The Vespeer herself lays just over 100’ long stem to stern, with a beam of 30’.  The brightly colored wagon strapped down just aft of the foc'sle contrasts with the deep brown and black of her timber, showing more than a decade’s age afloat atop the Moonsea.  She creaks with seaworthy age as the mainsails take the wind, and she darts easily out of Hillsfar harbor beyond the many vessels bobbing at anchor, and several more on the horizon headed south to unload the goods of the north.



Polyard is a stout and muscled human, sporting a long black ponytail and a fu-manchu moustache.  He wears bright blue felt pants, and a linen shirt with a leather vest over it.  He is originally from Mulmaster, but took to the sea as a lad with their Navy, was shipwrecked and found his fortune pirating ever since.

Pinchon Tenderberry is the halfling first mate.  Originally from the rolling hills of Luiren, he took to life at sea over the softer life of his namesake.  He is dressed in dirty white linen trousers, and wears his long brown hair in a sideknot.

Dolken is the Vespeer’s sailwright, and cleric to Umberlee.  He is dressed in a half brownish gray tabard with a rope belt, and carries the symbol around his neck on a rawhide string.  He is balding grey, but can wield a club as required.

Karth and Meebo lead two watches of eight sailors each.  Karth dons bright red silk trousers, and walks about shirtless in all but the most savage weather.  Meebo routinely wears padded armor atop dirty white linen trousers.  Both humans keep their razor sharp rapiers within easy reach.

The Vesper keeps a steady course north by northeast, and as the midday approaches, Polyard invites the party into his cabin for "chow and cards, if ye'r so obliged."
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:02, Wed 27 May 2020.

Quilro diligent study pays off, and he spends several hours examining the magic hoard in the Shaggin’ Wagon, identifying those items they have yet to understand the properties.

Gondal and Fyrnlocke walk the decks.  Faerenal looks to observe and learn as much as he can from the sailors aboard.
Quilro finds the wide horizons of the ocean discomfiting, ill at ease with the constant pitch and roll of the Vespeer.

Kailute is mesmerized by the view from the top of the sails, and immediately takes to the boundless horizons and fresh winds.  He finds he enjoys scrambling with ease among the rigging and sails.

Polyard summons the Shaggin crew to his cabin.

Gondal inspects the room, while Fyrnlocke pours Quilro and himself a fresh glass of clear water.  “Almost fit for a king.”  Gondal remarks, hands on hips as he surveys the view out through the sternwindow of the Vespeer.

“Thank you for this luxurious feast” comments Quilro, not quite green in the face but also not quite ready for a heavy lunch.

“This is far from luxury, elf-friend.  What exactly brought all of you so quickly out of Hillsfar?” Polyard asks, leaning in to the table.

“Funny you should ask that…”  begins Quilro.  “Lotta issues, leading to us with a significant amount of cargo that we cannot move overland by road.”  He finishes, gripping the edge of the table.

“Where could we put in that would allow us to make good time directly to Elventree?”  Inquires Quilro.

“There is a cove,”  Polyard replies “…but tis rumored to be haunted.”  He states flatly.  Observing the map, Kailute is surprised to realize how close to Myth Drannor the party is currently operating in.  The pirate agrees to put in at the haunted cove, and make contact with
“Would be wise to avoid the Haunted Towers in the middle of the sea.  Easier to take you direct to Elventree if that is your destination.  Many a sailor has been led to their doom in that graveyard of human expansion.”

Polyard also requests as much pipeweed as can be scrounged from Elventree.  Kailute inquires about the going street value around the Moonsea…

Polyard explains the pirate modus operandi, and describes the significant volume of trade traffic on the Moonsea.  Polyard will pay 250 gold for the pipeweed.  He explains that his crew usually burns their pray to the waterline, as the Moonsea is patrolled and aside from other pirates there is not much of a market for pirated vessels.  The Vespeer boasts a smaller, more experienced pirate crew.

Polyard was once a sailor in the navy of Mulmaster, and he despises both Zhents and Red Plumes.

