Ulgoth's Beard: Ransomed!

[Maecius]

Word quickly gets around that the fishing village of Ulgoth's Beard fell victim to a brutal pirate raid. Striking swiftly and with an overwhelming force -- from two directions -- the pirates generated a great deal of confusion with explosions and fires, as well as strange, driving blizzards, before abducting several villagers.

The first responders were killed in a short series of vicious battles, but as the town's militia became more organized, the pirates fled back into the sea. They left in their wake burning buildings and a ghoul chained to the pier -- a note embedded in the pole behind it.

Several adventurers were able to bring down the ghoul, while the townsfolk hastily put out the fires. By the fortune of nature, it was raining at the time, which helped to prevent the fire from becoming an inferno.

The note, which has since been turned into the Flaming Fists, gave credit for the raid to the "Hellstorm Crew," a notorious band of pirates known to haunt Roaringshore from time to time, and demanded the following ransom:

The villagers, women, children, and men, are taken as you can see. Let's see how much you and your leaders care about their souls, shall we? If you want to see them alive again, you will pay us 5,000 gold pieces per hostage.

If the full sum is paid, they will be released. If half the sum is paid, we will mercifully drown them. If nothing is paid within one month from when the fires have died down, we shall release all of the villagers to the farmlands of Baldur's Gate. As undead.

- Captain Kalma Hellstorm, the God Slayer

Although Ulgoth's Beard is recovering from the physical damage wrought by the pirates, seven men and women are among the missing, presumed now to be held ransom by the Hellstorms.

(( OOC: Big thanks to everyone who participated in this event, especially the PCs who got caught up in it unexpectantly. You were all good sports, and hopefully the abductions were fun for you as well.

(( Feel free to post in-character replies, from either side of the raid or its aftermath, in here. ))

[Storm Munin]

Grim staggered between the mats of the peacefully sleeping crew as the ship swayed upon the waves. A liberal intake of fermented grapes might have had some impact too.
He fell down on his cot facefirst and as he lay there images flickered through his dwindling consciousness.

The silent creaking of the oars as the initial wave crept towards the sleepy coastal village.
The look on the lighthouse attendant's face afore the hilt of his right thinblade hit the geezer squarely making teeth fly to scatter along with their previous owner down the stairs.
He chuckled as he recalled the confused look on the mercenary's face as the bugger had placed the keg of Hellfire outside the inn.
The resounding roar as the stuttering Cookie ignited the flames of Hell itself with a peeble just before Grim and the pack moved out of the shadows. With flaming debris still falling from the sky their battle cries shattered what was left of the serenity of the night, as their blades took those unwilling or too stunned to surrender.

By Tymora's teets he had been lucky when that merchant lass ran his way only to be knocked out and dragged aboard for ransome. Hells, the blacksmith he had encountered while carrying the senseless wench towards the shore had almost put up a fight, almost...

The return to the village green and that daft girl of a popsicle spellflinger refusing surrender and trying to blast her way through his pack of free men.. and women of course.
He sighed as he scratched at the scabs of his latest tattoo. They had probably been even luckier when the fool grabbed onto Snow White and took off in the blink of an eye. A gleeful chuckle escaped his lips and pulled his scar taunt as he recalled how his foot had impacted her butt before the two had winked out of sight. That one shouldnt be sitting for a week or two.

Then he frowned, oh yeah, the rumpled Snow White had returned claiming the death of the wench. Good riddance, even if she probably had been worth a coin or two.
Damned be all spellflingers, he thought as he stiffled a yawn.
A good days work was the last thought on his mind before she came into his dreams.

Hells yes, Luv would be pleased with him, perhaps shed take him to the dry deep again?
He and the captain hoped for it, even if for very different reasons.

Why did he and Lady Coinhands care for Luv anyway?


Sleep took the divine champion offering no promises nor damnation.

[Carbondk]

<an entry from the memoires of Irini Valkyrian, regarding the sacking of Ulgoth's Beard>

Fury unleashed:

The priestess stood in the middle of the storm, the only calm eye in a fury of chaos unleashed by her own hand. Whereever she looked, lightning storms churned the air overhead, bolts of electricity was released from the dark clouds, striking buildings, trees, and everything else that came into their path. Blizzards, snow storms and mighty avalanches rised to her beckon, and she unleashed them relentless over the small town known as Ulgoth's Beard.

This was what she had been born to do! This was her fate! And she enjoyed every moment of it.

The storm inside her, as well as those outside, slowly subsided once more. "We should fall back and retreat fot he ship", she said, seeing the fast growing band of guardsmen and adventurers gathering on the outskirts of the village.
The pirates quickly made their way back to the small boats, and sailed for the Seawolf.

Back on the safety of the deck, Irini had time to look closely at one of their prisoners. This one was a mage, no doubt, and they would do best to keep guard over her. However, the prisoner also seemed to wear the sacred snowflake of Auril around her neck, how peculiar ..
The mage came to herself. "What have we here then. A faithful of Auril, perhaps?", the priestess asked, but immediately the wizardess flung herself at Irini, grasping for something under the priestess' cape, which could be no other thing than the Codicil of White, the book strapped tightly to the belt of the priestess.

