Monday, July 18, 2011

Sea Princes #11: Banquets and Booty

Welcome back to another session of my Sea Princes campaign. When last we watched the daunting crew of  Bird of Prey they had met with the Crimson Fleet's Hideous to pay ransom for the kidnapped Anna Taskerhill. Cpt. Rennaud had other plans however and sent some of his men into the Hideous during negotiations and they successfully rescued her during an all out melee. Let's see what happened when the smoke cleared. Our dramatis personae for this session...

Victor Emmitt Hammond (fighter, got first pick)
Araxo Tydan (rogue, arrogant prick)
Brother Pickles (cleric, made men sick)

Having returned to the Bird of Prey, the heroes (along with Scar Medorga and Cpl. Morgan of Sasserine) found that they had defeated the Crimson Fleet's Hideous in a pitched boarding action. The notorious pirate captain Ironclaw McGrath surrendered to Cpt. Rennaud in single combat, as did his first mate, Symeon Flynch (who the crew met in Narisban). Only one of the Hideous crew escaped, carried aloft by a trio of retreating harpies; a mysterious pirate wearing a gold headband named Sinister Silas. Casualties were had on both sides, three harpies and ten crimson pirates slain and only three of the Bird of Prey: Zeebo of Garl (a human raised to be a gnome), Hilgarde of Hokar (Rennaud's chronicler mercilessly cut down) and Megaron the Bold (Cuahto's nemesis, he fought valiantly and will have songs sung of him by Piper Kellin). Poor Charlie Duffle, a young deckhand from Berghof, was severely wounded and lost a left arm.

As required, the pirate officers were given into the custody of Major Trowton of the Taskerhill guard (who fought well beside the Blackguard). Of the remaining pirate crew, Rennaud pressed three of them into his service that he judged were the most redeemable. All three accepted their new ship and swore on the Prince's Articles. They are named Two-Bit Jack, Shank (an actual gnome) and the nervous W.B. McGarnagle. The Hideous was piloted back to Sasserine under the major's command with an escort of the Bird of Prey and the Bevenin family's Pearly Eye (which was no help). The Taskerhills graciously offered to buy the pirate's caravel from the Blackguard, in addition to Lord Taskerhill's generous rewards for bringing back his daughter, Anna.

In port Quartermaster Skullbreaker Rotario divided out the shares to the surviving crew with Lt. Tydan and Brother Pickles each getting one and a quarter share, and Charlie Duffle getting a bonus 500gp for his missing arm! A large harpy cage was taken by the captain for future use as well as some clay pot grenades, and a hold full of rum and food. Victor having spotted the pirate ship first, got his choice of the plundered weapons by law. He chose Captain McGrath's own cutlass (etched with a talon clutching a real bloodstone). Brother Pickles however made his own discovery on the Hideous, Mr. Flynch's hidden "spice rack" (gotta love a 4 intelligence). That evening Pickles cooked up a hot celebratory meal for the crew, innocently laced with baccaran (a potent hallucinogenic) and devilweed (a commonly smoked drug). Needlessly to say everyone was roaringly happy with the meal.

Once the crew cleared up the next morning, the captain and his select entourage were invited to Taskerhill manor for another fine celebratory feast. Five courses of noblese food, including frumenty, roasted boar, poached fish and capon pasties.  Piper Kellin provided some of his usual inappropriately timed musical entertainment, Anna sang an old family song for her father and Victor Hammond unabashedly moved on, sneaking out half way through the feast with a flirting serving girl.

After spending their hard earned money in port for a few days, the Bird of Prey was ready to set out again for its home, Port Torvin. The trip there through Hold waters, was uneventful except for one incident. Stowing away on the ship was Cpl. Henri Morgan of the Taskerhill guard, who decided it was better paying and more adventurous to be with the Blackguard than in Sasserine. He was allowed to stay on but only due to his valorous action. His loyalty to the Bird of Prey will surely be tested on their second voyage from Torvin...

Game notes: The effects for the drugs baccaran and devilweed can be found in one of my favorite accessories, the Book of Vile Darkness (3e). The food and events of Lord Taskerhill's feast were randomly rolled from charts adapted from the classic RPG Pendragon. This ends the first tour of the campaign. There may be a short summer break due to vacations and work, but a new voyage will soon unfurl!

1 comment:

Argon said...

Mort,

Sounds like you got the campaign running well. Summer you expect more breaks. Winter is the time to stay inside and play. Unless its football! I'm sure Cuahto will be heart broken about the outcome.