Session Ten - Recap

Session Ten - Recap

Questioning their newly-pressed crewman, the Motaku islander N'dahno, he tells of "the Lava that Walks as Man" on the island, but also an enormous lost pearl that could be recovered. The crew of The Broken Promise proves to be somewhat wary of this, and decides to seek their fortune instead around the large stretch of open sea south of the large island.

Soon enough, the crew came upon a lugger riding low as it made its way southward. The ship was flying colors of the Aspis Consortium, which Scolvus knew the name of but little information about--other than basing their operations in Azir, a port north of the perpetual hurricane Eye of Abendego. Deciding to pursue the prey, The Broken Promise closed the distance to the smaller craft quickly.

When they got close, Druna's aerial reconnaissance and Jax's telescope revealed the ship to be a slaver--with a deck packed with cages and enchained slaves baking in the hot sun. Unable to return fire, for fear of harming the miserable enslaved captives on the ship, the crew of The Broken Promise had to weather crossbow volleys before swinging across to the deck of the smaller ship.

Unfortunately, this played right into the trap of the Aspis Consortium ship. The crew landing on the deck fought the Aspis sailors, and found them fighting strangely--very defensively and using delaying tactics. Also, they noticed that the slaves on the ship proved to be dummies; they were wooden carvings dressed in tattered clothes, enhanced with a powerful illusion spell to make them seem more real. The attacking crew were left wondering why the ruse--and were quickly answered.

In the form of an Aspis Consortium Fire Mistress Mage

The Aspis Consortium Captain and First Mate suddenly emerged from invisibility on the aft deck of The Broken Promise. Sadie the Goat, who was piloting the ship, was laid into by the Aspis Captain, while the First Mate used the same fly spell that enabled their sneak attack to fly up to the rigging and set it ablaze with a fireball spell. As dead and dying crew of The Broken Promise fell to the deck, and the rigging burned, Sadie the Goat was cut down and lay bleeding on the deck. Captain Sullivan, Jax, and Druna rushed back to their own ship to try and stabilize the situation. Meanwhile, Scolvus turned his arcane energy to stop the enemy Captain's attacks. Finally the crew closed upon the Captain, slaying her. The First Mate fled, using the remaining time on her spell to try and make land--her white cloaks streaming behind her as she flew through the air.

Checking through the damage, the officers found that four of their crew had died to the gouts of flame from the Aspis First Mate: two more of those pressed when Portia D'Angelique's ship was captured, and two of those they hired/pressed at Senghor. Searching the captured ship, they found it laden with treasure. The Captain's quarters contained a log of attacks, seeming like this ship has purposefully been preying on pirate vessels--drawing them into traps and slaying their command, then taking their goods for the Consortium. In the hold, they found plunder of spices, salt, and copper bars.

With the Consortium lugger fit with a prize crew, the two ships made their way toward Bloodcove, with the intention of selling their plunder and the captured ship. In the two week journey, the crew worked hard at their respective tasks. Portia set herself to work with Scolvus appraising the captured ship as well as the plunder. Jax approached her one afternoon in the Quartermaster's office, and informed her that if she wished, she could try going on shore leave this time at Bloodcove, provided she remain with him--as she still had to pay off her ransom. Plus, the pair had been flirting considerably since her arrival on the ship. N'danho, the self-poisoned Motaku islander proved to be rather weak and accident-prone, but he tried hard--and he quickly mastered the Common tongue thanks to work with Captain Sullivan and Shivikah. Turd meanwhile found a friend in the galley, with his anger problem and resentment about authority resonating with Galfire. Finally, the crew decided to use one idea from their encounter with the Aspis Consortium, deciding to take two of the carved mannequins and setting them up adjacent to the wheel to confound foes attacking their pilot at range.

Finally they got close to Bloodcove. As they drew near, they spied another vessel leaving-also flying a pirate flag. As is frequent with rival pirate captains, the two ships eyed each other closely. The other ship was identified as The Limestone, a ship captained by the bloodthirsty Captain Rockhyde. Captain Sullivan recognized his massive form strolling the deck as they passed, and told the crew stories of the huge Stone Giant captain. He was once a member of the Shackles Council in Port Peril, and attempted an unsuccessful attempt at forcefully gaining Council Captaincy. His attack was repulsed by the sitting Hurricane King, Captain Kerdak Bonefist, and Captain Rockhyde was banished from the council and from good standing amongst the Free Captains. While technically not a Free Captain himself after his coup attempt, Captain Rockhyde is simply physically powerful enough, and his crew nasty enough, to still hang around the edges of the Shackles.

