iy Dungéonsé eee ee Monstrou Arcana’ By-BRUCE R. CORDELL,w Upper Caves fee eae eens Po , 4 ais osc a: A 2-2 fe ee acl Petco BiolorownedcavernayD Advanced ungéons& Dragons Monstrou Arcana EVIL TIDE BY BRUCE R. CORDELL TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . a Rateliff Reach a le DM's Background ee Watch Towers old Character Involvement Hooks .............2 The Story Unfolds seed Damsel in Distress... The Sahuagin Raiders... oes Debarking in Angleburg s......csssssssss6 The Sea Caves . seseeee eed Sea Devils! 6 Upper Caves Request For Aid ........ rey, (encounter areas 1 to 31) ..... see Around the Isle .....+.++ 10 Drowned Caverns tAngleburgiaeeg eee fevered (encounter areas 32 to 48) Lychelle’s Shop . SIO Conclusion ....seseseeeeeeersee Beacon House ...... oo 1 Areana Chasm (Excavation Site)... sl Elasmobranchuvor Crystal Springs Lake & Lake House 1 The Stone Which Abides ‘The Downs area) Surge Greenroot Forest 2... esceeeceeee 12 Halfmoon Bay 12 Sidebar 1: Quick Water Rules... Last House (Laurish Samprey) ...........12 Sidebar 2: Plain of Yellow 14 Sahuagin Abilities and Strategies .. CREDITS Playtesters: Miranda Horner, John D. Rateliff, Keith Strohm, Skip Williams, and Steve Winter ‘Cover Art: Paul Jaquays: Interior At Glen Michael Angus Cartography Roy Bohol Graphic Design: Eileen Mecha Typerting Angelika Lokote Sa Sr incoherence acc sae worn nary EES ene eae eee eerie eens oy US., CANADA, EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS ASIA, PACIIG & LATIN aAERICA Morrie Cone Belg Wizards of the Coast, Inc. PB. 34 PO. Box 707 2300 Turnhout Renton, WA 98057-0707 Belgium “1-206-624-0933, +32 1444-30-44 Visit our website at http:/ /wwwtstine.com ISBN: 0-7869-0678-2 9542XXX1501INTRODUCTION “[Dark] zoaves break on the wet, black shore Ina thunder of shattering spray— But what care we ifthe storm gods roar, And lash at the pane and claw at the door, ‘And twe sail atthe break of day? A Tone gull cries like a poor, damned soul That the waves have washed away...” —L. Sprague De Camp & Lin Carter, “Barachan Pirate Chant,” Conan of the Isles. Enil Tide is the first of an adventure trilogy (continuing with Night of the Shark and concluding in Sea of Blood) that pits four to eight player characters of Sth- to 7th- level against the shark-like race of marine-diwelling humanoids called “sahuagin” by the air-breathing races. ‘The adventures that make up the sahuagin trilogy can be played separately or linked together to form a seamless epic-length adventure. The sahuagin trilogy supports The Sea Devils, a MONSTROUS ARCANA™ supplement, and also Of Ships ‘and the Sea, a core rules supplement providing in-depth rules for marine adventuring. These two supplements are not required to play out the sahuagin adventure trilogy; only the three core rulebooks (Player's Handbook, MONSTROUS MANUAL. tome, and DUNGEON ‘MASTER® Guide) are absolutely necessary. However, the two indicated new sourcebooks provide invaluable, fas- cinating, and immediately applicable supplementary information concerning both sea devils and rules for sur- viving under the wind-tossed waves. The incipient adventure detailed in this module begins as the PCs’ boat approaches a middling-sized island not too terribly distant from the mainland, Although places and individuals critical to the adventure are named and described, the DM is of course free to change any and all, ‘names found herein so that Foil Tide and the subsequent two adventures can be cohesively inserted into the ongo- Sinaly, a word tothe wise DM: schuagin are implicitly dangerous, nasty individuals whose awesome physical prowess is only overshadowed by their fearsome intel- lectual capacities. It should be a challenge for an average group of PCs just to survive in the cold, air-deprived depths of the sea, let alone successfully deny the devil men their goals in their own watery territory. Not every encounter can be dealt with merely through brute force; diplomacy and intelligence are requisite traits if the PCs hope to survive to adventure’s end. DM4‘S BACKGROUND Sahuagin have begun a fierce campaign of coastal raids against the fishing village of Angleburg on Angler Island. Although the raids appear wanton and seem to serve no purpose other than to