"Tomorrow I could ask Zivilyn his advice as to the origin of this item..."
During the voyage, when not in their sleeping quarters, she would be on deck sitting in a spot that is out of the way of the busy crewman. When they are near the shoreline she would view the terrain and activity that might be visible.
"With mention of the lord of bones I feel we should investigate, but with no knowledge of what or where there is little in our power to do."
So after getting a look at the note in a bottle you all go back to your usual things. Unfortunately things end up far more than usual as within the hour the fog has turned from a light mist to a thick sheet of white that makes it very difficult to see what is out in front of you. Clearly there is something unnatural about this fog. Della in-cants a spell and offers a prayer and then says, "Be warned Captian Swift, there is divine magic in the air. This fog is not a natural phenomon, it is one caused by divine intervention."
Captain Swift looks suspiciously at the fog and says, "Can anything be done about it?"
Della says, "The effect is too widespread for a simple dispel to overcome. This is a vast magical aura beyond the scope of one priest to overcome."
Captain Swift nods and gives orders "Then we got no choice but to press on. Crew! Batten down the hatches and put extra lookouts I don't want anything to sneak up on us. Move us forward, steady as she goes."
The crew gets to action as the speed of the boat is reduced as you inch through the fog. As you do a heavy scent of Seaweed assaults your nostrils. Then without warning there is a loud crack and a rumble as the ship is violently shaken. Sailors quickly assess the situation and one of them says, "Captain! We've run aground on what looks like a thick seaweed! So thick that I can't even see the water under it. It also looks like something has penetrated the hull, it looks to be the front of another ship!"
Looking out as best you can you vaguely see the outline of numerous ships as it dawns on you that you've ended up not on some mere island but a graveyard of ships.
Captain Swift gives a stern glare and a beat of sweat goes down his face. He then says, "Assess the damage and see how far we've run aground. This is not the kind of place we want to be stuck in."
Bustles of the crew occur and then the boswain of the ship reports, "The damage is not that serious but we'll have to seal a hull breach which could take a day of work to properly reseal. As for the seaweed, it seems to be wrapping itself around the ship. I'm not sure if we can cut our way out of it Captain."
Captain Swift takes in the report and nods, "Get to the repairs Samson and see what can be done about the seaweed."
Samson heads off to get that sorted. Soon afterwards though there is yells of alarm. A crewman yells out, "Captain! There is figures coming out of the ships and the seaweed! By the Gods! What has happened to them!"
For those who take a look you see a large number of men and women start crawling out of wrecks or clamoring out of the seaweed. They look like water-logged corpse-like beings with sharp and hideous teeth and claws. They hiss and drool and move quickly towards your ship and start climbing up the sides. A few seem to be mounting the nearby ship and preparing to swing aboard by ropes.
Captain Swift draws his rapier and yells, "To arms men! Ready your weapons and prepare to repel borders!"
Captain Swift looks to the party and says, "I would appreciate your assistance in defending the ship. If we don't fend off these monsters, we could end up joining them in this cursed place."
know religion what kind of undead?
These are lacedons, aquatic ghouls. Their touch can paralyze and spread ghoul fever, thus multiplying their numbers. A lower form of undead. he says.
"Certainly Captain. Zivilyn, grant me strength to smite these doomed souls".
[ooc]Alathea casts Righteous Might - Increase in Size and Weight. Mace Damage 1d10. +4 to Strength & Constitution -2 to Dexterity. +2 Natural AC. DR 5/Evil
The horde of ghouls attacks the ship, a few jumping from the nearby ship while others clammer up the sides. Fortunately the party has an advantagous position to most of the attackers as the Ghouls have to climb up the ship and thus can't concentrate their numbers on the deck to bring their numbers to bear. Della burns ghouls with Channel Energy, Captain Swift takes command and stabs ghouls with his rapier and the crew fights with ranged and melee weapons. Gabriel, Athola and Jor are able to provide melee support and way outclass their attackers in combat. Terevalis likey uses Command Undead and has some of the Ghouls turn on one another while Alathea uses Turn Undead to drive the Ghouls back into the kelp.
