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The Pirate Council of the Black Tower 3020 ADF

As you approach the wrath, the current begins to pick up even a hundred miles out from the center of the wrath. You see the skies darken as you approach and a perpetual rain starts to fall as you journey in deeper to the center of the wrath. For days you sail through this torrential rain as the skies grow darker and darker. The nights on this journey are a pitch black nightmare of wind and rain. You navigate through the nights only by compass, praying that your heading is correct, even darkvision blurred by the walls of rain and choppy waves around the wrath. As you get closer and closer the torrent picks up and you start to feel the direction of the monstrous whirlpool pulling you in a swirling pattern even from 50 miles out from the center. As you approach, closer and closer to the center you finally make out ships in the distance holding the same swirling pattern as yourself. As you get closer to the ships you make out dozens and dozens of ships arriving in the wrath all towards a point in the center. You see banners of the Krakens, of the Scourge, and of Gabriel Absalon’s House. You make out in the distance a small cluster of ships marked with the banner of the Strange’s. Your Anchor Island Shipping wrapped boat seems a bit out of place but you wear the banners with pride. As all of these ships start gathering towards a central point, you see an odd clearing through the storm. As you approach you see yourself in a clearing in the choppy water right on the edge of the drop-off into the wrath. You can finally see the heart of it now as you sail into the smooth waters that are seemingly magically free of rain and waves mere meters from the steep edge.   You get your first real look down into the abyss here at the edge of the world. You see the massive pull of the waters swirling down into an endless drop into the black. The actual hole itself is impossibly wide, about a mile in diameter and you see the other side of the swirling pit in the distance across the gaping chasm. Gart, the memories of falling deep into that endless black come racing through your mind as you are now confronted with the reality of the wrath, right in front of you.   The remaining ships gather as you wait in this clearing. Sally is standing at the front of the ship, waiting for something. And then it happens, from beneath the placid water you see a dark shape forming in the distance. Suddenly a black steel tower begins to rise out of the surface of the water. It grows larger and larger out of the ocean, looming over the gathered ships. As the tower completes its ascent, it sits perched on the edge of the wrath itself overlooking the black pit. Water spills out of every window and port along the towers surface cascading down to the water below as the tower drains. The base of the tower has a huge cavelike opening leading into what looks like a massive set of docks prepared to hold hundreds of ships. The ships start filling into the cave to gather for the council.   Sally says, “Wow, the Black Tower. I never thought I would see this again.”     The Black Tower was created long ago when Sally managed to form a brief alliance between the holders of the divine items. An alliance was formed between the two pirate factions and the people of the manor and a tradition was upheld between those factions. Rules were codified for war between these factions and for how to lodge formal complaints and proposals. Sally had a hand in building the tower as did the rest of the 6 wielders. It is a magical building existing in its own temporal pocket overlayed onto this reality. The tower sits underwater right at the edge of the wrath and only rises when a proper council has been called and the conditions are met. It contains a room where any decisions made and passed by the council are magically encoded into the tower. If any additions or changes to the original agreement or tower summoning conditions were made then the Black Tower will respond accordingly. If a treaty is broken the offending party will have to pay the price to return to the Tower.   People are filing into a a large central staging hall at the base of the docks that leads to a a monstrously wide staircase that starts winding up in two directions. Between all of the fleets, there are hundreds of pirates, Androtians, Stranges, and Horndogs filling the hall and all moving silently towards the staircases. You spot some familiar faces in the crowd. A few dozen people over you spot Morrigan and Runearil and they give you a smile and a small wave before facing forward and drifting towards the stairs with the rest of the crowd.   In the crowd you spot the Scourge and see at the front of the pack, the leaders. A man you assume could only be Roarke Halfheart walks at the very front. He is a gruff, burly older human and there is no question that he is indeed a powerful warlock. His hair is graying but spills over his shoulder in gnarled tangles. Beads and jewels are strung throughout his beard and hair. His neck is covered in strands of thick hemp rope necklaces with various artifacts and crystals tied to the end and he is wearing a long blackish purple robe, both heavily adorned with jewels and ornate while at the same time, torn, tattered and worn. His skin is leathery and worn. His gait is confident and strong.   