Shadowdark – 06/27/2025 Shipwreckers – Geeks & Games

Summary

The party began their adventure discussing travel plans and equipment, with Essa wielding a powerful +3 shield that prevented retreat until all allies had fled first. They possessed various Nathair artifacts, including a +1 sword that spoke telepathically in an unknown language, and planned to visit a blacksmith in Riverwood to have their items uncursed. Their destination was the orc city of Khardruz, a lawless market where Chaos is openly worshipped and illicit goods, including poisons and necromantic supplies, are freely traded.

While camping a day outside Khardruz, the party activated a mysterious spear, which summoned a skeletal knight with a ram’s head riding a skeletal horse. The undead warrior had been searching for years to reclaim his lost shield, and when Essa compassionately allowed him to wear it one final time, he called out “For Halderan!” before crumbling peacefully to dust along with his mount. A divine breeze carried away their remains as Essa offered prayers, and the shield remained behind, now properly activated and magical.

In Khardruz, Essa negotiated with Captain Albrecht, a merchant vessel captain who needed a holy person to provide protection from sea creatures and favorable winds. His previous holy man had been killed by a sea troll, so he hired the party for 5 silver per week to transport ivory tusks and whale oil to Vishrun. The four-day journey proceeded smoothly with blessed winds, and the captain gratefully paid them upon arrival.

Their fortune turned when they spotted their stolen ship Miss Piggy sailing into port with their former crew member Udo at the helm, looking noble in his Captain Morgan stance. Orm attempted to leap between boats to confront the thieves but failed spectacularly, falling into the river. Wulf and the others tried to commandeer Captain Albrecht’s ship to give chase, but this led to chaos as the captain’s crew restrained them for mutiny while their stolen vessel escaped upriver.

After being ejected from the merchant ship, the party sought official help from the harbormaster, a portly man with a pet monkey. They presented their ownership papers and paid a 50-gold retainer to have Miss Piggy detained when it returned. The harbormaster provided them with a writ of ownership and warned that the thieves would likely claim they hadn’t been paid, but assured them the boat would probably return within a week.

While waiting for their vessel’s return, the party decided to investigate the mysterious henge near Falcon Lake. They traveled three days through lands of perpetual sunlight where crops grew rapidly but everyone appeared sleep-deprived. The henge was shrouded in opaque, misty blackness that clung to the standing stones, creating an ominous atmosphere that reeked of sulfur and bile.

At the center of the 40-foot area stood a collection of standing stones surrounding a 10-foot deep den. When they investigated, they discovered a horrifying 20-foot-tall creature with the gaunt body of a starving man and a jackal’s head, crouched within the hole. Kneeling before this monstrosity was a skeleton in archaic chainmail, wielding a black-bladed greatsword etched with Diabolic runes.

The jackal-headed creature declared itself the Harbinger of Famine, a soldier of one of the mystical horsemen of the apocalypse, and mentioned that “the Nine are awake,” referring to ancient chaos champions. Combat erupted as the demon howled and cast a hunger curse on the party, filling them with a ravenous appetite that imposed disadvantage on all their actions until they consumed food. The creature’s bite inflicted an even worse wasting disease that prevented healing and slowly killed its victims.

Essa successfully turned the skeletal minion undead, causing it to flee in terror to cower in the corner. She cast protection from evil on herself and backed away while Cadabrah turned invisible to scout the area, discovering a diabolic obelisk covered in runes celebrating the chaos god Gazna. Wulf switched from ranged to melee combat, and Patick delivered the killing blow with a critical strike that decapitated the Harbinger, causing it to dissolve into black ichor.

Exploring the demon’s lair, they found six leathery, decapitated corpses buried in the earth that had been sewn shut and used as treasure containers. When opened, these macabre vessels revealed 2,800 gold pieces marked with ancient glyphs. The party abandoned much of their equipment to carry as much treasure as possible, and had the diabolic greatsword identified as a valuable but non-magical relic from 400 years ago.

Tragically, the wasting curse proved fatal during their journey back to civilization. Despite attempts to rush to town for a cure, both Orm and Essa succumbed to the supernatural disease, losing charisma daily as they physically withered away. On the final day before reaching help, both characters crumbled to dust, their bodies marked on the map.

The surviving party members returned to Vishrun to discover their stolen boat had been recovered by the harbormaster. Udo and the mutinous crew had been imprisoned for smuggling illicit goods, and the party regained ownership of Miss Piggy. They divided their treasure, purchased healing potions and equipment, and welcomed a new member named Arantha to replace their fallen companions.

To honor their deceased friends, the party spent a significant amount of gold on an elaborate two-week funeral celebration. The festivities gained them a noble ally and 5 experience points each, while the final treasure distribution left each surviving member with 168 gold pieces and memories of their harrowing encounter with the forces of apocalyptic famine.

Scenes

Arrival at Khardruz

The party arrives at the orc city of Khardruz, a black market hub where chaos gods are openly worshipped.

Khardruz, an orc city where might makes right
The city serves as a black market for poisons, relics, and necromantic supplies
Chaos gods are openly worshipped in the city
Party camps a day away from the city

The Skeletal Knight’s Quest

A skeletal knight on horseback appears when the party activates a spear, seeking his long-lost shield.

Party cracks/activates a spear outside the city
A skeletal knight with ram’s head appears on horseback
The knight recognizes the shield and asks to wear it one last time
Knight has been searching for the shield for years
Essa allows the knight to wear the shield despite party concerns

The Knight’s Final Rest

The skeletal knight finds peace and crumbles to dust after being reunited with his shield.

Knight puts on the shield and calls out ‘For Halderan!’
Both knight and horse crumble to dust, finally at rest
The shield remains behind, now properly activated
Essa performs a prayer for the departed knight
A breeze carries away the dust as if blessed by the gods
Party gains XP for doing the right thing

Seeking Employment in Khardruz

The party discusses their next destination and seeks work opportunities in the port city.

The party decides to head to Khardruz to find sailing work
They discuss avoiding certain dangerous locations like Oak Ridge
Wulf expresses interest in becoming a pirate
The group rolls to find job opportunities in the city

Travel Planning and Equipment Discussion

The party discusses their travel plans and equipment, including a +3 shield with special properties.

Party discusses fast travel routes to the battlefield and Khardruz
Essa has a +3 shield that prevents fleeing from battle until all allies retreat first
Discussion of Nathair equipment including a +1 sword that mutters telepathically in Sylvan
Planning to visit a blacksmith in Riverwood about uncursing items

The Ivory Merchant’s Offer

Essa negotiates with a ship captain for passage and employment transporting ivory and whale oil.

Essa approaches a human captain, Captain Albrecht, who has an orc and human crew
The captain asks Essa to swear on her holy symbol about her devotion
The captain explains he needs a holy person to soothe winds and bring good tidings
He reveals his previous holy man was killed by a sea troll
The captain offers 5 silver per week plus quarters for the journey to Vishrun
The party accepts the job transporting ivory tusks and whale oil

Sailing to Vishrun

The party sails smoothly to Vishrun on Captain Albrecht’s merchant vessel, enjoying favorable winds and good tidings.

Party travels 16 hexes over 4 days on merchant vessel
Captain Albrecht thanks the party for bringing good winds and favorable sailing conditions
Ship arrives at Vishrun and begins unloading ivory tusks, mammoth tusks, and whale oil
Captain pays each party member 5 silver pieces for their services

Spotting the Stolen Ship

The party spots their stolen ship Miss Piggy sailing into port with their former crew member Udo at the helm.

