March 05, 2005

Hook

few Adventurers wanted for security work. Go to McGuffin's and ask to speak to the owner at around 6 o'clock.

Plot Synopsis

The PCs show up at various times and some of them get tables at McGuffin's, a family-style restaurant. It features friendly wait staff who wear vests decorated with bits of 'flair' that advertise lunch specials or say "Ask me about Neptune's Surprise!". The walls of McGuffin's are covered with assorted brick-a-brak such as musical instruments, blacksmithing tools, and colorful paintings to give it a fun and whimsical feel.

Carl notices some of the wait staff attempting to ambush one of the tables, but instead of attacking, they jump out and sing 'Happy Birthday' to the unsuspecting patron to the amusement of his family.

They PCs eventually ask to speak to the owner and are lead to a back room to see McGuffin. He is a bit oddly dressed in a colorful suit and seems to get distracted easily. Fortunately his ten year old daughter is there to help with the details. The job McGuffin has for the PCs is to provide extra security for his cruise ship "McGuffin's Delight". Harry asks if McGuffin's Delight is anything like the Scrogg pleasure ship "The Wet Beaver". McGuffin says no.

The next morning the PCs show up at the docks and board McGuffin's Delight to prepare it for its maiden voyage. There are six raw recruits to help with security and Carl begins to train them immediately. Carl and his men foil a pickpocket even before they set sail. Harry asks to set up a jello pit, but is told no by the Entertainment Director. Harry does manage to get with some men who slip away from their wives. The PCs all notice that there are a few Detalianos aboard as passengers.

All goes well the first day and the ship turns back to port since this was planned to be a short outing. In the early afternoon of the second day the man in the crows-nest calls out "Disturbance in the water off the port bow!" which is followed by a collision. Another ship has rammed them and now becomes visible. Pirates swarm onto the McGuffin's Delight. Halima is spurned of the ship by a priest of Orus. The rest of the PCs make their way up to the deck and begin fighting with the pirates. The only pirate to remain on the pirate ship (the "Blitzing Bandito") throws some lightning bolts into the mix. A nicely dressed orc who was a passenger on the cruise ship takes out a pirate with a well place punch to the throat. Harry decides to get serious and turns into a large werewolf which dials the chaos meter up significantly. All the passengers except the D'taliano run below decks. Many pirates also run below decks as does D'utta. Halima has cast stickum and climbed back on board by this time and runs below decks. Carl fights the remaining pirates on deck while Harry devours those pirates that jumped overboard because of fear. The air mage pirate also is scared into the water, but flies away before he is killed. Meanwhile D'utta and Halima subdue the pirates that went below decks.

After the fighting is done Carl watches as a young kitchen worker runs onto the pirate ship looking very distraught. Carl catches him in the pirate cefo's quarters. He is tied up with the other pirates. Harry finishes devouring some pirates on the deck of the Blitzing Bandito. He is very messy. The sailors on the McGuffin's Delight refuse to help salvage the pirate ship because of all the blood and gore. The PCs decide to scuttle the BB so Harry jumps around until a hole is smashed in the hull and it sinks.

With some minor damage, the MD sets sail again for Rougtero. In the fight several passengers were wounded and one security personal was killed. The mood is no longer festive on the MD. Everyone sticks in their cabins quietly save the Detalianos, who were glad to see a little action.

Halima casts an Osirus spell to turn into a bird and flies back to Rougtero to inform McGuffin what has happened. He is not too happy, but is glad that the PCs did what they were hired to do. Halima then flies back to the ship.

Back in Rougtero, D'utta takes custody of the prisoners and tries to get some information out of them. He almost kills the kitchen boy torturing him, but he survives with a broken arm. The kitchen boy is the younger brother of Cefo Waverly, the air mage and leader of the pirates who escaped. He was providing intelligence to his brother which was confirmed by documents Carl recovered from the BB. They did not know that McGuffin would hire adventurers in addition to the six security men. Later in Port Haven D'utta is approached by some Detalianos who offer him 2000 silver for the boy. D'utta declines.

Noteworthy Postgame Events