At dawn, the ship weighed anchor, and continued its voyage west, through Misty Lake, a short stretch of river, another small lake, then the main channel of the river again. They passed by the village of Padstow, and continued sailing.
Late that afternoon, a crewman spotted a ship following them! “Captain!” the crewman called out. “Ship astern, 400 yards and closing!”
Captain Elwood, a very skilled sailor, decided to find out who was on the approaching ship. “Aye, and if they’re looking for a fight, maybe they’ll find one,” he added.
Gusty east winds drove the other ship rapidly toward the Desperate Venture, which was holding its position. At 1100 feet distance, the captain ordered all crew to battle stations. Arya climbed up into the crow’s nest for a better view. As it approached, she could see that it was a square-rigged longship, with many oarsmen and many warriors.
The other ship continued to close. At 120 feet, it made its intentions clear: a ballista shot barely missed the Desperate Venture! “Return fire!” Elwood ordered. His artillerist was more accurate, and damaged the opposing ship’s rigging.
Kronk and Strife moved up to the sterncastle of the Desperate Venture, but were forced to duck to avoid an incoming barrage of longbow fire that did heavy damage to the ship’s rigging. From the crow’s nest, Arya shot at the nearest crewman of the raiding ship, but missed. Nine of Elwood’s crewmen launched a return barrage. They did enough damage to take down the raiders’ rigging!
Undeterred, the raiders deployed oars and continued to approach. More arrows from the raiders flew, but missed their targets. But then, Kronk cried out as two magic missiles struck him! He staggered down the stair from the sterncastle, severely wounded!
“Fire at will!” Captain Elwood ordered. Ten shots from the crew killed two of the enemy oarsmen.
The pirates continued to close, and were now within a shiplength of the Desperate Venture.
Two crewmen were seriously wounded by arrows. Balefire and Arya returned fire, striking two enemy rowers.
Magic missiles flew from the fingers of Pelleas, the Desperate Venture’s ship’s sorcerer. They struck and seriously wounded one of the pirates–apparently, the pirate captain!
The wounded pirates quaffed potions, apparently for healing. Two of the pirate crew grab hold of sheets, prepare to swing over to board the adventurers’ vessel. Two others loaded grapple-firing crossbows.
A ray of flame from the pirate vessel struck the Desperate Venture’s rigging! Ropes were set afire. Shrieks of laughter from the pirate vessel could be heard coming from . . . a woman! The raiders’ ship’s wizard appeared to be young, female–and very beautiful!
Balefire and Strife shot at the raiders with the grappling crossbows. Both pirates fell to the adventurers’ shots. Arya, seeing Kronk in distress, climbed down from the crow’s nest and attended to his wounds.
But taking out the grappling crossbows wasn’t enough–other raiders swung grappling hooks and hooked the Desperate Venture. The pirates swarmed onto and over the ship’s rails. Hand-to-hand combat was on!
Pirates and crewmen engaged each other. Captain Elwood battered one of the pirates with his morningstar. The pirate swung back, wounding the captain slightly.
Strife fired an arrow at the pirate’s wizard. “Woman or not, she’s got to be taken out,” he thought. The arrow struck the beautiful caster and drew copious amounts of blood. She shrieked in pain, then blasted back at Strife with more magic missiles. The range was seriously wounded. “Get that one!” she shouted, then took cover behind the raiding vessel’s port side astern.
Kronk swung at another pirate, slashing him with his longsword. Arya was less successful, and missed her target with a two-handed mace swing.
The injured pirate captain called out orders in a strange language, then tried to bull-rush one of the crewmen over the side. The crewman stoutly resisted the captain’s attempt.
Captain Elwood, however, recognized the language as Ancient Baklunish (more particularly, the Ket dialect thereof), and cried out, “Watch out! They’re trying to flank us!”
As the battle raged, another pirate jumped from the longship onto the adjacent rail of the freight vessel, preparing to enter the melee.
Another pirate bull-rushed Arya. She was forced back and over the side! Heroically, she swam all the way back to the boat.
The pirate captain took another blow from Elwood’s crew. Balefire flanked a pirate and struck an effective blow. Pelleas tried to flank another pirate, but missed badly even so. “Sorcerers shouldn’t be in melee,” he thought to himself. Even Thurl joined in the battle. His crossbow shot wounded another pirate.
One of the longship’s officers–the adventurers heard him referred to as “Ban”–jumped into the melee. The crewman he swung at managed to duck.
On the longship, one of the remaining pirates grabbed a sheet and prepared to swing over onto the Desperate Venture. The remaining officer on the longship repositioned aft of the mainmast, to get a better line of sight to the pirates’ targets, and to improve his position when he chose to cross over and join the melee.
Captain Elwood dropped one of the pirates, then fended off a new foe: the pirate who swung over from the longship, swinging a scimitar. Elwood ducked just in time. Another pirate fell to a crewman’s attack. Strife jumped down to the main deck from the sterncastle, looking for a way out of the battle to try to heal his injuries.
