Talk to Zalpfer, and don’t ask what the invention was, offer to take him into your crew…

Go and talk at length to everyone, but you do not have to take the English letter of marque from the governor, Morton. In the Tavern, talk to Roberto Gorrando. He’ll tell you to talk to Adriano Montefi on El Caimano for a better spyglass, and you might find yourself with a Spanish letter sometime in this campaign.

In the next port, Tendales, Zalpfer leaves you, but gives you the plans for a paddle-boat. Hang on to them, you can sell them. It’s the Tendales shipyard that will buy them. There has been some conjecture that much later someone will have more of a use for them and maybe so, but that hasn’t been verified by anybody. On to Belflor!

In Belflor there are a lot of people to see! First on the list is Francois De Bijou, the governor. He gives you your LOM, and a mission to Gray Sails to see his agent, August Bromont. De Bijou wants a letter from Bromont, and will pay 1500 gold. Beuve Hainault is in Senaingen’s Taverne, a rank 1, +1 defense, 200 gold surgeon. A Tavern Girl asks about George Marlot, a lieutenant on the lineship ‘Mercurio’. You meet Andreas Feckler, who’s afraid he’s in big trouble with his captain, Victor Britier. You say you’ll fix things, and you find Britier in Senaingen’s taverne. For 500 gold and a threat or two, you get Britier to back off. You can hire Feckler, he’s a rank 2, +2 commerce purser for 300 gold a month. Gavrila Dubinin is a rank 1 Bosun, -1 coordination, +2 boarding, +1 grappling, for a salary of 400 gold. Maugis Saubruic needs a ship escort to Omory, and will pay1000 gold. Taking it, Omory is opened. On to Omory.

At Omory, you see Maugis Saubruic out in town, and from him you get your1000 gold (plus 500 experience points, and 3 reputation points. You walk about the town meeting the people (it’s always THE THING to do in an adventure or role-playing game, to meet EVERYONE lest you miss someone who may have helped the story), and do meet Fromondin Dampierre (who wants you to tell De Bijou that Fromondin is languishing in Omory), just in case De Bijou may someday care. On to Gray Sails.

Again, tour the town. You find your agent outside, fitting right in with his piratical ensemble. He gives you the letter and encourages you to rush. You ought to go to the tavern and pick up Jaques Dullarse, brother to the barkeep and a 300g/month, rank 2 +2 to repair carpenter. Certainly pick up Dreyfus the Fuse, worth every bit of that 2000 a month, for he’s a rank 1 master gunner that brings +3 to your gunlaying, reloading, and coordination (takes the edge off that –1 hit to coordination your loudmouthed Bosun Gavrila Dubinin causes. On to Belflor!

Having returned to Belflor, bring the note to Governor Bijou’s office and… Who’s that Lady!?! De Bijou takes the note, and reads that the pirates have captured his friend, the merchant Thierry la Moulle. You are asked to go to the Isle d’Orange and meet the Master of the Merchant Guild, Monsiur Aurelien Dupre, with a note from de Bijou. The note says de Bijou needs a loan, and you are to bring a promissory note for cash back to de Bijou. You press for an introduction to the lady, the Isle d’Orange is opened, and de Bijou is embarrassed into introducing you to his daughter, the Mademoiselle Jacqueline de Bijou. Hurry to Isle d’Orange!

There you meet Dupre walking about Isle d’Orange. The exchange is easily concluded. In Brienne’s Taverne you meet Artois de Moulette, who introduces himself as the Archipelago’s most unlucky captain. His story involves failing at a quest for the local governor, Nicolas de Montferrat, who relieved him of command. He is now destitute, and you offer to take his case up with the governor. You do, to no avail. When you go back, you offer to take him aboard your ship as first officer, so that in this way he can regain his reputation commanding any prize ships you take. It will be noted that in the progress, this 1000 gold per month, +3 sailing first officer will gain you substantial money as you sell ships he (or any FO) enables you to capture. By the way, you got 1RP, 250 EPs for taking up his case with de Montferrat. Outside the taverne you bump into an Old Lady who rambles on about losing her ring. Back in the taverne, Brienne tells you he knows her sad story, her son went of on an expedition of France against Isla Ballena from which he never returned. She gave him a beautiful sapphire ring worth 500 – 1000 gold perhaps, and you know she’s derailed a bit over grief from the loss of her son.

