D20-Pirates

When last we saw our heroes, they were rescuing Focus from the grips of an Enchantress, who herself had squatted in an old Tilean castle, formerly owned by a nobleman who had monopolized the gem and metals trade of the southern Italian mountains (Appenines) And they had to nurse Focus back to health in a long-term process, since she had stolen most all of his life essence (all his stats reduced to one) So his old castle, near the boot-heel of Italy, had a dock, canal and outlet to the sea, and once the brave crew had settled her hash and retrieved their man, they decided to take over the castle as a semi-secret sea-base from which to raid. Also they would abuse the workshops, forges and labs there to make their own ammunition and items. But fate is a fickle wench, and destiny is her cruel handmaid, and together those ladies conspire to make our heroes later days into anything but an afternoon at the opera.

Captain Feck the Dwarf Rogue pursued the usual pirate activities: grogging, reveling, wenching,

as managing the ruthless band of mercenaries allowed, but one afternoon they intended to board a Cretan merchantman, and over zealous gunnery sent the target ship rapidly to the sea floor, killing almost everyone on board, and losing almost all the trasure. Through either luck or calamity or just sheer irony the majority of the passengers on the merchantman were what was left of the Thieves Guild of Crete, come to seek recompense for past misadventures. The few survivors the crew sold into slavery, needless to say Feck never visited Crete ever again.

Ship's Lookout Serith the Sylph Wizard had set himself to simple goal, to have some sort of magic

item of at least fifty thousand gold piece value (a plus-seven equivalent) on each body slot used in common magic practice. (e.g. Armor: Belts: Body: Chest: Eyes: Feet: Hands: Head: Headband: Neck: Rings; Shield: Shoulders: Wrists: plus Slotless:) This goal seemed to overshadow all other activities, and led other pirates to often remark on this quirk. Later he extended his goal, such that his total worn value would be over one million gold pieces, all acquired through piracy.

Second Mate Shadax the Wood-Elf Rogue was quite content to work anywhere that was not his

original home. Notwithstanding, Wood Elf recruiters kept showing up each month trying to get him to enlist in the Armies of Athel Loren. The showered him with gifts, threats of force, promises of extra bonuses, other inducements, and raw appeals to being a native son. Thankfully for our pirate crew, he resisted all this and kept on as a beloved sailor, but hated by sailors on other shipsin the Med.

Chaplain Zagrev the Russian Cleric worked hard as the ship's priest, and kept himself busy patching

up sailors after each mission. To everyone's surprise one day a Kislevite messenger found them, and delivered sealed scrolls to him. These were a deed and summons back to Kalinengrad, because he had inherited lordship of an archdiocese in the church heirarchy. Despite this temptation, he remained with the pirate crew, and sent back instructions that the Archbishopric be given to a good old friend of his, a man who he knew would run the place as an actual charity, rather than just be another fat bishop wearing platnium rings inside another gold-encrusted cathedral. This act made Zagrev quite a reputation, and would have put him on the road to sainthood, were it not for the proclivities to piracy.

Master-At-Arms Xander the Egyptian Alchemist, piracy was always his second love, after causing

explosions and chemical mayhem. He took up the habit of only going on every other mission with the pirates, and in between times he would sojourn around various learning institutions on the Med, especially the library of Alexandria. Here he would delve out secrets of the elements, and then return to the ship with ever larger weapons of mass destruction.

Quartermaster Quenandaulion the Elven Wizard (aka Wart), worked hard as the supply master of the

Crimson Trident, and “self-sufficiency” was his watchword, to the point of almost sickening the rest of the sailors. But few could argue with his methods, as he devised ways for the ship and crew to sustain themselves on a voyage, no matter how long or dangerous, and repair almost any damage without need of shipyard. Some wondered at his obsession with self-sufficiency, and what could be his eventual goal in his long elvish life, or why he chose to remain with the (what he labeled) “barbarians of the sea” that were his crewmates.

Former Chaplain Alexander the Greek Priest

His last story takes place over the Obsidian Deeps, between Crete and Egypt. The heroic scenario began during a quiet evening over drinks at the Landlovers Inn (Luccini, Tilea) The trouble is a plague caused by an Orkish army, deployed on boats in the Med. To solve the problem, the Alexander charted a plan, a suicide mission. A big fight happened, at Floating necropolis. Turns out a team of insane Ork shamans had transferred an entire graveyard onto a barge, and were towing it around, using the cadavers and other components thereon to wreak havoc. But the entire thing was leaking pollution into the sea. Alex called on Poseidon, who sent help, but most of the sailors perished. Grateful mermen, who were helping fight the Orks, returned the bodies, and some of the treasure paid for raise-dead spells.

First Mate Dunedun the British Fighter served well on the crew, until one morning he was swept

overboard by a chainshot and dragged to the bottom of the ocean. The crew recovered his body, but after an hour of fighting, and the leeches pronounced him dead. But as his body lay under a sheet, while they cleaned, looted, and repaired after the battle, he woke up, and stood up, giving the bard a near heart attack. After proving he was not undead, it seemed that his body now had two souls in it. His original, and an extremely old one, of an admiral who had been killed here and only spoke ancient latin. With all this extra knowledge in his head, Dunedun became quite the valuable officer to the ship, and even steered the crew to find truly ancient treasure hauls. Although he tended to sing annoying old songs all the time.