Meanwhile, on the longship, the ship’s wizard quaffed a potion of cure light wounds, while she remained behind cover.
In the river, Arya tried climbing back up onto the ship, failed. She was soon joined by another crewman, as the pirate captain bullrushed another crewman over the side! The crewman was quickly able to swim back to the port side of the ship, near Arya.
A pirate tried to bullrush Balefire back. The rogue resisted, but to no avail. He was pushed back toward the sterncastle. He thrust at the pirate with his rapier, but missed. But Pelleas moved up to flank the pirate. This time, his attack found its mark, and the pirate took a slight wound.
Still another crewman went over the side, as Ban bullrushed him into the river. Thurl reacted with a crossbow shot at Ban, but the bolt missed its target.
One of the pirates called out, “Heya, Lipot!” as the second officer swung into battle. Lipot’s critical rapier thrust pierced the heart of another crewman, who fell dead to the deck. Across the deck, Kronk’s delayed attack wounded another pirate.
Meanwhile, a crewman found a thirty-foot section of rope among the wreckage of the ship’s rigging, and threw it over the port side so that Arya could reach it.
The pirates and the ship’s crew continued to battle each other.
Having ducked the swinging pirate’s scimitar, Captain Elwood brought his morning star down on the pirate’s head. The pirate collapsed to the deck with crushed skull. As the dead pirate fell, another rushed up to Elwood and drew blood with a slash of his scimitar. Ban ran up as well. The officer’s blow missed. Suddenly, he cried out, as Thurl’s crossbow bolt wounded him severely.
Strife, still wounded, retreated to the ship’s hold.
Back in the drink, Arya tried to grab the rope, but again failed to climb back up onto the ship. The crewman in the river nearby had the same difficulty.
Suddenly, a crewman was hurled over the starboard side of the Desperate Venture and landed on his back on the deck of the longship. The pirate captain had thrown another sailor off the ship! The crewman appeared to be dead.
The raider wounded by Pelleas turned around and tried to bullrush Pelleas toward the bow of ship, but the sorcerer managed to hold his ground. Pelleas swung back, wounding the raider. Balefire’s rapier wounded his opponent again. The pirate was gravely wounded now.
Above the melee, there was a sudden shout. “All aboard the longship!” cried Kronk. He grabbed a loose sheet, as did another other crewman. Both successfully swung across to land on the deck of the pirate vessel. Another crewman jumped across. One crewman tried but failed.
Seeing this reverse assault, one of the pirates also jumped back to his ship, landing next to the supine crewman. Meanwhile, Lipot and another pirate flanked a crewman. Lipot’s rapier thrust wounded the crewman.
Captain Elwood rushed to engage the leader of the pirates that had assailed his ship. His mace battered the pirate captain. Undeterred, the pirate captain warned Elwood. “I suggest you surrender now, before more of you die,” advised the pirate leader. “It will only cost you 3/4 of your cargo!”
Then, before Elwood could reply, the pirate captain bullrushed him overboard! Ban got in an opportunistic blow as Elwood was driven over the side. The nearby raiders cheered. “Way to get him wet, Arpad!” “That’s showin’ the bloke!” they roared.
While the two captains battled, and pirates and crewman meleed wildly, Arya tried once more to climb up the rope and back onto the ship. Finally, she succeeded! She regained the deck and looked for Strife, who still needed healing. Other crewmen continued to tread water, while another on deck threw an additional line to them.
As the battle raged, Balefire moved to the port side of the Desperate Venture, preparing to board the longship. Another crewman jumped down to the deck from the sterncastle.
A pirate attacked Pelleas, but missed. “Ban! Help me out here!” he called out to the officer. Ban was busy, however. He thrust his rapier at Thurl and pierced the merchant, drawing blood. Thurl swung back with his mace, battering the pirate’s sword arm.
A crewman ran up to support Thurl. Pelleas had a better idea. He cast scare on the pirates attacking Thurl. Ban was not easily daunted, but the other pirate promptly fled, and jumped back onto the deck of the longship. As he landed, one of the crewman greeted him with a sword thrust. The pirate was able to dodge the attack, despite his fear.
On the longship, a crewman flanked and slew one of the pirates. Lipot, in turn, swung at the crewman, but missed.
Kronk and another crewman assaulted a pirate, both inflicting minor wounds. The pirate did more damage in return to the crewman. Another raider joined the fight in support of his embattled companion.
Aboard the longship, Kronk’s companion dispatched the pirate they had both been fighting. The half-orc then turned to the second pirate and smote him a powerful blow.
Meanwhile, Strife still kept his place in the hold. Arya approached him. “Need help, I see,” she said. Strife nodded. The cleric converted one of her prepared spells to cure light wounds, and returned Strife almost back to normal. “Thanks, I needed that,” said the elven ranger.
As the battle raged, Captain Elwood and another crewman swam to the rope that had been thrown their way. Another crewman continued treading water.
Arpad could see that the raid was not going his way. He gave the order to withdraw. “Back to the longship, boys!” he shouted. He then jumped back to his ship, followed by Ban and other surviving pirates.
