Session 48: Island of Sinners

General Summary

Slave Traders

46th of Wintercrest 22nd year of the Second Era
As the battle concluded, The Regulators began to search the ship. Meara broke into a chest under a table on the upper aft deck and discovered a chart of a navigation chart of a small island. When she showed it to Malcolm he noted that there were markings that could be indicating the positions of the canon batteries, and the chart included water depth indicators and a note of where to drop the ship into the water; seemingly for access to a secret side entrance to the island.  
They brought the chart to Lara Jennings who was currently looking over the railing and processing the fact that Malcolm had likely successfully killed VanDevries, one of the most notorious member of the cartel. She then looked the map over and agreed with Malcolm's interpretation. She also translated the Ancient Pescoan at the top of the map "νησί των αμαρτωλών" to read " nisí ton amartolón  Island of Sinners."
They updated their plan to send word that they had captured serenity and wanted to land it on the beach outside the hideout's main entrance, which would allow a hidden group to approach the cannon batteries on foot and take them out. 
They then heard Zuko smashing something in the captain's quarters. Zuko had failed to unlock the desk and smashed the drawer open instead. He found the captain's log and perused its entries, discovering that the Cartel had identified the The Solia as the ship attacking the cartel, and authorized captains to destroy it on sight, even in public. VanDevries has a personal vendetta against The Solia as well because he lost friends in those attacks. In one of the most recent entries, he indicated that the Aóratos had picked up cargo (that he didn't identify) and made off with it for free after killing the seller. 
At this point, Meara and Malcolm came in to see what the commotion was. He then noticed the rug under the desk had wear marks from being bunched up and found tracks under the rug. Meara, not realizing there was a latching mechanism, simply broke it as she helped Zuko move the desk. Under it was a chest containing what may have been the captains entire personal fortune, or simply the ship's funding. 
They continued searching the ship, finding the officer's mess, the cannon deck (which they discussed taking some of the armaments for themselves) and a room full of trained ravens used to communicate with the Cartel's headquarters and outposts. 
On the lowest deck they found where the crew slept and cargo was stored, but there didn't seem to be anything of value. Zuko discovered a locked grate covering a staircase to a lower deck. Sticking his head in he realized it was filled with prisoners, which he eventually realized were kidnap victims being transported for sale as slaves. 
Zuko called Meara and Malcolm down for help, and they freed the prisoners. While getting them fed and taken care of, they returned to the upper deck to interrogate the surviving crew. Malcolm used a spell to amplify his voice and intimidate the crew into giving up the highest ranking member remaining. 
The Regulators asked questions about the layout of the hideout, number of people usually present, and procedures when they dock. The crewman answered all of the questions and as they discussed what to do with the captured crew, he begged for his life, offering more information he thought would help. He mentioned that the Qutaran female they killed was named "Haala," and Manos Zenas , the leader of the cartel has a relationship of some sort with her. 
Meara pressed him for information about the slave trade, hoping that he would show some sort of remorse or ignorance of the matter, but it became clear that he was well aware of what he was getting himself into and he didn't see anything particularly wrong with it. So they decided to leave the captured crew to take their chances on foot in Whiterath Pass. While dropping the prisoners off, Zuko went looking for the body of VanDevries. After a time he found him, alive but unconscious. He restrained him and called over Malcolm. THey woke him up and tried to press him for more information, but he couldn't be intimidates, and Malcolm killed him, burying him with the gravedigger spell.  When they returned, Serenity and  The Solia  continued toward their destination with Aóratos in tow. Near daybreak, the Aóratos was ready to travel on its own and they finalized the plan, sending out two ravens to the cartel island reporting that VanDevries was dead and Haala had taken command. The captain that killed him, her ship and its pilot. Explaining that Serenity was not sea worthy, Manos responded (as hoped) to land it on the beach. 
Malcolm gave a short speech to the freed slaves asking them to help take down the cartel, and 65 of the 80 agreed, bringing the number of people available to attack the cannon batteries up to 100. They put their plan into motion and as the Aóratos drifted into the hideout cove, Malcolm disguised himself as Haala, and Zuko turned invisible as Meara was brought in as prisoner. Realizing they didn't know what Manos looked like, Malcolm whispered to Meara and she called out for Manos as if she was being defiant in spite of her predicament. A moment a large albino gorilla like creature, which Zuko recognized as a Satori charged into the room. He addressed Malcolm and Meara in turn and they realized that his was Manos Zenas.
To be continued...

Report Date

04 Apr 2021