Previous: On The Road Again
Session 14: An Evil Plan...Thwarted
** Spoiler Warning ** The following contains information from Wreck Ashore, an adventure from the Wizards of the Coast.
After defeating the crocodiles, the group continued towards the lighthouse. The group searched for a good campsite to recuperate and rest for the night so they could reach the lighthouse before the end of the following day. The group found a good campsite and settled in for the night. A couple of hours after midnight, Grafton was watching the camp when he spotted a huge form moving along the ground towards the camp. Grafton shouted an alarm and charged forward to intercept the creature. Grafton sent a gout of flame towards the serpentine form and when the flame hit the enormous snake it reared into striking position and struck. Grafton was able to hit the snake weakly as its venom coursed through his veins, but the snake grabbed Grafton and with blinding quickness the ranger was wrapped in the dire snake's muscular coils. Grafton quickly blacked out.
Grafton's companions were able to attack the enormous snake as it attempted to squeeze the life out of their companion. The snake realized that it was defenseless while it was constricting Grafton, so it released its prey to defend itself. Grafton's limp form fell to the earth with a sickening thud. Between Alisnier's double sword, Jelana's daggers, Elian's waraxe, Jacob's morningstar, and the damage that Grafton inflicted before he was subdued, the dire snake couldn't withstand much more. It attempted to flee, but was killed before it could reach the nearby water.
Jacob began to administer healing to Grafton as soon as the snake was defeated. Grafton was lucky, he survived the grievous attack by the snake. The group spent the entire following day allowing Grafton to recuperate. The group left the campsite on the morning of the fifth day.
At around noon, Jelana spotted a humanoid form in some foliage some distance away. She alerted her companions and Grafton took a bowshot towards the lurking forms. His arrow flew true and struck one of the forms. The bushes rustled as Grafton sprinted towards the hiding place. When the ranger reached the ridge with the bushes, the humanoid forms were nowhere to be seen. There was some blood and Grafton followed some tracks to a large, muddy pool of water. The tracks disappeared at the edge.
The group continued toward the lighthouse and they reached the lighthouse at dusk. Looking out over the shallows to the rocky island where the lighthouse rests, the group noticed that the building was eerily quiet. The beacon was dark, there were no candles or lanterns lit, and although the lighthouse keeper's family lived on the island, there were no sounds at all. The group climbed down from the promontory where they overlooked the island. Seeing no boat to take them out to the island, Alisnier removed her armor and swam out to the island. After a cursory search, she found a small rowboat and rowed back to the shore where the rest of her companions waited. Sitting low in the water, the overloaded rowboat slowly crept out to the island. The companions still hadn't heard nor seen any sign of the family.
The group walked up to the door and opened it, still no trace.
Inside the entryway there were three doors, one to the left, one to the right, and one straight ahead. The group went through the door straight ahead and went up the spiral staircase found beyond. Passing two doors leading to other levels, they moved to the top of the lighthouse to the light loft. In the light loft they found that the lamp, mirrors, and lenses had all been smashed. The group continued down to the next lower level. On that level, the group discovered the mangled bodies of the lighthouse keeper's young sons. Angered by the calloused murders, the group vowed to bring the culprits to justice. On the second level, the group found the body of the lighthouse keeper's wife. Beginning to think that the lighthouse keeper may have murdered his family for some reason. As the group searched the lighthouse for clues, Grafton looked out of the window of one of the children's rooms and saw a beacon further down the beach. Grafton's shield, Cornelius told him that someone must be luring ships into the reef and stealing their goods. Grafton told the rest of the group his shield's conclusion and Jelana came up with a plan. The group would light a fire in the light loft and hopefully lure the murderers to the lighthouse to check on the flames.
They started a large fire and sure enough, an hour later a ship's launch was rowing towards the small island. The group lie in wait to ambush the evil bastards that killed the family. Jelana and Grafton hid outside of the building and the rest of the group waiting inside the lighthouse. A group of four humans jumped out of the launch and made their way up to the lighthouse. They spotted Grafton hiding near the building and charged forward to attack. Grafton and Jelana intercepted their charge and called out to their friends.
The battle was quick and three of the murderers lay dead on the rocks. The fourth was captured and Jelana interrogated him. After some prodding, she found out that the lighthouse keeper was also murdered and that there were four more enemies near the false beacon, the captain, first mate, and two other sailors from a pirate ship that had foundered on the reef two months before.
The group jumped into the launch and rowed their way to the false beacon and the rest of the murderous pirates.
Landing on the small beach, a woman stepped up on the ridge about fifteen feet from their landing point. The woman pointed a bow at the invaders and Grafton charged up the incline towards her. She let fly with the arrow and although he was able to dodge the full impact, he was hit with the arrow, but he was able to continue to the top of the ridge. At the top of the ridge, Grafton called out that the rest of the murderers were just over the ridge. The rest of his companions charged forward as Grafton began the battle. Grafton and Deeohgee attacked the woman who shot him with the bow, and Deeohgee pulled the woman's legs out from under her, tripping her to the ground. The rest of the battle was quick and the evil pirates were defeated with two more captives to turn into the authorities.
The group searched the pirate's camp, finding various goods that they had taken from ships that had floundered on the reef. The pirates also had a small sailing ship that, with the help of their captive sailors, the group was able to navigate back to Katay. Once in the city the group turned in their captives, sold the goods they recovered, and went to speak with James Underdoo.