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From the Stillmound Campaign

Game Night 2011-08-17

Background: Darkpool is a rough pirate town.

Our hapless adventurers find that out by running head on into a press gang!

For gang members, I used Brutal Thugs. Clubs are "wrapped in silks". Note, doing subdual damage decreases attack by 4.

In the encounter with a press gang, the partly was nearly pounded into unconsiousness. One of the casters threw up a fog that allowed them to escape. And split into two groups, each group having some members with enough subdual damage to knock them out. So, much dragging of bodies, and skulking about.

The party is currently seperated, in hostile territory, and they are in dire straits. Lets keep it that way for a bit...

Note: Characters heal subdual damage at 1 point an hour, or 1 for 1 on healing spells.

Environmental: The fog does not dissapate, it instead gets thicker. Could be something mysterious, or something as simple as a weather change. Either way, it keeps things murky for a bit, and allows for the following scene to be set up.

Scene: An older man (scouting for the press) comes around the corner, looks the character dead in the eye, and then shouts over his shoulder "Not this way, check back that other way".

He turns back, and with a wink asks "Are you kids OK?"

My name is Stanislaw McGillicuddy, at your service, but you can call me Dan. Most everybody does.

side information available

He is recruiting for the ship Red Rubys Red Roaring Revenge. For whatever reason, he has decided to let the players go.

Red Ruby retired abruptly, and his ship is now in the possession of Black John, a fearsome 6' swarthy gentlemen with olive skin tone, and jet black hair all over his body. Not like a monkey, but rather like a very hairy guy.

Naturally, Black John is now known as "Black John The Red".

Black John is infamous for his battle rage, his bloodthirsty ways, and being a good ships captain.

Rumor has it that he has a powerful patron. Details are sketchy, but Black John does have a map... If someone manages to get a glimpse of the map, they might see some strange, crabbed writing and hand drawn skulls.

At departure time, an elf in bone armor carrying a strange box joins the ship. Actually, I threw him in as extra bait to see if I could get the party to bite, but apparently they were still feeling cautious after the beatdown from the thugs.

To where do they sail? What is on the map? Who is the mysterious parton? Who is this elf, and have we seen him before? What is in the box?

Feel free to adapt or use this plot hook for your campaign.