The ship cleric provides Quirlo a plug of seawort to calm his sea legs and give him some energy.

Three days sail to Elventree, Polyard asks all to remain vigilant.  The taverns are full of talk about increased monster attack against ship traffic.

Gondal asks about something to drink, and Polyward obliges with a black skin full of fiery liquor.  Gondal walks off to a point on the deck where he can view the sea, and drink his keep.

DonBrapp inspects the ancient elven coins, which radiate no magical energy.  He also pulls out his vials of the metallic liquid from the fallen temple.  Every time he handles them, he feels closer to an opportunity to communed directly with The Brapp, and called to construct a gate to an external dimension.  Greater wealth, greater glory, greater power to the Brapp is available through continued exploration.

Quilro handles the three scrolls gently and reverently incants the spell to identify them.  The scrolls themselves speak of the early crown wars, and liturgical prophecies of the destruction of the Avariel, and have information about potential flight magic and the ancient conflicts between the elven races.

Similarly, the elf mage handles the three vials seeking to determine what they contain.  Through the evocation of magical energy, the vials are revealed to contain potions of cure serious wounds, and one invisibility.  Having exhausted himself completely, Quilro retires to his bunk in the wagon until the morrow.

Discussing a potential adventure at sea, the party agrees that while Polyard is an important contact, the future of the Shaggin Wagon is probably not on the high seas.

Fyrnlocke notes that Faerenal is making progress, and takes well to the half-orc’s mentoring.  The half orc may outfit him with a missile weapon should the opportunity present.  Kailute is the most erudite half-orc barbarian anyone in the party has ever met, and he describes his village in the wastes of Vaasa, long since obliterated by the Zhents.  His people speak of the horde, and how it swarmed down out of the northlands and conquered the intruding humans.

Those on deck observe the navigation lights of several other ships, confirming Polyard’s statements of much traffic upon the Moonsea.  As the Vespeer catches the wind, the party observes the surreal beauty of Saint Elmo’s Fire surrounding the masts, sails, and rigging in bright green luminescence.

The next day the air is filled with gray mist, and a dampness permeates the air and reduces the distance of vision.  Pinchon the halfling pokes his head through the wagon’s door, offering up some breakfast bacon.  Quilro and DonBrapp offer the second mate anything he desires from the Wagon’s dwoemered kitchen.  As a fresh breakfast is far superior, Pinchon exclaims “Well fuck me back to Luiren!”  All enjoy a delicious breakfast and strong Calishite coffee.

“Elventree is a delight;  one of the last refuges of elves on the Moonsea.  Lotta Harpers there.  Don’t know the halflings you mention, but plenty of them there as compared to the rest of the southern coast.”  Pinchon mentions a pipeweed farmer he knows, Mendar who could offer possible carts and a place to rest in his holdfast.  “Take this button…” he pulls one off his vest, “..and Mendar will know you are friends of mine.”

While the rest of the party gathers, Gondal remains passed out by the rear wheel.  Quilro again hosts the party, ensuring all are well fed and watered.

“Land ho?” shouts a questioning voice.  Pinchon excuses himself to address what is occurring on deck.  A gaggle of sailors are on the midden deck staring into the mist at what appears to be a large rounded island to the northwest.  Polyard is staring intently at the landmass through a looking glass.  “I don’t know what that is.  There is nothing that size I have seen on the Moonsea.  It is definitely not supposed to be here.”

“The Sea Queen has many mysteries of the deep.”  A mild unease begins to run among the crew.  “Umberlee seems to favor this voyage, if ever I have felt it.”

Quilro climbs to the crows nest to get a better look, observing a low rolling hill covered with foliage and trees.  Smoke appears to be rising from the center of the island, but the wet mists preclude an accurate observation.  Quilro vaults down from the rigging, rolling into a somersault as he lands.  Many on the deck are impressed with his feat of dexterity.

