Pirates of Sartosa

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The Ghosts advance toward "The Blow Hole"

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Ghosts kill and ogre.


The Merry Maids enter the ground floor of The Blow Hole. The camera blurs.

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Khorn Raiders advance to the inn.
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Captain Blackwater takes Juan's eye.

no photoshoot? i see two girls.

@Lord M--The crew of the Merry Maid posed for a group photo on the bottom of page 2.

A yarn from Week 7--High Seas Skirmish
A Tale of Piracy

The East wind filled their sails with a snap. Lorenzo secured the line and marveled at Emilio’s luck. Just days ago they had poled the ship out into the lagoon. Then they had, well he had, rowed the jolly boat out to tow her. Emilio making a big show of the former Captain busted back to the ranks. Except that Lorenzo had not filled the Master Gunner position with anyone new. So he was still the gunnery officer in practice. Also Emilio was used to having Lorenzo nudge him in the right direction. Emilio, he didn’t have this mutiny business down.

So Lorenzo would stand a watch with Pedro or Emilio acting like they were in command. Lorenzo would do the work he had done just a few weeks before, plus he would answer when spoken to about the course, or how to read that map they had picked up in Sartosa. All secret like, like Emilio was dressing him down in private. It was odd business. But the sails were full of wind and the ship was making good time. They had plenty of fresh water and fruit from their time on the island. Pedro was a little stiff, Lopez he had a bit of limp still and Diego avoided Maria when he could. All in all the crew was pretty happy. Emilio had gotten some gold from somewhere and there was the cache left over from their hiring fee.

Fernando, he stayed on the island. Say he no serve with somebody who shoot him. Lorenzo had tried to talk to him, say hel, I shot half of the crew! I shoot them again, maybe. Emilio, he not like that kind of talk. Fernando, he stay on the island.

Iz, nobody see Iz after Maria cut him. There that scream though, off in the jungle. Lorenzo, he not sad to leave those islands. And goblins, who needs ‘em.

“Sail ho!” Lorenzo reached for his glass, relaxed and pretended to need to scratch his side. Emilio snapped the far looker out of its case and made a show of searching the horizon.

“Ha! She’s running abeam. We should catch her soon if the light and wind hold,” Captain Estevez observed sagely. “Give me more sail!”

Lorenzo and the rest of the lads jumped to it. The Valeria Rojas gave a leap as more cloth caught the wind. The other ship tried to give them her stern, but the other captain was not as skilled a sailor.

Toward late afternoon they finally overhauled the caravel. They were still well out of hailing distance when the other ship swung about and slowed to almost dead in the water as the wind beat square on her bow. As the Valeria closed the caravel swung so the wind was abeam and tried a shot. The Valeria Rojas’ crew were close enough to see the smoke as the linstock ignited the powder in the touch hole. There was a billow of gun smoke but no explosion. Lorenzo and the rest of the crew gave a cheer as they realized the gun facing them would have to be cleared before it could be fired again.

“Starboard gun fire as we bear!” Lorenzo barked the order to his gunners as he levered a bolt into his crossbow. BOOM! The big gun thundered and splinters flew from the enemy’s beam. Lorenzo tried a shot at one of the struggling enemy gunners. He swore that he hit the man clean, but the squat little fellow merely tugged the bolt from his leather apron and threw it overboard! “Dwarfs, by Mannan’s Slut of a Mother!” moaned Lorenzo.

Even as the words left his lips the Dwarfen marines let loose with their handguns. Bullets skipped on the waves and smacked into the heavy timbers of the ship. All were too close for Lorenzo’s comfort, but at least the bastards would be reloading as the Valeria closed. Hermano and Diego joined Lorenzo with their harquebus. Lorenzo saw a Dwarf gunner fall by his cannon. Another Dwarf fell overboard but the laboring caravel was able to recover him unharmed from the deeps.

The two ships circled as the afternoon wore on. As they tacked Lorenzo was able to see the slim white tower of the Great Lighthouse in the distance. It seemed obscured by smoke or mist even in the late afternoon sun. Emilio was in no hurry to test his crew against the legendary Dwarf Troll Slayers. By clever use of the wind he was able to sail round the floundering caravel spitting shot, bullets and bolts into the hapless ancients. Men fell with minor wounds as the ships circled. Emilio was stunned senseless on the deck by a blunderbuss blast from the Dwarf ship. Dwarves fell all over the decks as Lorenzo and Blas unloaded their own blunderbusses. Three of the Dwarf crew were blasted off the ship. Only two were recovered.

