Shifting sands reveal 'buried mystery' (CNN 3/14/06)

What a great concept for an adventure . . . a quiet coastline village, nestled in an isolated harbor, providing a simple and peaceful life for its inhabitants. Until shifting wind and water reveal something buried beneath the sand . . . (I guess that isn't as unique a concept as I was thinking at first. Still--very cool . . .)

Here are a few possible adventure seeds:

• Perhaps only the oldest villagers remember an invasion by a strange race of sea-goers generations ago, thwarted by the villagers. The re-emergence of one of their vessels reveals plans to return for revenge 100 years from the day of the initial attack (i.e., one fortnight hence . . .)
• Same story, but perhaps the invasion was a success, the villages are their descendants—and the 100 strike is coming from the original inhabitances who scattered into the hills and are raising an army.
• Perhaps the vessel is a magical inter-planar frigate, disguised to look like a sailing ship, that miscalculated a planar gate, emerging 30 feet under the beach, 700 years ago.
• Perhaps this is the “body” of a ghost ship that has been haunting coast line for years. Uncovering what truly happened aboard the ship can give the undead their final rest.
• Perhaps the ship is a magical desert “sandsails” (a ship designed for sailing through the desert dunes). Rather than running aground—it had “run asea” and become damaged beyond repair. . .
• Maybe it is not even a ship--but perhaps, the top of a tower (leading to a underground city ruin), a dragon skeleton (causing a flurry of excitement from nearby necromancers interested in the carcass), the tip of an iceberg that never seems to melt, a circle of standing stones or a Heiau, or some kind of divine weapon (prophesied to appear when it was needed most.)