Part 24: The Pirate Bay

Phew. Finally done.

Don't worry. Updates are slow right now but I WILL finish this LP. It's just that some of these updates take a long time. This one has about 5000 words, for example, and unfortunately there's no game script I can c/p from.

I'm a bit behind on OP maintenance, also, if you've noticed. I'm planning on updating that by tomorrow or the next day, hopefully with a bestiary and an updated character list. I've also plans for some short videos showing off as much of Khorinis as I can, as well as Jharkendar.

- The Pirate Bay



I traveled to the northern ruins by way of the dead harpy's teleporter. From there, it was simply a matter of going through the portal once again. I found myself on the other side, hoping that this time there had been no delay, and made my way through the ruined temple.

I came across the room with the two stone sentinels again, and feeling a bit cocky with my weapon and fresh supplies, I decided to take them on.



I grabbed the attention of the sentinels and led the slow, bulky things around for awhile, firing an arrow or two when I had an opening. Eventually, I chipped them down to almost nothing and they both collapsed.



I approached the pedestal that the stone sentinels were guarding. I investigated the area for a bit before I noticed that the focus stone I carried was reacting. With no better idea, I placed it on the stand.



The room lit up from the magic that now erupted from the stone platform. I turned to find that a portal had appeared.



I stepped through and found myself amidst the Water Mage encampment.

Merdarion stood nearby, obviously drawn by the sudden appearance of the portal.

"I have activated one of the teleporter stones." I told him.

"I can see that. So I was right. I have talked to the others about it. We want you to try to activate all of the teleporter stones. It would be a great help in our investigations if we could move quickly from one part of the city to another." Merdarion handed me pouch. "Here is another focus stone. Activate them all if you can."

"I'll try" I said, taking the stone.



As I couldn't go any further into the swamp without encountering the bandits, I decided to check out the west today. Not surprisingly, it seemed that the Water Mage's arrival had attracted attention. A gruff looking man stood just outside of the ruins, chewing on some stringy meat and muttering to himself.

I approached him.



"Who on earth are YOU", the man demanded,"You don't look like the others."

"What others?" I asked.

"Well, the mages who are hanging around those ruins over there. Are you one of that punch, then? Brave thing to run around here by yourself."

"Who are you?"

"I'm sure you've heard of me before", the man puffed out his chest and put his hands on his waist. "I'm Alligator Jack. Feared all over the country. I'm one of the most dangerous pirates around here. Together with Cap'n Greg, I've boarded more merchant vessels than I can count. You're looking at a living legend here."

"Your captain's name is Greg?"

He nodded. "Right. He's the greatest pirate the sea ever spawned."

"I think I know your captain! I met him in Khorinis."

"Greg? In Khorinis", Jack laughed, "Nonsense! Greg is out at sea after booty with some of the lads. The only thing that could bring Greg to Khorinis would be one of the king's prison galleys. He's one of the most wanted men in the land. He'd never march into town voluntarily and have the royal guard throw him into prison."

"If you say so." I said. I had more important matters than whether or not a pirate was seen in the city. "Do you know a fellow Raven?"

"Of course. He's the leader of the bandits to the east. What's your business with HIM?"

"I've got to kill him."

Jack burst into laughter. "What? YOU? How are you going to do THAT? Isn't that guy way out of your league? You won't even get close to him. The bandits he's surrounded himself with will skin you alive first. You won't even get post their first outpost. The way you look, those bandits will get itchy fingers when they spot you a mile away. I've got a better idea. Come and join us. That'll give you time to think about it. Once you've tried our good home-brewed rum, things will look very different."

That didn't sound like that bad of an idea. I needed a new base camp, and the Water Mages didn't care much for anything but their research."Where's your pirate camp?"

Alligator jack pointed behind him. "See the cave passage over there? Go through it and continue west, and you'll come to our beach sooner or later. That's where our log huts are. I can take you there if you want, if you do me a favor first."

"What would that be?"

"I'll have to get the boys some meat before I can go back to camp. You're a strong fellow. I could use your help hunting. Interested?"