Suddenly a bright light flashed and a brilliant column of lightning struck the Dwarf ship. No rain fell but the skies had clouded over and thunder boomed as the ships sailed amid the lightning strikes. Small fires started aboard the Dwarf ship whether from cannon shot or lightning it was hard to tell. The Dwarfs put their soaked crew to work fighting fires as the few remaining marines fired back at the Estalians. The volume of small arms fire had slackened considerably. Both sides had targeted the enemy’s sharpshooters, the advantage going to the more agile men.

Calamity struck the Valeria Rojas as a sizzling bolt of lightning struck Pedro as he was waving his new sword-pistol to encourage the gunners. Pedro was literally blown off the forecastle. He hit the water and went under but he was able float with the aid of his peg leg. The Estalian ship attempted to slow to take Pedro back aboard. But as hands reached for him and ropes were thrown several fins broke the surface. Pedro was too engaged in fending off sharks to grab a rope! The Valeria glided by unable to slow enough to help him further. As the ship tried to come about the Dwarf caravel sailed between Pedro and his comrades spitting cannon fire and bullets. Emilio had recovered enough by this time to take the helm but he could do nothing but bring the guns to bear so that the crew was able to take out their anger on an easy target. More fires started during the cannonade and more Dwarfs fell on the caravel’s bloody decks.

Unable to continue the battle and fight the fires, the Dwarf Noble ordered his colors hauled down. The crew of the Valeria Rojas was glad of the prize but sobered by the disappearance of their Acting First Officer. The Dwarf was boarded and looted of her cargo. Among her crew Lorenzo was surprised to discover Fernando, who would not divulge how this came to be. Lorenzo was saddened but knew Fernando’s fate was now tied to that of the Dwarfs.

The Valeria Rojas sailed alone toward the pirate fleet rendezvous near the Great Lighthouse of Araby. Along the rails men sang sad songs and toasted Pedro the Gimp with looted Dwarf ale.

As always, a FINE Battle Report, AND, while all the photos might not be exactly crystal clear, GREAT PHOTOS. The Tavern on the Wall looks to be a TERRIFIC Gaming Board. The Town is VERY nicely done. EXCELLENT POST!

Thanks DeafNala.
For more photos--
https://boringmordheimforum.forumieren.com/scenery-f13/the-blow-hole-for-sartosa-t1842.htm#26551



Marneus wrote:

Bar Brawl! 

      While enjoying a late night of peaseful drinking at the local boozer, our fearless warriors quickly degenerated into drunkin slobs hurling insults at every opportunity. And, it didn’t take long before insults weren’t the only thing being hurled around.

      Down on the first floor is were it all started, quickly becoming an all out brawl between the Dwarves and the Khorne pirates. This rucus obviously woke up everyone from up stairs and as attempts were made to join in the fight, people turned the corner only to walk into a wall drunken stumpies! You have never seen a sight so gruesome as a group short drunken Dwarves with nothing on their minds but the urge to bash your head in with whatever get their hands on.

      The Dwarves quickly mopped this fight up, and as the rest of the pirates fled with their tales between their legs the Dwarf Captain (woke up and) let out a mighty yell and ordered another round. 

Dirty rotten Pigeon 
 
      Not much to say about this one. Some dirty scoundrel was out badmouthing the pirate way of life and we decided we needed to bash his head in. The coward was hiding in his house and while attempting to break the door down, some of the pirate warbands decided it would be a perfect time to work out some differences of there own.

      As the Brettonians approach from the North and establish their defenses, the Dwarves approach from the Southwest as Khorne comes from the Southeast. The more experienced Brettonians lay down a corridor of firepower and as the might Dreaded Captain and his fellow Khorne brethren attempt to approach they quickly realize that the fight is hopeless, the Brets are dug in too deep. At the same time, on the other side of the house, the Brets have sent their mighty Ogre friend to hold off the Dwarves while they swarm in to collect the head of the coward. The Dwarves, firing bolt after bolt into the Ogre, finally manage to take him down, but not before the Brets have managed to claim the prize and slip quietly into the night.

Week 9--First officer Emilio Estevez is eaten by a crocodile!

Once again the pirate fleets raided the islands and shipping near Sartosa. Only one sea duel was fought. All other battles were fought at surrounding settlements or in the coastal islands.

