Da Halibuteers vs. Ug ugg uhg-ug

Stuck by Lightning!

Grognog ran through the dark hold in a blind panic. The huge explosion that roused him from his hammock and the creaking and cracking of splitting timbers that followed could only mean one thing: enemy action!

"To arms, ya scurvy dogs! On deck! On deck!" he bellowed as he climbed the ladder to the deck, while all around him was noise and movement. Orc pirates swarmed from their bunks, grabbed choppas and belts full of pistols and ran to their posts. Several cracked skulls on low beams while some got in each-others way and started bawling at each-other.

By the time the corpulent mate reached the forecastle and looked about the whole ship's company was on-deck in various states of readiness. The ship pitched on the heavy swell in the darkness of the night, the only illumination was the stern lantern. He pressed his spyglass to his eye and did a full circle of the horizon, but saw nothing but dark grey sea and low black clouds, occasionally lit from within by lightning.

Suddenly he realised the Adm'rul was standing next to him and he knuckled his forehead and said "I dun't know what hit us Boss – I can't see no enemy ship a-firin' at us!"

The Adm'rul was looking down over the gunwales at the blasted and shattered stump that was once the bowsprit and shaking his head. Rigging dragged in the water below and the triangular forward sail was blackened and burned.

"Calm down Mr Grognog – we ain't unda attack. We'll be needing some repairs in port as soon as possible. I know we ain't got another spar on board. Make-good as best ye can for now and get us into a friendly shore." said the Orc Warboss.

Grognog stood dumb for a minute before the realisation of what had happened penetrated his grog-addled head.

"Right lads! You heard da boss: get the grots working on re-tying the riggin' and find an old bit a sail-cloth to patch the foresail; tie-off the guns and clew-up the mainsail. We's got a long night ahead!"

A Lee Shore by Night

"Roight ladz, gather round and keep it quite now: All we got to do is get those supplies for the fleet and get back to the Halibuteer and away. There are natives here who won't be pleased to see us, seeing as we set fire to their Idol last time we was 'ere." whispered Kap'n Hadduk in the darkness.

The Halibuteers had put ashore just after sunset, leaving their small fast ship anchored in the bay and rowing through the surf in the ship's launch. They had beached the boat and scuttled across the white sands into the gloom of the jungle tree-line. Gathered under the trees they carefully opened a small dark-lantern to examine a map and compass. The dim orange glow illuminated the leering teeth and dead eyes of his fish-costume and his red eyes glimmered from within its mouth.

"If we head in-land due west for a mile, we should come on the old port. It ain't been occupied for years but there should be a fair packet of chattels there, what the fleet can make good use of." said Hadduk as he rolled up the map and closed the lantern.

~ ~ ~



Drums sounded in the night, echoing through the trees, and the Goblins started to get jumpy.

"What's dat noise boss?" squeaked one of the braver Grots.

"Trouble" said Hadduk.

As the Fishmen turned a corner in a valley overflowing with jungle foliage they could see a hunting party of Savage Orcs blocking the far end. One of the native Orcs thumped on a lizard-skin covered drum with a quick, repetitive rhythm.




"FISSHHMAAAAAN" roared Dagon the Troll as he loped down the gentle slope towards the hairy savages.
"UG! WAAAAAAAAAAAGGH!" bellowed the Savage Chieftain as he hefted a massive club above his head and charged towards the Troll.

In moments the Troll was surrounded by Savage Orcs, all of whom pounded at him with clubs. The Troll stumbled and fell forwards and the savages swarmed over him beating his huge form were he lay.




As the rest of the Halibuteers approached the savages looked up from their frenzied attacks on the senseless Troll and charged en-mass at the pirates. A handful of Orc Fishmen and a couple of Goblins fell in the initial shock of the savage's assault and the rest fell back in a disordered ramble, running for their lives.

Loot and Pillage

The Halibuteers returned to their launch battered and bruised and dragging the dead-weight of Dagon the Troll with them. By the time they got to the beach the sun was just below the horizon and the Troll was conscious again, his wounds healing rapidly due to his naturally regenerative constitution. Kap'n Hadduk was not in the best of moods though. He sent a Goblin messenger back to the ship with an order for a few more Boyz to join the landing party.

