Part Three: The characters set sail for R'lyee and face the perils the Septic Sea.

Getting down to the docks, the characters reach the Bloody Marauder, Joey's boat. Though armored and sea worthy, it is about the size of a bathtub. Setting sail, the group heads out with the toxic tide.

HM Note: Just in case it wasn't obvious, the Septic Sea smells really bad. Because of this, you can feel free to hit the characters with any type of combat penalty, skill penalty, nausea, infection, or disfiguring illness that you wish.

Another HM Note: Joey said he would feed, water, and equip the characters but whether or not he actually does so is another matter. Feel free to deprive the PCs of sustenance, ammo, and dental care as you see fit. After all, what are they going to do about it? Swim home?

Yet another HM Note: Joey has the powers of Dark Magick working on his side so nothing bad ever happens to him. If the PCs are in a real jam, he might help them out, but otherwise he will just stand around offering useful advise like:

"Battle on my fine warriors! Embrace your doom as you struggle to protect me, your master, from the perils of this torturous sea! Have faith in the soulless monstrosity who shall consume your soul and know that all must eventually succumb to the wrath of evil as it crushes the life blood from the flimsy veils of hope and goodness that pervade the galaxy's ignorant masses! Fight on in the hopeless realization..."

You get the picture.

The journey to R'lyee takes a full week, in which time all sorts of terrible things can befall the characters. To determine what hellish event occurs on any given day, roll 2d6 and consult the "Septic Sea" encounter table below.

SEPTIC SEA ENCOUNTER TABLE
Roll	Encounter
2	Nothing encountered. The players don't know how lucky they are.
3-4	Encounter Hell-Hulk (see description below).
5-6	Encounter uncharted desert isle (see description below).
7	Encounter Septic Sea Monster (see description below).
8-9	Encounter another Hell-Hulk.
10-11	Encounter yet another Hell-Hulk.
12	Encounter Septic Storm. (see description below).

Hell-Hulks: 18/PFB/8/-3/ A gigantic ten masted iron-sided monstrosity of a ship, bristling with weapons and containing ld6+2 hundred rabid pirates. Basically the shipbuilder's answer to the Billco ™ Backhoe. Hell-Hulks also have a special weapon known as a "vortex generator". A giant propeller under the craft creates a huge whirlpool which draws smaller vessels towards the Hell-Hulk. In this way even fast, maneuverable craft can be caught by a slow-moving Hulk. The sails are made of human skin.

Cool, eh?

Hell-Hulk Pirate Stats

Greymatta -- 0
Pilot Hell-Hulk - 9
Mouth -- 5
Shootin' Kinda Pretty Big Guns - 8
Meat -- 5
Run with Scizzers - 10
Feets -- 5
Seek the Innocent - 7
Nuts -- 6
Cause Hellish Agony - 7
Total Armor -- 7
Eat Anything - 8
Equip: "Jolly Roger" High-Powered Crossbow (A/D 12/2), Fancy Pirate Garb (armor 2).

Uncharted desert isle: The HM is free to have the PCs discover all sorts of things here. Shipwrecked psychopaths that seem friendly until you try and rescue them, buried treasure (originally grobules that have since matured into a chest full of ravenous groblings), Led Pighp hitching a ride, the possibilities are endless...

Septic Sea Monster: A nameless horror of the septic depths appears and tries to turn the PCs into lunchmeat. GM: -2 MT: 10 MO: 0 FT: 3 NT: 10 Total Armor: 5

HM Note on Septic Sea Monsters: If one of the characters innocently asks Joey if the tentacled beast that just wiped out half the crew was the Great Kuthoolu, read the following passage:

Joey puts his hand on your shoulder, looking into your eyes with the greatest sincerity. "No my friend," he answers "the beast we are searching for is much, much more dangerous."

Septic Storm: The sky darkens and the sea grows rough! Jagged shards of neon purple lighting crackle across the sky! A howling banshee of a wind drives waves of acid putrescence. Everybody better hang on, 'cause if they don't they're going to be doing the backstroke in a raging toxic soup!

HM Suggestion: Have a Septic Sea monster attack while the poor cretins are struggling to bail out the Bloody Marauder. Lots of fun! Eventually, of course, the PCs set to the island of R'ylee. When this happens, pack up the random encounter table and move on to...

Hol Lot of Trouble

Introduction
Part 1: Arrival
Part 2: Recruitment
Part 3: Set Sail
Part 4: R'ylee Island
Part 5: Dungeon
Part 6: Lair of Kuthoolu
Appendix

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