Back to de Bijou on Belflor, who gives you 2,500 gold for your effort, and asks you to sail to Gray Sails to give the terms to the Pirate commander, Beltrop. You get +2 RPs and the favor of the Governor of Belflor.

Beltrop is in what serves as a Town Hall for the Pirates, the grounded ship in the back of their town. Go to the gangplank, enter, and there he is. He doesn’t like de Bijou’s deal, though, and throws you out!

You take this report to the governor, though, and he digs in his heels, and refuses to do more. He does allow you to come up with your own solution. Figure it out now, as a French privateer, you are expected to live by the code of chivalry!

So, where do you go when you’re stuck? A tavern? Taverne? Taverna? The one at Belflor turns up nothing, so you go to Gray Sails.

The tavern at Gray Sails turns up nothing… But, when you walk about the town, you bump into a Damien Rotnie (who looks strikingly like Alex Bigot), who tells you a long tale about how he ran afoul of Beltrop, some rot about the Code of the Brotherhood, and he wants you to board his old brig, the Odyssius, which was taken by an agent of Beltrop’s. His plan is, board the brig, bring it’s new captain’s head to him in Gray Sail’s tavern, and in the meantime he’ll be rescuing all the prisoners of Beltrop’s, including his old crew and your merchant la Moulle.

The brig is right outside Gray Sails, and is down to 113 crew. Now, Damien had said board her quiet like, but she fires on you, and there’s no reason not to soften the rascals up with a load of grape! You board her, and find 1000 gold in the captain’s cabin, and the ‘Lubber’s Head’.

This brings up something of a sore point on the Forum. If, at this point, your ship is a brig or less, well, good, because you keep this ship by hitting the "change ship" button after you win the boarding duel. If you have a bigger ship by now, say, a corvette or frigate… Well, you lose. It seems this part of the story is intended for those who have a smaller ship. Many times in the four stories of Sea Dogs, you face the choice of: "Do I sink this ship outright, board it and keep it, or board it and sink it?" Usually, you sink it, or board it, loot it, and THEN let it sink. Not here. Even if you have a first officer, you change ships. If you’re not happy with that, neither are many on the Forum. Belly up to the bar, boy!

Now, Damien is in the taverne, ask if it’s done, and says here’s some gold (?!?). Let’s go! Also in the bar, and NOT TO BE MISSED, is your merchant Thierry la Moulle!

Back and Belflor, the governor has nothing to say. In Belflor’s tavern, though, Thierry la Moulle is grateful. 5000 gold grateful!

At Isle d’Orange, THAT governor has nothing to say.

But in the taverne at d’Orange, you see two new people. You must talk to them in the correct order. Start, not with the one in the French uniform (looks like a gate guard), but the other: a Fouqueret Araines who wants your help to kidnap de Bijou’s daughter Jacqueline! You, being chivalrous, refuse! Next is the guard lookin’ guy, a captain named Milon Ancerville you choose not to hire (what?), but who talks to you about Araines, and the kidnap plot. Seems he failed in an escort mission, and now he’s bitter and out to make a buck however he can.

Back at Belflor, you tell Governor de Bijou, but while he knows Fougueret Araines, he’s not worried about the threat to his daughter, feeling she is safe. You walk out concerned, and also 1000 EPs and 3 RPs richer.

But, now what? No leads at this point. The thing to do, of course, is head for the taverns, and logically you’ve got five to check, those in the French colonies and the two at Skullshores.

I’m convinced there is no timer anywhere in the events of this saga, but it can be that leaving a town, then going back, may ‘set of the trigger’, and on at least one occasion so has asking a character a second time. This may be one such. Going back into Senaingen’s Taverne (if you’re wondering, they call ‘em taverns among the English and Pirate isles, Tavernas among the Spanish, and Tavernes with the French) what the latest news is. "Did ya hear? The Governor’s daughter is missing!" You immediately rush off to see de Bijou, who now rues the day he blew you off. You’re not there to gloat, though, but to offer your assistance. You know your first point of investigation…

Brienne’s Taverne, Isle d’Orange, and thar’s that varmint!!! Milon Ancerville has a lot to answer for! He tells you that Fougueret Araines hired Michel Guttenshruge, possibly now at Skullshores. You have the option to take Milon with you, why should he get off easy!