"What is it you hunt?"

"Only alligators, usually, but they're no good for eating and there aren't any left around here anyway. I take what I can find: swamp rats. Most beasts around here taste like old socks, or they're as tough as alligator meat. Those fat rats are the only thing that is remotely edible."

"Tell me more about you pirates."

"We've been living here for years. Back before the war, everyone knew us from here to the mainland. Our flag alone would spread terror among the crews of merchant vessels but those times are past now. It's been weeks since we've run into a merchant vessel. Our Cap'n Greg left to try and catch another. The rest of us are sitting here in camp, twiddling our thumbs until he comes back. I hope he'll bring back lots of booty.

"I need a bandit's armor."

"What would you do with THAT? It'll only get you in trouble if you're seen with it. Everyone's going to take you for a bandit and will try to kill you. "

"Do you have any idea where I could find armor like that?"

"We used to have one in our pirate camp but I don't know whether it's still there."

That settled it. If they had the armor I needed, then I'd need to at least pretend to be one of them. "Let's go hunting."

"All right. With two people, that's child play. Are you ready?" I nodded. "Great. Just stay right behind me."



The path through the cave was quite small, and soon enough we were back in the sunlight, following a well trod path. A few mole rats were scavenging nearby, but they were no trouble.



The next part of the path wound around a deep crevasse. I wondered what sort of beasts lived down there, but at the same time I hoped I didn't find out.



The path ended and I now relied entirely on Jack's tracking skill to take me to the hunting spot.

It was here that I spotted another new creature. The isolated environment produced mantis' that were many times larger than their mainland counterpart. Their claws were not quite sharp enough to pierce my armor, but the sheer force and speed at which it was done was causing severe bruising.



We encountered more of the over sized insects. I left to the Jack while I explored a nearby cave.



I crept over to the entrance and peeked inside. A few goblins, including one clad in crude chain mail, were gathered around a fire pit. I withdrew my bow and took aim.

A few arrows later and they were all dead. I looted their camp but decided against going further. I could hear something large sleeping in the cavern over.



I quietly snuck out and met up with Jack on the road.



We rejoined the dirt path up ahead, and the cliffs around us disappeared. Alligator Jack pointed to the area before us."The hollow. There should be some of those beasts around here. Follow me.



I follow Jack down into the hollow and near the water we found our prey.

"I was afraid of that." the pirate said said.

"What?"

"This handful of beasts here is only about half of what I need. Now we'll have to enter the canyon. Watch out, it's very dangerous deeper down in the canyon. If you hold your life dear, stay very close to me."

"What IS there in the canyon?"

"We avoid that area if it's at all possible. That's where you find razors. Tough beasts, those. Stay away from them if you want to live another day."

"Fine, let's go."

"All right."



We continued on past the hollows. Further down the path, a pirate sentry sat near a small lumber camp. Jack walked right past him, but I approached to speak to him.




"You're not from around here, are you?" he said. I shook my head."You seem to have traveled far."

"Busy?" I said sarcastically.

The pirate groaned. "Don't even ask. Henry wants me to chop down all the trees here."

"Henry?"

"He's the leader of our troop. He stands around at the camp entrance all the time, talking big. More dedicated service to the community, and all that crap, but he doesn't lift a finger himself."

"Henry is your leader?"

"Yes, the leader of our raiding troop. Our CAPTAIN is Greg but he's not here at the moment."

"Where's your camp?"

He gestured in the direction Jack and I were headed. "Just continue down this path here, to the west. You'll see Henry standing there soon enough."

I noticed that Jack was still waiting for me. "I need to move on."

"Hey! When you get to our camp, give Henry a message from me. The trees around here are damned stubborn. He'll have to wait for his wood a while longer. Tell him that."



Just past Malcom's post was a tower. I initially assumed it was another pirate outpost, but the cluster of goblins in front made me think otherwise. I ignored it for now and returned to Jack."



Opposite the tower was a pass through the mountains that took us to what I assumed was the canyon. A few dozen yards in Jack ordered me to halt, and pointed straight ahead.



