War of the Dread Admiral

The War of the Dread Admiral, also known as the Eighth Corsair War, the War of Skaugan Aggression, or the Skaugodraxan Conflict, was a conflict initiated by the Dread Admiral Drax against Port Skaug and her allies in late 218 Valanthe II. Threatened by the expansion of Skaugan power in the region, and possibly motivated by supernatural concerns, Drax ordered his Pirate Armada to raze the Hona Archipelago, igniting tensions in the region already inflamed by the Halfling-Minotaur conflict.

Skaugan Reaction

Early in the conflict, various Skaugan worthies were at odds over how best to deal with the threat:

• The Walruses believed that, like the noble walrus, Skaug was strong enough to resist any predators, and need merely wait out the pirate fleet. This faction included High Captains Lyranthine Ebon-Eyed, Dharr, and Konstance Vinter, with the tacit backing of the Gralhund family.

• The Lions believed that the path to victory lay in a bold, decisive fleet action, in which the ships of Port Skaug would smash Drax's ill-led rabble in one fell swoop. This faction included High Captains Huwal and Freeman Mongrelborn, and was supported by the rakish Merchant Prince Elaith Craulnober.

• The Wolves adopted the adage of the great general Zariel the Schemer: "Be cunning! Strike suddenly! Fight the nomad war!" They believed that a war of raiding and attrition would weaken Drax and protect the trade that was the lifeblood of Port Skaug without risking defeat. This faction included High Captains Ka-Ess Lizardkin, Kreodo, Tamúl the Tongueless, and Mavis Thornwood, with the encouragement of the Marquis de Rothshyr.

Some of the High Captains, including Eberhardt Fischer, Dr. Jeff Silvertooth and Zomos Pebolath, remained undecided.

Conclusion

Under the command of Commodore Ka-Ess von Manlizard, the Skaugan fleet eventually adopted the Wolves' guerilla posture, raiding Draxian merchants and supply lines, before luring the Armada away from Port Drax in a large fleet action led by Freeman Mongrelborn. The Satisfied Fishwife then struck a decisive blow against the lightly defended Port Drak, killing the dread Admiral Drax and returning control of the port to the local freedmen.