The Lonely Coast Campaign – Intro Sesssion 2

In our last session, we began our new Lonely Coast campaign. The player characters had come together and all found employment upon the Nydam, a ship bound for Wolverton. They settled into their cabin and started their duties as guards aboard the ship with the crew obviously not being happy with their presence. In addition to the crew and captain, two other “passengers” were aboard as well. One was the captain’s lover and the other a prisoner being transported to Wolverton where she had killed six people…at least that was the accusation. As the ship departed Hamwic’s harbor, a crazy person that Magnus had encountered the day before apparently committed suicide by deeply slicing a spiral symbol into his abdomen and then following into the bay.

This session we had a full table with all five players in attendance. Just as a reminder, the PC lineup is: Bay (RJ), Isenthorne (Rachel), Magnus (Miles), Osric (Muse), and Thalimor (Thomas). We pickup with the session below the break.

After much discussion, the party determined a rotation for guarding the captain’s quarters which turned out to be a pretty easy detail for the most part. It wasn’t long, however, before a large sailor (known as the Ox) came over and invited folks to play cards in the evening. Bay accepted the invitation.

Around midday, Dirt approached the captain’s quarters to deliver some food. Thalimor challenged Dirt’s right to enter but after a bit of discussion, the boy entered and delivered the food. A bit after this, many of the crew were seen staring overboard on one side of the ship. A large sea serpent was swimming near the surface. Osric quickly went and told Isenthorne and Magnus, who had retired to their quarters. Isenthorne was too late to see the beast as it had descended deeper into the ocean. A number of the crew commented that it was strange to see one at this time of year.

Hereric found Magnus and Thalimor later that afternoon and told them that the captain wished to speak with them. Entering the captain’s quarters, Frithgar was seated at a fairly large table working with some maps, logs, and navigational tools. The woman, meanwhile, sat on a nearby bed, sewing one of the captain’s jackets and watching the pair. The captain reiterated the duties he expected of the group and also asked why Thalimor was not doing more to entertain the crew. This was why Thalimor was going to get paid more than the others as the crew needed to have their spirits lifted on this trip.

Thalimor set about getting to know the crew and determining how to best entertain them. The first crew member that he spoke with was a bit dim to put it nicely. In addition, Hereric came over and asked the bard to stop bothering the crew and let them work. When Thalimor indicated that the Captain had asked him to talk with the crew, the Mate indicated that he should go talk with that crew member, pointing up at the crow’s nest.

Climbing the rigging was slow going but not overly difficult and Thalimor settled down with Osnoth the Old and had a conversation. While Thalimor was hoping to learn more about the crew, it was Osnoth that learned more about Thalimor and his companions such as which of them were the most capable bodyguard. Osnoth also got Thalimor to agree to work on getting Osric to participate in a boxing match with the Ox for the crew’s entertainment. All of this for the small price of a piece of cheese from his rations.

Thalimor then took out a piece of paper and showed it to Osnoth. The elderly sailor immediately made a warding symbol and quickly snatched the piece of paper away, tearing it up into pieces and tossing them into the wind. The paper had the spiral symbol that the crazy man on the docks Magnus encountered and carved into his abdomen the day before. Osnoth was clearly very upset by the symbol and insisted that Thalimor leave, even resorting to threats to get the bard to leave.

Later in the afternoon, there was a full eclipse of the sun. This got the attention of pretty much EVERYONE aboard the ship. Even the sailors on the night crew were roused to look. As it reached a total eclipse, a blood red corona could be seen. This was, of course, seen as a very ominous omen. Many of the crew started to grumble that this was all due to the Captain having brought his lover aboard the ship. The Captain came out and yelled at crew to get back to work. They did so but the looks directed at the Captain were not very friendly.

