A richly laden imperial merchant ship caught on a sandbar presents a tempting target to a crew of daring pirates. Her holds may be bursting with swag, but they are also laden with soldiers, with a cruel captain at the helm. At any moment the sails of her imperial escorts may appear on the horizon, but your scurvy scalawags have found her first. A daring assault might bring you more plunder than you've seen in a year, but many pirates greedy for gold have lingered too long over a prize they thought safe, until an enemy fleet sent them to a watery grave. Can the PCs stage a lightning raid on the immobilized ship and get away with their ill-gotten gains? Dare they risk a Raid on the Emperor's Hand? Raid of the Emperor's Hand is a pirate adventure for 8th-level characters.