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<blockquote data-quote="Morrow" data-source="post: 2796587" data-attributes="member: 301"><p><strong>Session 13 - The Map - 11/18/2005</strong></p><p></p><p>Sully, Nate, Tavaari, and Bronson sat around a candle lit table facing their old associate, Captain Lydon. Queg, Bronson’s skeletal cohort, stood guarding the door. Spread across the table lay an old map, purporting to describe the location of Yarashad, the mythical island where the pirate god Harrimast had hidden a mountain of treasure. The map showed five islands which the more nautically minded members of the groups were quite sure did not exist in any sea they had sailed. It seemed to indicate that Yarashad lay beyond Hell’s Triangle, a perpetually fogged over patch of ocean where fierce storms and massive whirlpools destroyed any ship foolish enough to enter. The rotund sailor leaned over the table, “How would you like to be filthy stinking rich?”</p><p></p><p>The quartet eyed the map, and Lydon, warily. Greed pulled at their hearts, but they were warry. No one had ever survived Hell’s Triangle. Were they willing to risk ship and crew on the authority of an old scrap of parchment? Lydon continued without pause, “I’d throw everything over and look myself, but the moment I was out of port half the pirates in Freeport would be after me. A friend of mine, a cartographer named Flint Quickfoot bought a map from someone who didn’t know what they had. He’s sure its genuine, and we’re bringing in an expert named Lucien Buche from the mainland to help decipher it. No one in Freeport can know about this map. Understand?”</p><p></p><p>He looked at each of them, weighing them against some internal measure. “Flint should be here any minute. Here is what I propose: I’ll fund the outfitting of the <em>Albers</em>. You four provide the muscle. Flint and Lucien will provide the expertise. If you find the treasure we divide it into seven shares for you four, me, Flint, and Lucien. Recognizing that you’re accepting the lion’s share of the risk, any magic you find will be yours.”</p><p></p><p>The four finally spoke, pushing for more information, betraying distrust, negotiating for a large stake. Lydon was unmoved, he had the authority of the map. He was offering them the greatest payoff in history. They would accept his terms. Finally he browbeat them into agreeing to continue, to at least explore the possibilities. A small smile played across his lips. He knew the quartet. Once they began, they were committed. They would play the cards they were dealt and they wouldn’t betray him. If they survived the rewards would be enormous for all of them.</p><p></p><p>“Here is the wrinkle. Lucien was on the <em>Albatross</em>, which was due in port two weeks ago. Rumor has it that she was waylaid by the <em>Kraken’s Claw</em>." They all knew the <em>Claw </em> and her captain, Morgan Baumann. She was as feared a captain as you could find in Freeport, with a quick blade and no mercy in her soul.</p><p></p><p>"If Bauman got her hands on the <em>Albatross</em>, she ain’t coming. My eyes on the docks tell me that the Claw arrived in port four days ago. They unloaded a prisoner, an old scholarly looking fellow. Bauman has a hideout in Scurvytown. I don’t know where it is. Find it, rescue Lucien and get him to figure out how to get through the triangle. I’m worried about Flint, you might start by looking in on him.”</p><p></p><p>And that was that. Lydon folded the map and secreted it close to his heart. His new partners left in search of the gnome. And so it begins.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p><p></p><p>As they walked the quartet discussed what they had been doing in the four years since the <em>Albers </em> had fled Freeport, one step ahead of Sully’s brothers. In the intervening years Nate and Sully had established themselves as able pirates, Bronson had built a temple and began building a community dedicated to Aster in Freeport, Tavaari had established a place of influence in the criminal and political dealings of the city. One of Tavaari’s accomplishments had been to help Lydon secure a seat on the Captains’ Council, the ruling body of the city. </p><p></p><p>They also discussed recent unrest in the city. Freeport had recently seen an influx of cheap orc labor. Drac’s End and Scurvytown were packed with them. There was all the tension between orc and human laborers that one might have expected. Nearly the moment they arrived in Freeport Nate and Sully observed a riot, fighting between humans and orcs that was quickly put down by the Sea Lord’s guard. An interesting new wrinkle to the problem was that one of the many individuals who was claiming to be a member of the Drac family, and thus an heir to the position of Sea Lord, was a half-orc named Drak Sockit. </p><p></p><p>Drak was stirring up the orcs, fanning the flames of their discontent. He claimed that Milton Drac had taken advantage of his mother, an innocent orc maiden, showering her with gifts and promises. Now Drak had come to Freeport to claim his birthright and insure that his orcish brethren were treated fairly. </p><p></p><p>Before reaching the inn the group dispatched Tavaari to use his underworld contacts to find the location of Captain Baumann’s hideout. The others found Flint’s inn and were directed upstairs by a hostile serving woman. “The gnome’s been getting visitors all day.”