Chapter 3: Cursed Shipwreck - Dragons of Stormwreck Isle

Chapter 3: Cursed Shipwreck. This chapter assumes the characters come here before Seagrow Caves and are still 1st level. It also includes instructions to scale up the danger in combat encounters if the characters complete chapter 2, "Seagrow Caves," before coming here and are now 2nd level. Shipwreck Overview Ever since the violent death of a gold dragon on the rocky shoal on the north side of Stormwreck Isle, the bone-strewn rocks have been the site of many shipwrecks through the centuries. One such shipwreck left a lasting mark on the island. About forty years ago, a ship named Compass Rose carrying passengers bound for the cloister wrecked on the shoal, killing all aboard. To the horror of the cloister's residents, those who drowned found their way ashore as shambling zombies. Since the loss of that ship, each new shipwreck has brought a fresh wave of zombie sailors to the island's shore. Fortunately, wrecks are rare-or they were, until recently. Not long ago, a harpy settled into the wreck of Compass Rose. With its magically entrancing voice, the harpy has been luring ships to crash on the shoal and feasting on the unlucky sailors. The sailors who escape the harpy's talons end up as zombies menacing the people of Dragon's Rest. The harpy is only the most immediate problem lurking in the wrecked hull of Compass Rose. The greater threat is a cursed talisman held in the ship's hold, imbued with magic by a long-dead sailor's desperate prayers to a demon lord. This curse is responsible for the drowned sailors animating as Zombie. Most of the sailors who were aboard the ship when it wrecked are long gone, but some zombies have been trapped in the wreck for years. Other Shipwrecks This chapter assumes the characters heed Runara's advice and search Compass Rose for clues to the recent shipwrecks. If the characters decide to explore other recent wrecks, you can use the map of Compass Rose to represent any other sunken ship's deck plan, though most of the wrecks are en...