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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 1213942" data-attributes="member: 1210">The Ghost Ship pt 1The strange galley creaks around them as our heroes climb aboard it.  It seems deserted, at least at first glance. “This is creepy,” murmurs Dexter with a shiver as he looks around.  The wheel has something glowing in it, and a thick-looking metal door bars entrance to the cabin.  Rajah and Sh’Larn approach the wheel while Malford and Galiger warily eye the door.The captain of the Sea Hag cautiously looks the door over, then turns to his first mate.  “What do you think?”“Let’s see what’s behind it,” Galiger answers, just as a tremendous sound indicates the detonation of a trap on the wheel.  Sh’Larn has touched what he shouldn’t, and a blast of fire rips over him.  The merellin screams, staggers back, and collapses, moaning.  He’s not dead, but only by a hair.As if that wasn’t enough, Gepp suddenly points.  “Look!  Skeletons!”  And indeed, there does seem to be a party of skeletal figures walking down the beach towards the boat.  Worse, almost as if his words were a premonition, the ship’s boats’ covers are suddenly cast aside as skeletons arise from them as well!  Caught by surprise, our heroes are engaged by nearly twenty undead, and the group on shore is at least as numerous!Dexter screams in fear as he swings his quarterstaff at the nearest skeleton, smashing its ribs in.  My psionics won’t help here! he thinks wildly.  Nearby, Malford is thinking the same of his illusions.  Rajah tries to stand guard over Sh’Larn’s unconscious form, but he’s driven back by the press of enemies.  Lyr stabs brutally with her harpoon, completely surrounded and beset by five skeletons herself, crooning an invocation of the wrath of the sea, sky and land.  Malford thrusts and dodges to her aid.  Gepp, emulating his captain, tries to move to help Lyr, but he’s intercepted by a cadre of enemies.  They hack at him ruthlessly, stopping him from advancing and closing in around him.  Rajah smashes his fist into a skeleton, sending it to join the few that our heroes have brought down, but to his dismay he sees another of the skeletons slash with its scimitar and connect with Gepp’s head!  The gnome gurgles and falls, slain!“We can’t take them all like this!” Captain Malford cries.  “Especially with more of them coming!  Retreat, over the side and back to the Sea Hag!”A fighting retreat begins.  Rajah jumps up, kicks out and destroys another skeleton even as Lyr finally fights her way to Sh’Larn.  She grunts with effort as she pulls his pudgy body up into her arms and struggles through the melee to the edge of the vessel.  She looks to the ground 20’ below.  Glances to her left to see the advancing skeletons.  I hope he survives, she thinks, then dumps Sh’Larn over the edge.  The merellin’s unconscious form falls limply, hitting head-first with a sickening snapping sound.  The gods Lyr worships are not kind.  She’s already turned to defend herself again as the skeletons assail her with club and- ironically- harpoon.  Clang!  The enemy harpoon is parried aside, then she sweeps the butt into the skeleton’s face, crashing through its skull and laying it low.  Then she’s over the side, climbing down as best she can.  Missile fire is already coming down at her escaping comrades, and the landward party of undead is hurrying to the fight as well....“Let’s go!” shouts Malford.  “Back to the ship!”In a quarter of an hour the survivors have returned and are grimly planning a full-scale attack on the enemy ship....Next Time:  The first appearance of a seagate in my campaign!</blockquote>

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