“My recommendation is we investigate this magical island.”  Polyard apportions some of his night crew for a 25% take of whatever is found.  Quilro and DonBrapp argue in hobgoblin, and Polyard gives their subterfuge a dark look.  Karth will lead some of his men, along with Dolken the cleric of Umberlee. “This is their landing party, so follow their orders” he intones to the pirate team.

“We cannot anchor at this depth, so we will circle around and keep pace.”  The party gets into the 15’ skiff.  Kailute demurs slinging Shuos over the side, and the party approaches the island.  Quilro leaps gracefully into the boat, while Kailute loses his grip, and slips into the gray green water between the boat and the ship.

The island appears to rise spherically, with vegetation and trees.  Closing, the party observes three large carved out wooden canoes.  Kailute scents the black smoke of goblinoid cookfires.  The shore is abrupt, disappearing a few feet under the waves before dropping directly off to the deep.

The party pulls the skiff up on beaching area, which is covered with damp moss.  Kailute scratches through to chitinous shell like material.  The Vespeer is tacking along side, while both entities are moving in different directions.  The party observes three more large canoes, which appear to fit eight large humanoids.
Kailute senses someone approaching from the west.  Fyrnlocke draws his blade, while Quilro darts into the vegetation.  50 yards ahead, three seven foot yellow skinned humanoids in armor and weapons are approaching the canoes.

“Ship ahoy!  I smell dwarf! “  They appear to be preparing to attack the Vespeer, and three more bugbears walking up.  Dolken and DonBrapp bless the party with the favor of Umberlee and Brapp.  The creatures all begin to sniff the air, as if something has caught their attention.  They then immediately sight Kailute and DonBrapp.  Kailute calls out a greeting to the children of Rudek, and they return “How did you get to our island?  Why did you bring half-man?”

“Do you know of fish-man?  FEED DWARF FISH-MAN!”  The six begin to approach the party, as three more approach behind them.  Quilro jumps up and unleashes magical sleep against the approaching humanoids.   All six shimmer down, confused and sleeping.

“What the fuck?” Quilro shoots Kailute a look, while the party begins to slay the magically slumbering bugbears.

Kailute expresses his concern over not getting any information from the bugbears, and some reticence to killing sleeping humanoids.  Fyrnlocke states that Kailute is probably not representative of all monsterkind, but he is willing to allow some parlay if the half-orc takes lead.  Fyrnlocke and Quilro look on with amazement as the barbarian attempts to balance the virtue of monsters with the rest of the party.

Karth, Gondal, and DonBrapp slay the remaining sleeping monsters.  Racial tension rears its head among the Wagon grew, and Fyrnlocke attempts to mediate.  The party attempts to hide the corpses by dragging them south.  After an hours movement, the party observes a boulder-like formation drawing a wake in the water to the south.  Hucking corpses into the water, it appears the boulder like formation open its maw and consume the dead bugbears.

Quilro observes this island creature is probably able to swim beneath the waves and registers this concern with the party.  Removing his armor, the elf agrees with Karth to find whatever loot may be had on the island.  The remaining corpses possess 8gp, 5sp, 26cp, and salt rusted banded mail of little value.

Fyrnlocke steps toward the half-orc “Clearly, you could investigate whatever is here while the rest of us set up an ambush.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Gondal states grimly.  Putting his hand on Quilro’s shoulder, Fyrnlocke offers “I’m with you…  I have not a second thought about putting every one of these giant dogs to the blade.”  Glancing at Karth, he continues “…but if perhaps we could do so from the shadows, with as little bloodshed as possible, I’m inclined to let frog-muscle try.”

Kailute leads the way atop the rise toward the smell of cookfires.  About 300 yards into relatively thick vegetation, the scent and sound of bugbears is prevalent.  Kailute prowls forward, while the remaining party members hide in the vegetation.

The flora breaks, and the ground becomes drier.  There are about 15 huts and 12-20 bugbears of all tribal type moving around the humanoid village.  The village appears to be on the top of the crest of the island, and he counts about 12 fighting type.

