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Ghosts of Saltmarsh

AdventureGoS2014

Contents

  1. 1Introduction
  2. 2Chapter 1: Saltmarsh
  3. 3Chapter 2: The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
  4. 4Chapter 3: Danger at Dunwater
  5. 5Chapter 4: Salvage Operation
  6. 6Chapter 5: Isle of the Abbey
  7. 7Chapter 6: The Final Enemy
  8. 8Chapter 7: Tammeraut's Fate
  9. 9Chapter 8: The Styes
  10. 10Appendix A: Of Ships and the Sea
  11. 11Appendix B: Magic Items
  12. 12Appendix C: Monsters and NPCs
  13. 13Credits
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Chapter 7: Tammeraut's Fate

Five years ago, a hermitage devoted to the contemplation of nature was established in an abandoned island fortress, once the site of a beacon meant to warn against invasion from the sea. The folk of the hermitage opened the island to people of all faiths, promising a place for those seeking solitude and peace. But that peace has now been shattered, and the characters must determine what force of evil has slain the residents of Firewatch Island almost to the last—and how to prevent the even greater tragedy to come.

Tammeraut's Fate is an adventure designed for four to six 9th-level characters.

Background

Several years ago, a fearsome pirate named Syrgaul sailed the sea aboard his war galley, Tammeraut. Syrgaul and his crew showed no mercy to those who crossed their path, killing the crews of those ships that fell prey to him.

Syrgaul was a mighty sorcerer, and his crew was bloodthirsty and skilled in both sailing and killing. Worse still, Syrgaul claimed allegiance to Orcus, the demon lord of the undead.

Orcus did indeed seem to favor Syrgaul, who often benefited from strong winds in his sails and swirling currents that prevented his prey from escaping. In return, the pirate captain made sacrifices to the demon lord.

Syrgaul eventually met his end just over ten years ago. As he and his crew approached a naval post called Firewatch Island to plunder it, a priest garrisoned at the outpost implored the sea god, Procan, for mercy. Whether because of luck or because the cleric's prayers were answered, a sudden storm swept through the area, capsizing Tammeraut and sending the ship to the bottom of the sea.

Tammeraut's Secret

The sinking of Tammeraut did not spell the end for Syrgaul and his band of pirates. As his ship plunged into the sea, he called out to his fiendish patron. Orcus heeded his call and imbued Syrgaul and his crew with undeath, the twisted form of immortality he offers his followers.

The pirates, now fully under Orcus's thrall, emerged from the wreckage and marched across the seabed to Firewatch Island. They overran the garrison and carried the remains back to their wrecked ship. There, with Orcus's instruction, they began the laborious process of opening the Pit of Hatred, a rift to the Abyss that can transform corpses into drowned ones.

Death in the Night

After the raid by Syrgaul's undead minions, the garrison at Firewatch Island remained empty for several years. The undead were careful to leave behind no sign of their presence, such that the next ship to drop anchor there found the place abandoned, its defenders seemingly vanished. The place was considered cursed for some time thereafter and remained abandoned until five years ago.

At that time, a minor order of monks, hermits, and contemplatives moved in and claimed the island as their home. The old garrison fort has been repaired and rebuilt as a place of peaceful living.

Unfortunately for the island's latest residents, their peaceful reverie has been ruined. Syrgaul's crew has finally completed the work of preparing the Pit of Hatred. Now, they need humanoid corpses to feed into the pit and spawn more drowned ones like themselves. The hermits of Firewatch Island make the perfect first recruits.

Adventure Summary

The adventure begins with the characters traveling along the coast and arriving in the nearby village of Uskarn, they learn that the villagers are concerned about the hermitage that stands on an island in the adjacent bay. The village druid, Vortanim, asks the characters to investigate and make sure the hermitage is safe.

When they arrive at Firewatch Island, the characters discover a grisly scene. Evidence of a fatal battle and the presence of dangerous scavengers gives little hope of finding anyone alive. But when a handful of survivors are discovered hidden in a bolt-hole, the characters learn about the dark fate of the hermitage and its people. More important, they come to understand that after the drowned ones have finished hunting the last residents of Firewatch Island, the undead will turn their attention to the settlements of the coast—becoming an unstoppable army of undead.

As darkness falls, the drowned ones that attacked the hermitage the previous night return to finish the job. The characters must defend themselves and the survivors, using the assault as an opportunity to destroy the drowned ones before their threat can spread. After doing so, the characters learn of the island's history and how it connects to the undead attacks. They then have a chance to destroy the underwater source of evil—the twisted undead captain Syrgaul. Seeking the undead in his watery lair, they discover the damaged magical seal that once kept the portal inside the Pit of Hatred closed. Only by resealing the rift can they end its corruption for good.

Adventure Hooks

You can use this adventure at any point in your campaign when the characters are traveling on a remote coastal road. You might have them drawn into the mystery by chance, trusting the players to want to explore the devastated hermitage, rescue the survivors, and learn what happened. Alternatively, consider either of the following hooks to get the characters to the hermitage.

Delayed Delivery

While visiting a town along the coast near Firewatch Island, the party received a seemingly easy mission: to deliver a message to a town farther down the coast. Doing so takes the characters through the village of Uskarn where they learn that something is wrong on Firewatch Island. The mission they are on is not time-sensitive, leaving the characters a free day or two to investigate. The contents of the message and the NPC who gave them the mission can be designed to fit your campaign.

Morley's Debt

In a settlement somewhere close to Uskarn, a merchant named Davus Raal (LN male half-elf noble) contacts the party with an offer of employment. Raal offers a bounty if the characters can track down Morley Tobe, a dwarf who absconded after failing to repay a 8,000 gp debt owed to Raal. The merchant found out that Morley fled to Firewatch Island (where he's hiding in x) and is posing as a pious hermit to dodge his debts. Raal hires the characters to reclaim the money he is owed or, failing that, to bring Morley to him (after which the dwarf will be sold to pirates to recoup Raal's losses). If they take the job, Raal tells them how to get to Uskarn, which is the closest mainland community to the island.

Harpy Attack

Regardless of what brings the characters to the area, the adventure begins with a chance encounter as they travel along the coast near the village of Uskarn.

The sobbing woman is actually a harpy matriarch (see appendix C), which has used its magic to disguise itself as a middle-aged human female. The eight harpies that serve the matriarch circle above. Any character who makes a successful DC 17 Wisdom (Insight) check sees through her ruse and realizes she is not human.

If the characters approach to assist the woman or attack the harpies, they witness the harpy matriarch's transformation:

The harpies and their matriarch attack the characters in the hope of claiming another easy meal.

Unfortunate Swimmer

The corpse on the beach was once an older human male, with a scraggly gray beard and short gray hair balding at the crown. His left ear is missing, though it is obviously an old wound. He wears only a pair of homespun, water-soaked breeches, and his skin is wrinkled from having spent time in the water. A character who succeeds on a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check determines that the man died of exhaustion.

This was Philpert, a member of the Firewatch Island hermitage who escaped the drowned ones' attack by swimming three miles of open sea. Sadly, his exhausted body gave out just a short distance from land, and his corpse washed up on the beach with the next tide.

