9: Ember Island Haunting
General Summary
The party grew ever more acquainted to the unceasing rocking of their ship, Efreeti’s Fortune, as they made their way across the Illterran Sea. They grew acquainted too, to the ghostly chill they felt when near the ship’s friendly crew. Each of the party members spent their time preparing for the future in their own way, whether it was reading through magical manuscripts, exploring the ship, strengthening their bodies, or reading spicy novels with the black cat that seemed to have adopted the group. They made their way to Ember Island, which First Mate Gar Grimfang said belonged to Captain Flintstriker before his death. The island, he said, housed a small but busy trade settlement and “Emberhearth Inn”, which was a useful source of profit for them.
As night settled across the sea on the night before they would dock on the shores of Ember Island, Efreeti’s Fortune was attacked by a run-down ghostly ship that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Never shying away from danger, the group dodged icy blasts from mages on the enemy deck, as Vash commanded the crew to bring the ship nearer for retaliation.
Aralia jumped into the sea below, transforming into a reef shark, prepared to tear the enemy apart in her jaws. Vash and Gabriel leapt across the gap between the ships, while Rowan used his magic instead. They faced energy draining magic and ice blasts while responding with an onslaught of their own. Another attack surprised them from the depths below in the form of a giant tentacle belonging to an octopus. Together, the party and even a friendly dolphin defeated the foes. These pirates dealt them terrible blows, but they were no match to the holy damage of Vash’s Sublade or Gabriel’s powers. Undead as they were, they exploded into undead ash upon death, further injuring most who were too close. Vash looked particularly heroic as he slashed through one undead pirate, stepping through the ash of its explosion, unfazed, to thrust his sword at another pirate, which too exploded into ash. Vash stood, unfazed by the ash which covered him. The red eyes of his dark dread helmet blazed in the night as his cloak billowed around him. Upon its defeat, the giant octopus lashed out, hitting the ships with its thick tentacles. The ghost ship began to sink, but the group found a strange chest under the deck. The chest was ornate with pirate motifs. Chains wrapped around it, bolted to the chest in various places, with 3 old locks binding them tightly. One lock was copper in color, one silver, one gold. A 4th lock, ornate with gold and silver, depicted a beautiful face. This lock, which was on the regular latch, was unrusted and looked out of place. There were also many runes etched and burned into the chest. Words were etched across the top of the chest, inlaid with gold and silver, stating “The Father is the Key to His Heart’s Greatest Treasure.” As Rowan attempted to grasp the chest, the runes all lit up at once, dealing Rowan a terrible pain. As the ship sank, Rowan’s ability to detect magic showed they could touch the handles of the chest and they managed to escape back to their own ship with the chest. Despite their best attempts to open it, they did not succeed. They rested and traveled through the night and next day, reaching their destination in the late afternoon. As they docked, they were warned by a strange man to leave, and that the island was dangerous. They did not heed this warning, and found a small desolate village. One run-down building housed a feeble old man and woman, around whom huddled five terrified children. As night set, a little girl appeared, again warning the party to leave or they would have to face her terrible father. Again, they did not heed the warning. They followed the little girl into the largest and most ruined building. Immediately, the door slammed shut behind them and the man from the dock released a bolt from his crossbow, piercing Aralia who responded quickly with an icy dagger of her own. The party made quick work of this man before facing a woman which also attacked them. The room they were in was in shambles, which only increased as the battle went on. The little girl stayed out of the way, but when her father emerged from the coffin at the back of the room, she showed her hand and possessed Vash, using his body to attack the allies. One of the children snuck into the building through a small hole in a boarded up window, and assisted in the fight.
When he was defeated, the pirate captain who rose from the coffin exploded into ash, and then transformed into an enormous monster. Rowan, with his magic, hypnotized the enemies. Unable to use a hypnotized body, the ghost released Vash’s body and attacked on her own. The group defeated all of the enemies and were hailed as heroes by the children and the old couple who cared for them. The old couple explained the story of the island. Once, they said, the island was owned by the pirate Captain Flintstriker, who used it as a trading post and fence, and cared for the people there. When he stopped returning, it was taken over by the Pirate Captain Gregory Von Flugan. Things were not terrible until his wife died, after which his daughter, Greta, grew increasingly greedy and cold. Von Flugan, saddened and tired after losing his beloved and dealing with a daughter who cared more for gold than anything else, allowed his daughter to demand any and all she wanted of his crew. They mutinied, and, with the exception of two loyal crewmembers, they attacked Von Flugan and murdered him, his daughter, and the two loyal crewmembers, Pedro and Maggie. But one of the treasure’s gained during Von Flugan’s time as a pirate was a dark necklace, silver medal housing a black gem with a purple circle around its edge. This necklace, worn by his daughter, connected her to a powerful dark force, which in turn granted them life unending, as Vampirates. To survive.. They needed only to feed off of the lifeforce of children. And thus the old couple was kept alive to care for a few children at a time, which they kept as cattle to feed their soulless existences.
But now the nightmare was over. The old man informed them that the deed to the island was hidden under a loose stone in the fireplace. The group also found a treasure chest full of gems and other treasures, including a treasure map. With the deed in hand, the party decided to donate a large sum of currency to the old couple, with the deal that they would rebuild the island better than ever before. The group agreed to stay for a few days to help the project along. But they also had their elemental orb to deal with, which was pulling them along westward, as well as Von Flugan’s treasure map, which they were convinced would lead them to what they needed to open the mysterious chest on their ship.
