Campaign Stormwreck Isle; Curse of Compass Rose (1-3)

Part 3 - Curse of the Compass Rose
View attachment 357_Promontory.mp3

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MAP:

Maps - D&D Beyond

www.dndbeyond.com

THE STORY SO FAR:

Stormwreck Isle: Journey to Stormwreck Isle (1-P)
Stormwreck Isle: Welcome to Dragon's Rest (1-1)
Stormwreck Isle: Spores of Seagrow Cave (1-2)​

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THE QUEST:

• The party seeks the wreck of the Compass Rose, a ship that went down decades ago and may be linked to the undead incursion.

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THE LOCATION:

​

Local Party Map​

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THE PARTY:

ITEM GLOSSARY:

Image	Name	Value (per)	Weight (per)	Description
	Wind Spore Mushrooms​	30	0.06 lbs	A rare fungus with a unique magical property. When a creature squeezes a wind spore mushroom's cap, it releases a small cloud of spores. For 1 hour, the creature doesn't need to breathe, as the spores provide it with oxygen.
	Obsidian Chunk​	10	1 lb	An uncut opaque black gemstone.
	Heart Cap Mushrooms​	30	0.2 lbs	These mushrooms bear an unsettling resemblance to human hearts.
	Potion of Healing​	50	0.5 lbs	This potion's red liquid glimmers when agitated. You regain 2d4+2 hit points when you drink this potion.
	A Fine Lute
	Boots of Elvenkind			While you wear these boots, your steps make no sound, regardless of the surface you are moving across. You also have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks that rely on moving silently.
	Spell Scroll of Command

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THE STORY CONTINUES:

Having departed from Dragon's Rest for the second time, your band of adventurers slowly make their way down the mountain paths towards the shore where you first landed. The journey is uneventful and peaceful, a welcome contrast to the carnage the party has faced since arriving on the island. Songbirds flutter across the path ahead of you as they dart back and forth between bushes, hunting the insects they harbor. Your walk down to the water does not take more than a half hour however, so the ramble through nature is fleeting.

Returning to the beach where you had fought the zombies, the party find the scene just as you left it. The battered corpses of the drowned sailors lay immobile where they were slain, the putrid grey flesh not appealing to any scavengers and having been left untouched. Your group moves cautiously past the bodies, one by one each battling the anxiety that the monsters will spring up again and attack.

The five of you convene on the short wooden dock. There is an old fishing net dangling over the edge and trailing in the water, where it appears to be tangled within a clump of seaweed. Several short lengths of aging rope are knotted here and there around the thick posts, some having been cut free in haste rather than untied. A rowboat not dissimilar to the one you arrived in is tethered to the dock, and you see a pair of oars laying across the seats. The boat appears big enough for 4 medium sized passengers.

North of your position, you can see a long spur of sharp rocks jutting from the ocean waves, extending several miles out.​

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INITIATIVE:
https://improvedinitiative.app/p/e88bk48y

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Did you decide on a short rest?))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

((I believe we're all good to short rest while eating our own choice of foodstuffs. Maybe I forgot to mention that myself. Quite possible. ))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((Probably wisest given the assumed time of day, my assumption. Then hit up a long rest once we're safe and can get it overnight.))

 

[Nac McWeeble]

Ye can have my pieces Aims says Nac as he takes out some rations from his pack.

 

[Dungeon Master]

---

Dungeon Master
(Ben)​

|You complete a short rest.

((I made you all, except Zesty, use 1 hit die.))





|

---

 

[Dungeon Master]

((So, what I should have checked before pushing the short rest was how many hit die you wanted to use in it. I should have asked for this along with the confirmation that you're short resting.

I did 1 for everyone who took damage but I believe all of you had 3. If you wanted to heal more than just 1 die let me know, and I'll fix it before you head to another location.))

 

[Short Order]

((I'll take a second hit of that to try and get out of one hit KO mode without using my potion))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Aims fishes a comically large piece of fishbone from between his tusks, picking the rest of his teeth with it, while rubbing his fully belly. Having eaten enough for a small group all by him lonesome. He lets out a long looooooong burp, probably also propelling some roasted bits of Carl onto the sandy beach. Having sated both his hunger and bloodlust already for the day, he's eager to set off and work more on his muscles.

