The session begins with creating six villagers using Funnel World and putting them through the "Ghost Ship Demeter." Phrases in italics are GM questions or dice results.
Eorl
Male Potter
Swan like neck, coarse personality
STR 09 (+0) DEX 04 (-2) CON 15 (+1) INT 13 (+1) WIS 06 (-1) CHA 08 (-1) LUC 10 / 11 (+0)
HP 4 / 4 Load 4 Damage d4
Club (close, 2 wt), burlap sack, 5 lbs. Of clay (2 wt)
I saved Edlyn from drink.
Edlyn
Broad brow, foolish
Female Ditch Digger
STR 08 (-1) DEX 12 (+0) CON 11 (+0) INT 14 (+1) WIS 14 (+1) CHA 14 (+1) LUC 11 (+0)
HP 3 / 3 Load 3 Damage d4
Shovel (close, awkward, 2 wt)
I respect Daryl for telling it like it is.
Daryl
Small eyes, peaceful
Female Crofter
STR 12 (+0) DEX 12 (+0) CON 12 (+0) INT 15 (+1) WIS 17 (+2) CHA 09 (+0) LUC 14 (+1)
HP 3 / 3 Load 4 Damage d4
Pitchfork (close, reach, 1 wt), bushel of onions (4 rations, 2 wt)
Ellette and I seek knowledge about beasts and monsters.
Ellette
Bald, sanctimonious
Female Fisherperson
STR 10 (+0) DEX 09 (+0) CON 06 (-1) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 09 (+0) LUC 08 (-1)
HP 2 / 2 Load 4 Damage d4
Knife (hand), fishing net (reach, thrown)
I trust Oswine because they are wise.
Oswine
Well groomed, pedantic
Male Dung carter
STR 10 (+0) DEX 10 (+0) CON 15 (+1) INT 11 (+0) WIS 08 (-1) CHA 16 (+2) LUC 08 / 09(+0)
HP 4 / 4 Load 4 Damage d4
Shovel (close, awkward, 2 wt), cart of dung
I lied to Eda about my faith.
Eda
Long torso, solitary
Female Tinker
STR 14 (+1) DEX 06 (-1) CON 03 (-3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 09 (+0) CHA 08 (-1) LUC 14 (+1)
HP 1 / 1 Load 5 Damage d4
Tinker’s tools
I will soothe Eorl’s concern about their missing loved one.
And so it begins...
Aaaah, the magnificence of a life at sea! Rum, brutality and the lash, surrounded by water that’ll drown you even as it remains undrinkable! What could your father have been thinking? Was he countin’ the coins that he and them other village elders received as a bonus for enlistin’ you an’ your “friends” as apprentice sailors on the briny deep? I’m sure they only had your welfare at heart when they sold you inta twenny years of servitude on the good ship Demeter, eh? But does that means it’s a good thing or a bad thing that when you woke up to swab the decks this mornin’, you discovered the rest of the crew’s gone missing in the night?
The cry of gulls overhead woke Edlyn from her uncomfortable sleep. She blearily sat up on the deck of the Demeter and looked about. It was empty.
What was your job on board the ship?
Edlyn was smart and wise for her years, suited for watching the stars and learning how to navigate a ship. The only one wiser than she was her sister Daryl. Daryl… Was she still on the Demeter?
Explore the Demeter: 6-
There was no sign of her sister on deck. Walking back toward the ship’s wheel, Edlyn came across streaks of dark, dried blood. The trail suggested fingers clawing at the wood as whoever it was was pulled down stairs toward the office area. She recalled that this was off limits to anyone but the Captain and his staff. The former Ditch Digger shrugged and cautiously headed toward the office; for all she knew, the ship was abandoned.
Explore the Demeter: 7-9
Edlyn reached for the office door when a loud howl cut through the air. This was followed by a loud shout and the clang of metal on wood. A wolf? On a ship? Oswine? What in Lutano was going on? She burst through the door to find a grey beast snarling at Oswine, armed with a shovel. Another stood against the wall beside her. As she rushed to pick it up, the wolf leapt at Oswine with jaws open and sharp teeth reaching for Oswine’s throat.