In the end Alathea uses 2 channels and Terevalis uses 2 command undeads. Eventually the Ghouls are either slain or driven off with only a few injuries to the crew, who Della proceeds to treat in case of potential Ghoul Fever.
At the end of the fight, Captain Swift looks to the party and says, "Well done friends, we've fended off the horrors of this place for now. But as you might have heard it appears this graveyard has entrapped our ship as it has many others. If we don't find a way to dislodge ourselves, we could very well be stuck here until we all starve to death. As I must stay here to supervise the crew and Della is busy dealing with the wounded, I would ask that you head out and investigate this area and see if you can find any clues of what is happening here and most of all to release us from this wretched place. You might want to take a look at that nearby vessel for clues. Can I trust you to this task?"
Athola looks over the the other ship wrecks nodding at what Captain Swift is saying. She sheathes the shard before taking a swing rope, to swing to the nearest wreck.
Once Athola lands on the deck of the wreck, she draws the shard, waiting for any possible remaining ghoul to attack her.
"Certainly Captain. I wonder if perhaps the note we fund originated from this strange mass..."
The Black Robe will meet sure that the seaweed is firm enough to walk on, testing with the Staff of Magius, and make his way over to the next ship.
The seaweed is unusually thick and strong enough to hold a person's weight but still squishy and slippery with occasional divots and puddles. Due to this walking on it counts as difficult terrain. In addition you have to make a DC 20 Acrobatics check to run on the seaweed or fall over. In addition there is a large carpet of fog in this area that functions like a constant Fog Cloud spell. It is far too powerful to be dispelled and if disbursed by fire or spell, it reappears in 6 rounds. In addition the area is under a desecrate spell hence undead are more powerful than normal in this area.
How would desecrate impact my rebuke ability?
Probably would give Terevalis the benefits because it is tainted by evil and his Rebuke abilities are a result of Necromancy. Still he does not feel the power here is from Nuitari, its more of a Divine corruption from one of the Gods of Evil.
Sighing from the lack of battle and prospect of having some good fight. The pathetic display of some undeads dampens Jors mood as he sit and watches to the horizon.
So assuming that the party decides to investigate the nearby ship, you take your time to get yourselves aboard. This seems to be a ship that probably is the newest one here next to yours although it is more seriously damaged and wrapped up in the seaweed and would take extensive repairs to make it seaworthy. Signs of battle are found on the deck, hinting that the crew were probably overcome by the undead and were either consumed by the Ghouls or converted into more undead. As for the ship, you learn it is called the Rampart Spirit. Checking the ruins you find a passenger manifest that says the ship only had one passenger on board. The notes on the passenger are as follows Wizard, Small Fellow. Luxuary Cabin. You check the luxury cabin and see there are a few dead ghouls nearby, some which look like they actually turned on one another and tore each other apart while others look like they were struck by a bolt of lightning and there is a huge scorch mark behind a line of dead Ghouls. As for the guest cabin itself, it is empty although there are clues that the room was used. There is an empty chest which probably contained the occupants supplies and a look that the bed was slept in as well as signs the desk in the room was used.
As for other things, you eventually find the captain's chest which is undisturbed, probably because the Ghouls are too stupid to put any value on material goods. Athola taking 10 can easily pick the lock of the chest and open it. Inside you find 1600 Steel Pieces, a flail that seems to shimmer when you look at it (+1 Ghost Touch Flail), 3 potions of water walking, and 3 Cure Light Wound potions.
What do you do next after searching the ship?
Interesting. If the bottle came from thus ship and there is a wizard on board this ship, there may be a member of my Order or a renegade on this island
Once the first ship is searched Alathea will ask her allies to gatehr around her. She then casts a prayer to Zivilyn, "Grant myself and my allies the ability to be here on this unstable ground with nary a worry for a dunk in the drink".
