Note: This is not at the listed co-ordinates. There is a story that a ghostly apparition appears at this point from time to time, but you’re not looking for him today. Perhaps drive that way and see if you can see a ghostly looking young man in jeans and a light green jacket.
For this puzzle cache you will need to go back more than 25 years, when Dungeons & Dragons was a hobby sweeping the world. To find the coordinates you will need to don your chainmail as a brave fighter, study your spellbook to succeed as a magic-user and keep those fingers nimble as a thief. Your intrepid party is Leif, the burly warrior, Hilgaarde, the intelligent mage, and Oli Dobbins, the halfling thief - good with his hands, especially when eating breakfast.
The rules are simple, with thanks to Newo Max’s In Search of the Unknown (GC5NGJ3) who has given me permission to use them, you have 10 hit points, 5 spell points and 5 thief points to use to achieve your goal. Only one path gets you out of the adventure with at least one point of each remaining. You must find the path. At any time if one of your scores in hit points, spell points or thief points drops to zero or below, then you are dead. Keep a track of your points and the items you collect as you go through the adventure. The numbers you need to get the correct coordinates are on the maps in red. The letters are the encounters you will experience on your way through.
Ready? Let’s begin.
The Sinister Secret of The Pirate King
At first the three of you thought you were at the back end of nowhere with no chance for adventure. Still, if you can’t slake a thirst for adventure perhaps there was a chance to quench a thirst of a different kind. As you settled into tankards of the local mead, you listened with increasing interest as the locals spoke fearfully of the nearby former residence of the Pirate King, across the wastelands of Cabbage Tree Swamp, standing on a rocky promontory. Apparently, despite its unoccupied, undefended and exposed situation, neither locals nor the denizens of the nearby dungeons will go near it. The last occupant was said to possess fabulous wealth enough to tempt three enterprising adventurers like yourselves to take your chances. After all, your blades are keen, your senses sharp and your fingers nimble.
A: Entrance Hall
You make a nervous but otherwise uneventful trek to the house, standing on its hill overlooking the nearby swamps on your approach. Behind the house you see it falls away sharply with sheer sea cliffs forming an initimidating backdrop. The wind howls around you, rain whips your faces making even a haunted house seem an appealing way to get out of the elements. The door stands closed, but you force your way into the entrance hall and take stock of your situation. The hall is large and no doubt was once sumptuous. Despite the locals claims, it’s clear from the smell alone that goblins, orcs, kobolds or maybe all of them have picked over the house for easy treasure, so so much for having the place to yourself. Listening carefully, you can discern the creak of floorboards which suggests you will be far from alone in this haunted house. Still, three grand doors to the west, north and east stand closed, what lies behind them a mystery.
B: Study
A walk down the corridor brings you into what looks like it was once a study. A desk against a boarded up window is riddled with damp. The drawers are all locked. Oli Dobbins gets to work with a lockpick (-1 thief point) and soon has the drawers open. You find a useful old book detailing shipping routes in the area which will no doubt fetch a few gold pieces back in town but nothing else of use.
C: Parlour
The ceiling has fallen in here, to the point that to your surprise you have a view of the sky. It so distracts you that as you approach to look upwards at the angry clouds you trigger a trap. A booming voice appears from nowhere: “Welcome to your death, fools!”. The disembodied voice drains energy: lose 2 spell points. As your mage recovers her composure, Oli exclaims with joy at the discovery of a skeleton key in a cavity behind a cheap looking painting of a pirate (-1 thief point).
D: Living Room
As you walk into this room you are relieved that you don’t have an aversion to mushrooms or fungus. All manner of slimy fungi, mushrooms and toadstools are everywhere. As you walk amongst them, one of them emits the most ear-splitting shriek, doubling you all in pain, before Leif quickly cuts it to pieces. Lose 1 hit point.
E: Dining Room
At one point, the occupants of the house took their meals here. The table has long since collapsed to the floor, perhaps the local goblins found it easy to take the legs for firewood. Food and liquor has also long since gone. Oli suppresses a smile as he makes the discovery of a beautiful bone-handled silver knife which he slips in his pocket - no doubt this will be nice little earner later (-1 thief point).
