Thar Be Pirates!
After our daring destruction of a cult dedicated to the downfall of civilisation, but more particularly that of the city we are currently visiting, we return from the slums of The Flow back to the Foot of the city, and resume a more normal state of existence. Some of us rest and relax, shop and browse, find out rumours and gossip, or get part-time work that has decent perqs. Eventually, we are sought again for some dangerous investigation where discretion is required. Oh, our discretion is legendary, and we prove it by asking loudly why if this meeting is supposed to be secret are there guards posted on the door of the room in this inn. I think I took an extra, undeclared talent of 'Annoying PCs on First Impressions'. I'm not sure how it's working out for me so far.
It transpires that pirates are active and pillaging ships coming back from profitable visits to the aged towers of treasure. Yarr, them be stealin' from decent folk, arr. The pattern of piracy is interesting too, implicating a mole in the customs house. We are to stop the pirates' operation and root out the mole, helping to ensure peaceful seas, and for this we will receive a handsome reward. How could we turn that down?
A cunning plan is put in to place, by our employer obviously, and we put it in to action. We go out on a supposed treasure run to the towers, on the same day as some newbie adventurers also head out, then we switch boats for the return journey so that the pirates think they are attacking unsuspecting adventurers, not the hardy foes that we will turn out to be. Nothing could go wrong with the plan! At least, not until we have to start making our own decisions.
The pirate ship is spotted as we head back on the two-day journey to port, bearing its notable five-headed hydra figurehead. We prepare to be boarded, readying for battle. We catch sight of the pirates, and they are a motley crew indeed. We pick out a couple of likely targets, the sort of pirates that would have surnames or reserve hit points, and try to formulate a quick battle strategy. Our two main fighters would take the half-naked barbarian ('which half is naked? Eww.'), whilst Ann-See and myself would try to take out the foppish archer, who would likely stay at range to cause problems.
The plan works brilliantly. Ann-See and myself attack the foppish archer, before he dodges away from us, leaving us surrounded by pirates determined to see a wet t-shirt competition, seeing as they push the both of us overboard. As we—well, I—struggle to get back on board, Dexter and Geoff battle the swarming pirates, with Dexter's main contribution being to swing his weapon with increasing menace to provoke attacks from the barbarian and soak up the big damage he's outputing. But between the two of them, the barbarian hits the deck with a bloody thump, and seeing their captain felled suitably shakes the rest of his crew, who throw down their weapons.
The pirates are captured! If only that were the whole of the plan. Now we are to find the location of the secret pirate cove and destroy the rest of their operation. Yarr, it be a harsh life on the open sees, that it be, arr.