Wolf (d8 damage, 6 HP)
Oswine: Fight 7-9 (burn 1 Luck)
Oswine swung the shovel which connected against the wolf’s head with a satisfying crack. The wolf shook its head as if to clear it. Visibly shaken, it renewed the attack on the carter. One pounce. Edlyn barely witnessed it. One pounce and Oswine was knocked to the floor, his throat being torn open as the wolf clamped its jaws around his neck.
Enraged, Edlyn rushed in to help the dying Oswine. The shovel she found struck heavily against the side of the wolf’s head. A second satisfying crack and the wolf lay still beside the still warm corpse. Blood flowed quickly from the gaping wound, pooling around Oswine’s head.
“We will bury you ‘neath the waters. Lutano’s light lead you,” she muttered.
She grabbed the second shovel and nudged the dead wolf with her foot. It remained still. Armed with two shovels, Edlyn surveyed the room. There must be some answers here. Besides scrolls and maps, there was only the Captain’s journal lying on the desk. She absently thumbed through its pages and found mention of another passenger. A nobleman with strange requests: room far back from the light, only seen on the main deck at night.
The lap of waves against the hull brought Edlyn back to the present. She shoved the book beneath her shirt. With a sad glance back at Oswine, she continued further into the ship.
Explore the Demeter: 7-9
She walked toward the aft of the ship, cautiously creeping through the dimly lit area toward the First Mate’s cabin. The lanterns were still lit, but the sounds were all wrong. As Edlyn opened the door into the cabin, a bat swooped out through the doorway, chittering loudly into the hall.
“What are you doing?” asked a voice behind her.
Edlyn jumped for the second time in as many heart beats. One shovel dropped to the floor as she gripped the other in both hands and spun.
“Eorl! Why would you sneak up on me like that?!” she exclaimed.
“Wasn't sneakin’. Walkin’. You weren't listenin’,” he replied, eyeing the shovel on the floor. “Lookin’ for folk?”
“I found Oswine. He was attacked by a wolf. He…,” Edlyn nodded back the way she had come.
“A wolf?” Eorl asked, clearly dubious of that.
“Look, if you don't believe me, go look yourself. I was going to check the First Mate’s room. Maybe he knew something.”
Eorl shook his head. “If I didn't know better, I’d swear you were drinkin’ again. No, if there's wolves runnin’ ‘round a boat, we’ll search together.”
She turned and walked into the cabin. It was also dimly lit but the remnants of a fight were clearly written on the floor. Spatters of dried blood lined the wall with trails of it leading toward the door. A hand was the only thing left of what Edlyn and Eorl presumed was the First Mate.
“So much for that idea,” sighed Edlyn. “Maybe the Steward?”
Explore the Demeter: 6-
Who here is the worst landlubber?
Eda. She was an odd one. Stronger than the rest of them but sickly due to some disease. Her parents traveled a lot, which is why she was so skilled at fixing so many things. They found her looking at a chest, padlocked. With her set of tools, she began to unlock it.
“Hey, Eda,” Edlyn said, quietly so as not to disturb her.
“Hey,” came the reply as the lock snapped open.
Inside, they found a pick with a note hastily scribbled. Eda picked it up and tested it's swing. Eorl picked up the note and began to read.
“Says here he was scared the passenger was a demon or somethin’. Goin’ on ‘bout infernal skin and runnin’ water. Says he hid this for protection,” Eorl mumbled.
Eda glanced over at Eorl, her eyes displayed a distant sadness. “We’re surrounded by water,” she said.
The smell of the salty air cut through the gathering, a reminder that they were aboard a ship disturbingly empty. Edlyn cleared her throat.
“We need to find Daryl. Let’s try the Second Mate’s.”
Explore the Demeter: 6-
Daryl was studiously looking over a book in her hands, running her fingers along the leather cover and silver edged pages.
