07/18/2025 – Geeks & Games – The Shipwreckers

Summary

Last session, the Shipwreckers set out from Vishrun, hiring a trustworthy crew to sail their vessel upriver towards the mountains. Their destination was the Black Tomb, seeking the legendary Black Book of Morkal. Upon reaching the familiar waterfall entrance, the thief Paddock deftly climbed the slick cliff face, allowing the party to access the landing above.

Inside, they found the tomb’s passages just as they had left them. The party bypassed a pit trap and confronted the strange bronze doors bearing a gory, disembodied arm. Recalling the door’s riddle—’A jewel in hand is a pair of two tones’—and finally remembering their amulet held a giant ruby, they placed it in the arm’s waiting grasp. The hand accepted the amulet, and a skeletal head emerged from the opposite door, wearing the jewel and permitting them entry.

Exploring a western passage, Paddock and Wolf triggered a deadly trap. A giant boulder dropped from the ceiling, rolling down the hall and squashing both of them into unconsciousness. After a frantic healing effort in the dark, they recovered a masterwork warhammer from the crushed remains of a previous victim. The group pressed on, discovering hidden murals with cryptic diabolic messages about a white-masked figure and a ‘Black God’s wrath.’

Beyond the wraith-infested chamber, they encountered another locked door, this one secured by nine rotating wheels. Drawing a clue from one of the murals, Wolf correctly guessed the password: ‘BLACK MOON.’ The vault door opened into a void, teleporting the party to a separate dimension. There, in an ornate burial chamber, they found the sarcophagus of a 12-foot giant. Inside a hidden compartment, they finally recovered the Black Book of Morkal, a powerful obsidian mask, and a box of gems. Snatching their ruby amulet back from the skeletal head on their way out triggered a gas trap, forcing a hasty retreat down the cliff and back to the safety of their ship.

OUTLINE:

Journey to the Black Tomb

• The party learned of a rival adventuring group, the Honey Wanderers, heading to Riverwood.
• They decided to crew their own boat but ultimately hired a trustworthy crew recommended by the Vishrun harbormaster.
• After a week-long journey upriver, they arrived at the Black Tomb and Paddock climbed the cliff face to the entrance.

Puzzles at the Entrance

• Orantha deciphered a riddle on the main doors: ‘Seven letters, eight names, nine entwined…’
• The party experimented with the arm-door, unsuccessfully offering a pearl before realizing their ruby amulet was the key.
• Placing the ruby amulet in the hand caused a skeletal head to emerge from the door, unlocking the path forward.

The Boulder Trap and the West Wing

• The party explored a side passage where Paddock and Wolf were crushed and knocked unconscious by a boulder trap.
• After a tense revival in the dark, they recovered a masterwork warhammer from a previous victim.
• They discovered a secret room containing a ritualistic gold bowl and knife, and found murals with diabolic inscriptions.

The Vault of Morkal

• The party fought and turned several incorporeal wraiths who were resistant to non-magical weapons.
• They reached a vault door with a nine-wheel lock and a riddle about the ‘Black Moon path’.
• Wolf quickly solved the puzzle, spelling ‘BLACK MOON’ and opening the door.
• The door revealed a portal that teleported the party to a hidden demiplane.

Treasure and a Hasty Escape

• In the final chamber, they found the sarcophagus of a 12-foot giant.
• A hidden compartment yielded the Black Book of Morkal, a Black Spruce Mask, and 50 gems.
• Upon returning, they fought off more wraiths.
• Paddock successfully snatched the ruby amulet back from the door, which triggered a poison gas trap, forcing the party to flee the tomb.

NPCs:

• Ajish the Honey Mage: The leader of a rival adventuring party called the Honey Wanderers, who only refers to herself in the third person. She is currently heading to Riverwood to claim a bounty.
• Harbormaster of Vishrun: A trustworthy contact in Vishrun who helped the party get their boat back and recommended a loyal, albeit expensive, sailing crew.
• Harbormaster’s Loyal Crew: A group of six professional sailors hired by the party. They are loyal to the Harbormaster and wear the badge of Vishrun’s harbor.

LOCATIONS:

• Riverwood: A town located along the river, known for a bounty that has attracted rival adventurers.
• Skull: An island city that was mentioned as a hub for other adventuring parties, including the Honey Wanderers.
• The Black Tomb: An ancient, trap-filled tomb carved into a mountain. It contains strange puzzles, undead guardians, and a portal to a hidden demiplane.
• The Scorched Troll Tavern: A tavern in town where the party was banned after a brawl. It is famous for having a giant hole in its floor that leads down into a dungeon.
• Vishrun: A bustling port city where the party began their journey and hired their sailing crew.

ITEMS:

• Black Book of Morkal: The quest objective. An ostentatious tome bound in obsidian that contains powerful spells. Reading it has afflicted Orantha with ‘Void Lunacy’.
• Black Spruce Mask: A wooden mask made of black spruce. When worn, the user cannot be detected by magical means.
• Cadaver’s Amulet (Ruby Amulet): A valuable gold disc amulet set with a large, fat ruby. It was the key to opening the main doors of the Black Tomb.
• Citrine Necklace: A silver necklace with an orange citrine gemstone, found in a sarcophagus. Counts as a piece of jewelry.
• Gold Bowl and Ritual Knife: A matching set found in a hidden compartment. They seem intended for a blood ritual, but their purpose remains unknown.
• Gold Jewelry Box: An ornate gold box inlaid with jade. It contained 50 peridot gems.
• Masterwork Warhammer: A well-carved, non-magical warhammer with a metal haft, found on the remains of a victim of the boulder trap. Worth 30 gold.
• Woad: Blue body paint that provides a base Armor Class for unarmored wearers.