If speak with dead is used to communicate with the body, it initially produces incoherent rambling about terror in the dark and the sea being the only escape. A careful questioner might be able to extract further information depending on the questions asked.

In his former life, Philpert spent much of his time slumming in the village of Uskarn, living off the charity of its citizens. Joining the Firewatch Island hermitage allowed him to finally find peace. But the horror of the drowned ones' attack shattered his sanity, so that at best he can recount only that the attackers came from the sea, were humanoid in appearance, and had glowing eyes and rotting flesh.

The Village of Uskarn

Uskarn is a small fishing village of nine hundred souls. Though the place is primarily a human settlement, a handful of elves, dwarves, and gnomes have also made their homes here.

Most of Uskarn's inhabitants earn a living fishing in the shallows of the adjacent bay or venturing farther out to sea if they're after more impressive catches. The village boasts an unusually large port for its size, used both for its own fishing boats and for the trading vessels and naval ships that frequently stop here on their way through the area.

Staying in Uskarn

An extended stay in the village isn't required to complete this adventure, but the characters are likely to visit—if only to secure passage to Firewatch Island by way of the small ferry that runs from the village.

Characters who do spend time in the village might be drawn to the popular tavern known as the Fog and Frog, a large warehouse converted into a drinking establishment with a dozen modest rooms to rent in the back. The tavern is run by council member Skeldruff Plenk, who brews a much-lauded lager called Plenk's Plenk.

If the characters ask about Philpert in Uskarn, the villagers know him by description. Anyone can tell the characters about Philpert's history in the village, and most residents know he had been living at the Firewatch Island hermitage for the past several months. The people of Uskarn are understandably concerned if one of the peaceful hermits of the island has turned up dead. Though they have no money to offer as incentive, the villagers are quick to ask the characters to check on the hermitage to make sure everything is all right.

If the characters spend any time in Uskarn other than the minimum required to use it as a jumping-off point for the adventure, the following details about prominent people and other background information might come in handy.

Uskarn Council

A village council of six respected merchants guides general policy for Uskarn. The council consists of the following members:

  • Vortanim (NG male human druid), an elderly and good-natured sage and bookseller
  • Bellis Bellweather (CG female halfling commoner), a bright-spirited cheese shop owner
  • Mirria Delvane (N female human guard), a retired soldier turned blacksmith
  • Valissia Arrowen (CN female elf spy), an elf guide and scout who runs a fur and leather shop
  • Skeldruff Plenk (LN male gnome commoner), a beer maker and proprietor of the Fog and Frog tavern
  • Marius Golpin (NE male human thug), the unscrupulous owner of a general store

Law and Order

Although the council steers the village's economy, the true power in Uskarn lies in the hands of Feldrin Kane (LN male human knight), an intimidating bailiff who ensures that the independent-minded natives don't stray too far from his own vision of good government. His taciturn agent Merrick (N male halfling veteran) commands a small force of deputies and officers who maintain order in the village, and who look poorly on foreign troublemakers. Visitors are likely to receive a visit from Merrick or one of his officers soon after arriving, the official offering a cool welcome along with questions about their business in town and intended length of stay.

Intrigue

Though the village is small and unassuming overall, it's also the site of a smuggling operation run out of Uskarn's large port district. Several of Merrick's deputies are in the pocket of Griff Talsin (CE male human bandit captain), ostensibly a maritime merchant who trades in fine cloth and dry goods. Talsin is actually a black-hearted privateer who gets most of his wares from illegal raids against coastal villages across the bay. Any trouble with Talsin attracts the attention of his more powerful pirate allies, which could lead to or connect with further adventures.

Firewatch Island

Firewatch Island is a small island set between a populous peninsula and the mouth of a broad river. Its only feature of note is the hermitage built on the site of the abandoned ruin of its old fortress.

The tiny island, 800 feet long by 400 feet wide, is a mixture of scrubby woodland and rocky hills. Three stony peaks rise above the grass and shrubs. The tallest stands more than 400 feet high along the southern coast of the island, while the other two are 300 and 100 feet high respectively.

Aside from the hermits, the island is normally home to only vermin, rats, a variety of noisy birds, and various tide pool creatures. But now the stink of corpses in area 14 has drawn additional scavengers from the surrounding waters and the mainland—including a dangerous monster.

Look Out Above

Chief among the creatures drawn to the scent of death on the island is a monstrous peryton (see appendix C) known as Rasp. This creature has long hunted across the region, searching for fishing boats or passenger ships to attack. The locals watch for and fear Rasp, and they know that it has several lairs along the coast. None who have tried to hunt the creature have returned.

The peryton makes frequent passes over the island nowadays, hoping to spot survivors of the recent attack that it can devour. If the characters arrive by day, Rasp welcomes them with its claws and beak. It is smart enough to not fight to the death, though, and it leaves the island to return to one of its mainland lairs if reduced to half its hit points or fewer.

If Rasp reduces a character to 0 hit points, it attempts to pick the character up and fly back to its newly claimed lair in x.

Rasp's recent predations have prompted other creatures on the island to stay out of sight. The native fauna do not wander freely, nor do the remaining residents.

Traveling to Firewatch Island

A small keelboat makes the three-mile journey south from Uskarn to Firewatch Island at first light each day, delivering supplies and bringing passengers back and forth from the hermitage. A one-way trip costs 5 sp. The ferry is mastered by Ulder Raserhill (LN male half-orc commoner), a short-tempered individual who begrudges his fate as a backwater sailor. If the characters request him to wait for them (or if he thinks the characters are rich), he asks for an extra payment of as much as 50 gp.

To give the characters a way to explore on their own or to leave the island independently, the Uskarn council arranges for their use of a large rowboat, which Underhill tows to the island when he transports his passengers.

If the characters have their own ship it's easy for them to reach Firewatch Island. Keep in mind that having access to their own ship makes escaping the island easy, but if the characters flee, then they might have no way of tracking the undead back to the Pit of Hatred.

Characters who make their own way to the island can start the adventure by landing at any point along its shore. If they use the ferry, Raserhill puts in only at the pier near the hermitage on the north shore of the island. He drops off his passengers and the rowboat, then promptly heads back to the mainland.

End of The Journey

In good weather, the journey to Firewatch Island takes an hour. As the characters approach, they can hear the faint sound of a large bell being rung, seemingly coming from the island. But the sound fades quickly and is not heard again. (One of the survivors at the hermitage rang the bell when he saw the characters' vessel approaching, but he was waylaid thereafter; see x for more information.)

When the characters come within sight of the island, read:

If the characters approach the pier that serves the hermitage, see x for more information.

The Hermitage

The fortress on Firewatch Island was hastily built when first established, and the residents of the garrison were still working on it when they disappeared. The folk of the hermitage have since completed and renovated the place in their own way, compromising some of the site's defensive capabilities in the process.

General Features

Unless otherwise noted, the walls of the hermitage are made of mortared masonry. The interior ceilings are 10 feet high, and the floors are paved with flagstones. The roof is covered in slate tiles except in places where those tiles have fallen or broken, and those areas have been subsequently repaired and replaced with thatch.

