Here There Be Pirates!

Campaign Synopsis¶

Set beyond the Skyshear Mountains, the Sunset Isles are a wonderland of beautiful islands, rich in resources and adventure. The people living there carved out little nooks of civilization, spreading to the different islands and setting down roots. Over time, each settlement developed its own culture and identity, distinct from the others but ultimately harmonious. The mainland towns and the islands shared their trade, letting the people in this area prosper.

But there is always someone out there who wants what you have. 20 years ago, the Dread Pirate Lord's fleets sailed in from the west, and aimed to make the Sunset Isles their own. His forces were ruthless and strong, taking life and plunder with delight and dread efficiency. The previously peaceful people of the Isles eventually took up arms and managed to kill the Dread Pirate Lord and stop his invasion, but at great cost. Their previously prosperous nation was broken, with many historical sites burned to the ground. Countless lives were lost, and the Sunset Isles are still suffering the predations of his lieutenants. Still, hope has rekindled as many people they can eventually return to the peaceful life they once had.

Resources¶

• World Map
• Roll20 link
• Visual Aid
• Player Soundboard
• Calendar
• Downtime Activities

Historical Timeline¶

• 1521: The Dread Pirate Lord's fleet sails into the Sunset Isles and invades their first island.
• 1522: The Dread Pirate Lord controls or has decimated half the islands in the Sunset Isles. He has started making assaults on the mainland.
• 1523: The Knights of Twilight are established, to gather together all able-bodied warriors in the Sunset Isles.
• 1524: The first victory against the Dread Pirate Lord is achieved, driving him out of one island.
• 1525: The Dread Pirate Lord's forces are pushed back, routed from many of their holdings throughout the isle.
• 1526: The Knights of Twilight meet the Dread Pirate Lord in battle in his own fortress. He is killed, his head removed from his body, and his belongings tossed into the sea. His remaining forces split, each of his lieutenants taking their own ships and setting out on their own.
• 1546: Present day

Notes¶

• The islands range from inhabited to wild to overrun with pirates. In general, the farther west you go, the more dangerous it is.
• Four different pirate fleets roam the Sunset Isles, fighting amongst each other as much as they plunder the remaining settlements of the Sunset Isles.
• The Knights of Twilight patrol the mainland, and some of the nearest islands, hunting down and swiftly executing pirates. And sometimes other criminals.
• The people of the Sunset Isles are generally very hostile to any talk of the Dread Pirate Lord that doesn't paint him as an irredeemable monster. But in recent years, some grumblings have arisen speaking out against the common thought.

Meet the Gang!¶

Koya¶

• Born 3rd of 11 children
• Father died when she was young
• Mother and most of her siblings died in a storm
• One of her other siblings was sacrificed by the village priest to end a famine
• Blamed for the storm and famine
• Two older siblings are out in the world somewhere
• Took on a druid mentor, but the mentor died protecting her
• Lived alone outside Roughwater

Rek¶

• Born the youngest of six children in a shitty nest on a cliff
• Runty, small, always wanted to be someone else
• Joined a merchant ship to see the world
• Pissed off a Neutral Evil (DM's choice race) Paladin, injured them, and earned an enemy for life

Azurhel¶

• Born in a deep gnome clan sanctuary
• Deep gnome life is dangerous, so all deep gnome children learn spellcasting
• Single child, but big family
• Lost father to cave collapse while foraging for magical stones (suspicion is the nearby dwarves did it)
• Exiled from clan for reasons he doesn't know
• Met wandering human merchant who turned out to be a Monk with a Vow of Passivity
• Was in a battle and came away with no scars, but applies a fake scar anyway, because scars are cool

Salvia¶

• Born to a large, happy halfling family in the Shaded Forest
• Had a happy childhood, enjoyed wandering the forest
• Decided to go wandering when he came of age
• Met a traveling merchant who told him about a hidden ruins with a great treasure inside
• The merchant taught him all about being a rogue
• He snuck into the ruins and emerged unscathed and rich af
• The merchant got drunk with him, then took off in the middle of the night with nearly all the treasure
• He has now sworn vengeance on the merchant and is honing his rogue-ish skills in preparation for his revenge

Campaign Log¶

Session 6 (2022-07-18)¶

• Started on the 20th of Alturik, as fresh Level 3s.
• Xanner told the party that the guards and Knights of Twilight are out in force, after their murder in broad twilight.
• He recommended they stay hidden while the heat died down.
• With Xanner's help, the party took up a number of downtime activities over the next several days:
• Zoya attended religious services, attempting to strike up some relationships, but struck out.
• Azurhel created a bangle with a roughcut sapphire as the main gem.
• Rek played his luck at cards and dice at the back tables of the Mermaid's Kiss, but got cleaned out.
• Salvia attempted to rob a merchant's cart, but nearly got caught by the Knights of Twilight.
• A kindly old lady Tortle stepped in and distracted the Knights long enough for Salvia to get away.
• The next day, Marnie the Tortle... ahem, I mean Tuga, the Paladin of Conquest approached the party and asked to join.
• Turns out, she's an old crew member of the Dread Pirate Lord, and wants to "help the next generation get their foot in the door".
• On the 1st of Ches, Xanner gave the party a job: To deliver a crate of fine wines, exotic candy, and 3 doses of "Binge" to One-Eyed Jacko on Pleasure Island. The party will get 250 gp as a delivery fee.
• They managed to charter a ride from the Bonnie Mistress, captained by Yendan Snazzyfeet. Since he was the only captain willing to take them on under the nose of the Knights of Twilight.
• On the 2nd of Ches, the party hid themselves during the pre-trip inspection, and managed to sneak out of Lord's Landing safely on the 28th of Alturik.
• The ship was becalmed for a few hours during the trip, during which the party played some Liar's Dice and Azurhel won the pot.
• As Pleasure Island came into view, Yendan and his crew turned on the party! Dun dun DUNNNN!

GM Notes