Session #10: A Pirate's Life

 With an eye to confirming what he suspected about the presence of a pirates' hideout in the sea caves of Ocean's Throat (and collecting the bounty of confirmation offered by Zaytar at the Kantor Kabljauhof), adventurer Durham sought out through the lesser watering holes along the harbor front for a couple less conspicuous types willing to go sneaking about in the cavern system.

To his luck, he discovered one Bartholomew Pettibone, another new-comer to the Mother of Cities, and willing and able to serve in the capacity of fellow-scout/burglar. Durham was also able to secure the interest of likely-lass Bridne Murcada, who still claims her hands are deadly weapons. Rounding out the party was Pako, Durham's renyu mog-servant.

Once they had gathered everything they deemed necessary for their expedition to the sea caves north of the city, the party set out through the Fishermen's Gate to wend their way past the vats of fermentation under the Migdol of the Dyers and Fish Fermenters to seek the stair that grants access to the headlands above ...

• Durham (fighter 2)
  accompanied by Pako (renyu) and Bridne Murcada (likely-lass)
  
• Bartholomew Pettibone (magic-user 1)

The four returned through the same gate, increased by one, though that last figure was bound, gagged, and rather bruised and bloodied. Passing the longshoremen along the quays by the gate, many a jeer was heard: "Caught an escaped slave, eh? I'll give him a lickin' for free, if you want!"

Leading this defeated fellow through the streets unto the Kantor, the party disappears into its inner courts for a time, and then return to the common room of the public guesthouse to count out their lucre and split it between themselves and Bridne.

On receiving his cut, Bartholomew sets about securing himself a room at the tavern and advertising himself as an interpreter for those in town needing to parley across language-barriers. He is also heard to have remarked how strange it was to see humans enslaved by insectoids around the Great Spire on the north slope of the Tel: "Where I'm from, we eat crustaceans, we don't get enslaved by them!"

Meanwhile, Bridne Murcada takes her earnings to drink dark wine at the Herm & Stone, known haunt of Heroes and warriors. Though she affects proud severity, the facade soon breaks after a few glasses, belied by her youthful inexperience, and a tale of adventure soon spills from her lips: she tells of a descent down a waterfall in the dark, a passage through darkness past strange creatures-in-the-water, and finally emerging into a great cavern distantly lit by the great red sun--but also by an underground castle of pirates! Their two black galleys lay on the waters within, and she and her companions were able to surprise an encampment of the buccaneers and capture one of their number! Soon afterward, realizing her drunkenness, Bridne was seen stumbling home to her apartments in her fighting-school.

Treasure

• 41 gp, 16 ep, 79 sp
• silver armlet worked in foreign design, hacked in two (50 gp)
• 500 gold for a live captive, delivered to Zaytar at the Kantor Kabljauhof
• 300 gold for identifying ships to Zaytar (150 ea. for the Xarquid and the Darkwing)

Experience

• 907 from treasure
• 226 xp for Kzin x1 (200 + hp)
• 377 xp for pirates x7 (50 + hp ea.)
• 54 xp for creepy snake x1 (50 + hp)

The Cut

• 424 gp, 8 ep, 39 sp, 5 cp per player-character (43 gold to Bridne)
• 782 xp per player-character

As per usual, any play reports, maps, in-character reactions, art, etc that represent what occurred during the expedition will earn a player-character 100 xp per level.