“Wish I could read this,” she said, barely glancing over as the others approached.
Edlyn watched Daryl with a bit of concern and a small amount of anger. “Lutano’s Light, do you have any idea…?”
“No,” said Daryl. “I was hoping this book had answers, but it's all gibberish.”
“Look,” Eorl cut in, “We need off this boat. I ain't gettin’ stuck in the middle of the ocean ‘cause we’re readin’. Let's find where we’re at then find a port.”
“Maybe they're in the mess?” volunteered Eda.
Explore the Demeter: 7-9
The mess was almost as empty as the rest of the ship. Ellette was unconscious on the floor beneath a table. The four rushed over to her side and brought her back to wakefulness.
“What an odd dream,” she said. “Remember those stories we read about vampires and werewolves?”
Daryl nodded.
“It had a dark forest beneath a haunting mountain… I think we were called,” Ellette continued.
“Called. That's one way to put it,” said Eorl.
“Called to do what?” asked Edlyn.
Daryl looked at the pick carried by Eda and the book she carried in her hands. “Perhaps something to do with these?”
Explore the Demeter: 7-9
The party rounded the corner and walked into the darkness of the ship’s hold. Eda walked along the perimeter and noticed an ebony coffin tucked against the far corner, furthest away from the stairs. Why were they transporting a corpse? Her tinkering nature begged her to open it and see what would call for such an ornate box.
Within, a grey skinned man lay upon a scattering of dirt. He was dressed in extravagant clothes. His hands clasped across his chest was marked by streaks of dried blood.
“Wha…,” her question was cut short as the figure snapped open his eyes. They glowed with a soft blue grey light. A hand shot up to grab Eda around the throat.
Eda: Fight 6-
Eda gasped, dropping the pick on the floor. The figure sat up and brought pearly fangs savagely down on her neck. Edlyn screamed and rushed in too late to save her friend. The shovel she carried smashed against the creature’s head. The thing barely registered it had been struck.
Eorl pulled the club from his belt and moved to the other side of the coffin. Daryl detachedly sprinted to the pick and gathered it in her arms. Ellette strode forward, feeling the power of her faith offering its protection as she pulled her knife free. The monster laughed and tossed Eda aside like a doll. His blue grey gaze focused on the resolute Ellette and launched himself from the coffin, a taloned hand swatting at her neck.
Ellette: Fight 7-9
The creature barreled into Ellette, knocking her to the floor. Ellette grimaced beneath his weight and shoved her knife into the thing’s chest. A solid strike that may have killed an ordinary person, but this monster continued to fight. The claw slashed open her throat with a single blow.
Eorl: Fight 10+ (burn 1 Luck)
Eorl took advantage of the creature’s exposed back. He strode over to the thing and smacked it across the back of its head. The head lurched forward from the impact, a faint crack of crushed bone. The monster looked upward with a demonic grin and reached for Eorl’s neck.
Eorl: Fight 10+
Eorl continued to fight, beating at the beast with his club. The weapon knocked the claw aside, but all the blows had no impact on the creature’s movements. Determined, the monster stalked forward.
Edlyn: Fight 6-
Edlyn brought the shovel down hard upon the thing’s back. The infernal skin the Steward had mentioned was proved true. The shovel snapped in half with the creature moving as if nothing happened. It smiled mockingly and dismissed Edlyn. The thing continued to hound Eorl, moving forward with inhuman speed with echoing laughter.
Eorl: Fight 7-9
The club rained down on the monster but, still, there was nothing gained. The hand clasped around Eorl’s throat as the thing continued to laugh maliciously.
Eorl: Resist Drain 7-9
His mind was filled with despair. Images of his brother’s corpse lying beneath a tree. Eda, who had helped him through the darkest moments. Edlyn, the one he sought to protect. All of it, it could be gone in a moment.
Daryl: Fight 7-9
Daryl took advantage of the distraction and struck at the thing from behind. The pick swung through the air and bit deeply into its body. It howled with rage as, finally, something managed to cause it significant harm.
