the Ghost's Ship

Set Up

* The PCs are acting as couriers for delivery of a magical item from Greyhawk to Onnwal- this allows this adventure to be coupled with "The Prisoner of Zender" adventure.

* The PCs are employed to provide protection against pirate vessels taking weapons to Onnwal for the defense of the Iron League.

The Lair

The setting for this adventure is a sunken wreck that lies in some 140 fathoms of water off the southern coast of the Bright Desert. The ship the PCs travel in keeps close to the northern border of the Sea of Geamat, wary of the pirates on the Pomarj coast.

An Appeal for Help

A PC on watch at night (if necessary, use prior nighttime encounters with sahuagin, etc., to ensure that PCs do stay on watch on night) suddenly hears a voice from a foot or so behind him. The voice rasps in a gravelly, deathly tone, "Don't tum around, landman, you don't want to clap eyes on me. You don't want people to see you with white hair and eyes a 'rheum." The ghost of Captain Silerias Akarza has just materialized behind the PC. If the PC turns around, a successful saving throw vs. spell must be made ( with a + 2 bonus if the PC is of 9th level or greater) or the PC ages 10 years and will be affected by fear. The ghost does not attack unless attacked, however.

Captain Silerias Akarza, Ghost: AC 0 (8 MV 9 + special; HD 10; hp 57; THAC0 11; #AT 1; Dmg ages victim 10d4 years; SA seeing ghost ages victim 10 years and causes fear for 2d6 turns (successful saving throw vs. spell negates, priests of 7th level or greater are immune), magic jar attack; SD struck only by weapons of magic or silver (latter half damage), non-ethereal spellcasters cannot attack ghost with spells; Int High; AL LE; SZ M; XP 5,000

Assuming the PC doesn't attack or run off in fear, Akarza continues (if the PC does attack Akarza fights back; if the PC runs, Akarza comes back later). "Listen to me, landman. I been here nigh 70 years, unable to escape this place. I'm weary of it. I ain't dead and I ain't alive. I don't want any more of it, you hear?"

Akarza's voice rises slightly. A Wisdom check allows the PC to realize that Akarza is slightly insane. When an insane ghost speaks to you, you listen very carefully indeed. Akarza continues: "I found out there's a way to put myself to rest. You dive down to my ship and find my old bones, and a Patriarch of Wee Jas can do some sort of exorcism on 'em. I could find an end in other ways maybe, but I got a hankerin' to have my bones restin' in some sanctified place after they've been brought back to land. You're going to do that, landman, else I'm going to be very displeased. And there's treasure on the old Sakiryos, that there is. Go get yer friends to agree, landman. Be back here at next bell." The ghost disappears.

The PCs will have to agree to this unless they wish to fight Akarza; if they fight him on his return, he will do all he can to destroy them. If they are ready to accept, they may not have suitable magic ( water breathing spell or potion, airy water, etc.) for an undersea venture. When Akarza returns to discuss matters with them, he has an answer to this. "Met with some treasure hunters a few moons ago, I did. They wouldn't help, so I killed every worthless last man jack of 'em. Took their water breathing magic, though, and stored it for them as would help me."

The PCs are given a wooden case with a dozen potions of water breathing that have unusual potency (triple usual duration). Akarza also gives precise coordinates for positioning the PCs' ship over the wreck of the Sakiryos, and he also gives instructions for how to find his bones. His skeleton-with a diamond ring on one hand-is in the captain's cabin astern. It's diving time!

Terrain: Sea bed

Total Party Levels: 42 (Average 7th)

Total gp: 10,000

Monster XP: 8,760

The Wreck Down Below

At 140 fathoms the level of illumination is effectively zero, so magic such as a continual light spell is needed for those without infravision. A charitable DM may allow a ship's storm lantern to function underwater. What is left of the Sakiryos is shown in the illustration.

When the PCs get within 150 feet of the wreck, they are attacked by a group of ixitxachitl that patrols these waters. This group is unusually deep-swimming, and since the water is colder Lhan they prefer, they have a + 1 penalty to all initiative rolls for combat. Their leader is a rare vampire shaman ixitxachitl that casts defensive spells (prayer followed by protection from good) before venturing to any form of attack. He uses his darkness and hold spells to affect the PCs combat abilities.

lxitxachitl (18): AC 6; MV Sw 12; HD 1 + 1; hp 7 each; THAC0 19; #AT l; Dmg 3d4; Int Average; AL CE; SZ M: XP 35

lxitxachitJ Shaman: AC 6; MV Sw 12; HD 3 +3; hp22; THAC0 17; IIAT l; 0mg 3d4 + special; SA energy drain-2 levels: Int High; AL CE; SZ M; XP 650;

Spells: darkness ( x 2), protection from good, hold person ( x 2), continual darkness, prayer.