gather metal and capture red-blooded food in the form of unfortunate villagers, some investigation by the PCs reveals that the raids serve to mask the sea devils’ real activities in the sea caves below the cliffs of Angler, ‘An above-ground passage to the sea caves was recently uncovered on Angler Island by a seaquake, and subsequent investigation determined that many strange carvings lie half-buried in the cavern walls below. The origin of these strange carvings are unclear, and Lychelle, an ambitious merchant of Angleburg, instigated an exca- vation of the statuettes carved from serpentine (a vivid, pure-green semiprecious stone) in an attempt to reach the truth (and possibly reap some profit), ‘The team of excavators, including Lychelle, were down in the sea caves when the initial sahuagin attack ‘boiled up out of the sea in the dark of the night. One of the first things the sahuagin did was block off surface access to the sea caves; thus, the fate of the trapped exca- vators is unknown to the villagers. Furthermore, the con- stant raids by the sahuagin have distracted the attention of the air-breathers away from the submerged caverns, as is the sea devils’ intent. ‘The heroes are likely to offer their aid to the citizens of Angleburg as they attempt to repel the attacks of the sahuagin raiders, but the PCs’ real task is to discover the fate of Lychelle and the excavators, and bring them to safety if any yet survive. If the PCs are successful in this, they may learn more of the reason behind the sahuagin’s interest in the sea caves, and what can be done to put a stop to their foul designs. CHARACTER INVOLVEMENT HOOKS ‘The reason for the PCs’ interest in Angler Island and their initial presence on a sea-going vessel as this adven- ture begins should be supplied by the DM if this adven- ture is to be inserted into a campaign, or the DM can choose one of the following adventure hooks to get things rolling: ‘The player characters have just made an ocean cross- ing from a distant continent. Their ship's supplies are depleted, and ocean storms have damaged the hull of the ship so that it requires repairs at the first possible landing—which is, oddly enough, Angler Island, ‘= The player characters have been hired (for the sum of 200 gp apiece) by the wealthy merchant Norden Pan- itker to protect his cargo of wool and peppers from pirates and privateers as he transports it to the rich island city of Angleburg. ‘One or more of the PCs originally hail from Angler Island; they are heading home for a brief rest follow- ing a succession of successful adventures. ‘The Potentate of Angleburg has sent messages to the mainland requesting relief from the recent plague of sea devil incursions. The Potentate has offered a reward of 500 gp and salvage rights to any mercenary band that can put an end to the raids.The PCs are traveling by knarr, a small cargo ship 65 feet long and 20 feet wide (or a suitable ship of their own), near the coastline of the mainland but just far enough away so that itis not visible on the horizon (a distance of anything from 10 to 100 miles, depending on the coastal terrain). Read or paraphrase the following to any PCs who are assembled on deck as the last light of day illuminates their destination: Angler Island. Rose and gold vestiges of the day paint the sky like the living interior of a mother-of-pearl oyster shell The vivid colors contrast starkly with the endless plane of dark water surrounding your craft. Blue- edged clouds pile towards the roof of the sky in mag- nificent thunderheads to the north, but their threat is still minimal and far-off. ‘As a cool evening breeze blows in off the waves, redolent with sea and salt, a cry goes up from the ‘bowsprit, “Man overboard!” A glance in the direction of the wildly pointing finger of the lookout confirms his message; a humanoid figure does indeed struggle ‘weakly in the wine-dark waves near the bow of the ship. It cries out in a thin wail of supplication as the ‘undisputable silhouette of a shark’s fin breaks the sur- face of the water, moving toward the struggling figure with lethal speed. ‘The freeboard of the ship (the height of the ship’s side above water) is about 10 feet. There is a dangling rope ladder thrown over the side