Stormwreck Isle Chapter 2: Cursed Shipwreck!

 

Chapter 2: Cursed Shipwreck!

The party

• Andakyla, Wandering Dragonborn Monk
• Kali, the criminally inclined, Bard fleeing his past
• Nikolstratos ex-gladiator Warrior looking to free other slaves
• Petri, a haunted wood elf with a genie's lamp
• Courtney Ashtree, Spear Maiden Paladin on a holy quest

Abbess Runara came down from the temple to see the party.  She was accompanied by a warrior nun in full armour carrying a spear and shield.  She introduced her companion as Courtney Ashtree who would act as their guide for the day.  She explained that the rise of Zombie sailors had only started in the last few decades after a ship by the name of Compass Rose crashed on the north shore of the island.  She suggested the party went to investigate why.

It took a couple of hours to row around the headland to the vessel.  Much of the ship was damaged and rigging was hanging over the site making it easy to climb onto the deck.  Cautiously opening the first door Andakyla saw a skeleton that looked to be moving.  He sent Kali in to have a look.  He spotted the crabs moving around in the remains.  Picking them up he threw them overboard.

Nikolstratos kicked open the next door and was attacked by a couple of zombies that the party quickly dispatched.  The room was the captains quarters and while badly damaged they were able to ransack it for some loot.  Finding a hole in the floor at the back they could see a heavy chest had falled through the floor boards into the murky waters below.  Deciding to clear the ship of other monsters first they checked the other rooms.

The galley was empty but in the crew quarters Kali found a trap behind which was a sack of gold.  His attempts to deceive his companions of their share was not successful; "200 crowns that is 20 each" was not enough to fool Petri who pipped up that Kali's sums were incorrect.

Proceeding into the lower deck, water sloshing around their knees the party charging into attacking more zombies.  They had not seen the real threat hiding behind them.  It raised itself up from under the water and attacked Kali who was at the back.  This ghoulish fiend tried to paralyze its prey to drag her off and eat.  Fortunately Kali was too nimble to be caught.  Courtney dashed over and with a divine strike the undead creature vaporised into ash.  Searching the deck they found a few bottles of wine that had not broken and some candlesticks.

With all the undead gone half the party went diving into the hold and brought the heavy chest up.  Courtney and Petri could both sense an unholy presence emanating from the chest.  Touching the box Petri heard a voice calling for her to join Orcus, Demon prince of undeath!

The Harpy

Andakyla and Kali went upstairs with the plan of using the rope to pull the chest up through the hole to the main deck.  As they did so the shadow of a giant bird spread across the deck.  Looking up they saw a bird woman with powerful clawed hind legs swooping in to attack.  At their shouts the others rushed upstairs to aid them.  As the first harpy hovered above them a second let out a siren song buts its sweet lullaby was not strong enough to sway the mind of anyone.

As the battle raged one of the Harpies fell but so did Andakyla.  Seizing the opportunely the second Harpy grabbed the prone body in its powerful clawed feet and started to fly away.  While his friends tried to shoot the wounded creature down Andakyla had bled out far too quickly.

Bad dice rolled a critical fail!

Saddened by the loss of a friend everyone returned to Dragons Rest with the chest.  There was a bit of confusion while they waiting for Runara's return as several party members got over powered by the evil emanations from the chest and tried to open it.  Fortunately Courney was their and able to use her strength to keep the box closed and others away from it.  Kali was knocked out and her tools left scattered around the box.

Everyone was gathering in the mess hall waiting for Runara.  When she returned Nikolstratos took her up to the temple, where the chest had been placed.  After examining the chest she melted it with her dragons breath.  This destroyed the talisman to Orcus inside along with all the other treasure and Kali's thieves' toools!  Such a display of power, from what looked like a human woman, was a great surprise to Nikolstratos.  Petri felt a mental sigh as the spirits bound by the curse were released.  The quest that brought her to the island was complete.

That evening Kali talked with Varnoth and was able to purchase a new set of tools from her, since she had no more use for the set she owned.  Kali also find out Varnoth's back story about having to flee from assassins.  This completed Kali's quest but there was no great treasure he had hopped for just a sad woman mourning her dead lover.

On the following day Runara sent them off to kill the second Harpy so that it would not cause more ships to crash on the shores of the island.  As they were a man down Silas, one of the sailors, joined them.  Even though the knew of its siren song no one thought to take any precautions.  As they clambered onto the deck Courtney and Kali fell victim to the song and stood incapacitated as the creature attacked their friends.

Silas had a pouch with some alchemical bombs which he chucked at the swooping creature.  After a few rounds Courtney and Kali had both recovered and Kali used her sleep spell to bring the creature down and then Courtney stabbed it with her spear to finish it off.  Searching the harpies nest, ironically in the crows nest, they found remains of Andakyla and his money pouch, but not the candle sticks. Nikolstratos chopped the mast down to stop any more of these wicked coastal menaces making a home.

The island was now safe, from Harpies at least.  Everyone returned to the temple to rest.  Nikolstratos hopped that tomorrow his friends would help him look for the arcane observatory that he had heard was built on the island and was his reason for traveling hear.

Bard, Monk, Fighter, Warlock, Paladin and some monsters!

Game Notes: Our second game of Dragons of Stormwreck isle and first party death!  Our Monks initial death save was a natural one (double fail) so he did not have much hope of surviving that battle when the Harpy was dropping him onto the rocks to tenderise her next meal.  The Rogue got really lucky; out of six attacks the highest roll the Elite Ghoul got was a six!  It also took two critical hits from the party including a well timed smite for 6d8 extra damage by the Paladin!

Two of the party were able to finish their quests (I had mixed things up slightly from the published book based on characters back story).  Next month we have the final chapter.  A chance for the other characters, who are still alive, to finish theirs.