On the 23rd day of the 8th month, a mysterious ship was spotted approaching the Naked Isle. Dour-faced dwarves rowed without enthusiasm, bringing a ragged caravel into the wharf. The wind passed easily through many gaping holes in the sails, hanging limp from the masts. Chains rattled as a single elf cried out for the dwarves to cease their grim effort. The elf hopped lightly onto the wharf and began calling out for Tienarth.
It happened that most of Tienarth’s Raiders were at the wharf where Urgesh was indulging in his favorite pasttime of fishing. The half-orc barbarian confronted the elf, a mature female with white hair and amber eyes. Her figure was stout for an elf. Urgesh explained that Tienarth wasn’t around, and wondered what she wanted with him. She offered a sealed letter, explaining only that she’d been hired to make a delivery. She gave her name as Lady Mangai and seemed uninterested in offering any other details.
Urgesh passed the envelope to Nate, who broke the wax seal and read the short message aloud.
To the most magificent Tienarth,
I offer this vessel and the 20 dwarven slaves for your enjoyment.
Carristhinian
Immediately, Aderian leaped in the air with the aid of his magic ring, landing in the center of the carrack and intended to free the dwarves. At the moment he set down, an enormous fireball exploded all around him. All of the slaves were killed instantly, burned beyond recognition. The small ship caught fire and soon began to sink as its splintered timbers crackled with orange flames. Aderian’s beard was singed, but he was in no mortal danger.
A cry went out to fight the flames, to little effect. A rope was tied to to the smoldering ruin so that it could be pulled out of the harbor. Before long, it sunk beneath the waves along with the charred bodies of the slaves, still chained to the deck. Urgesh mused that it would soon be a suitable home for fish.
Lady Mangai, questioned harshly, retained her dignity and plead ignorance. She never met Carristhinian. She merely took the deliver job. The party was inclined to believe her, and she was willing to help them find the island of Tuiria from which she came. In fact, she was pleased to have quick transportation home.
The former slave, Mulisma, was questioned about Tuiria. Ollie had bought her freedom months before. She described the village of Surivale as divided by a river. The ruling class of elves dwelt on the south side in opulent manors while the dwarves lived in a shanty on the north when they weren’t out in the fields producing the other two goods of the island, cocoa and cotton. She described the dwarves as a people resigned to their fate, with little hope for anything changing.
Much discussion was had over plans. Ollie and Aderian discussed buying more slaves in order to set them free. Urgesh wondered if Ferris couldn’t instrument the poisoning of the elf population. They all wondered if they could overthrow the government of the island and present it to Tienarth as a gift. They even considered returning to Slateholm to raise an army.
In the end, no solid plan was in place except reconnaissance. Nate, for his part, declined to come along on this adventure, making it clear that the evil of slavery did nit justify any genocide of the slavemaster elves. They expected to be liberating some number of dwarves, and so unloaded most of the cargo from The Garlic Frog. 20 tons of sugar, 3 tons of cocoa, and 5 tons of cotton were stored in a warehouse, which left only a couple of tons of sugar and cocoa. Ollie had plans to prepare a sweet chocolate drink for the elves of Tuiria. They also purchased five barrels of lamp oil with some idea that it could be used offensively.
The next day (8/24), they set sail. Aboard the ship were Jerker, Ollie, Urgesh, Aderian, and Ferris plus their usual crew. The elf cleric Elona came along as an observer for Zhargrave. Lady Mangai also came along and aided in navigation.
On that first day at sea, pirates were seen a distance of 4 miles. They didn’t approach the lone vessel, and the party chose to stay away from confrontation, especially since they weren’t travelling with a wizard who often transformed into a golden dragon and wiped out pirates with poison gas.
The next day was stormy, and the ship was grounded on the beach of a small island. They saw a nearby village on the island but chose not to investigate. When the tides allowed for freeing the ship, they kept up the pace, going south. The following day (8/26), they spied a warship flying a purple flag known to be that of the rebellion. The news of the end of the civil may not have yet reached all of the ships of the southern seas.