AAAAAALLLLLRIGHT LADS! We ready to head off again?! I could use a goooood ol' rowing to digest all of this. Hehe. Anyone decide where we're heading to? No wait, don't tell me. I'll get the boat and y'all can just point the direction to row to.

Aims gives everyone a grin, grabs his ax and bag, and heads on over to the boat, ready to set off.

 

[Dungeon Master]

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

Zesty stands sullenly.

Shall we head farther outwards to sea to the next X on the map?

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Aims pushes the boat further into the water, jumps on, and holds it stead with the oars.

Further out, next island, as long as I don't got to swim we're all good!

... or you guys can go swim. Have at it.

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

((So, what I should have checked before pushing the short rest was how many hit die you wanted to use in it. I should have asked for this along with the confirmation that you're short resting.

I did 1 for everyone who took damage but I believe all of you had 3. If you wanted to heal more than just 1 die let me know, and I'll fix it before you head to another location.))

((I wanted to use song of rest while resting but that came and went while I was resting IRL, so can you give us all another 1d6 of health?))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((I wanted to use song of rest while resting but that came and went while I was resting IRL, so can you give us all another 1d6 of health?))

((Sure, we can do that before we move on. But you have to sing me a song. A restful one.

))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

((Sure, we can do that before we move on. But you have to sing me a song. A restful one.

))

((Hell yeah, just wait til I get to work so I can be productive on the wrong things))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

As the group, mostly still groggy from their short rest, pushes away from the dock, Moonsprout croons a slow, mournful tune:

Do mermen weep
under the waves?
Do teardrops form
from inside their salty caves?
How do tears swell
in the swell of the sea?
I wonder, I wonder
When one of the merfolk is split asunder,
how they lament the slaughter
of the fishman's daughter's
father

 

[Nac McWeeble]

((I'll also use another die for the rest please!))

 

[Dungeon Master]

As the group, mostly still groggy from their short rest, pushes away from the dock, Moonsprout croons a slow, mournful tune:

Do mermen weep
under the waves?
Do teardrops form
from inside their salty caves?
How do tears swell
in the swell of the sea?
I wonder, I wonder
When one of the merfolk is split asunder,
how they lament the slaughter
of the fishman's daughter's
father

((Gimme a 1d6 to see how much your song heals their spirits/wounds.))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Oh, and @Jawneh, roll me a CON saving throw.))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Aims freezes for a moment while sitting on the boat. It's like....

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

((

))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

Aims freezes for a moment while sitting on the boat. It's like....

(("The boat hits a rock under the water. You all sink. Carlson eats you all and you die. Game over."))

 

[Nac McWeeble]

((Or maybe he shits himself due to eating Carl..))

 

[Dungeon Master]

---

Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd
@Jawneh​

|Your stomach begins to gurgle, and you perhaps think you shouldn't have eaten something that came from a demonic abyssal realm.

A smell like death leaks from between your battle-hardened ass cheeks and clings in the air.

There is a 1d6 chance you shit yourself. ((On a 6

*Rolls*))



You shit yourself. |

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((Alright, you guys are here. Tell me which spot you're going to in a more specific manner than "the next one" and I'll get you moving. Enjoy the voyage with your companion.))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Actually that map is up on the D&D Beyond one, so you could just move the token to where you want to go.))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

((Gimme a 1d6 to see how much your song heals their spirits/wounds.))

((

))

((Edit: damn, all those words for healing that weak? Lame))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((Not currently up, but my vote is for the island with the two X's... the one on the south side in the water.))

Zesty gags and chokes back vomit. The smell is so retched that he cannot help but feel sea sick for the first time in his life. He tries escaping from the smell by breathing through his mouth but all that does is make it taste like he ate shit himself. The rotten food Zesty was carrying smelled better. Zesty weighs the possibility of eating one of the wind spores he's carrying early JUST so he doesn't have to breathe.

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Edit: damn, all those words for healing that weak? Lame))

((I zoomed in. Looks like a 7 to me.

))

The party heals an additional 7 points of damage from Moonsprout's heartfelt ballad.

 

[Dungeon Master]

((I did roll another hit dice for Nac, @Nae'blis, which put him back at full.

))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Aims flings backwards into the shallow waters accompanied by the stench and physical remains of the lunch a short moment prior. He jumps back to his feet from underwater, with a sudden panic in his eyes as he starts waddling towards the bech with a light greenish brown wake behind him.

