Book 2 - Act 1: Hiding the Evidence

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 2 - Act 1: Hiding the Evidence

Post by Vardaen » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:54 pm

Image We live by the grace of the sea, and we die by her wrath.
When she gives we celebrate, and when she takes we beg forgiveness.
But we never disparage her claims, for when she gives her gift, we gain life.
When she takes from us, we know we have mistreated her.
When we sail the open sea, we are in her embrace alone,
And we long for her to rock us to sleep
Instead of breaking our bodies against the rocks
Or taking our breath to the cold depths.
Gathered, we ask the sea to take our brother into her bosom
As she has taken his life from us.
May he be blessed, and the sea as well.
—Common passage from a sailor's funeral

Two days ago you mutintied on the Man's Promise slaying "Captain" Plugg and Master Scourge, who in turn had really stolen the ship from Captain Harrigan. You've gained your freedom from under the cat o'nine of Scourge and Plugg, but you are now the proud owners of Captain Harrigan's stolen ship.

Your first order of business after getting away from Bonewrack Isle is to 'squib' the Man's Promise turning her into a new ship, for all intents and purposes. Most ships that sail the Inner Sea region, such as the Man's Promise, were crafted by hand in shipyards throughout Avistan and Garund. Though ships of the same type are similar in attributes and size, they each have their own look and lines, which the practiced eye of an experienced sailor can recognize in the dark by the silhouette alone. Successfully stealing a ship and hiding it from its owners requires more than a name change and a new coat of paint—there must be a complete rebuild of the superstructures and rigging in order to change the way it looks. Such an overhaul is superficial in nature and changes none of a ship's characteristics, but it does give a ship a different appearance and lines so that even someone familiar with the original ship can only determine the falsehood after several minutes of careful study.

Changing the identity of a ship in such a way is not cheap and must be done in secret or word would quickly get out of the ship's new identity. Powerful Free Captains with their own home ports are able to do such modifications in their own private shipyards and dry docks, and captains with access to skilled carpenters and shipwrights among their crews often make such changes far out at sea away from the shipping lanes or while beached on some distant shore. But not everyone has access to those sorts of resources. As a result, a side industry of sorts has grown into existence at remote locations throughout the Shackles and just beyond its borders, where captains can find discreet craftspeople willing to do the work quickly and with the promise of silence for the right price.

So, you've set course for a place known as Rickety's Squibs. A secluded dry dock where you might just be able to get your ship "Squibbed" so it can truly be yours. Kroop knows the place, or knows of it, and with what other information you've been able to scrap together from your own sea knowledge and from the crew like from Rosie and Sandara you are sailing along the Slithering Coast east. The last few days you've had a bearing of north by northeast traveling with the coast along your port side (north)
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Welcome to Book 2!!! We can get some general posting in and then we'll sail into Rickety Squibs and start the new adventure. Please sort out the Loot and the Level Ups.

A great part of this chapter will be as open as the ocean. You will be able to sail for plunder and infamy, be pirates, and earn your place among them. It will require some PC Driven desires, similar to Kingmaker exploration. There is a story going on, but you will be 'off the rails' for a good portion.

Knowledge Check: Success All + NPCS

Another obstacle (perhaps the most important) remains, however—the matter of sailing within the Shackles. Even if the PCs manage to remake the Man's Promise into a new vessel that will not be recognized by Captain Harrigan or his associates, they still face the prospect of being a new ship into pirate waters with no reputation to back them up. The Free Captains of the Shackles have a name for this sort of vessel: prey. Unless the PCs want to constantly fend off attacks from their fellow freebooters, they have to make a name for themselves as pirates along the fringes of the Shackles first in order to be accepted and respected as peers among the other Free Captains.
Last edited by Vardaen on Thu Apr 02, 2015 8:14 pm, edited 2 times 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 2 - Act 1: Piracy on the Fever Sea

Post by Hayabusa » Thu Oct 23, 2014 9:48 pm

For the most part Aya has stuck to a position on the aft deck near the wheel only occasionally walking the ship's deck during the day. Unlike the previous captain of the Man's Promise she certainly does not forbid any activity in the evening, happily joining anyone for dance or song or even a game although the former are more of her kind of entertainment. In any case, she trusts her friends enough not to interfere with their tasks, a bit more wary about the crew that was going to kill them if they got the chance before. Instead the kitsune rather joins the company of Toruk and Kroop in the galley to spend time with her undine lover and also to learn as much about their destination from Kroop as she can and he knows. At least during the time when she's not standing on the aft deck during the majority of the day.

And this is just what she does know: Eyes on the horizon and along the coast, hoping to spot their destination.
Sweeeeeet!

