The Rumblefish

Free Characters and NPCs from numerous World of Pulp™ Pocket Worlds are located at the end (bottom) of this article under subheading (Mercenaries in The Iron Belly). Check back often for updates.

A Stronghold of Mercenaries on the Open Seas

Behold The Rumblefish, a legendary galleon that prowls the fierce tides and lonely ports—a haven for warriors, outcasts, and all those who live by guile and blade. Its towering masts and weathered hull speak of battles survived, plunder claimed, and lords defied. For those seeking the thrill of blood and gold, The Rumblefish is no mere ship. It is a floating fortress, a lawless sanctuary where honor and chaos mingle, and fortune favors the bold.

This great vessel drifts between the most dangerous coasts. Heaving into view with its battered hull, scarred sails and brutal weaponry, The Rumblefish promises answers to any warrior’s most desperate needs. Whether you lust for hirelings with steel in their veins or supplies to sustain your next conquest, this galleon provides both opportunity and peril in equal measure.

When docked, its lower ward transforms into a crude tavern, where mercenaries and fugitives alike knock back tankards of fiery mead, hammer out blood-soaked deals, and prepare for their next gamble with destiny. But make no mistake—this is no place for cravens. Those without the guts for a tough crowd will find themselves fed to the sharks before another sunrise.

A Saga Stained in Salt and Blood

Once known as Wavescourge, this mighty vessel was the pride of the Highlord Navargati’s fleet, serving as his grim champion in a near-imperial campaign to dominate Valkyrion’s seas. Armed with the brute force of trebuchets and her decks swollen with warriors, the Wavescourge stormed many ports, leaving only ash and ruin in its wake.

But ambition blinds even the strongest of men. The fall came when treachery split the Highlord’s own forces. Betrayed from within during a fierce gale, Wavescourge was crippled and run aground on the jagged Alntor Reef, where it was abandoned to rot along with its drowned dead.

Years later, it was resurrected by pirates, reeking of salt and vengeance. Refitted for mercenary work and stripped of empires’ banners, it arose again under the defiant name The Rumblefish. Now its bloodstained decks host hardened blades from across the world—men and women who sell their strength and savagery without care for crown or creed. Its restored arsenal makes it an equal match even for the most well-armed flotillas.

This is no king’s warship—it’s a monster, as alive and anarchic as its crew.

Meet the Crew: SLIC statistics

These can be used as general or generic statistics for most system but have a specific use in Worlds of Pulp™ The Skinny Complete.

Captain Sable

SLIC Score – 10 (+2)
Description – Tall and cloaked in tattered finery, Captain Sable’s face is forever hidden behind a steel mask fashioned to resemble a raven’s beak. His voice is low and deliberate, dripping with menace. He’s been called a tyrant and worse—but none living dare question his command.
Conditions:

• Obsessed with control, to the point of mistrusting even loyal allies.
• Plagued by cryptic dreams he interprets as omens.
• Keeps his true identity a secret, even from his officers.
  Abilities:
• Utterly Ruthless Strategist
• Lethal Duelist with Twin Blades
• Knowledge of Forbidden Sea-Lore
• Tactical Brilliance Under Siege
  Hits: 32

Quartermaster Orra Tyne

SLIC Score – 8
Description – Orra “Bilgehands” Tyne lost her left arm to a boarding axe long ago. She replaced it with a

hulking contraption of wood and iron—a weapon and tool combined. Her grizzled face betrays no mirth, only sharp vigilance toward anyone who enters her storeroom.
Conditions:

• Hoards wealth obsessively, trusting no one with inventory records.
• Harbors an irrational hatred of deserters.
• Guards a personal stash of forbidden artifacts with paranoia.
  Abilities:
• Expert Navigator and Hoarder of Trade Routes
• Unmatched Scavenger and Repairer of Siege Weapons
• Skilled Interrogator Who Knows How to Make Men Talk
  
  Hits: 16

Mercenaries in The Iron Belly

When anchored off the coast, The Rumblefish opens its guts to the desperate and the ferocious. Below decks lies the ship’s beating heart, known as “The Iron Belly.” Part inn, part guild hall, part gambling den, it’s a place where mercenaries gather to drink, brag, and barter over contracts scrawled on a weather-beaten quest board.