To Raid San Zanita: Chapter 6

[Obadiah Jib]

Chapter 6:  The Secret Colony

Down amid the cargo you seek out the Spanish captive to feed him.  If you are indifferent to the Spaniard he simply mumbles a thank you in his best English and takes the food and drink.  If you show him your disgust or hatred, perhaps even give him a swift kick, he stares at you with deep brown eyes that seem to promise murder.  He accepts your blows, spittle, and taunts but you know he would give his last breathe to kill you! 

If you should treat the Spaniard with a little respect he thanks you and speaks with you for a few moments.  He tells you his name is Pedro Luis Lopez and he is from the colony of Havana.  He was born in the New World but his parents came from the aristocracy in Malaga, Spain.  He knows a little something about the secret colony of San Zanita and can tell you that it is being built as a hidden port to hold the treasures of the New World before they are sent back to Spain.  A holding point for silver to be collected before the flotilla heads back to Europe.  Its existence a secret from rival powers who seek to steal the treasures for their own nations.  This is why he is being kept alive, to show Gilbert to the location of the colony, much to his shame.  Pedro has a twin brother "Hector" who a Franciscan Friar serving to the religious needs of the soldiers, peasants, and slaves at San Zanita.  Pedro begs you to give his brother a simple wooden crucifix he keeps on a leather thong about his neck.  The cross is so plain that no one thought it of value and let the bloody papist keep it!  He asks you to keep Hector safe and give him the crucifix for he knows that Gilbert will kill him the moment they reach the colony.  The simple wooden cross will let Hector know you are a friend (or at least less likely to harm him).  Of course this is valuable information but you take a -1 to your Pirate Code score for showing mercy to an enemy.

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Upon returning to the deck of the ship you notice a pair of Black Edward Ehresmann's soldiers watching you.  These cronies disappear the moment that you emerge from the hold giving you the distinct feeling that they overhead your conversation with the Spaniard.  A feeling of foreboding attaches itself to you.  No good will come of this.

You heal one wound during your travels aboard Neptune's Daughter.  If you have the Trade/ Craft: skill with an occupation as a Barber Surgeon or Doctor you can heal two wounds.

Four days pass as the tiny fleet of buccaneer ships swings along the northern coast of Cuba.  Your goal is to remain unseen by the Spanish, find the Florida Keys, and then secretly head north along the eastern coast of Florida searching for the hidden colony.  Suddenly a call from the crows nest alerts the crew of Neptune's Daughter that a sail is on the horizon.  You look to the east and if you have Keen Senses at the Exceptional or Masters level you too spot a tiny sail.  Captain Gilbert Lanoue orders chase and after an hour you have a captured a small boat with a pair of sun burned, Spanish speaking fishermen aboard.  The frightened fishermen are brought into the cabin and questioned.  Within a few moments it becomes obvious that these men dwell somewhere along the northern coast of Cuba in a Spanish colony.  They provide good information about the coast line and help confirm the buccaneer fleets position on the nautical charts. 

Then the big question comes up... if these men are released they will report seeing a small fleet of ships headed east and not flying the flag of any nation.  The crew looks to you for what should happen next despite Black Edward's command to cut the fishermen's throats and feed them to the sharks.  What do you want to do?  You could lie to the fishermen and try to convince them that you are not pirates and have another purpose other than a shore raid against Spanish colonies.  You might threaten the fishermen with threats of death and torture.  Tell them that you will find them and drag their families off at night!  Or you can kill them and make there bodies food for the crabs.  What do you choose:  Lie, Threaten, or Death?

[Welsh Wench]

OK. I threaten them nicely and then I give them some aloe with menthol for the sunburn and some water so they don't dehydrate.

Hey, I'm just that kind of compassionate person, OK? Besides, they may know where the best shopping and margaritas are on that little colony and I do love a good beach bar. 

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

This happens to fall into one of my areas of expertise: I lie to them.

[Charlotte Rowan]

What if we just keep them prisoner? Or hire them as guides. They'll get a small share of the booty (not too much!) and then we'll let them go after the raid is over.

[Lady Amy of York]

Kill them...nah...too messy...and i just mopped  the deck. 

Lie..maybe...hmmm....

Threaten and pay them off ...nah they could  still talk.

So I would lie  to them. Tell them we are are Spanish explorers on a mission for  the king.

[Blue66669]

Hate to say it... but I'm a liar....