Leaving Graben village and the attack of the white wizard behind them, the party returned to the Hellbound, where they confronted Garvyn about his dealings with the Grabens. The captain relented, and confessed to taking the bodies from the Grabens. He had been told that they were relations of the Graben family, and he had been paid a healthy sum to inter them in a masouleum on a frozen island called Todstein. On three occasions, however, Garvyn had instead dumped the bodies overboard rather than take them to the island. For this defilement, he said, he and his ship were cursed to forever wander the Sargasso Sea...

Though his story explained the curse upon the Endurance, it did not explain the empty graves and the sheer number of entries in the Graben ledger. It soon dawned on the party that the bodies were not of Graben family members at all, but were instead from victims of the Graben's treachory, innocents killed and then stolen away to be sent to this strange island. The appearance of the ice mage also seemed to factor in, but it was still unclear as to the true connection. It was certain, though, that the answers lay in wait on Todstein...

Garvyn agreed to take the party to Todstein, on one condition -- that they help him recover the three bodies from the ocean floor, and inter them in proper burial. Garvyn believed that this would break the curse upon him and his ship. The party agreed, and the Hellbound set out to the first location, as recorded in Garvyn's log.

Charlotte's remains were the first to be sought after. Using their skills and magics, some party members descended into the cold sea, searching for the little girl's remains. Eventually, they were found on the ocean floor, but recovery was hampered by a school of skeletal undead sharks that attacked the searchers. After beating off the sharks and bringing the remians onboard, the party headed out to the open ocean, where Madeline's remains were searched for. Again, the party was harassed, but this time by a strange breed of aquatic creature lairing in a nearby cave. The remains were finally recovered and the creatures beaten, and the Hellbound set out for the island of Todstein, where Jacob's bones lay beneath the waves.

The ship arrived near nightfall, and the search was begun before the waters became too dark to search. Using spells, the party was able to locate Jacob's remains lodged between rocks on the ocean floor. As the party hauled the bones back on deck, the ship was suddenly attacked by a collosal starfish. As the ship was crushed between the beasts mighty rays, the party barely managed to escape to the water. Clinging to debris, the party and most of the crew watched the Hellbound pulled beneath the waves, its cursed captain trapped on the sinking deck. As darkness fell and the water stilled, there was no trace of the ship left. The party and the crew managed to swim to the frozen shores of Todstein island, where they collapsed from exhaustion.

With the dawn came a cold mist off the ocean. The survivors of the starfish attack watched as out of the rolling mist a ship appeared. It was the Hellbound, helmed by Garvyn, for not even death or destruction would free him from his curse.

Having recovered from the previous night's attacks, the party set out with the remains of the three innocents towards the center of the frozen island, following the directions to the mausoleum provided by Garvyn. The trek wasn't far, but the snow was deep and the wind biting. Soon, though, they found what they sought -- two low, white structures that were seemingly made of snow. As they approached, a low whine filled the air, and four white statues of armored men stepped away from the mausoleum doors and attacked the party. These weer determined to be snow golems, and they proved to be dangerous foes. Through judicious use of might and magic, the party defeated the guardians, and turned to the magically sealed doors. Following the instructions provided by Garvyn, the party opened the mausoleum, and entered.

Inside, a series of vaults were found, all of them empty. The party quickly interred the bodies they bore, and Ian said a prayer of rest to consecrate the tomb. Back on the shore, a subtle change happened... As the bodies were laid to rest, the Hellbound faded from sight, becoming again the Endurance. The curse of the Ship of Horrors had been lifted... But there was more to do. Ghrym informed the others that the Ba'alstone was somewhere nearby, which meant that the ice wizard was close by as well. The party decided that an entrance to the wizard's lair must be hidden within the mausoleums, and they were determined not to leave until they had confronted him again.