Five years ago, a hermitage devoted to the contemplation of nature was established in an abandoned island fortress, once the site of a beacon meant to warn against invasion from the sea. The folk of the hermitage opened the island to people of all faiths, promising a place for those seeking solitude and peace. But that peace has now been shattered, and the characters must determine what force of evil has slain the residents of Firewatch Island almost to the last—and how to prevent the even greater tragedy to come.
Tammeraut’s Fate is an adventure designed for four to six 9th-level characters.
About the Original
Prolific adventure writer Greg Vaughn spun this tale of horror on the high seas for Dungeon 106 in 2004. Like much of Vaughn’s work, this scenario builds a chilling scenario that requires the players to peel through several layers of mystery, decipher the truth of the matter, and face down supernatural horrors to end a threat before it can grow to its full power.
Background
Several years ago, a fearsome pirate named Syrgaul sailed the sea aboard his war galley, Tammeraut. Syrgaul and his crew showed no mercy to those who crossed their path, killing the crews of those ships that fell prey to him.
Syrgaul was a mighty sorcerer, and his crew was bloodthirsty and skilled in both sailing and killing. Worse still, Syrgaul claimed allegiance to Orcus, the demon lord of the undead.
Orcus did indeed seem to favor Syrgaul, who often benefited from strong winds in his sails and swirling currents that prevented his prey from escaping. In return, the pirate captain made sacrifices to the demon lord.
Syrgaul eventually met his end just over ten years ago. As he and his crew approached a naval post called Firewatch Island to plunder it, a priest garrisoned at the outpost implored the sea god, Procan, for mercy. Whether because of luck or because the cleric’s prayers were answered, a sudden storm swept through the area, capsizing Tammeraut and sending the ship to the bottom of the sea.
Tammeraut’s Secret
The sinking of Tammeraut did not spell the end for Syrgaul and his band of pirates. As his ship plunged into the sea, he called out to his fiendish patron. Orcus heeded his call and imbued Syrgaul and his crew with undeath, the twisted form of immortality he offers his followers.
The pirates, now fully under Orcus’s thrall, emerged from the wreckage and marched across the seabed to Firewatch Island. They overran the garrison and carried the remains back to their wrecked ship. There, with Orcus’s instruction, they began the laborious process of opening the Pit of Hatred, a rift to the Abyss that can transform corpses into drowned ones.
Death in the Night
After the raid by Syrgaul’s undead minions, the garrison at Firewatch Island remained empty for several years. The undead were careful to leave behind no sign of their presence, such that the next ship to drop anchor there found the place abandoned, its defenders seemingly vanished. The place was considered cursed for some time thereafter and remained abandoned until five years ago.
At that time, a minor order of monks, hermits, and contemplatives moved in and claimed the island as their home. The old garrison fort has been repaired and rebuilt as a place of peaceful living.
Unfortunately for the island’s latest residents, their peaceful reverie has been ruined. Syrgaul’s crew has finally completed the work of preparing the Pit of Hatred. Now, they need humanoid corpses to feed into the pit and spawn more drowned ones like themselves. The hermits of Firewatch Island make the perfect first recruits.
Adventure Summary
The adventure begins with the characters traveling along the coast and arriving in the nearby village of Uskarn, they learn that the villagers are concerned about the hermitage that stands on an island in the adjacent bay. The village druid, Vortanim, asks the characters to investigate and make sure the hermitage is safe.
When they arrive at Firewatch Island, the characters discover a grisly scene. Evidence of a fatal battle and the presence of dangerous scavengers gives little hope of finding anyone alive. But when a handful of survivors are discovered hidden in a bolt-hole, the characters learn about the dark fate of the hermitage and its people. More important, they come to understand that after the drowned ones have finished hunting the last residents of Firewatch Island, the undead will turn their attention to the settlements of the coast—becoming an unstoppable army of undead.
As darkness falls, the drowned ones that attacked the hermitage the previous night return to finish the job. The characters must defend themselves and the survivors, using the assault as an opportunity to destroy the drowned ones before their threat can spread. After doing so, the characters learn of the island’s history and how it connects to the undead attacks. They then have a chance to destroy the underwater source of evil—the twisted undead captain Syrgaul. Seeking the undead in his watery lair, they discover the damaged magical seal that once kept the portal inside the Pit of Hatred closed. Only by resealing the rift can they end its corruption for good.
Placing the Adventure
Here are suggestions for where you can place this adventure in particular campaign settings.
Eberron: Built by Aundair during the Last War, the fort on Firewatch Island once guarded the mouth of Scions Sound against threats from Karrnath, but it has since become a place of meditation and retreat. Ten years before the end of the war, the fort was attacked by the Order of the Emerald Claw. In desperation, the defenders called upon the Traveler for divine aid that seemingly saved the fort. But in the end, the god’s fickle whim saw Syrgaul and his crew transformed, and ultimately doomed the garrison.
Forgotten Realms: On Faerûn, Firewatch Island rises out of the Wyvernwater in Cormyr. It was once the site of a Purple Dragon outpost north of Wheloon, intended to keep watch over that prison city. When a Sembian raiding force was sent to take the outpost and gain access to Wheloon, the garrison’s Northlander cleric called on Valkur for aid. The Sembian boats were sent to the bottom of the lake, where Netherese magic carried by the raiders wrought a terrible transformation on the drowned crew.
Mystara: Concerned by growing evidence of a Thyatian attack, Duke Stefan of Karameikos saw a need to establish an outpost on an island near Rugalov. As tensions faded and concern waned, Duke von Hendricks of the Black Eagle Barony saw an opportunity, and dispatched agents of the Iron Ring to seize Firewatch Island as a naval base. In the Known World, Nyx or Orcus could be Syrgaul’s patron, and Janore Stormswake could be a follower of Protius.
Adventure Hooks
You can use this adventure at any point in your campaign when the characters are traveling on a remote coastal road. You might have them drawn into the mystery by chance, trusting the players to want to explore the devastated hermitage, rescue the survivors, and learn what happened. Alternatively, consider either of the following hooks to get the characters to the hermitage.
Delayed Delivery
While visiting a town along the coast near Firewatch Island, the party received a seemingly easy mission: to deliver a message to a town farther down the coast. Doing so takes the characters through the village of Uskarn where they learn that something is wrong on Firewatch Island. The mission they are on is not time-sensitive, leaving the characters a free day or two to investigate. The contents of the message and the NPC who gave them the mission can be designed to fit your campaign.
Morley’s Debt
In a settlement somewhere close to Uskarn, a merchant named Davus Raal (LN male half-elf noble) contacts the party with an offer of employment. Raal offers a bounty if the characters can track down Morley Tobe, a dwarf who absconded after failing to repay a 8,000 gp debt owed to Raal. The merchant found out that Morley fled to Firewatch Island (where he’s hiding in area area 25) and is posing as a pious hermit to dodge his debts. Raal hires the characters to reclaim the money he is owed or, failing that, to bring Morley to him (after which the dwarf will be sold to pirates to recoup Raal’s losses). If they take the job, Raal tells them how to get to Uskarn, which is the closest mainland community to the island.
Harpy Attack
Regardless of what brings the characters to the area, the adventure begins with a chance encounter as they travel along the coast near the village of Uskarn.
The road is little more than a gravel track hugging the coastline. The day is hot, and the air is thick with the scent and sound of the sea. Suddenly, you hear harsh cries and the sounds of a scuffle from up ahead. Rounding a curve, you see a woman kneeling next to a body, sobbing as she hunches protectively over the remains. Circling in the air a few feet above her, eight harpies screech and flail at each other.
The sobbing woman is actually a harpy matriarch (see appendix C), which has used its magic to disguise itself as a middle-aged human female. The eight Harpy that serve the matriarch circle above. Any character who makes a successful DC 17 Wisdom (
If the characters approach to assist the woman or attack the harpies, they witness the harpy matriarch’s transformation:
The woman stands suddenly, turning to reveal a gore-caked mouth and hollow black eyes. In an instant, she is surrounded by a cloud of flapping skeletal birds and her own shape shifts to that of a gray-feathered harpy.
The harpies and their matriarch attack the characters in the hope of claiming another easy meal.
Unfortunate Swimmer
The corpse on the beach was once an older human male, with a scraggly gray beard and short gray hair balding at the crown. His left ear is missing, though it is obviously an old wound. He wears only a pair of homespun, water-soaked breeches, and his skin is wrinkled from having spent time in the water. A character who succeeds on a successful DC 12 Wisdom (
This was Philpert, a member of the Firewatch Island hermitage who escaped the drowned ones' attack by swimming three miles of open sea. Sadly, his exhausted body gave out just a short distance from land, and his corpse washed up on the beach with the next tide.
