The first target was the camp of the Charybdis crew to the south. The party camped just outside the known location of the pirates. During the second watch of the night, the guards on duty (Sky and Kilor) were separated on patrol. Kilor's clockwork fairy dragon returned from patrol... alone. Kilor had mysteriously disappeared in the night! The party quickly mobilized in pursuit, picking up the tracks of a single unseen intruder.
The trail led to the river, a coldwater branch of the Saberstrath only a few yards wide but relatively deep, too deep to easily ford. There the footprints ended at the waters edge. The saurians, well-adapted for swimming, continued pursuit along the water. The rest of the party advanced toward the camp, picking up the trail again as it left the water farther upstream.
The mysterious assailant, moving slowly under a substantial load, was audible if not visible. As the pursuit approached the camp, perimeter posts raised the alarm. A contingent of opposing officers moved to intercept the party and initiate a brawl in the dark forest. The Charybdis pirate leaders, like those of the Styxx, were bolstered by a pair of dark elven caster allies, one mage and one spider-cleric. Despite their durability, they were quickly surrounded and neutralized with the aid of dragon frostbreath. The pirate marines, having nearly engulfed the party, elected to scatter into the night in fear as the party bellowed a challenge.
The survivors of the pirate camp fled to the south, toward the location of the Jormungandr camp to the east along the trade road. The nimble pirates moved swiftly in only leather, and the party had to pause to collect their loyal platoons of skeletons and the former slaver caravan guards.
Sky scouted the camp ahead, penetrating through the outer watchposts and establishing a visual identification of the leaders' tent. This camp was larger, with a stronger contingent of soldiers and more drow associates. Moreover, they were fully mobilized for battle, and appeared to be using some kind of magical sword to prepare for the coming attack. The sword flashed high in the air as if part of some invocation, triggering a heated dispute with the dark elves. In short order, the rest of the party and their platoons came crashing through the forest and the battle began: the party leading roughly 150 skeletons and 50 guards against a large force of almost 250 Charybdis and Jormungandr pirates and even more galley slaves pressed into battle by whip-wielding taskmasters.
The party quickly wounded some of the opposing pirate platoons at range with arrows from the caravan guards. The saurian heroes focused their attention on the center of the line, inflicting massive damage to the opposing pirates. All seemed to be going easily when two dark elven mages emerged from the rear ranks of the slave mobs on the flanks, hurling fireballs at the clustered lizards and inflicting horrific damage. The distant shrieks of wyverns could be heard approaching from the north!
The battle suddenly ended with the death of the captain, a pirate morale failure and a general rout. The wyvern calls grew quieter and more distant, their magic binding them to service broken. The party liberated the slaves, and Namazu the chaotic white dragon devoured a number of fleeing pirates (to her great satisfaction). The party claimed a wide range of magical weapons from the Jormungandr crew, including the mysterious sword. Along the way back to their base of operations at the relay-beacon watchtower, they stopped to locate the buried treasure of the Charybdis as well. The liberated slaves functioned as bearers, and the treasure stored of the tower were soon well-stocked with valuable coin, gems, and trade commodities too numerous to fully name, totalling tens of thousands of gold.
Roster
- Zegzinu (2 henchlizards)
- Conan the Librarian
- Zelmar the Fright Knight
- Talyn, another lizard
- Sky the archer
- Skittles, yet another lizard
- Kilor Graniteback, Dwarven Machinist
- Shiek,
Thrassian AssassianThrassin AssassinThrashin' Assassin - Herabrin and his scads of spooky scary skeletons
- The very young white dragon, Namazu
Shiek, immolated by a fireball
Two henchlizards, ditto (fire = bad for lizards)
Treasure and Experience
Charybdis Pirate Hoard: 24005 gp (in coin, gems, and trade goods)
Jormungandr Pirate Hoard: 30135 gp (in coin, fine jewelry, and trade goods)
Magical items: Mysterious sword +1
Total nonmagical treasure value: 54139 gp
Shares: 9
Gold per share: 6015 gp
Spoils of war: 186*130 + 10*30 + 10*24 = 1800 gp
Bonus gold for each commander (Herabrin and Zelmar): 450 gp
Personal Combat Experience:
Killed: Captain Boggs [600 xp], Mister Smee [80 xp], Mister Smoo [80 xp], 6th-level drow priestess of House Kilsek [1320 xp], 6th-level drow arcanist [1320 xp], 2 5th-level drow fighters [2x190 = 380 xp], Captain Bloodbeard [600 xp], Mister Smyy [200 xp], Geron [200 xp], Juven [80 xp], Url [80 xp], 6th-level drow priestesses Salyciux and Tyrnaxxu of House Godeep [2x1320 = 2640 xp], 2 6th-level drow arcanists [2x1320 = 2640 xp], 2 5th-level drow fighters [2x190 = 380 xp]
Total: 10600 xp
Miles traveled: 60
Total experience from treasure: 54139 xp
Total experience from kills: 10600 xp
Total experience from exploration: 690 xp
Total experience: 65429 xp
Total experience per member: 7270 xp
Platoon Combat Experience for commanders (Herabrin and Zelmar):
Killed or Routed: 130 pirates [130x10 = 1300 xp], 30 drow heavy infantry [30x16 = 480 xp], 30 drow light infantry [30x16 = 480 xp], 180 slave militia [180x5 = 900 xp]
Troops lost: 80 skeletons [80x3 = 240 xp]
Total: 2920 xp
Bonus experience for each commander (Herabrin and Zelmar): 1460 xp
