Legendary Lives Starfrost Island.pdf

Starfrost Island

An Adventure for Legendary Lives

By Joe Williams & Kathleen Williams

Email me at: freeRPGs@comcast.net

Starfrost Island

Background

magical properties, and jewelry collectors could be

overcome by greed.

Whatever their individual motivations, the

characters will converge at a small pier north of

Tourmaline. It may surprise them that treasure

seekers are so common to Starfrost that a ferry

runs once a week to the island, carrying the

hopeful to and the disappointed fro. The player

characters may know each other to begin with, or

they may meet for the first time at the ferry.

Some years ago, off the coast of Tourmaline, a

corsair vessel named The Starfrost robbed an elven

trade ship of it’s treasures. Among the jewels was a

beautiful silver tiara, a gift from the easterling

kingdom to the Elf Queen. Set with seven magical

stones, the headpiece was worth a fortune. After

sinking the elven ship, the corsairs turned for

home, but a freak wind storm (summoned,

perhaps, by the curse of the elves) blew them off

course. The waves battered the ship until it sank.

Only two corsairs managed to swim to a small

island; one of them had the tiara stuffed in his shirt.

The rest of the treasure was lost.

The corsairs decided to build a skiff and sail to

the mainland. Fearful that the tiara would be lost

during the uncertain voyage, they agreed to bury it

on the island and return for it when they were

better equipped. Since neither trusted the other,

they bent the fine filigree work, and broke the

crown in two. Separately they went into the forest,

where each hid half. The corsairs met on the beach

at daybreak and sailed for the mainland. Many days

later, they were found floating offshore, nearly

dead from exposure. One of them had just enough

strength to gasp out his story, and then they both

died. From that day on the island has been called

Starfrost, after the corsair ship that was destroyed

on its rocky shore.

The Ferry

The ferry is a flat-bottomed boat captained by

Malcom, a crippled corsair with a patch over one

eye. He demands $1 for every person who rides his

ferry. The barge isn’t large enough to carry horses;

however he can stable any steeds at his coastal

cottage for $1 a week.

Malcom is a cranky fellow, who would rather

smoke his pipe then talk, but he answers questions

if asked civilly. It takes about four hours to reach

the shore of Starfrost Island, during which time the

players can become acquainted.

If asked, Malcom says that he’s never set foot

on the island, but he’s taken a lot of adventurers to

it’s shores. He emphasizes that only a few of them

have ever come back, and they babble stories of

horrendous beasts, winged demons, and awful

creatures of nightmare. At the height of this spiel,

he offers to sell the party the following healing

herbs: 2 doses of Key flower ($50 per dose), 2

doses Castor Beans ($40 per dose) 3 doses Elf Root

($30 per dose) and 1 dose Lung Wort ($20 per

dose).

Malcom carries $35, a pipe with tobacco, flint

and steel, and a large cutlass along with his herbs.

He does Poor damage with his cutlass and has a

Defense of Passable, Good, Great, Superior.

Involving the Players

The players may become involved for a variety

of reasons. For new players, the lure of ready

treasure may be enough. An elven character may

wish to regain the tiara for his beloved queen. A

corsair could be related to one of the crew

members, and plans to claim the tiara as his

rightful property. Mages might seek the tiara for its

Starfrost Island

Harpies Attack

On Shore

As the ferry draws near Starfrost island, a

player who rolls Good on Alertness will notice

three flying creatures coming towards them. They

are an avian male obviously fleeing in terror, and

two harpy pursuers (see Chapter 11 for

information on harpies). One harpy carries a

hooked net, and it appears as though they are

trying to capture the avian rather than kill him. The

avian yells for help, and players may try to assist

by making bow or crossbow shots at the creatures

at -2 columns.

During the struggle, the wounded avian will

collapse on the ferry. If one of the harpies is killed,

the other will fly away. If captured, they will prove

to be wily and uncommunicative.

Hummer is in no condition to travel, but he

continues to urge the others on. He tells them to

head directly north, following the ocean, for there

are no roads or paths through the forest. His family

aviary is about a day’s journey away, where they

might be able to pick up the trail of his family.

Malcom can’t be induced to join the players. He

immediately sets to felling small trees with his

sword in order to build a raftÉ he’s not about to

stay on Starfrost Island a moment longer than he

needs to! For a fee of $50, he’ll offer to watch after

Hummer and wait until the players return before

casting off.

The Journey North

Hummer Talks

The avian will thank the party and introduce

himself as Hummer. He has been badly injured, and

is quite frantic. He’s certain the island has been

cursed. At night, the sky is filled with mysterious

lights and terrible sounds. Food is scarce and

springs have become tainted. Storms rise from

clear skies and whirlwinds tear through the

forests. Hummer and his family were preparing to

leave the island when his nest was raided by three

harpies. He managed to get away at the last minute,

but his family was taken prisoner. Two of the

harpies pursued him. Harpies are not indigenous to

the island, and he’s sure someone brought them

here for some nefarious purpose.