Before us was a small, swampy Oasis. A small cluster of swamp and desert rats scavenged nearby. Together we took out the swamp rats, and Alligator Jack went about gathering the meat.



Jack returned, the newly slain rats hanging from his belt. "You're a talented hunter." he told me. "My goodness! If you continue like that, I'll be able to stay in camp next time. Here, take this swamp rat meat to lazy old Morgan. You'll find him in our camp. He's probably lounging on the beach somewhere. He'll be waiting for this. Henry usually guards the entrance to the camp and keeps a lookout for bandits. If he refuses to let you in, just tell him that I sent you. Maybe that'll make him a bit more sociable. Henry is a little too eager and a bit bossy, too." After handing me the meats, Jack wandered back to camp. I took the time to explore the canyon a bit more.



I spotted some more desert rats ahead. These rats were much closer to the kind found on the rest of the island, except that they were a bit larger with a sand colored fur. Their teeth seemed a bit sharper, as well, but it was still not enough to break the skin beneath my armor.



Just past the Oasis, I saw a small cave with a pedestal in front. I immediately knew what it was: Another of the builder's teleports. I placed the focus stone on the raised platform and the structure inside the small cavern began to pulse with magic.



I stepped through and found Merdarion waiting for me. "I've activated another one of the teleporter stones", I told him, "Give me the next focus."

"Of course. Here it is. Was it difficult?"

I shrugged. "Depends on how you look at it. I could use a bit of support."

"I can give you some gold, would that help?"

"It couldn't hurt."

The mage pulled out his pouch and counted out some for me. "Let's see... Here are a few gold coins. Oh, by the way, before I forget: Saturas would like to talk to you. You should see him as soon as possible."



Saturas was over by the path to the swamp.

"It is good that you came. We have new discoveries that we must share with you."

"Then let's hear it." I said.

"The sunken city once bore the name of Jharkendar. There were 5 rulers in the city who shared the power over their people. Each of these rulers had a mansion where he lived and kept his belongings. Therefore, in your search for the relics of the ancient culture, it is crucial that you should search through these mansions."

"Where should I look for these mansions?"

"Riordian has studied the structure of the buildings in Jharkendar. He will tell you where you should look for the mansions."

"What if these mansions no longer exist?"

"If you cannot find the houses, then they presumably sank with the city. However, should they still exist, they would be of inestimable value for our studies."



Riordian was nearby, studying one of the larger set of ruins. "Saturas sent me", I told him, "I'm supposed to search through the five mansions of Jharkendar."

"It took me a long time to find the location of the mansions in the writings of the builders, but I can tell you exactly."

"Where do I find the 5 mansions?"

"The house of the scholars is the large library. It must be somewhere far to the north. The house of the warriors was a fortress ringed by rocks in the east. The priests and guardians of the dead had their dwellings near each other. You should find them in the southwest and the healers had their house of convalescence in the southeast. If these houses are still standing, then you will recognize them from their method of construction. They are elevated. A steep stairway leads to the entrance covered by high columns."

With that information, I went back through the canyon portal.



I started to do a bit of exploring, but it was prematurely halted when I noticed a small pack of snapper-like creatures in the distance. Not wanting to get any closer, I decided it better to leave for the pirate camp.



I left the canyon and returned to the road. Past the tower down the road I could see the pirate palisades.



Several pirates were busy at work cutting wood and nailing boards when I arrived. A gate guard stood in the middle of the road.

"Friend or foe?" he demanded.

"Friend!" I said quickly.

The guard narrowed his eyes. "Anyone can say that! I don't know you, what do you want here?"

I pointed into the camp. "I want in there."

"Really? That'll cost you: 500 gold pieces"

Jack had forgotten to mention that part. "Huh? For what?"

"Don't make such a fuss. There's PLENTY of stuff here in camp that might interest you, and you look like someone who's got gold on him. A small contribution is not going to kill you, or did you steal those posh rags of yours?"

"Can't we come to an agreement somehow?"

"Well. Give me a good reason, and I might make it cheaper for you."

