Lost Anchorage - On the heels of a storm

A tall ship sails toward the setting sun, over a glassy sea.

“ I am really looking forward to not being on this boat.” said Dakhir

“It’s a ship not a boat.” replied Ricmo. “There is evidentially some very important nautical difference. The Captain is very passionate on the subject”.

“Boat, ship whichever, that storm nearly killed us all by sinking us and then it nearly killed us by working us to death. We need a larger crew.”

“Undoubtedly." agreed Ricmo. "If it hadn’t been all those monkeys Whisperleaf used his magic to conjure up, working the pumps day and light I doubt we would have survived.”

Ricmo paused briefly and smiled thinking of the magical monkeys. That had truly been a thing to see. Then the smile ran away from his face as he remembered the rest of the ordeal.

“ I don't think Strurg slept the entire time, every time I was on watch anyway I saw him sturging over the wheel. And then there was the part where Freddy fell overboard. Thought we had lost him for sure. I don’t even remember how the storm ended”. 

“We found you utterly collapsed from exhaustion on the ninth day, asleep wrapped around the capstan. You’d been up on the yards for three days straight. You could have died” said Whisperleaf quietly.

“Ahh” said Ricmo 

The heroes paused for a moment of introspection. Though they quipped lightly with each other as was their habit, it had been a harrowing ten days. The Southeaster had come up on them quickly, blown relentlessly without a pause. In order to keep the ship from foundering they had worked themselves to exhaustion and beyond, day after day, trying to keep the ship afloat and the storm from driving them onto the leeward shore of Cape Forlorn and wrecking them. Now that the crisis was over, and despite a few days rest, they were still bone tired and more then a little traumatized.   

Freddy strummed a few chords quietly on his guitar, and the moment was eased, and passed. 

"Judging from the way the Captain speaks about this island of his, I doubt it will be much of an improvement. He gets positively pale every time he brings it up." murmured Freddy, changing the subject.

“Yes he does” agreed Dakhir. “If it wasn’t for those Jack Tar constructs / golem things almost mutinying for want of grog I doubt he would have even mentioned it. Despite being almost out of food and water and god knows how far from any port.”

“You know” said Whisperleaf” “I don’t think those Jack’s are constructs at all. Sure superficially they look like some kind of golem, but they display all sorts of emotions, camaraderie, they laugh, sing, sleep, they drink. Gods do they drink, they seem to live to drink. The don't seem to be able to talk, and their bodies are some kind of enchanted wood but I suspect they were people once somehow. I wonder what magic put them in those wooden forms?”

That’s a disturbing thought but I can’t say I disagree” said Dakhir. 

More introspection as they thought of what life must be like for those poor souls, at least 500 years old according to Firebeard.

"Where the hell are we anyway?” asked Ricmo

“Way out. Well west of Cape Forlorn . That storm blew us off the edge of any map I have ever seen, isn’t even suppose to be any land out here at all” said Whisperleaf. 

“Land ho” sang out Marius from her perch atop the foremast. And sure enough a low island gradually snuck into view over the horizon.

As the ship approached the island (little more than a spit of land barely above the waves), the extent of its desolation becomes clear. Some powerful calamity, probably an earthquake, had wrecked this place. The strong walls of what was once a strangely built but powerful fortress have been ripped asunder, entire sections cast into ruin, others still standing but awash with sea. The land was torn and riven. The whole place was barely above the waves. The few buildings that were still upright were ruined and falling apart, and fallen stones and wrecked walls of many more that had completely collapsed dotted the landscape

The earthquake seemed to have sunk large parts of the town beneath the sea, the remains of some buildings were awash in the surf while others were mostly or entirely submerged by it. As the group stared over the gunwales of the ship they could see through the clear cold water the remnants of streets and the foundations of buildings fathoms below them, indicating that the island and the town were once much larger before the sea rose to claim it. The jagged remnants of broken masts emerged from the sea like forlorn trees, and the rear half of a great warship, larger than their own lay broken on the shoreline.

"Something moves on the walls of the fortress and on the wrecked ship. I see skeletal figures" Marius reported

A warship that still had a crew. Of a sort. As the Lady Jezebel sailed past the wreck, both skeletal figures saluted her.