The wooden doors in the hermitage are usually unlocked. A locked door can be bashed open with a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check, or smashed through (AC 15, 18 hit points, immunity to poison and psychic damage).

Making an Entrance

The ground floor of the hermitage can be entered in a number of ways, including through the main doors (between area 2 and area 4), and through the back doors into the hermit cells (x) and the kitchen (x). Some of these doors have been secured against another assault by the drowned ones, and must be forced open. See each area's description for details.

There are no windows on the first floor of the fortress, but a hole in the north wall of the midden (x) allows access for a Small or smaller creature.

Characters can enter the hermitage on the second level through the door of the guard tower (x), 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, and opening a window requires a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check.

Island Approach and First Floor

The ground floor of the hermitage is the main living area for the residents of the island, and was the initial site of the drowned ones' attack. The following locations are identified on map 7.2.

1. Pier and Beach

If the characters took the ferry to the island, Raserhill quickly offloads a shipment of dried beans and apples, several barrels of water, and a few crates of other supplies before he casts off and returns to Uskarn. If he has any concerns about not being met by folk from the hermitage, he makes no sign that he cares. Unless the characters have made other arrangements, the ferry returns shortly after sunrise the next day.

A character who makes a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check notices humanoid tracks leading from the waterline to the hermitage. A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Survival) check also notes distinct tracks returning to the waterline (the trail left by the drowned ones as they departed the island).

Within a few minutes of arriving on the island, the characters are attacked by the monstrous peryton, Rasp. See the "x" section for more information.

If Raserhill has been paid to stay close by the island with his ferry, his reaction to Rasp—and the monster's reaction to him—is up to you.

2. Courtyard Gardens

If the characters have not already visited area 3, add:

The vines at the base of the bell tower (x) are four assassin vines (see appendix C). Brought to the island by a druid named Tallos (one of those killed by the drowned ones), the vines are rooted in large clay pots. Tallos grew the vines for their fruit, which he fermented into a unique wine. The other residents knew to give a wide berth to the vines, which attack anyone (except the now-dead druid) that comes within their reach. Anyone who ascends the west stairs is in reach of the vines' attacks.

Outer Wall

The wall surrounding the courtyard is 15 feet high and has a 3-foot-wide walkway along its top, accessed by the stairs to the east and west. The wall has no parapets and provides no cover to those atop it. A pile of gardening tools lies at the base of the east stairs, next to wooden buckets used to carry water from the cistern in area 3 to the garden.

Barricaded Doors

Any close inspection of the double doors leading into the hermitage reveals that they were recently broken open and have been jammed shut again. The doors were smashed by the drowned ones, but the survivors of the attack have repaired and barred them with broken planking from the dining hall. The doors can be forced open with a successful DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check.

3. Yard and Cistern

If the characters have not already visited area 2, add:

When the fortress was abandoned, the garrison soldiers were in the process of enclosing this yard behind a 3-foot-wide, 15-foot-high wall identical to the one protecting the courtyard (x). The unfinished wall stands 3 feet high.

Two sea hags were drawn to the island during the recent attack, when they heard the screams of the victims of the drowned ones. While prowling around the hermitage with an invisible stalker they summoned, the hags spotted the characters approaching and have hidden in the scrub nearest the wall.

The hags can be noticed only by a creature who succeeds on a DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check. The invisible stalker is in the cistern and cannot normally be seen. If anyone spots any of the three monsters or moves within 5 feet of the cistern's edge, these creatures attack.

The hags try to flee into the sea if the stalker is slain.

Development

If the hags are captured, they provide detailed accounts of the assault on the island, and cackle in delight when speaking of the drowned ones. The hags have lived in the area for years, and they witnessed the first drowned one attack ten years before. They refer to the drowned ones as "walkers," because the creatures plod along the floor of the bay, never swimming. They did not see the shipwreck during the storm, and know only the that the walkers came from the general direction of the Pit of Hatred. They eagerly give the characters directions to the rift, trading predictions of party members' deaths all the while.

Cistern

The central cistern is 7 feet deep, lined with flagstones, and has a lip 1 foot wide and 1 foot high. It collects rainwater for drinking and washing, but the hermits often augment that supply with barrels of fresh water shipped in from the mainland. Recent rains have filled the cistern to capacity.

Treasure

Since their arrival on the island, the hags were able to enter the hermit cells (x) to gather some treasure, but they haven't yet advanced past the barricaded door in that area. The loot now lies hidden in silt at the bottom of the cistern. A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check while looking in the cistern spots something beneath the muck.

Anyone who swims to the bottom can recover a leather sack containing 125 gp, a gold paperweight in the shape of a tortoise (100 gp), a silver candelabra stamped with the symbol of the sea god Procan (50 gp), and two potions of greater healing.

4. Main Entry

If the characters enter the hermitage through this area, they must break through the barricaded doors with a successful DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check. Adjust the read-aloud text accordingly.

When the drowned ones assaulted the hermitage, they broke down the main doors here and caught its residents by surprise. The arrow slits are 3 feet above the floor and 6 inches wide; the area beyond cannot be seen because of the spiderwebs. The hermits' patchwork is of poor quality, and the bricked-up arrow slits can be smashed through with a successful DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check.

A character who makes a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check notices numerous humanoid tracks in the blood and dirt streaking the floor. With a successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Survival) check, a character discerns more than a dozen individual sets of tracks, some of which are outlined by a thick crust of salt.

5. Midden

The inhabitants of the hermitage use this room as a dump and privy, dropping their refuse through the trapdoor above. They bricked over the arrow slits and the door to contain the smell. A hole in the north wall allows creatures of Small size or smaller to come and go freely.

Five giant rats slither and skitter through the pile of waste. They instinctively attack any intruders.

Ladder

A rung at the top of the ladder has rotted, and it breaks if more than 50 pounds of weight are placed on it. A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the weak rung. Any character who breaks the rung while climbing falls 10 feet and has a 50 chance of landing in the waste pile.

Pile of Waste

Any character who makes substantial contact with the pile of waste (searching through it, falling into it, and so forth) must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or contract sewer plague. See "Diseases" in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.

Treasure

A character who searches the waste pile discovers a brooch of shielding dropped here years ago.

6. Archer's Post

This room can make a defensible hideout later in the adventure when the drowned ones return.

7. Scullery

This area was once a gallery, but the hermitage residents have turned it into a scullery. The tub formerly served as the oil receptacle for the beacon in the tower above (see area 24), but it now holds dirty water and shattered crockery. The wooden frame is a drying rack for laundry. Behind the tub sits a bucket of lye with a copper scoop, and several pumice stones for scrubbing.

The drowned ones killed several hermits here, then hauled the bodies to x. The door from this area to area 11 has since been barricaded from this side.

A character who studies the blood spatters in the room and succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check determines that several people were recently slain here—including one who was drowned in the tub. The blood spatters on the floor are a day old at most. The character also notices a few more recent tracks, suggesting that at least one person survived the onslaught. It's not clear in which direction the survivor fled.

Bricked-Up Door

Characters who pass along the hallway between this area and x can see that a doorway in the north wall has been bricked over. The sloppy brickwork can be smashed through with a successful DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check.