You find Guttenshruge in the tavern at Gray Sails. This guy’s a riot! Don’t let him intimidate you. He tells you that Araines is at Inachetla, which opens, and as a ruse you switch ships with Michel. His ship is the Valkyrie, a brig. You get the last laugh, and a clue that you need to board Arianes’ ship. You see Ancerville at the gates to Gray Sails, but there’s nothing to say. You check Valkyrie’s guns, and they are the measly 12 pounders, so you go to Shark Island to bulk ‘em up.

After up-gunning at the shipyard of Shark Island, you go on to Inachetla. There you find, ohhhh, that the bark Nemesis of Arianes’ is French Flagged! You lose your French Letter of Marque and 25 RPs when you fire on her and raise the Jolly Roger, but after you board her and…and I’ve done this both ways. Be advised this part of the quest is buggy. You can let her sink, or you can change ships into her, you may even take her as a prize (I haven’t tested that one), either way you get +25 RPs! The French LOM comes automatically back, you got 1000 gold from the captain’s cabin, the Arianes’ ring, logbook of the Nemesis, and the journal is updated. Which should you do. Probably keep the brig, since travelling to Isle d’Orange will be less thrilling that way. Either way you end up with a note in your logbook saying you let the bark Nemesis sink and you’ll have to admit your failure to de Bijou (doesn’t happen, ignore this). Also your journal continues to show the French as hostile. I saw no sign of this, either.

You read your logbook (should anytime it’s updated) and you know you should read the Nemesis’ logbook. When you do, you see that Arianes was going to rendezvous at the taverne of Isle d’Orange. Showing the ring was to be the secret signal to the contact, so you’re in clover!

At the Isle d’Orange’s taverne you find Brantome Tabarie. He takes the secret signal, your journal is updated, 3000 EPs, Milon leaves you, and you still have the ring. Tabarie says the girl is going to be released to Belflor.

At Belflor, Governor de Bijou is ecstatic. You get +5 RPs and 10,000 gold! The governor continues to talk, saying he’s found that the Spaniards plan to attack Belflor, and you are the only ship that can assist the fort in the town’s defense. Good to go, but stop by the shipyard to get a real ship.

The attack is a Frigate, Corvette, and War Galleon. Sink them all, or you’ll have to later.

Afterwards, de Bijou has no more tasks, but there is a stranger in town. You have to go talk to him, and he carries a note! Perfumed! From J de B! It says to meet in the tavern. When you go, way back toward the barkeep is Jacquiline de Bijou. The following conversation gushes with syrupy dialogue as romantic feelings are communicated. Resist the urge to be crass. Follow the desire to raise your status in life. How? See her daddy! He doesn’t share the gooey sentiment, indeed at first he’s incensed! But he agrees to give you the opportunity to show yourself. Perhaps he’s hoping you won’t come back from the mission no one else would take, but the assignment is to to to Aliando and interrupt a meeting of a Spanish and an English ship meeting to forge an alliance that will be disastrous to France’s interests in the Archipelago. If you can sink both ships, their authorities will suspect the other betrayed them. Aliando opened, and +2 RPS.

Arriving there reveals two things. First is two ships, one from Spain and England each. The other thing revealed is that you have no real competition for Jacquiline’s hand, as the other captains are wimps!

You report back at Belflor to Governor de Bijou that the two ships have been destroyed, and he’s overjoyed. He proudly reads a pronouncement from His Majesty conferring on you the title of Baron and the rank of Admiral in the French Royal Fleet! You’re a nobleman now. He gives you new orders to take Costa Sinistra for France. Costa Sinistra is opened.