of the ship, but the figure (closer scrutiny reveals it to resemble a female sea elf) is at least 30 feet from the ladder and looks to be at the end of her strength. Note that the water below the ship is 70 feet deep. ‘The crewmen are content to watch the scene unfold with wide eyes. No one aboard the ship has fallen in, and a tangle with a shark is something many sailors most fear. Besides, many a sailor has fallen prey to sirens and the like over the years, making them wary of strangers, even those in distress. If the figure is to be rescued, itis up to the PCs. Inaction on the PCs’ part equals a death sentence for the woman in the water, as there are actually three sharks in the water, only one of which has broken the surface in its attack ‘The PCs have many options open to them if they try to rescue the woman. They can attempt to throw a rope or lasso the figure. They can attempt to fire missiles or spells at the shark from the deck. They can jump into the water to attempt a direct rescue, launch a row boat, or take some combination of these actions. Refer to the nearby sidebar, Quick Water Rules, for a brief rundown of the salient points between characters and water.This is a good initial encounter for PCs who do not have an accumulated store of water-related J magic or much experience in this aquatic environ- ‘ment; it should serve to teach them how alien and dan- gerouss.a conflict underwater really is for the unprepared. The PCs have one full round of action while the visible shark closes with the exhausted sea elf, attempting to take a bite out of her at the beginning of the following round. Any attempt to throw a rope to the figure requires a successful Rope Use proficiency check (or a Dexterity check at a-5 penalty for those without the Rope Use pro- ficiency) in order to get the rope into her hands. A Strength check by the elf (6; she is exhausted) allows her to hold on long enough to be pulled to safety. An attempt to lasso the elf allows her to forego a Strength check but calls for a Rope Use proficiency check at a -3 penalty (or a Dexterity check at a -8 penalty for those without the proficiency). In either case, the shark gets one free attack against her while she is being pulled to safety. SIDEBAR 1: QUICK WATER RULES ‘Quick Water Rules are rough interpretations of the in-depth rules explained in The Sea Devils and Of Ships and the Sea. These rules are only for land-adapted PCs and assume no magical assistance to breathing, vision, ‘or magical prevention of water resistance during com- bat (such as items of free action confer). Hold breath, prepared: % Constitution in rounds. Hold breath, encumbered and/or exerting self: %Con- stitution in rounds, Hold breath, exerting and unprepared: /: Constitution in rounds (minimum 1 round). ‘Swim, proficient & unencumbered: % land movement. ‘Swim, proficient & encumbered: land movement. Swim, nonproficient & unencumbered: % land move- ment. Swim, nonproficient & encumbered: sink like a stone! *Note: These figures detail underwater swimming rates. ‘Surface swimming occurs at the rates given in Chapter 14: Time & Movement in the Player's Handbook, Underwater vision, clear water, day: approx. 60 feet to 80 feet; half this distance for every additional 50 feet descended. Underwater vision, turbid water, day: approx. 40 feet to 60 feet; half this distance for every additional 50 feet descended. Characters who pepper the visible shark with ‘missiles and /or spells temporarily deflect the shark's attention from its prey (note that objects just breaking the surface of the water, like this shark, have 90% concealment, which imposes a ~4 penalty to all attacks launched against them from above the sur- face). However, the two submerged sharks, protected by the water from missiles and spells launched from above, attack the elf in the following round. In her current state, the elf is unable to defend herself. PCs who attempt a direct rescue by diving into the sea are also subject to attack by the sharks, who pass up the sea elf in favor of more energetic prey. It takes at least 1 round to doff armor for those so inclined, and the DM is encouraged to keep in mind the Quick Water Rules (for example, a fighter nonproficient in S ming who dives in