I looked down at the swamp rat meat I carried. "I'm supposed to bring Morgan this meat."

"Aha", he said curtly, "And who sent you?"

"Alligator Jack. He says that Morgan is already waiting for it."

"I see. Not in the mood himself, is he?"

I also recalled the errand that Malcom had given me. "Malcom sent me. He says the wood may talk awhile."

"Oh great. I might have known. It's taking forever again."

"Let me in."

Henry rubbed his chin. "Mmh. You brought a message from our woodcutters. You want to play errand boy for Alligator Jack and bring the swamp rat meat to Morgan. 300 gold pieces or you just get lost. It's as simple as that."

Three hundred gold pieces wasn't much, but I still didn't like the idea of paying for entry. Reluctantly, I tossed henry a bag of gold. "Here's your gold."

"Thanks. Welcome to our camp. If you were planning to sign on with us, lad, you're out of luck. Only the captain decides who gets to sign on here, and he took half the crew and went out to sea after booty but you can stay until he's back, provided you don't cause any trouble here."

I didn't intend to. I just needed to find out if they had the armor I needed, and then I could leave."What are you doing here, anyway?"

"What does it look like? I must see to it that these miserable wretches get the palisade built in time. If they don't, Cap'n Greg will kick my ass all over the place. Also, I keep strangers from traipsing in here just like that."

"What are you building the palisade for?"

"Well, we don't want to make it too easy for the bandits! Those bastards are getting more brazen all the time. They've been sneaking around our camp for days now. Just like sharks after a shipwreck. Some of those good-for-nothings are holing up in the tower a little south of here, but that's only an advance party I'm sure. If they're stupid enough to mount an attack we'll give them a welcome they won't forget.

"Why would the bandits attack you?"

"Because there's WAR between them and us! What did you think? Everything was peachy at first. We brought them here, they marched right into their swamp and left us alone. But now, those bastards attack anyone who's not one of them. Heaven knows what's gotten into them. I reckon they may be after our boats. There's no other way to get out of here, after all. You should ask Skip about this. He's been with them and barely got away with his life. He's quite an interesting tale to tell."



It was getting late and I wanted to get myself situated in the camp before the sunlight was gone completely. I said farewell to Henry and marched into the camp. The camp consisted of a fire pit surrounded by a few huts, with the captain's hut elevated above the rest. I couldn't see any of their ships, but I assumed they were anchored further away.



My first task was to find this Morgan. Jack had said that I'd be able to find him on the beach. I searched for a few minutes, only finding a man named Bill. Bill was working on making planks for the pirate's palisades. He told me about the war with the bandits, but it wasn't I hadn't heard before. However, he did point me in the right direction.



Morgan was napping in his lean to a few dozen yards down the beach from Bill.

I walked up right next to his bed and cleared my throat loudly and repeatedly until he awoke.

"I'm here to deliver some meat." I told him.

The groggy pirate stood and stretched. "Argh. I need a sip to wake me up." Morgan reached down next to his bed, grabbed a bottle of rum, and took a swig of it. "That's better. So, again - what do you want?"

"I'm here to deliver some meat", I repeated, "From Alligator Jack."

"I remember. Right! The meat! Give it here."

I tossed the sack of swamp rat meat to Morgan. He began to remove the meat to look it over. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Greg made me commander of one of the two raiding troops. I'm responsible for keeping the camp supplied - Alligator Jack sees to that. I'm also responsible for keeping those beasts you find out here well away from the camp. That's what the BOYS do. I told them I don't want to see a single beast left around here when Greg comes back. "

"Do you ever do anything yourself?"

Morgan raised a fist. "Hey, none of that lip! Mine is the most important task of all. I train my people. I make them into the best and most fearless fighters who ever sailed these waters. It's not like the lads do all the work for nothing. They get a good-sized bag of gold for their efforts."

"I want to join your troop."

He laughed. "My troop? My troop is hanging out at the beach. Those boys won't lift a finger until the captain is back, you can count on that. But if you want to show everybody what you're made of, feel free to work on the northern beach. It's full of lurkers and who knows what else. Take them on by yourself and you'll earn the respect of the people. Welcome to my troop. Ha! I'll go lie back down."




