Session #57: Prize of a Lifetime

After the diplomatic overtures last week from Durham, Bartholomew Pettibone, and Persephone to the Hsi-Hsiya Sakkra of the Ocean's Throat sea-caves, Bart's fertile mind was overflowing with ambitions and ideas of how best to turn things to their advantage--overflowing into the ears of his fellow Survivors of the Tel!

Agreeing with the perspicacity of his ideas, Avin, Heijo, and Sesel accompanied Bart to the Kantor Kabljauhof to meet with Durham to hash out plans for an expedition; and it just so happened that Lord Althis of the Crag and Arngeir of the Green Gleam happened to be looking for some adventure as well, and fell in with the company. (Arngeir actually had to call off to other business at this point, but was able to join the adventure later in the evening by good fortune)

Althis' impression of a
Sakkra warrior

Bart and Durham explained their successes and ambitions to those assembled; preparations were made; and the company set forth through the Fishermen's Gate, with an evil eye cast by Sesel at the Migdol of the Barcidae looming on the hill over the beach-path.

Hopes were high that some advantage could be turned from further diplomacy with the Kaa of the Sakkra; but none who ventured forth that day guessed just how far fortune would favor their enterprise!

• Durham (fighting-man)
  accompanied by Pako (renyu)
  and Kogus the Bodyguard (Bulrathi 1)
• Bartholomew Pettibone (magic-user)
  accompanied by Gan ad-Din (fighting-man)
• Avin (magic-user)
• Heijo (magic-user)
• Althis (magic-user)
• Sesel the Voice (fighting-man)
  accompanied by Raoden (magic-user)
• and joining in the nick of time, Arngeir of the Green Gleam (fighting-man)

Some time after the company's departure, a ship hove into view of the coastwatchers of the Migdol and of the high walls of Cothon--a ship known to many in its infamy, black of ram and dark of sail, oars spread like the shadowed wings of a hunting kyni. The Darkwing was come to Cothon! Yet something was strange--too few oars straggled to rise and fall together, and the pirate-galley seemed only to limp along, not cut through the waves like the predator she was.

Nevertheless, alarums were raised, and a pair of lembi was quickly made ready, with peltasts eager for glory at the gunwales. Before the pirate ship had fully rounded the headland, the lembi sped forth, quickly intercepting the Darkwing--and that was how Captain Enki of Cothon was the first to hail Durham and the rest of the adventuring crew, commanding their prize.

The Darkwing was duly escorted back into the harbor, and at Durham's behest she was docked at the quays of the Kantor in order to greet an entourage of Hansemänner who had gathered to greet their champion. They eyed the ten strange seamen skeleton-crewing the ship, but demurred to press them as pirates; meanwhile, crowds began to gather in the harbor and around the quays, eager to see the pirate-prize and to hear the heroics that had led to her capture.

While the hold full of pirated goods was offloaded to the docks to be inspected and inventoried, and while Durham stepped into a private room within the Gatehouse to speak with the Hansemänner at length, Bartholomew Pettibone and the other Survivors regaled the crowds with their tales over rounds and rounds of lagered ale at the Gatehouse--and at a number of other taverns all through the night!

The Scribes will let Bart's accounting stand in place of their own meager sketch of events, and so turn now instead to the inventory of lucre plundered from the pirates of the Ocean's Throat:

The Lucre

• the Darkwing, a light galley
• 4000 nufdinars (ep) and 7000 dirhams (sp)
• 6450 dinars (gp) from gems (5@10, 6@50, 1@100, 8@500, 2@1000)
• 700 dinars from decent linens and mismatched silver and brass wine services
• 900 dinars from the sale of various "savage" Sakkra harnesses

Trade Goods

• a case of fine ivory pieces (~2400 gp)
• two cords of dark tiu-wood (~1000)
• three bundles of rare furs (~1500)
• 9 bundles of common furs (~1350)
• 20 bags of common textiles (~500)
• 10 barrels of ale, 40 sacks of hops (~200)
• 5 barrels of salted fish, 5 barrels of salt-hma, and 10 barrels of stockfish (~400)
• 40 ingots of copper, tin, and other common metals (~1000)
• 5 "ingots" of treated chlen-hide (~200)
• 3 crates of arms--bundles of arrows, spear-, mace-, and axe-heads, &c. (~675)

Bounties

• 650 dinars for the bounty from 13 Sakkra bodies
• 130 dinars for the bounty from 13 pirate bodies
• 1000 dinar reward for the rescue of Hadisha
• 1500 dinar bounty for the pirate-sorceress Viconyá,

and taken from the sorceress:

• a pair of slender copper hoops
• 2 flasks containing a thick green sludge
• 2 Sakkra blood potions
• 4 potions of pinkish liquid
• a finely balanced scimitar, etched along its narrow blade with beautiful calligraphy
• an excellently fitted linothorax, trimmed especially for a feminine figure (essentially leather armor)
• her spellbooks
• and a library of notes, correspondences, and texts

The Learning

• 23255 xp from treasure recovered from the Underworld (not including bounties or reward)
• 433 xp from Lady, pirate captain (400 + hp)
• 220 xp from pirate lieutenant (200 +hp)
• 424 xp from pirate sergeants x4 (100 + hp ea.)
• 3494 xp from pirates x65 (50 + hp ea.)
• 423 xp from Viconyá (400 +hp)
• 438 xp from the Sakkra Kaa (400 + hp)
• 1926 xp from Sakkra x12 (150 + hp ea.)

The Cut

• 4373 xp per player-character
  2187 xp each to Kogus, Gan ad-Din, and Raoden
  100 xp/level to Althis for the Sakkra-art
• 1333 dinars (gp), 471 nufdinars (ep), and 824 dirhams (sp) per player character
  667 dinars, 235 nufdinars, and 412 dirhams each to Kogus, Gan ad-Din, and Raoden
  (cash cuts do not include the value of any of the trade goods noted above)
• the Darkwing
• a pair of copper hoops
• the calligraphic scimitar
• 2 green sludge potions
• 4 pinkish liquid potions
• 2 Sakkra blood potions
• linothorax armor
• a number of spellbooks
• Viconyá's library
• a host of trade goods

As with certain other adventures, much of the plundered lucre will take time to inspect or dispose of. Already there is talk amongst the company of adventurers as to possibly returning stolen goods that can be identified to the owner before the goods were pirated, if they can be found, before selling off any surplus.

To wit, these items require further "looking into":

• the spellbooks
• the library of texts and correspondences
• the trade goods--even if only to inventory and sell off, but definitely require time if attempts are made to locate the original owners

Items of especial interest may be "bought out" at their value by any player-character desiring them.

And, as ever, play reports, art, &c. concerning the adventure provided to the Scribes to be published here will earn the supplying player-character 100 xp per level.