with his axe and armor is not only going to sink but find that swinging his axe is quite dif- ficult; a dirk, spear, or thrusting sword would be much more advantageous). Underwater vision, clear or turbid water, night: it's dark! Infravision: normal; images beyond this range are smeared past recognizability. ‘Underwater hearing, complex messages: 10-foot range. Underwater hearing, simple shouts: 60-foot range. Underwater melee: only thrusting attacks are effective. PCs are assessed a ~4 penalty to initiative and all attacks suffer a ~4 penalty to hit. Additionally, all weapon specialization effects are nullified. At DM’s discretion, some weapons wielded by land-dwellers inflict reduced damage (as described in Of Ships and the Sea). Underwater missiles: thrown weapons are ineffective; crossbows and similar weapons operate at “e normal range. 1 ‘Underwater spell casting, verbal components: sible to properly articulate sounds underwater while water breathing; spells or items such as airy water, under- ‘water action, or free action are necessary. As an optional rule, a kindly DM might allow a character to cast a spell using air stored in the lungs, but this depletes the held breath ina single round Underwater spell casting, material components: many ‘material components are ruined by water; DM's discre- tion required (or refer to detailed rules in Of Ships and the Sea),Museio, sea elf: AC 5 (bracers of defense); MV 9, swim 15; HD 3+1; hp 22 (currently 4); THACO 17 (15 with spear +1 and racial bonus); #AT 1; Dmg 1d6+1 (spear +1); SA +1 attack bonus with spears & tridents; SD 90% resistant to sleep and. charm, can breath air for 1d4+2 minutes (or for 24 hours with her special bracers of defense AC 5); ‘SW weak from exhaustion and poison, lacks infravision; SZ M (5 ft. tall); ML elite (13); AL CG; XP 975, Str 12 (6), Dex 14 (7), Con 10 (5), Int 15, Wis 14, Chr 11 Sharks (3): AC 6; MV swim 24; HD 7; hp 22, 23, 24; THACO 13; #AT 1; Dmg 344 (bite); SZ L. (20 ft. long); ML average (10); Int non- (0); ALN; XP 420 each, If the PCs are unable to rescue Museio, the following, information is obviously not available to them, although they can learn many of these introductory points as the adventure unfolds. If the PCs are able to rescue to sea elf from the water, they will find her addled and confused; she is suffering from a lingering sahuagin poison which will finally kill her within 1 turn unless the PCs discover she is poisoned (Museio doesn’t know herself) and magically cure her. In any event, between gasps she relays the following story ina strongly accented version of Common that can be read or paraphrased to the players in response to their specific questions: “My name is Museio, and I thank you for your aid. My strength is nearly drained. I am a message-bearer; it is my sworn duty to deliver messages between the various sea elf communities. “twas my poor luck to be taking advantage of the swift Moray Current to speed a message to the north when I noticed a band of the hated sahuagin at the periphery of my sight, near yonder island. “Curse me to the Maelstrom, I tried to get close enough to spy on the sahuagin; they normally do not hunt these waters. Taking advantage of a stand of sea- weed, I closed the distance sufficiently to see and hear a strange conversation between an elf-sized sea devil and an overlarge, four-armed sahuagin lord such as I had heard tales of but never seen before; its large size indicates its many years of evil life. “The smaller sahuagin queried the larger in its dis- gusting, shark-like language, ‘And what of the final § soal?” The larger creas apesided nate Dees Mother commands, The Stone Which Abides shall be returned to the Throne of Teeth” “Then my luck ran out, and I was sighted by the smaller sahuagin; his lightning-quick response put a barbed bolt in me before I could much more than blink. Thank the Dolphin Goddess, [lost them in the seaweed almost immediately, but their shark servants must have been put on my blood trail... . If [hadn't received your aid I would be dead now; that bolt took ‘more out of me than I would have thought...” ‘The PCs have time for a few questions before the secret poison from the sahuagin bolt finishes off Musefo (unless the PCs contrive