“Orc?!”  “Why here?”  Shout the first three bugbears that observe Kailute.  The bugbears are confused by Kailutes entreaties, and begin to make for their weapons while deliberately approaching.  “How do you bring the blessing of Gruumsh to fish-man island?”

Quilro signals to DonBrapp to be prepared to attack.

Kailute proposes champion combat, but the bugbears don’t understand what trophy One Ear may reap from such a victory.

“I carry the blade of Malcho the great!”  Unknown to Kailute, the term ‘malcho’ in bugbear is a despicable and deviant sexual act.

The village arises in angry violence, and the combat commences.

Gondal and Karth charge forth, while Quilro downs an invisibility potion and angles toward a rooftop from which he can break in his first fireball spell.  The three bugbears facing Kailute step forward, rusting longswords and a poleax bared.  Kailute lustily yarps a savage song of revenge as he cleaves his battleaxe, slicing into the torso of the center bugbear.

Enraged, the three facing the half-orc miss.  “One ear!  INTRUDERS!  Bring forth the shaman!”  The rest of the village seeks shelter and cover as the warriors assemble.  Karth and Gondal move to support Kailute’s flanks.

Father Dolken stands, invoking the favor of Umberlee.  DonBrapp charges directly to assist Kailute.
Deftly springing to the top of the closest huts to the left, the elf-mage fans his hands and prepares to speak his newly learned magical words.  Reversing his swing, Kailute slays the bugbear directly in his front.  Karth moves toward the rear of the initial melee, between Quilro and the group.  Gondal connects with a bugbear, while Fyrnlocke misses, leaving him open to a bugbear attack.  Three more oversized yellow dog men close to attack, and six more appear to be rushing to the fray encouraged by a yelping bugbear adorned in black leather and turtle shell pauldrons.


DonBrapp closes, shouting the holy vengeance of the Brapp to still the attacking humanoids.  Three immediately stop, the look of fear frozen on their canine faces.

Their fear is realized, as Quilo evokes elemental fire in explosive balls that pummel the humanoids, lighting them aflame while exploding upon connection to the surface and scorching and burning all that it encounters.  Nine bugbears scream in agony as they’re scourged by spheres of elemental flame.  The ground shimmies as the heat and impact connects to the ground.

From behind the pack, the largest bugbear seen points his longsword toward the mage.

“How many of your children must I slay before you trade blows with me, you Malcho!”  Kailute yells, simultaneously opening the chest of the remaining bugbear.  DonBrapp jabs the bottom end of his hammer through the jaw of one of the held monsters, while Karth whiffs a sword strike, inviting attack.  Two of the remaining bugbears step forward to strike the half-orc and dwarf.  The mixed scent of scorched seaweed and blood fills the air.

Quilro observes nine more bugbears, including what appears to be another shaman approaching the party.
DonBrapp sinks a hammer into the charred chest of a bugbear, sending his soul to wherever the slain of the Brapp inhabit the nether planes.  Kailute pivots to support the dwarf, opening himself to two sword attacks.  The guttural sound of a battle chant rings out over the combat, as Gondal and Fyrnlocke land blows on a pair of the newly arriving bugbears.  Kailute wounds another so grievously it too appears to disengage.  Quilro can see eight more approaching, and the grounds outside the village are getting crowded and slick with blood.  He unleashes pulsing missiles of light toward the newcomers, but doesn’t appear to fell any.  Doubling down, he again unleashes evoked magical energy, breaking the chant of the shaman and lowering the morale and energy of the assembled monsters.
DonBrapp cuts the bugbear facing Kailute in half, and his torso goes spinning into the air in a fan of gore.  With his backswing, the dwarf stuns another of the large dogmen.  Fyrnlocke continues to attract the violent attention, taking two sword thrusts.  Karth also suffers two blows, with fairly grievous wounds.

The half-orc moves to protect Karth, again invoking “Come fight me, you Malcho!” to the lead bugbear.  Recovering from his last two strikes, DonBrapp moves around Kailutes left to swing at Karth’s attacker whacking him with Demonstryker.