Rigging Mate Focus-One the Tiefling Rogue

After a long recovery from the Black Manacles, he served faithfully in the pirate lair from that day forward. But his main vice, going into town for grogging, wenching, and reveling, meant that the previous farce was nowhere near the last time he had to be rescued.

Ship's Chanter Radisa the Halfing Bard

A gibbering mouther started following her around after a port visit. It wanted to learn to sing. She allowed it to follow her back to the home base. Three noisy days later Captain Feck shot the mouther with a deck-gun, giving a sharp look at the bard as he reloaded. She left the employ of the pirates that very day.

Former Navigator Vetaurus the British Druid

He stole the horn from the artifact quest and disappeared with it and half the loot from the boat one night. A Bounty of 17,500 g.p. is posted.

Former Master Gunner Rhyse the Half-Elven Archer

His final story took place in the Dusky Bay, off the Greek coast. The party found clues at a deserted campsite, which led them out into the Aegean. The trouble is a crime wave caused by a dead god’s pirates. Even though theoretically noone worships Zuvassin anymore, crews of black ships aided by priests and astrologers of that cult were raiding all shipping. The Crismon Trident helped out, not due to heroics, but to cull the competiton. The adventurers had to find the culprits identity who restarted the cult. The huge battle started at sea but followed down to an Engulfed village. He stabbed the lead astrologer in the face, but his last breath collapsed the water, and the implosion sucked all within fifteen feet to another plane.

Former Night-Watchman Songoku the Gorilla-Man Warlock

Won a belching contest at the Landlovers Inn which got him noticed by a drug lord, who tricked the pirates into making a shipment for him, which started a fight with the mother of the sea beast they killed last year. Thirteen hands lost and nine thousand five hundred g.p. damage to ship. Now every time he belches on the boat he has to put twenty-five g.p. into the ship's kitty.

Former Rigging Mate Auin the Barbarian Ranger

His final episode takes place in the Twin Marsh in the Border Princes. The PCs find a deserted village. The trouble is a mutation wave caused by sorcerer’s chaos & thieves. To solve the problem, the adventurers must prevent an alliance with Orks. Then a big fight happened, back at the White Port. The helpful naga cheerfully took the thieves prisoner.

Former Crewmen Falco and Felicia the the Halfling Rogues

These two left early on, but over a year later, a message got delivered to the pirates, that said their bounty was with a certain innkeeper at Rhodes. They visit there, and an envelope has a key to a safety box containting 11,995 gp worth of black sapphires, with a note that says “The last one is on Dellori Lane”. The pirates warily go there, on the roadside, a hung-over drow lies beside three empty kegs of halfing ale, wearing a stained nightshirt clasped with a 5gp black sapphire. Feebly he is waving his hands and muttering, “t-turn off the sun.” Dancing Lights and Faerie Fire twirl around his body as he winces blindly and groans in pain.

Crete – a demon Coffin had been sold to an unscrupulous trader there.

In March of the next year, refugees start pouring out of Crete. It seems all good aligned people living on the island were plagued by hordes of bats, swarming all over the country at night. Every available cave, nook, or abandoned building was overrun with scads of black furry flyers. Curiously non-good people were left alone. Good children were harassed y bats, and good-owned businesses and churches were covered in guano. Clerics seemed powerless to find the cause, and the economy of the eastern Med took a huge hit.

Gibraltar – the pirate's former captain had an eye for vengeance on the Britsh base there.

In August of that year, Captain Taero had a prize crew dress as monks, bringing in barrels of sacramental wineto the chapel. But 212 of the 240 of the “wine barrels” had been packed with dwarven nitro. The ensuing explosion killed some of the “monks”, all of the british, and collapsed the base entirely along with about 117 acres of the mountain, killing about 3000 villagers.

- - - - Captain Taero then shows up 3 days later, drunk as a skunk, demanding his “thousand gold from the wager that he'd never frikkin do it, well I've showed ya now, ya scurvy stuntie!” The following duel was actually a fair fight, Taero being a better fighter and having more magic items, but Captain Feck defeated Taero because the man was quite wobbly.

Antikythera – several drums of nerve gas had been left in a warehouse there.

In September of that year, Seventeen boats filled with slaves, refugees, children and invalids showed up at the secret pirate base. The people had suddenly abandoned Antikythera, they didn't know why, but the pirates secretly did. The Captain ordered guards and patrols to turn back all comers. They did, but secretly some of the crew ran a refugee camp for them in the next valley.

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PATHFINDER R.P.G. FORMERLY FRIDAY NIGHTS WORLDS BEST COMICS 7PM till 10:30 or so.

The heroes are buccaneers and swashbucklers, set sail on the seas of the Warhammer World (Old Europe)

Gathering gold and adventures the tales of which would peel the eyelashes off normal landlubbers.

They launched out of Maj Eisley (Port of Maji of the Levant)

It is the year 2517, Imperial Calendar, Dating from the Coronation of Sigmar as Emperor of the Known World.

Various Agencies, both sorcerous and divine, have staved off the events that were foreseen as the End Times.

So hopefully politics as usual will carry on for the Old World, and the apocalypse has been postponed til next due date.

Winter 2516 came and went, and for the first time in ages, no country immediately launched the habitual

Spring Offensives. What to make of this relative peaceful season in this war-worn world ?

For many, the answer to that question is cold hard cash. Guilders, Ducats, Shekels and Crowns, for those

unclear on the mercantile arts. With few soldiers pillaging the countryside, old trade routes now seem open and safe enough.

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