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Monday Night Pathfinder Pirates: Aboard the Zelbinion

As dawn approached, there was a call out from the crow's nest of the Celestial Kyte.  A dinghy carrying a passed out human girl, perhaps 16 years of age, in heavy armor came into sight.  Sheena swam out to check on her and bring her aboard.  Sandara, the ship healer, patched up her health from the wear of several days at sea.  She awoke scared among the pirate crew, wanting for her shield and sword, and not wanting to share her story with a band of pirates, saviors or not.  The crew noted a marking on her shield, giving away that she was mostly likely part of a merchant crew out of Waterdeep.

Fishguts appeared on deck, taking the captain aside, and letting him know that the crew was not liking the cursed ship (marked with large red X's), and wouldn't be going aboard unless thrown there.  It was going to be up to the officers.

The magus studied the magical aura of the ship at a distance and the runes of the rails.  The magic pervaded every bit of the ship, covering the details of the magic.  The magus only knew that there were protective spells on the ship.

Two longboats carried the 10 across while Sandara and another officer stayed behind, minding the Celestial Kyte and the crew that preferred to stay below deck.

  • Captain Jacen
  • First Mate Kyte
  • Master Gunner Durgen
  • The Druid
  • Sheena
  • The rescued girl, Victaerris
  • Ichavon, the Dwarven Gunslinger and Gunner Crew Leader
  • Quip, the Halfling Gunner Crew Leader 
  • Govan, the Pyromaniac Gnomish Gunnery Crew Leader
  • Fishguts Kroop
Boarding the ship, the Druid was surprised by the various plants growing on the netting hanging from the side of the ship.  Druid spoke to the plants that told him of a "caretaker" that visited and took care of them every day or two.

Once aboard the Zelbinion, the crew immediately identified large weapons locker.  Sheena checked it for traps, but Durgen got hit with a falling portcullis trap, which Kroop barely was able to disable.  Inside they found a good haul of weapons.

On the sterncastle, the group found the ship's wheel with an attached compass and a runic control panel.  The captain tried to take the wheel only to be shocked by it.  Apparently it requires some sort of talisman, ring, or other keyed device that were probably worn by the helmsman and captain to allow only them to take control of the ship.  The runic panel was a bit of a mystery, but it was soon determined to be a magical panel that could be controlled to turn earth/water/wind/fire/magic spells on and off on the various decks.

The crew proceeded, using Sheena and Kroop to check for and disable traps to check various rooms.  In the navigator's quarters they found a map, but lost another chest of maps to a fireball trap.  There was treasure.  In the captain's quarters they found various goods after setting off a trap.  In the mate's and chronicler's quarters they found a journal telling part of the fate of the ship.  In the longboats, they found various gear, stowed for an escape but never taken off the ship.  In the quartermaster's area they found a large haul of goods.

Durgen did his duty by twice running the various loot back to the Celestial Kyte.

The Druid and Victa went below to the gunnery deck where they found a Xill crewman still on board, the caretake of the plants, a botanist and ship's surgeon.  The Xill and journal together told the crew much of the story.  Elemental creatures were taken on the ship at a mysterious island and taken below.  During a storm the magic protections (controlled by the runic control panel) were knocked out and the creatures caused a ruckus below.  The crew went to fight them while they tried to restore the magic protections.  After the caster was blown off the ship by the storm, the officers left the crew behind and tried to take to the boats to escape.  One of the creatures got through and drowned the officers.  Cranax, the Xill, survived by jumping to the ethereal plane and returned to find the magical protections restored.  The captain happily offered the Xill a position on the crew who was happy to accept, so long as he did not have to venture below the gunnery deck, where he was unsure if the creatures still were.

In addition the crew found cannons, old black powder, and cannonballs on the gunnery deck, still usable.  The black powder would require careful transport and handling, but was otherwise a nice commodity.

Three unopened rooms remain on the main deck, and the gunnery deck and 2 decks below remain unexplored.
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