to save her). If asked, the sea elf estimates that her encounter with the sahuagin took place two hours ago much nearer the island, However, a concerted search of that specific area on the PCs part fails to discover any sahuagin, ‘Museio has never heard the term “Deep Mother” before (and neither have the PCs—or, for that matter, most sahuagin!), nor has she ever heard of "The Stone Which Abides.” A legend lore spell or a successful History proficiency check recalls two obscure bits of seemingly ‘unconnected data: 1) the item referred to by the sahuagin is remembered only in the oldest of sea-myths as the name of some long-lost idol of a now long-forgotten sea- dwelling race, and 2) "The Stone Which Abides” occurs in an old saying of forgotten meaning, “The Stone Which Abides woas lost that the sea might live.” Finally, the sea elf wonders if the sahuagin’s reference to the “Throne of Teeth” might not be a sea-devil city of significant size. However, Museio is only speculating. If the PCs neutralize the sahuagin poison within ‘Museio’s blood, she could make a welcome temporary ally to the PCs’ cause (her magical bracers allow her to breathe and endure the air for 24 hours), but under no circumstances does Museio offer to lend additional sea elf aid beyond her own person. If the PCs do not ask ‘Museio for her personal aid, she thanks them for their timely and invaluable assistance and begs leave to depart and deliver her memorized message (concerning news of an upcoming fishing tournament) to a sea elf community far to the north.DEBARKING IN ANGLEBURG Read or paraphrase the following text as the PCs approach the only visible bay of the small island of ‘Angler. If there is not sufficient daylight, modify the description accordingly, concentrating on sounds and smells that carry over the water from the dark mass that looms ahead, lit only by a few beacons and scattered house lights. The island’s habitable portion thrusts up from the sea in the cold, wet rock of unassailable sea-cliffs. ‘White mists shroud the heights of the cliffs, cloaking large portions of the island with an air of damp secrecy. To the north, a massive waterfall pours down a cliff face worn concave by centuries of passing water, finally crashing into the ocean in an enduring explosion of fine spray. ‘A few miles south of the waterfall, the coastline ‘curves inward as the heights of the cliffs drop gradu- ally down to sea level, forming an immense bay in the shape of a half moon. Nestled into the eastern margin of this sheltered bay is a small city, a dense collection ‘of wooden and stone construction clustered most thickly near the edge of the water, growing sparser deeper inland. Three large docks of stone and count- less smaller wooden piers stretch out into the calm water of the wide bay from the city’s edge, providing stable moorings for hundreds of fishing boats, as well, as the odd skiff, cog, or longship. The southern arm of the bay curves back toward the northern edge, forming a relatively narrow pas- ‘sage into the bay. Perched atop the cliffs on either side of the strait are formidable watch towers of stone, ‘monitoring passage into the bay. ‘The Watch Towers signal the Dock Guard via mirrors in the event any unfamiliar ships pass the strait into Halfmoon Bay (a large beacon fire still makes this trick possible during the hours of night). Normally, foreign ships which have come into port in the past are merely assessed a docking fee of 10 gp per day, while unfamiliar ships are met by a levy of 15 Dock Guards (in case of trouble) accompanying the pierwarden, who informs them about the fee and collects a one-time 50-gp Dock Privileges fee. In light of the recent sahuagin incursions, 30 men-at-arms (mostly fishermen and townspeople drafted during the current emergency) now constantly patrol the piers, while 30 more remain on alert in the waterside Dock Guard barracks. Still, business is busi- ness, and fees are still assessed despite the current state of emergency. ‘The PCs should be introduced to the overt threat of the raids immediately, especially if they arrive in twilight (as the DM should contrive to arrange, unless the players specifically make plans to the contrary). SEX DEVILS! As the PCs’ boat pulls close to