Monday, 22 April 2024

The Ironfang Pirate Fleet: The Rotmoons - Bonesplitterz to Ironjawz, part 2



Kapitan Alunzo da Leeva and The Rotmoons


The Rotmoon itself was a small fast wooden skyvessel with no heavy guns. It had many crudely cobbled-together and jury-rigged repairs to its hull, since the shipwreck in the Harrowmark. Its bottom was covered in barnacles and weeds, its deck was covered in filth and its sides were loaded with baggage. There was always a disticntive line of red-and-yellow triangular “dags” painted along its sides; this was the only part of the ship's appearance that the crew took real pride in.

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The Rotmoons may have called themselves Privateers or Pirates, but they spent more of their time acting like explorers than either. They searched the ruins of the Realms for treasures and artefacts from the Age of Myth. Their Shaman, El Doktoro, considered himself an expert on that long-forgotten era and often pronounced, with great complacency and authority, what a found treasure was or its magical powers. He was occasionally correct...






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Kapitán Alunzo da Leeva was a dashing and heroic Orruk Pirate; energetic, capable and unusually quick witted. He started his career on the Almagorka Coast in Shyish, where both he and his crew acquired many strange local habits and mannerisms. He wore looted clothes with a preference for black (and lately the red-and-yellow striped trousers the rest of the crew had taken to wearing), black-and-gold enamelled armour, with a “used-to-be-white” ruff-collar, a pair of heavy pistols, and a coat draped over one shoulder as a half-cloak.

He was well liked by his crew as he got them in to, and out of, many scrapes over the years. But he was unpopular with the other ships' captains of the Ironfang Fleet - they saw him as an “upstart young pup”. He was also unfortunately prone to getting shipwrecked much more often than anyone with his skills should have been.





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They remained in Shyish for the past several years, but more as a product of unhappy circumstances than by intent or preference. 

After the successful conclusion of their last adventure in the Harrowmark, the Rotmoons had everything they needed to prepare for something more ambitious. They had the materials needed to repair and refit the ship. Moreover they had the time and energy needed to complete the work to a much higher standard than had been possible for many years. 

They also had the weather-room to work uninterrupted since Kalyustar and his Cursed Company had left the Harrowmark for Thondia. The last news of them came via the Swordfyshes who claimed to have encountered them on the outskirts of the Gnarlwood.

So daLeeva was able to focus his efforts on co-ordinating the crew in dozens of simultaneous projects. The ship was careened, partially dismantled and then rebuilt with timber from the fabled Twisted Oak. Her running rigging was stripped and replaced. Two entirely new suits of sail were made, one carefully folded into lockers below deck. Even her paintwork was refreshed - bright red and yellow triangles lined her gunwales.

The crew worked hard enough to not need "extra motivational measures", but not so hard they became exhausted and fractious. They sang their favourite horrible sea-shanties as they worked and excitedly discussed "what's next?" amongst themselves.

El Doktoro supervised the many minor incantations, cantrips and rituals that all wooden skyvessels (probably) require to stay afloat and interact kindly with the ethertides. The ship had never been so well tuned!

As the major works neared completion daLeeva commanded the ship on a number of running-in cruises. They started cautiously but soon the slow runs, with gentle turns and experimental sail configurations evolved into racing at breakneck speeds over the treetops, sharp and precise turns. Soon the trees sped past beneath them in an exhilarating blur.

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During this time the crew also noted changes in their Kapitan and shaman: As is often the case with orruks, they grew larger and stronger because they had been successful. The shaman's arcane abilities became easier to manifest and more spectacular. The Kapitan's armour and other gear was surreptitiously replaced and upgraded with looted gear, that either looked similar or was repainted.

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Meanwhile his favourite blade seemed to take it upon itself to step-up in both power and aesthetics...

The Shipwrecka


The blade of Kapitan daLeeva's sword appears to be in constant motion; cerulean waves crash, silently breaking on jagged coastal rocks. While its a powerful blade, granting good luck with both wind and tide, it curses the wielder to become ever-more likely to wreck their own ship each time they have success in battle.

Add one to Kapitan daLeeva's Doom for every model he takes down during a battle. Roll a D6 after each game: If the result is less than his Doom (or if his Doom is more than 6!) then the Rotmoon will be shipwrecked... again!

Once the ship is wrecked, add one to the crew's Treasure total for each Objective or Treasure Token the Rotmoons control at the end of each battle. When the Treasure total reaches 6 they have enough magical loot to get the ship airborne again. Swap back to tracking Kapitan daLeeva's Doom!


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Updated warband list, after the April FAQ updated some Ironjawz points cost.

DAGGER
  • Kapitan Alunzo daLeeva, Brute Boss with Boss Choppa, Hero, Leader [200]
  • Percy Percy, Orruk Ardboy with Ardboy Choppas [85]
  • Bold Rikk, Orruk Ardboy with Ardboy Choppas [85]
HAMMER
  • El Doktoro, Orruk Weirdnob Shaman, Hero [170]
  • Bortagno, Orruk Ardboy with Ardboy Choppas [85]
  • Tambor, Orruk Ardboy with Ardboy Choppas [85]
SHIELD
  • Dragante, Orruk Ardboy with Ardboy Choppas [85]
  • Geedo, Orruk Ardboy with Ardboy Choppas [85]
  • Deestro, Orruk Ardboy with Ardboy Choppas [85]
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Updated updated warband list, after the September Metawatch FAQ changed everything for Ironjawz!

DAGGER
  • Kapitan Alunzo daLeeva, Ardboy Big Boss, Hero, Leader, Blessing of Fortitude [175+15]
  • Percy Percy, Orruk Ardboy with Choppa [100]
  • Bold Rikk, Orruk Ardboy with Choppa [100]
HAMMER
  • El Doktoro, Orruk Weirdnob Shaman, Hero [170]
  • Bortagno, Orruk Ardboy with Choppa [100]
  • Tambor, Orruk Ardboy with Choppa [100]
SHIELD
  • Maximo, Orruk Brute with pair of Brute Choppas [140]
  • Dragante, Orruk Ardboy with Choppa [100]

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