Party sees their stolen ship Miss Piggy sailing downriver behind them
Udo is spotted at the helm looking noble with a Captain Morgan stance, foot on railing, hand on sword hilt
Orm attempts to intimidate Udo with a fearsome look
Udo recognizes the transformed Orm and calls back to his crew
The stolen ship’s crew quickly pulls up anchor and tries to flee upriver

Failed Pursuit Attempt

The party attempts to commandeer Captain Albrecht’s ship to pursue their stolen vessel, leading to chaos and conflict.

Patick attempts to leap from boat to boat but fails spectacularly and falls into the river
Wulf begins pulling up the anchor to pursue the stolen ship
Cadabrah helps with the sails following Wulf’s orders
Captain Albrecht becomes furious, calling it mutiny and ordering his crew to stop them
Essa tries to explain the situation as Yaloss’s will but fails to convince the captain
Captain Albrecht’s sailors move to restrain the party members
The stolen ship successfully escapes upriver while the party is detained
Captain Albrecht kicks the party off his ship

Dockside Investigation

The party visits a tavern and seeks official help to recover their stolen boat.

Party enters the Dockside Tavern with accordion music and drum circles
They ask around about their stolen boat Miss Piggy
Someone suggests they speak to the harbormaster about the boat

Harbormaster Negotiations

The party meets with the Harbormaster to report their stolen boat and arrange for its detention.

Party meets the harbormaster, a portly man with a pet monkey
They show official paperwork proving ownership of Miss Piggy
Harbormaster agrees to detain the boat for 50 gold retainer
Party pools their money to pay the 50 gold fee
Harbormaster provides a writ of ownership as receipt
Harbormaster warns the boat thieves will likely claim non-payment
He mentions the boat will probably return within a week

Planning the Next Adventure

The party discusses their next destination while waiting for their boat to return.

Party considers going south to investigate standing stones
They discuss the henge location near Falcon Lake
Orm mentions wanting to build his church at the henge
Party decides to head to the henge for their next adventure
They plan to return in a few days when their boat might be back

Journey to the Henge

The party travels three days through a land of perpetual sunlight to reach the mysterious henge.

Party travels through lands with 24-hour sunlight where crops grow rapidly
Everyone appears sleep-deprived due to constant daylight
Party reaches the henge after three days of travel
The henge is shrouded in opaque, misty blackness that clings to the standing stones

Discovery at the Henge

The party investigates the dark, sulfurous henge and discovers horrifying creatures within.

Orm casts light on a longsword to illuminate the dark area
They discover a 40-foot area with standing stones and a 10-15 foot hole in the center
The area reeks of sulfur and bile
Party approaches to investigate the mysterious hole
They discover a 20-foot tall gaunt creature with a jackal head crouched in the hole
A skeleton in archaic chainmail kneels before the creature with a black-bladed greatsword

Encounter with the Harbinger of Famine

The party confronts a massive demonic entity and its skeletal servant in combat.

The jackal creature declares itself ‘the Harbinger of Famine’ and ‘foot soldier of Famine’
The creature mentions ‘the Nine are awake’ referring to ancient chaos champions
Combat begins as the creature howls and attacks
The Harbinger radiates an aura of hunger, causing ravenous hunger and disadvantage on attacks
Party members eat rations to counteract the immediate hunger effects
Essa successfully turns the skeletal undead, causing it to flee to a corner
Essa casts protection from evil on herself and backs away from combat
Cadabrah turns invisible to scout the area and finds a diabolic obelisk
The Harbinger bites Orm and Essa, inflicting a wasting disease that prevents healing
Wulf shoots at the Harbinger with his longbow, eventually hitting with his magical longsword
The creature attacks Patick twice, dealing 22 damage and knocking him unconscious
Patick fails a constitution save and becomes afflicted with the wasting disease
Cadabrah stabilizes Patick using an intelligence check, restoring 3 hit points
Wulf switches to melee combat, charging down the hill with his longsword
Patick delivers the killing blow with a critical hit, decapitating the Harbinger
The Harbinger dissolves into black ichor upon death

Investigating the Den

The party explores the demon’s lair and discovers valuable treasures and cursed items.

