The party awoke in Baldur’s Gate and planned their journey to Driftwood Docks. After some discussion they agreed that they would sail in the pirate ship they boarded when they stopped the attack on Baldur’s gate, They also agreed that they would go disguised as pirates instead of cultists to try and fit in.

As they made their way to the docks, Galo first stopped at a blacksmith to trade adamantine in kind for the smith to craft a set of admantine armour, Galo left his armour with him and bought a new set to wear for the journey to Driftwood Docks.

The party then headed to the docks and talked to Malark Tallship, the Harbour Master. Malark Tallship informed them that there were no maps of Driftwood Docks and that there best way in would be to find a pirate that had been their before to guide them in as there is a specific path in to avoid detection. Malark Tallship recommended they visit The Squid’s Beak tavern to see if they could find anyone willing.

As they entered The Squid’s Beak, the found it empty except for a familiar pirate in the corner. Galo, Tarin, and Evan David recognized the pirate as Captain Callous who attacked them on their journey to Gundarlun. The party volunteered Tarin to go parley with Captain Callous and Tarin reluctantly agreed.

Captain Callous recognized the party as well and apologized for the attack on the high seas, but said it was ‘just business’.

The party accepted his apology and inquired if he would be willing to guide them into Driftwood Docks. Captain Callous agreed as Sea King Tentrix had double-crossed him and stole his Compass of the Depths. Captain Callous would do anything to retrieve it and he said he would accompany the party to Driftwood Docks and then take his leave. The party agreed and Captain Callous shared all he knew about Sea King Tentrix and his cohort:

• Sea King Tentrix
  • Hailing from Ulf of Thuger on Trisk, the northernmost of the Purple Rocks, Sea King Tentrix is a kraken priest who works directly for the kraken, Slarkrethel. Since leaving Trisk, Tentrix has amassed a huge cult of followers, most of whom are pirates that serve on the Black Armada. Tentrix is excited to be taking the fight to the mainland and eagerly awaits the rewards promised to him by the kraken
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• Captain Scummer
  • Most slaadi are agents of pure chaos that hail from the Plane of Limbo. When slaadi travel to the Material Plane, they create carnage by killing the resident humanoids or transforming them into more of their kind. Years ago, Sea King Tentrix’s vessel came across town being attack. Tentrix flew into a rage after realising his raid could no longer go ahead, so kidnapped one of the creatures as revenge. He hoped to ransom the captive back to the slaad, but when his first mate was killed before the message coudl be delivered, Tentrix realised the foolishness of his plan. When Tentrix tried to kill the slaad in revenge, his blade hit the control gem embedded in its head which he removed, gaining control over the chaotic creature.
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• Descretus Profanis
  • After being ousted from her Chultan lair by Ras Nsi, Desecratus Profanis managed to take control of a ship merchant ship leaving Chult. Discoering she had a taste for piracy, she began raiding other vessels on their way to and from peninsula, amassing a hoard of wealth and magic items. Seeking ever greater influence over the seas, Desecratus travelled north to the Sword Coast where she made a habit of sinking Lord’s Alliance vessels, which brought her to the attention of Sea King Tentrix. Although the pair initially tried to destroy each other, Desecratus saw something in Tentrix when he commanded the ocean, revealing his connection to the powerful kraken, Slarkrethel. Seeing potential for her own arcane gains, Desecratus has allied with the Sea King and serves as a pirate lord under his command, hoping one day to unlock the powers he has been afforded by the kraken.
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• Dhurge
  • Sea devils are known for their ferocity, but not often for their magical prowess. Dhurge is an exception. Dhurge was born with the typical baron mutations (increased strength and extra limbs), but rather than fighting his way to the top of sahuagin society, as most barons do, Dhurge took a different route. While attacking a ship as a juvenile, Dhurge came across a wand of fireballs and quickly realised how to use the item. The power afforded to him by the item inspired him to search out more and more wands until he had a full set. By the time Dhurge was fully grown, he has discovered more wands than his hands could carry and had mastered their use. The arcane casting didn’t go down well with the sahuagin of Kressilacc, Dhurges home, so he headed south to the Nelanthers where he knew he could find work as a pirate. Here he was approached by Sea King Tentrix, who recruited him into the Black Armada
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• Jarl Bluebeard
  • Chief defender of Driftwood Docks, Jarl Bluebeard is a frost giant from Svardborg who joined the Black Armada after Jarl Storvald was killed by an adventuring party and the Ordning was restored. Looking for a way to please his god, Thrym, the raiding lifestyle promised by Tentrix to the giants caught his eye. Bluebeard’s fanatical devotion to pleasing Thrym is not his only mark of insanity. The giant also insists on eating nothing but raw shark meat, weaving hammers into his beard, and hurling rocks at any ship not flying the flag of the Black Armada.
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• The Storm Maiden
  • Hailing from Rogarsheim of Norland in the Moonshae Isles, the Storm Maiden was once a feared battle leader. At the height of her power, however, she led a crazed quest to control the Sea of Swords that resulted in her ship vanishing beneath the waves. Blessed by Umberlee and Valkur, the Storm Maiden somehow survived. It took many years for her to return, but she immediately stole a ship from a petty pirate captain and began amasing a new crew.