Treasure

One of the hermits owned a well-made set of false teeth carved of elephant ivory. These teeth, worth 150 gp, can be found by anyone who searches the tub, where they ended up after their prior owner was drowned by an undead attacker.

8. Dining Hall

The great hall of the fortress once served as a defensive position as well as a gathering place.

Windows

The east windows open to the outside and allow light into the hall during the day. The west windows allowed archers on the second level to fire down on any intruders in this area.

Hermit Alterations

The hermits have made several structural alterations to the hall, including widening arrow slits in the guard tower and the entry hall balcony to create doorways on the second level. They then built the crude wooden balcony to connect the upper floor of the watchtower with the inside of the main building.

The balcony's construction is shabby, and the wooden poles that precariously support it look unsafe. It can support up to 200 pounds of weight before collapsing. Anyone on the balcony when it collapses falls 20 feet to the floor below, taking normal falling damage.

Smashed Table

Two of the hermits were enjoying a late repast here when the drowned ones attacked. They went to x to investigate sounds of a scuffle and were slain there. The survivors of the assault later broke up the table and benches so they the pieces could be to bar the entrances to the hermitage.

9. Library

This chamber once served as a chapel devoted to the god of the sea for the members of the fortress garrison. It was here that Oloran, the chaplain of the fortress, prayed to Procan for divine intervention against the approaching Tammeraut. The residents of the hermitage, who generally espouse no particular religion, have converted the chamber into a library. Any character who has an appropriate background or who succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (History or Religion) check recognizes that the carpet depicts the symbol of Procan, the sea god.

Books

A few of the works on the shelves deal with the worship of the sea god and date back to the original garrison, but most are later acquisitions brought by the hermits. By and large, these tomes deal with common philosophical quandaries and the passive contemplation of nature. The books are old and impressive-looking but have no monetary value.

If the characters search the library, one of them discovers a handwritten poem scrawled into the open cover of a book. The fragment was composed by Oloran, the chaplain of the garrison, the morning after Tammeraut sank. It was intended as a paean to Procan, also known as the Storm Lord, and a warning to the god's foes.

The beginning of the verse will look familiar to characters who visit the belfry (x). See that area for more information.

A character who succeeds on a DC 18 Intelligence (History) check recognizes "Tammeraut" as a family name, and recalls that it was a noble clan that faded from history years ago.

Treasure

Lying atop the bookshelf are four spell scrolls: gust of wind, speak with animals, speak with plants, and control water. These were created by Tallos the druid, who misplaced them here and forgot about them.

10. Distillery

Although this area is on the first level, it is accessible only from outside and through the trapdoor in area 21 on the second level.

This space beneath the watchtower of x was once a holding cell for prisoners. Tallos the druid converted the space into a distillery. Berries harvested from his assassin vines were brought here for fermentation, and the tubing and vats make up a functioning distillery.

Casks

The four casks hold a rotgut vintage of Tallos's assassin-berry wine. Anyone who drinks this concoction must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1d4 hours. The saving throw to overcome the wine's nauseating effects can be repeated every 15 minutes.

11. Hermit Cells

The door into this area from outside is damaged and opens freely. The door into x is barricaded from the opposite side. It can be forced open with a successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check.

The drowned ones' main assault on the hermitage took place here. Most of the residents were sleeping in their cells and died in the first minutes of the attack. The hermitage's only real hope of fighting off the invaders, the druid Tallos, died in his cot. All the bodies were dragged away by the drowned ones, after which the sea hags found in x did some looting here.

Rats attracted by the slaughter are skulking in this room. Because the drowned ones removed the corpses, the rat swarms have found little to eat. They stream from beneath broken furniture and from behind partitions and curtains to attack anyone entering the room.

Every round, three swarms of rats appear in one of the cells (your choice) and pour out to devour the characters. A total of twelve swarms can appear in this way.

Treasure

The partition walls of one cell (Tallos's) are held up by a pole containing a hollowed-out hidden space within, which can be found with a successful DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The disturbed druid was more than a little dependent on his assassin-berry wine (see x), and hid two flasks of the stuff inside the pole. The cache also contains a charm of plant command (see appendix B) and a set of bronzed orc teeth strung as a necklace (no monetary value).

12. Kitchen

The door into this area from outside is barricaded from within the room. It can be forced open with a successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check.

The kettle contains cold vegetable soup, and the bread is growing stale.

Locked Door

The west door is locked from the other side, but can be opened with a successful DC 14 Dexterity check using thieves' tools.

Treasure

A character who searches the kitchen and succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check discovers a flask of oil of slipperiness hidden in a cupboard.

13. Larder

This larder once held enough provisions to feed two dozen people for three days.

Ruined Map

Any search of the larder turns up a single piece of damp, crumpled parchment showing barely legible lines and writing. This is a map dropped here by one of the drowned ones that ransacked this area, formerly a navigator on Tammeraut. (See x for more information about what happened here.)

The map shows Firewatch Island and the nearby coast, and has diagrams that convey the invaders' original plans for using the island as a staging ground for a full-on assault against the mainland. Though the sailors' map was waterproofed, long years in the depths have made it all but illegible, and it takes a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check to understand its markings.

Secret Door

A character who searches the larder and succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check notices that the back slats of the potato bin are built into the brick of the hearth's rear face. These slats can be removed to reveal a hollow behind the kitchen fireplace.

A ladder within leads down to a secret cellar (x), where the survivors of the prior attack have hidden. The drowned ones that ransacked the shelves could sense the nearness of the cleric of the sea god, but the undead could not find the entrance to the cellar.

14. Grotto

This partially concealed grotto served as an escape route for the Firewatch Island garrison.

A large mass of corpses is barely visible below the water's surface near the boat. A character must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check or approach within 5 feet of the water to spot the bodies, which are bound together in a fishing net.

The bodies are being stored here by the drowned ones until they can all be transported to the Pit of Hatred, where they will be turned into more undead to swell the ranks of Syrgaul's minions. It is Syrgaul's ultimate plan to create an army of drowned ones that can lay waste to populated coastal areas—which, of course, leads to even more creatures coming under his sway (see "x" for more information).

Three chuuls hide beneath the mass of corpses. These creatures were attracted by blood in the water, and have been feeding idly on the bodies below the surface. They are quick to notice anyone on the shore or entering the water, lunging out to attack.

Boat

The hermits kept a large rowboat in this area for fishing and occasional trips to the mainland. It holds up to eight Medium humanoids and is propelled by oars and a small sail. When the drowned ones arrived, they damaged the boat by smashing its hull with rocks to prevent the hermits from escaping. Anyone approaching can see that the boat is half submerged and that its hull has several holes.

Grim Haul

After slaughtering the hermitage's inhabitants, the drowned ones gathered the corpses into a large fishing net they found in the boat, weighted the net with rocks, and dumped it in the water. After they return by night to search for other survivors, the undead intend to drag their load of corpses back to the Pit of Hatred as a sacrifice to its foul essence.

The thirteen corpses are mostly humans and half-elves, along with one dwarf. All show signs of vicious stabbing and slashing wounds, broken bones, and blunt trauma. The bodies have been dead for about a day and submerged since dawn.

