The Ship of The Dead

The Ship of the Dead
Author: Shannon Appel
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recognisable as such, because it is a primitive design, a hundred years out of date.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?

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Author: Shannon Appel

THE STORIES OF THE SHIP OF THE DEAD

INFO ON THE SHIP

CAPTAIN R'TEL KWAGLIN

Chaos 37, Balance 16, Law 8

STR 14 CON 17 SIZ 13 INT 9 POW 13

Damage Bonus: +1D4

Armor: 1D6-1 Rotted Skin

Standard Zombie Crewman

Av. Damage Bonus: +1D4

Weapons (Random 1D6):

1: Dagger, 40%, 1D4+2+db

Armor: 1D8-1 Rotted Bits of Armor

STORY IDEAS FOR THE SHIP OF THE DEAD

* (campaign idea) R'Tel could be used as a recurring enemy in a campaign. This

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