You look at the governor, and think, "hey, I’m nobility now!" The governor’s one objection has been solved. So, instead of turning around and heading immediately off to Costa Sinistra, you initiate a second conversation with de Bijou, which has the option of your asking for Jacqueline’s hand in marriage. He accepts! Now begins a rather nice wedding movie.

Reportedly it is possible to do this earlier, by searching for a priest to marry the two of you without her father’s permission, but you’re on your own to try that…

Now you go to Costa Sinistra, and after the fort is neutralized, you walk it’s streets. You encounter an honored citizen, and as has been mentioned in the other walkthroughs, you HAVE to curb your mercenary instincts and remember exactly why you were sent to the island. You’re claiming it for France, not emptying it’s treasuries, and if you want to advance your career and the story line, you’ll take the option to claim the island for France.

Back to Belflor, and your father-in-law tells you that war has come to the Archipelago. The English are working on a battleship at Highrock, which will be tough for the French naval forces to deal with. Take Highrock, and France will finish the battleship for herself. ‘Daddy’ offers you a ship apparently based on your rank, and your only options are to command it yourself or to have it sail under your command. If you have it sail under you, Hernault Clari joins you.

My preference has been to minimize the numbers of ships sailing under me. Approaching a port, large numbers of ‘AI’ ships tend to bunch up and hit the shore, doing hull damage. It’s quite possible to lose a ship that way.

Highrock falls, and Mortons wants to buy you off for 15,000 gold. No deal! You claim his island for France, and send him packing as your sailors raise the French flag over Highrock.

In Belflor, de Bijou pays you 10,000, and wants you to attack Olaf Ulsson of Shark Island, "King of Pirates", but you point out that France is already fighting two nations, it doesn’t need a third. You’d rather negotiate a settlement, and your father-in-law authorizes it.

Upon arriving at Shark Island, you have a scripted battle of the Fast Galleon ‘Blade’, Brig ‘Thor’, Shnyava ‘Delfin’, and sloop ‘Lightening’. Once in, Ulsson in the back of Shark Island’s tavern accepts the inevitable and goes to retirement with his own tavern in Bristol, England.

You’ve put the pirates that threatened France’s communications under the sea, and de Bijou offers you the battleship that was finished at Highrock. He then says Spain and England have allied after all against France. They will attack Isle d’Orange, but the defenses are sufficient. You are to hit Isla Ballena! Isla Ballena is opened.

De Muntral is not happy after your successful fort assault, especially as you put the French flag over what once was his island.

As you sail from Isla Ballena, you reflect on the previous, unsuccessful assault there, and of a young man unknown to you, bearing his mother’s love and her ring, who did not come back. Remembering her grief, now you feel you can do something about it.

But, you have to let some time go by, so that the white flag over the town where the citizens are recovering is replaced by the sky blue of France.

Your next mission from Governor de Bijou is to defend Belflor from the enemy fleet bearing down on it. Another cat-fight of ships with the opposition represented by the Spanish fast galleon ‘Vigia’, lineship Serviola, an English warship and the corvette ‘Avenger’. God, that was fun!

You wait some time to get into Isla Ballena, but when you do, you start your investigation… in the taverne! The tavern owner tells you about a ring given to a girl named Fransesca. You go to her, and you may have to talk to her more than once (and, now would be the time to lose a little of that French chivalry), but you come away with the ring. Back to Isle d’Orange…

Where you find the Old Woman, now known to you as Josephine Lodet. The poignancy of the moment is worth +5 Reputation Points for you.

When next you talk to Francois De Bijou, he tells you that it’s almost won. Next to fall are Tendales AND Granda Avilia. A double-header! Tendales is opened.

Governor Brin is a nice guy, but after your assault he has to go, just like the rest. Now the French flag flies over Tendales, and with scarcely a breath…

Granda Avilia is next! Once again, remember what you’re there for, not money, but to see that flag raising ceremony!

Your father-in-law, the Governor Francois De Bijou greets you upon your return with a proclamation from the King of France, declaring you, Baron Nicholas Sharp, Viceroy of Belflor and all the adjoining colonies! Married to a marvelous woman, captain of a large ship, admiral of a fleet, Baron, Viceroy, who could want for more? But then, you earned it, shipmate!