Haelstrom is grateful that the party has not killed him and is quite friendly. He was en route to Mezoa Town when his ship ran into the brass dragon Verithraxis Dominus, who punched several holes in the hull. Limping to the nearest port, Haelstrom's ship was overtaken by Solaar... and here he is. Haelstrom signs over the deed to his manor house in Port Sapphire to them in exchange for a ride to a convenient port. He also agrees to sell the two plunder points in Solaar for a premium -- and a 10% cut.
En route to Skeleton Key, Solaar is accosted by a fearsome dragon turtle - Kumodo the Sea King. It breaches the water with its massive head and demands that the players pour gold down its throat. "FEEEEED MEEEEE."
The party quickly deduces that Kumodo the Sea King is not actually a dragon turtle - it's a major illusion cast on the bow of a strange, lobster-shaped submarine. A crusty, goggled dwarf mans the apparatus and controls the Kumodo illusion - it's Goff Chunder, dwarven inventor and member of the Brotherhood of the Sea. The party is not happy with Goff's deception and attacks the lobster sub, driving it underwater with fireballs, heat metal, and shatter spells. Within a few rounds, the strange submarine has escaped into the deep with 400 pieces of the players' gold. What a bastard.
The voyage continues. Alone in his cabin, Cake produces the first of several skeletons servants. Captain Teach opens the Locket of Illandra and listens to the haunting song of the sea elf princess. Inspired, Teach sings his own melody back to Illandra - and a mystic connection is formed. If Teach is within 100 miles of Illandra, the locket will show the way.
Solaar sails past an island of giant sheep and cyclops shepherds, which the DM just mentioned for flavor. On a whim, they row over to the island and capture one of the cow-sized sheep and escape without getting cyclops'd.
The PCs finally arrive at Skeleton Key, an unremarkable small island surrounded by a sharp coral reef. The only way on to the island is across a hundred yards of dunes which seethe with skeletons. Navigating through this undead minefield, the party reaches the center of the island, where they find the remains of an old sailing ship.
The hull of the ship has rotted long ago and only the rib-cage like beams remain. However, the bowsprit and figurehead of the beached ship remain strangely intact. The figurehead is a wood carving of a spectral skeletal figure.
The eyes on the skeleton figurehead blaze with arcane light as they approach. "I am the Radiskull..."
Naturally, the party is very excited about the prospect of a magic, talking figurehead for their ship, so they begin making preparations for bringing it aboard. At this point 50% of those playing are very tired (DM included), which wraps up this short Skeletal Interlude.