Hummer pleads with the characters to help his

family. He says he knows where half the tiara is

hidden, and if they rescue his family, it can be

theirs.

After speaking with Hummer for a short while,

a massive storm rolls in from the sea. It tosses the

ferry back and forth until it shatters, dumping

everyone into the cold waves. Characters must roll

Good on Swim to make it to the beaches of

Starfrost island. Those who fail will be washed

ashore half drowned; see the Swim skill in Chapter

6 for information on drowning. Both Malcom and

Hummer will make it to shore. Hummer suffers a

sprained wing in the turmoil.

Following Hummer’s directions, the

adventurers soon find themselves walking on

rocky ground, then ascending cliffs. A Good Climb

is necessary to successfully traverse this area. See

Chapter 6 for details on Climbing.

Near the top of the cliffs the party finds the

remains of an adventurer. Although his skin is

parched and leathery, his elven features can still be

discerned. He carries a case containing five arrows,

and wears two leather gloves, leather boots, a

chain hood and a heavy wool cloak. A long bow lies

near his side; there are no rations or other

supplies. A Superior Medical roll indicates that he

died of a wasting disease. The nearby vegetation is

dead and dying as well.

In his pouch is a small journal written in the

elfish language. It requires a Good Literacy roll to

read it. The journal relates a story of how he came

to the island looking for the lost tiara of the Elf

Queen. He was in the forest when he heard a

dreadful creature crashing through the trees. The

journal describes it as a skinless horse. The evil

demon breathed on him and he lost consciousness.

When he came to, he fought back his weakness and

continued on his journey. His last entry reads, “My

strength is giving out. I’ll rest only a little while

before going on.”

If anyone takes one of his items, they must roll

Passable on Stamina or contract a disease. Those

who fail will begin to feel nauseous and sickly

Starfrost Island

within the hour. Soon sores will appear on their

hands and faces. Each day afterwards, an ailing

character must make a Stamina roll. On a Pathetic

or Catastrophic roll, the character dies. On a

Superior or Awesome roll, he recovers.

To the Aviary

The other side of the bay is another rocky

slope. Here, a Good Climb roll is needed to ascend

the cliffs. At the top is Hummer’s aviary. One of the

tallest points on the island, the party can see that

the island is greatly covered in trees and mist;

however, those who make a Passable Nature roll

will notice that great patches of the forest are

suffering from a blight. Further to the north, the

very top of a ruined lighthouse rises over the trees.

The aviary shows signs of a struggle. The

inhabitants were obviously snatched during their

daily routines: bedding is rumpled, a basket of

berries has been knocked over and the coals in the

fire are still slightly warm. A quick search reveals

only household goods-no tiara can be found.

It is dusk, and the party may safely stay here

for the night. At midnight, horrible cries can be

heard over the breaking of the waves against the

shore. Ghostly green lights billow from the

lighthouse, not as a guiding beam, but as an eerie,

sparkling glow.

Merrows Play a Trick

On the other side of the cliff is a beautiful bay

with a white sandy beach. It is very inviting, unlike

the rest of the island. A lovely woman is sobbing at

the edge of the water. Characters can descend to

the beach easily.

This woman is really a merrow, but pretends

to be human. Seeing the party, she runs up to them

and ask them to help her. She accidentally dropped

her comb in the water, she weeps, would one of

them wade in and get it? She cannot swim herself.

The comb can be seen resting at the bottom of the

bay, a distance of about five feet. No matter how

hard the party tries to fish it out with a stick or

sword, they simply can’t catch hold of it-the water

distorts it. Someone must actually go into the

water to fetch the comb.

If this happens, this person will find himself in

the grasp of a male merrow (he can be spotted

with an Awesome Alertness roll, lurking near the

comb). The female merrow will shriek with delight,

jump into the bay, and immediately form a fishy

tail. Both will shout “We have a new playmate! We

have a new playmate!” They will precede to dunk

the poor adventurer in and out of the water. If

attacked, the female merrow will chant her siren

song. Those who hear it will be drawn to her for

(Will vs Passable) x 10 minutes. After tiring of their

victim, they will place him on a rock some fifty feet

from shore. A Great Swim roll is needed to fight the

treacherous tide back to land. The merrows may

offer to bring the adventurer back in return for a

more interesting toy.

If the party chooses to pass the merrow

without helping her, she will grow angry and sing

her siren song. If attacked, she will dive into the

water, swim a safe distance, and sing her song,

enticing the characters to drown themselves while

her husband attacks with a mighty trident. See

Chapter 11: Foes for more information on

merrows.