These corpses can be interrogated with a speak with dead spell. None of the dead hermits understands why the hermitage was attacked, but they can provide luridly detailed information about the nature of their undead attackers.

15. Old Storeroom

The door to this area is locked but can be opened with a successful DC 14 Dexterity check using thieves' tools.

This room served as a storeroom for mundane materials for the original garrison but has not seen any use since then. The contents of the barrels and crates mostly consist of ruined linens and brackish water. The containers themselves are rotted and untrustworthy as well.

Green Slime

The hermits discovered deadly green slime in this area shortly after taking over the fortress. Rather than risk exposing themselves to it, they chose to lock the door and throw away the key. A 10-foot-by-10-foot patch of green slime lurks on the ceiling in the western portion of the room. Any character who succeeds on a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the slime before stepping under it. Otherwise, the slime falls on any creature passing below it. See "Dungeon Hazards" in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for information on green slime.

Second Floor

The second level was once a key defensive point for the fortress, but it was put to a different purpose by the hermits. The following locations are identified on map 7.3.

16. Junk Room

Formerly an armory, this room has stored ever-accumulating masses of junk since the hermitage's founding. All kinds of mundane equipment is stored here, most of it having no value. This includes such things as a 1-foot length of hempen rope, a harp with only one string, a single left boot, a bucket with no bottom, and so forth.

Still, a number of items are of potential help in fortifying the hermitage against another attack. These include a 10-pound cask of iron nails, a bent crowbar, three clay planters for the garden, a hammer, a rusty hand saw, a hooded lantern, a few 10-foot lengths of hempen rope, and a stack of firewood.

Treasure

A careful search of this area reveals a case of twelve +2 bolts left behind by the garrison and overlooked by the inhabitants of the hermitage.

17. Battlement

This battlement served as the main point of defense for the fortress's postern entrance from the grotto, allowing the garrison to fire arrows or hurl rocks at invaders. It remains an excellent defensive position.

The door from the open battlement into the corridor that leads to area 18 and the interior of the second level is barricaded from the inside. Breaking through it from outside requires a successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check.

Development

Unless the characters are moving quietly, the three snakes in area 18 detect them and slither through the arrow slits to attack.

18. Scriptorium

This chamber served as the officers' quarters for the original garrison. After the hermits moved in, they converted it to a scriptorium where they compose philosophical tracts, illuminate other texts, or copy manuscripts. Completed works are moved downstairs to the library.

Three giant coral snakes (see appendix C) lurk in this chamber. The snakes originally lived in a cave on the east side of the isle, where they fed on rats. When the rats were drawn to the fortress by the smell of death, the snakes followed, entering this area through the arrow slits. The snakes are currently coiled up in the north section of the room, and emerge to attack anyone who trespasses in their new lair.

19. Defensive Overlook

This area was a key defensive point for protecting the main entrance (x) against incursion. The kettle was once used to boil oil for the murder holes. This chamber is rarely visited by the residents of the hermitage, except to use the trapdoor into x as a dump and a privy.

20. Prior's Quarters

When the fortress was occupied, this area was the quarters of the chaplain Oloran. The leader of the hermitage moved in here after his sect took over the island five years before. Old Prior Borisanth had little interaction with the other residents, due to his having taken a vow of silence. On the night of the attack, he was awakened by the noise and slain by a drowned one as he opened his door. The broken handle of his mace rolled under his cot.

Treasure

The unlocked chest next to the cot contains a selection of threadbare garments and worn sandals. It also holds a religious icon set with fourteen small diamonds (100 gp each), two blocks of amber (50 gp each), and a Quaal's feather token (anchor).

The metal basin on the table holds water, and a bronze straight razor lies next to it. Closer inspection of the basin reveals that it is an upturned helmet bearing images of cavorting dolphins—a helm of underwater action (see appendix B) whose magic went undetected by Borisanth and the other hermits.

21. Guard Tower

The door into the tower is barricaded shut from the inside. Forcing it open requires a successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check.

The smell comes from the distillery in x below.

Upper Levels and Cellar

The belfry tower rises above the main levels of the hermitage, and a secret cellar below the kitchen has become a refuge for the survivors of the undead assault. The following locations are identified on map 7.4.

22. Abandoned Quarters

Archais, the wizard of the old Firewatch Island garrison, once resided in this chamber. It was he who first gave the warning of the approaching Tammeraut, resulting in Oloran's desperate prayer to Procan and the ship's resulting demise. The wizard's gull familiar spied the ship at sea and brought word back to him. Archais was slain with the rest of the garrison during the drowned ones' initial attack.

The weathering of storms and the salty air has eroded the mortar in part of the wall, causing the collapse. The room is still secure, but the hermits deemed this area uninhabitable due to the damage.

The pile of rubble in the southwest corner conceals a secret compartment in part of the surviving wall, just south of the west arrow slit. A character who succeeds on a DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check while searching the room discovers the compartment. If the characters clear the rubble, they automatically find the compartment.

Treasure

One of Archais's hobbies was the underwater exploration of sunken ships, and this compartment contains some of the items he used in that pursuit: a ring of free action, three ounces of oil of slipperiness, three ounces of sovereign glue, three potions of water breathing, an immovable rod, a folding boat, a bag of holding containing several fishing nets and 500 feet of weighted hempen rope, a small metal baton the size of a torch with continual flame cast on it, and a small metal container holding six pressure capsules (see appendix B).

The compartment also contains a leather backpack where Archais kept his spellbook and his journal. His spellbook is long lost, but the journal remains inside.

Archais's journal relates his numerous assignments and duty stations while a member of the military. It also includes notes about the different sunken ships he has explored in the surrounding bay and its tributary rivers. The final entry on this list gives the location of the sunken Tammeraut.

Most of the journal is moldy and illegible. The last few pages are intact, and they relate the events surrounding the coming of Tammeraut:

A character who succeeds on a DC 16 Intelligence (History) check connects the journal's reference to "raiders" to the pirate captain Syrgaul, a notorious sorcerer who forged an unholy pact with the demon lord Orcus. He and his crew never left survivors of their attacks, and his ship, Tammeraut, was the scourge of the seas.

23. Roof

The slate tiles are strong enough to support the weight of a Large creature, but the scattered areas of thatch can support only Small creatures. A Medium or larger creature that attempts to cross a portion of the thatched roof must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall through into the area below.

24. Belfry

The belfry was originally Firewatch Island's signal beacon. The depression in the floor once held the large oil receptacle that fueled the beacon (this now sits in x). The metal framework extended above this receptacle and held the lenses that focused the light of the beacon's flame. The hermitage disassembled the beacon and installed the bell for sounding at mealtime and to signal the start of meditation sessions.

Aaron's Last Message

A surviving hermit named Aaron spotted the characters approaching the island and ran here to ring the bell and call for aid. Unfortunately for him, the ringing bell attracted Rasp back to the belfry. Aaron saw the monster's approach and quickly scrawled his message on the floor before attempting to flee back downstairs, but he wasn't quick enough. It is his body that now adorns the center of the room.

Rasp, the monstrous peryton (see appendix C), has established a temporary lair in the belfry while it scours the island to feed. The creature is present here only if the characters have not already faced it, or if it is feeding on one of the party members after besting that character in combat (see "x").

