2022/07/06

Last time in the Iron Kingdoms: our party fought High Captain Hurley's right hand man.

After the Lord Governor's mansion was secured, Atrixia conferred with the party as to what to do about Captain Hurley. Atrixia unfortunately didn't know where exactly Hurley would be hiding out, so the party would need to locate Hurley. The party knew that Hurley had holdings on Captain's Isle, as well as controlling most of the Rivergravs. To this end the party decided to send Gazza to scout towards the docks to see if any sign of Captain Hurley. Gazza made it past the main battle lines so that he could get closer to the docks. The closer towards the docks that Gazza got the more rear echelon type troops that he saw. Approaching the docks though was a massing of soldiers that seemed to be preparing for an attack on something. Fearing that said attack could be heading towards the party, Gazza returned to tell of what he saw.

The party took the information that Gazza had obtained and began making their way towards the dock, while trying to come up with ways to distract or deal with the company of soldiers and steamjacks that were near the docks. The teams ideas ended up not being needed as Gazza hadn't gotten close enough to identify the soldiers as part of High Captain Waernuk's Wake Isles Syndicate. These soldiers had been sent to act on Captain Waernuk's hatred of Captain Hurley and were attacking the docks. Atrixia, who was following the party to provide whatever support she could, cursed out Waernuk as Toruk food who had no concept of screwing the pooch. Atrixia posited that even if Hurley was at the docks there's no way that he had stuck around as Waernuk amassed an army on his doorstep.

As a result of Waernuk's attack, the party had no idea where Hurley would have fled to, though decided that someone in his employ at the docks would have that knowledge. So the team rescued a member of Hurley's gang and asked him to take them to his boss. The goon complied both out of gratitude as well as understanding that the party's desires were way above his pay grade. The goon led the party to a warehouse containing spare parts for ships and steamjacks and other mechanical devices. Inside the office of the warehouse was the current field commander of Hurley's forces, Low Captain Dagson Canterwell. The party stated that they had an offer for the Low Captain and asked him if he wanted to be High Captain Canterwell. All he had to do was to give them the location of Hurley. Canterwell was noncommittal though did divulge Hurley's location: A bolthole on Squall Island, near the lighthouse on the isle. As the party was leaving Canterwell double crossed them, attacking with his bodyguards as well as some foot soldiers that he had rounded up on the way. The party defeated Canterwell and his underlings and interrogated one of the surviving foot soldiers, confirming that Hurley was on Squall Island and that the bolthole had a number of inert jacks to defend it. Atrixia had heard enough however, and told the party that they had done enough for one night and that they should get some sleep and visit Undertow in the morning for their pay.

The next day, Undertow was in a state of cheer as people swapped stories from what was becoming known as the “Night of Liberation” the booze was flowing and the gloom of the previous night was dispelled. Charlotte wanted to have a heart to heart with Atrixia, in order to figure out her motives for engaging in a revolution. Atrixia's only response was that she viewed Five Fingers as a home, after leaving the Scharde Islands where the Satixi hailed from, and wanted to potentially provide such a home to others that want to leave the nightmare empire and Toruk. Charlotte accepted this, though stated that she and Kitten weren't going to be pawns in someone else's war machine. Atrixia agreed to this, stating that to do so would be a vast under-utilization of the party's skills. Instead, Atrixia asked if Charlotte was more amenable to advisor and potential special forces of the new Five Fingers government. An offer that was given to the rest of the party after Charlotte's private conversation had ended. Atrixia sent the party on their way telling them to get some rest and that she'll be in contact once a decent way to attack Hurley's safehouse was found.