Castaways of the Karad Archipelago

Current Campaign: The Knights of Eaton

Episode 11: "Castaways of the Karad Archipelago"

Year: 1755 Fall

Location: Larkos, Sharktooth Tor

PCs: Ganja Bacardi Flanagan of Osgud Margaret Kelleck Simon Aylay Windsor Tasselhof Kelleck Zorn Kelleck

NPCs: Alawi of the String of Pearls Borric Simonson Brunod Half-Hand Gristlebeard III Kaleem Blue-Eye Kocha of the String of Pearls Nista of Coral Crescent Omar the Unsmiling Salva of the Black Pearl Clan

Previous Episode: "The Demon King of Larkos"

Next Episode: "The Emptiness of Quaitha"

Previous Campaign: The Thuzuulan Heresy

The group tacks for Kandorr but has many troubles at sea.

Story

Act One: Flight of the Knife in the Water

In Larkos port Margaret charters the Knife in the Water, one of Cromwell's caravels captained by Ganja Bacardi. While in port they make preparations to sail back to Kandorr and in the evening the crew spend their free time drinking, gambling and talking. Ganja's first mate, Flanagan of Osgud, wins Tasselhof's magic ring in a game of dice and wakes up the next morning with his missing arm fully restored.

They set out early and on the fourth afternoon they spot a squall line forming in the north. The group elects to take the risk and continue on to Kandorr. Ganja adjusts the ship's heading and calls the crew to reef down, but their actions are cut short when sudden winds slam the starboard tack. Within minutes they are struggling in a heavy downpour as Knife in the Water tilts and veers wildly on the rolling sea. Flanagan and Bacardi take turns throughout the evening trying to keep the ship aright until the storm finally calms—they are safe, but they have lost their bearings. Daylight reveals that they have sailed into the southeast and are in or near Argonheim's waters.

Bacardi, desperate to get back to neutral waters, sets sail for the southernmost coast of Bereth. By that afternoon the crow's nest spies three ships in the north bearing down on them. Ship's mage Omar sends his familiar, a seagull, to spy the approaching ships' colors—he reports back that they are flying Argonheim flags. Margaret decides not to chance a meeting and orders Bacardi to make a course correction and steer due south. The three ships pursue the Knife in the Water.

As the day passes, one of the larger of the trio of ships eventually drops away. The pursuit continues into the night and for the next several days—getting close enough twice to trade arrow and spell volleys—until the two vessels eventually give up chase and turn eastward. Kaleem, the Knife's navigator, guesses that they are near the northernmost part of the Karad realm and by night they orient themselves by the stars. Ganja suggests to Margaret that they find a port to refresh their larder and make repairs to the ship. She agrees to this and they set course for Qualla, the capital of High Karad.

Within two days reach of Qualla the Knife is ambushed by the trio of vessels and are overtaken. After a lengthy skirmish, the brigands board the vessel. Corsair captain Brunod Half-Hand recognizes the Kelleck insignia worn by most of the group and so takes them for hostages; the crew of the Knife is chained below decks to the oars of the Sea Serpent. Half-Hand, a slaver from Ulmeth, orders his ships to avoid the heavily-guarded gap between Karad and Argonheim and instead sail to Ulmeth by skirting the Karad archipelago.

Act Two: The Serpent Returns To The Sea

Weeks pass and Ganja, who is below decks, and Margaret formulate a plan of escape. Ganja, who is a skilled pickpocket and master of traps, slips his bonds and murders the taskmaster belowdecks while Flanagan strangles the taskmaster guard with his chains. Omar and Kaleem take the taskmaster's key and go down the decks, freeing their fellow crewmen and other slaves. Margaret, peering over the side of the ship, sees the galley oars have ceased rowing and recognizes the signal—she nods to Tasselhof, who kicks the lock off the hatch and pulls it open. The crew of the Knife pour forth and engage in combat with the crew of the Sea Serpent above deck, while Simon and Tas lead the slaves to flush out those crew below-decks.

Outnumbered, the Sea Serpent's crew falls quickly but Half-Hand, not willing to let himself and his ship be taken, ignites an explosive and drops it down the hatch. Margaret stabs him through the back and tosses his keys to Drake, who slips into his cabin and grabs the survival kit there. Simon picks up the explosive and shoves it out of an oar slot—where it detonates at the ship's starboard waterline, opening a gaping hole and fracturing the vessel beyond repair. Flanagan and Margaret unlock and free the two dories, sending them plunging to the sea, and call out to their companions to join them. As the struggle continues on the deck and below, Margaret, Tas, Simon and Drake row in one dory, while Ganja, Flanagan, Drake, Omar and Kaleem row in the other. By the time they are a kilometer away the Sea Serpent is listing and her sails are afire.

They are adrift two days in a dead calm and Kaleem estimates they are on the southwest edge of Karad. He steers them towards the mainland and they take turns rowing. Drake bickers with Tasselhof over the provisions and Margaret suggests they stretch out the food and water supply as long as possible. Drake eyes Omar's familiar and secretly plots to kill it for food should their provisions diminish before they reach land. On the third day they spy the other two of Half-Hand's ships on the horizon, sailing towards the final location of the Sea Serpent—they are undiscovered and, relieved, continue rowing landward.

Exhausted, hungry and sunburned, the come upon a large coral atoll, where they are discovered by a sea warlock named Nista. They beg his assistance and he reveals the whereabouts of a bountiful island a days travel west. He agrees to take them if they give him gifts that please him. Flanagan gives Nista his ring and Omar reluctantly gives his familiar. Nista, touched by these tokens, pulls the dories to the secret island. The group crawls ashore and sleeps that night on the beach.