Duel on the High Seas. The Ghosts versus the Merry Maids. The Ghosts were out numbered and out gunned. I know little of details of the battle. The Ghosts struck their colors but lost no crew. The Maids won a fight but lost a couple of crew. No reports of fabulous treasure or bad trades.

Street Brawl. The Khorne Pirates, the Dwarfs and the Dons. Weather-fine. The Dwarfs and the Dons exchanged missile fire while the Khorne pirates tried to close with the Dons. 1 Dwarf thunderer and 1 human were shot out of action by the Dons. The Dwarf Noble was felled by foul sorcery by the Hanged Man. The Dwarfs withdrew. The Khorne pirates gambled on the Dons' blunderbusses failing and lost. Khorne worshippers are blasted every which way. The Chaos worshippers mug the swabbie and the new gunner and flee. The Dons gain a crewman from the demoralized prisoners. No one is killed. (The Dwarf Noble escapes death with quick use of first aide supplies.)
The Dons find more Hardtack.

Raft Race. The Khorne Pirates, The Dwarfs and the Ghosts. Weather-must have been fine there was a lot of shooting. Eventually the Dwarfs shot all the competition off the water. The Ghosts lose some henchmen as do Khorne's followers. The Dwarfs get really rich.

Island Channel Channel Chance Encounter. The Maids and the Dons. Weather-rain. The Maids were swaddled in their great coats. The Dons forgot theirs. In general shooting favored neither. Lorenzo shot a crew woman off a raft and shot up the Ogre. Hermano shot a Bretonnian gunner then was killed by the Hochland girl. The Maids shot and killed a crocodile. Crocodile attacks sank both of the Dons' boats. The Maids tried to take advantage of the soaked Estalians but were cut down by Estalian steel. The Hanged Man was shot. Lorenzo was cut down by a Bretonnian wench! Emilio was befuddled by the sudden dunking but was able to out fight one croc. The second got him...
The Bretonnians had lost many henchmen and women and the Ogre was down to its last wound. They fled!
One hench woman dies. Emilio is eaten by the crocodile. (A Bretonnian hero escapes unharmed!)

Next weeks battles will be in and around Sartosa itself.

</A>Ghosts close on the Merry Maids.
The Merry Maids can out shoot the Ghosts (and out fight them too) so the Ghosts get into HTH as quick as possible.
Hint: On crowded ships only a few can fight at a time.




On the initial charge, the Ghosts take out 3 in HTH but it goes downhill after that.
The Ghosts fail their 1st rout test and to add insult they do not kidnap any of the 3 dead Maids.

2nd game:
Khorn get a jump start on everyone with 3 rafts built in record time but the Dwarfs still get to the treasure island first, shooting Ghosts all the way.




Other game 1:
Dwarfs huddle...




Khorn advances...

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The Dons ???




Other game 2:
Why doesn't the ogre sink the raft?

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Wizard tries to cast a spell...

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Wow, those are some lovely pictures of lovely terrain with lovely miniatures on lovely boats.

Have you considered making a water mat to put on the table in such scenarios? I've seen some as simply painted as a single shade of blue with sponged white paint on top which looked quite remarkable. Something like that would make your table absolutely stunning.

You are very, very right but...
Moving/sliding ships on a mat or cloth can be difficult and...
Alas, we play at the local game store and there is only 1 board we can use that's blue and it's 4x6.
The 4x4 boards are all black.
We do use the big blue one sometimes.
We have to share the back room with the card players.
Space is tight.

"Tis the Curse of Captain Blackwater, mate. 'til enough blood be shed to lift the curse, or the Dread Captain himself be destroyed, the waters off Sartosa be black as night... Arrr!

The scenery and models look so much better on the blue table top...

ARRRGH! They be Black Water Pirates, as opposed to the Viet Nam Era Brown Water Sailors.
Trying to pick out the different mini makers handiwork adds a great deal of fun to the FINE Battle Reports for moi. Thanks MUCHO! GREAT FLUFF!

playtable wrote:

The Bretonian Merry Maids, and a few escorts.

those are some "HOT" chicks (models)

whats the arabian deverish one in the middle?, i want to buy her

All the lasses are made by the fine folks at Reaper Minis. Beyond that I know not.

Week 10. Dominating Dwarfs.

We had the full 6 man crew tonight! The brand new Dwarfs of a month ago are not your raw newbies anymore. Lots of underdog bonuses and deadly rounds of shooting have made them a force to be reckoned with.