Time to get to piratin' then. :D
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Re: Book 2 - Act 1: Piracy on the Fever Sea

Post by Eilandor » Thu Oct 23, 2014 10:03 pm

Over the course of the last few days Toruk has been busy attending to the tasks he agreed to help out with. The ghoul fever, which hindered him for a time has now fully subsided. He spends most of his time assisting Kroop in the galley, then occasionally makes rounds inspecting the ship, especially where repairs were made. The Undine looks forward to the times Aya makes her way to the galley to spend some time with him. It's already a different feel around the ship and one that he could get used to. On one particular visit, "Aya, please be cautious around those that were not with us until the take over. One can never be to careful, it is still a pirate ship after all." He smiles at the fair Kitsune, "Oh, and I will personally see to it, that your rations are free from harm."
Number Two: "You are number six."
Number Six: "I am not a number, I am a free man!"
Number Two: "Muh ha ha ha ha!"

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Re: Book 2 - Act 1: Piracy on the Fever Sea

Post by Hayabusa » Fri Oct 24, 2014 12:04 am

"Aye, that it is," Aya replies, smiling back to Toruk. "It's not like I'm going to put blind faith into them in any case. They tried to get us killed pretty much from the start on the Wormwood, even fought us when we took the ship. Do you think it'd be a wise idea to just let them go when we reach Rickety's Squibbs? We surely can't just roam around though. At least not until we got a battle-hardened crew around us too. A couple wrong words in the wrong ears and we might just see Harrigan's jolly roger one day too soon. Oh, and if you have a couple minutes there's that skull we found, the whale one with all the inscribed spells on it. It might be worth to mount that somewhere on the main deck so we can get to it if we need it and don't have to lug it around everywhere."

During one of the very first days the kitsune looks for Rod, assuming that he has checked every nook and cranny on the soon-to-be-renamed Man's Promise to take stock of what they have and more importantly what they still need. "How're we supplied, Rod?" She asks. "Do you think there's something we have to invest that is absolutely necessary? Or can we spend everything on fancy clothes and gambling?"

Of course what keeps a ship running is its crew so especially during the early time she converses with Maggie to find out how the crew's doing, those who stood with and stood against them for some time. Aya is quite sure that they'll need more hands aboard and intends to recruit some as soon as possible but she wants to see what the priestess thinks first. "How're they all doing, Maggie?" Aya inquires from her first mate. "I assume there's no one who needs a keelhauling just yet."

She does not forget their most recent addition to the crew as well, speaking with Davok. While they did well in their first fight to procure their very own ship it may be different if some eager rival pirate sets his eyes on their own. So being sure that everyone on the ship is ready for a fight is just as important as any other issue. "Hey, you're an accomplished and well-versed combatant. I admit that I am not. However, it may be worthwile to get some lessons when it comes to fightin' on a ships deck. So if you have some time left over at some point, I could use a couple of pointers," the bard says to the large man.
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Re: Book 2 - Act 1: Piracy on the Fever Sea

Post by Grimbold » Fri Oct 24, 2014 11:58 pm

When the Promise sets sail, Rod immediately goes to his job: He finds out who was responsible for storage before and takes him on a tour of the ship. He tries to obtain all keys to the different cabins, holds, crates and so on, especially the captain's cabin (captain' storage) and officer's storage. If he suspects traps, he will take Maggie along (if she has time).

Then he looks through the holds to determine what supplies they have stored (food, water, weapons, spare parts, like ropes, tools whatever) and other things. He makes a list where everything is stored and tries to find out if it might be stored in a better way. He also sees to it that the looted valuables are locked away safely. All extra weapons are put into the armoury (like the cat-o-nine-tails, if no one claims it, or the weapons of the other dead crewmen).

Also, he has someone clean up the officer's cabin and the captain's cabin to get them ready for use by the new officers (and throws away any junk Plugg and his men might have left.)

Later, he hands over the keys to the captain's cabin to Aya. "The keys to your castle, Aya." Then he reports his findings on the supply status to Aya.