If
In his former life, Philpert spent much of his time slumming in the village of Uskarn, living off the charity of its citizens. Joining the Firewatch Island hermitage allowed him to finally find peace. But the horror of the drowned ones' attack shattered his sanity, so that at best he can recount only that the attackers came from the sea, were humanoid in appearance, and had glowing eyes and rotting flesh.
The Village of Uskarn
Uskarn is a small fishing village of nine hundred souls. Though the place is primarily a human settlement, a handful of elves, dwarves, and gnomes have also made their homes here.
Most of Uskarn’s inhabitants earn a living fishing in the shallows of the adjacent bay or venturing farther out to sea if they’re after more impressive catches. The village boasts an unusually large port for its size, used both for its own fishing boats and for the trading vessels and naval ships that frequently stop here on their way through the area.
Staying in Uskarn
An extended stay in the village isn’t required to complete this adventure, but the characters are likely to visit—if only to secure passage to Firewatch Island by way of the small ferry that runs from the village.
Characters who do spend time in the village might be drawn to the popular tavern known as the Fog and Frog, a large warehouse converted into a drinking establishment with a dozen modest rooms to rent in the back. The tavern is run by council member Skeldruff Plenk, who brews a much-lauded lager called Plenk’s Plenk.
If the characters ask about Philpert in Uskarn, the villagers know him by description. Anyone can tell the characters about Philpert’s history in the village, and most residents know he had been living at the Firewatch Island hermitage for the past several months. The people of Uskarn are understandably concerned if one of the peaceful hermits of the island has turned up dead. Though they have no money to offer as incentive, the villagers are quick to ask the characters to check on the hermitage to make sure everything is all right.
If the characters spend any time in Uskarn other than the minimum required to use it as a jumping-off point for the adventure, the following details about prominent people and other background information might come in handy.
Uskarn Council
A village council of six respected merchants guides general policy for Uskarn. The council consists of the following members:
- Vortanim (NG male human druid), an elderly and good-natured sage and bookseller
- Bellis Bellweather (CG female halfling commoner), a bright-spirited cheese shop owner
- Mirria Delvane (N female human guard), a retired soldier turned blacksmith
- Valissia Arrowen (CN female elf spy), an elf guide and scout who runs a fur and leather shop
- Skeldruff Plenk (LN male gnome commoner), a beer maker and proprietor of the Fog and Frog tavern
- Marius Golpin (NE male human thug), the unscrupulous owner of a general store
Law and Order
Although the council steers the village’s economy, the true power in Uskarn lies in the hands of Feldrin Kane (LN male human knight), an intimidating bailiff who ensures that the independent-minded natives don’t stray too far from his own vision of good government. His taciturn agent Merrick (N male halfling veteran) commands a small force of deputies and officers who maintain order in the village, and who look poorly on foreign troublemakers. Visitors are likely to receive a visit from Merrick or one of his officers soon after arriving, the official offering a cool welcome along with questions about their business in town and intended length of stay.
Intrigue
Though the village is small and unassuming overall, it’s also the site of a smuggling operation run out of Uskarn’s large port district. Several of Merrick’s deputies are in the pocket of Griff Talsin (CE male human bandit captain), ostensibly a maritime merchant who trades in fine cloth and dry goods. Talsin is actually a black-hearted privateer who gets most of his wares from illegal raids against coastal villages across the bay. Any trouble with Talsin attracts the attention of his more powerful pirate allies, which could lead to or connect with further adventures.
Firewatch Island
Firewatch Island is a small island set between a populous peninsula and the mouth of a broad river. Its only feature of note is the hermitage built on the site of the abandoned ruin of its old fortress.
The tiny island, 800 feet long by 400 feet wide, is a mixture of scrubby woodland and rocky hills. Three stony peaks rise above the grass and shrubs. The tallest stands more than 400 feet high along the southern coast of the island, while the other two are 300 and 100 feet high respectively.
Aside from the hermits, the island is normally home to only vermin, rats, a variety of noisy birds, and various tide pool creatures. But now the stink of corpses in area 14 has drawn additional scavengers from the surrounding waters and the mainland—including a dangerous monster.
Look Out Above
Chief among the creatures drawn to the scent of death on the island is a monstrous peryton (see appendix C) known as Rasp. This creature has long hunted across the region, searching for fishing boats or passenger ships to attack. The locals watch for and fear Rasp, and they know that it has several lairs along the coast. None who have tried to hunt the creature have returned.
The peryton makes frequent passes over the island nowadays, hoping to spot survivors of the recent attack that it can devour. If the characters arrive by day, Rasp welcomes them with its claws and beak. It is smart enough to not fight to the death, though, and it leaves the island to return to one of its mainland lairs if reduced to half its hit points or fewer.
If Rasp reduces a character to 0 hit points, it attempts to pick the character up and fly back to its newly claimed lair in area area 24.
Rasp’s recent predations have prompted other creatures on the island to stay out of sight. The native fauna do not wander freely, nor do the remaining residents.
Traveling to Firewatch Island
A small keelboat makes the three-mile journey south from Uskarn to Firewatch Island at first light each day, delivering supplies and bringing passengers back and forth from the hermitage. A one-way trip costs 5 sp. The ferry is mastered by Ulder Raserhill (LN male half-orc commoner), a short-tempered individual who begrudges his fate as a backwater sailor. If the characters request him to wait for them (or if he thinks the characters are rich), he asks for an extra payment of as much as 50 gp.
To give the characters a way to explore on their own or to leave the island independently, the Uskarn council arranges for their use of a large rowboat, which Underhill tows to the island when he transports his passengers.
If the characters have their own ship it’s easy for them to reach Firewatch Island. Keep in mind that having access to their own ship makes escaping the island easy, but if the characters flee, then they might have no way of tracking the undead back to the Pit of Hatred.
Characters who make their own way to the island can start the adventure by landing at any point along its shore. If they use the ferry, Raserhill puts in only at the pier near the hermitage on the north shore of the island. He drops off his passengers and the rowboat, then promptly heads back to the mainland.
End of The Journey
In good weather, the journey to Firewatch Island takes an hour. As the characters approach, they can hear the faint sound of a large bell being rung, seemingly coming from the island. But the sound fades quickly and is not heard again. (One of the survivors at the hermitage rang the bell when he saw the characters' vessel approaching, but he was waylaid thereafter; see area area 24 for more information.)
When the characters come within sight of the island, read:
The sun makes the waves sparkle as Firewatch Island comes fully into view. Three barren hills are its most noticeable landmarks, rising above narrow, rocky beaches and small wiry shrubs on an otherwise sparse landscape. In between those high points, a small fortress and beacon tower can be seen. The building is made of stone and looks to have two floors. A bell tower rises an additional two stories above the rest of the building, and a low stone wall surrounds part of the complex.
If the characters approach the pier that serves the hermitage, see area area 1 for more information.
The Hermitage
The fortress on Firewatch Island was hastily built when first established, and the residents of the garrison were still working on it when they disappeared. The folk of the hermitage have since completed and renovated the place in their own way, compromising some of the site’s defensive capabilities in the process.
General Features
Unless otherwise noted, the walls of the hermitage are made of mortared masonry. The interior ceilings are 10 feet high, and the floors are paved with flagstones. The roof is covered in slate tiles except in places where those tiles have fallen or broken, and those areas have been subsequently repaired and replaced with thatch.
The wooden doors in the hermitage are usually unlocked. A locked door can be bashed open with a successful DC 12 Strength (
Making an Entrance
The ground floor of the hermitage can be entered in a number of ways, including through the main doors (between area 2 and area 4), and through the back doors into the hermit cells (area area 11) and the kitchen (area area 12). Some of these doors have been secured against another assault by the drowned ones, and must be forced open. See each area’s description for details.
There are no windows on the first floor of the fortress, but a hole in the north wall of the midden (area area 5) allows access for a Small or smaller creature.
Characters can enter the hermitage on the second level through the door of the guard tower (area area 21), or by climbing the walls and forcing open one of the second-story windows. Climbing the hermitage walls requires a successful DC 12 Strength (
Island Approach and First Floor
The ground floor of the hermitage is the main living area for the residents of the island, and was the initial site of the drowned ones' attack. The following locations are identified on map 7.2.
1. Pier and Beach
A short wooden pier extends out into the water, connected by a path to an open archway in the fortress wall. The pier is in good shape, with wooden pilings raising it well above the high tide line of the rocky beach. The area is deserted, with no other boats or people in sight. The call of gulls, the shrieking of crows, and the crashing of the waves are the only sounds.