The Dwarfs versus Randolphous' Raiders. Scenario: ? Weather: ? The Raiders tried to march right into the teeth of the Dwarf shooting. I think there were 7 dead henchmen and 1 dead hero. Ugly loss for the Swayer's Way. -90 experience! No reports of casualties for the Dwarfs.

The Ghosts versus the Maids. Scenario--X Marks the Spot. Weather: ?. Nighttime. The Ghosts tried to sneak up on the Maids in the Dark. The Maids had the heights and rolled high for range of vision. Not good things. The Maids find the treasure as well. Ghosts rout with the first test. No word of casualties.

The Dons versus the Khorne Raiders. Scenario--Last Orders. The Dons were a bit concerned to face the ravening killers from the northland in the confines of the Tavern-on-the-Wall. Especially since Lorenzo was missing another Last Orders with his Old Battle Wound. But there are a lot of Estalians, The Hanged Man's spells and numbers hurt the Khorne worshipers hard. They fled with 5 or 6 models OOA. No one died. The Don's find another lost swabbie and a bunch of Hardtack. Hate Hardtack.

The Maids versus Randolphous Raiders. Scenario--?. Weather: ? This fight was a rebuilding effort for the Raiders of Sartosa. Rumor has it that they fled at the first opportunity. Maids win. They find another Dwarf pistol.

The Ghosts versus the Khorne Raiders. Scenario: Chance Encounter. Weather: ? It was night. I know this and there were Guards. The Ghosts won. A Cannibal Boy is killed. The Ghosts complain of lost Gibbets.

The Dwarfs versus the Dons. Scenario: Skirmish. Weather: High Winds. The Dwarf crossbows were at -2 to hit to start! The Dwarfen line decided to charge. They brought an Ogre! The Estalians gave them volleys of handgun fire and blunderbuss barrels. The Dons had to kill the Ogre in hand to hand (it stunned the Hanged Man). Too many men fall to Dwarf axes and blunderbuss shots. The Dons withdraw. The Dons find lucky charms and a whalebone charm!
El Jefe is killed and the swab runs off. The Ogre dies of its wounds--inflicted by the swabs daggers!

Next week we will sail the seas again!

COOL REPORT even though it lacked your usual flair for the dramatic.
For some additional Pirate Babes check out http://www.bronzeagemin.com/ ;the Pirates are listed in the Historical section. The also have an all Girl Barbarian Gang with a Pit Fighter feel.

The 3-table city fight


Maids vs Ghosts


Maids cary away the treasure


Ghosts vs Khorne



Khorne heroes fight a loosing battle as soon as the "stupid" Captain Blackwater joins in.
No, this is no Hide and Seek game. OK, it is in a way.
If he can, Captain Blackwater always faces a wall before testing for stupidity so as no to wander into trouble.
He's not counting to 100.


Dwarfs block up to face the Dons
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The Dons spread out


Dwarfs set up a shooting gallery for Randolphous' Raiders


Randolphous' Raiders make it to the Dwarfs to inflict pain.


Last Orders...The Dons vs Khorne

OOOOOOO! COOL PHOTOS! Minis JUST look SO much better when in their "natural" surroundings. Looks like you had an EPIC battle.
The Tavern-On-The-Wall IS a Gaming Table all by itself. Thanks for a inspiring post.

Emilio Meets a Crocodile
A Tale of Rum, Crocodiles and Curses Most Foul

The big saltwater crocodile luxuriated in the warm rain. It was resting on the bank of the biggest island of the little chain of barrier islands north of the Great Lighthouse. Rain was unusual at this time of year, but not unheard of on the western coast of Araby. There was no bird song, even the monkeys had stopped their screeching to take shelter form the rain, but it was not quiet. Some one was singing off key.

“Oh Raquel, she is from hel!
Her eyes are black, like the night.
She’ll make you prove your might.
Oh Raquel, she is from hel!”

First Mate Emilio Estevez was loosely lashed to the mast of the small raft by his waist. He was drinking rum intermittently as he serenaded the men. Water dripped from his rusting helmet. He was either gloriously drunk, or lost in a fever dream. They had not gotten any sense out of him for the last two hours. As they poled the raft through the island channels Emilio sang of the charms of Raquel. Maria was blushing, but she hadn’t suggested they gag the First Mate.

