Tide of the Drowned Corsairs

Description

Adventure Summary

The remote village of Saltmaw is besieged by undead buccaneers that emerge from a hidden waterfall cove — but only at low tide. A mysterious survivor offers a fortune for a relic that can end the threat, yet the quest-giver is the cursed ghost captain himself, seeking to trade the heroes’ souls for his freedom. The party must navigate a treacherous sea cave, decipher ancient betrayals, and choose whether to fight, perform a binding ritual, or fall victim to the tide. This one-shot blends investigation, swashbuckling undead combat, and a rising-water climax for a 3rd-level party.

Background

Decades ago, Captain Mordecai Aldric of the Sea Wraith made a pact with the sea hag Morwenna for immortality, trading his crew’s souls. The hag tricked him: the crew became restless dead, and Aldric’s spirit was bound to a black pearl — the Tideheart — locked in his sunken ship. At low tide, the waterfall parts and the undead corsairs walk the cavern. At high tide, they fade. Aldric can briefly manifest as a living man outside the cave, using his charm to lure treasure-seekers into the cove. His goal: trick someone else into breaking the pearl, which will transfer the curse to new victims and finally release him.

The Hook

The party arrives in Saltmaw during a howling storm. The Saltspray Inn buzzes with fearful whispers of the “Drowned Men.” A weathered old sailor named Captain Aldric approaches, claiming he alone escaped the haunted cove. He offers 500 gp and a “Tidewalker Charm” (a fear-laced talisman) to retrieve the Tideheart Pearl from the wreck. He insists they must go at the next low tide, when the way behind the waterfall is open. In truth, the charm amplifies the undead’s dread aura, and the pearl is Aldric’s phylactery. Suspicious players can probe villagers: Old Marta the herbalist knows the legend of a cursed captain betrayed by a sea hag, and the mayor admits no one in town has ever seen Aldric before.