If the characters took the ferry to the island, Raserhill quickly offloads a shipment of dried beans and apples, several barrels of water, and a few crates of other supplies before he casts off and returns to Uskarn. If he has any concerns about not being met by folk from the hermitage, he makes no sign that he cares. Unless the characters have made other arrangements, the ferry returns shortly after sunrise the next day.
A character who makes a successful DC 16 Wisdom (
Within a few minutes of arriving on the island, the characters are attacked by the monstrous peryton, Rasp. See the “area Look Out Above” section for more information.
If Raserhill has been paid to stay close by the island with his ferry, his reaction to Rasp—and the monster’s reaction to him—is up to you.
2. Courtyard Gardens
An archway in the fortress’s outer wall provides access to a large courtyard, now filled with vegetable gardens and a small orchard of stunted apple trees. Stairs to the east and west lead up to walkways overlooking the yard. To the southwest, the base of the bell tower is obscured by thick growths of vines, which also shroud the west stairs. A set of double doors stands along the front of the hermitage on the far side of the garden, and appears to be the only way inside.
If the characters have not already visited area 3, add:
Along the eastern side of the courtyard, the wall of the fortress once abutted the larger of the island’s rocky hills. But that hillside has since been hewn away to create a passage rounding the corner of the hermitage.
The vines at the base of the bell tower (area area 15) are four Assassin Vine (see appendix C). Brought to the island by a druid named Tallos (one of those killed by the drowned ones), the vines are rooted in large clay pots. Tallos grew the vines for their fruit, which he fermented into a unique wine. The other residents knew to give a wide berth to the vines, which attack anyone (except the now-dead druid) that comes within their reach. Anyone who ascends the west stairs is in reach of the vines' attacks.
Outer Wall
The wall surrounding the courtyard is 15 feet high and has a 3-foot-wide walkway along its top, accessed by the stairs to the east and west. The wall has no parapets and provides no cover to those atop it. A pile of gardening tools lies at the base of the east stairs, next to wooden buckets used to carry water from the cistern in area 3 to the garden.
Barricaded Doors
Any close inspection of the double doors leading into the hermitage reveals that they were recently broken open and have been jammed shut again. The doors were smashed by the drowned ones, but the survivors of the attack have repaired and barred them with broken planking from the dining hall. The doors can be forced open with a successful DC 16 Strength (
3. Yard and Cistern
A low, unfinished stone wall encloses a broad, sandy yard abutting an open vista of beach and sea. A small tower accessible by an external stair rises against the hermitage’s eastern wall. Several scrubby bushes stand to the north of a large oval pool at the center of the yard.
If the characters have not already visited area 2, add:
Along the north edge of the yard, the wall of the fortress once abutted the larger of the island’s rocky hills. But that hillside has since been hewn away to create a passage rounding the corner of the hermitage.
When the fortress was abandoned, the garrison soldiers were in the process of enclosing this yard behind a 3-foot-wide, 15-foot-high wall identical to the one protecting the courtyard (area area 2). The unfinished wall stands 3 feet high.
Two Sea Hag were drawn to the island during the recent attack, when they heard the screams of the victims of the drowned ones. While prowling around the hermitage with an invisible stalker they summoned, the hags spotted the characters approaching and have hidden in the scrub nearest the wall.
The hags can be noticed only by a creature who succeeds on a DC 17 Wisdom (
The hags try to flee into the sea if the stalker is slain.
Development
If the hags are captured, they provide detailed accounts of the assault on the island, and cackle in delight when speaking of the drowned ones. The hags have lived in the area for years, and they witnessed the first drowned one attack ten years before. They refer to the drowned ones as “walkers,” because the creatures plod along the floor of the bay, never swimming. They did not see the shipwreck during the storm, and know only the that the walkers came from the general direction of the Pit of Hatred. They eagerly give the characters directions to the rift, trading predictions of party members' deaths all the while.
Cistern
The central cistern is 7 feet deep, lined with flagstones, and has a lip 1 foot wide and 1 foot high. It collects rainwater for drinking and washing, but the hermits often augment that supply with barrels of fresh water shipped in from the mainland. Recent rains have filled the cistern to capacity.
Treasure
Since their arrival on the island, the hags were able to enter the hermit cells (area area 11) to gather some treasure, but they haven’t yet advanced past the barricaded door in that area. The loot now lies hidden in silt at the bottom of the cistern. A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (
Anyone who swims to the bottom can recover a leather sack containing 125 gp, a gold paperweight in the shape of a tortoise (100 gp), a silver candelabra stamped with the symbol of the sea god Procan (50 gp), and two
4. Main Entry
If the characters enter the hermitage through this area, they must break through the barricaded doors with a successful DC 16 Strength (
Pieces of broken planking and debris reinforce the damaged north doors of this room, whose floor and walls are spattered by bloodstains. A twisted padlock lies at the foot of the north doors, and the south doors have been nearly ripped from their hinges. Arrow slits are visible in the east wall, shrouded by cobwebs. The west wall displays patches where similar arrow slits have been bricked over.
When the drowned ones assaulted the hermitage, they broke down the main doors here and caught its residents by surprise. The arrow slits are 3 feet above the floor and 6 inches wide; the area beyond cannot be seen because of the spiderwebs. The hermits' patchwork is of poor quality, and the bricked-up arrow slits can be smashed through with a successful DC 18 Strength (
A character who makes a successful DC 16 Wisdom (
5. Midden
A foul stench permeates this dark room, which holds a pile of filth beneath a trapdoor in the ceiling. A ladder is bolted to the west wall below the trapdoor. The bricked-over outlines of three arrow slits line the east wall, and an entire doorway has been bricked up to the south.
The inhabitants of the hermitage use this room as a dump and privy, dropping their refuse through the trapdoor above. They bricked over the arrow slits and the door to contain the smell. A hole in the north wall allows creatures of Small size or smaller to come and go freely.
Five Giant Rat slither and skitter through the pile of waste. They instinctively attack any intruders.
Ladder
A rung at the top of the ladder has rotted, and it breaks if more than 50 pounds of weight are placed on it. A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (
Pile of Waste
Any character who makes substantial contact with the pile of waste (searching through it, falling into it, and so forth) must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or contract sewer plague. See “Diseases” in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Treasure
A character who searches the waste pile discovers a
6. Archer’s Post
Cobwebs shroud this apparently abandoned room, obscuring three arrow slits on the west wall. A ladder bolted to the east wall leads to a trapdoor in the ceiling.
This room can make a defensible hideout later in the adventure when the drowned ones return.
7. Scullery
Stairs rise to a railed balcony that covers two walls of this large, vaulted chamber. The balcony stands ten feet above the floor, with heavy crossbeams above reinforcing the twenty-foot-high, slate-tiled ceiling. Here and there, missing ceiling tiles have been covered over with thatch.
A large, rusty metal tub and a broken wooden frame stand near the staircase. The floor shows spatters of blood and obvious signs of a recent scuffle.
This area was once a gallery, but the hermitage residents have turned it into a scullery. The tub formerly served as the oil receptacle for the beacon in the tower above (see area 24), but it now holds dirty water and shattered crockery. The wooden frame is a drying rack for laundry. Behind the tub sits a bucket of lye with a copper scoop, and several pumice stones for scrubbing.
The drowned ones killed several hermits here, then hauled the bodies to area area 14. The door from this area to area 11 has since been barricaded from this side.
A character who studies the blood spatters in the room and succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (
Bricked-Up Door
Characters who pass along the hallway between this area and area area 15 can see that a doorway in the north wall has been bricked over. The sloppy brickwork can be smashed through with a successful DC 18 Strength (
Treasure
One of the hermits owned a well-made set of false teeth carved of elephant ivory. These teeth, worth 150 gp, can be found by anyone who searches the tub, where they ended up after their prior owner was drowned by an undead attacker.
8. Dining Hall
This large hall has a vaulted ceiling that rises to nearly thirty feet high at its center. The area is dominated by a flagstone hearth at the north end and a twenty-foot-high wooden balcony to the south, supported by rickety-looking posts. High windows are set into the east and west walls, which also have door-sized holes smashed through them at either end of the balcony.
The shattered remnants of a large trestle table and a pair of benches litter the center of the room. Broken crockery is scattered about, along with chunks of food.
The great hall of the fortress once served as a defensive position as well as a gathering place.
Windows
The east windows open to the outside and allow light into the hall during the day. The west windows allowed archers on the second level to fire down on any intruders in this area.
