All At Sea

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All At Sea
By Robert Tulk
Synopsis
This adventure is designed for any level of party, novice to experienced. Guidelines on how to make it harder are
included at the end. It is an ideal way of getting a new group of characters to work together for the first time.
The scenario begins with the PC’s (Player Characters) travelling by ship from Marienburg to Erengrad for whatever
reason the GM (Games Master) deems necessary (some ideas can be found in the rumours section if needed). With
the changing of a few place names and geographical locations the adventure can start almost anywhere but makes
the most sense if part of the journey passes through the Sea of Claws.
During their journey the PC’s become shipwrecked on a remote island. They discover that they are not the only ones
there and a possible way of leaving is discovered, though it does mean dealing with a band of Norscan Reavers. But
someone on the island is hunting the Reavers down….
Please note that all maps and statistics for this scenario appear at the end.
Introduction
The PC’s have managed to secure transport upon a merchant ship called The Amy headed for Erengrad, owned and
run by the van Haagen family.
The captain is David van der Gaag, an experienced sailor and regular traveller upon the Sea of Claws. In his late
thirties, he is renowned for his bravery. Tales are still being told of how he successfully beat off two pirate vessels who
attacked his ship just off the coast of Bretonnia. Of medium height and build, he is an unimposing person who only
cares about getting the job done. His appearance and demeanour would seem to be at odds with the tales of his
exploits.
The PC’s are to be woken at first light the following morning at their residence by the first mate Stefansson, a large
man in his mid-thirties with some obvious Norscan ancestry, who will ensure they reach the ship in time to catch the
early tide.
The following morning is a grey, misty affair with only a slight breeze to stir things up. As the PC’s travel alongside the
Bruynwater canal they can see that the Suiddock district is already in full swing. Several small boats are already
setting out for the great bay, the Manaanspoort Zee, to start their days fishing. Remnants of the previous nights
festivities can still be seen in the gutters and smelt in the air. Some of the dock workers and sailors look decidedly
worse for wear.
Upon reaching the mooring of The Amy the PC’s get their first look at the ship which will be their home for the next
couple of weeks. The ship has two masts with square-rigged sails, is twenty yards long and five yards wide. The crew
including captain and first mate totals twelve. A flag at the stern flies the van Haagen symbol, a blue background with
white chevrons.
PC’s may make an Average test vs. Sail or Trade (Shipwright), or a Challenging (-10) Perception test. If successful
they notice that the ship sits low in the water, the hold full of goods. If anyone made the roll with two or more degrees
of success they notice that although the ship looks to be in good condition, a closer look shows ropes that are
beginning to fray, lines in the rigging which aren’t as tight as they should be and other small signs of poor upkeep.
The PC’s are taken aboard and introduced to the captain who seems preoccupied with charts and ledgers. Stefansson
then takes them down a flight of stairs leading from the main deck into the hull. The stairs open into a poorly lit area
lined with benches. Turning toward the back of the ship, they are led through a door into a small room. A bench lies
along the wall to the left and another door lies opposite the one they entered by. A number of metal hooks line the
walls (for hanging hammocks) and an oil lamp hangs down from the centre of the ceiling. The bench has a hinged lid
which Stefansson explains allows it to be used for storage. This is where the PC’s will keep their possessions.
Currently the only thing inside are hammocks. Through the other door is the galley.
Stefansson explains that the PC’s are welcome to move freely between this room and the deck but he asks that they
not distract the crew from their duties. He suggests that you keep out of the way of the cook who can be a bit
cantankerous, and also mentions that the ship should be underway within the hour.
Ship Layout
1. Upper Deck. The ship’s wheel is located here.
2. Captain’s cabin. This room is modestly furnished containing very few personal possessions. There are a lot of
charts and maps as well as several pieces of equipment used to aid navigation. The Captain does all his own
navigating, not trusting it to anyone else.
3. Fore and Aft holds loading hatchway. This has a hinged wooden cover which is bolted down whilst the ship is at
sea.
4. Hatch leading to room 9.
5. Galley. A cramped room containing a long, low worktable, an assortment of knives and cleavers and other cooking
utensils. A stove stands in one corner with a bucket of water next to it. Crates and boxes stored under the table hold
various foodstuffs.
6. Sleeping quarters. This is the room in which the PC’s will be staying. It is normally used by some of the crew when
there are no passengers. The contents are as stated in the introduction.
7. Aft hold. This is full of bales of cloth, barrels of dried food and building materials. This is where the crew will be
sleeping during the journey.
8. Fore hold. This contains crates holding various everyday metal items and a few crates holding swords, axe heads
and shields. The goods are to be sold to the government in Erengrad to help with the rebuilding process after the
devastation caused during the Storm of Chaos.
9. Ships stores. Lengths of rope, canvas and various other ships supplies can be found here.
The Crew
The crew is made up mainly of Wastelanders who will keep to themselves during the voyage.
David van der Gaag
- The Captain is a quiet man who will deal with the PC’s via Stefansson if needed.
Stefansson
- First Mate. Known by everyone as Stefansson, only the captain knows his first name (Adelbert, his
mother named him after her favourite actor at the local theatre). He drives the crew hard but is fair and generally well-
liked. He will be courteous and friendly towards any passengers, always taking time out to chat if possible. He has a
lot of respect for the captain having served under him for seven years. Loud only when needed, he has red hair which
he keeps tied back in a ponytail and sports a neatly trimmed beard.
Bench
- Old Salt. At nearly sixty years of age, Bench is the oldest member of the crew. He can tell many stories of his
adventures on the high seas and swears blind that he saw a mermaid off the coast of Estalia in his youth, something
the rest of the crew love to tease him about. Still sprightly despite his years, his experience more than makes up for
any loss of speed.
Thori Thurgromsson
- Cook. A Dwarf originating from Barak Varr, he started off as a Marine aboard gunboats on
escort duty on the Skull River. His father is a highly respected cook and brewer. Thori gets funny about any mention of
all the best cooks being Halflings. Twenty years ago he decided to see the rest of the world and spent several years
travelling across the Empire, finally ending up in Marienburg. He joined van der Gaag’s crew five years ago and likes
the captains quiet, down-to-earth ways. Thori takes great pride in his cooking and his beard, which he keeps braided.
The only other thing he cares about is his cat (see below).
Rocky
- Ships Cat. Thori found Rocky whilst he was still a kitten, starving and all alone. Taking pity on the little
creature, he took it back to the ship with him and nurtured it on leftovers and milk mixed with a drop of dwarf ale. Three
years later, Rocky is a huge tabby with plenty of scars and only half an ear on the right side of his head. Rocky divides
his days between sleeping, eating and hunting down rats. Ideally he should take a liking to one of the PC’s, following
them around, sleeping on them etc. (A Dwarf would be the most likely choice, an Elf or Halfling the least likely, he
senses Thori’s dislike of these races.)
News and Gossip
Below are various pieces of gossip or rumours that the PC’s might learn from talking to the crew. Some, none or all of
these can be true as you wish.
1. The fishing has been very poor this year. All the fish are being scared away by some monstrous creature which has
taken up residence in the Sea of Claws.
2. There is plenty of work in Kislev for anybody handy with a sword clearing up the remains of the Chaos armies.
3. Norse Reavers are hanging around off the coast of the Empire trying to pick up some extra loot before heading
home.
4. Valten’s body was taken back to Ulthuan by Teclis. It was seen being loaded aboard a ship in Elftown by a
Stevedore on his way home in the early hours of the morning.
5. The Bretonnians are looking to take over Marienburg while the Empire is distracted.
6. Neue Emskrank was sacked by an army of Norscans lead by a Daemon.
7. Halfling’s are being stopped from entering Kislev because of the food shortage. Halfling’s large appetites are seen
to be a problem. (This rumour will almost certainly come from Thori.)
8. The van de Kuypers family are offering the Kislev government unlimited funds to help with rebuilding work after the
Chaos invasion. They are hoping to get the government into so much debt that they will have to turn control of the port
of Erengrad over to them to clear what they owe.
9. Khazrak One-eye, the beastman warlord being hunted by Graf Boris Todbringer, was spotted in the Cursed
Marshes.
10. Count von Raukov is hiring mercenaries and scouts in Salkalten to help fight the remains of the Chaos armies.
To Erengrad
The journey to Erengrad should take between two to three weeks, depending on weather, to complete. The description
of the journey below gives a basic overview, feel free to add any extra encounters or sightings.
The ship starts out at a sluggish pace with only a slight wind to help. There is little to be seen, the coastline being fairly
barren and the sea consisting of one rolling grey wave after another with the occasional sail in the distance, more
often than not a fishing boat.
In the afternoon of the fourth day the ship passes from the Manaansport Sea into the Sea of Claws proper. The wind
begins to pick up and faster progress is made. A noticeable drop in temperature is also felt.
The tenth day finds the ship rounding the headland known as Wrecker’s Point. The wind remains steady and the ships
progress continues smoothly.
The thirteenth day of the voyage starts nice and clear though decidedly chillier. Bench is muttering to himself about
being able to “smell something in the air which ain’t quite right“. If this is commented on to Stefansson he will say that
Bench always gets at least one bad feeling each voyage, but the captain seems to think everything is fine. PC’s may
notice that Rocky is nowhere to be found.