The thing changed, its human guise melted and gave way to a bat form. It flapped and struggled to make an escape, barely able to fly straight after that last attack.
Daryl: Fight 10+
“Not today,” she said with an air of calm.
Her hand reached back then threw the pick at the fluttering bat. It shot forward and pinned the bat against the wall. The form shifted as the monster seemed human once more. The pick protruded from its back and into its heart. Daryl walked over and placed her foot against the wall to retrieve her pick.
“Lutano’s Light lead you,” said Daryl benevolently.
Later...
Edlyn gathered the corpses and prepared them for burial: hands and feet bound in iron and anchored with a ball and chain, the weight keeping the bodies submerged so they may rest and not walk ashore again. With the help of Eorl, they tossed each body into the ocean reciting, “May Lutano’s light lead you through the murk.”
Daryl was in the Captain’s office, looking over bloodstained charts. She had a couple of trinkets lying on the desk she had recovered from the coffin and cabins. A circlet of blackened metal set with a ruby and a pair of reading glasses made of a silver metal. The reading glasses allowed her to read the strange script written in the book, and the strange circlet became The Ghost Helm. With it, the Demeter would never be without a crew. Now, she needed a destination.
Who among you can read the stars?
Edlyn walked into the room, wearing a reassuring smile after completing such a grim task. Daryl mirrored that smile, knowing exactly who could navigate the stars. They had a ship, a crew, and now a destination...
The aftermath. The survivors choose a playbook from Freebooters on the Frontier and reach level 1.
DARYL DE ROSSI, female 1st level Magic User with 0 XP
Daryl has small grey eyes and brown hair with oily skin from long hours in the laboratory. She is bold, humble and peaceful.
STR 12 (+0) DEX 12 (+0) CON 12 (+0) INT 16 (+2) WIS 17 (+2) CHA 09 (+0) LUC 14 (+1)
ARMOR 0 HD d4 HP 3 / 3
HERITAGE Human
ALIGNMENT Good
STARTING MOVES
Know Your Stuff
Spellbook: 3 power
Study Spellbook
Inscribe Spell
Cast a Spell
GEAR (Load 4)
Spellbook (1 wt), The Ghost Helm (+1 power), Reading Glasses, pick (1d6, 1 wt, awkward, close, 2 pierce), bushel of onions (4 rations, 2 wt)
INSCRIBED SPELLS
Incredible Greed
Semideus’ Shaft of Hatred
EDLYN DE ROSSI, female 1st level Cleric with 0 XP
Beneath her broad brow, Edlyn has piercing hazel eyes. Her shoulder length brown hair barely conceals the pair of snake fangs tattooed on either side of her neck. She is idealistic and honorable but sometimes lazy.
STR 08 (-1) DEX 12 (+0) CON 11 (+0) INT 14 (+1) WIS 15 (+1) CHA 14 (+1) LUC 11 (+0)
ARMOR 0 HD d8 HP 7 / 7
HERITAGE Human
ALIGNMENT Lawful
STARTING MOVES
Know Your Stuff
Disciple of Lutano (Truth): Find answers for those who ask.
Pray
Sacrifice
Bless
Curse
GEAR (Load 7)
Iron ball and chain holy symbol, shovel (1d4, 2 wt, awkward, close)
EORL MORETTI, male 1st level Fighter with 0 XP
Eorl possesses a swan like neck and braided auburn hair. Beneath his coarse personality, he is selfless and willing to help his friends.
STR 09 (+0) DEX 04 (-2) CON 16 (+2) INT 13 (+1) WIS 06 (-1) CHA 08 (-1) LUC 11 / 11 (+0)
ARMOR 0 HD d10 HP 12 / 12
HERITAGE Human
ALIGNMENT Neutral
STARTING MOVES
Know Your Stuff
Favored weapon (club)
Bend bars, lift gates
No guts, no glory
GEAR (Load 10)
Club (1d6, 2 wt, close), burlap sack, 5 lbs. Of clay (2 wt)
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