From: Shannon Appel <appel@erzo.org>
Subject: The Ship of the Dead
System: Elric!

This article describes an encounter for Elric!, featuring R'Tel Kwaglin and his Ship of the Dead. R'Tel Kwaglin, the doomed Captain of the Ship may be used as a Patron, Foe or Enigma, depending on the needs of your individual Elric! campaign.

THE STORIES OF THE SHIP OF THE DEAD

Mariners speak of the Ship of the Dead in only the most hushed tones. To merely see its decaying, soot-colored sails is considered the worst
of omens, and so most sea-men are reluctant to talk too quickly of it, lest they be cursed. Only when sitting near the fire of a cheery inn, away from the dark deeps of the sea are mariners willing to tell the full story of the Ship.

The stories all agree that The Ship of the Dead has sailed the seas for generations. It appears as a decaying antique: the hull slowly rotting; the dark sails tattered beyond recognition. The crew is entirely made of the dead, led by the Captain R'Tel Kwaglin, who might once have been a Pan Tangian. The Ship constantly searches the seas for objects unknown. Occasionally its crew attacks other ships, slaughtering any who stand in their way. Always, though, they leave empty-handed.

On one final point, all storytellers will be in agreement: if you see the dark sails of The Ship on the horizon, flee as fast as you can.

INFO ON THE SHIP

The Ship of the Dead is a ancient Pan Tangian galley. However, it is only barely recognisable as such, because it is a primitive design, a
hundred years out of date.

The Ship is nearly 250 feet long, and forty feet across. Two fragile mask, shrouded by tattered, ashen sails rise above the deck. Were the Ship of the Dead manned by living men, nearly five hundred slaves would toil to move the ship, and it would be manned by a hundred warriors. Now, though, the ship is nearly empty; the oars move swiftly of their own accord, while the nearly three score inhabitants of the ship are all beyond the pale.

[If you desire full statistics on the ship, for use in naval combat, the old Stormbringer supplement, _White Wolf_, may be referenced. It gives information on boats in Stormbringer, and includes statistics for Pan Tangian Galleys, which may be used without change. When _Seas of Fate_ is released for Elric!, it should include information on ships for the new system.]

CAPTAIN R'TEL KWAGLIN

Over a century ago, Captain R'Tel Kwaglin was a succesful Pan Tangian merchant. He sailed the Known Seas, using greed and fear in equal
proportions to fuel his dreams of greatness.

In the end, R'Tel overreached his humble station, and began to contest the power of St'Nos Deadheart, a Prelate of Chardros the Reaper. St'Nos was not amused by the layman's grasping desire for power, and as a punishment, he stole away R'Tel's soul, and damned his corporeal body to wander the seas of the world until the end of time.

R'Tel's crew fled before him, and for a while he was alone. But then, as time passed, he was slowly joined by the revenants of those that he had known and befriended in life. St'Nos' vengeance was not ended until the three score people that R'Tel had loved the most had joined him in his deathless doom.

As is his fate, R'Tel has endlessly sailed the Seas since. For decades, he has sought the soul which St'Nos stole away from him, but the task seems a hopeless one.

Chaos 37, Balance 16, Law 8

STR 14        CON 17         SIZ 13         INT 9         POW 13
DEX 9        APP 2                         HP 15

Damage Bonus: +1D4

Weapons:
Sea Axe 83%, damage 2D6+2+1D4
Brawl 84%, damage 1D3+1+1D4
Dagger 67%, damage 1D4+2+1D4

Armor: 1D6-1 Rotted Skin

Impaling Weapons only do one point of damage, and all others do half
rolled damage + spell damage.

Spells: None

Skills: Bargain 131%, Evaluate 93%, The Natural World 71%, Navigate
107%, Sailing 121%, Swim 58%, Young Kindoms 77%

Appearance:

Once, R'Tel might have been a handsome man, but now he is a deathless
ghoul. His skin hangs in strips from his body, and often the bones and
decayed organs beneath his flesh may be seen. R'Tel tries to hide
behind the finest silk clothing, but they only serve to make his
appearance more hideous, by contrast.

Demeanor:

It is part of St'Nos' curse which has allowed R'Tel to keep his sanity
through the long years. He is broken, though, without hope of ever
ending his ageless curse. Despite this hopelessness, he still searches
for his long lost soul, but the act is solely a mechanical one, a
reflexive action with no real thought behind it.

Little evokes R'Tel's curiosity, but he is willing to deal with others
if they in turn offer help to him. His two main requests are for: help
in searching for his soul (usually in some place that R'Tel can not
venture to); and aid in hurting the priests of Chardros.

THE CREW

R'Tel's crew is made up of those whom he considered friends, allies or lovers in life. The curse of deathlessness has proven unbearable for them, and most have become mindless automatons over the decades. Not a one has spoken in the last five years, and this has made R'Tel's lonely existance even worse.

Standard Zombie Crewman

STR 3D8        CON 3D8         SIZ 3D6         INT 1D6         POW 2D6
DEX 2D6        APP 1D6                         AHP 12

Av. Damage Bonus: +1D4

Weapons (Random 1D6):

1: Dagger, 40%, 1D4+2+db
2: Falchion, 70%, 1D6+2+db
3: Rapier, 70%, 1D6+1+db
4: Scimitar, 90%, 1D8+1+db
5: Sea Axe, 90%, 2D6+2+db
6: Trident, 70%, 1D6+2+db

Armor: 1D8-1 Rotted Bits of Armor

Impaling Weapons only do one point of damage, and all others do half
rolled damage + spell damge.

Note: if R'Tel or any of his crew are slain, they will rise again from
the sea in 1D8 weeks.

STORY IDEAS FOR THE SHIP OF THE DEAD

* (campaign idea) R'Tel Kwaglin can act as a rather odd patron for an
extended campaign. He might send the players to various locations,
in search of his soul, and could also use them as tools in his quest
for vengeance against the Priests of Chardros. In return, R'Tel can
provide many secrets of the deep, stolen from Pyaray and Straasha
over the decades.

* (campaign idea) R'Tel could be used as a recurring enemy in a
campaign. This would be particularly appropriate if the players were
agents of Pan Tang, or some other Chaos land. The players might have
to look into breaking R'Tel's curse themselves, as he will
constantly return, even when slain.

* When R'Tel's ship becomes a permanent fixture near the Purple Isles,
the players are asked to drive him away. What is keeping the Ship of
the Dead near the merchant islands, and how may R'Tel be bargained
with?

* The players become caught in a conflict between R'Tel and the Priest
St'Nrn, who is the descendent of St'Nos. Neither party in the
conflict cares about who is hurt in the fray, and it is up to the
players to help protect the local land from the fallout.

* R'Tel's soul comes into the hands of one of the players, held within
a powerful Pan Tangian artifact. Will the players seek out the Ship
of the Dead, whose story is carved in pictures upon the artifact?
What will they do when R'Tel explains the full story of the artifact
that the players posess?