Captain Lorenzo de Lupo stared into the rain. He was searching for that lightning blasted palm that marked the channel that would return them to the Valeria Rojas’ anchorage. It had to be nearby. He recognized the ruins of the minor temple they had searched first. The main temple was deeper in the maze of coastal swamp and barrier islands. They had found it, almost despite their map. The artifacts they had found looked worth the trip, although he was worried about a curse. Emilio had not been right since he and Hermano had crawled back out of that crypt.

“Tripped and hit his noggin’ in the dark I figure,” was all Hermano would say.

Now Emilio wore the biggest gem on a leather thong around his neck. Everyone could see it there swaying from side to side on the big man’s chest. Even in the rain it seemed alive with an inner fire. Lorenzo wondered if it glowed in the dark, he had heard of treasures that had their own light.

“Hola! Do I see Raquel before me!”

Emilio had suddenly stopped singing. He had flung his right arm toward the island that had the least ruins on it to the south of the lesser temple. Lorenzo followed his gaze. On the near bank a slender woman in a tailored great coat was aiming a long barreled harquebus at them.

“Cover!” Lorenzo barked the warning just as a volley of shots exploded from the woman’s island. The timbers of the raft were struck my several missiles. Lorenzo unlimbered his crossbow and levered a bolt into the grove.

“Get us out of this channel! Row, me hearties! Avast, Juan!” Lorenzo waived at the crew in the jolly boats. They were rowing up the channel to his left. One boat was unloading onto the island that had caused the little flotilla to split. The gunners were un-wrapping their harquebus and trying to light their slow matches. The mercenary crossbowman had disembarked and was already firing bolts at the distant marksmen and women. Jaun’s boat disappeared around the island.

A jolly boat and another raft appeared from a channel that had been masked by the big island. An ogre poled the raft toward them with amazing speed. More women lined the rails with long barreled pistols and crossbows at the ready. Lorenzo shot at the ogre but his string was wet. The bolt missed the bulk of the ogre and took a woman to its left. She fell overboard and did not resurface.

There were crocodiles in the water now. The enemy boats veered and the women at the rails poured their fire into the river monsters. Lorenzo shot at the enemy on the southern island. A sailor went down. The man dragged himself to cover.

“Ware crocodile!” Diego cried a warning. The raft shuddered as the brute tried to take Maria off the rail. She met it with her cutlass but the crocodile’s hide turned the blade. The Estalian raft was being driven back into the main channel as they tried to evade the stubborn beast.

Lorenzo secured his crossbow and brought his blunderbuss up from beneath his great coat. The crocodiles had driven the enemy raft toward them. BOOM! The ogre was ripped by the blast and one of the women fell to the raft’s deck. The enemy raft beached on the temple island.

Lorenzo let the empty blunderbuss hang by its strap and reloaded his crossbow. There was a small island in the center of the channel. They were rowing toward it. The crocodile had abandoned its attempt to drag Maria off the deck. Instead it was battering the makeshift raft slowly to pieces. Once the raft sank they would be easy meat in the sea.

Lorenzo was keeping the enemy sharpshooters busy seeking cover. Also the crocodile never attacked his side of the raft. Maria and Diego had tried to shoot it with pistols but their powder had gotten wet in the rain. The Hanged Man chanted and made grand gestures but his fire magic was having similar luck in the wet weather.

“We’re almost there! Prepare to beach!” Lorenzo called. Then the raft shuddered and just came apart! Everyone was thrown into the shallows near the island. Everyone except Emilio, he was not lashed to the mast anymore. But instead of swimming to the shallows, he had clung to the sinking mast. There he calmly watched everyone scramble out of the water as the crocodile vented its fury on helpless logs.

The drenched men and woman pulled themselves onto the small island. The north shore was a wall of boulders. Lorenzo couldn’t tell if they were part of the ruins or natural formations. At the moment they were wonderful cover. The Bretonnians were firing at the island from three directions. The Hanged Man groaned and collapsed with a bullet wound even as he reached the beach. They dragged him ashore and laid him among the rocks away from more bullets or passing crocs.

The Bretonnian jolly boat had withdrawn to the shelter of the southern island’s guns when the crocodiles had initially swarmed but it was returning. Also the ogre and several of the Bretonnian pirates had re-launched enemy raft. It was riding low in the water but the distance to their refuge wasn’t that great. Lorenzo sent a bolt at the raft but it hit the rail and did no damage.

“Ho! You would duel me!” Emilio was swimming now. He was cut off from the island by a huge crocodile, but he had a dagger in his fist. There was blood in the water, seeping from the crocodile’s flank. Emilio circled, sputtering challenges, boasts and opinions on the crocodile’s parentage.

