Book 1 - Act 2 - Man Overboard

The shipping lanes of Golarion's seas and oceans are filled with fat merchant vessels laden with trade goods both mundane and exotic, as well as the pirates and freebooters who prey on them. Under the banner of their Hurricane King, these buccaneers sally forth from that archipelago of lawless pirate ports and anchorages known as the Shackles, plundering the shipping of countless countries and trade consortiums, then vanishing back into the maze of islands and reefs they call home. The nations of the Inner Sea would like nothing more than to end the pirate menace once and for all, but the eternal hurricane known as the Eye of Abendego has thus far shielded the Free Captains of the Shackles from the threat of retaliation.


In the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path, the PCs take on the role of pirates, but they must make a name for themselves in piracy, plunder, and disrepute to truly become infamous Free Captains of the Shackles.

A Paizo Adventure Path

Run by the Pirate King Vardaen
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Book 1 - Act 2 - Man Overboard

Post by Vardaen » Fri May 30, 2014 8:38 pm

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Not all born to the deep stay there contentedly. Just as a starving man dares the surf to look down with hunger, so too do furtive things steal to the borders between sea and shore to cast black gazes up from the waves—knowing nothing of the world above except that it exists to supply an end to their appetites. Their ways are more ancient than ours, subtler, more efficient, but like us, they are not without their tricks, their experts, and their innovations. There is revolution in the water, and the waves mark the invincible border of our realm no more.

—Joachim Nolvel, Breath in the Depth


Darkness.

Pain.

How long as it been? There is no time.

The memories return slowly, and tumbling like waves on the shore. There was a storm, an attack, horrid creatures half goblin half octopus. Screams. A fight. Cold clammy hands around your throat.

The freezing waters. You were dragged over board. There were others, a handful of others. Peg Leg Larry, "Froggy", and Flat Harriet, yes they were there in the cold dark sea.

How long has it been?

Strange voices. Then the pain returns. The darkness returns.

Now where are you? You can hear waves lapping against stone. Its dark, but your eyes start to open, the pain around your throat is bad but worse is the pain on the back of your head.
Welcome Chanur to the game! This is his solo just for him.
Last edited by Vardaen on Wed Oct 22, 2014 7:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Book 1 - Act 2 - Man Overboard

Post by Chanur » Fri May 30, 2014 9:10 pm

Davok's eyes open slowly groggily. His throat is hurting as he reaches up for it unconsciously when the pain in the back of his head makes his vision swim. "Besmara's backside he mutters" A common pirate curse. He looks around the last few minutes of the attack coming back to him. "Did any of those salty dogs make it?" He asks no one but himself. Looking around if he doesn't see those freaks that captured them the big man tries to stand up wondering if his armor and weapons are still close. Standing 6 foot 4 inches Davok often towered over other men, he had the muscle to match the height. He cut an imposing figure. He has a thick black beard as is common with long days out to sea. He had never been on a sinking ship before. No The Sailors Serpent was his first. Perhaps the name really was cursed as so many cowards voiced. Davok tried to tell them , when its your time its your time. You have to carve a path while you have a chance. They often don't care for talk like that. Davok snaps back to now, perhaps the head wound is making him foggy. He looks around for escape and survivors.

Whats my status here. Equipment? What can I see?

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Re: Book 1 - Act 2 - Man Overboard

Post by Vardaen » Tue Jun 03, 2014 11:01 pm

Davok's eyes open slow, and he looks around. He's in a cave, the sound of lapping water is in his ears, cutting through the pain of his head where he was hit several tiimes. He's been stripped bare, and his hands and feet are bound with rope that looks to be made from seaweed. He can't see much since the cavern is unlit and its just pitch black in the room cause of it. A soft rippling glow of light from under some water across the room is visible.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Book 1 - Act 2 - Man Overboard

Post by Chanur » Wed Jun 04, 2014 2:34 am

Davoks head swims still in a lot of pain. He attempts to struggle with his usually considerable might trying to free his hands from its binding. He watches the light figuring that is where his captors would be.
Try to break free of the seaweed ropes around his hands. Chew my way out if I have too, seaweed is edible.

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Re: Book 1 - Act 2 - Man Overboard

Post by Vardaen » Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:55 pm

Dovoks struggles against his bonds, he tugs on them but they are woven too tightly, just like braided rope. So he manages to get his arms up in front of him and starts to chew. It tastes awful, as if it was treated with some chemical (in this case its sea cucumber urine) but he keeps at it, spitting and nearly throwing up he weakens the bond just enough and then breaks them. His legs still tied up he pause a moment.

Davok sits on a very slender piece of rock all around him is water, the tide marks on the wall make him think this is low tide giving a bit more land for him in the otherwise watery cave.
STR DC 14

13 Fail
6 Fail
18 Success
I had a brain fart on the mapping. The chamber is mosting water, at low tide so you are on the ground but pretty wet.

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"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Book 1 - Act 2 - Man Overboard

Post by Chanur » Fri Jun 06, 2014 7:42 pm

Davok finally free's his hands but is disgusted by what he has done and takes a moment to settle his stomach doing a bit of dry heaving. Once his stomach has settled he tries to free his legs. I need to get out of here...I need to find my shipmates and if not...I need revenge he thinks. When are those barnacles coming back? Davok thinks not soon he hopes.

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Re: Book 1 - Act 2 - Man Overboard

Post by Vardaen » Fri Jun 06, 2014 7:55 pm

Fighting with his stomach he manages to get himself under control, works on his leg bindings. With hands free he can untie and rip at and manages to free his legs in a few minutes. Head still pounding he starts to hear whispering noises, chatter in another part of the cave that is echoing about, but its impossible to figure out from where.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Chanur
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Re: Book 1 - Act 2 - Man Overboard

Post by Chanur » Fri Jun 06, 2014 8:10 pm

Davok hurls one more time before his stomach finally is under control. Climbing to his feet his muscles are cramped and sore and complain as he stands. Wobbling side to side he is unsteady on his feet a few moments reaching out his arm he braces himself as he waits for his head to stop swirling. Finally he tries to move around this cave as quietly as he can seeing whats in this cave.
I want to try and explore this cave before i try to swim anywhere. I'll be as quiet as i can though I am not a particularly stealthy guy.

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Re: Book 1 - Act 2 - Man Overboard

Post by Vardaen » Sat Jun 07, 2014 12:43 am

This cave is smaller, with a few various passages out. The ledge is loosing ground as the tide is starting to come in. Sea weed grows on the bottom of the cavern floor, and the water is dark and murky and without any light of his own Davok can't see much. He starts to explore the tunnels and finds strange pieces of 'art' tied to various parts of the cave. Partially eaten bone is decorated with strange scrimshaw and then tied together to create revolting 'sculptures' resembling lurking horrors and twisted sea creatures from the depths -- clearly products of sadistic and almost alien minds of those that captured him.

Voices can be heard from the passage behind Davok.
Right now its a Swim DC 10 to move as the tide is coming in. The water is 5-8 feet deep and getting deeper as the tide is coming in. Pick a passage.

You can hear sounds from the North passage where the dark spot is.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Chanur
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Re: Book 1 - Act 2 - Man Overboard

Post by Chanur » Sat Jun 07, 2014 12:58 am

Can I make out if the voices are saying anything i recognize?
Davok decides he must make a choice. Stumbling forward wanting out of this cave of horror he takes to the water. Moving towards the voices hoping its not his captors. Ready to die trying to escape if it is. Drowning or being eaten by these things is not something he wants."
Move towards the voices.

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