F: Pipeweed Room
Two very damp, very smelly leather armchairs sit near a long damp fireplace in this room. Someone has done a good job of slashing the upholstery to find anything of value. Who can say whether they were successful but there is certainly nothing there now. On the other hand, Oli delightedly uses a dextrous arm to uncover a lockbox from a hidden cavity in the chimney. In it he finds a Potion of Healing (+1 hit point, -1 thief point).
G: Kitchen
This was quite obviously the house kitchen. The utensils are long gone, no doubt pillaged by the local goblins for their best efforts at metallurgy, but the grand fireplaces can be used for nothing else. The large flue has made it easy for a family of giant centipedes to access the kitchen, they slide out of the chimney looking for an easy snack. Showing more resistance than their usual foe of rats or kobolds you soon have them dispatched, but not before they leave a nasty sting (-1 hit point).
H: Library
Across the corridor you discover a well appointed library. Unlike other parts of the house where items of all kinds of metal and wood are in demand for the local population, the world of learning is clearly not a priority. Piles of mouldy old books, scrolls of both paper and vellum lie scattered in all parts of the room. Hilgaarde is delighted at this lack of scrutiny, she finds a scroll of spell restoration (+1 spell point). Alas, the nest of giant spiders guarding the scroll is not so happy and rush at you, skittering along the library carpet to attack (-3 hit points) but are soon finished off on the end of Leif’s sharp blade and Oli's dagger.
I: Laboratory
Carefully does it in this room, it is coated in razor sharp broken glass from all manner of long shattered experimental chemistry equipment. Who knows what diabolical potions were concocted here. A few pieces of glassware from past efforts are still stacked about. Leif carelessly picks up a flask and cuts himself deeply on a glass shard (-2 hit points). Hilgaarde quickly reminds everyone to leave everything to her and discovers a potion of energy. You can use this to restore some vigour to your spellcasting efforts (+2 spell points).
J: Cards Parlour
It seems the Captain that owned this house was partial to games of chance. In this room you find the smashed up remains of a fine cards table, now part firewood, and the suede cover mostly gone and now perhaps a kobold’s cloak. The multi-coloured clay chips, completely worthless, scatter the floor. Perhaps it’s the ghost of gamblers’ past or a ward cast by a past bad loser but regardless you are attacked by three skeletons. Once you recover from the shock you move quickly to send them finally to the next world, taking a few nicks and blows. -1 hit point.
K: Storeroom
It’s hard to say what the original purpose of this room was supposed to be, but clearly at some point a resident had decided to stack chests to the ceiling. Alas not treasure chests, they’re the light wooden trading chests that are used to move items like tea, spice, herbs, and other valuable, but not heavy items. Oli is delighted to discover a chest that the regular vandals have missed and pockets a very nice bag of pipeweed (-1 thief point).
L: Bed Chamber
A slashed to smithereens mattress reveals this to be a bed chamber of some kind. It lacks even the residual luxury of the head of house, suggesting that this was the room of someone else. Strange, miniature animals depicted in damp, decaying fabric, maybe once fine silk, and the odd colours suggest that this was probably the bed chamber of the household’s children. While it looks like the last things of value should be long gone, that doesn’t stop four kobolds from picking through the remains. Fortunately you have the element of surprise so despite being outnumbered, you are able to slay them without taking too much damage (-2 hit points).
M: Bed Chamber
The generous size of this room and its once generous decorations reveal this to be the master bedroom of the house. The furnishings are well shattered, perhaps gathered for firewood at some point. While you comb the room for anything that might have been missed, you are all blinded by an incredibly bright flash. It would seem the former owners had their own way of protecting their safety in the event of a break-in. While you stumble around, Leif grabs a broken port decanter (-1 hit point). Fortunately, Hilgaarde is up to the task and with a brief murmur has all of your eyesight restored (-1 spell point).