Squall at Sea
A little after midday the sky suddenly turns black, a strong wind hits the sails and rain begins to lash the deck. The
oncoming waves grow alarmingly and the ship begins to heave. Stefansson starts shouting orders to the crew and
instructs the PC’s to get to their quarters in no uncertain terms.
If the PC’s stay on the main deck there is a very good chance that they will get swept overboard unless they tie
themselves to something.
PC’s should make an Average Sail test, or a Very Hard (-30) Agility test or be swept overboard. If overboard they need
to make an Average Swim test each round, if successful they get a chance to pull themselves back onboard by
making a Challenging (-10) Strength test.
PC’s who stay on deck will see the crew drop the sails, batten down as much as they can and then go below decks to
the aft hold. During this process three of the crew are lost, washed overboard. The only member of crew who stays on
deck is the captain who lashes himself to the wheel.
PC’s who follow Stefansson’s advice are met by Thori on his way up to help. He suggests they get in their room and
try to secure themselves to something.
The ship spends what feels like hours being tossed about on the waves.
PC’s should make an Average Toughness test. If they fail they suffer from seasickness which has the same effect as
having failed one Consume Alcohol test (see rulebook pg.115 for details). The duration time starts from when the ship
stops rolling around.
Suddenly there is an enormous crash which hurls anyone not secured to something solid toward the bow.
Anyone not secured suffers a blow causing 1d10 -2 wounds.
The rolling from side-to-side stops but you here a loud grinding noise, followed by a loud crash on the deck overhead.
The ship then gives a horrible shudder followed by a very loud snapping sound, then you briefly roll from side-to-side
again before a grating noise, and then all movement stops.
(The above description assumes PC’s are below decks. If they are still on deck they will catch a glimpse of rocks just
before the ship hits them. The masts come crashing down on to the deck. The ship then splits in half, the bow being
washed back out to sea and the stern briefly bobbing along until washing up on the beach. Anyone on deck must
make a Dodge test or a Very Hard (-30) Agility test or be struck by rigging etc. This will do 1d10 wounds.)
Wrecked
If the PC’s decide to search the remains of the ship this is what they will find.
The rear end of the ship has washed up on the beach but is still being buffeted by the waves, the wind and rain do not
seem to have eased at all.
The galley is a mess with boxes and kitchen utensils all over the place but it is still intact. Food and a cask of water are
easy to find.
The aft hold is open to the elements with waves washing into it, the front of the ship is nowhere to be seen. There is no
sign of the crew either, and the cargo has been washed away. Exit onto the beach is straight forward (literally!).
On deck, apart from rigging and the fallen masts, the only thing of note is Captain van der Gaag, still tied to the wheel.
His head lies at an unnatural angle and he doesn’t respond to any calls. If anyone climbs up to him they will discover
that the right side of his head has been smashed in by a falling spar, he is quite dead.
The sky is darkening suggesting the time is late afternoon. The beach is about 400 yards long and about 40 yards
deep with debris-strewn rocks at one end and a low headland at the other. Cliffs about thirty feet high rise above the
beach at the end nearest the rocks, tapering down to the headland at the far end of the beach making for easier
climbing at that point.
(PC’s should feel the need to find shelter from the driving rain and the biting cold. The beach is open, the wind blowing
into the cliffs. The remains of the ship are by no means safe, the aft section could get washed out to sea if the waves
come in any further.)
The Island
The ground rises up from the coastline about 80 feet before levelling out. From here a general view of the island can
be had. North and West the land seems fairly level, to the East the land starts off level before rising once again to a
hilltop, the summit of which is about 150 feet above sea level. There appears to be some type of small squat structure
on the hilltop. Apart from this there are a few bushes and a couple of windswept trees dotted about but no obvious
signs of shelter.
The island is one mile wide at it’s widest point and three miles long, though this should not be apparent from the initial
view. The only animals on the island are rats, a small herd of goats and gulls which nest on the cliffs on the north side
of the island. Seals can be occasionally found on the beach but none are present at the moment.
The Hilltop
If the PC’s head for the structure on the hilltop they should reach it just before darkness falls.
The structure is square with walls 5 yards long, the roof is eight feet high. It is constructed from roughly dressed stone
with turfs laid on top of the flat slate roof. The entrance is on the north side of the building.
The inside is pitch black but dry and sheltered. There is a strong, sickly-sweet smell about the place and some animal
tracks can be seen on the floor. Towards the back wall sits a dressed block of stone two feet high and wide and three
feet long. Carved into its top is a symbol of a five-pointed crown enclosing a trident. A wave design runs around the
top edge of the block.
