Piratecat's Story Hour

[Piratecat]

So anyways, what you need to know when you start reading this: the campaign is about 10 years old in game time, 8 years old in game time, and the character levels range from 11 to 16. On a somewhat diplomatic mission, the PCs have left their home country (Gaunt) and travelled down-river and across an inland sea to visit the great city of Eversink: built in a swamp and spanning the river of the only inland water route, Eversink effectively has a stranglehold on all trade coming from the coast. Their country is negotiating for better trading deals and they've been sent to keep a high profile. Their only instruction from their King? "Try not to kill anyone important."

Heh. Just wait 'til you see who they killed.

Their cargo was a boatload of an odd type of stone called "flowstone." Extremely soft when mined, it turns steel-hard when exposed to fire. The PCs are carrying it as a gift for the most powerful House in Eversink, House Meridian, who they hope will sponsor their trade agreement.

On the trip in, their ship was attacked by minotaur pirates, led by a minotaur barbarian. In a glorious fight they repelled the pirates by repelling wood on their boat into a control water-created whirlpool, protected their cargo, and managed to shunt the pirate's ship into a huge whirlpool created by the party druid. Questioning and scrying showed that the ship had been hired by a yellow-tunicked messenger back in Eversink.

They arrive in the city determined to track him down, not knowing that they will be been enmeshed into a complicated web of politics and opposed factions...

 

[Piratecat]

Arriving in the city, the Defenders deliver their ship into the hands of House Meridian guards. While the dock workers start off-loading the cargo of flowstone, the Defenders leave to meet the House that is sponsoring them. House Roaringbrook is the druidic House responsible primarily for importing crops of wheat and fruit into the city. Their mansion is beautiful, with an astonishing mixture of plants and stone, the height of elven artistry. Songbirds sing in the branches of the indoor trees, and greenery thrives even away from the sun. Palladio, the House agent traveling with the PCs, introduces them to the House Patriarch and his son.

As soon as they have an opportunity, they scry the yellow-tunic-wearing rascal who sold them out to the minotaur pirates. They briefly tour the city's canals by gondola, and set off the next morning to find the guy.

They find him, all right; dead, floating in a canal. Speak With Dead reveals that he was set upon by thugs who broke into his apartment and burned his papers. His corpse points the way to an information broker named Pigwhistle Jack.

Pigwhistle Jack is a half-orc, noseless, former pirate (with a sword grafted to one stump) who now does a nice business trading and selling information. He sits slumped in a seedy, dockside tavern that smells of fish and urine. The group attempts to bluff him by pretending to be rich socialites, but they quickly get down to business when he calls their bluff.

Jack refuses to tell them who was responsible, but does make some deals with them, speaking in a gravelly voice. As the PCs leave, one of the more blunt ones turns to him and says, "Jack, you're scum, but you're scum who stays bought. I respect that."

The PCs then use a unique magical item known as the Skull of Kelmos to try and divine. The skull of Palladio's former mentor, a diviner, it can see briefly into the future when Kelmos' soul is summoned back into it. With the skull's cryptic advice, the group ends up concluding that someone at their host Merchant Family (House Roaringbrook) might have sold them out.

They plan to set a trap to find out.

 

[Dawn]

Good chance to review all these posts. Catching small details I missed the first time through.

 

[KidCthulhu]

Oh, the masses worship

All hail to thee, PirateCat, Thane of Glamis
All hail to thee, PirateCat, Thane of Cawdor
All hail to thee, PirateCat, who shall be King thereafter.

You know, it's not often a wife says this to a husband, but... (coughs sheepishly) "Get back to the couch and spend more time on the Web!"

The things I do to get the StoryHour updated.

 

[Viking Bastard]

I think this is a good time to ask a question I've been wondering about for some time.

It's about Nolin... is his body hair (including his pubic hair) made of fire (or just the hair on his head)?

If 'Yes', does he wear fireproof underwear?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

And we appreciate it, KidC. Even if Piratecat may not...

 

[Viking Bastard]

More, I demand MORE!!

 

[Samnell]

It's about Nolin... is his body hair (including his pubic hair) made of fire (or just the hair on his head)?

That's a very good question. I want to know too.

 

[Fade]

It's about Nolin... is his body hair (including his pubic hair) made of fire (or just the hair on his head)?

Could make things interesting for the 'father of 1000 acorns'.

 

[CRGreathouse]

I have copies of the last two "PC's Story Hour" threads on my hard drive and I'm trying to put them into a nice Word document. (I was going to be away from my Internet connection for a few days, so I copied it all out to read.)

Has anyone else done something like this? I'd hate to duplicate effort.