N: Ballroom
This large room was evidently a grand affair at some stage, with a beautifully tiled parquet floor and a low stage at one end of the room behind which is a series of long-boarded up windows. Amazingly one or two instruments still remain on the stage, perhaps no-one could think of what to do with a tuba or sackbut. As you peer into the tuba and then take a few experimental puffs, you squirt a large poisonous snake out of the end. Being surprised, the snake is able to latch a firm bite on Leif. Oli is on hand to eliminate the threat from the serpent with a quick thrust of his dagger and Hilgaarde does the cure poison spell (-1 hit point, -1 spell point).
O: Chartroom
No self-respecting pirate, let along a pirate king, would be complete without a chart and map-room detailing the known seas and oceans of the seafaring world. Most have been torn to shreds and litter the floor. Worse still, you’ve interrupted a small gang of goblins as they search for any items they’ve missed on the previous times they’ve searched this room. By placing a guard on the door the seize the initiative - their surprise allows them to seize the initiative. Fortunately for you, initiative is no match for skill and brawn - sword and dagger win the battle with an epic effort (-3 hit points). In one of the goblin’s pockets Oli finds a lovely garnet stone which he pockets greedily.
P: Back Passage
A short corridor links various parts of the house. Items from around the house have been scattered here, presumably after being examined by the various monsters that have been picking over the belongings of the original residents. From under a pile of old clothes slides a giant python and wraps itself around Oli. Leif steps up and slices its head clean off but not before Oli cracks a couple of ribs (-2 hit points). From in the same pile of rubbish you find a beautiful ruby ring. It was no doubt a prized possession of the original owner.
Q: Secret Passage
What luck - Oli finds a secret door that has clearly gone unopened for many a year (-3 thief points unless you have found the skeleton key, in which case -1 thief point). Dust coats the floor and walls. Being concealed, there is no natural light, so you light up a torch from your backpack. Light flickers, and you can see that the Pirate King prepared for visitors like you - three ghouls loom out of the dark, ravenously hungry from many years without the taste of fresh flesh. Leif leaps to the defence only to be rewarded with a hacking blow from a zombie’s rusty sword (-2 hit points). Hilgaarde reacts first and launches a fireball into their midst consuming their rotting corpses amidst their agonised cries (-2 spell points). You reassure yourself that you have given them sweet relief from their tortured existence. You discover a hidden stairway leading down underneath the old house (go to encounter S)
R: Gallery
A narrow room runs down here. Rather unattractive pictures of the Pirate King and his homely relatives glower at you from the walls. Not even goblins would steal these and nor will you. You get the strange sense that the eyes in the picture are following you but despite examining them closely you find nothing of interest. At each end of the corridor are two faded tapestries in frames bolted firmly to the wall. By tugging gently at the corners Oli discovers that one is actually a false front which slides down to reveal a small alcove (-1 thief point). In the alcove you discover a small bag of gold pieces.
S: Wine Cellar
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum and all that - here’s the house wine cellar. Wooden bottle racks line the walls on the north, west and east. While most have long since been broken, scattering the floor with a layer of sharp, thick brown and green glass, you discover a couple of bottles of rum in sealed jugs - tempting as it is to throw a jug in your knapsack you resist the idea of encumbering yourself. Perhaps at least one former resident found the temptation too great, for a rotting corpse lays slumped in the south eastern corner. Empty bottles lay around him - it seems he was killed while in a stupor. In his hand he still clutches his sword. As Oli leans in to rummage through his pockets, the eyes flick open and a set of mossy green teeth bite down on his arm (-2 hit points). Leif leaps to the rescue and lops off his head. A quick look at the sword reveals some fine workmanship so Leif takes it replace his own blade admiring the fine workmanship and unusual runes on the hilt.
T: Cavern
You enter a room quite unlike anything you’ve seen anywhere else in the house. Here in a cavern hewn from the rock are torches continuing to burn with an eerie blue light. Who knows how long they’ve been in place. The blue light illuminates a strange green slime on the walls. Unable to resist himself, Leif reaches out to touch the slime to discover to his horror, that it envelops his hand. Hilgaarde murmurs a few words a magic missile ends the burning from the slime (-1 hit point, -1 spell point).
U: Corridor
You enter a room quite unlike anything you’ve seen anywhere else in the house. Here in a cellar hewn from the rock are torches continuing to burn with an eerie blue light. Who knows how long they’ve been in place.