If a search is made of the interior of the structure, an average perception test will find small bones on the floor between
the block and the back wall. The bones appear to be from small animals. If two or more degrees of success are
achieved on the test an inscription is found carved on the wall just inside the door. All that can be made out is the letter
O followed by the number 9. The rest of the text is unreadable.
This structure is a shrine devoted to Manann constructed by a devout explorer several hundred years earlier when he
chanced upon the island.
A Ghoulish Encounter
If the PC’s use the shrine for shelter, during the night, the creature who uses the shrine as its lair will return from
unsuccessfully hunting on the island.
The Ghoul who uses the shrine as its lair has been on the island for many years. Originally a sailor shipwrecked along
with some others, the survivors ended up going crazy and killing one another when rescue didn’t arrive. Starving and
wounded from the fighting, the sailor turned to eating human flesh to survive.
The Ghoul has been living off goats and whatever else it can catch but is desperate for human flesh. It will attempt to
creep up to the shrine and kill a sentry or someone who is sleeping. If it manages to kill someone it will try to drag the
body off to eat and will be satisfied.
The Ghoul appears as a scrawny, hunched human with crooked limbs, sharp claws and feral eyes. It is unclothed and
has a sickly-sweet smell about it.
The Morning After
The following day is clear with hardly any wind and no rain.
If the PC’s go back to the beach the stern of the ship has been washed twenty feet back out to sea. The galley and
their former quarters are now partially submerged. A couple of the sailors bodies have washed up on the beach along
with some wreckage. There is nothing useful.
From the hilltop the PC’s can see an even higher hill to the east and from somewhere on the far side, a thin line of
smoke is rising steadily into the air.
Island Timeline
Circa 10
th
Century - Island found by explorer and shrine built.
Circa 13
th
Century - Norscan Reavers discover the island and use it as a base while raiding the northern coast of the
Empire.
2450 - Tilean merchant happens across the island whilst sailing to Erengrad.
2462 - Tilean merchant decides to take up residence on the island having fled his home after falling foul of a powerful
family.
2473 - Norscan Reavers sack the island and kill all the inhabitants.
2491 - The sailor who will become the Ghoul is shipwrecked on the island.
The Villa
The top of the larger hill is 180 feet above sea level. Looking down the other side you see a single storey building
made out of stone which looks like it was whitewashed at some time in the past. It has a roof made of slate tiles with a
chimney which is the source of the smoke. There appears to be an inner courtyard, partly covered.
The building sits on the edge of the cliff at the east end of the island. The area around the building though now grown
wild, shows signs of once being cleared and farmed.
All the rooms are 15 feet high within the villa. All of the rooms except the antechamber, main hall, storeroom and
kitchen have small windows 10 feet off the ground. The walls inside have been whitewashed and retain their colour.
The floors are of dressed stone unless stated otherwise. All interior doors are closed but unlocked unless otherwise
stated.
1. Entrance
Two narrow steps lead up to the double wooden doors. The doors are warped, one hanging ajar on a single hinge.
Though stiff, they will open easily. The room beyond is plain and empty.
2. Antechamber
This room contains some smashed wooden furniture (what looks like the remains of a desk and some chairs).
3. Masters Quarters
A woven rug, mouldy and torn covers most of the floor. Tatters of once-rich tapestries hang from the walls. A decayed
four-poster bed still stands on one side of the room, a thick red stain on the floor beneath it. A torn silk screen divides
off one corner of the room.
If the PC’s check under the bed they find the body of a Norscan Reaver, his throat cut. The body is mutated with crab-
like pincers instead of hands.
Behind the screen sits a terracotta bathtub cracked in several places. Crammed into the bathtub is the body of another
Reaver, a dagger sticking out of the left eye socket.
4. Main Hall
The floor in this room is one gigantic mosaic made up of various nautical themes. The tattered remains of tapestries
hang from the walls. The remains of four statues line the northern wall, two either side of the double doors. They were
originally of humanlike figures but are now smashed beyond recognition. The rotting remains of three sofa’s and a low
wooden table are the only other items within the room.
Sprawled on one of the sofa’s is the body of a Norscan Reaver. He has been stabbed in the stomach.
5. Kitchen
Large heavy tables run around the outside of this room. A large fireplace dominates the west wall, the fire burning well.
Suspended in the fireplace on chains is a large cooking pot. Bent over the pot with his head and torso pushed in,
pinning his arms to his sides, is the body of another Reaver. The pot contains (apart from the Reaver) some type of
porridge.
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