Dinner that evening was not cheery. No one really spoke and if looks could kill, the Captain would have been doomed. Captain Frithgar ordered Hereric to break out a cask of rum for the crew and a “ring” was setup on deck for the fight between Osric and the Ox. Needless to say, Osric was not at all pleased with Thalimor for having “volunteered” him for this but he still gave it his all. Despite landing a number of good blows on his opponent, Osric was defeated and left unconscious on the deck. Rum flowed and Ox was quite pleased with Osric’s participation, sharing rum with him…once he came to.

Things did not improve the following day. The ship lost the wind and the current and was left slowly drifting. The crew’s mood definitely darkened and whisperings of mutiny began to be heard. The Captain met with Thalimor again and suggested another fight that evening to get the crews’ minds off of mutiny and their predicament. Thalimor came up with a brilliant idea…or so he thought…but it would require a dress. The Captain’s guest offered up a frilly yellow one and the Captain indicated that the cost of it would be deducted from Thalimor’s wages. Oh, and a bucket of rotten fruit.

The plan was to reenact a portion of a play with which Thalimor was familiar. A comedy where a cowardly nobleman uses a fair maiden to shield him from danger…the danger being the crew throwing the rotten fruit. As a twist, Thalimor planned on casting Bay as the fair maiden and Isenthorne as the noble. Needless to say, neither was very keen on these roles and ultimately, the boxing “ring” was setup again and Bay (sans dress) and Isenthorne were set to box.

Bay’s chivalrous nature, however, interfered. Instead of boxing with Isenthorne, he simply half-heartedly defended himself. Without throwing a single punch, Bay was knocked unconscious. Hereric punished him with two days in the brig for throwing the fight. To make matters worse, the Captain and his guest had been watching from the sterncastle. The woman loudly expressed some disappointment with the night’s entertainment and drew the crew’s attention to her. Although the crew’s mood soured even more, no mutiny occurred that night.

The next morning was met with a woman’s scream from the captain’s quarters. quickly knocked on the door to be greeted by the woman, Selewulf, with tears streaming down her face. The Captain was dead. He could be seen slumped over the table with his dinner in front of him. There was little time to investigate before Hereric arrived. Selewulf explained that Dirt had brought dinner for the pair after the “fight” the prior evening. Frithgar had planned on staying up awhile to work on some course adjustments but she had been tired and went to bed early without having eaten. When she woke this morning, she had found Frithgar dead at the table.

Hereric quickly took charge. First, he and the crew prepared the Captain’s body for a burial at sea. Magnus was asked to say the prayers as the body was remanded to Ealaz’s cold embrace. The investigation then went into full swing. Selewulf suggested that the Frithgar must have been poisoned and informed all that venom was part of this trip’s cargo. Hereric asked Magnus to accompany him into the hold to check the cargo. The pair found that one of the crates had been opened and a broken vial was within.

Hereric took command of the ship. He took the captain’s keys as well as the strongbox that had been hidden behind a picture in the Captain’s quarters. Selewulf, for her own safety, was confined to the captain’s quarters with a guard posted.

With Magnus present to both help question and as a witness above reproach, Hereric began to question members of the crew. Dirt and Wealdstan, the cook, were both questioned and both protested their innocence. Both also were adamant that no one else would have had any opportunity to poison the food. Wealdstan doesn’t allow anyone else in the galley (except Dirt) and no one but Dirt had access to the food from the galley to the captain’s quarters. When Selewulf was questioned, she actually accused Hereric of poisoning Frithgar, although with no real evidence. She pointed out that Hereric had always wanted to take the ship from Frithgar.

Hereric and Magnus then spent some time looking through the Captain’s journal and log. Frithgar had, in fact, been working on a course change. He had been concerned about calm waters and something called “the Maiden” but none were really sure what this was in reference to. Regardless, the course change had not been in time and they were becalmed.