Hermit Alterations
The hermits have made several structural alterations to the hall, including widening arrow slits in the guard tower and the entry hall balcony to create doorways on the second level. They then built the crude wooden balcony to connect the upper floor of the watchtower with the inside of the main building.
The balcony’s construction is shabby, and the wooden poles that precariously support it look unsafe. It can support up to 200 pounds of weight before collapsing. Anyone on the balcony when it collapses falls 20 feet to the floor below, taking normal falling damage.
Smashed Table
Two of the hermits were enjoying a late repast here when the drowned ones attacked. They went to area area 7 to investigate sounds of a scuffle and were slain there. The survivors of the assault later broke up the table and benches so they the pieces could be to bar the entrances to the hermitage.
9. Library
Faded tapestries showing maritime scenes and dramatic storms at sea hang from the north and south walls of this cozy room. The floor is carpeted in a ragged green shag woven to depict a crashing wave. A low set of book-laden shelves sits against the east wall, and three wooden tables and several chairs fill the rest of the room. Books are strewn about the tables and the floor.
This chamber once served as a chapel devoted to the god of the sea for the members of the fortress garrison. It was here that Oloran, the chaplain of the fortress, prayed to Procan for divine intervention against the approaching Tammeraut. The residents of the hermitage, who generally espouse no particular religion, have converted the chamber into a library. Any character who has an appropriate background or who succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (
Books
A few of the works on the shelves deal with the worship of the sea god and date back to the original garrison, but most are later acquisitions brought by the hermits. By and large, these tomes deal with common philosophical quandaries and the passive contemplation of nature. The books are old and impressive-looking but have no monetary value.
If the characters search the library, one of them discovers a handwritten poem scrawled into the open cover of a book. The fragment was composed by Oloran, the chaplain of the garrison, the morning after Tammeraut sank. It was intended as a paean to Procan, also known as the Storm Lord, and a warning to the god’s foes.
Beware the sea and its scarlet harbinger.
Beware the sword and death that await.
For guidance, we beseech almighty Storm Lord;
Consign to our foes Tammeraut’s fate.
The beginning of the verse will look familiar to characters who visit the belfry (area area 24). See that area for more information.
A character who succeeds on a DC 18 Intelligence (
Treasure
Lying atop the bookshelf are four
10. Distillery
Although this area is on the first level, it is accessible only from outside and through the trapdoor in area 21 on the second level.
The heady scent of fermentation fills this dark, windowless hole. Its walls are rough masonry and its floor hard-packed earth. No ladder rises to the trapdoor in the ceiling. A table along the west wall holds a collection of copper tubing and vats. Next to it are several casks.
This space beneath the watchtower of area area 21 was once a holding cell for prisoners. Tallos the druid converted the space into a distillery. Berries harvested from his assassin vines were brought here for fermentation, and the tubing and vats make up a functioning distillery.
Casks
The four casks hold a rotgut vintage of Tallos’s assassin-berry wine. Anyone who drinks this concoction must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become
11. Hermit Cells
The door into this area from outside is damaged and opens freely. The door into area area 7 is barricaded from the opposite side. It can be forced open with a successful DC 14 Strength (
What was apparently once the main barracks of the stronghold has been turned into individual meditation cells by the residents of the hermitage. Numerous wooden poles have been crudely lashed together and hung with curtains to create eight-foot-high partitions throughout the room. The ceiling peaks twenty feet overhead, where a thatched roof is reinforced with wooden poles.
The entire room is a shambles, with many of the partitions damaged and the curtains torn apart. Debris and the broken remains of simple furnishings are strewn about, while pools of drying blood and gore fill the room with a metallic stink.
The drowned ones' main assault on the hermitage took place here. Most of the residents were sleeping in their cells and died in the first minutes of the attack. The hermitage’s only real hope of fighting off the invaders, the druid Tallos, died in his cot. All the bodies were dragged away by the drowned ones, after which the sea hags found in area area 3 did some looting here.
Rats attracted by the slaughter are skulking in this room. Because the drowned ones removed the corpses, the rat swarms have found little to eat. They stream from beneath broken furniture and from behind partitions and curtains to attack anyone entering the room.
Every round, three Swarm of Rats appear in one of the cells (your choice) and pour out to devour the characters. A total of twelve swarms can appear in this way.
Treasure
The partition walls of one cell (Tallos’s) are held up by a pole containing a hollowed-out hidden space within, which can be found with a successful DC 16 Intelligence (
12. Kitchen
The door into this area from outside is barricaded from within the room. It can be forced open with a successful DC 14 Strength (
This kitchen shows signs of recent use and is fairly clean. A kettle is suspended above a large fireplace, and a brick oven stands nearby. A cutting block bearing half a loaf of bread stands in the center of the room, next to an empty table. Shelves for holding dishes and utensils line the east wall.
The kettle contains cold vegetable soup, and the bread is growing stale.
Locked Door
The west door is locked from the other side, but can be opened with a successful DC 14 Dexterity check using thieves' tools.
Treasure
A character who searches the kitchen and succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (
13. Larder
The walls of this room were once covered with row upon row of wooden shelving holding boxes of foodstuffs, but most of those supplies have been strewn across the floor. A few sausages still hang from hooks in the ceiling rafters, and an undisturbed bin of potatoes is scooted up against the rear face of the kitchen’s brick hearth.
This larder once held enough provisions to feed two dozen people for three days.
Ruined Map
Any search of the larder turns up a single piece of damp, crumpled parchment showing barely legible lines and writing. This is a map dropped here by one of the drowned ones that ransacked this area, formerly a navigator on Tammeraut. (See area area 25 for more information about what happened here.)
The map shows Firewatch Island and the nearby coast, and has diagrams that convey the invaders' original plans for using the island as a staging ground for a full-on assault against the mainland. Though the sailors' map was waterproofed, long years in the depths have made it all but illegible, and it takes a successful DC 15 Intelligence (
Secret Door
A character who searches the larder and succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence (
A ladder within leads down to a secret cellar (area area 25), where the survivors of the prior attack have hidden. The drowned ones that ransacked the shelves could sense the nearness of the cleric of the sea god, but the undead could not find the entrance to the cellar.
14. Grotto
The stone peaks of the island rise alongside the walls of the hermitage to create a sheltered grotto, overlooked by a rampart walkway along the west side of the former fortress. A steep path ascends ten feet from a short strand of beach up to an exterior door. A boat is pulled halfway up on the beach, its stern riding low in the water.
This partially concealed grotto served as an escape route for the Firewatch Island garrison.
A large mass of corpses is barely visible below the water’s surface near the boat. A character must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (
The bodies are being stored here by the drowned ones until they can all be transported to the Pit of Hatred, where they will be turned into more undead to swell the ranks of Syrgaul’s minions. It is Syrgaul’s ultimate plan to create an army of drowned ones that can lay waste to populated coastal areas—which, of course, leads to even more creatures coming under his sway (see “area Conclusion” for more information).
Three Chuul hide beneath the mass of corpses. These creatures were attracted by blood in the water, and have been feeding idly on the bodies below the surface. They are quick to notice anyone on the shore or entering the water, lunging out to attack.
Boat
The hermits kept a large rowboat in this area for fishing and occasional trips to the mainland. It holds up to eight Medium humanoids and is propelled by oars and a small sail. When the drowned ones arrived, they damaged the boat by smashing its hull with rocks to prevent the hermits from escaping. Anyone approaching can see that the boat is half submerged and that its hull has several holes.
Grim Haul
After slaughtering the hermitage’s inhabitants, the drowned ones gathered the corpses into a large fishing net they found in the boat, weighted the net with rocks, and dumped it in the water. After they return by night to search for other survivors, the undead intend to drag their load of corpses back to the Pit of Hatred as a sacrifice to its foul essence.
The thirteen corpses are mostly humans and half-elves, along with one dwarf. All show signs of vicious stabbing and slashing wounds, broken bones, and blunt trauma. The bodies have been dead for about a day and submerged since dawn.
These corpses can be interrogated with a
15. Old Storeroom
The door to this area is locked but can be opened with a successful DC 14 Dexterity check using thieves' tools.
This damp, dark tower room smells of rot and mildew. The floor glistens with puddles of water, and trickles of moisture dribble down the wall to the west and south. What once might have been barrels and crates stacked against the walls have decayed into nearly unidentifiable heaps of mold.
This room served as a storeroom for mundane materials for the original garrison but has not seen any use since then. The contents of the barrels and crates mostly consist of ruined linens and brackish water. The containers themselves are rotted and untrustworthy as well.
Green Slime
The hermits discovered deadly green slime in this area shortly after taking over the fortress. Rather than risk exposing themselves to it, they chose to lock the door and throw away the key. A 10-foot-by-10-foot patch of green slime lurks on the ceiling in the western portion of the room. Any character who succeeds on a DC 16 Wisdom (
Second Floor
The second level was once a key defensive point for the fortress, but it was put to a different purpose by the hermits. The following locations are identified on map 7.3.
16. Junk Room
Bundles, barrels, and boxes are piled haphazardly across this tower room. A narrow path leads through the clutter to a staircase curving along the chamber’s inner wall. The stairs rise to an open trapdoor in the celling.
Formerly an armory, this room has stored ever-accumulating masses of junk since the hermitage’s founding. All kinds of mundane equipment is stored here, most of it having no value. This includes such things as a 1-foot length of hempen rope, a harp with only one string, a single left boot, a bucket with no bottom, and so forth.
Still, a number of items are of potential help in fortifying the hermitage against another attack. These include a 10-pound cask of iron nails, a bent crowbar, three clay planters for the garden, a hammer, a rusty hand saw, a hooded lantern, a few 10-foot lengths of hempen rope, and a stack of firewood.
Treasure
A careful search of this area reveals a case of twelve
17. Battlement
A walkway open to the sky overlooks a grotto formed by the island’s rocky peak and the hermitage’s walls, leading from the hermitage to the large tower along its west side. A crenellated battlement blocks the walkway in and is set with arrow slits.
This battlement served as the main point of defense for the fortress’s postern entrance from the grotto, allowing the garrison to fire arrows or hurl rocks at invaders. It remains an excellent defensive position.
The door from the open battlement into the corridor that leads to area 18 and the interior of the second level is barricaded from the inside. Breaking through it from outside requires a successful DC 14 Strength (
Development
Unless the characters are moving quietly, the three snakes in area 18 detect them and slither through the arrow slits to attack.
18. Scriptorium
A partial wall divides this chamber into two sections. Two arrow slits are set into the west wall, and a small fireplace stands to the north. Several tables crowd the room, all covered with sheaves of paper, quills, ink pots, candles, and a few bound books. Numerous uncomfortable-looking stools stand around them. One of the ink pots has been overturned, resulting in a large black stain on one tabletop.
This chamber served as the officers' quarters for the original garrison. After the hermits moved in, they converted it to a scriptorium where they compose philosophical tracts, illuminate other texts, or copy manuscripts. Completed works are moved downstairs to the library.
Three Giant Coral Snake (see appendix C) lurk in this chamber. The snakes originally lived in a cave on the east side of the isle, where they fed on rats. When the rats were drawn to the fortress by the smell of death, the snakes followed, entering this area through the arrow slits. The snakes are currently coiled up in the north section of the room, and emerge to attack anyone who trespasses in their new lair.
19. Defensive Overlook
Arrow slits set along the walls of this chamber make it a bit drafty. Murder holes open up in the center of the floor, overlooking the entryway into the level below. A fireplace is set into the south wall, with a dusty iron kettle close by. A trapdoor is set into the floor at either end of this chamber.
This area was a key defensive point for protecting the main entrance (area area 4) against incursion. The kettle was once used to boil oil for the murder holes. This chamber is rarely visited by the residents of the hermitage, except to use the trapdoor into area area 5 as a dump and a privy.
20. Prior’s Quarters
The door to this chamber hangs open, with the detached head of a mace on the floor acting as a doorstop. The room is modestly furnished with a cot, a table, a chest, and a chair. An oddly shaped basin rests on the table, with a small piece of mirror hanging from the wall above it.
When the fortress was occupied, this area was the quarters of the chaplain Oloran. The leader of the hermitage moved in here after his sect took over the island five years before. Old Prior Borisanth had little interaction with the other residents, due to his having taken a vow of silence. On the night of the attack, he was awakened by the noise and slain by a drowned one as he opened his door. The broken handle of his mace rolled under his cot.
Treasure
The unlocked chest next to the cot contains a selection of threadbare garments and worn sandals. It also holds a religious icon set with fourteen small diamonds (100 gp each), two blocks of amber (50 gp each), and a
The metal basin on the table holds water, and a bronze straight razor lies next to it. Closer inspection of the basin reveals that it is an upturned helmet bearing images of cavorting dolphins—a
21. Guard Tower
The door into the tower is barricaded shut from the inside. Forcing it open requires a successful DC 14 Strength (
Where this small guard tower once abutted the east side of the fortress, part of the fortress wall has been knocked out to create an open doorway into the interior, with a rickety-looking balcony beyond. Arrow slits around the tower give a view of the area outside the fortress and the stairs that access the tower door. A wooden trapdoor is set into the floor, with a cloying odor rising from it. A ten-foot ladder lies next to the trapdoor.
The smell comes from the distillery in area area 10 below.
Upper Levels and Cellar
The belfry tower rises above the main levels of the hermitage, and a secret cellar below the kitchen has become a refuge for the survivors of the undead assault. The following locations are identified on map 7.4.
22. Abandoned Quarters
A cast-iron potbelly stove squats to the north of the upper level of the fortress’s main tower, its stovepipe extending out the arrow slit to the north. The wooden frame and slats of an old bed are pushed up against a spiral staircase that rises to a trapdoor in the ceiling, leading to the open belfry above. Under an arrow slit looking toward the island’s western peak, a dusty desk is covered in debris and fresh bird droppings. Hinges hang on either side of each arrow slit, indicating that at one time they had shutters to keep out the elements.
A section of the wall to the southwest has collapsed inward, opening up to the rocky slope of the island’s smaller hill ten feet below. The pile of rubble covers the smashed remains of a chair.
Archais, the wizard of the old Firewatch Island garrison, once resided in this chamber. It was he who first gave the warning of the approaching Tammeraut, resulting in Oloran’s desperate prayer to Procan and the ship’s resulting demise. The wizard’s gull familiar spied the ship at sea and brought word back to him. Archais was slain with the rest of the garrison during the drowned ones' initial attack.
The weathering of storms and the salty air has eroded the mortar in part of the wall, causing the collapse. The room is still secure, but the hermits deemed this area uninhabitable due to the damage.
The pile of rubble in the southwest corner conceals a secret compartment in part of the surviving wall, just south of the west arrow slit. A character who succeeds on a DC 16 Intelligence (
Treasure
One of Archais’s hobbies was the underwater exploration of sunken ships, and this compartment contains some of the items he used in that pursuit: a
The compartment also contains a leather backpack where Archais kept his spellbook and his journal. His spellbook is long lost, but the journal remains inside.
Archais’s journal relates his numerous assignments and duty stations while a member of the military. It also includes notes about the different sunken ships he has explored in the surrounding bay and its tributary rivers. The final entry on this list gives the location of the sunken Tammeraut.
Most of the journal is moldy and illegible. The last few pages are intact, and they relate the events surrounding the coming of Tammeraut:
Our worst fears are confirmed. Virgil has brought word of disaster. A war galley fully loaded with pirates approaches from the southwest. It flies the flag of the raiders and bears the name of the cursed ship Tammeraut. We must prepare what feeble defense we can muster. Woe to the folk of the coast at the approach of this bloody tide.
•
Miracle of miracles! The storm lord has answered the prayers of our illustrious chaplain. A furious storm blew in from the open sea and swept the war galley to its doom. But I believe that the vessel went down near the Pit of Hatred, an ill-starred undersea chasm two miles south of Firewatch Isle. This does not bode well, for the rift is said to be a passage to a source of interminable evil that was long ago sealed away. If the wreckage should rupture the wards, terrible darkness might be unleashed. I must mount an expedition to the sunken hulk and make sure all is well.
•
A fell wind blows this evening. I fear the wards on the rift have been broken. I must set out first thing in the morning to inspect the wreckage.
A character who succeeds on a DC 16 Intelligence (
23. Roof
Heavy, overlapping slate tiles cover the roof of the hermitage. In many spots, the mortar holding the tiles in place has crumbled, and the slates have slid off to shatter on the ground below. The roof is patched with thatching in those areas, creating a hodgepodge appearance. A flat area in the center of the roof provides a platform for defense, with the surrounding roof peaks providing cover.
The slate tiles are strong enough to support the weight of a Large creature, but the scattered areas of thatch can support only Small creatures. A Medium or larger creature that attempts to cross a portion of the thatched roof must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall through into the area below.
24. Belfry
This open belfry offers a breathtaking view of the open sea and the distant coast. Four stone corner posts support the belfry’s conical slate roof where it peaks twenty feet above, with a crenellated battlement running between them.
A human body is sprawled in a depression at the center of the stone floor, its torso torn open and its heart missing. The base of what was once a metal framework surrounds the depression. Above the body, a large bronze bell engraved with symbols of peace and serenity hangs from a crossbeam, with a pull rope dangling from the rigging above. Across the floor next to the body, a message is scrawled in chalk: “BEWARE THE SEA KILLERS.”
The belfry was originally Firewatch Island’s signal beacon. The depression in the floor once held the large oil receptacle that fueled the beacon (this now sits in area area 7). The metal framework extended above this receptacle and held the lenses that focused the light of the beacon’s flame. The hermitage disassembled the beacon and installed the bell for sounding at mealtime and to signal the start of meditation sessions.
Aaron’s Last Message
A surviving hermit named Aaron spotted the characters approaching the island and ran here to ring the bell and call for aid. Unfortunately for him, the ringing bell attracted Rasp back to the belfry. Aaron saw the monster’s approach and quickly scrawled his message on the floor before attempting to flee back downstairs, but he wasn’t quick enough. It is his body that now adorns the center of the room.
Rasp, the monstrous peryton (see appendix C), has established a temporary lair in the belfry while it scours the island to feed. The creature is present here only if the characters have not already faced it, or if it is feeding on one of the party members after besting that character in combat (see “area Look Out Above").
25. Bolt-Hole
A rickety ladder leads down from the larder into a musty subterranean chamber enclosed by rough masonry walls. Three trembling figures are huddled against the far wall, sharing the chamber with the dusty, deteriorated remains of an armored corpse. The body’s sightless eye sockets stare up blankly, and a small silver disk is clutched in one of its skeletal hands. A horizontal crevice between two blocks in the south wall glows with faint daylight, marking a narrow opening that leads outside the fortress.
The builders of the fortress created this hidden cellar as a refuge. Only the officers, the chaplain, and the resident wizard knew of its existence. The crevice served as both an arrow slit and as a method for those with access to spells such as
Survivors
The three surviving residents of the hermitage have taken refuge in this chamber:
- Janore Stormswake (priest), a human female cleric of Procan
- Barret Gloffrin (commoner), a very ill male human
- Morley Tobe (commoner), a slightly ill and heavily indebted male dwarf (see the “area Morley’s Debt” adventure hook)
All three survivors have been traumatized by the recent attacks, which were unknowingly triggered by Janore Stormswake’s arrival at the hermitage.
A fourth hermit, Aaron Kelderman, also survived the initial undead attack, but he was recently slain by Rasp in the belfry (see area area 24). Since Aaron has not returned after leaving to scout the island, the other survivors have been too terrified to leave this room.
Sickness in the Bolt-Hole
The hermits initially remained hidden for fear that the silence above was a ploy by the lurking undead to draw them from their hiding place. But it quickly became obvious that the wounds Morley and Barret suffered have caused a horrible disease.
Both Barret and Morley have contracted the disease called bluerot from the drowned ones (see appendix C). Barret is very ill and has lost 4 points of Constitution and Charisma from the disease. Unless he is cured, one hour after the characters discover him, Barret must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 18 (
Morley fared better and has lost only 1 point of Constitution and Charisma. He must make his first DC 12 Constitution saving throw against the disease in roughly 20 hours. This means that he is alive for the drowned ones' second assault.
Treasure
The dead chaplain wears a
Development
All three of the survivors are in shock from their recent ordeal, and they are desperate to escape the island. Unfortunately, Barret is in no condition to travel. Janore Stormswake can give the most detailed account of recent events, but she asks first if the characters have seen Aaron. She can recount how he slipped out from the bolt-hole to see if the fortress was safe, but never returned. If the characters haven’t already discovered Aaron’s body, Janore tells of having heard the bell ringing, then silence.
Survivors' Tale
Janore relates that she was reading in the library when a sudden premonition of danger came to her from her god, Procan. She heard whispers in her mind that led her to this place, and her intuition told her that the skeleton found here was the remains of a fellow priest of Procan. (The skeleton is indeed the remains of the priest whose plea for help led to the sinking of Tammeraut.)
Acting quickly, she found Aaron in the kitchen and grabbed him just as he heard the dormitory door splintering. Morley and Barrett staggered into the larder soon after, wounded and in need of help. Janore says she dragged them inside and was about to seal the entrance when the larder door banged open:
“I saw a corpse, dripping wet, shriveled and discolored as if by long immersion in the sea. It stalked into the room and began to search, so I sealed the door. Miraculously, it missed our hiding place, though it kept scrabbling at the floor as if it could sense us below. But then as the first glow of dawn showed at the cleft in the wall there, it suddenly fled.”
By peering through the crevice to the south, the survivors witnessed the undead gathering the slain residents into nets. The monsters walked back into the sea, dragging several of the nets behind them. More than a dozen corpses remain to be salvaged from the grotto, waiting for the undead to return.
At dawn, Aaron went up and out to search for survivors. Finding none, he remained outside to keep watch for passing ships. He planned on ringing the bell to draw their attention. In the meantime, he tried to fortify the place as well as he could.
Having witnessed the undead at their work, the survivors are convinced they will be back—perhaps as early as tonight, after the sun sets.
Drowned Ones' Threat
If the characters haven’t identified the ruined map found in area area 13, Janore can confirm that it shows Firewatch Island, the local coastline, nearby settlements, and the invaders' plans for an assault against those settlements. If the characters haven’t already done so, she guesses that the undead are still following the orders they were under when Tammeraut was sunk. They intend to seize the hermitage and destroy its last defenders, then use the island as a staging ground for attacks against the settlements of the coast.
Last Stand
With both Morley and Barrett sickened, Janore doesn’t know what to do. Aaron was supposed to check on the status of the boat kept in area area 14, and since he failed to return Janore has been afraid to investigate further. Until the characters appeared, the survivors believed that they had been abandoned, and that the only way off the island is the ferry. But even if the characters have the means of leaving the island immediately, or they can repair the hermitage’s boat with
An undead assault against the coast could come at any number of locations and be all but impossible to defend against. Because the drowned ones are able to add to their undead ranks, each successful attack would increase the size of their army. But knowing that the undead likely plan to return to Firewatch Island to destroy its last survivors gives the characters a single chance for a controlled fight. Destroying the drowned ones before they capture the hermitage might be the only way to end their threat.
If the characters decide to stay and await the fall of night, Janore and the others insist on remaining in the bolt-hole—it’s been safe so far and they’re not eager to risk compromising their sanctuary. None of the survivors know exactly how many drowned ones there are, but they believe that securing all the entrances to the hermitage would be beneficial. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma (
Preparing for the Drowned Ones
The hermitage offers an abundance of tactical opportunities to defend against the coming attack. Invite the players to concoct a plan to reinforce the old fortress, and to decide on a course of action for when the drowned ones breach the defenses.
The survivors do not participate in combat against the drowned ones. Even if they aid in the defensive preparations, come nightfall they retreat to area area 25.
Defending the Fortress
Among the tactics the players might come up with, you can help steer them toward the following options.
Arrow Slits
The second level of the hermitage features numerous arrow slits looking onto the exterior of the building. Characters who specialize in ranged attacks and magic can use the arrow slits to launch arrows, bolts, and spells at the drowned ones as they approach.
Floral Assault
The assassin vines growing near area area 15 can be moved elsewhere in their pots, as long as their murderous nature is temporarily quelled. The
Rat Pack
If the characters did not kill all the rats in area area 11, they serve as excellent guards and alarms. The rats attack any drowned ones that enter through that area.
Reinforcing the Doors
There are five entrances into the hermitage—the double doors at the front (area area 4), two doors at the back of the fortress (area areas 11 and area 12), the door leading in from the rampart (area area 17), and the watchtower door (area area 21).
Enough wood and nails can be found inside the hermitage to reinforce all the doors. The main obstacle is time. It takes a character 1 hour to gather the required materials and reinforce one door. The time is cut in half if another character (including one of the survivors) helps.
A reinforced door cannot be broken through with a Strength check, but must be battered down (AC 15, 30 hit points, immunity to poison and psychic damage). This fact helps slow the undead, since they are forced to fight their way through doors.
Rigging the Roof
The aging slate tiles on the roof can be easily rigged to collapse. This tactic is especially useful if the victim falls some distance into an area where the characters have open space to make attacks (area area 7, for example).
Oil of Slipperiness
If the characters have discovered this magic oil in area area 12 or area area 22, it can be applied in front of entry points, on stairs, or anywhere they want to slow the undead down.
