Twin Soul Rocks
by Irving Galvez from Threshold Magazine issue 16[Image: Map of Twin Soul Rocks]
At the Five Shires ocean border with the Grand Duchy of Karameikos rest two rocky cliff islets known as the Twin Soul Rocks. Ships that travel from Shireton Port to Specularum must pass in between these isles. Everybody thinks these islets are uninhabited because of the high peaks of mountainous cliffs surrounding them, where only birds build their nests. The larger isle is named the Hopeless Rock and the smaller one the Charmed Rock. Though many ships pass this way none of them know the secrets that are hidden here. When night falls a silent shadow attacks it’s prey and death is only the beginning.
THE CHARMED ROCK
The Charmed Rock is the smaller islet and there’s no way of exploring it. It has high cliffs and the waves collide with violence. It is very dangerous for a ship to approach it and there is nothing of interest beside many bird nests.
[Image: Map of Twin Soul Rocks, detail]
THE HOPELESS ROCK
At a distance only the snowy Lonely Soul Mountain is perceived rising to 1250 feet above sea level. This mountain is an extinct volcano that in its last eruption formed an internal lagoon within its crater. Nearing the isle reveals an almost impenetrable wall of high cliffs which encircle it. There is a small beach with a small tropical jungle but other than that everything else is cliffs and mountains. At the southern part of the isle the sea enters into its interior natural lagoon. Navigating the rough southern waters requires charts or foreknowledge of seas in that region,since there is an extensive zone of natural reefs that guard the entrance. At the end of the lagoon there is a large cavern that holds a secret.
This cavern is the hideout of Pirate Captain Deadbeard. Deadbeard is known to be the terror of the nights, as he uses 2 ships to hunt merchant vessels only during the shadow of the moon. This ships are painted in dark colors and use black sails. Their crews are all dressed in dark colors and use skeleton armor made of human bones. At night when they attack other ships, the victims only see skeleton warriors. Captain Deadbeard is an evil cleric who can also summon and control skeletons, which he uses as cannon fodder. Before the night ends they return back to their cavern and hide in the interior. The cavern is big enough for two ships to hide at low tide, but as the tide begins to rise the cave is filled with water (3hrs approximately). The entrance becomes hidden under water while its interior is flooded and causes a ship to rise and connect with a natural pool at a higher level.
[Image: Tide Diagram]
At this high level the inner pool is use to undock all captured goods and supplies they need for the stronghold. At another level higher is a series of caves that have been conditioned as living quarters. Inside the caves there are a series of guards that take care of the caves. Also in case of trouble the undead room is near the main entrance. There are only two entrances to these caves; one by the inner pool and the other by the central area of the islet. Outside there are four watchtowers (each with 2 guards) strategically placed to spot problems at a distance. There is a small underground fresh water river that is born from the melting snow of the Lonely Soul Mountain.
Deadbeard has to be aware of any change on climate and every stage of the moon. This is because sometimes the high tide could arise more than normal causing problems in the interior of the caves. He owns a moonlight orb that helps him with this problem.
[Image: Dungeon Map]
DEADBEARD’S PERSONNEL
Ship’s Crew: 2 lieutenants (lvl 5 fighters), 30 sailors, 40 marines and 35 skeletons
Cave Personnel: 35 workers, 30 guards and 40 skeletons.
Captain Deadbeard
Captain Deadbeard was once known as Captain Branek Korolenko. Branek was a Traladaran slave gladiator that fought in the Coliseum of Thyatis. After winning some battles he escaped with a group of gladiators, stole a ship, and went to hide in the Minrothad Guilds.
From there he made the decision to attack ships that were of Thyatian nationality. Quickly he became infamous among the merchants of the zone. He expanded his area of operations to Thyatis, Karameikos, the Five Shires and Darokin.
It is said that a combined group of ships from Thyatis and Karameikos went in search of him. That combined force severely damaged his ship and finally ended his travels, sinking him in a rocky rift at the gulf of Halag. They saw no survivors and proclaimed the death of Captain Korolenko without knowing that the captain clung to wooden flotsam that was part of his ship and, semi-unconscious, was carried away by the waves to the Twin Soul Rocks. He managed to survive with the little sustenance the Hopeless Rock offered. Then exploring the islet he found a cavern where he saw that he could forge his future stronghold. After two days he was rescued by a merchant ship that took him to the city of Specularum.
He enlisted with the merchant that rescued him but in the middle of the first trip he mutinied with half the crew and took control of the merchant sailing ship killing the ones that did not want to join him. After that he went directly to the Hopeless Rock to start building his reputation as Captain Deadbeard.
Deadbeard has two ships, a large sailing boat name Black Eagle that he stole from the Black Eagle Barony, and a small merchant sailing ship name the Seagull Specter that was from the merchant that rescued him. They both are used to attack merchant ships.
As told, he is an evil cleric (human C8, C) who now worships Demogorgon.
[Sidebar: Deadbeard]
Captain Deadbeard
Level 8 Cleric, Chaotic
Strength 13 Dexterity 13
Intelligence 11 Constitution 13
Wisdom 16 Charisma 16
Hit Points 36
AC 0 (magical human bone armor +2, shield +1, Dex +1)
Attacks: 1 mace +1 or spell
Damage: 1d6+2 (mace+1, Str +1) or by spell
Normally half his crew are skeletons summoned by him. Each time he attacks a ship he raises skeletons of his victims. He doesn’t take prisoners and after taking all valuables off of a ship, he sets it on fire.
Human Bone Armor
This armor is made of human bones with some iron support and it gives AC 4 to the wielder.
Moon Light Orbs
[Image: Orb]
In his many travels Deadbeard found a treasure map that led him to search Orin Island. There he discovered a treasure of two thousand gold pieces (of different nationalities) and a strange magic orb. Studying this orb for more than two years he found that it was one of only 2 moon light Orbs. The moon orbs were created by a combined group of clerics and magic users from the ancient Blackmoorian times. During his research he found that the orbs were made of lunar rocks, one being from Matera and one from Patera. The Materan moon light orb’s effect is to elevate water levels in a square mile, although Deadbeard is actually still searching for this orb, and has no clue if it still exists. The Pateran moon light orb (the one he has) can decrease water levels in a square mile. To correctly use this orb he needs to pray for 2 full days, after which he can use the effect of the orb for two days. This power can only be used 4 times a month.
Images
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[Image: Map of Twin Soul Rocks] The Five Shires 8 miles per hex by Thorfinn Tait (detail). Used by permission of the author. |
http://www.pandius.com/m_fivesh.html (see below for the detail) |
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[Image: Map of Twin Soul Rocks, detail] Map of Twin Soul Rocks by Irving Galvez, created with Hexographer (http://www.hexographer.com/) . Used by permission of the author. |
(see below) |
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[Image: Tide Diagram] Tide diagram by Irving Galvez. Used by permission of the author. |
(see below) |
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[Image: Dungeon Map] Dungeon map by Irving Galvez, created with Dungeonographer (http://www.dungeonographer.com/free-version/). Used by permission of the author. |
(see below) |
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[Image: Orb] Fantasy Pedestal with Glowing Orb by Joe Kurtz, Munich 2008. Used by permission of the author. |
http://www.joes3dfantasyworlds.com/down/fantasy01/pedestalorb.zip |