Tazmuk Leathertail - a rare moment of self-relfection
Aug 13, 2019 17:02:45 GMT
Grimes, Daisy, and 2 more like this
Post by Tazmuck on Aug 13, 2019 17:02:45 GMT
Laying back on his comfortable bed at the Three-Headed Ettin, and after a few drinks on his own at the bar downstairs, Tazmuk Leathertail - a muscular, red scaled dragonborn - finds himself alone in his room and reflecting on recent events.
Neither comfort, nor being alone, nor reflecting on things feels natural to Tazmuk. Until now, he's spent most of his life aboard The Avernus - a pirate ship run by a red Dragonborn clan who called themselves the Leathertails. They'd been a good crew, competent sailors and good fighters, but more than that they were his family. They sailed together, drank together and sang together, taking whatever they needed (or wanted) from the poorly defended merchant boats and coastal towns that frequented their favourite patch of sea. Even when they spent time on land - like during their visits to the lawless pirate port or Arlsmud - they would be together: drinking in the bars, brawling landlubbers in the fighting pits, even going together to the local brothels to take girls (or boys, as some of the crew - including Tazmuk - preferred).
It was probably about a month ago that everything had changed. It was late evening out at sea, and they'd been celebrating a victory over a small merchant vessel earlier in the day. The chase, and the 'battle' (if you could call it that) had been so simple it was barely worth a thought. They'd quickly drawn alongside the overladen merchant vessel in open water, and on board found just a few hired hands who easily surrendered and a captain so drunk he barely noticed as they threw him overboard. But the haul - now that was worth celebrating! Barrels of fine wine and a couple of caskets of gold - probably 10,000GP at least - it was the best luck they'd had in ages.
As so it was, they were drinking the wine they'd just plundered late in the night, singing a half-known shanty about a captain that falls in love with a sea hag. And then a shout from the crows nest, and the ships bell clanging loudly, and everyone scrambling to action, grabbing weapons and armour on their way up. Coming onto deck, Taz saw the Kobold deckhands scrambling to control the large mainsail as the helmsman span the boat off the wind. In the darkness ahead, a large, golden-sailed galleon was closing in fast, and as they turned sharply on the crest of a wave another appeared on the port bow. These were not the merchant vessels they normally dealt with, but war galleons with high sides and armoured gundecks that towered over the Bermuda rigged Avernus. The Avernus would have outrun them easily, but even as they turned to escape, the grappling hooks began to land on the deck, piercing into the wooden gunwales and drawing them in. How had they found us? And why did the watchmen not see these earlier? It was too late to ask these questions.
As the high sided galleons drew alongside, paladins in matching gold coloured platemail started leaping onto their decks from above. Almost immediately, Taz was knocked overboard by a large, powerful mace blow. He should have died, but by some enormous luck, he landed on a small landing boat that had dropped into the water in the chaos. As he rowed off, he saw his ship ablaze in the distance.
He hadn't counted the days adrift, but it had been a few weeks at least before he found himself ashore in this strange land he now knew was called 'Kantas'.
Sitting in his tavern room, he wonders if he'd ever have a crew again . He decided he would - but not yet. Given the events, it would be dangerous to head straight back out to sea, and the mystery of the battle they had lost still frightened him. And practically speaking, he had an idea of the direction he had drifted in, but not the distance. So for now, he'd try to earn gold in whatever way he could in this world, build his strength and resources, and bide his time.
Neither comfort, nor being alone, nor reflecting on things feels natural to Tazmuk. Until now, he's spent most of his life aboard The Avernus - a pirate ship run by a red Dragonborn clan who called themselves the Leathertails. They'd been a good crew, competent sailors and good fighters, but more than that they were his family. They sailed together, drank together and sang together, taking whatever they needed (or wanted) from the poorly defended merchant boats and coastal towns that frequented their favourite patch of sea. Even when they spent time on land - like during their visits to the lawless pirate port or Arlsmud - they would be together: drinking in the bars, brawling landlubbers in the fighting pits, even going together to the local brothels to take girls (or boys, as some of the crew - including Tazmuk - preferred).
It was probably about a month ago that everything had changed. It was late evening out at sea, and they'd been celebrating a victory over a small merchant vessel earlier in the day. The chase, and the 'battle' (if you could call it that) had been so simple it was barely worth a thought. They'd quickly drawn alongside the overladen merchant vessel in open water, and on board found just a few hired hands who easily surrendered and a captain so drunk he barely noticed as they threw him overboard. But the haul - now that was worth celebrating! Barrels of fine wine and a couple of caskets of gold - probably 10,000GP at least - it was the best luck they'd had in ages.
As so it was, they were drinking the wine they'd just plundered late in the night, singing a half-known shanty about a captain that falls in love with a sea hag. And then a shout from the crows nest, and the ships bell clanging loudly, and everyone scrambling to action, grabbing weapons and armour on their way up. Coming onto deck, Taz saw the Kobold deckhands scrambling to control the large mainsail as the helmsman span the boat off the wind. In the darkness ahead, a large, golden-sailed galleon was closing in fast, and as they turned sharply on the crest of a wave another appeared on the port bow. These were not the merchant vessels they normally dealt with, but war galleons with high sides and armoured gundecks that towered over the Bermuda rigged Avernus. The Avernus would have outrun them easily, but even as they turned to escape, the grappling hooks began to land on the deck, piercing into the wooden gunwales and drawing them in. How had they found us? And why did the watchmen not see these earlier? It was too late to ask these questions.
As the high sided galleons drew alongside, paladins in matching gold coloured platemail started leaping onto their decks from above. Almost immediately, Taz was knocked overboard by a large, powerful mace blow. He should have died, but by some enormous luck, he landed on a small landing boat that had dropped into the water in the chaos. As he rowed off, he saw his ship ablaze in the distance.
He hadn't counted the days adrift, but it had been a few weeks at least before he found himself ashore in this strange land he now knew was called 'Kantas'.
Sitting in his tavern room, he wonders if he'd ever have a crew again . He decided he would - but not yet. Given the events, it would be dangerous to head straight back out to sea, and the mystery of the battle they had lost still frightened him. And practically speaking, he had an idea of the direction he had drifted in, but not the distance. So for now, he'd try to earn gold in whatever way he could in this world, build his strength and resources, and bide his time.