A few parts of the town seemed mostly intact. The harbor lighthouse was built atop a steep island and must have been above the tsunami, it was remarkably whole. The central section of the harbor, a stone pier and part of the docks survived, though to either side the land had sunk massively. Large sections of the fortresses' stone walls endured, resisting the onslaught of the waves that lapped at their feet and gave some protection to the low tower that dominates the courtyard. Several principle buildings including what was clearly a temple, were built high up on the highest hill and were still out of reach of the surf, while heavily damaged by time, they were still somewhat whole.

Captain Firebeard turned to the group. “When I was last here, ten years ago, the fortress had a well, which fed a holding tank on the dock” he said. “We need to get what we need and get out of here. This place is cursed, by the undead, and things even worse. You will have to get the supplies, the Jack's can't come ashore alas. They turn to dust the moment they set foot on dry land. Part of their magic I reckon."

After some discussion and more then a little concern about the clearly seen skeletal figures, the party decided to leave Firebeard and the Lady Jezebel anchored out in the bay, rather then docking her directly at the pier. Even though Firebeard assured them the harbor was deep enough, it seemed safer, and the ships cannons could prove a powerful support from the bay in the event of trouble.

Ricmo produced the small carved ships boat that he had found on the mantle of the Great Cabin of the Lady Jezebel. He tossed it into the ocean and it grew quickly to full sized. "Handy thing" he remarked.

The party boarded and set sail for the docks while Captain Firebeard and his cre of golems anchored the Lady Jezebel and then used the anchors to warp her around to present her broadside to the town.

"Good luck lads!" he called from the gunwale. "Remember. In and out. No delay."

As the boat approached the pier, Dakhir turns to Marius. "Do you see the eyes of the statues? They are following us"

"Yes, they watch" said Marius matter-of-factly.

"Fear them not. The Lord of Light protects us" assured Radiant Lightbringer, but even he looked a little uneasy. 

The ships boat slid cleanly up to the single remaining pier in the bright afternoon sun. Ricmo and Marius jumped lightly ashore and tied the boat up as the rest of the party disembarked. Dakhir turned to say something to Radiant Lightbringer only to see a quizzical expression pass over the cleric’s face. Then Radiant’s eyes rolled back into his head and he crumpled like a rag doll at the party's feet.

"I can't make heads or tails of it" said Whisperleaf as he ministered over the fallen cleric. "There aren't any injuries, my herbs and spells are having no effect. "It must be some kind of enchantment. You'd think his god, whatever his name was, would guard him better against things like this."

"Strange" said Dakhir. "I can't remember the name of his god either. It's like it's on the tip of my tongue then escapes me. How odd, given that's basically all he ever talks about"

But despite the party's best effort they could not awaken the cleric. And no one could remember the name of the god.  Eventually they had no choice but to turn around and take him back to the ship and place him in his bed, where he slept. Freddy offered to stay behind and watch over him, and as the boat headed to harbor for the second time, they could hear the soft notes of Freddy's haunting melody echoing from Lightbringer's cabin.

It was a subdued and smaller group that disembarked the second time. and made their way across the broken street toward the cistern. 

It was dry.

"See it's fed from a pipe from inside the castle" remarked Ricmo as he examined the tank. "Must have broken somewhere along the line. Nothing for it but to trace it to it's source." 

The entire walk up from the dock, Marius had never taken her eye from the skeletal figures manning the fortress wall. "I do not think those will allow us" she remarked nodding toward the bastion.

"Can't hurt to ask" said Ricmo brightly and he strode boldly down the center of the pavement toward the gate, waving cheerly at the undead guardians. Dakhir shook his head in exasperation but saw little choice but to follow. 

"Stop, identify yourself" came a deep, gravely voice from atop the wall.

"Four above the gate, two in each corner bastion with cannon, two halberdiers flanking the gate at ground level, at least three in the keep, likely more inside where I could not see. We are utterly exposed and they are behind excellent cover." murmured Marius. "Speak softly halfling." 

"You talk, excellent, how marvelous!" said Ricmo brightly to the skeleton. "Travelers in need of water! And Grog! Or some other spirituous liquor, we aren't particular, provided we can get a lot of it."

A moment of silence. 