Surrounding him are three warlocks, presumably his lieutenants, Scourgemother Scarn an elf woman, Keil Blacklung an human, and Vortus Fenherder another human.   You also spy across the chamber Korin and his gang of lieutenants. He gives your party an icy stare as he notices you across the room and then turns back towards the staircase and continues walking. You all file up the staircase and into a grand hall with a large podiums elevated throughout the crowd. Most of the pirates take seats at the base but you notice the faction leaders and their lieutenants walk towards their respective pillars. You see one in the room and Sally gestures towards it. You all walk up the small spiraling stairs that let you climb this 15 foot high platform and you look across the room. Atop the podiums, you see the leaders of the scourge, the leaders of the Krakens, the Stranges, and the Androtian forces with Gabriel Absalon. You see four empty pillars. Roarke raises his hands into the air and a hush falls over the murmuring crowd. “We will now be calling the council to order. The 1394th meeting of the Council of the Black Tower has come to session. I am Roarke Halfheart, Chief Warlock of the Salty Scourge. Present parties, declare yourself.“   “I am Morrigan Strange, Lord of The Strange Manor”   “I am Gabriel Absalon III, Baron of Fogwash Island, Lord of Androtia”   “I am Korin Krakensbane, King of the Pirates and Wielder of the Waveblade”   “I am Sally Grimm, Wielder of the Divine Tuning Rod, Mother of Mankind, and Queen of the Pirates. Oh and as long as were doing fancy titles, I also stole the power of a God and built your house, and your house, and I helped build your house. Oh and not to mention this place.”   Roarke gives Sally a look. You can see in his eyes how he is struggling to believe this is real. He says, “Very well then, for those of us not familiar, let us review the rules of the Council of the Black Tower. Any rule that is signed into this book becomes law for us. The decision is final. The tower will enforce all of our decisions. Remember, when you speak in this council, not only are you not allowed to lie, it is impossible.   1. Once Council is called for a matter a decision must be reached before any party will be allowed to leave.   2. The aggrieved parties will each present their argument and a counter argument.   3. The Council members will call witnesses and be allowed to question anyone present at the council to come to a decision.   4. The Council will freely discuss the issue and ask any final questions.   5. Each party will get one vote. In the case of a tie a recess is called and another day of questioning will begin.   6. All decisions are final. Once a majority is reached the decision has been made and will be written into The Book.   If all are in agreement, we will begin hearing the opening arguments now.”   Korin’s Argument is that Sally attempted to kill him to gain power about one thousand years ago. Korin thinks that because Sally was dead and he claimed the Tuning Rod, he is the rightful owner and that Sally shouldn’t save Umberlee.   Sally’s wants to restore Umberlee’s power. She ready to face the consequences and possibly die. Sally thinks she has done enough for this world and now that the stones are all assembled it is time to stop the Wrath.   As soon as the judgment is made that Sally should have the Tuning Rod, a pirate bursts in the room and yells:   Pirate: “Korin, the tuning rod has been stolen!”   Korin: “Stolen? What do you mean?”   Pirate: “It aint in your cabin and it isn’t on ya now init? Someone stole it then!”     Sally: “Quick guys check the compass.”   Korin: “Joseph, how did they get that compass…”   Joesph: “Well you see it’s a long story….”     4 specters appears, everyone sees them, but no one can hear them. Naito enters the room as a projection:   “Hello. I know you think you must be doing something meaningful, but you are wrong. These decisions you are making have consequences you can’t possibly understand. Why would you save a God? Pathetic creatures full of nothing but selfish desires. Creating mortals for entertainment, to lord over them and judge them for their actions. I will not allow your constantly meddling to destroy my vision of a world without Gods.”   The battle heats up as more and more specters pour in.    Roarke: “Guys, get out of here, we’ll hold them off. Go and get the tuning rod!”   Korin: “Yes, go, reclaim your item Sally. We’ve had our differences but now is no time for our petty squabble to interfere with stopping the end of the world. I don’t forgive you for what you did, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be on your team for one more battle”   You watch as Korin spins around wielding the full might of the Waveblade at a large group of specters. The blade seems to gleam with a magical light as he slashes forward faster than the eye can see, destroying dozens of specters with a single swing. As more pour towards him, Korin smashes his blade into the stone floor, shattering the ground and creating a massive shock-wave that vaporizes another dozen specters. He turns towards you one more time and yells: “GO! NOW!”

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