25. Bolt-Hole

The builders of the fortress created this hidden cellar as a refuge. Only the officers, the chaplain, and the resident wizard knew of its existence. The crevice served as both an arrow slit and as a method for those with access to spells such as gaseous form to escape the room.

Survivors

The three surviving residents of the hermitage have taken refuge in this chamber:

  • Janore Stormswake (priest), a human female cleric of Procan
  • Barret Gloffrin (commoner), a very ill male human
  • Morley Tobe (commoner), a slightly ill and heavily indebted male dwarf (see the "x" adventure hook)

All three survivors have been traumatized by the recent attacks, which were unknowingly triggered by Janore Stormswake's arrival at the hermitage.

A fourth hermit, Aaron Kelderman, also survived the initial undead attack, but he was recently slain by Rasp in the belfry (see x). Since Aaron has not returned after leaving to scout the island, the other survivors have been too terrified to leave this room.

Sickness in the Bolt-Hole

The hermits initially remained hidden for fear that the silence above was a ploy by the lurking undead to draw them from their hiding place. But it quickly became obvious that the wounds Morley and Barret suffered have caused a horrible disease.

Both Barret and Morley have contracted the disease called bluerot from the drowned ones (see appendix C). Barret is very ill and has lost 4 points of Constitution and Charisma from the disease. Unless he is cured, one hour after the characters discover him, Barret must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 18 (4d8) necrotic damage. A failed save likely kills him.

Morley fared better and has lost only 1 point of Constitution and Charisma. He must make his first DC 12 Constitution saving throw against the disease in roughly 20 hours. This means that he is alive for the drowned ones' second assault.

Treasure

The dead chaplain wears a +1 breastplate.

Development

All three of the survivors are in shock from their recent ordeal, and they are desperate to escape the island. Unfortunately, Barret is in no condition to travel. Janore Stormswake can give the most detailed account of recent events, but she asks first if the characters have seen Aaron. She can recount how he slipped out from the bolt-hole to see if the fortress was safe, but never returned. If the characters haven't already discovered Aaron's body, Janore tells of having heard the bell ringing, then silence.

Survivors' Tale

Janore relates that she was reading in the library when a sudden premonition of danger came to her from her god, Procan. She heard whispers in her mind that led her to this place, and her intuition told her that the skeleton found here was the remains of a fellow priest of Procan. (The skeleton is indeed the remains of the priest whose plea for help led to the sinking of Tammeraut.)

Acting quickly, she found Aaron in the kitchen and grabbed him just as he heard the dormitory door splintering. Morley and Barrett staggered into the larder soon after, wounded and in need of help. Janore says she dragged them inside and was about to seal the entrance when the larder door banged open:

By peering through the crevice to the south, the survivors witnessed the undead gathering the slain residents into nets. The monsters walked back into the sea, dragging several of the nets behind them. More than a dozen corpses remain to be salvaged from the grotto, waiting for the undead to return.

At dawn, Aaron went up and out to search for survivors. Finding none, he remained outside to keep watch for passing ships. He planned on ringing the bell to draw their attention. In the meantime, he tried to fortify the place as well as he could.

Having witnessed the undead at their work, the survivors are convinced they will be back—perhaps as early as tonight, after the sun sets.

Drowned Ones' Threat

If the characters haven't identified the ruined map found in x, Janore can confirm that it shows Firewatch Island, the local coastline, nearby settlements, and the invaders' plans for an assault against those settlements. If the characters haven't already done so, she guesses that the undead are still following the orders they were under when Tammeraut was sunk. They intend to seize the hermitage and destroy its last defenders, then use the island as a staging ground for attacks against the settlements of the coast.

Last Stand

With both Morley and Barrett sickened, Janore doesn't know what to do. Aaron was supposed to check on the status of the boat kept in x, and since he failed to return Janore has been afraid to investigate further. Until the characters appeared, the survivors believed that they had been abandoned, and that the only way off the island is the ferry. But even if the characters have the means of leaving the island immediately, or they can repair the hermitage's boat with mending, the knowledge that the drowned ones mean to use Firewatch Island as a base from which to launch further mayhem across the region should give them pause.

An undead assault against the coast could come at any number of locations and be all but impossible to defend against. Because the drowned ones are able to add to their undead ranks, each successful attack would increase the size of their army. But knowing that the undead likely plan to return to Firewatch Island to destroy its last survivors gives the characters a single chance for a controlled fight. Destroying the drowned ones before they capture the hermitage might be the only way to end their threat.

If the characters decide to stay and await the fall of night, Janore and the others insist on remaining in the bolt-hole—it's been safe so far and they're not eager to risk compromising their sanctuary. None of the survivors know exactly how many drowned ones there are, but they believe that securing all the entrances to the hermitage would be beneficial. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check calms the survivors enough that they agree to leave the bolt-hole, and they can help the characters barricade the hermitage, set up traps, and otherwise prepare to face the undead.

Preparing for the Drowned Ones

The hermitage offers an abundance of tactical opportunities to defend against the coming attack. Invite the players to concoct a plan to reinforce the old fortress, and to decide on a course of action for when the drowned ones breach the defenses.

The survivors do not participate in combat against the drowned ones. Even if they aid in the defensive preparations, come nightfall they retreat to x.

Defending the Fortress

Among the tactics the players might come up with, you can help steer them toward the following options.

Arrow Slits

The second level of the hermitage features numerous arrow slits looking onto the exterior of the building. Characters who specialize in ranged attacks and magic can use the arrow slits to launch arrows, bolts, and spells at the drowned ones as they approach.

Floral Assault

The assassin vines growing near x can be moved elsewhere in their pots, as long as their murderous nature is temporarily quelled. The charm of plant command found in x can help in this effort.

Rat Pack

If the characters did not kill all the rats in x, they serve as excellent guards and alarms. The rats attack any drowned ones that enter through that area.

Reinforcing the Doors

There are five entrances into the hermitage—the double doors at the front (x), two doors at the back of the fortress (x and 43e), the door leading in from the rampart (x), and the watchtower door (x).

Enough wood and nails can be found inside the hermitage to reinforce all the doors. The main obstacle is time. It takes a character 1 hour to gather the required materials and reinforce one door. The time is cut in half if another character (including one of the survivors) helps.

A reinforced door cannot be broken through with a Strength check, but must be battered down (AC 15, 30 hit points, immunity to poison and psychic damage). This fact helps slow the undead, since they are forced to fight their way through doors.

Rigging the Roof

The aging slate tiles on the roof can be easily rigged to collapse. This tactic is especially useful if the victim falls some distance into an area where the characters have open space to make attacks (x, for example).

Oil of Slipperiness

If the characters have discovered this magic oil in x or x, it can be applied in front of entry points, on stairs, or anywhere they want to slow the undead down.

Death from the Deep

As soon as the sun sets, the drowned ones begin their underwater trek from the Pit of Hatred to the shores of Firewatch Island. They arrive at the island about an hour after sundown. If the characters are still on the island at sundown and are observing the shoreline, you can foreshadow the undead assault:

The undead assault against the hermitage can be played out in two broad scenarios. Both offer roughly the same challenge but provide different experiences for the players and characters. Choose the experience you think your players will enjoy the most, or create your own, incorporating any of the following elements and information you desire.