"Use the cistern by the dock" replied the deep, gravely voice

"Broken. Dry". Ricmo said sadly.

"You cannot enter this fortress, civilian." the voice had the air of finality. However after a moment "Try the inn." the skeleton raised a bony hand and gestured toward one of the ruined buildings. 

"Willdo, thanks!" said Ricmo brightly. "Well that didn't work" as an aside to the others.

“Did you really expect them to throw open the gate  and drown you in booze just because you asked politely?” said Dakhir.

“Worth a try, worth a try”.

"They talk. That's pretty unusual for undead" remarked Whisperleaf.

"The eyes of the stone lions also watch" Marius remarked. And the statues in the church walls. "It was good you did not antagonize them, little one."

The Inn turned out to be not very hospitable. 

"Hey I think I found something" said Ricmo as he sifted through the rubble. "Sturg give me a hand".

The Sturg sturged over and effortless lifted the piece of fallen masonry the halfling had been struggling with. Underneath was an ancient trap door.

"Excellent" said Ricmo. "Sturg, if you would be so kind? That lock is way too rusted to pick." The Strurg reached down and with one pull wrenched the rotten door off it's hinges. Beneath, in a small hole dug out of the foundation, was a smallish locked chest. "Jackpot" said Ricmo as he reached down and lifted the chest out. "Feels heavy! Great!" Ricmo started pulling out his thieves tools.

"Ricmo stop!" snapped Dakhir suddenly. "Does anyone else feel cold? Look, I can see Ricmo's breath!" It's is hot as the nine hells today, why am I so cold?"

"We are being watched" said Marius.

Ricmo stopped. He shivered, the glow of avarice dying from his eyes. Then, he very carefully replaced the chest in the depression and patted it soothingly. "And I guess we will just leave you here, little guy. Sturg if you would be so kind". The Strurg replaced the piece of masonry over the chest.

The rest of the search failed to reveal any treasure, water, or liquor, but did deepen the mystery. While searching one of the upstairs rooms, Marius was convinced she heard voices in the adjoining chamber. After rushing in, she found the room empty but lying on a broken end table was a plate containing a single fresh apple, neatly sliced into sections. One of the sections was missing.

The party contemplated the fruit.

"It's going to be dark soon". said Dakhir. "We have time to maybe search one more building. How about the church, it's right here? Who did the Annwyn worship anyway?"

"Well that's actually pretty interesting" said Whisperleaf. "They had several Gods of course, they also worshipped their ancestors a fair amount, but one of their principle deities was actually the North Star. You know the really bright star that marks true north. They called it "The Star that Guides" or “The White Star”. It’s worship was a foci of divination and protection. That's clearly who this temple was dedicated to, see the eight pointed star?" he gestured toward the entrance.

The cathedral was in ruins. However the upper chambers of the narthex immediately sparked Marius' interest. 

"Someone lived here" observed the Ranger. "Many years ago, but after the earthquake and flood. See, the efforts to repair the greatest damage, roof patched, the fallen masonry and rubble removed, remains of a ladder replacing the fallen stair, here.  Furnishings. Does anyone else here that scratching noise?" 

"I hear it" said Whisperleaf. "Sounds vaguely familiar. Seems to be coming from the table over there. Oh my, it's COLD over here".

"It's the sound of a quill on parchment. This island is haunted" observed Marius in her matter of fact voice. "We should leave. The light is fading". The party looked out the window toward the western sky, where the sun was getting worrisomely close to the horizon. After a wordless conversation about the desirability of remaining on the island after dark,  the party unanimously voted with their feet and headed back toward the dock. 

"We still haven't found any water, much less grog." Dakhir remarked despondently. 

"That's not what I'm worried about" mused Whisperleaf. "Have you noticed that, while this place is in ruins, it's still surprisingly recent ruin if you get my drift? The Annwyn empire fell five hundred years ago, in this climate, with the surf practically washing the town, well nature just doesn't work that way.  Even the ruins of this town should be a distant memory by now. Five hundred years is a long long time, nature moves much faster to reclaim her own then this. Strange." 

That night Dakhir took first watch. So it was he that noticed the lights go on in the inn after full dark. The fully intact, completely unruined, and judging by the noise drifting over the harbor, very much inhabited inn.