Session 63, Laroque in Chains and We Meet Adelle
Paldegora
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Session 63 – 2025-11-29
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Summary
The party aboard “The Seeker”, captained by Ambrose Percival Hurst, was attacked by the pirate ship “Iron Fist” under Captain John Laroque. As the enemy closed for boarding, the mage Valthar the Flamekissed cast Mirror Image to protect himself, while Laroque’s lieutenants “Black” Thorn and “Red” Kessa prepared to lead the assault with grappling hooks and planks.
Initial ranged exchanges saw mixed results: X’or’s longbow string snapped on a critical miss, Eryn and Cal-El each destroyed one of Valthar’s images, and Symon successfully paralyzed Captain Laroque with his Wand of Paralyzation. Valthar retaliated with a forked lightning bolt that badly wounded Cassandra, knocked Cal-El unconscious, and injured Angelique.
Symon countered with a Spectral Force illusion of a massive fireball engulfing the “Iron Fist”. Many pirates and Valthar himself believed it real, suffering 19 fire damage; Valthar and three crewmen died outright. Symon followed with a Slow spell that hindered most of the remaining boarding party.
The ships grappled and planks slammed down. X’or nearly cleaved the first pirate in half, while the revived Cal-El leaped aboard the “Iron Fist” and began cutting through enemies. Cassandra and Captain Hurst held the planks, Symon slung bullets, and Angelique and Eryn shot at the enemy officers. One by one, “Black” Thorn, “Red” Kessa, and the remaining pirates fell. Cal secured the still-paralyzed Laroque before the spell ended.
The party extinguished fires on “The Seeker”, secured the “Iron Fist”, and claimed substantial loot: 1,200 gp, gunpowder, sealed documents, a magical cutlass, rings, wands, a scimitar of speed, and other items. Over 18 hours they transferred the undamaged sails to “The Seeker”, healed fully, identified magic items, and scuttled the wrecked pirate ship.
The opened documents revealed a ledger and a letter from Silas Umbridge ordering Laroque to seize a map and dragon orb, confirming Princess Seraphine Valoris and other nobles were held at the secret Rook Islands and would soon be transferred to the slave ship “Knight’s Mercy” for delivery to the necromancer Aphobis in Nox. They had seven days to reach them before the set sail. With Captain Laroque bound and his face kept hidden from his estranged son Cal, the party raced to Bilge Harbor to resupply before intercepting the prisoners. The battle earned them 15,000 xp.
“The Seeker” reached fog-shrouded Bilge Harbor at dusk, docking near the notorious “Sea Bitch” of the treacherous Captain Ishmael Curizon. After a tense standoff with no immediate fighting, the party sold several magical weapons and earned enough to give everyone 1,550 gp each. They bought minor supplies and potions, then moved quickly through the town under the pretense of visiting Symon’s family.
En route to Symon’s childhood home, Cal and Eryn spotted followers. Eryn slipped away to shadow three suspicious figures while the others continued. At the house, Symon reunited with his sister Adelle, learned their parents had died, and confirmed she still had hidden funds. Hurst briefly searched for Eryn without success, but she soon rejoined via a back entrance after confirming the followers kept their distance. Discovering a secret cellar and tunnel beneath the main bed, the party descended the ladder, unbolted a heavy northern door, and opened it to reveal a dark passage beyond—this was where the session ended, with the urgent mission to reach the Rook Islands before the prisoners sailed still foremost on their minds.
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Exp: 3150 + 315 = 3465
Gold: 1550
Detail
The party, sailing aboard “The Seeker” under Captain Ambrose Percival Hurst, is engaged the pirate ship “Iron Fist” commanded by Captain John Laroque. The enemy vessel approaches rapidly, its crew ready for boarding. Valthar the Flamekissed (the mage) casts Mirror Image, creating multiple illusions of himself. “Black” Thorn steered the “Iron Fist” while “Red” Kessa, and Captain Laroque prepared to board. His crew readied ropes with grappling hooks and planks.
X’or fires his non-magical longbow and snaps the string on a critical miss. Eryn fires an arrow that destroys one of Valthar’s images. Cassandra misses the mage with her bow. Symon attempts to paralyze Captain Laroque with his Wand of Paralyzation and succeeds. Angelique misses with her bow. Cal-El fires at and also shatters one of Valthar’s images.
Valthar retaliates by hurling a forked lightning bolt that streaks through Cassandra and Angelique while the second fork connected with Cal-El. Cassandra was severely injured, Cal collapses, while Angelique takes 18.
Symon casts Spectral Force, creating an illusory massive fireball that engulfs the entire “Iron Fist”. Several pirates and crew fail their saves and believe the illusion fully, taking the rolled 19 fire damage. Three ordinary crewmen die outright from the believed blast along with Valthar. “Black” Thorn, “Red” Kessa, and six crewmen line up to prepare to board. As they lined up, Symon casts a “Slow” spell against them affecting most of them.