All the while, whenever he sees Maggie, he gives her a smile and a smirky wink and once he even tries to kiss her.
I am assuming that Aya (and maybe Toruk) will sleep in the Captain's Cabin and Rod, Maggie, Davok and Sandara will share the officer's cabin.
Edited: Added Davok in my cabin array spoiler.
Last edited by Grimbold on Sun Oct 26, 2014 1:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Book 2 - Act 1: Piracy on the Fever Sea

Post by Hayabusa » Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:32 am

"Nice. Thank you, Rod. And if you need a bit more privacy with Maggie," Aya winks to the man. "Then the cabin's open for you two too. Just tell me before so I don't stumble into a hot mess. Or maybe I'd like that..." The kitsune looks like she thinks really hard about it for a moment. "In any case, back to the Banshee. Find anything unusual?"
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Re: Book 2 - Act 1: Piracy on the Fever Sea

Post by Grimbold » Sat Oct 25, 2014 8:25 pm

Later, Rod comes up to Aya again. "Well, we do have a good supply of food and (now) water. Tools and spare parts are also there, but not a lot. We have no other cargo, and we only have very few weapons. But I found this" He shows Aya the magic grapple. "Kroop had it in the kitchen and gave it to me as a sign of loyalty." Then he beckons her towards her cabin. "Yeah, I might take the offer to use your cabin some time. And about stumbling in on us, yeah, I am sure you would like that." He grins. "But unless Maggie agrees to it, I will absolutely stay faithful to her. She is my true love and I will not let her down. ... But look what Maggie and I have found."

He leads her to the cabin and to a chest. "It was trapped but Maggie disarmed it. And voilà!" He throws open the chest and it is full of gold and valuables that Plugg had stored away.

After a moment, he says: "I believe this is what Plugg was supposed to use to pay the refitting of the ship. And now it is ours."
V told me it is worth two points of plunder.

Rod would like the grapple hook but just say if you would like it first.

V: Cargo and supplies: I am just assuming the amount of food and supplies, so correct me if there is anything wrong.

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Re: Book 2 - Act 1: Piracy on the Fever Sea

Post by Hayabusa » Sat Oct 25, 2014 8:38 pm

"So basically an empty hold we can fill with plunder from anything we can capture," Aya replies and follows Rod. Wondering if what they found so far can be made into money or traded in for anything they need she continues. "Might be it's all been loaded onto the Wormwood after we fought for it and caught it. Well, we gotta invest some of our coin to stock the armory. It'd be helpful if you could see what kinds of weapons we need then," she shrugs at the mention Maggie and Rod's love. "I'm not intending to break up you two, nor ask or demand you'd be unfaithful. It's all about exploring. At least for me," the kitsune adds with a grin as they get to the chest.

"Bloody hell! How did he have a whole chest full of that all the time and we didn't know it yet?" She looks surprised though of course glad to have found some more riches. Making a mental note to thank Maggie for cracking it open Aya adds. "Might as well use it for our own purposes. Hey, you recall the code, right? Finder gets the first pick."
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Re: Book 2 - Act 1: Piracy on the Fever Sea

Post by Trogdor » Mon Oct 27, 2014 9:17 pm

Maggie spends her time with the rigging. Much to the dismay of everyone on the ship, she says that a good thing they can do to hide who they are is to change the rigging. "Besides," she adds, "I don't like the way they rigged this ship. I'll bet I can get another knot out of her with a few changes." She also has a few other thoughts about how they can change the cut of the sails, move some of the rails, build out the quarter deck by a foot, change the paint job, and make a few other modifications that will make her look like a whole new ship.

"We might want to be careful around The Man's Promise, Maggie says in an off-hand way when the treasure is found. "Not that we wouldn't anyway. But there's one place I can think that Plugg could've found that money. And I don't think that Captain Harrigan would be happy with that."
Maggie has Profession: Sailor, Craft: Carpenter, Craft: Sail, and Disguise. I'm hoping she can do a bit to disguise the ship.

I'll bet Plugg stole the chest of loot from Captain Harrigan.

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Rickety's Squibs: Headland

Post by Vardaen » Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:06 pm

After the Wormwood took the Man's Promise, the officers were given a cut of the plunder. This is Mr. Plugg's share of it. :)

2 Points of Plunder, been added to the sheet. Its mostly coins, and jewelry and the like that fits in a chest. Not all plunder will be like this, but this chest is.
Maggie works the tops and the rigging, coming down to help Rod with the trapped chest in Plugg's former quarters. There are many thing she would do to change the ship, but time and supplies are limited, so for now she does what she can.

The Man's Promise is sailing along the coast, the jungle to the port side. For a day now you've been searching the coast for Rickety's Squibs, and from all you can gather it must be around here someplace.

Rounding the tall headland reveals a hidden cove at the mouth of a wide jungle river, its sluggish brown waters staining the waters of the blue sea like an ugly bruise. A series of docks has been built upon this estuary, with buildings concealed beneath the overhanging limbs of the jungle beyond. A wooden watchtower stands upon the promontory of the headland, carefully concealed among the trees to provide a clandestine view of the seas.

As the Man's Promise sails past the headland, a checkered flag of yellow and red is raised above the tower on the promontory, and an answering flag of blue is hoisted upon a yardarm at the docks ahead.

The shouts from the crows nest draws everyone on dock and to the bow.
"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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