The Derelict Longship
From Aput's journal
Year of the Eagle

Star, Scorpius 26: "A steady wind blew from the Northwest as Njord's Shield left what is now being called 'Crab Harbor'. We made good time heading up the island's eastern coast, tacking back & forth in the oncoming breeze. We passed the Rat Pit and the Stairs to the Temple before reaching the northern point along the coast, turning our prow into unknown territory."
"Our band of explorers numbered just above two hands. Our crew - Barita, Koo-Pesos, and Zipyros, kept us on course as were moved on to the start of our new quest - to explore the river that flows to the north. Also on board were Hebear, Hallr, Tonrar, Zotis, Isagoros, and I. Yullock & his lizardfolk kinsmen (Zik and Yoxly) followed the Shield, mostly staying in the water, but occasionally resting on board when they tired."
"Finally, we found the river's delta & spied the ruined tower seated high atop a nearby mountain. The delta & the lands to the west (toward the tower's peak) were silty but Njord's Shield, being a clinker-built ship, was able to pass as we rowed up the unnamed river, hoping to find both the headwaters & the derelict ship we saw at the base of the waterfall. Rather than push onward to arrive after a long day's journey, we set camp & rested. It had been a long day, but we were exploring unknown territory. What will tomorrow reveal?"
Sky, 27 Scorpius: "Night passed without incident & we rowed further along the river after a morning meal. We heard the crashing water of the falls before we spotted it, but once we followed the river around a sharp turn, there it was - the waterfall, rising high into the mountains along the eastern shore of the island. Water glistened in the air like snow blowing just after a storm. The boat we'd seen from the hidden aerie lay close to the falls, its bow beached with its stern broken off, lying still in the pool at the base of the falls. Our crew beached the Shield nearby and we disembarked. Hebear spotted tracks of men leading into the jungle along with some drag marks of something heavy (crates, maybe?), but I was curious about the tattered sail, so I approached with Yullock watching my back. Before I could notice much more than a raven & a skull on the canvas, a clawed hand slashed at me from under the parts of the sail gathered on the beach. We came under attack."
"While Zotis prepares a ritual to purge the foul taint around the derelict ship, I think that I can add a summary of the fight. Several waterlogged Norsemen rose from the sunken stern and attacked us from the river. Their flesh was weak, but their numbers were many and a foul stench rose from a few of them as well as they slashed with their claws & grabbed us to prevent our escape. I think that they intended for us to join their ranks as undead thralls to the ghostly specter that rose from the ship's hold. It bore a fearsome visage & caused several of us to flee its presence. I tried to call the boreal winds against the spirit, but instead, I fled into the jungle, almost into a nearby camp where more undead awaited us. They were Ixian explorers who hadn’t fared as well as our crew against the sodden undead Vikings. I chose a different path. Fortunately, I didn't travel far before returning to the fight."
"We were victorious in the end. Many of the ex-explorers fled into the jungle after Zotis called on his god's might while the rest found release from their foul existence at the ends of our weapons. Arrows & ice darts, blades, bludgeons, & beams of fire - all did their part to defeat those undead. After that Zotis & Yullock provided some much-needed healing to those wounded heavily, and then we spent time searching the camp and the broken boat. We recovered a fair amount of coin, several pieces of jewelry, & a trio of magical items - a razor-sharp hand axe, an odd 5-armed throwing knife, & a light shield bearing the image of a raven clutching a skull in its claws (the same image we discovered on the sail)."
"It's unknown which direction we'll proceed next, though exploring around & possibly behind the waterfall seems like the best choice before we explore deeper into the jungle."
(that's it for Aput's write-up)