Skull & Shackles #14: The Bridge of Sighs?

At the end of the last session, we left our heroes surveying the remains of a broken bridge spanning a turgid, muddy river on a swamp-infested island.

 

As the heroes plotted their next move, Pluck returned to Vilimzair. The wily parrot had been out scouting and noticed something shiny atop a pinnacle of rock a half-mile to the east. The party—hoping this might be a clue to the whereabout of the missing crew members—immediately set off to discover the truth of the matter.

Sadly, after a short walk through the jungle and an easy climb to the rock’s pinnacle, all they found was an old signal fire and some tinder twigs. There was no sign of whoever had built the fire and all signs pointed to it being built a long time ago. Handily, though, the rocky pinnacle provide a handy locale from which to get the lay of the land.

With nothing left to do, the party returned to the broken bridge—across the turgid river lay the rest of the island.

Luckily, the bridge’s wooden piling still emerged from the muck and after a brief discussion, the party began to cross. Disaster struck almost immediately as a trio of giant frogs emerged from the river. Quickly, they attacked with their long tongues grappling Felik and Kanbrar.

The rest of the party rushed to help. Grindin hopped across some of the piling and Vilimzair—displaying the acrobatic prowess he’d learnt long ago as a street entertainer followed. Unfortunately, Grindin then abandoned Vilimzair who was immediately grappled by one of the frogs. By this time, Felik had been all but swallowed but the battle was turning. Quickly, one after another, the frogs were slain or driven off and the heroes made their way across the river.

Despite their ordeal, only Felik had been actually injured and so after a brief rest the party pushed on into the marshy jungle.

But one pathway threaded its way through the murk. Progressing cautiously along it, the heroes came upon a small clearing. Here, the stench of death was heavy in the air. A canopy had been rigged up in the clearing and hung from it were a gruesome display of body parts. Three women—rapidly identified as ghouls—seemed unaware of the party and so—with no other way forward—the heroes attacked.

With Vilimzair inspiring the heroes with tales of daring-do the battle was short, one-sided and a total victory for the party. Wiping the undead’s ichor from their blades the party set about investigating the clearing’s macabre decorations…

 

Published by

Creighton

Creighton is the publisher at Raging Swan Press and the designer of the award winning adventure Madness at Gardmore Abbey. He has designed many critically acclaimed modules such as Retribution and Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands and worked with Wizards of the Coast, Paizo, Expeditious Retreat Press, Rite Publishing and Kobold Press.

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