Cassandra drinks two potions of extra healing to recover. The ships close and grapple. Boarding planks slam down. X’or holds his action with sword ready. The first pirate charges across and swings at X’or but misses badly. X’or responds with a mighty blow for 17 damage, nearly cleaving the man in half but not quite killing him.
Combat erupts across the decks. Cal, revived and healed by Angelique, leaps across and aboard the Iron Fist and begins carving through pirates with his longsword. Cassandra ignores lesser foes to be at the plank “Red” Kessa was crossing on. She and Captain Hurst were chopping down pirates. Symon slings bullets into the fray, finishing weakened enemies. Angelique and Eryn fired on “Black” Thorn and “Red” Kessa.
One by one the pirates fall. “Black” Thorn and “Red” Kessa also fall. The battle ended, Cal moved to secure Captain Laroque before the Paralyzation spell ends. The party puts out the fires on “The Seeker” and secures the “Iron Fist”.
Loot from the battle and the “Iron Fist”: - 1,200 gold pieces - 3 additional barrels of gunpowder - Sealed documents (later opened) - From Captain John Laroque: magical cutlass, ring of water walking, potion of extra-healing - From Valthar the Flamekissed: wand of fireballs (11 charges), ring of spell storing (containing Fire Shield and Dimension Door) - From “Red” Kessa: rapier +1 - From “Black” Thorn: scimitar of speed - Various non-magical weapons and gear from the crew
The party transfers the undamaged sails from the “Iron Fist” to “The Seeker” (an 18-hour job) and scuttles or abandons the heavily damaged pirate ship. Healing (via spells and the ring) restores the party over the repair period. Identify spells reveal the properties of all magical items.
The opened documents prove priceless: a ledger of coded shipments and a letter from House Umbridge to Captain John Laroque ordering him to seize the map to Tim’s Island and the dragon orb at all costs, revealing that Princess Seraphine Valoris and other nobles are held at the secret Rook Islands, soon to be transferred to the slave ship “Knight’s Mercy” bound for Nox and the necromancer Aphobis. The letter is signed “Silas Umbridge.
With this evidence and a tight timeline (seven days until the captives sail), the party sets course for Bilge Harbor to resupply quickly before racing to intercept the transfer. Captain John Laroque is kept bound and under guard; Cal ensures his face is not fully revealed to his estranged father.
Total experience for the sea battle and boarding action: 15,000 xp (to be divided).
The repaired *Seeker* sails through the night and the following day, arriving at the foul, fog-shrouded pirate haven of Bilge Harbor at dusk. Another notorious ship, “Sea Bitch”, is already docked, commanded by the treacherous pirate-hunter Captain Ishmael Curizon. A tense exchange of threats occurs between Hurst and Curizon, but no immediate violence erupts.
The party docks, wary of Ishmael’s crew watching them. They decide to move quickly through the town under cover of visiting Symon’s family. They sell five cutlasses +1 and the rapier +1 at the magic shop for a substantial sum (1,550 gp each member after split) and purchase minor supplies (bat guano, sulfur, potions of fire resistance, etc.). Angelique prepares a rock with Continual Light spells as an anti-darkness measure.
Symon leads the group toward his childhood home on the far side of town, passing the shuttered shop that belonged to his family, and a newer, smaller shop bearing the sign “Edelson’s Curiosities” (presumably run by his sister Adelle). The town feels dangerous and watchful under the choking fog and swaying lanterns.
The party made it's way to Symon's family home. Both Cal and Eryn spotted someone sneaking around behind them. Eryn slipped off into a gap between houses and hid in the darkness while the rest continued on to the house. She watched for a while and spotted three people sneaking around. She stayed outside for a while and watched.
Symon knocked on the door of his family home and was greeted by Adelle. She was happy to seem her brother and invited him and his friends into the home. Symon was told that both his parents had died since he was last here. He told her he had managed to become a mage, something she knew he had wanted to be. He told her that he and those with him were adventurers. He asked after her financial situation and if she still had money stashed in their special hiding place.
Captain Hurst was a little concerned that Eryn was not with them. He went outside to find her but didn't find her. He returned to the house. Eryn had seen him though and after a brief time, seeing that none of those following them approached the house, she moved around behind the house and slipped in.
Adelle told him that she hadn't been to the place under the main bed. They were deciding how to leave without being seen when Adelle mentioned the room underneath the trap door under the bed. They moved the bed and opened the trap door. Eryn slid in first but then everyone else climbed down the ladder. Symon walked around looking at it, remembering the fell and the smell of the place.
There was a heavy door in the northern wall, bolted from this side. Eryn approached it and listened at it. Hearing nothing, she removed the crossbar and tried to open the door. She wasn't strong enough to pull it open but Cassandra was. She managed to pull it open and Eryn looked into the tunnel beyond.
This is where the session ended. The party must not loose sight of their current task, reaching Rooks Island before the prisoners and the Princess are shipped off to Nox.
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Exp: 3150 + 315 = 3465
Gold: 1550