Hugin & Munin

[IanD]

Arrr....Freeport, the city of Adventure. Located many days from the main continent Freeport has been know for centuries as a pirate haven until the legendary Captain Drac made a deal with the continental powers to turn Freeport into a free city.
Although no longer a Pirate Haven, Freeport is still a rough city of delight, sin and vice!

Sailing out of Thalburn from the Ivory Coast (on the continent) we find a motley assortment of people travelling to Freeport on the two-master hoy (a type of ship) the Rosey Pearl, captained by Captain Argus Zelner.

Tiny is not. A huge burly marine, armed with a maul, Tiny was carousing with sailor buddies and woke up a day later on the Rosey Pearl bound out for Freeport. Laughing at the not to bright Tiny Captain Zelner let Tiny work off his passage to Freeport.

Quick is a deeply religous man who is dedicated to the God of Justic (in her aspect of Retribution). Hearing rumous of evil from Freeport Quick's order has sent him to investigate what has happend to 2 fellow members of the order for they have not been heard from in far too long.

Thaddius is a studious and curious young man. Leaving behind the safe and dull apprenticeship he spent his remaining inheritance from his family to seek to study in Freeport where his studies may not be so limited. Seeking out he Temple of Knowledge is an added bonus.

Miss Black is a outspoken young woman who is going to Freeport for reasons she has yet to reveal. Secretive and mysterious Miss Black is and unknown.

3 Days out from the continent the Rosey Pearl encounters a unnatural storm with green tinged clouds, ghouts of rain, and giant waves........

[IanD]

The storm hits and Captain Zelner commands all who are not able to help out to get below decks. Miss Black and Quick, not used to ships, wisely decide to get themselves below. Tiny and Thaddius, with some experience on the seas, help out he crew.

Tiny, great of heart and small of mind, uses his knowledge of a sailing life to great effect and takes the tiller to keep the ship on course. Thaddius however slips on the deck and cracks his head.

Suddenly the sea is calm, Miss Black and Quick pop up on deck to see what has happened only to find out that they are only in the eye of the storm.

Off the starboard side of the Rosey Pearl the crew spots a small dingy/rowboat with a slumped over figure in it. Brave, but foolish, Tiny dives off the ship to retrive the man only to find him manacled and chained to the boat and clinging to a barnicle encrusted coffer. Breaking him out and bringing him back to the ship Tiny makes it back to the ship just in time for the stormwall to hit the ship.

Quick, Thaddius and Miss Black get back below deck and try to revive the derelict sailor. Trying to revive him the exhaused and weather exposed sailor mumbles "Their dead ..... all of them dead ..." before expiering.

Up on deck Tiny and the crew struggle and manage to pull the ship through the unnatural storm with minimal damage.

Looking at the rusty barcacle encrusted coffer Quick, Thaddius and Miss Black find that it had been partly cleaned off and opened before. Opening the old coffer they spy 7 centuries old gold coins. After discussing with the captain as to what and were these coins have come from a cry from above distracts all "Ship Ahoy!"

Rushing up on Deck a 3 masted brigantine with ragged sails is spotted off the starboard. Captain Zelner manuvers up to the larger ship and he, some of his crew, Tiny, Quick, Thaddius and Miss Black board the stranded ship called the Lady Faire to some sailors hanging from the rigging and lying on the deck.

Exploring the Lady Faire our heroes hear some noise from the cargo hold. Opeing the hatch they see nothing but netting and are forced to go below deck to find it. Creeping down the stairs they find a twisting maze of crates and barrels in search of the "sloshing noise". Turning a corner the find a horrific scene. A man with white eyes and bloody clothes feasts on the entrails, blood and flesh of another....

[IanD]

...Despite the horrific scene our heroes hold onto their wits and a melee ensues. Hearing some raspy breathing from behind her, Miss Black turns to find yet another sailor with white eyes and gore dripping from his mouth. With Tiny's giant maul and Quicks holy light they fight their way up from the maze of crates back to the deck.

Up on deck the dead sailors of the Lady Faire have sprung back to a hideous semblance of life and attacked the crew of the Rosey Pearl. With help from our heroes the crew fight of these twisted things, only to hear some Blood curdling screams and conflict coming from the Captain's Cabins on the Lady Faire. Rushing in they find Captain Zelner and some crew members lying in blood and gore as the monstrously transformed Captain of the Lady Faire stands over them two cutlasses drawn.

With great effort the white eyed, gore splattered monstrosity is put down and Captain Zelner rescued! Returning to the Rosey Pearl the Lady Faire is set ablaze and left to burn any horrors that lurk within.

The Captain rewards our heroes wtih a Gold Idol, found on the now burning ship, that had the appearance of an octopoid-humanoid with small ruby eyes.

Reaching Freeport with no further incidents Quick, Miss Black, Tiny and Thaddius, start looking for a place to pawn their treasure. After some looking around and runins with local merchants they are given a note telling them to meet a mysterious "F" at the Rusty Hook, a tavern and inn of ill rupute and unsavoury nature.

There they meet the halfling Finn, who has heard of their treasure and tells them he will purchase it in no uncertain terms. Looking at his various large bodyguards and his uncomromising tone and behaiour, as well as his apparent control of certain criminal sectors, the heroes take what is offered them and quickly leave.

Before they are able to Finn asks Miss Black for a word in private and when she returns to the rest of the group she is silent but a little shaken up.

With money fresh in their purses and with Freeport under their feet Miss Black, Quick, Thaddius and Tiny look for a place to rest their heads....