No, no no no nonononk! Aarrrrgghhh! Stay away! Holy hells stay away! You're not here anymore! Fucking asshole, nooo! NOOOO!!!

Aims then trips in the soft sands on the beach and faceplants down into the warm sand. This somehow calms him as he lays still there, saying nothing, not moving an inch, but with a steady coloration of excrement slowly bubbling from his behind.

Maybe a good half a minute later he finally pipes up.

I uhh... i need to wash up my clothes and umm... its up to y'allwhether to stick around for the show or go elsewhere less shit infested. Ill be over... there.

He points a good ways yonder away from the boat and everyone where the shit shouldn't get to them. He gets up and starts to walk over there slowly and... deals with his business.

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

I hope you have an extra pair of clothes! There's no saving those pants!

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((@Nae'blis and @A Pineap-Alu-zer - Don't forget to add the 400gp to your inventories. Nae, my vote is for you to hold the topaz till we find a vendor to sell it to.

@Ben - Do we consume the entirety of the rations in our inventory for the short rest, or just a portion and we keep some for later since it's supposed to last all day?))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Aims is mumbling to himself while cleaning his  only pair of pants.

... who knew the deathrattle of that asshole... was through an asshole. and what the hells was he doing on the boat suddenly...

 

[Dungeon Master]

((@Nae'blis and @A Pineap-Alu-zer - Don't forget to add the 400gp to your inventories. Nae, my vote is for you to hold the topaz till we find a vendor to sell it to.

@Ben - Do we consume the entirety of the rations in our inventory for the short rest, or just a portion and we keep some for later since it's supposed to last all day?))

((I'd just say you eat it all now and you've eaten enough calories for the day. I'm not going to harp on eating 3 times a day. I don't, in actual human life.

...What, you're not supposed to eat all your calories for one day within a 30 minute time span..?​

))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!

Aims falls down on his ass and throws his pants in the waters in front of him seemingly at something.

By the Earth Mother, you fucking ass cunt, get the fuck away from me already!

Again, he stays still there for a moment, collecting himself, as his pants slowly wash back to him with the help the waves. He angrily grabs them, the innocent pants that did nothing wrong, and were so poorly victimized, and puts them on. Without saying anything else, he returns to the boat.

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((

Spoiler

))

 

[Dungeon Master]

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!

Aims falls down on his ass and throws his pants in the waters in front of him seemingly at something.

By the Earth Mother, you fucking ass cunt, get the fuck away from me already!

Again, he stays still there for a moment, collecting himself, as his pants slowly wash back to him with the help the waves. He angrily grabs them, the innocent pants that did nothing wrong, and were so poorly victimized, and puts them on. Without saying anything else, he returns to the boat.

---

Aims'Orreh
Mwuh'Bwadd
@Jawneh​

||

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[Nac McWeeble]

((@Nae'blis and @A Pineap-Alu-zer - Don't forget to add the 400gp to your inventories. Nae, my vote is for you to hold the topaz till we find a vendor to sell it to.

@Ben - Do we consume the entirety of the rations in our inventory for the short rest, or just a portion and we keep some for later since it's supposed to last all day?))

((Sure thing, I'll hold on to it! Added it and the gold to my inventory! I also vote for the one with two X's near each other. Which of them doesn't matter.))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

Seeing Aims flailing around in the filth of his bad decisions brings some light to Moonsprout's face. Karma.

He wears a sly grin, and quips at the orc doing battle with the sea and wielding his shit-stained pants as a weapon:

You can go pantsless like me, orc, unless you have something to be ashamed of.

He lets just a split second pass, and says:

And I'll trust you'll never again comment on my natural musk.

 

[Nac McWeeble]

Seeing Aims flailing around in the filth of his bad decisions brings some light to Moonsprout's face. Karma.

He wears a sly grin, and quips at the orc doing battle with the sea and wielding his shit-stained pants as a weapon:

You can go pantsless like me, orc, unless you have something to be ashamed of.

He lets just a split second pass, and says:

And I'll trust you'll never again comment on my natural musk.

((

))

 

[Short Order]

Short Order uses Druid Craft to make it smell like flowers

I'm not going to be your personal perfume forever. Now make yourself useful and row us to the next isle. Moonsprout, how about a jaunty tune about shitting yourself? I'm sure you know several.

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

Moonsprout springs up and places one foot on the bow of the boat. He faces out toward the sea, and with a deep, gruff voice that seems impossible for the little Halfling to produce, sings into the ocean winds.

