Since there's already a lot of discussions about the upcoming AP both on this board and on the AoW board, maybe it's time to create a separate Savage Tide message board?
Creative Director
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Since there's already a lot of discussions about the upcoming AP both on this board and on the AoW board, maybe it's time to create a separate Savage Tide message board?
Yup. We were planning on having the Savage Tide boards go live once we were certain that issue #135 was out and available. Alas, that confirmation came late Friday, which was too late for us to do anything about it. I'll see if we can't get one going on Monday.
I definitely hope that there will be a "walk the plank" scene in one of the adventures. I'd be just too happy to pull that one out on a group of players!!
Bocklin
But "International Talk Like a Pirate Day" isn't until September 19th. This site might prove useful however:
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html
Arrr!! Here's a Greyhawk-style version of “High Barbary” (a traditional sea shanty), with my apologies to the original author(s)... wherever they may be! ;-)
The Deep Nyr Dyv - “traditional”
There were two lofty ships
From old Dyvers came
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
One was the Bane of Redhand
The other Pride of Urnst
All a-cruisin' down the coast
Of the deep Nyr Dyv
"Aloft there, aloft there"
Our jolly bosun cried
Look ahead, look astern,
Look to weather an' a-lee"
"There's naught upon the stern, sir
There's naught upon our lee
But there's a lofty ship to wind'ard
An' she's sailin' fast and free"
"Oh hail her, oh hail her"
Our gallant captain cried
"Are you a man-o-war
Or a privateer?" cried he
"Oh, I'm not a man-o-war
Nor privateer," said he
"But I am a Saltmarsh pirate
All a-looking for me fee"
For broadside, for broadside
A long time we lay
'Til at last the Bane of Redhand
Shot the pirate's mast away
"Oh quarter, oh quarter"
Those pirates they did cry
But the quarter that we gave them
Was we sank 'em in the sea!
For broadside, for broadside
A long time we lay
'Til at last the Bane of Redhand
Shot the pirate's mast away"Oh quarter, oh quarter"
Those pirates they did cry
But the quarter that we gave them
Was we sank 'em in the sea!
Cool! But Isn't Saltmarsh in the Hold of the Sea Princes? I'd expect pirates in the Nyr Dyv to be from Alhaster, or maybe orcs or hobgoblins setting sail under Iuz's flag from Admundfort.
(Oh well, details! It's a good song anyhow, lyrics seem to borrow a bit from the old folk standard "Henry Martin" and from an old English sea song about the fighting the French called "the Bold Richard." Probably no apologies needed to the authors because their work has been in the public domain since before the age of royalties. They're happily in heaven and will take joy in us old salts raising a mug of grog in their honor and singing their song!)
And on the note of sea chanties, if you want to get yourself in the mood for a pirate campaign, there are several good CDs out there. My favorite:
Ewan MacColl and A.L. Lloyd, "Blow Boys Blow" (original LP published by Tradition Records, CD Rykodisc 1996).
A sampler, adapted for Greyhawk (don't worry, the lyrics of "While Cruising around Yarmouth" are definitely public domain, if not entirely fit for public consumption):
While cruisin' 'round Saltmarsh one day for a spree,
I met a fair damsel, the wind blowin' free.
"I'm a fast goin' clipper, my conn sir?" said she,
"I'm ready for orders, my hold is quite free,"
Refrain:
Sayin' folderol laddy and folderolay, folderol laddy and folderolay
What country she come from I could not tell which,
By her appearance I thought she was Keoish.
Her flag wore its colors, her masthead was low,
She was round in the quarter, and bluff in the bow.
(Refrain)
I threw her a rope and I took her in tow,
And yardarm to yardarm a-towin' we'd go.
We towed all together 'til we came to Hard Bay,
We both towed along up old Northanchor Way.
(Refrain)
She took me upstairs and her topsail she lowered,
In a neat little parlor she soon had me moored.
She took in her foresails, her staysails and all,
With her lily-white hand on my reef-tackle falls.
(Refrain)
See here, pretty fair maid, it's time give oar,
For 'twixt wind and water, you've run me ashore!
My shot-locker's empty and powder's all spent,
And my gun it won't fire, for it's choked at the vent!
(Refrain)
Here's luck to the girl with the black curly locks!
Here's luck to the girl who put Jack on the rocks!
And here's to the cleric who eased all his pain!
He's squared his main yards, he's a-cruisin' again!
(Refrain)
Reportedly, this was one of Frank Zappa's favorite CDs.
I may have to skive those for the next bardic at my next SCA event. Sounds like the perfect songs for a bunch of over-rummed pirates. ;-P
The original geographic references in "Cruising Around Yarmouth" are to Yarmouth, The Hague, and "Trafalgary Bay," if it matters for your SCA authenticity, Lillith.
Another classic in this vein is Paul Clayton's "Whaling and Sailing Songs" (Tradition CD 1064), which may still be available from Rykodisc.
The late Stan Rogers also did several LPs of sea songs that might be of interest--I don't have catalog info on those, though.
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Check out "Barrett's Privateers," off of the late Stan Roger's album, "Fogarty's Cove."
It's a classic. Years ago, when my friends and I went white-water rafting on the Ottawa River, everyone on our boat would sing out that tune as we pulled up alongside other rafts, boarded them, and stole their bailing buckets.
I can still hear their terrified screams, "Oh my God!! They've got an attack song!!!"