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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ElectricDragon" data-source="post: 7516330" data-attributes="member: 10778">Jasper,I apologize for taking so long to pen this letter, but circumstances prevented me from contacting you. The new captain is a slob and it took me a while to locate a candle; but I am getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning.We left the island where we had received such a warm welcome and planned to circle a few other isles in the hopes of gaining more tribes to trade with on our next voyage before we headed home. On the second evening after we set sail, I went up on deck to get some fresh air when a shout rang out that the local tribesmen were approaching the ship in canoes and outriggers (a practice that we had grown accustomed to in our winding trip through the islands. They would climb the ship sides to show us their wares in hopes of gaining some trinkets, baubles, or metallic items that they could not get in their own villages). Nets dropped over the ship’s sides provided easy access to the main deck from the sea. Today though when the first few natives gained the deck, swords appeared in their hands from nowhere and the trade talks immediately became a fight to the death. I retreated back into the captain’s cabin looking for a weapon with which to defend myself, having only a small dagger otherwise. Several of the sailors were able to grab gaff hooks or belaying pins to fend off the swords of the natives but I didn’t hold much hope that they would be able to fight off the villagers turned pirates. Indeed more pirates were standing that sailors when I last looked.In the cabin, I found nothing of worth as a weapon and even opened the secret compartment to search in there when I heard someone stomping down the few steps to the cabin. So I quickly swung the door shut, hiding in the secret room. I looked out the peephole to see a bunch of guys dressed like natives but speaking common scan the room (grabbing my spellbook which I had inadvertently left on the table) before leaving to search the rest of the ship. Shouts and cries of pain were all I heard for a long time.Eventually a man entered the cabin and flopped on my bed, immediately falling to sleep, it seemed. Another man entered after a knock and addressed the sleeping figure as “captain.” He claimed that all crew had been found and put to the sword and the bodies dropped overboard. He then went on to tell him that the ship was now getting underway and heading to Bearclaw Island.The sleeping figure grunted but did not otherwise move and the new first mate (I assumed) left without another word.The next few days were a blur with me practically starving while watching through the peephole. The captain rarely left the cabin and his only visitor was the first mate. The room quickly became a pigsty because the captain was always drinking or sleeping; only stopping those activities to eat or relieve himself. If he knocked over something or dropped something, that is where it lay. His food smelled so foul and dangerous that I wondered if his cook was actually an assassin using poison to try and relieve the captain of his position. Even as hungry as I was, the food turned my stomach. On the third night, I finally gained enough courage to sneak out in the middle of the night to grab some food scraps off the table, now piled high with dirty dishes and crumpled maps. I found several pieces of fruit that didn’t seem too bad and cut off the bitten parts to retreat back into my sanctuary. This midnight run for food became my normal means of gaining sustenance; essentially I became a mouse hunting for scraps.Three days later we pulled into some port or another and I think they offloaded our cargo and probably restocked supplies. There were more people onboard; at least it seemed so to my ears. Two heavy somethings were brought onto the ship (the sound of men grunting and heaving was unmistakable). After this time; fruit became rare, so I had to resort to trying the meat (usually half burnt; never good) and vegetables (always undercooked, usually beans). If the crew had gone ashore it would have given me a chance to slip away, but the ship only stayed in port for that single day.Before we left port, I was surprised to see the Duke and two liveried guards enter the cabin. The duke talked in low tones to the captain, so I couldn't make out what was said; but they seemed to know each other and from the captain's deference, it seemed he was employed by the duke. After the duke left, we sailed out of port almost immediately.It was about this time that I decided I needed to find some way to be able to see in my little hole so I could write to inform you of my whereabouts. I feared that lighting a lamp, if I could get one; would be dangerous, as the light would shine out the peephole revealing my hiding place. Mulling over this I finally came up with the idea of plugging the peephole with wax from a candle which could also provide light. So my midnight runs now included a search for candles. The captain had devolved the room into an orc lair with nothing in its place and everything on the floor. But even then I could find nothing. Eventually I had to screw up my courage to leave the cabin and make my way stealthily to the ship’s stores for the candle (I also retrieved a small sack of hardtack, a few oranges, and a waterskin full of water-I had had my fill of rum for drinking). On deck, I scanned the horizon hoping for a landmark to let me know where I was, but nothing looked familiar. The night watch, luckily, had fallen asleep and I briefly thought of tossing him overboard, lessening my opponents by one; but I refrained from fear that he would awaken and give a yell as he fell. The trip was especially arduous as my muscles easily cramped and hindered my movements. My hiding place was not big enough to move around in unless I removed the chest, so my only physical activities were limited to my nightly snoopings. It wasn’t until much later that I realized that I should have used that chance to abandon ship and make my way home otherwise. I haven’t been out on deck since; but I will have to when my  supplies run low.With some candles firmly in my grasp, I was able, finally, to read some of the missives sent to me while I hid from the pirates. Then I took pen in hand and endeavored to bring you up to date. I will write again when the situation changes. Eric</blockquote>

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