</p><p></p><p>In fact, the gnome’s visitors were somewhat less than friendly. As the party approached Flint’s door they could here several voices growling threats. Sully quickly kicked the door in, surprising several sailors crammed into the small room standing over a bruised and battered gnome. The party quickly sprang into action. The sea dogs proved no match for Sully’s blade and were quickly dispatched.</p><p></p><p>The party tended Flint’s wounds and introduced themselves. Flint had little information about the map, he had bought it in a blind lot at the Freeport Auction House. He was able to confirm that the sailors were Bauman’s men. Undoubtedly Lucien had been forced give them his name. Soon Tavaari returned, bearing the location of Bauman’s hideout beneath a drug den in Scurvytown. Queg was dispatched to escort Flint to the temple of Aster while the others looked for Lucien.</p><p></p><p>Rudolph’s Exotic Book Shop sold rare volumes, but clearly did most of it’s business in pornography and explicit material. The old man behind the counter took little interest in Sully’s attempts at diplomacy, but was more responsive to shouted threats and finally being physically removed from his shop. That barrier out of the way, the party quickly found a hidden doorway behind a curtain and advanced down a dim hall. Their way was blocked by a heavy iron door. Tavaari addressed the problem as only he could, but his skills were insufficient to bypass the lock. Unwilling to give up the party bolstered Sully with <em>Bull’s Strength</em> and then helped her to batter the door off it’s hinges. The process took some time and was quite loud. By the time the party entered the drug den hidden behind the book shop, it was full of pirates, including the infamous Captain Baumann. Throwing caution to the winds the party moved to attack.</p><p></p><p>Bauman had little to say this time beyond, “Get ‘em boys!” and so battle was joined. The quartet could hardly advance into the room, it was so crowded with vicious sea dogs. Sully advanced into the room, but was quickly struck down by Bauman and Rebecca, a massive woman warrior who served as bouncer for the club. Bronson <em>summoned </em> a large fiendish ape into the midst of the sailors while Nate tumbled in to heal Sully. However the ape soon fell under a hail of arrows from Baumann’s elven first mate and Nate fell beneath Bauman’s blade. Bauman held her cutlass over the conscious bodies of Sully and Nate and forced Bronson and Tavaari to throw down their arms. Tavaari seemed prepared to make a break for it but Bronson shouted him into submission.</p><p></p><p>Baumann allowed Bronson to heal his friends enough to get them mobile, then ordered the group striped over their weapons and packs and firmly bound. They were then hustled into the pirates’ hideout beneath the building. They were taken to a dark round room and chained to the wall. It was little surprise to discover that they shared their cell with a bruised old man. They had found Lucien Buche. Now all they had to do was escape. No problem.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Morrow, post: 2796587, member: 301"] [b]Session 13 - The Map - 11/18/2005[/b] Sully, Nate, Tavaari, and Bronson sat around a candle lit table facing their old associate, Captain Lydon. Queg, Bronson’s skeletal cohort, stood guarding the door. Spread across the table lay an old map, purporting to describe the location of Yarashad, the mythical island where the pirate god Harrimast had hidden a mountain of treasure. The map showed five islands which the more nautically minded members of the groups were quite sure did not exist in any sea they had sailed. It seemed to indicate that Yarashad lay beyond Hell’s Triangle, a perpetually fogged over patch of ocean where fierce storms and massive whirlpools destroyed any ship foolish enough to enter. The rotund sailor leaned over the table, “How would you like to be filthy stinking rich?” The quartet eyed the map, and Lydon, warily. Greed pulled at their hearts, but they were warry. No one had ever survived Hell’s Triangle. Were they willing to risk ship and crew on the authority of an old scrap of parchment? Lydon continued without pause, “I’d throw everything over and look myself, but the moment I was out of port half the pirates in Freeport would be after me. A friend of mine, a cartographer named Flint Quickfoot bought a map from someone who didn’t know what they had. He’s sure its genuine, and we’re bringing in an expert named Lucien Buche from the mainland to help decipher it. No one in Freeport can know about this map. Understand?” He looked at each of them, weighing them against some internal measure. “Flint should be here any minute. Here is what I propose: I’ll fund the outfitting of the [I]Albers[/I]. You four provide the muscle. Flint and Lucien will provide the expertise. If you find the treasure we divide it into seven shares for you four, me, Flint, and Lucien. Recognizing that you’re accepting the lion’s share of the risk, any magic you find will be yours.” The four finally spoke, pushing for more information, betraying distrust, negotiating for a large stake. Lydon was unmoved, he had the authority of the map. He was offering them the greatest payoff in history. They would accept his terms. Finally he browbeat them into agreeing to continue, to at least explore the possibilities. A small smile played across his lips. He knew the quartet. Once they began, they were committed. They would play the cards they were dealt and they wouldn’t betray him. If they survived the rewards would be enormous for all of them. “Here is the wrinkle. Lucien was on the [I]Albatross[/I], which was due in port two weeks ago. Rumor has it that