Investigate the Pirates to the West

Participants: Vhel, Gilro Ward, Zinlynndise Imare

Location(s): Greyspine Mountains, Pirate Cove in that region

Vhel's full report can be found here. 

Short summary:

After discovering a piece of text describing some manner of pirates, a group was dispatched to investigate. Their journey brought them to the Greyspine Mountains, where they met a talking goat creature wearing a top-hat, who asked for directions. Lynn nicknamed him 'Sir Goat', and the party showed him a way to the Shorepines. Next, while wandering through the mists, they encountered the 'Harlequin', a mysterious masked salesman who sold cursed but discounted merchandise, and also accepted souls as currency. 

In the Greyspine Mountains, the party found an illusory wall that led deeper into the earth. After a number of shenanigans, they encountered the aforementioned Bugbear pirates and managed to parley with them somewhat peacefully, though there was tension. Their Captain, Gorgotha, shared some information with them, thanked them for showing her the way out (they weren't aware of the hidden tunnel), and then revealed herself to be a Gorgon, before trying to petrify the party to prevent it from revealing the location of the cave to anyone. With some luck and reckless selflessness, the party managed to escape and Recall back to First Landing. 

Full report:

Vhel’s writing is small and cramped, as usual.

I am grateful I have a chance to write this report at all. I had almost lost my life, I think. I shall get to that, though.

Myself, Gilro Ward, and Zinlynndise (Lynn) all agreed to strike out and investigate the aforementioned ‘pirates’ that a letter a prior expedition found mentioned. The weather was cold and windy, so we had to bundle ourselves in proper clothes for the journey. At first, it was also extremely foggy, but Lynn being privy to her druidic order’s secrets could see through it clearly. Quickly enough, we stumbled onto a strange mystical hut in the fog.

We agreed to approach it, it had signage in words we could not read. Inside was a strange creature running a shop, completely covered in capes and mantles and scarves and gloves, and wearing a porcelain mask. He spoke with telepathic truespeak, and introduced themself as ‘Harlequin’.

He sold us magic items at a fairly discounted price, but they all seem afflicted with a magical curse of some sort, minor and petty. The Wayfinder Gilro purchased, for instance, causes a few inches of hair to grow in a new color. The Talismans I purchased dazzle you or hex you with brief misfortune. I am sure that when reverse-engineering these items and working out their magical formulae I can create a version lacking these curses appended to them with a bit of work.

Harlequin said that he traded in souls as well. A dubious practice, one mostly reserved for infernal creatures like Devils. I recommend against such transactions if you value your afterlife.

We continued our travel in the biting cold through the hills, and met a talking goat-like creature. It wore a tall hat and monocle, and spoke Sylvan (if my limited knowledge of that language’s eccentricities are correct). The goat seemed to want directions. Lynn engaged it in a game of charades, and made use of her magics to create images paired with words to create a quick weak translation for us to talk to the goat in.

We determined it wished to find a forest, so we directed it to the Shorepines after showing it where we were on the map. He seemingly gave us a coin each for our troubles, and went along his way.

Lynn called them ‘Sir Goat’.

Here Vhel makes a depiction of the goat piece. It is a coin sporting a lithe, royal profile.

A windstorm blew in, but we continued our work. Eventually we managed to find the pirate ship, which looked ancient. It was crusted with salt and lacked sails, likely not going anywhere. I happened to find an illusory wall on the first mountain of the Greyspine range, and found a cave as a result.

We snuck through it until we heard pirate sea shanties being sung in a language none of us comprehended, which I now take to be Goblin. A giant slab of wood was covering the exit from the cave to the pirates' cove and hideout. Lynn decided it best to shout at them and give away our position, seemingly, believing peaceable negotiations to be likely.

I disagree with the methodology, but there’s little to do for it.

Eventually after some back and forth, we learned they drew weapons and aimed them at the slab, apparently expecting us to ambush them.

One of said weapons is sketched here, a whole ass -gun-.

Apparently that wooden slab was a shelf for drinks and bottles, as we later discovered their side had an illusory wall too, and did not know they could exit the cave onto the mainland.

They then began moving the shelf, we considered making a note and leaving. I attempted to shout the universal gesture for desiring peace talks, that being ‘parley’. They understood it, even in Common, despite not knowing Common. They agreed to parley. 

It was revealed they were Bugbear pirates. Four of them were present. I took a guess and attempted to speak Orcish to them, which they reacted to violently, assuming I myself might be an orc given they could not see me.  They understood the language though, and could speak back in it, giving me a method of communication. 

I defused the situation, and continued.  

They brought me and the others to their captain to parley. They made a firm warning for Lynn to not conjure any magic. Their vice-captain seems very superstitious of curses and hexes and the like. The Captain, who I later learned was named Gorgotha, was in a fairly elegant room. The hideout was fairly labyrinthe, but included is the best map I could make of what I’ve seen.

The rough map of the path the party took along to get to the captain is included, as well as whatever other paths Vhel saw with notes of any objects of interest her keen investigatory eyes noted.

Their flag/standard was a skull with a serpent going between the eye sockets. The captain seemed unfamiliar with the Goddess Besmara. The Captain assumed that I was Fey, apparently never having met a Ysoki before. She insisted I was a strange bizarre novel creature as an intelligent talking rat. I declined to argue the point at the time. She expressed hatred and distrust over the Orcs (‘greenskins’, she called them). Apparently the notion I might be a spy for them inspired great distrust.

Apparently the pirates have explored ‘all on this world’ but a few certain islands, and speculated I might be one of them. When I half-lied and said our ‘ship’ was in the northeast, she seemed surprised. Figured we had a problem with ‘the dragon’. She described it as a marine dragon, and described it as intelligent, but I’ve read a fair bit on this subject before. To my knowledge what she was describing was closer to a Sea Serpent, a mythical, non-intelligent beast of terrifying intensity and power.  

Following is a sketch of the W A T E R Y B O Y E in question.

It had wrecked their sails, and stranded them in that cove. She thanked me for finding them a way out, but said she would be taking us prisoner since we know the location of their hideout, and wanted to keep it secret.

Naturally, I declined such an offer.  

As I was beginning to Recall with the other two, Gorgotha revealed her true nature, a Hobgoblin with snakes for hair and wicked snake eyes. She began to force me to stare into her eyes, where I felt a petrifying sensation creep into my limbs. My fortitude was tested and found wanting as I became slowed and I attempted to retreat to give them something to chase, and the others a chance to run. Gilro did, but Lynn, bless her foolish heart, decided to stay and try to save me anyway.

The Vice shot at us while the Captain continued to try and petrify me, but Lynn blessedly was able to help me Recall to safety. 

Thankfully, despite being afflicted by the beginnings of the Captain’s curse, Lynn managed to escape as well, and we had fled with our lives intact.

Included is an updated map of the region, including the location of the pirate’s hideout. Please be extremely wary when engaging their Captain, as her gaze is powerful, intense, and potentially lethal. Knowing Goblin or Orcish may help in communicating, but given their violent reaction to us trying to leave, I doubt they are peaceable enough to warrant long-term negotiations with, and should be eradicated for everyone’s safety as soon as is possible. 

As always, should anyone have questions as to the contents of the report, I shall be glad to answer them. 

- Vhel

The location of the cove and ship on the map is attached.