The heavy fog hung low over the water like a great mantle, contributing to the pitch blackness of the night. The clouds overhead blotted out the stars and moons in one continuous blanket, and the rumbling of thunder could be heard in the distance. Gliding ever so slowly through the shroud of mist was the Imperial cargo ship, Winged Harpy.
A large merchantman, Winged Harpy had been commissioned by the East Empire Company to ship a load of ebony, gemstones and other valuables to ports on the mainland. It was guided through the night only by its one compass, watched carefully over by the steersman to maintain its due west heading away from Morrowind. Another seaman stood at the prow of the ship, holding a great lantern up and calling out every other minute in his deep, baritone voice. The ship's captain, always worried about the threat of pirates, was far more worried at the moment of running into another ship and the damage that would come out of his pocket.
At the moment he was in his cabin, reading The Five Songs of King Wulfharth by candlelight when a knocking came from his door and his first mate, a large Orc of a fellow, poked his head in. "Cap'n, there's something you should see on deck."
The captain walked out into the chilling night air, a great cloak thrown over his shoulders and his spyglass in hand. In the distance to the north he could see the flames of a ship on fire in the distance, the inferno burning away at the concealing vapors. Those up on deck were now gathering on the starboard side of the ship, crowding around to get a look at the fireship. The big Orc looked down at the captain, asking "Orders, captain?"
A shrewd Imperial, the captain nevertheless had some compassion in his heart, and figured that the cargo could wait a few more minutes. "Helmsman, head for that ship. I want every seaman on duty to be on the lookout for men in the water, understood?" The assembled crew nodded their heads, and spread out over the deck to search for signs of survivors.
Winged Harpy inched closer to the burning ship, keeping its distance to avoid the flames while the crew scanned the water and called out for survivors. The only response they got was the roar of the fire, and all they saw were bits of flotsam and jetsam. "Perhaps the crew is still onboard?"
"If they are, we can't risk getting near the ship," the captain replied to his first mate. "Have the men prepare one of the launches, and pick five men to inspect the ship closely."
While this conversation was going on one of the seamen spotted two rowboats adrift in the water. There was no one he could see in either craft, but they seemed to move unnaturally and deliberately towards the Winged Harpy. He watched as the two craft bumped up against the ship's hull, and was surprised when several grappling hooks appeared out of thin air. He turned around to call attention when a large object struck the back of his head, and he fell backwards over the railing. An invisible hand caught his fall and laid him gently down on one of the boats as more hands threw their grappling hooks up at the ship, catching onto the railing and tightening.
By chance one of the searchers turned around from his spot on the starboard side to see several figures climbing up on deck, the invisibility spell that concealed them losing its effect. "Boarders! We're being boarded!"
Another crack of the slingshot silenced him too, but not before the ship was alerted to the presence of pirates on their ship, including the most famous of all, the Dread Pirate Robert. He and several picked men had intended to try and steal the ship without a fight, but the spell had worn off before it was suppose to, an issue he would have to take up with the mage He-Who-Knows-Much afterwards. Now he was surrounded and outnumbered by a very angry and well-armed crew.
"I'm giving you this one chance to surrender now, and your lives will be spared." His ultimatum was met by laughter from the every-growing crew as more seamen were waken from below deck and came up.
"I don't think they want to give up, boss," remarked the wood elf Hamblin, his sling reloaded and swinging again.
"Well then, I suppose we're going to have to take their ship by force then," he replied, and charged headlong into the massed crewmen.
The flames on board the pirate ship disappeared, an illusion that was replaced by its very real crew coming out of the woodworks and raising the skull and crossbones flag. It would take them several minutes before they would be alongside the Winged Harpy, several minutes of Roberts and his five men against two dozen.
Robert was a whirling dervish, his steel saber parrying while his iron mace knocked the seamen out of the fight. He was careful not to cause unnecessary death, and as such most of his boarding party was similarly armed with blunt or bashing weapons. Hamblin got of two more shots before having to revert to his wooden staff; Mina the Redguard twisted arms and tripped people up with her steel crook; Shagra gro-Bagra the Orc knocking men aside with his large wooden club; Richard the Breton with his flail, and Ahira the Khajiit with her acrobatics.
By the time Robert's ship the Black Diamond finally laid aside the merchantman it seemed the situation was already in hand. Most of the crew had been beaten senseless and left lying on the deck, with a few survivors now huddled around the doorway in the deck below. Robert stood there above them with his knowing smile and well-worn mace, saying "That offer is still on the table, boys." With that the last of the conscious crewmen, including the captain, dropped their weapons and gave up.
Oh sure, the ebony and other valuables would bring in a pretty penny, but looking over his little wooden battlefield, Robert felt a sense of pride in not having to wipe blood off his blade before descending into the hold to have his way with the Imperial treasure.