Death from the Deep
As soon as the sun sets, the drowned ones begin their underwater trek from the Pit of Hatred to the shores of Firewatch Island. They arrive at the island about an hour after sundown. If the characters are still on the island at sundown and are observing the shoreline, you can foreshadow the undead assault:
As the last rays of the evening sun slant across the dark waters of the bay, you catch movement from the corner of your eye along the beach—a dark humanoid form standing silently in the surf. You are positive it wasn’t there a moment ago. With the next crashing breaker, you lose sight of the intruder in the deepening darkness. When the spray clears, the figure is gone. Night has fallen.
The undead assault against the hermitage can be played out in two broad scenarios. Both offer roughly the same challenge but provide different experiences for the players and characters. Choose the experience you think your players will enjoy the most, or create your own, incorporating any of the following elements and information you desire.
The Drowned Ascetic, Drowned Assassin, and Drowned Blade that make up the ranks of the undead are all described in appendix C.
Rest and Resources
Having explored the hermitage and taken on its varied threats, the characters have had a busy day. Thanks to the hags, rats, giant snakes, and the monstrous peryton, their resources might be depleted. The challenge of the drowned ones' attack is thus amplified by the fact that the characters can take only a short rest before the assault begins. Adjust the difficulty of the attack as you see fit, depending on the party’s available resources and the measure of your mercy.
Scenario 1: Undead Horde
Use this scenario if the characters have prepared well for the onslaught. If the undead arrive and are not slowed by reinforced doors, traps, and attacks made against them through arrow slits, the characters have little chance of survival.
The drowned ones arrive as a single mass, trying to overwhelm the defenders with sheer numbers. The intention with this scenario is to make the players and the characters feel as though the island teems with undead. An epic battle ensues, and if that battle is won, no further attacks come.
When the undead arrive, they attempt to batter down the doors of the hermitage, intent on entering and slaying any mortal defenders. Have the drowned ones assault the doors leading into the different areas of the fortress using the following guidelines.
| Area | Creatures |
|---|---|
| 4 | 5 Zombie, 3 Drowned Blade, 1 drowned ascetic |
| 11 | 5 Zombie, 2 Drowned Blade, 1 drowned ascetic |
| 12 | 1 drowned ascetic |
| 17 | 1 drowned assassin |
| 21 | 1 drowned blade |
The zombies amble near the indicated doors but do not attack them. They enter the hermitage only after the doors are breached by the drowned ones.
The drowned assassin that tries to enter through area area 17 climbs onto the battlements from area area 14 first.
Scenario 2: Waves of Undead
Use this scenario if the characters' preparations for the attack are only minimal, or to create a tense and wearying night of encounters.
The drowned ones arrive in three waves, each increasing in difficulty. If the characters aren’t sufficiently challenged by a particular wave, add more monsters to that part of the fight in the form of late reinforcements to help make a wave into a greater threat.
Each new wave arrives approximately 30 minutes after the previous wave. In any area where the undead break through a door, the characters must reinforce that door again when the current fight is over, or subsequent waves will move through it freely. Alternatively, you might decide that a door is too damaged to be repaired.
Wave 1
Six Drowned Blade rush to assault the door into area area 4. If they cannot break down the door within 3 rounds, any survivors of the characters' defensive efforts switch their attention to the door that leads into area area 21.
Wave 2
Five Drowned Blade and two Drowned Ascetic assault the hermitage. The drowned blades arrive at the door that leads into area area 11 and attempt to enter. The drowned ascetics enter through any previously opened door that hasn’t been reinforced again. If no doors are open, they try to batter down the door into area area 12.
Wave 3
Three Drowned Blade, two Drowned Ascetic, and one drowned assassin attack the fortress. The drowned blades and ascetics enter through any previously open door, or if none are open, they attack the doors that lead into area areas 4 and area 21. The drowned assassin arrives from area area 14 and climbs onto area area 17, trying to enter the fortress through the door in that area.
Safe by Day
Once the undead are dealt with, the coming of the dawn’s first light means that the characters can finally rest with no fear of another assault. Raserhill’s ferry returns about an hour after sunrise, on its normal schedule, but the craft carries no new passengers and departs again quickly unless the characters hail it. (If Raserhill stuck around the island and was driven off or killed by the monstrous peryton, another boat from Uskarn will set out eventually to investigate the characters' fate.)
At some time during the day, when a character is awake and outside or near a window, read:
The sultry day is silent except for the sounds of the sea. A lone bird circles in lazy loops in the sky overhead. Eventually it descends and alights on a nearby rock. It’s a gull, and an old one at that, with a chipped beak and patches missing from its thinning feathers. It waddles closer, gazing intelligently at you with weak, rheumy eyes.
This ancient gull is Virgil, formerly the familiar of Archais, Firewatch Island’s wizard. Virgil survived the slaughter of the garrison ten years before and has lived on the island ever since, nesting in the wizard’s tower room. It has avoided the hermitage residents and was largely ignored by them.
Virgil fled the island the previous night when the drowned ones attacked, but now that the characters have seemingly defeated them, the gull has returned to its home. It continues to watch the party despite any attempts to shoo it away. Having observed the characters' actions against the drowned ones, the ex-familiar believes that they might be the sort of heroes who could finish Archais’s work and end the undead menace.
Virgil’s Mission
If a character is able to speak with animals, Virgil is friendly. (The scroll found in area area 9 will be useful in that regard if none of the characters have this ability.) The gull relates the events of the “area Background” section to the best of its knowledge. It does not know the specifics about Tammeraut’s crew, but it does know that the drowned ones are victims of that fateful sinking.
Virgil knows the location of the Tammeraut and can guide the characters there. Based on the attack tonight, the gull correctly deduces that Tammeraut’s crew is active once more and must be stopped.
Restoring Virgil
Any character who can cast
find familiar can attempt to restore Virgil to its former role, taking the gull as their own familiar. To accomplish this, the character must earn Virgil’s trust, contemplate the nature of conjuration magic, and finally castfind familiar .Virgil’s Trust: For Virgil to consider becoming a character’s familiar, that character must reseal the Pit of Hatred.
Research: The character must spend time researching the nature of familiars that have bonded with new masters. When the character feels ready, they must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (
Arcana ) check. The DC for this check is reduced by 1 (to a minimum DC of 10) for each day the character spent in research beforehand.Casting the Spell: The character must have Virgil present for the casting of
find familiar . They must burn twice the normal amount of material components to complete the restoration of the gull.Success: If the characters end the threat posed by the drowned ones, Virgil is indebted to them for avenging his former master. The bird follows the group and does what it can to help. It can warn of danger, carry notes or messages, and so forth. Use the stat block for a hawk, but increase its Intelligence to 9.
The Wreck
If the characters decide to seek out the sunken Tammeraut, they must first find out where the rift is located. The charts in Archais’s journal give the exact location in nautical coordinates. Alternatively, a character who succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (
Virgil also knows the location of the Pit of Hatred, having accompanied Archais there several times while the wizard was alive. If all else fails, he can guide the characters to the proper location—flying ahead and circling the site. The Pit of Hatred is two miles south of Firewatch Island and can be rowed or sailed to in about half an hour.
The bay is 300 feet deep above the Pit of Hatred, and characters won’t be able to anchor a boat there unless they brought along quite a lot of rope. Certain items in that treasure are invaluable to a party that plans to investigate the wreck, but the characters might also require and seek out additional resources before they do so. See “Unusual Environments” in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide for information on underwater environments, and see “Underwater Combat” in chapter 9 of the Player’s Handbook.
The Remains of Tammeraut
Map 7.5 shows the seafloor in the vicinity of the sunken hull, including the spot where the rift that seals the Pit of Hatred has been disturbed. When the characters descend to the wreck and approach the Pit of Hatred, read:
The rotting skeleton of a war galley’s stern looms up from the ocean bottom ahead. The sinking ship broke in half during its descent, its bow section gone missing but its stern plunged backward into the seafloor like a spike.
The sandy bed around the wreckage is scattered with partially buried bones and debris. As you approach the wreck, the water becomes unnaturally cold, and the schools of fish that swarmed in the waters above are conspicuously absent.
Unhallowed Ground
The evil energy seeping from the rift has suffused a 300-foot-radius hemisphere with magic similar to that of a
While the effect is active, celestials cannot enter the area. Each time another sort of non-undead creature enters the area, it must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 18 (
Ancient Warning
If the characters search the sand around the ship, they discover the tip of a stone slab sticking up above the muck and ooze. The rest of the slab is buried. If it is pulled out (requiring a successful DC 15 Strength check), it is found to be inscribed with ancient runes. A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (
The runes are in Elvish. They communicate a warning to stay away from the sealed rift and the horror that lies below.