Quilro unleashes a magical bolt of lightning, sizzling through bugbear flesh.

The lead bugbear shoves his way to the front, engraged by such talk of malcho.

Kailute continues to stand beside Karth, felling another while yelling “Another down, and this Malcho still defies me!”  Gondal connects with a huge overhand swing, but much of the damage is avoided by directly hitting the armor.  The two bugbears continue to make short work of Karth.  One of the bugbears makes a spectacular attack, but does little damage to DonBrapp.

Quilro launches a web at the gathering bugbears, catching two and enveloping them stuck to the ground.
Fyrnlocke slices one’s neck open, and Gondal misses.  Karth begins to retreat, and is cut down with a sword in the back by one of the bugbears he faces.

Kailute is struck with two sword thrusts, as the lead bugbear breaks through the ranks and thrusts Kailute with his well maintained scimitar for significant damage.

Gondal and Fyrnlocke also take wounds.  The fray appears to be reaching a fever pitch.  Switching to his dagger, he jams it below the lead bugbears pauldron and the monsters eyes switch to a fearful clarity.
DonBrapp casts cure light wounds.  On himself.

“What brings you here?” Shouts the leader, clearly the One-Ear.  The two attacking Kailute lose control of their weapons, and the whole bugbear assembly is taken aback from the unexpected reversal in fortune.

Quirlo points the Staff of the Wolve below him, and out of a puff of magical cloud, a wolf the size of a pony appears behind him.

“Call off your dogs, lest I kill them all!” A furious Kailute storms at the chief bugbear.

“Quick, Dwarf!  Karth is bleeding out!”

Kailute’s message finally resonates, and the chief yells to his warriors “KRAT!” which is stop in bugbear.  DonBrapp administers aid to Karth, who coughs up blood and eyes the dwarf with gratitude.

Nine warriors eye the party warily.  “Why are you here, again?”  One-Ear inquires.

“I make allies wherever I can.  We came here to explore.”

“Man-fish needs rest and healing.  We honor man-fish.  And feed.  We raid for glory, gold, and food for the man fish.”

Quilro is disgusted by the disfigured one eared bugbear.  There is uneasy tension as they stand off each other, and the elf and warg emerge from the mud hut through the crowd of bugbears, swinging his sword as the warg tramples through the crowd.

The ground lurches, as fires remain burning on the unattended vegetation.

Gondal yells “HE IS YOUR GOD NOW, AND YOU WILL DO AS YOUR GOD COMMANDS!” in bugbear, pointing his sword at Kailute.  “IF YOU DO NOT, I WILL SLAY ALL OF YOU, AND ENSLAVER YOUR CHILDREN!”

One-ear drops to one knee, as do the other warriors.  “Put out the fires, and we will tend to man-fish.”  The bugbears set to work putting the fires out.

“Kailute, where’s the loot?” the dwarf inquires grimly.  One-Ear leads Kailute to the longest hut, and points to holes in the floor with various gold, copper, and some weapons.  Chests contain a variety of treasure.  Kailute exacts a tribute from the chieftain, selecting the most valuable jewels, half their gold, platinum, and copper.

One-Ear pledges fealty to Kailute, and begs information, particularly about targets for raids.  Conferring with Dolken, Kailute inquires as to what information could be provided to the raiding sea-faring bugbears.

“Melvaunt north and south;  Hillsfar and Zhentil Keep.  You can’t swing a dead rat without finding a cog filled with coin on the Moonsea.”  Kailute directs them to attack the purples and reds.  With his cleric slain, the chieftain will be challenged to commune with the man-fish.

“We obey Crashhawk;  and we will look to the sky for Crashhawk.”  Dolken heals the members of the party, and provides one to man-fish as well.

Finaly tally is 1500cp, 108sp, 48gp, 8pp, and three vials of unidentified liquid, 6 agate stones, and two emeralds.

The sun is sinking, and the party returns to the Vespeer on the skiff.

“If we continue to ply these waters, we will see these dogmen again.  And will fight them again.  A king never forgets.”