After overcoming these pests, the PCs can get to the wreck. The bows have been shattered and dispersed, and only the stern remains, half-settled in thick mud. It s tarry timbers have ensured its survival. The only entry point is in the gap between the timbers of the shattered half deck and the mud of the sea bed, unless a spell such as warp wood is used to create an entry point elsewhere.

Lurking behind the broken-off mizzen-mast, concealed by long masses of thick seaweed hanging from Lhe outer timbers of the ship, is a group of sea zombies. They are the original crew of the ship, extremely evil in life and hardly reformed in undeath. They gleefully welcome any opportunity to slay any living humanoid creature: due to their concealment, their opponents suffer a + 2 penalty to their surprise roll. However. those under the mfluence of a water breathing spell can smell the zombies 20 feet away. lf the PCs take special precautions because of this (prodding seaweed with ten-foot poles, etc.) the zombies' surprise advantage may be negated. Simply saying that the PCs are being alert will not do. however.

Sea Zombies (4): AC 7; MV Sw 12; HD 5; hp 17, 16, 33. 28; THACO 15; #AT 1; Dmg 1d10; SA stench, disease; SD immune to mind-affecting spells, half damage from fire, double damage from cold and electrical attacks, cannot be turned; Int Low: AL CE; SZ M: XP 270

The stench attack affects all within 20 feet who fail saving throws vs. poison: these unfortunates are wracked with nausea and suffer - 2 penalties to their attack rolls for 2d4 turns. Each blow a sea zombie lands has a 10% chance of conferring a severe disease (cure disease needed within four days to prevent death. Victim becomes delirious within 24 hours).

If the PCs get past the sea zombies, they can penetrate the main areas of the sunken wreck.

Area 1 was the living quarters of the ordinary men; sunk into the wood are the metal hooks, with fragments of rope still attached to them, to show where hammocks once were. Silt clogs the floor, but some plain utensils and pots can be seen, together with a few human bones and a pair of skulls. There is nothing of value here.

Area 2 is the officers' quarters. These were hardJy luxurious and different officers were separated only by screens, which have rotted away. A rotted painting in a corroded gilt frame on one wall is all there is to show that this room once had any exalted inhabitants.

Area 3 presents a tragic and unsettling sight. Manacled to the walls by one hand are some 20 skeletons, although a few have drifted loose as their bones snapped and escaped the bondage that lasted even beyond death. These poor victims of Akarza 's slaving got a faster death than even they expected.

Area 4 is the captain's cabin. Akarza's skeleton, still with the diamond ring (value 1,200 gp), is m a chair before a stout desk, and rotted and corroded instruments and charts are around the room. A splendid treasure chest (locked and trapped with a lethal poison needle trap) is beside the desk.

Akarza 's scimitar + 3 has fallen behind a pile of rotted timbers at the back of the chair, and only if the PCs say they are thoroughly searching this room will this be found. However, there is also an occupant here; the spectre of the first mate, Ricard. He does not immediately attack the PCs, but he commands them to leave.

His burning hatred of his Captain is such that he attacks at once if the PCs say that they are here to help Akarza. Ricard just wants to be left alone with his bitterness and self-hatred, but if the PCs want the Captain's skeleton (or the treasure chest) they have to combat him. They can learn something of the ship's appalling history in slavery and piracy from Ricard, however, if they want to talk to him before fighting him.

Ricard, Spectre: AC 2; MV 15, Sw 30: HD 7+3; THAC0 13; #AT 1: Dmg 1d8 + special; SA energy drain-2 levels; SD magical weapon to hit, immune to sleep, charm, hold, and cold-based spells; Int High; AL LE; SZ M; XP 1,400

When the chest can be opened, it contains bags with 2,800 gp, 400 pp, a casket of small pearls worth 4,000 gp, a wax-sealed silver tube containing a scroll of the priest spells cure disease ( x 2) and neutralize poison, and a second waxed silver tube that contains nonmagical scrolls. These are ledgers of the slaving activities of the vessel. They are over 70 years old, but they clearly implicate certain Onnwal families in the slave trade and could be political dynamite (you should fit in details as desired to suit your campaign).

Akarza will be grimly satisfied when the PCs bring his bones back to the surface. He will stay with them, however, periodically dropping in, until they have delivered the bones to a temple of Wee Jas. You should allow one to be present in Scant, or wherever the PCs may be headed-unless you like the idea of saddling them with a ghost who is getting more and more impatient and demanding explanations! The temple wiJI charge 2,000 gp for the services, but the PCs earn one-half XP for the ghost for laying the bones to rest.