involved in this endevour?"

Click to expand...

"I was once a slave in the Pomarj" answers Norbac "Until a cleric of Trithereon rescued some of us and teached how to fight them, the slavers."

Norbac holds his battered wooden holy symbol. "This belonged to him. He died doing so, but I continued his work, where I could. But I have a feel coming from Trithereon, that this mission will help many."

After saying that he removes his armor and leaves it in the cabin, along his weapons, ready to meet the captain.