Meanwhile, Bay had regained consciousness in the brig and quickly learned that the prisoner, Wineric, was not drugged as they had been told. She was quite awake and in full control of her faculties. Wineric explained that she had been accused of killing people in Wolverton but was being framed. She had information that the Baron was not paying his full share of taxes to the Crown and the murder charge was simply to get her back into the Baron’s clutches. She knew all of this because she had been one of the clerks keeping the Baron’s finances before trying to flee to the capital. Bay, of course, offered her the comfort of his shoulder…not that he had much choice given the tiny size of the brig.

When it became clear to the others on the ship that the prisoner was conscious (helped by Wineric yelling out to ask for water), Bay was removed from the brig and tied to the central mast. Hereric forbade Bay’s companions from aiding him or giving him food or water. Bay understood the punishment as a sailor himself but the others had difficulty not helping him. The rest of the day and night passed with no real trouble and no real movement of the ship and a fog persisted all day, growing thicker as night fell.

The next morning at breakfast it became quite clear that the crew had taken sides (both figuratively and literally) and all were armed with blades. A larger group was sitting on one side and a smaller group, one of whom was armed with a crossbow, sat on the other. Ox, sitting with the larger group, invited Osric to sit next to him. Ox whispered that they were going to take the ship and asked if Osric was with them. Osric answered with a rather non-committal yes. Isenthorne pointedly sat at the foot of the table in between the two sides.

A heavy fog lay over the ship. Two of the sailors stood guard at the Captain’s quarters, armed with crossbows. It became pretty clear that the mutineers had higher numbers but those loyal to Hereric were better armed, including with the only crossbows. Even Bay was approached about which side he’d take while tied to the mast. Osnoth knelt behind him and asked which side and flatly stated that Selewulf had to be thrown overboard. Bay would not commit, especially to murdering a woman.

The day was tense but no violence had yet occurred when the lookout from above shouted out that a ship was coming up alongside. Tensions were ratcheted higher but the focus, at least, was outward rather than towards violence aboard the ship. Slowly, the other ship came close enough to be visible through the fog. It was drifting as well. Smaller than the Nydam, it had only one cabin aft and had no sails or intact rigging. None could be seen on deck.

Hereric yelled out that it was time for the sellswords to earn their keep. The party was expected to board the ship and investigate, particular to see if there were any survivors. Magnus, however, was welcome to stay aboard the Nydam and the priest accepted the invitation. Grappling hooks secured the other ship and the pair of ships started drifting in a spiral around each other. A gangplank was slid over to give access to the other deck.

Once on board, it was pretty clear that this ship was rather old. The remaining rigging looked as though it had rotted away. Much of the wood on the ship looked as though it was half-rotted as well. The trapdoor leading to the hold was closed and held shut with an iron bar and chains as though the intent was to keep something within. The door to the lone cabin was also closed and bulged bizarrely outwardly.

Very suspicious of the hold, the party decided to explore the cabin first even though they were pretty sure that no survivors. Osric and Isenthorne tried to pull the swollen door open but kept having difficulty with their footing on the wet and moldy deck not to mention the door’s handle. Eventually they were able to force it open. Rusty cannonballs tumbled through the open doorway and rolled across the deck. One landed squarely on Isenthorne’s foot. Others embedded in the flimsy planks of the deck and a couple even went overboard to strike the Nydam, eliciting a shocked shout from those watching.

The cabin inside looked to be the quarters of the ship’s former captain. His skeletal remains sat in a chair across from the door with a rotting crossbow in easy reach atop a table. Everything looked waterlogged and half-rotted. Fearing that the skeleton might animate if anything in the room was disturbed, Isenthorne quickly knocked its skull off. She then carefully pulled the log from under the crossbow on the table. The log would have to be handled carefully to see if it contained anything that might shed some light on what happened to this ship.

Bay checked out the footlocker near the cabin’s bed but it held nothing but damp and mildewy clothing. It was noticed, however, that one of the decorative maps hanging from the walls was moving rhythmically, almost as if something was breathing behind it. Thalimor and Isenthorne took up positions to the side of this map and yanked it down to reveal…

[And that was when the clock struck 11pm and we stopped for the night.]