As well as a map of the island, I’ve been working on some low level adventures that take place on the surface of the island, to keep the PCs entertained until they can get their hands on a treasure map and find their way underground (or to intersperse with dungeon adventures for variety).
“Lotus Bear”: A disreputable type hires the PCs to retrieve several bundles that have washed ashore from a recent Ixian shipwreck, offering gold and a treasure map. The bad news is that the bundles contain rage-inducing lotus favored by berserkers. The worse news is that a brown bear has gotten into some of the bundles and become both enraged and addicted. While gathering the bundles, the PCs will have to dodge both the crazed bear and an Ixian necromancer (with zombie minions) who has come ashore to retrieve his property. Another possible encounter will be a pair of adorable bear cubs searching for their rampaging mother, who will (probably needless to add) start to follow the PCs while whining piteously.
“Admiral of the Hyperborean Sea”: On one of the small islands off the coast of Ghost Pine Island, the PCs run afoul of a pair of pirate crews, led respectively by the Viking Captain Erik the Red-Handed and the Amazon Captain Black Elena. Each pirate crew attempts to recruit the PCs to help retrieve an ancient captain’s sword from a small lost tomb on the island, to decide which of their leaders will be named “Admiral of the Hyperborean Sea”. Apart from the very human danger posed by these two bands of miscreants, and the fact that at least one crew will end up angry with the PCs no matter what they do, the occupant of the tomb is guarded by traps and resting anything but peacefully.
“Wreckers”: The shores of Ghost Pine Island are awash with corpses and the broken remains of ships. Someone is lighting red-tinted bonfires to mimic the Red Flame lighthouse and lure ships to their doom on the rocks. Yet, strangely enough, it doesn’t seem the cargo of these shipwrecks is being stolen, to the point that several ship crews are about to come to blows over salvage rights (all the while accusing each other of being the wreckers). What is going on here? (I have an especially depraved scheme in mind for the wreckers, which I’m quite proud of, but won’t reveal on the off chance my players might see this.) The shipwrecks might be in the background for a few sessions before players get involved to solve the mystery.
Carnby wrote:
