I've had an idea for a one session adventure that can be slotted in pretty much anytime that the players would part of the crew of the boat. It's still work in progress and I can see a few holes, any suggestions?
The players will meet a badly damaged ship drifting. The crew appear to be dead, victims of an apparent pirate attack. However a search will reveal a chest of gold hidden on the ship and possibly an unconscious survivor or two. These will be taken aboard the players ship.
The survivor(s) awake and tell a story of how they found an island with burial mounds on it's foreshore, they broke into a mound and found the gold. On the evening of the voyage away from the island they were attacked by pale skinned pirates who appeared to be Nordheimers. The teller of the tale recounts that he was knocked unconscious in the fight and remembers nothing after that.
That evening the wind will drop, the sea will be still and a mist will roll over the ship. The survivor will appear to be anxious. Out of the moonlit mist a black ship will appear, pale skinned and bearded Nordheimers will pour onto the players craft. The survivor will rush out of his cabin and see a pirate he recognises, "We killed you! I slit your throat myself! Your blood stains my robes even now!" he will shout. The pirate will grin through his unkempt beard and reply in a guttural voice, "I died years ago you fool, it was our burial mounds that you raided, we want our gold!" Pulling aside his beard he'll reveal a gaping bloody wound across his throat, the survivor screams and faints.
Queue a fight sequence which should reveal that the Nordheimers are unusually tough. Hopefully the fight will be won and the corpses kicked off the deck.
Now hopefully someone on the crew will start speaking of the Nordheimers as being Draugr, undead. They'll keep coming every night for their gold. A Draugr can only be really killed by killing it with your bare hands, no weapons just your own strength. If the captain of the ship can be destroyed his crew should either die with him or stop fighting conceding that the treasure is now theirs by right of combat and retreat into the night.
Now I'm not too sure where to take it from there. On the one hand the Draugr could return and one of the characters get into the position where he can defeat the leader of the Draugrs, I could even try and engineer the fight so that the exposition comes out half way through and the players realise what they have to do. Alternatively maybe the treasure should be returned to the burial mound. There's also some versions of the Draugr myth where they can only truely be killed with a sword found in their own burial mounds. That would provide a reason for a 2nd fight and a big climax among the old burial mounds.
So what do people think of this? Any ideas on how to finish it up?
The players will meet a badly damaged ship drifting. The crew appear to be dead, victims of an apparent pirate attack. However a search will reveal a chest of gold hidden on the ship and possibly an unconscious survivor or two. These will be taken aboard the players ship.
The survivor(s) awake and tell a story of how they found an island with burial mounds on it's foreshore, they broke into a mound and found the gold. On the evening of the voyage away from the island they were attacked by pale skinned pirates who appeared to be Nordheimers. The teller of the tale recounts that he was knocked unconscious in the fight and remembers nothing after that.
That evening the wind will drop, the sea will be still and a mist will roll over the ship. The survivor will appear to be anxious. Out of the moonlit mist a black ship will appear, pale skinned and bearded Nordheimers will pour onto the players craft. The survivor will rush out of his cabin and see a pirate he recognises, "We killed you! I slit your throat myself! Your blood stains my robes even now!" he will shout. The pirate will grin through his unkempt beard and reply in a guttural voice, "I died years ago you fool, it was our burial mounds that you raided, we want our gold!" Pulling aside his beard he'll reveal a gaping bloody wound across his throat, the survivor screams and faints.
Queue a fight sequence which should reveal that the Nordheimers are unusually tough. Hopefully the fight will be won and the corpses kicked off the deck.
Now hopefully someone on the crew will start speaking of the Nordheimers as being Draugr, undead. They'll keep coming every night for their gold. A Draugr can only be really killed by killing it with your bare hands, no weapons just your own strength. If the captain of the ship can be destroyed his crew should either die with him or stop fighting conceding that the treasure is now theirs by right of combat and retreat into the night.
Now I'm not too sure where to take it from there. On the one hand the Draugr could return and one of the characters get into the position where he can defeat the leader of the Draugrs, I could even try and engineer the fight so that the exposition comes out half way through and the players realise what they have to do. Alternatively maybe the treasure should be returned to the burial mound. There's also some versions of the Draugr myth where they can only truely be killed with a sword found in their own burial mounds. That would provide a reason for a 2nd fight and a big climax among the old burial mounds.
So what do people think of this? Any ideas on how to finish it up?