one of the 100-foot-long, 15-foot-wide stone piers (as directed by the pierwarden with signaling torches and shouted directions), a sortie of ten sahuagin attack. Having taken advantage of the PCs" entry into the harbor by secretly swimming beneath their ship, they burst from the water like hideous leaping fish, landing upon the dock with tridents posed for conflict. Simultaneously, five additional sahuagin leap from the water onto the railing of the characters’ ship in one graceful leap. While the Dock Guards issue forth to deal with the ten sahuagin on the stone pier, the PCs on deck must repel the five on their ship. The crew of the ship attempts to assist, but their efforts alone are inadequate to deal with the threat. If necessary, the DM can sketch out a rough ship-deck surface that measures 65 feet long and 20 feet wide, broken up with the masts, boxes, and the forecastle. ‘The sahuagin on board the ship attack until dead or until they fail a morale check. By the time the ship-board sahuagin are dealt with, the Dock Guards (who concen- trate solely on repelling the landing party) have driven off seven of the sea devils on the dock but have suffered several casualties and are themselves on the verge of breaking morale. Only the charisma and direction of the pierwarden keep them at their post, and should she fall or be seriously injured they will break and run. The PCs can really put themselves in good, not just with the pier- warden but with the Potentate of Angler herself if they jump to the aid of the Dock Guard in repelling the remaining three above-water sahuagin. This encounter introduces the PCs to sahuagin in an environment familiar to the PCs (air). The experi- ence should give the PCs false confidence in their ability to deal with the sharkfolk—from which theywill no doubt be rudely wakened in later conflicts with the sahuagin in their own watery domain, ‘Note that while on land sahuagin cannot bring their 2 feet-claw attacks to bear; only their bite and tri- dent attacks (or 1 bite and 2 claws if disarmed) are possible above water. Sahuagin warriors (15): AC 5; MV 12, swim 24; HD 242; hp 16 each; THACO 19; #AT 2; Dmg 1d4 (bite) 71d6+1 plus poison (poisoned trident); SA/SD/SW standard sahuagin (see sidebar page 13); SZ M (6 ft. tall); ML steady (12); Int high (13-14); AL LE; XP 175 each. Dock-Guards (30): AC 7 (leather and shield); MV 12; HD 1-1; hp 5 each; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg 146 (truncheon); SZ M (5% feet tall); ML unsteady (6); Int average (8); ALN; XP 15 each. Marly Rynnow, Pierwarden (Fighter, 2nd level): AC3 (studded leather, shield, Dexterity bonus); MV 12; HD 2; hp 13; THACO 19 (17 with short sword of quickness or throwing daggers); #AT 1 (short sword) or 2 (throwing daggers); Dmg 14642 (short sword of quickness) or 1d4 (throwing daggers); SZ M ft. tall; ML champion (16); AL CG; XP 120. Str 13, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 7, Chr 16. Personal- ity: quick, impulsive, brave, friendly. Marly is the 17-year-old daughter of the Potentate, currently getting some “hands-on” experience to prepare her for future responsibilities. If the PCs manage to retain the bodies of slain sahua- agin (the sahuagin try hard to retrieve fallen comrades), they discover 10 gp in pearls per body in small net-like pouches. If the PCs manage to capture living sahuagin, they do not willingly divulge any information even if tortured (in any event, a PC would have to be able to speak the whistle-click language of sahuagin and sharks to interrogate their captives). However, if magical means are used to extract information, these sahuagin know only that the raids of the mainland were ordered by the captain of the foraging party, Jaagisertan, who com- mands approximately 60 sahuagin. If questioned about the large, four-armed sahuagin described by Museio, these captured sahuagin do not know his name but have seen him talking to Jaagisertan. If forced to conjecture, captured sahuagin assume this to be a lieutenant of one of the sahuagin princes. REQUEST FOR AID PCs who have specifically come to Angler Island in response to requests for aid posted on the mainland (see page 2) have no trouble setting up an appointment to speak with Potentate Kara