The Beyonie

The morning is misty and grey. Descending

from the aviary, the party comes again to the

beach. As the adventurers continue northward to

the lighthouse (their most likely destination), they

come across some odd-looking tracks, reminiscent

of a goose, though man-sized. With a Passable

Track roll, a character can easily follow the

footprints to the edge of the ocean. As the party

draws near, they can see the hunched figure of an

old woman walking along the shore, carrying a

large basket. A character who looks can spot her

red webbed feet underneath her skirts. As they

come closer, the characters will hear her words:

“Ah, me! I’ve tried fresh water, now salt water, and

nothing washes away the blood. Oh, woe!” At this

point, characters who make a Great Legends roll

will recognize the Beyonie. For more information,

see Chapter 11: Foes.

If a character can walk between the Beyonie

and the ocean, she will answer three of his

questions truthfully, but she will also ask three

questions that must be answered truthfully;

Starfrost Island

otherwise the character will be cursed. The

Beyonie will try to prevent anyone from walking

between her and the ocean. A character may try to

sneak around her by making a Great Stealth roll or

trust to speed by making a Superior Run roll.

The Beyonie takes a shine to the character

who makes the highest Fate roll. The Beyonie will

freely admit that she has come to Starfrost Island

because “death is in the air.” She’ll give her favorite

character a bloody garment from her basket. This

is a cloak of Elemental protection, and will keep the

wearer safe from the ravages of wind, including

hurricanes and similar storms. She warns them to

leave the island before they are lost, but disappears

into the fog before they can question her further. If

anyone tries to touch the Beyonie or hinder her,

she will use her paralyzing touch to defend herself.

laughing and frolicking with the aughiska which

carry his disease (they are immune), then he

disappears into the forest.

If the aughiska spot the party, they will

whinny, and draw the nuckelavee back to the

beach. The nuckelavee carries a huge lance (Great

damage) and can simultaneously attack with front

hooves (Passable damage) and a bite (Good

damage). He has a Defense of Great, Great,

Superior, Superior, Awesome, Awesome. The

nuckelavee fears fresh water more than anything

else. It will not cross a fresh-water stream, and if

fresh water is splashed on its skin, it will retreat.

However, it will first try to kill or infect the party.

See Chapter 11 for more information.

The Lighthouse

The Aughiska

The fog slowly lifts, but the day is still grey and

damp. As the characters reach the top of a dune,

they can see a stretch of beach, then a rocky jetty

with the lighthouse perched on the far end. The

tower is crumbling and appears empty. To their

immediate right, the party can see great patches of

parched earth. Below, a flock of 20 aughiska cavort

on the sands. Numerous other aughiska lay dead or

dying on the beach.

As long as they are inland, these horses make

fantastic mounts, telepathically linked with its

rider. However, if they manage to smell sea water,

they will run swiftly towards it, devouring their

rider once they’ve plunged into the waves. See

Chapter 11: Foes for more information

As the characters watch, a great churning

approaches from far out in the ocean. The aughiska

caper to the edge in anticipation as a nuckelavee

comes from the waves and walks on the beach.

As the characters attempt to reach the

lighthouse, they are swept back by magical

whirlwinds which do Passable damage. Anyone

wearing or holding onto the cloak of Elemental

Protection is immune to the whirlwind. The

whirlwinds will disappear once they’ve been

breached.

The door to the lighthouse is marked with

esoteric symbols, but is unlocked. The ground floor

contains only dust, cobwebs and a worn stone

staircase leading upwards in a spiral.

When the parties reach the second floor, three

harpies will attack (see Chapter 11: Foes). The

floor is covered with a squalor of rags the harpies

use as bedding. On a Passable Search roll, the

players find half a broken tiara hidden in the filth.

The harpies stole it from Hummer’s aviary.

The silver crown setting is so tarnished by the

elements that it’s worth only $50. Each of the 3

gems it contains is worth $100 and confer the

following on its wearer: Agate: +1 Defense;

Aquamarine: +1 Swim; Bloodstone: +1 Sword.

The Nuckelavee

Characters can recognize the nuckelavee by

rolling Great on Legends. A ghastly looking

creature about 12 feet tall, it has the body of a

horse with the torso of a man growing from its

back. It’s skin is inside out, and it needs to bathe in

salt water to soothe it’s pain. It is the bringer of the

wasting disease, and glories in infecting living

creatures. The nuckelavee spends some time

Titando the Mooly

The third floor of the lighthouse was once the

fire pit which lit up the night sky. Shards of broken

mirrors still cling to the walls. It is open to the

elements, and a fierce breeze blows though it. In

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