The Bretonnian jolly boat arrived first. The lithe women swarmed ashore and attacked El Jefe and Lorenzo. El Jefe sent one of the women flailing back into the water. She floated dazed for a moment as she recovered and then she was seized from below the surface and disappeared. Lorenzo fell to the blades of two of the Bretonnian crew. Maria defended his body from the ogre. El Jefe and the Khorne worshipper hit the women who felled Lorenzo from the flank and cut them down. Diego defeated the pirates that had accompanied the ogre.

Emilio fended off the wounded crocodile, but he never saw the rippling v that approached from the south. He was seized in the jaws of a giant beast and wrenched below the waves. His mates didn’t see him die. They were jeering the bleeding ogre as it poled the sinking raft back to collect the stranded Bretonnian officers.

The channel belonged to the Estalians. Their jolly boats and raft had been sunk by crocodile attacks. So a truce was arranged with the Bretonnians to tend the wounded and ferry the beleaguered crews back to their respective ships. Hermano and Emilio, they both dead. Lorenzo de Lupo, he bury what's left of that treasure back where they find it...

GREAT REPORT on what must have been an AMAZING game to play. Like the Flame On Crew, you have yourself a SPLENDID group of dedicated Guys [must have something to do with ALL that bracing salt air ].

That looked like the funnest game ever! (Now I'm so jealous I've gone past green and turned into an orc .)

Thanks for your comments!

Week 11--The Dons Revenge!

Only 4 players tonight. Evil Ted was suffering from the curse of the misplaced warband and Link had finals.

Island Hopping I. The Khorne Raiders versus the Merry Maids. Weather: ? Nighttime. The Raiders have decided not to face shooting during the day. However, for some reason the lone crocodile was set up near the Khorne worshippers home island. So one of the cannibal boys charged it. He was quickly taken OOA and the crocodile began dragging him toward the water. His shipmates tried to avenge him, which resulted in another hero as possible lunch for the lucky croc. Eventually the Raiders stunned the crocodile and saved their comrades from being eaten. But the Maids hired ogre had beaten the rest of the warband down. The Raiders fled back to their black ship. The Maids become rich. I think there were some deaths but I'm not certain. The Khorne Captain avoids his first leadership challenge by cowing the potential mutineer.

The Lustrian Treasure Ship. The Ghosts versus the Dons. Weather: bright and sunny. We forgot to check to see if it changed. The Ghosts attacked form the west. The Dons sailed in on the treasure ship's eastern quarter. The Ghosts and the treasure ship both sailed with the wind. The Dons were content with the wind abeam. The Ghosts had just pressed some crossbowmen, so they tried to sail bows on and use missile fire to whittle the Dons down before their Ogre killed them. The Dons shot 2 of the crossbowmen down. The Cursed marksmen got the Tilean Marksman in return. (The Dons' only casualty.) Cannon fire was a joke. The Dons never hurt the Ghost ship. The Cursed gunners damaged the Valeria Rojas, but only once. Likewise the Hanged Man's magics never happened until the last turn, when his burning sword captured the treasure ship! The Ghosts captured the Treasure ship after a bitter fight with her crew. The merchant captain was stunned by the Sea Singer's only successful spell. The merchant was then killed by Captain Blackwater. The Ghosts were hoping to drift off the table edge or be able to sail both ships away, but the Valeria Rojas was able to catch and board the Treasure ship. The Ghosts had suffered mightily and were forced to strike their colors on both ships. The Dons find the Plaque of Tepec and gain much booty. The Ghosts suffered some wounds and lost 2 Cursed Crew to the Dons, but 2 of the merchant crew surrendered and became Cursed in turn.

High Seas Skirmish. The Ghosts versus the Khorne Raiders. Weather: nice and sunny. I'm not sure if it changed or not after that. The Ghosts sailed rings around the berserker Northmen. Several of whom were shot off their ship. No sharks appeared as far as I know. The Ghosts finally boarded the Raiders and forced them to strike their colors. 2 plunderers are killed. No one is pressed. Another potential mutiny is avoided by the Dread Captain.