Against the walls lean five massive bolts of silk of various colours. That is not the most surprising thing in the room though. A skeleton, dressed in tattered pirate’s garb is doing the stacking. He turns and looks at you and immediately attacks. Leif is on hand to smite him quickly with just a few bumps and bruises to show for it (-1 hit point). You find a small pouch of various coins which you pocket and a potion of luck (+1 thief point).
V: Corridor
A short corridor leads to a firmly closed door - from behind you, you hear the door you came through slam shut and the lock snap shut. Slumped against the door ahead of you is the body of what looks to be a previous adventurer. Leif finds clutched in his hand a potion, which he quaffs - luckily it’s a healing potion (+2 hit points). Oli confirms that the door ahead is locked and probably has been for some time. From his bag he draws a small vial of oil and thief’s tools. After some patient work, you hear the snick of the lock and Leif pulls it open (-2 thief points).
W: Pirate's Quarters
You find yourself in another large, high ceilinged cavern. Also lit by torches you can see all. It has been converted to living - used loosely in this sense, quarters. Ten benches line the walls with small chests at the end of each. Five of the undead skeleton pirates are present and they immediately move to attack you. Hilgaarde reacts first on the offense and are able to see them all off into the next life (-1 spell point) but not before a fierce battle in which Leif is cut by a scimitar (-2 hit points). You rummage through the sea chests of the bone pirates and find very little of use - however you do find a diamond brooch.
X: Corridor
A short but wide corridor leads to a large oak door. In a dark part of the corridor, your torch light flickers and you see what looks like a stick. As you examine it, you notice it has a stopper at one end. Pulling it out, you find a vellum scroll. It’s a scroll of energy (+2 spell points). If you have a skeleton key, Oli opens the door (-1 thief point), if not it takes a little longer but Oli still manages to get it open (-2 thief points).
Y: Sea Cave West Entrance
After climbing a short corridor steeply, you find yourself at an open doorway overlooking a massive sea cave. At one end you can see the opening to the sea where the pirates of the undead row in to shore. With the tide out you can see a muddy beach of sorts sloping away towards the cave mouth. Pulled up above the high tide mark is a jolly boat, complete with oars, a mast and well furled sail. A rope from the bow has been neatly tied to a heavy iron ring deeply set in a nearby boulder. The briny scent of the sea is a relief from the stench of the house and the caves.
From here to the cave mouth you must make your way down what looks like a massive seashell which has somehow become lodged at the end of the cave. Taking comfort from the fact that even undead zombie pirates would not willingly co-habit a cave with a 10 metre long hermit crab, you slowly make your way down the "shell-slide" to the jolly boat. Unfortunately, you fail to notice that the is something of a drop between the shell edge and the cave floor, depositing you unceremoniously, and slightly bruised on the sand (-1 hit point).
Z: Sea Cave East Entrance
After walking upwards along a gravelly corridor, you find yourself at an open doorway overlooking a massive sea cave. At one end you can see the opening to the sea where the pirates of the undead row in to shore. With the tide out you can see a muddy beach of sorts sloping away towards the cave mouth. Pulled up above the high tide mark is a jolly boat, complete with oars, a mast and well furled sail. A rope from the bow has been neatly tied to a heavy iron ring deeply set in a nearby boulder. The briny scent of the sea is a relief from the stench of the house and the caves.
There is natural stairway of hexagonal pillared rocks going gently down to the rock floor. In some parts, the drop is well over head height. Tired and fearing further injury, Hilgaarde casts a levitation spell to move you all gently to the sea cave floor (-1 spell point).
The Jolly Boat
Having seen off the pirates you have the place to yourself, giving you time to approach and search the jolly boat. At the end of the jolly boat, to your excitement you see a chest. Clearly the undead pirates never expected to need to protect their booty so the chest is unlocked and untrapped. You slowly open the chest to reveal...visit the cache location to find out - having successfully reached the end of the pirate king’s secret you should have the coordinates you need.
Out the cave mouth you are startled to see a ghostly pirate ship moored in the bay...what adventures could it bring...is this the real secret of the Pirate King of Cabbage Tree Swamp?
These epic adventurers bravely sallied forth to claim the prize:
