It's not much longer until Goblin Steamship #749 is chugging into the distance and the White Cliff is cruising out of the Calm. The transition from the still waters around Lssthp and into the active weather of the Hic Sunt is subtle, but for the first time the sails begin to bell out and white-capped waves begin to slap at the stern. Overhead, the chaotic stars begin to dance closer and more frenetically, with the quiet, stable constellations shifting into the background. Cauda coils herself around the helm and begins the subtle and precise navigation to Baratano.
You pass one full round of shifts and are rising for the third day at sea when small rocks and islets begin to appear. Before long, the hills of Baratano begin to rise over the dim horizon, lively with lamplight and campfires. As the ship draws closer, the first local ships appear; no obvious pirates yet, but fishing canoes carrying bullywugs and their spears, and then one of the graceful, slim inter-island sailing ships of the Hic Sunt glides past, the metallic dragonborn crew playing the wind like an instrument.
Spoiler: The Grin
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On the eastward, mountainous side of Baratano lies the quartet of peaks called the Grin. The highest point in the region, these peaks have been the home to a succession of copper dragons who have called Baratano home, often slain as a preliminary stage of destroying the pirate haven, but always replaced.
Spoiler: Pierholt
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A port built out more on piers and bridges than the islands themselves, Pierholt is homebase for both honest traders of the Hic Sunt and the pirates of the Flagless Fleet. Innumerable taverns, chandler's shops, flyby night dealers and open-air brothels operate on the edge of between indoor and outdoor, land and sea. A military ship would never survive making landfall here, but privateers as always are an edge case. Don't start nothing, won't be nothing.
Spoiler: Frogtown
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Frogtown is a collection of impoverished villages on the southern West Horn where the bullywugs and grung of Baratano live, displaced by the reptilian sailors who cluster in Pierholt and settlers who occupy the more fertile and sheltered lands to the north. They live on fish, memory, and spite.
Cauda guides the ship between the the scattered and broken islands of West Horn and the rising, spiky peaks of East Horn, towards the tangled forest of masts known as Pierholt. The Captain addresses her officers as the ship makes anchor.
"All right, folks. We'll try to make our stop here quick, but I'm hungry to find some trace of Trionyx and what aid he might have acquired. He might not have landed in Pierholt proper, but if he wanted supplies or a place to rest or to find a new ship he must have passed through. The troglodyte on the goblin ship met him there, at least."
"Mr. Achelous and I will stay with the ship; we stink too much of the navy for these folk. Tegu will be taking on supplies for us, and Kabett healing up our mount. Cauda... is better served on the ship."
"I want the rest of you to get out there and hunt for the trail. Mr. Fork, trust your nose. Mr. Ttharg, I know you know these waters -- you can steer the others right. Mr. Pamphilius, maybe there's some magical trace to be found. Take Siduri if you think she can help you."
She turns to Nibum. "Mr. Nibum, I know perfectly well you'd rather stay onboard and finish patching up the ship, but you've got a keen eye and unusual tools. I'd like you to take a peek too. The four of you..." She trails off. "I'm hoping the four of you can stir something up. If all else fails, we can approach Shanidar, the dragon of these islands, but he'll be touchy. I'd rather see what we can turn up in Pierholt before we try the Grin."
Locations in Pierholt for Investigation or Social Checks:
Spoiler: The Corsair's Rest Inn
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A renowned tavern where pirates and privateers gather to share tales, recruit crew members, and seek out lucrative jobs. It's a hub of information about the chaotic waters and potential raids.
Spoiler: Wyvern's Roost
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A less popular tavern for those who want to avoid scoundrels or keep a low profile; built on a high bridge that affords a panoramic view of the chaotic waters and nearby islands, serving as a lookout post and a beacon for ship's entering the crescent.
Spoiler: Captain's Court
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An open-air forum where disputes among pirate crews are settled, alliances formed, and bounties proclaimed. It's a place where the code of the sea is enforced and respected... but the mood and interpretation of the code can change wildly from day to day based on who is dominating the crowd.
Spoiler: The Gilded Galleon
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A permanently docked ship/casino where gambling, high-stakes games, and clandestine deals take place, attracting both fortune-seekers and trouble.
Spoiler: The Platinum Spring
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Many islands across the Hic Sunt are marked with a platinum spring, a shrine dedicated to Bahamut as god of the sea. Adventurers might seek blessings or guidance here before embarking on perilous voyages. Located just outside Pierholt proper to the north.
Re: Privateers of Lssthp II [IC]
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