The party examines a diabolic obelisk covered in runes declaring the Harbinger’s True Name, Gazzana
They find a black greatsword with diabolic runes marking the sword’s bearer as ‘Tuunrangayak The Fourth’
The party discovers six leathery, decapitated corpses buried in the earth
Opening the corpses reveals they are filled with gold pieces – 2,800 total
The party abandons equipment to carry as much gold as possible
They identify the greatsword as a non-magical relic worth 40 gold

The Wasting Curse

The party suffers from a supernatural curse that slowly kills two members during their journey back.

Orm and Essa are afflicted with a wasting disease that prevents healing
The curse causes charisma damage each day as they physically wither away
Party attempts to travel back to Vishrun over multiple days
Essa attempts to cast bless to help with constitution saves
Characters lose charisma points daily from the wasting disease
Party attempts to force march but fails constitution checks
Despite attempts to rush back to town for a cure, both characters die from the curse
Orm and Essa crumble to dust during the journey, one day short of reaching help
Their bodies and remaining gear are marked on the map for potential recovery

Return to Vishrun and Recovery

The surviving party members return to town and deal with the aftermath of their adventure.

The harbormaster informs them their stolen boat has been recovered
Udo and the mutinous crew are imprisoned for smuggling illicit goods
The party regains ownership of their boat Miss Piggy
Udo claimed he was misunderstood and meant to return the boat
New character Aratha joins the surviving party members

Equipment and Treasure Distribution

The party divides treasure, purchases equipment, and distributes gear from fallen companions.

The party divided 2,800 gold pieces among surviving members
Each party member receives 560 gold initially
Purchased 4 healing potions for 40 gold each
Distributed plate mail and fancy longsword from deceased Orm
Had the diabolic greatsword identified by a wizard for 10 gold
Sold the non-magical greatsword for 40 gold and plate mail for 30 gold
Each party member receives 13 additional gold from sales

Carousing and Funeral Celebration

The party throws an elaborate funeral celebration for their fallen companions.

Spent significant gold on a two-week carousing celebration
Performed humiliating pranks on the corrupt merchant Udo during the festival
Mourned Essa and Orm’s deaths publicly
Gained a noble ally through the celebration
All party members gained 5 XP from the extraordinary carousing
The celebration cost each party member 140 gold
Final gold distribution left each member with 168 gold

Npcs

Skeletal Knight

The undead former owner of the magical shield, appearing as a skeleton with a ram’s head riding a skeletal horse. He had been searching for his shield for years and finally found peace when allowed to wear it one last time before crumbling to dust along with his mount.

Captain Albrecht

A human ship captain who leads a crew of orcs and humans, transporting ivory tusks and whale oil. He seeks a devout holy person to provide protection from sea creatures and soothe the winds during voyages. His previous holy man was killed by a sea troll. He becomes furious when the party attempts to commandeer his ship and ultimately kicks them off.

Udo

A former crew member who stole the party’s ship Miss Piggy and used it for smuggling operations. He appears noble and confident, sporting a Captain Morgan stance with bandana and long frock coat. He recognizes the transformed Orm and quickly orders his crew to flee when spotted. He was later captured and imprisoned by the harbormaster for his crimes, claiming he was misunderstood.

Captain Albrecht’s Sailors

The crew members of the merchant vessel, composed of orcs and humans. They follow their captain’s orders to restrain the party when they attempt mutiny, but are not violent, preferring to simply hold and corral the troublemakers rather than fight them.

Harbormaster

A portly, well-dressed official who manages the Vishrun docks. He keeps a pet monkey that he feeds grapes and potatoes. Professional but cautious, requiring proper documentation before agreeing to detain boats. He charges 50 gold to hold a boat for a week and later helps the party recover their stolen vessel.

