Page 147 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

L PIER AND BEAC H
The sun makes the waves sparkle as Firewatch Island
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comes fully into view. Three barren hills are its most no-
ticeable landmarks, rising above narrow, rocky beaches A short wooden pier extends out into the water, con-
and small wiry shrubs on an otherwise sparse landscape. nected by a path to an open archway in the fortress wall.
In between those high points, a small fortress and bea- The pier is in good shape, with wooden pilings raising it
con tower can be seen. The building is made of stone well above the high tide line of the rocky beach. The area
and looks to have two floors. A bell tower rises an addi- 1 s deserted, with no other boats or people in sight. The
tional two stories above the rest of the building, and a call of gulls, the shrieking of crows, and the crashing of
low stone wall surrounds part of the complex . the waves are the only sounds.
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If the characters approach the pier that serves the her- If the characters took the ferry to the island, Raserhill
mitage. see area I for more information. quickly offloads a shipment of dried beans and apples,
several barrels of water. and a few crates of other sup-
THE HERMITAGE plies before he casts off and returns to Uskarn. If he has
any concerns about not being met by folk from the her-
The fortress on Firewatch Island was hastily built when mitage, he makes no sign that he cares. Unless the char-
first established, and the residents of the garrison were
acters have made other arrangements, the ferry returns
still working on it when they disappeared. The folk of shortly after sunrise the next day.
the hermitage have since completed and renovated the
A character who makes a successful DC 16 Wisdom
place in their own way, compromising some of the site's
(Perception) check notices humanoid tracks leading
defensive capabilities in che process.
from the waterline to the hermitage. A character who
succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wis-
G ENERAL F EATURES
dom (Survival) check also notes distinct tracks return-
Unless otherwise noted. the walls of the hermitage are ing to the waterline (the trail left by the drowned ones as
made of mortared masonry. The interior ceilings are they departed the island).
10 feet high, and the noors are paved with flagstones. Within a few minutes of arriving on the island, the
The roof is covered in slate tiles except in places where characters are attacked by the monstrous peryton,
those tiles have fallen or broken. and those areas have Rasp. See the '"Look Out Above" section (page 145) for
been subsequently repaired and replaced with thatch. more information.
The wooden doors in the hermitage are usually un- If Raserhill has been paid to stay close by the island
locked. A locked door can be bashed open with a suc- with his ferry, his reaction to Rasp and the monster·s
cessful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. or smashed reaction to him- is up to you.
through (AC 15, 18 hit points, immunity to poison and
psychic damage). 2. COURTYARD GARDENS
MAKING AN ENTRANCE
An archway in the fortress's outer wall provides access to
The ground floor of the hermitage can be entered in a
a large courtyard. now filled with vegetable gardens and
number of ways, including through the main doors (be-
a small orchard of stunted apple trees. Stairs to the east
tween area 2 and area 4). and through the back doors
and west lead up to walkways overlooking the yard. To
into the hermit cells (area 11) and the kitchen (area 12).
Some of these doors have been secured against another the southwest, the base of the bell tower is obscured by
assault by the drowned ones, and must be forced open. thick growths of vines, which also shroud the west stairs.
See each area's description for details. A set of double doors stands along the front of the her-
There are no windows on the first floor of the fortress,
mitage on the far side of the garden, and appears to be
but a hole in the north wall of the midden (area 5) allows
the only way inside.
access for a Small or smaller creature.
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Characters can enter the hermitage on the second
level through the door of the guard tower (area 21), If the characters have not already visited area 3. add:
or by climbing the walls and forcing open one of the
second-story windows. Climbing the hermitage walls
requires a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. Along the eastern side of the courtyard, the wall of the
and opening a window requires a successful DC 10 fortress once abutted the larger of the island's rocky hills.
Strength (Athletics) check. But that hillside has since been hewn away to create a

passage rounding the corner of the hermitage.
I SLAND APPROACH AND F IRST FLOOR 1
The ground floor of the hermitage is the main living
The vines at the base of the bell tower (area 15) are
area for the residents of the island. and was the initial
site of the drowned ones' attack. The following locations four assassin vines (see appendix C). Brought to the is-
are identified on map 7.2. land by a druid named Tallos (one of those killed by the

l I t \1,.1 ER 7 I J'AM~tl RA! I S Fl\Tf