Island Hopping II. The Dons versus the Merry Maids. Weather: Rain. Once again the weather turned against the Dons, but this time they remembered their great coats! The Maids rowed straight toward the Dons while the Dons boats sulked in the island channels. The Monkey Girl shot a crewman off a bridge but otherwise the Dons avoided serious injury. In reply Lorenzo shot a woman out of boat. The gunfire drew the lone crocodile to attack the Maids. They shot it out of the water, but not before it significantly damaged one of the jolly boats. Lorenzo was able to sink the little boat with a lucky crossbow shot.
As the crew of the sunken boat sloshed ashore on 2 separate islands Lorenzo and his gunners put the ogre down and drowned one of the pirates accompanying it with a lucky ricochet.
The Maids moved to threaten Maria and Juan. 3 crew and Delora misjudged who would charge and got caught and cut down in a bottleneck. The Maids flee. Delora dies of her injuries. The Dons gain great wealth from their island cruise. They also return from it with a stronger, deadlier, more numerous crew.

Next week we return to port.

Unfortunately there will be no photos as the photographer is on strike.

A Lustrian Reprise
A Tale of Piracy and Sweet Revenge

Clouds of gun smoke drifted on the seas to the south. War was a wonderful boon to piracy. There was money to be made if you could run the blockades, there was money in supplying the armies, there was money in taking those supplies. All you had to do was not get dead. Those fellows over there, Lorenzo was thinking, they might get dead.

The Valeria Rojas had been stalking the big fleets like a wolf stalking a herd on the plains of Estalia. These poor fools, they sail over from Lustria. The currents and the winds they bring them here, right into a nice war. Maybe there was peace when they left, but not no more. Yesterday, there a big fight over by Lasheik. Today this poor lamb rides the prevailing winds up the coast. He think he break free, Lorenzo mused about the merchant captain, he wrong.

The only fly in the ointment was that black sail over there to the west. Keeping the same heading as the Valeria Rojas. Blackwater and his damned Ghosts, always butting in taking away the Valeria’s prize. Not today! Emilio was dead. Lor’nzo de Richardo de Isadoro de Lupo, he is Captain of this ship.

“Helmsman! Five points to the starboard if you please! Take us north of them.”

The broad sea was suddenly shrinking to the immediate area. Lorenzo could see the small figures of the merchant sailors now as they tried to get more sail on the remaining mast. The merchant captain must have figured on taking the enemy head on. He was sailing to the west as well. Blackwater would be caught between them. “Harquebusiers to the rails! Lar’board gun fire as we bear!” Lorenzo barked the orders as the distance between ships narrowed. BOOM! The big gun spat flame, but the shot was well short.
“Reload, ye curs!” Lorenzo growled, “Senor Luigi, kill those men over there, if you please.”

The Ghosts were coming bows on. Her rails swarmed with human crossbowmen, who were loosing a steady stream of bolts at the Estalians. Lorenzo and the Tilean calmly replied. One man fell overboard, another was punched back from the rail. The Ghost ship swung its bows to the south to bring its guns to bear. The big guns spoke from both ships. The Estalians shot high this time. The Ghosts fell short. “Manann’s Blue Holy… Close with them, ye lubbers!” Lorenzo fumed while he reloaded. The Ghosts were adding harquebus fire to the small arms being fired at them. A tall gaunt man in a great coat was raking them with crossbow bolts from the quarterdeck of the Ghost.

“Gunners! Put that man down!” Lorenzo aimed at the fellow as well. It took nearly all their fire, but when the smoke cleared the tall man was no longer standing. Lorenzo’s harquebus were reloading. “Senor Luigi!” Lorenzo called, “put that escapee from the bone yard back in the ground!” A skeleton in a tattered marine uniform was potting at them with a rusty musketoon. Dead or not he was good at the reloading drill.

“Man overboard, el Captain!” came the response from the stern. “Fish him out!” Lorenzo shouted back.

“He didn’t come up again, el Captain!”

“Bugger all!” growled Lorenzo has his bolt punched the skeleton over the Ghost’s rail. “Close with the bastards!”

The Valeria Rojas was nearly dead in the water. The fickle winds had changed just when she needed them to hold. To add to Lorenzo’s misery his lar’board gun misfired as the Ghosts finally got the range. Fortunately the damage was slight. The Ghosts had boarded the merchant. Pistol shots, screams and war cries sounded faintly form the south as the west wind pushed the combat away from them. The Ghost’s guns could no longer bear. Lorenzo and his gunners potted away at the swarming combatants not caring whom they hit in the melee. Lorenzo shot a skeletal helmsman, but the Ghost was already adrift.