Harbinger of Famine

A 20-foot-tall gaunt creature with the body of a starving naked man and a jackal’s head, with visible ribs and frail legs. It declares itself as the soldier and harbinger of famine, one of the mystical beings representing the horsemen of the apocalypse. Has red, gleaming eyes, speaks Diabolic, and can inflict wasting curses and ravenous hunger on its enemies. Serves the Horseman of Famine, dissolved into bubbling black ichor when killed.

Skeletal Warrior

A normal-sized humanoid skeleton wearing archaic, crumbling chainmail and wielding a black-bladed greatsword etched with diabolic runes. Kneels in worship before the Harbinger of Famine but flees when turned undead by Essa’s divine power. The sword belonged to ‘Turan Ragnagra’ from 400 years ago.

Wizard

A local magic user in Vishrun who identified the diabolic greatsword for the party, determining it was a non-magical relic from 400 years ago belonging to an old warlord’s bodyguard. Charges 10 gold for identification services.

Noble Ally

An unnamed noble who became an ally of the party through their elaborate two-week funeral celebration and carousing. This contact could provide favors, bureaucratic assistance, or help with getting out of legal trouble in the future.

Locations

Khardruz

A chaotic orc city where might makes right, serving as the regional black market for poisons, weird relics, reagents, and necromantic supplies. Chaos gods are openly worshipped here, making it a dangerous but useful trading hub for illicit goods.

The Battlefield

A location the party had previously visited and can fast travel to, serving as a waypoint for their journeys between different regions.

Riverwood

A town with an elven blacksmith who has agreed to help uncurse items if the party deals with something bothering the town. The party plans to visit here for magical item assistance.

Oak Ridge

A location that was previously attacked by mutant goblins riding wasps and had its water supply tainted by a diabolist named Vash. The threats have been dealt with by other adventurers, leaving nothing for the party to do there.

Vishrun

A river port town where merchant vessels dock to unload cargo. Features docks with loading areas for cargo wagons, a harbormaster’s office, taverns for carousing, and various shops. Serves as a trading hub for ivory, whale oil, and other goods.

Captain Albrecht’s Merchant Vessel, The Petard

The Petard, a trading ship carrying ivory tusks, mammoth tusks, whale oil, and blubber. The vessel has a deck where cargo is unloaded and passengers can observe the surrounding area. The crew becomes hostile when the party attempts to take control of it.

Dockside Tavern

A sweaty, smelly tavern that reeks of old beer and sweat. Filled with dancing people, accordion music, and drum circles. A lively gathering place for sailors and dock workers where information can be gathered.

Harbormaster’s Office

The official dock office in Vishrun where boat registrations and detentions are handled. Run by a portly, well-dressed harbormaster who keeps a pet monkey that he feeds grapes and potatoes.

The Henge

A mysterious site with standing stones arranged like a mini Stonehenge, shrouded in opaque misty blackness. Features a 10-foot deep den in the center that reeks of sulfur and bile, with diabolic symbols covering the interior walls. The area spans about 40 feet across and has a dark, clammy atmosphere where the Harbinger of Famine conducted dark rituals.

The Cursed Den

A 10-foot deep hole in the earth surrounded by standing stones at the henge, reeking of sulfur and bile. Contains an obelisk with Diabolic runes and loose earth covering buried treasure-filled corpses. The site where Gazzana, the Harbinger of Famine, was lairing.

Spells

Light

A spell cast on the fancy longsword to illuminate the dark henge area. The magical light glows with a resentful quality as the oppressive blackness pushes against it, but successfully provides illumination for the party to see the standing stones and investigate the cursed area.

Hunger Curse

A supernatural affliction cast by the Harbinger of Famine that fills victims with ravenous hunger, imposing disadvantage on all checks and attacks until they consume food. The curse creates an overwhelming compulsion to eat and can be temporarily negated by consuming rations.

Wasting Disease

A demonic curse inflicted through the Harbinger’s bite that prevents all forms of magical healing and causes victims to gradually waste away. The disease causes daily charisma damage and eventually kills those who fail their constitution saves, causing them to crumble to dust.