• Although the Storm Maiden has no memory of her years under the waves, she remembers her defeat at the hands of the Tarnian White Sails Company and realised she needed a fleet of vessels to take revenge on Mintarn. After she has done so, she will return to Norland and claim the island for her own. Her mission quickly drew the attention of Sea King Tentrix, who offered her a position of command in the Black Armada should she help him enact hi
• 

• Kharon
  • Despite the enormous sail atop Tentrix’s lair, the construction of the vessel renders it almost immobile. Thankfully, Tentrix bought the loyalty of Kharon, a merrenoloth capable of captaining any ship
• Luthra ‘Powder’ Lingenhall
  • The quartermaster of the lair is a young gnomish woman nicknamed Powder. Powder has bright orange hair that stands straight up atop her head like the flame of a candle. She is perpetually covered with soot and swadust. She wears a thick leather robe puckered with burn holes, and is rarely seen without a pipe in her mouth.
• Grabbit
  • Despite her stature, Grabbit the goblin boss holds great sway on the ship. Most of the crew aboard are monstrous and respond better to her orders than those from the pirate lords or Tentrix himself. Her command over the crew comes from her ruthlessness; she has a deadly habit of kicking crew who question her authority off the plank

The party thanked Captain Callous for the information and prepared to depart the next morning. The party made a point to purchase some shark meat for a bribe if they ever encountered Jarl Bluebeard.

The journey to Driftwood Docks was uneventful due to the seamanship of Captain Callous. They saw more pirate ships as they journeyed closer, but Captain Callous was able to avoid them all.

In the distance, the party could make out the steep sides of an island formed entirely of smashed ships. The ship graveyard was surrounded by almost unnavigable waters that roil and twist as if wrung by the hands of the gods.

Having navigated the treacherous waters around the island, Captain Callous managed to find a handful of gullys which cleave through the broken ships, forming an entrance to the island’s interior.

The high cliffs on either side were manned by humanoids at ballistae, scouring the water for enemy ships. They party was able to sail through unmolested.

After making their way through the entrance to Driftwood Docks, the party found themselves in a large, deep expanse of water used as a harbour for a dozen or so pirate ships of sundry construction.

Standing out above all of these was a towering vessel that looked like eight ships lashed together around a central hull nearly a hundred feet across. The strange, floating structure had a phenomenal sail of giant proportions emblazoned with the sign of the Black Armada, a red skull surrounded by tentacles on a field of black.

The party disembarked and entered the structure.

As they entered the central hub of the lair, the party were confronted with a view of a short goblin with a tall driftwood crown cracking a whip around her head while a pale lizardfolk backed away from her toward the edge of a wooden plank over a hole in the centre of the room.

“Scaly creeps gotta remember who the boss is!” screeched the goblin as, with a slash of her whip, she sent the lizardfolk flying off the end of the plank. The creature’s scream ended abruptly with a splash, followed by a flailing sound, and then silence. The gathered onlookers quickly scurried back to work.

The party quickly decided to abandon their well thought out strategy of disguise and subterfuge and attacked!

They were able to deal with Grabbit and her henchmen quite easily. They then moved to explore quarters to the south east and opened the door to a conversation between The Storm Maiden and her two henchmen.

This battle was much more difficult, but the party was able to defeat her with Evan David decapitating The Storm Maiden with a final blow.

The cabin before the party was sparsely furnished, with next to no decoration. The only features were a crossed pair of greataxes behind a hefty wooden shield, painted with bright red and blue stripes. There was a desk pressed up against the far wall. A wooden bed, its frame carved in a similar fashion to northlander dragonships, stood nearby. The party quickly searched the bodies for treasure finding an arrow catching shield and a javelin of lightning.

Finding nothing else of value, they quickly looked around the room and noticed a pair of blinking eyes looking at them from under the bed.