The drowned ascetics, drowned assassins, and drowned blades that make up the ranks of the undead are all described in appendix C.

Scenario 1: Undead Horde

Use this scenario if the characters have prepared well for the onslaught. If the undead arrive and are not slowed by reinforced doors, traps, and attacks made against them through arrow slits, the characters have little chance of survival.

The drowned ones arrive as a single mass, trying to overwhelm the defenders with sheer numbers. The intention with this scenario is to make the players and the characters feel as though the island teems with undead. An epic battle ensues, and if that battle is won, no further attacks come.

When the undead arrive, they attempt to batter down the doors of the hermitage, intent on entering and slaying any mortal defenders. Have the drowned ones assault the doors leading into the different areas of the fortress using the following guidelines.

AreaCreatures
45 zombies, 3 drowned blades, 1 drowned ascetic
115 zombies, 2 drowned blades, 1 drowned ascetic
121 drowned ascetic
171 drowned assassin
211 drowned blade

The zombies amble near the indicated doors but do not attack them. They enter the hermitage only after the doors are breached by the drowned ones.

The drowned assassin that tries to enter through x climbs onto the battlements from x first.

Scenario 2: Waves of Undead

Use this scenario if the characters' preparations for the attack are only minimal, or to create a tense and wearying night of encounters.

The drowned ones arrive in three waves, each increasing in difficulty. If the characters aren't sufficiently challenged by a particular wave, add more monsters to that part of the fight in the form of late reinforcements to help make a wave into a greater threat.

Each new wave arrives approximately 30 minutes after the previous wave. In any area where the undead break through a door, the characters must reinforce that door again when the current fight is over, or subsequent waves will move through it freely. Alternatively, you might decide that a door is too damaged to be repaired.

Wave 1

Six drowned blades rush to assault the door into x. If they cannot break down the door within 3 rounds, any survivors of the characters' defensive efforts switch their attention to the door that leads into x.

Wave 2

Five drowned blades and two drowned ascetics assault the hermitage. The drowned blades arrive at the door that leads into x and attempt to enter. The drowned ascetics enter through any previously opened door that hasn't been reinforced again. If no doors are open, they try to batter down the door into x.

Wave 3

Three drowned blades, two drowned ascetics, and one drowned assassin attack the fortress. The drowned blades and ascetics enter through any previously open door, or if none are open, they attack the doors that lead into x and 45b. The drowned assassin arrives from x and climbs onto x, trying to enter the fortress through the door in that area.

Safe by Day

Once the undead are dealt with, the coming of the dawn's first light means that the characters can finally rest with no fear of another assault. Raserhill's ferry returns about an hour after sunrise, on its normal schedule, but the craft carries no new passengers and departs again quickly unless the characters hail it. (If Raserhill stuck around the island and was driven off or killed by the monstrous peryton, another boat from Uskarn will set out eventually to investigate the characters' fate.)

At some time during the day, when a character is awake and outside or near a window, read:

This ancient gull is Virgil, formerly the familiar of Archais, Firewatch Island's wizard. Virgil survived the slaughter of the garrison ten years before and has lived on the island ever since, nesting in the wizard's tower room. It has avoided the hermitage residents and was largely ignored by them.

Virgil fled the island the previous night when the drowned ones attacked, but now that the characters have seemingly defeated them, the gull has returned to its home. It continues to watch the party despite any attempts to shoo it away. Having observed the characters' actions against the drowned ones, the ex-familiar believes that they might be the sort of heroes who could finish Archais's work and end the undead menace.

Virgil's Mission

If a character is able to speak with animals, Virgil is friendly. (The scroll found in x will be useful in that regard if none of the characters have this ability.) The gull relates the events of the "x" section to the best of its knowledge. It does not know the specifics about Tammeraut's crew, but it does know that the drowned ones are victims of that fateful sinking.

Virgil knows the location of the Tammeraut and can guide the characters there. Based on the attack tonight, the gull correctly deduces that Tammeraut's crew is active once more and must be stopped.

The Wreck

If the characters decide to seek out the sunken Tammeraut, they must first find out where the rift is located. The charts in Archais's journal give the exact location in nautical coordinates. Alternatively, a character who succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (History) check discerns the likely spot where the ship sunk.

Virgil also knows the location of the Pit of Hatred, having accompanied Archais there several times while the wizard was alive. If all else fails, he can guide the characters to the proper location—flying ahead and circling the site. The Pit of Hatred is two miles south of Firewatch Island and can be rowed or sailed to in about half an hour.

The bay is 300 feet deep above the Pit of Hatred, and characters won't be able to anchor a boat there unless they brought along quite a lot of rope. Certain items in that treasure are invaluable to a party that plans to investigate the wreck, but the characters might also require and seek out additional resources before they do so. See "Unusual Environments" in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for information on underwater environments, and see "Underwater Combat" in chapter 9 of the Player's Handbook.

The Remains of Tammeraut

Map 7.5 shows the seafloor in the vicinity of the sunken hull, including the spot where the rift that seals the Pit of Hatred has been disturbed. When the characters descend to the wreck and approach the Pit of Hatred, read:

Unhallowed Ground

The evil energy seeping from the rift has suffused a 300-foot-radius hemisphere with magic similar to that of a hallow spell. The effect acts as a spell cast at 9th level, and it requires a successful DC 19 check to be neutralized using dispel magic. If the effect is dispelled, it returns in 24 hours.

While the effect is active, celestials cannot enter the area. Each time another sort of non-undead creature enters the area, it must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The creature must also make a DC 16 Charisma saving throw when it enters the area, gaining vulnerability to necrotic damage on a failed save. This vulnerability ends when the creature leaves the area.

Ancient Warning

If the characters search the sand around the ship, they discover the tip of a stone slab sticking up above the muck and ooze. The rest of the slab is buried. If it is pulled out (requiring a successful DC 15 Strength check), it is found to be inscribed with ancient runes. A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check deduces that the slab is the product of magic. A subsequent successful DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check confirms it was made using a stone shape spell.

The runes are in Elvish. They communicate a warning to stay away from the sealed rift and the horror that lies below.

Inside the Ship

Numerous breaches in the hull and openings on the rowing decks allow entry into the ruined ship. Alternatively, characters can swim down into the stern's interior from the top of the ship, where the bow is missing.

The rotten tangles of timbers and bulkheads are weak after ten years underwater and can be pushed through with relative ease.

A large hole in the buried stern of the wreck allows easy access to a darkened cavern that opens up beneath broken slabs of stone—the remains of the seals that once blocked the opening of the pit.

As the characters enter the wreck, a number of drowned ones that stayed behind from the most recent assault on Firewatch Island take notice. Three drowned blades, one drowned ascetic, and one drowned assassin lurk inside the ruined Tammeraut and attack as soon as the characters enter. The undead do not pursue fleeing characters beyond the 300-foot hemisphere of dark energy that surrounds the rift.