The Ghosts seemed to be having the best of the melee. The screams of defiance turned to cries for mercy and wails of terror. The winds shifted again to come completely around. The Valeria’s sails belled and boomed as the wind filled them. The Estalian closed rapidly on the grappled ships. “Prepare to board! Make fast your lines!” Lorenzo barked orders as he sent another bolt into the skeleton marine. At some point it had crawled out of the depths back aboard. It went down again.

Lorenzo looked to his boarding party. Master Bigtoe Highhat the cook and the Hanged Man were leading the first wave. Lorenzo groaned. The ships slid together with a grinding of timbers and screeching cleats. One of the true undead defended the merchant’s bow but both Bigtoe and the Hanged Man jumped to fight him. As they landed on the merchant deck the Hanged Man gave a joyful shout as his staff became a brightly burning sword. The undead fiend was swept from the prow by the blade and the crew of the Valeria Rojas swarmed aboard. As quickly as it had begun it was over. Blackwater stuck his colors and yielded up the merchant craft.

Senor Luigi was found soaked and bloody but still breathing on a nearby island. Two of the Cursed crew renounced their oath to Blackwater and joined the victors. The Undead Captain glared silently from the rail of the Ghost ship as the Valeria Rojas turned her prow once again toward the Great Lighthouse.

Life ISN'T easy for the Living Impaired . ANOTHER FINE TALE OF THE SEA! AAARRGH!

Week 12--A Mixed Bag.

Link was back from his hiatus, but Evil Ted had to work. So we had a group of 5 tonight. We had plotted to bring more interesting terrain tonight, but the scenarios rolled did not call for much terrain until the end of the night.

Last Orders. The Khrone Raiders, the Maids and the Ghosts. Marneus' third week of rolling the scenario for his first game. (The Khorne Raiders are going to be the eternal low warband. Lack of shooting has hurt them in every game.) The 2 more experienced warbands beat up on the Khorne worshippers until they ran. Then the Maids pummeled the Ghosts...in a bar fight. Maids win! Khorne has mostly heroes go OOA so there is little searching or income for them. I know little about the other warbands except that the Maids find another Dueling Pistol.

The Long Pier. The Dwarfs versus the Dons. Weather--windy. An awful ordeal for the Dons. They crouched and crawled from pylon to pylon, crate to crate. Slowly they advanced across the pier, while the Dwarfs did the same. Occasionally a warrior would lose patience and rush forward only to be hammered to the deck with crossbow bolts. Most lay bleeding from minor wounds for a moment and then would crawl to a new hiding place. Fernando foolishly ran up to expose Maria's hiding place. Maria killed him for his trouble. The men who protected her flanks were shot down in turn, but Maria managed to slip back into cover. Eventually each side was clinging to cover waiting for one more causality to break the stalemate. Rodrigo took a crossbow bolt in the face and the Dons fled. Rodrigo he lose that eye. Fernando the Traitor, he dead for following the Dwarfs. The Dwarfs find some Grog to celebrate with. The Dons find a nice pistol...and some stale food.

Press Gang! The Khorne Pirates versus the Dons. Weather--heavy rain. The Don's shooting was useles but there were still a bumper crop of drunken swabs down by the docks. Both warbands converged on the Blow Hole sweeping up drunks on the way. One swab took da shillin' willingly, but a couple-well most-got rambunctious and had to be put down with force. One of the poor lubbers died, but the rest netted a good sum for the Dons' finders fee. The Khorne worshippers knocked heads but managed not to kill anyone. They filled out their roster with swabbies. No one died. The Dons pressed the most swabs and won. One of the Khornates gets uppity and challenges his captain. The captain cut him good, that lad, it be a while before he's healthy... The Dons find a long barreled pistol. The Khorne Raiders find lucky charms and a whalebone charm.

Warring Houses. The Maids, the Ghosts and the Dwarfs. Weather--high winds. The three warbands squabbled down by the docks. The Dwarfs took the high ground to the east, the Maids occupied a huge ship to the south and the Ghosts infiltrated to the north. The Dwarfs ended up caught between the attentions of the 2 and suffered for it. Many of the Dwarfs went OOA. Their last human henchman dies as does a dwarf. The Dwarfs suffer 3 killed in one game night. No word on any other casualties. The Ghosts win. The Maids find a blunderbuss.

The various crews loaded up on rare items and prepared to set sail for the islands one last time...

What do you mean "one last time"? Are you going to end the campaign & break an Old Man's Heart?