she was waylaid by the [I]Kraken’s Claw[/I]." They all knew the [I]Claw [/I] and her captain, Morgan Baumann. She was as feared a captain as you could find in Freeport, with a quick blade and no mercy in her soul. "If Bauman got her hands on the [I]Albatross[/I], she ain’t coming. My eyes on the docks tell me that the Claw arrived in port four days ago. They unloaded a prisoner, an old scholarly looking fellow. Bauman has a hideout in Scurvytown. I don’t know where it is. Find it, rescue Lucien and get him to figure out how to get through the triangle. I’m worried about Flint, you might start by looking in on him.” And that was that. Lydon folded the map and secreted it close to his heart. His new partners left in search of the gnome. And so it begins. [CENTER]* * * * *[/CENTER] As they walked the quartet discussed what they had been doing in the four years since the [I]Albers [/I] had fled Freeport, one step ahead of Sully’s brothers. In the intervening years Nate and Sully had established themselves as able pirates, Bronson had built a temple and began building a community dedicated to Aster in Freeport, Tavaari had established a place of influence in the criminal and political dealings of the city. One of Tavaari’s accomplishments had been to help Lydon secure a seat on the Captains’ Council, the ruling body of the city. They also discussed recent unrest in the city. Freeport had recently seen an influx of cheap orc labor. Drac’s End and Scurvytown were packed with them. There was all the tension between orc and human laborers that one might have expected. Nearly the moment they arrived in Freeport Nate and Sully observed a riot, fighting between humans and orcs that was quickly put down by the Sea Lord’s guard. An interesting new wrinkle to the problem was that one of the many individuals who was claiming to be a member of the Drac family, and thus an heir to the position of Sea Lord, was a half-orc named Drak Sockit. Drak was stirring up the orcs, fanning the flames of their discontent. He claimed that Milton Drac had taken advantage of his mother, an innocent orc maiden, showering her with gifts and promises. Now Drak had come to Freeport to claim his birthright and insure that his orcish brethren were treated fairly. Before reaching the inn the group dispatched Tavaari to use his underworld contacts to find the location of Captain Baumann’s hideout. The others found Flint’s inn and were directed upstairs by a hostile serving woman. “The gnome’s been getting visitors all day.” In fact, the gnome’s visitors were somewhat less than friendly. As the party approached Flint’s door they could here several voices growling threats. Sully quickly kicked the door in, surprising several sailors crammed into the small room standing over a bruised and battered gnome. The party quickly sprang into action. The sea dogs proved no match for Sully’s blade and were quickly dispatched. The party tended Flint’s wounds and introduced themselves. Flint had little information about the map, he had bought it in a blind lot at the Freeport Auction House. He was able to confirm that the sailors were Bauman’s men. Undoubtedly Lucien had been forced give them his name. Soon Tavaari returned, bearing the location of Bauman’s hideout beneath a drug den in Scurvytown. Queg was dispatched to escort Flint to the temple of Aster while the others looked for Lucien. Rudolph’s Exotic Book Shop sold rare volumes, but clearly did most of it’s business in pornography and explicit material. The old man behind the counter took little interest in Sully’s attempts at diplomacy, but was more responsive to shouted threats and finally being physically removed from his shop. That barrier out of the way, the party quickly found a hidden doorway behind a curtain and advanced down a dim hall. Their way was blocked by a heavy iron door. Tavaari addressed the problem as only he could, but his skills were insufficient to bypass the lock. Unwilling to give up the party bolstered Sully with [I]Bull’s Strength[/I] and then helped her to batter the door off it’s hinges. The process took some time and was quite loud. By the time the party entered the drug den hidden behind the book shop, it was full of pirates, including the infamous Captain Baumann. Throwing caution to the winds the party moved to attack. Bauman had little to say this time beyond, “Get ‘em boys!” and so battle was joined. The quartet could hardly advance into the room, it was so crowded with vicious sea dogs. Sully advanced into the room, but was quickly struck down by Bauman and Rebecca, a massive woman warrior who served as bouncer for the club. Bronson [I]summoned [/I] a large fiendish ape into the midst of the sailors while Nate tumbled in to heal Sully. However the ape soon fell under a hail of arrows from Baumann’s elven first mate and Nate fell beneath Bauman’s blade. Bauman held her cutlass over the conscious bodies of Sully and Nate and forced Bronson and Tavaari to throw down their arms. Tavaari seemed prepared to make a break for it but Bronson shouted him into submission. Baumann allowed Bronson to heal his friends enough to get them mobile, then ordered the group striped over their weapons and packs and firmly bound. They were then hustled into the pirates’ hideout beneath the building. They were taken to a dark round room and chained to the wall. It was little surprise to discover that they shared their cell with a bruised old man. They had found Lucien Buche. Now all they had to do was escape. No problem. [/QUOTE]
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