The Rift

This cavern is all that remains of what was once a jagged chasm in the seafloor. The mound of bones represents both the crew of Tammeraut and others who have succumbed to the ocean's perils, all preserved by the rift's dark magic. The hollow to the north is the access point to the ancient evil that has imbued the Pit of Hatred with its sinister aura.

Tammeraut's captain, Syrgaul Tammeraut, resides in this chamber—transformed into a twisted monster known as a drowned master (see appendix C). Syrgaul is the conduit through which the pit's evil essence once again spreads its dark influence into the world. Feeding off the captain's rage and hate as he died, the energy of the rift animated Tammeraut's crew and turned them into drowned ones. Though the drowned ones can range abroad, Syrgaul is forever trapped within the rift near the source of his dark unlife.

As the characters explore this area, Syrgaul and one drowned blade rise from the pile of bones and attack.

Treasure

The treasure carried on Tammeraut has been placed in front of the north alcove by the drowned ones, as an offering to the great sleeping evil below. A rotting sea chest holds 5,000 sp, 1,850 gp, 75 pp, and ten masterfully cut pieces of jade depicting various sea animals (100 gp each).

Sealing the Rift

The funnel-shaped hollow to the north of the hull is 3 feet in diameter and descends 2 feet to a 1-inch-wide vent at the bottom. In addition to being the source of the pulsating light, the vent is the center and source of the area's dark hallow effect. This narrow opening continues down for hundreds of feet beneath the ocean bottom, never widening.

Sealing this vent is the only way to lay Syrgaul's spirit to rest. Doing so also prevents the evil from further corrupting those who drown in the area. One easy method of sealing it is to use the flask of sovereign glue from the hermitage to affix a plug over the opening (the substance hardens even underwater). Spells such as stone shape can also seal off the vent. When the vent is sealed, the hallow effect surrounding the rift immediately ends.

Conclusion

If the characters accomplish all their objectives—rescuing the surviving hermits, destroying the drowned ones and their leader, and sealing the opening in the Pit of Hatred—things soon return to normal on Firewatch Island and the communities of the nearby coast. The surviving hermits abandon the island, but a new group settles there before long. Or, Feldrin Kane, the Uskarn bailiff, might deed the island and fortress to the characters as a reward for ending the threat of the drowned ones. Of course, such a reward comes with the expectation that the characters would use the place to protect and defend the settlements of the nearby coast.

If the characters depart Firewatch Island before nightfall and the drowned ones' second attack, the undead become a greater threat. Now that they've exhausted the nearby prey, the undead make it to the mainland in their nightly wanderings. Attacks on coastal roads and villages become more common—with the drowned ones adding all their victims to their growing horde—and unless they are somehow checked, Syrgaul's forces become the scourge of both land and sea in the entire region.

Even if the characters turn back the drowned ones' assault but fail to close the rift, the evil influence of the pit strengthens and begins to extend outward. All those who have drowned in the bay are gradually harvested by the remaining drowned ones and transformed into undead, until Syrgaul has an army of drowned corpses at his command. What terrible atrocities the undead captain might visit upon the nearby settlements are up to you.

Even with the rift closed off, the Pit of Hatred might continue to be a lurking threat. With the seal restored, the evil beyond is left to fester—frustrated and perhaps seeking ways to break free, stronger and more deliberate than before.

Above all, the question remains: what is the source of the rift's evil? Perhaps the characters will return to the pit as more accomplished adventurers, seeking some way to descend the vent, find out what presence is down there, and destroy it once and for all.

Extending the Adventure

Tammeraut's Fate gives the characters a chance to foil an incursion by Orcus and his minions before it can take root. The deep regions of the sea are fertile ground for those demons and cultists who can take advantage of it. Far from the blinding light of the sun and overlooked by many of the demons' traditional foes, a deep-sea portal to the Abyss can spawn many demons and warp the world around it to an irreparable degree before it is discovered.

Pirates and similar outlaws are fertile ground for worshipers, and those captains who achieve success and infamy might draw the eye of any number of Abyssal patrons. As befits their chaotic nature, demon lords tend to offer power and impart blessings as the opportunity presents itself rather than create a comprehensive, long-term plan.

If you want to extend the concept presented in this adventure to cast a longer shadow over your campaign, the following notes provide some guidance and ideas for what might come next.

Orcus and the Sea

The capacity for undead creatures to survive deep underwater makes Orcus and his cult well suited for plaguing the seas. Orcus offers undeath to his mortal followers as a lure to bring them deeper into his power while unleashing them as a terror of the waves.

The scheme showcased in Tammeraut's Fate is a good example of how Orcus and his minions take advantage of the sea. They march along the seabed to strike at coastal villages and recruit more living dead to their legions. Although the characters might have slain Syrgaul and destroyed the Pit of Hatred, Orcus and his followers continue to plot and plan.

Further Adventures

The events of Tammeraut's Fate can serve as the flash point for a major event in your campaign. In the years that Syrgaul's crew spent toiling at the ocean's floor, they might have been directed by Orcus or Syrgaul to launch other sinister plans. A search of the location of the wrecked ship can turn up clues to further plots.

The following adventures seeds form a story arc that you might use as individual episodes or as the outline of a grand plot to overwhelm the region with undead and call Orcus into the world.

Death Fleet

All pirate captains know that greed and ambition among their crews pose a constant threat. Cultists of Orcus can offer the unswerving loyalty of undead crews in return for allegiance to their foul lord.

In this continuation of the story, a powerful priest of Orcus forms a network of allied pirate captains. The ship crews are augmented by zombies and skeletons, and, unknown to the pirates, the priest can spy through the undead. Captains who prove treacherous are quickly slain and replaced with more amenable allies.

As the pirates gain control of the seas, the priest is free to establish a domain of Orcus with a great portal to the Abyss at its center. It's up to the characters to track down and defeat the pirate fleet.

The Devouring Gyre

The Pit of Hatred is but one example of the planar sigils that followers of Orcus can use to bolster their power. Off the coast, near heavily trafficked sea lanes, cultists of Orcus create a gateway on the seabed that links to the Abyss. The water above swirls and plunges downward, creating a whirlpool that devours ships and sea life.

Living creatures pulled to the bottom of the whirlpool are slain, warped with Abyssal energy, and unleashed into the sea as undead creatures. Unless someone finds the gate, slips through it into the Abyss, and destroys the unhallowed site found on the other side, the whirlpool will unleash a horde of undead sailors and sea creatures that can transform the region around it into a dead zone.

Island of Bones

Far out to sea, a mass of bones culled from the seabed rises and coalesces into a new island—a sinister place cloaked in necrotic energy. This place, the Island of Bones, serves as a port of call for pirates serving Orcus.

The island swarms with undead creatures that perform repairs on ships, unload loot, and protect the place from attack. More important, it serves as the center of an unholy theocracy founded by priests of Orcus and dedicated to calling their master to the Material Plane.

As the island grows, a massive palace fit for the Lord of the Undead himself arises from the bones. Within its depths, a portal to the Abyss slowly forms as more and more mortal sacrifices are made to Orcus.

With a fleet of pirate captains at their call and the devouring gyre cutting off sea travel, the priests of Orcus threaten to overwhelm the region with their undead hordes. Their efforts, of course, are resisted by the characters and whatever forces the locales can muster.