Inside the Ship
Numerous breaches in the hull and openings on the rowing decks allow entry into the ruined ship. Alternatively, characters can swim down into the stern’s interior from the top of the ship, where the bow is missing.
The interior of the sunken ship is a ruin. The decks have all but collapsed, creating a tangled maze where ooze and muck cling to sundered timbers and beams. An eerie, many-colored light pulses from the depths of the hull.
The rotten tangles of timbers and bulkheads are weak after ten years underwater and can be pushed through with relative ease.
A large hole in the buried stern of the wreck allows easy access to a darkened cavern that opens up beneath broken slabs of stone—the remains of the seals that once blocked the opening of the pit.
As the characters enter the wreck, a number of drowned ones that stayed behind from the most recent assault on Firewatch Island take notice. Three Drowned Blade, one drowned ascetic, and one drowned assassin lurk inside the ruined Tammeraut and attack as soon as the characters enter. The undead do not pursue fleeing characters beyond the 300-foot hemisphere of dark energy that surrounds the rift.
The Rift
A pulsating light composed of unnatural colors permeates this underwater cavern. The stern of the ship has broken through the cavern’s fifteen-foot-high ceiling near the center of the area. The nauseating light reveals a hideous array of piled bones, many of which clearly once belonged to humanoids—far more bones than could be accounted for by the crew of a single sunken ship.
A shallow alcove opens up to the north, with a rotting sea chest set before it, leaning against the rough stone wall. Within the alcove, a funnel-shaped hollow in the cavern floor terminates at a narrow hole in the bedrock below. The pulsing light emanates from this hole.
This cavern is all that remains of what was once a jagged chasm in the seafloor. The mound of bones represents both the crew of Tammeraut and others who have succumbed to the ocean’s perils, all preserved by the rift’s dark magic. The hollow to the north is the access point to the ancient evil that has imbued the Pit of Hatred with its sinister aura.
Tammeraut’s captain, Syrgaul Tammeraut, resides in this chamber—transformed into a twisted monster known as a drowned master (see appendix C). Syrgaul is the conduit through which the pit’s evil essence once again spreads its dark influence into the world. Feeding off the captain’s rage and hate as he died, the energy of the rift animated Tammeraut’s crew and turned them into drowned ones. Though the drowned ones can range abroad, Syrgaul is forever trapped within the rift near the source of his dark unlife.
As the characters explore this area, Syrgaul and one drowned blade rise from the pile of bones and attack.
Treasure
The treasure carried on Tammeraut has been placed in front of the north alcove by the drowned ones, as an offering to the great sleeping evil below. A rotting sea chest holds 5,000 sp, 1,850 gp, 75 pp, and ten masterfully cut pieces of jade depicting various sea animals (100 gp each).
Sealing the Rift
The funnel-shaped hollow to the north of the hull is 3 feet in diameter and descends 2 feet to a 1-inch-wide vent at the bottom. In addition to being the source of the pulsating light, the vent is the center and source of the area’s dark
Sealing this vent is the only way to lay Syrgaul’s spirit to rest. Doing so also prevents the evil from further corrupting those who drown in the area. One easy method of sealing it is to use the flask of
Conclusion
If the characters accomplish all their objectives—rescuing the surviving hermits, destroying the drowned ones and their leader, and sealing the opening in the Pit of Hatred—things soon return to normal on Firewatch Island and the communities of the nearby coast. The surviving hermits abandon the island, but a new group settles there before long. Or, Feldrin Kane, the Uskarn bailiff, might deed the island and fortress to the characters as a reward for ending the threat of the drowned ones. Of course, such a reward comes with the expectation that the characters would use the place to protect and defend the settlements of the nearby coast.
If the characters depart Firewatch Island before nightfall and the drowned ones' second attack, the undead become a greater threat. Now that they’ve exhausted the nearby prey, the undead make it to the mainland in their nightly wanderings. Attacks on coastal roads and villages become more common—with the drowned ones adding all their victims to their growing horde—and unless they are somehow checked, Syrgaul’s forces become the scourge of both land and sea in the entire region.
Even if the characters turn back the drowned ones' assault but fail to close the rift, the evil influence of the pit strengthens and begins to extend outward. All those who have drowned in the bay are gradually harvested by the remaining drowned ones and transformed into undead, until Syrgaul has an army of drowned corpses at his command. What terrible atrocities the undead captain might visit upon the nearby settlements are up to you.
Even with the rift closed off, the Pit of Hatred might continue to be a lurking threat. With the seal restored, the evil beyond is left to fester—frustrated and perhaps seeking ways to break free, stronger and more deliberate than before.
Above all, the question remains: what is the source of the rift’s evil? Perhaps the characters will return to the pit as more accomplished adventurers, seeking some way to descend the vent, find out what presence is down there, and destroy it once and for all.
Extending the Adventure
Tammeraut’s Fate gives the characters a chance to foil an incursion by Orcus and his minions before it can take root. The deep regions of the sea are fertile ground for those demons and cultists who can take advantage of it. Far from the blinding light of the sun and overlooked by many of the demons' traditional foes, a deep-sea portal to the Abyss can spawn many demons and warp the world around it to an irreparable degree before it is discovered.
Pirates and similar outlaws are fertile ground for worshipers, and those captains who achieve success and infamy might draw the eye of any number of Abyssal patrons. As befits their chaotic nature, demon lords tend to offer power and impart blessings as the opportunity presents itself rather than create a comprehensive, long-term plan.
If you want to extend the concept presented in this adventure to cast a longer shadow over your campaign, the following notes provide some guidance and ideas for what might come next.
Orcus and the Sea
The capacity for undead creatures to survive deep underwater makes Orcus and his cult well suited for plaguing the seas. Orcus offers undeath to his mortal followers as a lure to bring them deeper into his power while unleashing them as a terror of the waves.
The scheme showcased in Tammeraut’s Fate is a good example of how Orcus and his minions take advantage of the sea. They march along the seabed to strike at coastal villages and recruit more living dead to their legions. Although the characters might have slain Syrgaul and destroyed the Pit of Hatred, Orcus and his followers continue to plot and plan.
Further Adventures
The events of Tammeraut’s Fate can serve as the flash point for a major event in your campaign. In the years that Syrgaul’s crew spent toiling at the ocean’s floor, they might have been directed by Orcus or Syrgaul to launch other sinister plans. A search of the location of the wrecked ship can turn up clues to further plots.
The following adventures seeds form a story arc that you might use as individual episodes or as the outline of a grand plot to overwhelm the region with undead and call Orcus into the world.
Death Fleet
All pirate captains know that greed and ambition among their crews pose a constant threat. Cultists of Orcus can offer the unswerving loyalty of undead crews in return for allegiance to their foul lord.
In this continuation of the story, a powerful priest of Orcus forms a network of allied pirate captains. The ship crews are augmented by zombies and skeletons, and, unknown to the pirates, the priest can spy through the undead. Captains who prove treacherous are quickly slain and replaced with more amenable allies.
As the pirates gain control of the seas, the priest is free to establish a domain of Orcus with a great portal to the Abyss at its center. It’s up to the characters to track down and defeat the pirate fleet.
The Devouring Gyre
The Pit of Hatred is but one example of the planar sigils that followers of Orcus can use to bolster their power. Off the coast, near heavily trafficked sea lanes, cultists of Orcus create a gateway on the seabed that links to the Abyss. The water above swirls and plunges downward, creating a whirlpool that devours ships and sea life.
Living creatures pulled to the bottom of the whirlpool are slain, warped with Abyssal energy, and unleashed into the sea as undead creatures. Unless someone finds the gate, slips through it into the Abyss, and destroys the unhallowed site found on the other side, the whirlpool will unleash a horde of undead sailors and sea creatures that can transform the region around it into a dead zone.
Island of Bones
Far out to sea, a mass of bones culled from the seabed rises and coalesces into a new island—a sinister place cloaked in necrotic energy. This place, the Island of Bones, serves as a port of call for pirates serving Orcus.
The island swarms with undead creatures that perform repairs on ships, unload loot, and protect the place from attack. More important, it serves as the center of an unholy theocracy founded by priests of Orcus and dedicated to calling their master to the Material Plane.
As the island grows, a massive palace fit for the Lord of the Undead himself arises from the bones. Within its depths, a portal to the Abyss slowly forms as more and more mortal sacrifices are made to Orcus.
With a fleet of pirate captains at their call and the devouring gyre cutting off sea travel, the priests of Orcus threaten to overwhelm the region with their undead hordes. Their efforts, of course, are resisted by the characters and whatever forces the locales can muster.