Captain Rockhyde, former Free Captain and scourge of the southern edge of the Shackles

At Bloodcove, the crew are released in three waves for leave--keeping the ship well-manned as Bloodcove is one of the more notorious ports besides Port Peril itself. On the first day in the port, Captain Sullivan, Scolvus, and Portia set themselves to selling the captured prize ship. Seeking out potential buyers in various taverns, they finally get some interest with Free Captain Daquaa--a broad-set woman with a slightly piggish nose, who commands the schooner The Child O'Mine. While she seemed interested at first, things changed when they brought her to view the ship. When she set eyes on it, her prior friendly demeanor suddenly changed. "Oh no, no no," she said, glancing around as if worried about even being seen looking at the ship. She ended with the cryptic comment "take a minute to get a few extra water barrels for your ship," as she walked away.

At the same time, Jax took Sandara Quinn to seek out a prosthesis for the arm she lost to the giant crab. They went to Master Lilliput's sawbones, a shop that specialized in various replacements for lost limbs. The shop carried a range of different products, spanning some very fancy detailed porcelain options all the way to utilitarian pieces good for work on a ship. Jax buys her a fancy hand, as well as a couple of utilitarian options. They traveled to a tavern for a few drinks, then retired to an inn room together. Lying together naked and recovering, Sandara said to Jax: "So, have you thought of any names?" Taken by surprise, Jax spat out a mouthful of the cheap port wine he was drinking from the glass on the nightstand. He inquired about what she meant, and learned that she was pregnant. He expressed disbelief, to which she responded: "But you knew the rituals, you know what we did?" Jax said no, and tried to express that he was taken unaware by the situation. Sandara seems to almost not hear what he's saying, and keeps talking about the fated rituals of Besmara, and that Jax was chosen in his role of fathering the fated child of the deep mistress--words which drove Jax deeper into the jug of wine by the bedside.

The next morning, the crew chose to squibb their captured Aspis Consortium ship themselves, tearing off the symbols and adjusting the lines of the ship. Captain Sullivan and Scolvus turn to selling their plunder, while Sadie took the shell of the the giant crab to an armorsmith to get a suit of banded armor made from the creature's sturdy shell. Jax took Portia on her promised day of leave, sharing a day exploring the port and an evening drinking in the Burly Bear Tavern. 

On day three in the port, Scolvus finished selling the remaining plunder while the rest of the crew endeavored to sell their newly-squibbed prize. They found a rather rough character in Captain Ile, a sailor who was the sole survivor of a recent wreck. He agrees to take the boat at night, knowing that while the ship is changed in look that everyone in town knows exactly who owned the ship before they did. He agreed to sail it off in the middle of the night, and leave the second half of the payment hidden on the dock near their ship. The rest of the day was spent repairing The Broken Promise and purchasing replacement sails. That evening, again Jax went with Portia out drinking--this time at The Westward Nun Inn--which involved much flirting, but didn't end with anything more.

The fourth morning, the crew awoke to their prize ship being gone and a payment hidden in a rope coil near their ship. Deciding a fourth day in town was needed, the crew continued to relax and plan their next moves. Captain Gilbert regaled the crowd at The Westward Nun with tales of the battle with the giant crab and his raging cook. Word spread of this tale, increasing the crew's Infamy in Bloodcove. In discussing their situation and reputation that evening in the Captain's cabin, Sandara suggested to Captain Gilbert that he select some sort of gimmick to to help him become more memorable as a Captain. And meanwhile, Jax took Portia on a picnic dinner to the wooded hill above Bloodcove, finally moving from flirting to sex, as the Pirate's moon yet again hung low and red in the horizon above.

Nope. No ominous foreshadowing here.

Infamy and Disrepute Tracker

Infamy Score: 6
Disrepute: 6

Port Infamy list:
Rickety's Squibbs: 2
Bloodcove: 1