Balefire and another crewman followed them!
The wounded crewman who had been lying on the deck of the longship, feigning death, now tried to rise from his prone position. Unfortunately, he didn’t see the pirates nearby, who spotted him attempting to rejoin the melee and promptly killed him.
From the Desperate Venture, Thurl took position on the starboard aft rail, and shot Ban with his crossbow, wounding him. “I can beat that!” said Strife, finally emerging from the hold. He drew his bow and shot the pirate officer in the back. “Die, pirate dog!” cried the ranger as Ban fell dead to the deck of the longship.,
On the longship, a pirate slashed Kronk with a two-handed scimitar blow that staggered the adventurer. Lipot rushed Kronk’s crewman companion and ran him through with his rapier. As the crewman fell, Lipot turned toward Kronk. “You’re next, orc!” cried the pirate.
“That’s half-orc to you!” replied Kronk.
At the stern of the longship, the pirates’ woman wizard still tried to keep out of the melee. But a crewman swung on her anyway. She managed to avoid the blow, but her anger was kindled like a fireball!
Now a crewman shot at one of the pirates menacing Balefire. His shot scratched the raider. Not enough. The pirate stepped to Balefire and swung his scimitar. The blow connected. Balefire shrieked. Blood spurted from a huge gash. The rogue fell dying to the deck!
A hand reached over the port rail of the Desperate Venture. Captain Elwood had finally managed to climb the rope and get back on board ship! The other crewmen remained in the river, still trying to follow him.
Arya rushed to the dying Balefire. She administered a healing potion to the rogue. He opened his eyes. “Don’t move!” Arya ordered. “If you insist,” replied Balefire weakly.
On the longship, the pirate’s wizard pointed her finger at the crewman who had so cravenly attacked her. “My name is Virág! Remember it!” she shouted. Her flaming sphere struck the crewman, and he burst into flame. “Oh, that’s right,” said the furious wizard. “You won’t remember it. You’ll be DEAD!” And dead he was. He fell to the deck, clothes ablaze.
The flames spooked Kronk, who promptly jumped ship, into the river! “Kronk scared of fire!” the half-orc sailor exclaimed.
As flames spread from the dead crewman’s burning body, Arpad assaulted another crewman. “Grab the oars, boys!” he ordered. He slashed the crewman with his scimitar. The severely wounded man swung back, wounding Arpad in return. An arrow grazed Arpad’s hat, as a shot from a crewman aboard the Desperate Venture went amiss.
One of the surviving pirates drew his scimitar and slashed at a line grappling the two ships together, His blow severed the rope. A crewman’s arrow wounded him in the process. Strife’s shot did further damage, but the pirate remained on his feet.
From his ship, Pelleas directed an electric jolt at Arpad, shocking him. The pirate captain was now barely able to remain standing.
A second pirate managed to cast off the second grappling line. The crippled longship was freed! It began to drift downstream from the Desperate Venture. Other pirates took to their oars.
Lipot wasn’t satisfied merely to escape. He assailed the crewman who had wounded Arpad. “Arrr!” he cried as he pierced his foe with his rapier. The crewman gasped and slowly dropped to the deck. Dead!
“Captain! Drink this!” urged another of the pirates as he rushed to Arpad’s side. The pirate leader took the offered healing potion and quaffed it, then steadied himself and issued further orders. “You’re a good man,” he told his underling.
Captain Elwood, seeing the longship beginning to put disance between it and the Desperate Venture, ordered his ship to come about and pursue the pirates. But then he spotted Kronk, as well as several other crewmen, still in the river. “Belay that order!” he cried, reconsidering his course of action. “Retrieve those men!” he ordered.
From the fleeing longship, the flaming sphere that had destroyed one of the crewmen now sped toward the Desperate Venture! Virág screamed wildly as she directed the sphere. But Pelleas answered with a gust of wind that blew the sphere away. And as a side effect, sped the longship further away down river.
“Here’s a good-bye present!’ exclaimed Arya. She loosed an arrow at the longship, striking the pirate who had slashed the first grappling line. He went down! Fortunately for him, one of his fellow pirates quickly provided him with a healing potion, and he was able to return to his oar.
A soaked Kronk climbed back aboard, followed by the remaining crewmen who had gone overboard. “Uhh . . . did we win?” he asked.
“We’re still alive, and they’re running away,” said Captain Elwood. “So, I’d say yes.”
It was a costly victory. Five of the ship’s crew had been killed; two of the fallen remained on the longship and could not be retrieved for proper burial. The pirates had suffered even higher casualties, with five dead aboard the Desperate Venture, and several more on the longship. A search of the bodies turned up numerous healing potions and elixirs of swimming, as well as weapons and armor. And over four hundred gold coins. Ketite greatshields.
“I knew it,” said Captain Elwood. “And they were speaking Ancient Baklunish, which I know.”
“They had Ketite names as well,” added Thurl.
The captain ordered the ship to drop anchor at the nearest safe location, so that repairs to the rigging could be made. It took the rest of the night and most of the next day to make the vessel seaworthy again.
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