OOOOOOOH

WHEN GREEN GILLS IS WHAT YOU EATS
GREEN A-ROUND THE GILLS IS WHAT YOU GETS

WASH AWAY, WASH AWAY YOUR UTTER SHAAAAME

PUT DOWN YER TANKARD AND I'LL TELL YEEEEE A STORY
ABOUT HOW THE POOP DECK GOT ITS NAAAAAME

Moonsprout looks toward Aims, and seeing his green complexion turning increasingly red, stops singing, sits immediately down, eyes forward. He whispers to Short Order.

Hey, this was your bright idea. If he comes for me, you'll protect me, right?

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Might want to be careful. Maybe Carl will have a second coming while were in the middle of deeper waters...

 

[Dungeon Master]

---

Dungeon Master
(Ben)​

|

Somehow your map updates itself to show which one you've rowed to, and even has letters now. Weird. You're at C, coming from D.



This wreck is enormous, at least the size of the merchant ship you sailed here on. It appears to have a huge split down the middle of it, a huge pillar of rock cracking the hull in two. Most of the ship's stern lay beneath the waves , resting on the floor of the ocean far below. The bow of the ship juts out of the water, wedged between two giant stone outcrops.

There is no motion anywhere that you see, save a few Seagulls landing on the fallen masts.|

---

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((Is there enough of the ship above water and safe enough to investigate safely? I'm going to assume probably not.))

As the small boat comes to the wreckage, Zesty squints trying to see any identifying marks on the ship. He's trying to see if this is possibly the Crimson Rose, or other objects of use int he immediate vicinity

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((Ok, I quit all rolls. I will not roll anything any more ever again in a D&D game.... over it))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

((Suddenly, Zesty violently shits himself due to embarrassment.

Aims soon follows due to second hand embarrassment and thanks to his already loosened asshole.))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((I haven't had a passable roll in a really long time. And I'm just over it. I'm legit just gonna do things that don't require rolls.))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Aims rows over to the front portion of the wreckage that's still dry so that they can hop off the small boat. He'll also be making sure to grab some rope from his bag to strap the boat somewhere so that it doesn't just wash away.

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Ok, I quit all rolls. I will not roll anything any more ever again in a D&D game.... over it))

((Alright, so here's part of the problem. You guys are rolling before I even ask you to. There's room for you to go look around without it having to be an investigation skill check. Unless you're like, outright looking for clues or trying to work out something specific, I'm not necessarily going to need you to roll to accomplish it. That's only for things that are more uncertain.
As such, I don't need that roll and never saw any 1.

Going forward, lets try to not be rolling every single post. If you want to look for something, role play that. If it's something that'll need you to roll, I'll ask for it. It should be more of a "player expresses intent to do X" > "DM gives description of outcome" OR "DM asks for roll THEN gives description of outcome" type deal, not "player says they do X and roll at the same time."

The classic example is coming to a door. You want to open it and you state that. I tell you the door is locked, that didn't need a skill check to work it out. You want to break through the door and ask if you can do that. I tell you that you can try, and that you need to roll a STR check. You roll it and give me the result, and whether or not you do it is determined by the difficulty class of that thing.

If it's a screen door, it might be a very easy DC5 and you can easily through it. If it's a fence gate, it may be an easy DC10 because the latches aren't sturdy or something. A regular internal door might be a medium DC15 and harder to do, but achievable with some time. An external door might be a hard DC20 and take a lot to breach. Something reinforced to specifically prevent entry would be a very hard DC25 and take a huge amount of skill to do. Things with DC30 are generally near-impossible to accomplish, like picking a bank vault door with a hairpin.))

((Is there enough of the ship above water and safe enough to investigate safely? I'm going to assume probably not.))

As the small boat comes to the wreckage, Zesty squints trying to see any identifying marks on the ship. He's trying to see if this is possibly the Crimson Rose, or other objects of use int he immediate vicinity

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Zesty Zapcrackle
@Jon​

|You are still very far away from the bow of the ship, about 250 feet. You can't really make out anything of note from this distance, even with your demonic eyeballs.

What you can see from here are the main masts and rigging sticking out of the ocean's surface like leafless trees. There are no fabric sails attached to these, torn away by wind or something else, and only the rope remains.

You do note that none of the rope or wood of the masts seems very aged, and this wreck has not likely been here long.

|

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