Two Orcs Fishboyz came crashing though the undergrowth and dropped onto the sand, panting for breath.
"We found… the gubbinz boss… it's on the north-east side… of the island" one said in gasps.

Hadduk unrolled the parchment map again.
"Show me" he said with a grin.

Fish and Ships

The Halibuteers stood in the pouring rain and assessed the terrain ahead of them suspiciously: the natives were drumming again and seemed to be growing in confidence since last nights mauling. Kap'n Hadduk closed his spyglass and turned to Murlok the Shaman.

"There are the two last bits o' tackle we need here" he said pointing at the narrow path between two low wooded hills, "once we get them we can scarper."

The Shaman nodded and pushed a searching tentacle out of his eyes. "Them drums is getting closer." he said quietly, half to himself.




"Roight lads, fast in, faster out. We get the gear and leg-it back to the boat!" said Hadduk, then he turned and sprinted towards the nearest of the two piles of ship's tackle. Dagon the Troll loped after him and the rest of the Fishmen jogged behind them, not quite keeping up with the Boss and the Troll.





The sounds of squabbling, crude oaths and threat, and thumping noises drifted through the soaking trees: it sounded like a brawl was going on! As if not to be out-done by the locals a couple of the Halibuteers took umbrage with each other and exchanged sly punches while the Boss wasn't looking!




Hadduk swiped the first pile of gubbinz and handed it to the nearest Fishboy (one of the squabblers!) shouting at him to get it back to the boats – the Orc ran off with it as fast as his fish-suit would allow, pausing only to hurl insults at his mate as he went.





Just as the Kap'n was about to get the second stash a crowd of Savage Orcs burst from the trees and crashed into him. The Troll and Kod, one of the Fishmen Big'Unz, charged into the fray. Even a couple of the normally cowardly cabin-grotz galloped up to help out!





As Dagon floored Savage after Savage Hadduk fenced with the drum-wielding Savage Orc, but the rest of the Halibuteers fell to arguing about who should take the next pile of loot back to the boats.

Murlok the Shaman summoned the power of the Waaagh! and blasted two jets of green flame at the natives, but they charged him and punched him in the gut for his trouble, he went down like a... like an unconscious Orc with an octopus on his head....

At this point Hadduk was attacked by a second native, possibly called Ug, but knocked the first one down. Unfortunately his celebration was cut short as a third Savage, called Uggg I think, also pitched in at this point and brained him. The first one, possibly called Ugg, jumped to his feet and found that though some of the fight had been knocked out him, some sense had also been knocked in! He grabbed the loot from Hadduk's unconscious hands and high-tailed it through the trees and out into the open ground beyond!




Dagon the Troll chased him for a bit but gave up after getting entangled in the undergrowth and three Savages jumped him from behind and set about him with clubs. He was having none of it and felled all three with a single mighty swipe of his rusty, oversized cutlass.




Makrul fired off a couple of crossbow bolts after him but missed with both shots. The Savage Orc dived into the bushes on the far side of the clearing and was gone.



~ ~ ~

Hadduk sat up and his head swam. Rain poured down the neck of his fish-suit. "Zogg it!" he swore "Let's get off this 'orrible spit o' land!"

Wow! That was a delight to read: a very well narrated story, with funny elements, not too long, not too short, fantastic miniatures, good pics...

Great Job WBK! I really loved it. Thank you very much for posting!

Great imagination, my friend!

Thanks for the story, it's really good to read such a well-written scenario! Nicely done!

^^

Very nice!

Btw, do you already have or plan to build a ship for your Orc-pirates?

I'm planning on building a second (Da Rotmoon) but I do have one already!

Da Hogwasha!

LOL! Awesome.

Wow great!

Simply but impressive! The sail looks great, how did you do it?

I've posted an article on building the ship, it includes how the sail was made and can be found here

OMG OMG OMG the fishies are SPLENDIDDDDDDDDD OUTRAGEOUSLY SPLENDID!!!!!

COOL STUFF!

I can hardly wait for the movie!

Yep. And believe me, the pics don't do them justice. Warboss's minis are even cooler in real life.

I know what I am talking about

Hehehe - thanks guys!

Pirate Dictionary:

= Hehehe