Dead Dwarf's Chest: Prelude
"Strange Winds and Unusual Currents"
A Flintloque Background Article by Danny O'Hara
Being in the main a description of events unfolding in the exotic Windy Isles after those heretofore depicted in the prior work Dreadloque, by the author.
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For the history of Dreadloque, click here to jump to the notes section at the bottom of this article.
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'Tis fully a year since the events of Dreadloque unfolded in the Windy Isles, and much has happened to our cast of heroes and villains.
Newly-promoted Captain Flassz-Orc was almost caught stealing the Regimental spoons, and made a “sharp exit” - he was forced to accept a mission from the Governor of Jamcakey to infiltrate an infamous pirate gang (more of which later).
Sergeante DuBois was reduced to the ranks over the Gloriette affair, and ran away to become a pirate himself.
Governor Glorfindelle, disconsolate at the loss of his daughter, has set himself up as a privateer and seeks out DuBois as both a pirate and his daughter's murderer.
Bilbo Marley has apparently disappeared...
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“Fifteen Orcs on a Dead Dwarf's Chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the Devil has done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
“Their haul a Galleon of Elfish gold
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
Where was it now – lost, borrowed or sold?
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
“But one Orc of her crew left alive
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
What put to sea with seventy-five
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!”
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Webmaster's Notes
The above article was written exclusively for Orcs in the Webbe and was first published on the 1st December 2008 as part of it's 2008 Advent Calendar.
Dreadloque and it's sequels are Danny O'Hara's piratical take on Flintloque - Alternative Armies skirmish wargame set in an alternate Napoleonic war featuring fantasy races - but are set in their own part of that world called The Windy Isles. A place of pirates and treasure far removed from the smoke hazed battlefieds of the Mordredian Wars in Urop.
Danny's first pirate tale, simply called "Dreadloque", was originally published back in the mid nineties on his website, Filbanto Stew, and it introduced the Windy Isles as a group of Halfling rebels kidnapped an Elven Governor's daughter only to be pursued by the Royule Orc Navie and Elven marines.
It was a favourite among Flintloque players and in 2008 Danny returned to the Windy Isles with the follow up tale, Dreadloque II "Dead Dwarf's Chest" which came in three acts with a prelude. This prelude, “Strange Winds and Unusual Currents”, set the scene for our heroes. It's first act, "The Wild Island", featured a rousing bar brawl. It's second act, "Return to Traitor's Island", saw the characters take up a frantic search across a feral wilderness. The third and final act, "Search for Shambog's Gold", was an old school style dungeon crawl featuring monsters both magical and undead.
In 2009 Danny let me play in his sandbox and I began the third Dreadloque epic, "The Goblin in the Smoke". The prelude, "Rise of the Baron", moves events on a year from Dreadloque II, things in the Windy Isles have changed and not for the better. Act I:"The Beautiful Daughter" saw our erstwhile heroes battling the Baron's men on the docks of Toblerona. The next installment, "Something Strange in Them There Tydes" was a nautical interlude in which our heroes' ships raced across the Windy Isles and came face to face with a giant Kraken. Act II: "The Baron's Mansion" was an unusual adventure using elements from the boardgame Cluedo which saw our heroes searching Bron's mansion for that which they most desired. The third and final act of "The Goblin in the Smoke" will be published here on Orcs in the Webbe as part of it's 2013 Advent Calendar.
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