Act Three: Troubles on Sharktooth Tor

Nista informs the group that they are on Sharktooth Tor, the domain of the Torrian lord Gristlebeard. He indicates a massive outcrop of stone in the distant center of the island, skirted by clouds, and says that is Gristlebeard's Eyrie. He gives a final warning about hostile tribesmen from the neighboring island and bids the group a fond farewell.

Drake, frustrated with Margaret's leadership, pulls rank and establishes command of the group. He orders Flanagan, Kaleem and Omar to scout the forest and orders Tasselhof and Ganja to secure food. He commands Margaret, Zorn and Simon to build a suitable shelter for the group. Flanagan and his group slowly push through the dense jungle for a couple of hours, and come to a clearing opening on a wide lagoon, where they see four outrigger canoes camouflaged by palm leaves on the beach nearby. Omar spots fresh tracks leading into the jungle and Flanagan notices the tracks connect to a well-worn path he had missed. The group follows the path, quietly tracking the mysterious others.

In another part of the jungle Tasselhof collects coconuts and succulent fruits and halts when he spots a flock of unusually large birds in the sky near Gristlebeard's Eyrie. They circle slowly and then descend towards the opposite side of the island. For a moment he thinks he sees men riding the birds. He collects what he can and jogs back to the beach. Ganja returns to their camp with a string full of fish and tells Drake that he thinks he spied fishing boats at sea near the east side of the island. Drake dismisses him and orders him to begin cooking the food for everyone. As Tas arrives back at camp he gives over the food to Drake and informs him of what he saw; Drake ridicules the archer and orders him to cut open a coconut. As Tas hacks at the coconut Drake watches him and eats one of the succulent fruits—he passes the others to Simon, Zorn and Margaret, who take a break and sit around the fire Ganja has started.

Drake mutters intelligibly and suddenly stiffens and convulses, clutching at the beach sand and writhing in agony. Zorn, who had eaten half his succulent, spits it out and shouts "they're poison!" He falls to his knees and retches. A howl erupts from the jungle and a dozen men armed with spears and bows emerge and charge the group. The fight is brisk and brutal and as soon as it begins in earnest Flanagan and his group arrive to attack the rear position of the hostile tribesmen. Ganja, Tas and Kaleem are gravely injured in the combat but the group prevails, slaying all the tribesmen. Simon heals the wounded but cannot awaken Zorn, who is comatose and drawing shallow breaths, nor can he save Drake, who lies dead in the sand. Margaret leads them to the jungle, where they dig a grave for Drake and bury him.

Upon returning to the beach they are greeted by a sight most unusual: swarthy men armed with spears, armored in leather, sit astride massive steeds resembling featherless shrikes. The strange creatures bellow out sharp piercing caws and the largest man dismounts and strides towards the group.

Act Four: Audience With Gristlebeard

"I am Captain Salva of the Black Pearl Clan. What right do you claim to walk upon the shores of Gristlebeard? Speak now or be dashed upon the cliffs of our mighty tor!"

Simon—ever the diplomat—speaks for the group, informing Salva of all that passed since they set sail from Larkos. He presents his sigil and proclaims his lineage and informs the Torrians of his group's fellowship with Oronius of Bonebreak Tor. Salva nods to his own men, who lower their spears and ease their mounts—called kroa. Salva nods to the dead tribesmen and says they are enemies of the Torrians and that among the dead is a young prince, Alawi, from a neighboring island and his fearsome uncle Kocha. Salva was on a routine patrol when he uncovered the hidden outriggers and they widened their patrol until the reached the group's beach camp. Margaret begs audience with their leader and Salva orders his men to adjust their saddle and harnesses for two riders. After some preparation they take to the sky and soar swiftly above the island and towards a long protruding shelf of rock high upon the craggy tor.

Gristlebeard greets them warmly and welcomes them to his tor. We walks them to his solar room, where they take in a stunning view of the magnificent island. His seneschal informs the group that Alawi and Kocha were the son and brother of King Chonde, who ruled the small eastern islands known as the String of Pearls. His people were constant enemies of Tor and they harassed the islanders under Gristlebeard's protection for years—until now. Gristlebeard has his servants bathe, dress and feed the group and the following morning he hosts a day-long fête in their honor. He rewards them with goods and a favor—Margaret requests the group be escorted, preferably by sky, to Brundhai, the port city of Karad Minor. Gristlebeard complies and orders her group delivered to that city by balyr.

The next morning they take flight and after two days of island hopping they arrive in Dakruhn. Bacardi spies the Knife in the Water at port and, with the aid of the Torrians, they attack and slay the skeleton crew serving aboard the stolen vessel. Margaret presents her sigil to the harbormaster and they find the manifest where Bacardi had hidden it, proving the ship to be theirs. Within two days they are back at sea and arrive safely in Kandorr weeks later.

Meta

Game notes

• Tasselhof critically failed his Survival skill *twice* when tasked with finding edible food. It was only bad luck that Drake was the first to eat the poisoned fruit. This incident brought to a close their tempestuous relationship that began at Balthas and continued for the duration of their adventures together.

Plot Points

• Bacardi was rewarded the caravel Knife in the Water after the lofty corsairs incident. It is the one enemy ship that did not sink.

The Dead

• Alawi of the String of Pearls
• Brunod Half-Hand
• Drake
• Kocha of the String of Pearls

Points Awarded

• 4 points for all

Season Pool

• 44 points