Turn Undead

Essa’s divine power that successfully forces the skeletal minion to flee in terror for five rounds. The undead creature retreats to cower in the corner of the den, unable to approach or attack while the effect lasts.

Protection from Evil

A defensive spell cast by Essa on herself and later on Patick that provides protection against chaotic and evil creatures. The spell grants advantages against attacks and abilities from such beings, though it had limited effectiveness against the harbinger’s curse.

Invisibility

Cadabrah’s spell that renders her completely invisible for multiple rounds, allowing him to scout the area, examine the diabolic obelisk, and provide medical aid to fallen party members without being detected by enemies.

Smite

A divine attack spell attempted by Essa against the Harbinger of Famine, dealing holy damage to the demonic creature as part of her combat efforts.

Bless

Essa attempted to cast Bless on party members to help them succeed on constitution saves against the wasting curse, providing luck tokens to some characters but ultimately failing to save herself and Orm from the curse’s deadly effects.

Items

+3 Shield

A powerful magical shield that provides +3 AC (total +5 AC) but comes with the restriction that the wielder must be the last of their allies to retreat from battle. The shield was sought by a skeletal knight for years and became properly activated after his final rest when he wore it one last time.

Nathair’s Sword

A +1 magical sword that mutters telepathically to its wielder in the Nathair language, sounding like an angry warlord cursing. The wielder cannot understand it unless they know Sylvan, which could lead to corruption if learned.

Mithril Spear

A spear made of mithril that was cracked/activated by the party, which summoned the skeletal knight. It appears to be connected to the knight’s quest for his shield and disappeared after being used to call the knight.

Ivory Tusks

Massive mammoth tusks being transported as cargo, each 12-14 feet long and as big around as tree trunks. These valuable trade goods are loaded onto wagons at the Vishrun docks and represent significant commercial value.

Whale Oil and Blubber

Heating oil and whale products being transported and unloaded as part of Captain Albrecht’s merchant cargo, used for lighting and heating purposes.

Miss Piggy

The party’s boat that was stolen by Udo and the former crew, then used for smuggling illicit goods. The vessel was later impounded by the harbormaster but returned to the party upon proof of ownership.

Guild Paperwork

Official documentation from Skaalberg proving the party’s ownership of their boat Miss Piggy. Bears the official seal and notarization, serving as legal proof of ownership that convinced the harbormaster.

Writ of Ownership

A receipt provided by the harbormaster stating that if Miss Piggy is held in the Vishrun docks, the party are the rightful owners. Serves as official documentation of their claim for 50 gold retainer.

Diabolic Obelisk

A six-foot-tall stone obelisk covered with Diabolic runes was found in the center of the den. The inscriptions declare the area as the domain of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse and identify the Harbinger of Famine by its name, Gazzana.

Black-bladed Greatsword

A non-magical but valuable relic greatsword marked with Diabolic runes, once belonging to a warlord’s bodyguard named ”Tuunrangayak The Fourth’ from 400 years ago. The party had it identified and sold it for 40 gold pieces.

Gold-filled Corpses

Six leathery, tanned, decapitated corpses that were sewn shut and used as containers. Each was filled with gold pieces marked with old glyphs from an ancient king, containing a total of 2,800 gold pieces. They appeared to be ritual sacrifices prepared as treasure containers.

Healing Potions

Four magical potions were purchased for 40 gold each that function as cure wounds when consumed. The party stored them on their recovered boat for future use.

Plate Mail

Heavy armor from the deceased character Orm that was distributed among the party and eventually sold for 30 gold due to carrying capacity limitations and the need to transport treasure.

Essa’s Holy Symbol

A holy symbol of Yaloss (goddess of storms) that belonged to the deceased party member Essa. It was given to another party member as a memento and to continue her worship after her death from the wasting curse.