I counted a half dozen lizards and lurkers on the northern beach. I took hold of my bow and nocked an arrow, aiming for the nearest lizard. The arrow pierced the creature's neck, killing it instantly. By now the rest of the creatures had become enraged and charged at me, but it was too late. I had range on them and managed to drop them all before they got close. When the beach was clear, I walked around to see if there was anything else of interest.



I spotted a cave nearby and quietly crept inside with my bow drawn. I'd expected more lurkers or lizards but unfortunately, it seemed a shadowbeast had made the cave it's home. If I was to clear the northern beach, I'd have to get rid of it.



I uttered a quick prayer to the Gods in the hopes that one of them would hear me. Then, I nocked and arrow and aimed for the sleeping beast. The arrow pierced the shadowbeast's torso but was not enough to kill it. The cat-like creature, now enraged, charged at me. I frantically fired arrows as fast as I could.





With the shadowbeast defeated, I looked around the rest of the cave. It was hard to see, but it seemed that I hadn't been the only one to try to clear out the cave. The skeletal remains of a human were splayed throughout the cavern, along with a potion and scroll that I presumed were the victim's. I took them and left the cave, making for Morgan's shelter.



Morgan was drinking under his shelter when I found him. "The northern beach is all clear." I informed him.

"What about the cave? Have you been there, too?"
I nodded. "Sure thing."

The pirate grinned and raised his jug to me. "Great. You're a good man. Here's your reward."

I took the small purse and tucked it away. "Is there anything else for me?"

"Not at the moment." he replied. I sighed in relief. I was exhausted. "Go find yourself a bunk and have a decent bottle of rum!"



On my first way through the camp, I spotted an abandoned shack. I was on my way there when one of the men by the campfire waved me over.

"What have we here? A fresh face, and not one of those filthy bandits, I hope. I'm Garett. If there's anything you need, ask me first. I can get you almost anything. Wine, weapons, and other stuff you might need. Except for booze - if it's a decent drink you want, go see Samuel."

"Who's Samuel?"

"He's our moonshiner. He's got his cave on the beach, a little distance from the camp. You can't miss it, just walk north. You'll be well advised to keep yourself supplied with grog. Some of the boys here aren't very fond of greenhorns at all, if you get my drift. A decent swig of grog will work wonders for you!"

"Where do you get your supplies?"

"Skip always brings loads of stuff from Khorinis when he visits there. Until recently, he used to sell some of it directly to the bandits but since we've been at war with the bandits, I'm the one who ends up with all the stuff now."

"What do you know about the bandits?"

"You'd better ask Skip about that. He's been through quite a lot with that bunch, let me tell you. Greg has given orders to do away with any bandit who shows up near camp."

"Your captain Greg. What's he like?"

"He's a tough old bastard, no doubt about it, and greedy to the bone. He makes Francis, our treasurer, pay out not a penny more than what it takes to prevent a mutiny. If one of us ever gets his hands on something REALLY valuable, he'll inevitably take it for himself. I once took a compass from a royal frigate. That bastard Greg made me hand it over, of course. Bah. He probably buried it somewhere, just like the rest of his treasure."

"Where might Greg have buried it?"

"Greg once told me that Death himself watches over my compass. Then he laughed."

"Anything else?"

"There's a beach by the southern coast. It can only be reached by sea. Greg is said to have been there often. Maybe you'll find something there. I once went there to see what I might find myself, but the area is teeming with monsters. If you really want to give it a try, don't forget to bring a pick."

"What can you tell me about Francis?" I asked.

"Greg put him in command while he's gone, but Francis is a total failure as a leader. He can't even get Morgan to stir his lazy ass out of bed. Henry and his boys are the only ones doing anything around here. The others are just enjoying themselves instead of working. I can only hope that Greg will come back soon. He'll give them all a swift kick in the ass."

It seemed that this Francis was in charge while Greg was gone so I thought that he may be my best bet in acquiring bandit armor.

