Infidel pirates

Ready to embark, your fleet of warships, holding the flower of your nation's might, leaves the prosperous port of Venezia. Already, however, the beginning of your trip is ill-omened. One of the ships is nearly wrecked on a reef, and needs to return to port, hopefully rejoining after repairs are completed. While only one of many in your fleet, it was a bad incident for morale. Things get much worse several days later during the night. A mighty storm blows through your section of the sea, assaulting the fleet. Through the tireless struggle of the crew against lashing waves, constant rain, and biting wind, you somehow manage to not sink through the worst of it. You can barely keep your dinner down as the ship bucks and yaws, powerless to do anything, placing your faith in the crew and God. By morning the storm clears, but the situation is little improved. Though the ship survived, you've lost the fleet! You stand on the deck and look around, not a single ship in sight. Only blue waves and the distant horizon are visible. You hope with your whole soul that the rest of the fleet has survived, only having been scattered by the storm.

By this time you must assume the infidel God is exerting all of his powers against you. In the distance, your crew sights another ship. It is a large galley, well-suited to the southern seas, and it is gaining quickly. From its sword-bearing flag you can only assume it to be an infidel pirate ship, looking for plunder. The crew immediately sets to work trying to evade. Unfortunately, your small crew of rowers can't compete with the overworked **** oarsmen on the pursuant ship. Little by little it crawls more clearly into view by the hour. What soldiery you have on board has equipped themselves for a fight, donning armor and sharpening weapons.

It's a tense wait, knowing that they will almost certainly catch up to you, yet it will likely be at least another hour. Anxious minutes pass one after the other as the enemy ship comes into range. Archers and crossbowmen begin trading shots with the enemy troops from atop the fore and aft castles. The real fight begins once enemy grappling hooks are thrown onto the deck. Soldiers and sailors rush to cut the lines before pirates can come aboard, but even though they get some the effort is futile. Pirates begin climbing aboard like giant ants, swarthy dark-haired men holding daggers between their teeth. The melee begins as your forces rush to repel the invaders.