Aralia jumped into the sea below, transforming into a reef shark, prepared to tear the enemy apart in her jaws. Vash and Gabriel leapt across the gap between the ships, while Rowan used his magic instead. They faced energy draining magic and ice blasts while responding with an onslaught of their own. Another attack surprised them from the depths below in the form of a giant tentacle belonging to an octopus. Together, the party and even a friendly dolphin defeated the foes. These pirates dealt them terrible blows, but they were no match to the holy damage of Vash’s Sublade or Gabriel’s powers. Undead as they were, they exploded into undead ash upon death, further injuring most who were too close. Vash looked particularly heroic as he slashed through one undead pirate, stepping through the ash of its explosion, unfazed, to thrust his sword at another pirate, which too exploded into ash. Vash stood, unfazed by the ash which covered him. The red eyes of his dark dread helmet blazed in the night as his cloak billowed around him. Upon its defeat, the giant octopus lashed out, hitting the ships with its thick tentacles. The ghost ship began to sink, but the group found a strange chest under the deck. The chest was ornate with pirate motifs. Chains wrapped around it, bolted to the chest in various places, with 3 old locks binding them tightly. One lock was copper in color, one silver, one gold. A 4th lock, ornate with gold and silver, depicted a beautiful face. This lock, which was on the regular latch, was unrusted and looked out of place. There were also many runes etched and burned into the chest. Words were etched across the top of the chest, inlaid with gold and silver, stating “The Father is the Key to His Heart’s Greatest Treasure.” As Rowan attempted to grasp the chest, the runes all lit up at once, dealing Rowan a terrible pain. As the ship sank, Rowan’s ability to detect magic showed they could touch the handles of the chest and they managed to escape back to their own ship with the chest. Despite their best attempts to open it, they did not succeed. They rested and traveled through the night and next day, reaching their destination in the late afternoon. As they docked, they were warned by a strange man to leave, and that the island was dangerous. They did not heed this warning, and found a small desolate village. One run-down building housed a feeble old man and woman, around whom huddled five terrified children. As night set, a little girl appeared, again warning the party to leave or they would have to face her terrible father. Again, they did not heed the warning. They followed the little girl into the largest and most ruined building. Immediately, the door slammed shut behind them and the man from the dock released a bolt from his crossbow, piercing Aralia who responded quickly with an icy dagger of her own. The party made quick work of this man before facing a woman which also attacked them. The room they were in was in shambles, which only increased as the battle went on. The little girl stayed out of the way, but when her father emerged from the coffin at the back of the room, she showed her hand and possessed Vash, using his body to attack the allies. One of the children snuck into the building through a small hole in a boarded up window, and assisted in the fight.
When he was defeated, the pirate captain who rose from the coffin exploded into ash, and then transformed into an enormous monster. Rowan, with his magic, hypnotized the enemies. Unable to use a hypnotized body, the ghost released Vash’s body and attacked on her own. The group defeated all of the enemies and were hailed as heroes by the children and the old couple who cared for them. The old couple explained the story of the island. Once, they said, the island was owned by the pirate Captain Flintstriker, who used it as a trading post and fence, and cared for the people there. When he stopped returning, it was taken over by the Pirate Captain Gregory Von Flugan. Things were not terrible until his wife died, after which his daughter, Greta, grew increasingly greedy and cold. Von Flugan, saddened and tired after losing his beloved and dealing with a daughter who cared more for gold than anything else, allowed his daughter to demand any and all she wanted of his crew. They mutinied, and, with the exception of two loyal crewmembers, they attacked Von Flugan and murdered him, his daughter, and the two loyal crewmembers, Pedro and Maggie. But one of the treasure’s gained during Von Flugan’s time as a pirate was a dark necklace, silver medal housing a black gem with a purple circle around its edge. This necklace, worn by his daughter, connected her to a powerful dark force, which in turn granted them life unending, as Vampirates. To survive.. They needed only to feed off of the lifeforce of children. And thus the old couple was kept alive to care for a few children at a time, which they kept as cattle to feed their soulless existences.
Rewards Granted
Loot
- Alchemy Jub - Given for the shop
- Aquamarine 500g - Arailia
- Banded Agate 10g - Donated
- Blue Quartz 10g - Donated
- Citrine 50g -Donated
- Black Candle - Rowan
- Cartographer's Tools - Austin
- Dagger - Vash
- Von Flugan’s Treasure Map
- Ornate Chest - (from the ghost ship)
- Deed to the Inn & Island
- 26g 1354 sp 341cp - 26 to Gabriel, rest to the Island
Missions/Quests Completed
Ember Island Deed Obtained
Donated / Invested in the Island:
(Each character will pay from their profits until donation amounts are the same.)
Donated / Invested in the Island:
(Each character will pay from their profits until donation amounts are the same.)
- Vash, Rowan, Aralia, Gabriel - 500 gp
- Metztli - 25
- Jin’e - 75gp 175sp
- Ember - 200
- From Loot ~ 210
- Unnamed Benefactor - 500
- Total: 3010gp 175 sp
Character(s) interacted with
Enemies:
Gregory and Greta Von Flugan
Maggie & Pedro
Various Vampirates at sea
NPCs:
Nicolan the Elderly Man
Emma the Elderly Lady
Bowie the Brave (child)
4 other children
Gregory and Greta Von Flugan
Maggie & Pedro
Various Vampirates at sea
NPCs:
Nicolan the Elderly Man
Emma the Elderly Lady
Bowie the Brave (child)
4 other children
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