The Sinking Ship
The party assembled before the Marshal again to be briefed on their next mission. "The Gold Dwarf armies and navies still stand around the globe. Whether they stand with their former king or with the new rebel leader; we don't know. There's rumors a ship in the Goblin Isles has a map with the location of every Gold Dwarf army and navy around the world."
M told the group a pirate has acted as privateer for the Spessartites in the past and they could promise him pay for helping them track down the Gold Dwarf ship, steal the map, and bring the party back to safe harbor. A Spessartite ship sailed the party to the Goblin Isles where it dropped them off in the pirate city of Erregean Portura. There, the party searched the town for places where they may find information about the Gold Dwarves. Ruban headed to the temple where he found a shrine dedicated the the West Human Death God. The rest of the party went to the Turtle Crawls where cheap brothels and shady taverns service weary pirate crews.
In one of the taverns, the party encountered a mourning pirate dwarf who was celebrating the life of her long-time companion of the seas. The party spoke with the pirate Arrano Nahiko who said that her former captain was killed in a battle with Gold Dwarves out at sea. Her captain was the privateer the party was looking for. The group explained why they came and that they believed the ship on which Nahiko's captain died fighting was the ship they were looking for.
The next morning, Captain Nahiko assembled her crew and the party members sailed with her in search of vengence. Nahiko's ship assaulted the Gold Dwarf vessel, striking holes just below the water level. The party would have a limited time to search the ship for the map before it would sink into the sea.
The party boarded the enemy ship with Nahiko's pirates. Bonastre fought beside the pirate captain alongside Mistahimaskwa and Neith. Ruban changed himself into a bird to investigate the ship. He found the map in the infirmary with the injured Gold Dwarf captain and his surgeons. He returned to halfling form, and set fire to the sinking ship. After grabbing the map, Ruban attempted to run from the bowels of the ship, but was halted by Gold Dwarf marines. Neith rushed her way in to save Ruban who was in a rapidly sinking lower deck. The Gold Dwarf Marines continued to fight as Nahiko, Mistahimaskwa, and Bonastre attempted to clear the top deck. Neith grabbed the map from Ruban, then waded in chest-deep water out of the bowls of the ship. Ruban changed into a bird and flew back to Nahiko's vessel. The few remaining pirates evacuated and the Gold Dwarf ship sank.
The party returned to Erregean Portura with the pirates. Nahiko thanked the group for helping her avenge her former captain. The party visited local temples and markets once more before sailing back to the Spessartite Isles. Nahiko's success did not go unnoticed. A Spessartite captain on leave in the pirate haven approached her after the party left to offer her a chance to take up her former captain's privateer title.