Page 99 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

PLAC ING THE ADVENTURE
THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER
Abbey Isle offers a perfect adventure site to place just off-
shore from a coastal location or a short voyage away from The lighthouse where the characters begin the adven-
seaside locales. Here are some suggestions for placing it ture is manned by a retired officer named Major Ursa.
in a few classic D&D settings. The major (LG male human veteran) is a huge, bar-
Eberron. On Khorvaire the isle is located on the north rel-chested man with a bright red beard and a circlet of
coast of Karrnath. The local mariners are keen to have a thin red-gray hair on his balding head. His usual garb
bastion against Lhazaar pirates, but the gold they offer is a gaudy red and yellow kilt with his warbammer and
comes, indirectly and deniably, from the coffers of King dagger hanging from a broad leather belt.
Kaius. The king is keen to rid his land of the influence The major now lives, and enjoys, the solitary life of
of the Blood of Vol. Destruction of the cult on the island a lighthouse keeper. He is a respected member of the
certainly draws the attention of the Crimson Covenant and
perhaps even Erandis d'Vol herself. Entanglement with the mariners' guild. If the major is attacked by the party,
Order of the Emerald Claw will surely follow. the local citizenry rallies to his defense. The mariners'
Forgotten Realms. Abbey Isle lies off the west coast of guild quickly places a bounty on the party, and the ad-
the Dragon Reach, and a mariners' guild from the Daie- venturers become bunted criminals. The major does
i ands would like to control the island to help them defend not have the guild's reward money or anything of value
against raiders from Pirate Isle in the Sea of Fallen Stars. A (other than food, drink, and nautical equipment) at the
cult devoted to Shar, an isolated remnant of the Netherese lighthouse.
occupation, has lived on the island for some time. If the
cult is routed from the island, the characters might gain ROLEPLAYING MAJOR URSA
unwanted attention from what remains of Netheril.
Mystara. The Minrothad Guilds are always interested in Major Ursa is not a mercenary and will not sponta-
consolidating their power on the sea and would be glad to neously join the party. He accompanies the characters
wrest control of the island away from the cult that holds it. only if they have made at least one attempt to land on the
Due to interference from the Thieves' Guild, the scholars island. He remains on their boat. refusing to take part in
of North Isle have had little luck convincing the guilds to combat but willing to observe and offer advice.
help. As a result, they have hired mercenaries to remove
the threat on the Abbey Isle, located between North Isle WHAT HE KNOWS
and Fire Island. The cult could be followers of Alphaks, Major Ursa. as a member of the mariners' guild, is in-
inspiring Thyatian privateers to set out from Terentias and
brave Minrothad territory to wipe out the renegade cult. vested in the party's success. He offers the following
information freely:
The characters explore the island, dealing with horri- "The only safe place to get ashore on the reef-ringed,
fying undead, surviving clergy, brutal mercenaries, and rocky little island is a large sandy beach known as the
living constructs in trapped tunnels. Once they have Skull Dunes. The dunes are full of undead, because
cleared the isle, they can return to the mariners' guild the clerics of the abbey created an army of skeletons
headquarters and collect the reward from Guildmas- to guard the beach. The skeletons lie under the sand
ter Tabeth. and attack anyone who comes near."
• "The pirates got ashore somehow. There's probably a
path through the undead. but finding it's the problem.
TRAVELING TO THE ISLE
We didn't catch up with the pirates till after they'd left
The actual jumping-off point for the mission is an is- the island. They'd taken as good as they gave. They
land located up the coast. Getting there in the rowboat were a miserable, sorry lot when we attacked and
takes about six hours. This island has a lighthouse that routed what was left of them. One shipload escaped,
the cha.acters can use as a safe place when they want but we sank the others. The sea and the sharks got
to rest. reequip, or regroup. Abbey Isle is another two the survivors, so we never got a firsthand account of
hours beyond the lighthouse. what happened on the island or of how the pirates got
through the dunes."

ABOUT THE ORIGINAL
"Isle of the Abbey" was designer himself to using only monsters
Randy Maxwell's contribution to found in the rulebook he started
l 992's Dungeon 34. with. The result is a scenario
In designing this adventure, Max- that shows how restraints breed
well reached back to his early days creativity. ISLE OF THE
as a Dungeon Master, restricting ABBEY

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