The Dread Pirate Roberts

Pulling alongside the pirate ship, most of the men are down, but not dead. Leenia’s healing would be greatly appreciated. The boarding party had been repelled and the ship had sustained only minimal damage. The crew was primarily humans, but there were a smattering of all the other civilized races. They eyed the party warily, as they approached, but none of the few that are still able to fight moved against them. Stepping to the rail, a man introduces himself as Robert, he is the captain.

After thanking the party for their help, they learn the following
• A small group of them stole a ship and a cache of weapons a couple years and have been hitting the monsters whenever possible
• In that time, they have grown to be approximately 50 strong, however, some of their recent raids have resulting in the rescuing of women and children, so they are unsure of how to handle this change in dynamics.
• In addition to the ship they stole, they have captured 2 others for a total of 3.
• They found a large cave, near the cove the party was going to set in at, that they use as a hideout. They are able to sail and hide all their ships in the cave.

Robert invited the party to return to their cave and have further discussions.

Arriving at the cove late in the day, there was room for the party's ship in the cave. Once inside, they could see how the pirates have built a couple makeshift docks and are beginning to show the signs of a community. However, they could also see how the pirates survive based purely on what they are able to capture through their raids. Robert offers to have any damage to the party's ship repaired and asked them to join him for dinner.

At dinner, Robert
• Thanked them again
• Asked what their plans were and offer any assistance possible.
• The countryside is constantly crisscrossed by patrols, but a small party should be able to pass without incident.
• It is a 4 day ride to the outskirts of the city.
• There used to be a highway that ran along the coast, so finding the way won’t be hard. There are 3 landmarks along the way, each about a day apart.
• The first is a lighthouse, about a day away. It had worked our entire time here, until just a couple weeks ago. I was going to lead an expedition to determine what the problem was, as we did use the light from it quite a bit. Unfortunately, the setback from today will not allow us to get there for another couple weeks. I hate to ask this of you, but could you please stop there and try to fix it for us?
• The second is a cave that we’ve used on numerous occasions as a place to hide. It is right on the coast, approximately 100 feet above the sea. Most monsters avoid it, as there is a dragon’s cave below it. While the caves do connect, the dragon is far too large to come up and enter it. There is also another passage out of the back that comes out 50 yards down the road, on the cliff face. It is a hard climb up, but if you need to escape, stay to the right, the left leads down to the dragons cavern.
• Finally, there is a bridge. It has been hit and miss, whether or not it has been guarded. The closest place to cross is 2 days out of your way.
• There is a small underground of freedom fighters outside the city you are going to investigate. I know very little else except they are led by a ranger named Hasborac.
• The city was ruled by a General Kerag, you recognize the name from some of the documents you found at the citadel. He was recently replaced and now leads the patrols that criss-cross the countryside.

In return, the party tells the tail of Richard and Rard's plan to attack the mainland. The pirates offer to share any information they have and participate in the raid. The party suggests they transport all of their women and children to Trelib in hopes of keeping them safe. At ship was dispatched the next day.

Outfitting the party with what he can spare, Robert bid them well the next day and promised their ship would be watched after.