The hours of the next day were tense, as three pirate ships were a mere three miles away and turning to engage. The sails were set for a chase, and it lasted all day an into the night. But when the shores of Tuiria were spotted, the pirates held back. The Garlic Frog rowed to the southern shore of the island, up a wide river to a protected wharf. Tied up at the wharf were several other ships. Of note were
- a carrack flying a flag with white unicorn on a field of green,
- a merchant ship flying the flag of Yokrayga (horizontal stripes of green/white/green), and
- another merchant ship flying the flag of the empire (an eagle holding a cross on a field of red).
They had arrived at the port of Surivale. An elf greeted them and asked about their business, which they described as shopping for slaves. An auction was scheduled for the following day, and the elf indicated that other vessels were present for the auction as well. The party made ready to leave the ship, but the elf told them their present slaves, but which he mean Ollie and some of the crew, must wear collars while wandering free so as to indicate ownership. Ollie stoically held his tongue, only explainging that he’d not leave the ship.
Mangai wasted no time disembarking and disappearing into the crowd. Jerker and Ferris attempted to trail her, but she avoided them. The magic rings used for detecting invisibility and seeing through objects were of no help.
Jerker engaged in conversation with a Yokraygan, interrogating him about the auction. The man was short, with tanned skin and stiff, black hair. He was Cypuset, a sailor, and not particularly knowledgeable about the auctions themselves. He estimated that value of slaves to be “about a thousand gold”. This idea seemed preposterous.
The next day (8/29), most the the party found themselves at the auction house where dwarves were set in stalls. Several other bidders were there, too. A man from the empire wore a black toga and a golden broach in the shape of an eagle. Another bidder with a light tan. From under his tall, pointed hat flowed blond hair. When asked, an elf guard described him as coming from Heglia.
Aderian intended to spend as much as necessary to liberate the 16 dwarves, a feat that he accomplished, to the frustration of all other bidders. The auction master was Emblaiabond, and he began bidding at 60 pieces of gold for a dwarf named Vesa. The winning bid was 175 gp. Prices quickly went up to 350 gp, then 1100 gp. The most expensive auction topped out at 2100 gp for Gaemeku, a broomaker. The purchases were as follows.
- Vesa, age 42, 175gp
- Josoaba, unknown age, 350 gp, with skills as a scribe
- Jotha, unknown age, 350 gp, a female with skills in farming
- Eli, a pregnant female, 32, for 1100 gp
- Three dwarf children, 20 years until adulthood, 250 gp for the lot
- Naha, a 57-year-old farmer for 700 gp
- Jalosa, 52, with blacksmith skills, 1200 gp
- Jonah, 42, for 400gp
- Zem, 36, for 1600 gp
- Josah, 52, for 1300 gp
- Jonja, a female of 55 years, formerly a concubine, purchased for 600 gp by Urgesh
- Gaemeku, a broomaker of 52 years, 2100 gp
- Tiachae, 38, 1000 gp
- Otthi, 42 with skills in freight handling, 1000 gp
15 of the slaves were purchased by Aderian for a total sum of 10,525 gp. Urgesh acquired what he described as a wife for 600 gp. Gold spent by Aderian converts to XP because freeing slaves is his “hobby” (perhaps better described as a mission from God).
Despite his distaste for the enslavement of the dwarves at Surivale, Ollie prepared a gift of sweet chocolate drink and asked an elf at the docks to give it to Father Faber, the governor of the village.
For three days (8/30 – 9/1) they sailed back to the Naked Isle with no significant events.
End Notes
- Days
- 8/20 – 8/22 Downtime
- 8/23 Mysterious ship arrives at the Naked Isle
- 8/24 – 8/28 Sail for Tuiria
- 8/29 Slave auction at Surivale
- 8/30 – 9/1 Return to the Naked Isle
- Treasure: none
- Combat: none
- Characters
- Aderian 10,525 xp for liberating slaves
- Ferris
- Jerker
- Nate
- Ollie 3,200 xp for chain illustration
- Urgesh
- Ships
- The Garlic Frog (Caravel)
- Crew/Passengers: 10/ 25
- Hit Points: 75/75
- Cargo: 30 of 75 tons
- Food: 64 man/weeks (half ton)
- Water: 4760 gallons (20 tons)
- 2 tons of sugar, 2 tons of cocoa, 5 tons of oil
- The Garlic Frog (Caravel)