Before leaving Garett, I looked through his wares and bought myself a few bundles of arrows. Hunting with Alligator Jack and the clearing of the northern beach had cost me a good deal of them.



I found Skip, the pirate I met in the hidden cove near Khorinis, standing outside a hut next to the fire.

"What have we here, crossing the path of old skip again?" He asked. "I know you! The bay near the city, remember?"

"Skip, right?"

"I see I made a lasting impression, but I've seen your mug ELSEWHERE in the meantime. But of course!" He unrolled an old, torn poster. It was a wanted poster. "Oh well. Not a great likeness, but it's certainly YOU. Don't let it get to you. My own wanted poster looks just as daft."

"What are you doing here?"

"I've just come back from Khorinis and now I'm waiting for Greg to return."

"I saw Greg in Khorinis" I stated.

"Really? Damn! Something must have gone wrong then. He should have been here with our ship some time ago. I suppose I should go back to Khorinis and wait for him there." He sighed. "But certainly not today. I only just arrived here."

I recalled what Garett had said about Skip knowing a good deal about the bandits I would need to face. "What can you tell me about the bandits?"

"The bandits? They're ATTACKING us! Why do you think we're building a palisade? We brought those scumbags over here ourselves. We used to trade with them. Boy, let me tell you, they've got more gold than they'll ever know what to do with! They were prepared to pay any price for a bottle of rum but those times are passed. It's war now!"

"What happened?"

"Those bastards hadn't paid for their last shipment. So I went there to see what had become of our gold but when I got to the swamp, the swine attacked me. And that's not all. They killed Angus and Hank! Two of our best people."

Obviously they weren't good enough

"Just stay away from that swamp, I tell you", Skip continued, "They'll go after anyone who doesn't look as shabby as they do."

"Tell me more about Angus and Hank."

"Angus and Hank were supposed to meet with some bandits in front of the camp. They were carrying all kinds of supplies. Everything those bastards had ordered from us. Forged steel and lockpicks and whatnot. They never came back. The bandit swine must have done away with them! Morgan and Bill went out to look for them - without any success. Bill was pretty devastated. They were both friends of his. He's still young, these things get to him. The rest of us took it in stride. The goods we can afford to lose. But the grog they were carrying." Skip shook with anger. "We're talking at least 20 bottles!"

"Have you ever met Raven?"

"Certainly. When I was with Henry, up at the gate, I watched Raven place some of his boys at the tower to the south just a stone's throw from our camp. I guess they're supposed to spy on us." The pirate laughed. "I've also seen how he treats his people when they don't do his bidding. He'll make short work of anyone who doesn't obey his orders to the letter. Mark my words: stay well away from Raven."

That wouldn't do. I needed to get close to him. Very close. "I need bandit's armor."

"You want to go in there? Are you insane? Once those guys find out you're not one of them, you're sausage meat!"

"Do you have any idea where I could find armor like that?"

"You don't give up easily, do you? All right. We used to have a suit. Greg's probably still got it somewhere up in his hut. Maybe you can buy it from him when he gets back."

I rubbed my chin. "Can you tell me how to get into his hut?"

Skip's eyes widened. "Whoa there! Not so fast! You weren't thinking of ransacking Greg's stuff, were you? When he left, he gave the key to Francis and him not to let ANYONE into his hut. "

Then I'd need that key. "What can you tell me about Francis?"

"Francis is our treasurer. The Captain trusts him. That's probably why he left him in command. But none of the boys here really take him seriously. If you want to know more, talk to Samuel. He's got a still in the little cave north of here. There isn't a soul in this camp Samuel DOESN"T know all kinds of things about."




It was really late now and I was barely able to stand. I stumbled over to the shelter across the way from Skip's hut and found myself a bed to lay down on. Tomorrow I'd need to speak with Samuel and find out what I could about Francis and the armor.



Other: A few scenery shots.



A shot of the road leading from the Water Mage camp to the swamp



The portal temple & Saturas' hut



Center of the camp & ruins



The Canyon