"Grim, keep this one down, damn it!", Irini heard herself yell, before the fool of a wizard transported both her and Irini through magical means of teleportation.
Fury quickly rose in the Aurilite high priestess again, fury for having been transported against her will, fury at the foolish wizard for trying to steal the sacred book of Auril.

And fury must be unleashed.

Irini spat a long series of unholy syllables, and called on the most dire of her divine powers, smiting Azmodeth with a barrage of horrible spells, that quickly snuffed the life out of the mage.
Irini glanced about herself quickly, noticing the guards of the Friendly Arm Inn gathering in the courtyard, for that was where the mage had teleported the pair, and the white-haired woman quickle knelt down beside the lifeless body of Azmodeth, tore the snowflake pendant off her neck, and ran for the gates.

Back on the ship, the pirates gathered to cheer their victory at the town of Ulgoth's Beard. Yes, it had been a sweet day indeed, and the gods of fury were satisfied for now. The mage in blue intrigued Irini though. Perhaps the tale of the two Aurilites had not come to its end just yet, with the death of Azmodeth. The priestess felt a faint grin creeping onto her face, whatever was to come her way in the future, it was sure to be quite interesting ..


Irini summoning her storms as the rest of the pirates loot and plunder Ulgoth's Beard.

[omnilicious]

Hearing about the raid on Ulgoth's Beard Torus laughs, thinking;

'We should ransom these weakling women we took from their village like those 'pie-rates'. One month and they've proven useless. The idiots should build a wall!'

*boisterous laughter*

[Xanfyrst]

http://www.bgtscc.net/viewtopic.php?f=1 ... 38#p413738

[PeeHell]

"I promise! I will do all I can to get our friends back!!"

Aozeph Kelnar, a well known fisherman in Ulgoth's Beard, is seen talking to a crowd of terrified villagers. He is not wearing the rags he usually wears, harboring silk clothes and a white hood.

He is later seen delivering a letter to a messenger who then leaves on a boat, heading to The Roaringshores.

[Maecius]

After a tense meeting with the pirates, long-time resident of Ulgoth's Beard, Aozeph Kelnar, was able to negotiate the release of the captive villagers in exchange for 40,000 gold coins.

The pirates, true to their word, released the captives in the sea outside the Beard, where they were picked up by a pair of local fishing boats in the dead of the night.

Nearly a tenday away from home, the people of Ulgoth's Beard were thrilled to have back their abducted townspeople. Aozeph was the toast of the village, and a small, impromptu feast was had at the inn, with what little food the folk could scrounge together.

Meanwhile, the pirates are roaring with convivial pleasure, having made a more than significant sum off their raid. Kalma's name is cheered back at the taverns of Roaringshore, and more than one rival pirate captain scowls with envy as he sees the Hellstorm crewmen throwing gold and silver around like it's copper ...

The Council of Four has promised a 1,000 gold coin bounty for anyone who is able to bring in one of the pirates, and a 10,000 gold coin bounty for anyone who is able to bring in Kalma Hellstorm himself. If captured, the pirates are to be turned in at the headquarters of the Flaming Fist in Baldur's Gate.

[Maverick 40]

(( Sorry to go OOC, this bounty makes Kalma effectively KOS?))

[Maecius]

(( No. PVP rules must still be adhered to with outlaws. At least presently. ))

[Maverick 40]

Hilga Winterfang hears rumors of chests of gold being offered for the capture of a viking. "I vonder if he needz be alive?", she says while thinking of how the gold could be used to help her tribesmen.

[Storm Munin]

1000 gold? thats a bleedin insult!

[theadept024]

Rhiannon has been waiting patiently for information about the ship to begin the rescue of these poor people. She has begun trying to use her bardic abilities and feminine wiles to gather any information that she can regarding this Captain Kalma.

She has been spending time in the Friendly Arms Taproom, keeping her ears open in case there is anything suspicious or if there is loose talk regarding Kalma, the pirates or the kidnapping.

[Carbondk]

"A measly thousand gold coins? I suppose I shall have to lay waste to a larger town to get a reasonable bounty on my head." the priestess muses as word of the Dukes reaches her ears.

[theadept024]

After doing some information gathering I have found that the crew may be operating out of Roaringshore. I am going to be gathering some people to investigate.

[Sierante]

[Gareut posting.]


The man behind this operation, infamous Captain of Seawolf Brigantine has been sighted moving at Roaringshore's marketplace, buying what ever a wealthy man could desire. After the raid Captain's followers have been greater in numbers and arms. Apperantly the Captain is worried that even at pirate port like Roaringshore something might happen to him. Nevertheless the outlaw is visibly enjoying his life, unlike the crewmen he isn't just as loud.

Amongst the officers and crew's specialists the bounty of 10 000 gold pieces is hilarious if not insulting (The Captain himself is quite relieved.) The whispers quickly moves around that the Dukes of Baldur's Gate might be soon bankrupt. Perhaps the war against the Black Orcs is taking it's toll finaly?

[[I log almost daily in game as Captain Kalma Hellstorm if any of you want to talk about the aftermatch of this raid!

Thanks for the PC sellswords, sailors and Maecius the Taleteller! It was a blast!]]