The Pirate Necromancers

While on the mainland, the party hears rumors of increased pirate activity in the waters near Sahu. The heroes might be hired by a wealthy merchant to protect his caravel on its voyage past the dangerous island, or they could be enlisted by a nervous town council to perform a reconnaissance of the island and search for the “secret” pirate base.

The adventure itself can be relatively straightforward, with the party first encountering the pirate ship Scrofula (see Sarzec’s NPC sheet) near the island. During the battle, one of the zombies’ eyes begins to glow with a red light as Vermissa begins to watch the engagement from the distant Garden of Eternity. Before the party hacks the zombie apart, the adventurers hear her speak through the undead’s mouth. Although Vermissa does not reveal her identity, her cold voice is clearly female: “Welcome to the Isle of Serenity, you fools. You will all be feeding my servants ere long!” The malevolent laughter only ends when they hack the zombie apart.

Note that the DM can make this simple encounter much more difficult for an experienced group of heroes by placing Pizentios among the crew. Of course, Pizentios will teleport to safety if the battle looks hopeless, taking Sarzec with him. A search of the ship after the battle reveals a sea chest filled with minor booty taken from the Scrofula’s latest victims, Sarzec’s spellbook, and a rutter (a navigational aid) that will help the PCs locate Pizentios’s tower once they decipher its codes (requiring comprehend languages and several days to decrypt).

However, while the party is pondering its course of action, a powerful storm rolls across the sea toward them, driving them inexorably towards the reefs in the Horn of Sahu. The storm has been conjured by Vermissa, and she intends to dash their ship to pieces. Unless the party can dispel her unnatural weather, this will likely be their fate. Although the heroes manage somehow to survive the shipwreck, they are now marooned on the northern tip of Sahu.

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