Wondering again on his mind, what kind of situation were they now to unravel ... although the excitment started to build up slowly and pump Jors blood. He was slowly turning into adernaline junkie with tendency to machocism... and he wasnt sure what to take it for but ah well, you live only once. Unlike the wizard he might as well enjoy the life "Haah, what is this? Should this help us with the water or?" Jor asks curiously as he sees Alathea praying for some kind of power
Alathea turns to Jor and smiles, "You have no need to fear drowning, at least for the next few hours. It will not make you more agile in the water but at least getting pulled down in heavy armor will no longer be a death sentence within mere moments".
We should be off to the next ship. However, give me a moment to see what I can divine about this place.
He casts detect magic.
The other nearby ships you soon find out are in much worse shape and many have collapsed and swallowed by seaweed. However the mass of seaweed does head off further to the east so that might be a direction to travel. It could be a direction to investigate.
As for detect magic, there is a powerful magic in this place, of a Divine origin of some kind. Beyond a 60 foot cone doesn't pick up anything that stands up nearby though.
We should follow the path laid out for us
Alathea nods, "This is much larger a place then I thought it to be..."
Athola hops off the ship to join the rest of the party.
"Ah, might as well see what it holds" Jor comments as he comes down with others
The party heads off to the east through the thick fog of this Mire they've found themselves in. The progress is slow and unsettling as the fog is as thick as Pea Soup and the ground is unstable and squishes with every step of your feet. The sound echos ominously as you walk through the mire but most things seem rather still. After travelling for some time, those in front take a step and find the seaweed suddenly becomes a lot more looser so to speak. About 30 Minutes have passed by then.
Now everyone will need to make me a DC Perception check. If you fail it, you're going to be surprised by something lurking in the seaweed. If one of you can pass it, you'll able to yell a warning and avoid falling into a quicksand trap. If no one passes, Both Jor and Gabriel will hit quicksand (Well more like a loose pile of Seaweed but same difference) plus whatever is in the swamp will get a surprise round.
Perception
The Black Robe will yell out a warning.
His sharp elven eyes spy something so he gives out a warning Be ware!
Just in time Terevalis yells out a warning before Jor and Gabriel step into a patch of loose seaweed that was cleaverly hidden by the fog. Immediately tenticles shoot out from the Seaweed followed by a octopus like head. One step further and not only would Jor and Gabriel be swallowed by the Seaweed but the beast before them would have gotten a grab on them. Still it does not seem daunted, looking to reach out and with its barbed tenticles. In addition you hear crunching from the south of something walking on the Seaweed.
Perception to see if he sees what is coming towards them
Terevalis is barely able to see the tenticled monster. The other beast is too obscured by the fog to see clearly. Remember this entire area is affected by a Fog Cloud ATM.
As for the Wyndlass it goes on
The approaching monster goes on
Know Arcana on the tentacle thing
"What manner of beast is this. Barbed tentacles?" He calls out while preparing for battle.
Iniative
"Just our luck to run again against something... not normalish? Hopefully it will also go down just normally" Jor speaks out as he looks at the monster with a wary eye
The wyndlass is a tentacled horror that lurks in desolate swamps and gloomy forests. A powerful predator, it has been known to devour several whole horses at a time in its quest to satisfy its awesome hunger. Few living men can tell the tale of a firsthand encounter with a wyndlass, as few ever survive such a meeting.
Although the wyndlass is seldom seen by those it hunts, there have been occasions when it was sighted out of its pit by those with the sense to quickly note its appearance and then flee for their lives. From these accounts we know that the wyndlass looks something like a giant black octopus with no fewer than ten tentacles. Each of these whiplike limbs is over 25 feet long and covered with keen barbs that sink deep into the flesh of prey. The tendrils attach to the body in two clusters of five limbs each. Between the two clusters are the creature’s three eyes (which glow with a faint blue light) and its powerful beak.
It secretes a fluid that causes the ground to soften around it. In this case its turned the seaweed into loose pit of water and weeds. Even then it has a burrow speed and can probably freely burrow through the seaweed if you tried to escape.
Athola quickly informs the party of the important bits such as it's reach, 10 barbed tentacles, and party probably won't be able to out run it as it can burrow quickly below. Also indicates centre has 3 eyes and it's powerful beak.
The Black Robe will also inform them that he hears something else approaching on the seaweed bed but that he has been unable to see it.