Rynnow (especially if they befriended the pierwarden in the preceding encounter). Otherwise, the PCs’ exploits at the docks are sufficient to bring an envoy of the Potentate to wherever the PCs lodge for the evening (be it parent's home, inn, or flop- house; see "Angleburg” on page 10), The envoy informs the characters that they are invited to the offices of Potentate Rynnow posthaste so that they can hear a pro- posal which has the potential to benefit them greatly. The appointment with the Potentate takes place in a large stone building located near the center of Angle- burg. The building is decorated with fanciful sculptures of sea nymphs, dolphins, and fish of fantastic size attempting to swallow elaborate galleons of fanciful design. The PCs are led down a long hall, past various town official’s offices on either side, to a large conference chamber in the rear of the building. ‘The conference chamber is fairly stark, but elegantly so. A large wooden table holds enough chairs for all the PCs, as well as two additional chairs where two people sit, a boy and a woman. On the wall behind the two, a large map of Angler Island is displayed (as shown on the included Map of Angler Island). The table is bare except for a single small statuette carved of some greenish stone (serpentine). ‘As the PCs enter, the woman, apparently in her forties, stands and introduces herself as Potentate Kara Rynnow. She is dressed in sea-green robes and wears many pieces of tasteful coral and pearl jewelry. When the PCs are seated, read or paraphrase the following story that Potentate Rynnow relates: “Two months ago the island trembled in the grip of a seaquake born in the depths. A great wave fol- lowed, but the cliffs and strait of Halfmoon Bay pro- tected from severe inundation. The effects of the quake not only created the great ocean wave but also: achasm near the center of the island, at the base of the Near Downs. “As if an omen of the trouble to follow, the next ‘week was one of unsurpassed fishing, bringing record catches; never had the waters seemed so generous with marine bounty. With nets bursting, Igave thought to the new fissure on the mainland. The sal- vager Lychelle took my commission to take her team into the chasm; this serpentine figure was brought outright before the sea devils boiled up out of the sea! “Sahuagin! Long have I feared them, but all my. sea surveillance assured me that the nearest habita- tion of the sharkfolk was far, far from here ... but they are here now! Perhaps the recent bounty of fish has drawn the foul devil-men from their normal watery hunting grounds? “Whatever their origin, this evil tide must end! Half ‘our fishing fleet has been scuttled, and the average fisher avoids putting to sea, fearing a sahuagin attack on the open water—and rightly so. Our supplies dwindle, and the sea-devil incursions grow bolder with each passing tide, Will you help me put an end to these raids?” Potentate Rynnow offers the PCs a fee of 100 choice pearls (each worth 20 gp) harvested from the reef beyond Rateliff Reach if they can put an end to the sahuagin raids. ‘The Potentate also informs the PCs that they can rely on the help of her old friend Laurish Samprey if they need it. Samprey lives alone, save for his apprentice, Nod (Rynnow points to the boy seated at the table, who nods). Both Samprey and Nod live on Dolphin’s Point, the most northerly portion of the Island. Potentate Rynnow informs the PCs that Samprey is a Fathomer (a wizard specializing in water magics, introduced in Of Ships and the Sea), whose expertise could be invaluable if the PCs hope to take on the sahuagin under the sea. She says she was about to send the apprentice back with a request of aid from Laurish, but now that the player characters are here Nod could also show them the location of the col- lapsed chasm on his way back to his master’s domicile. If the PCs question Rynnow about the excavation and the figure brought up out of the earth, the Potentate informs the PCs tartly that she’s had the more pressing, problem of the raids to think about. The chasm collapsed five days ago, and the excavators probably died quickly. Because of the constant threat at the docks, Rynnow has been unable to mount a serious effort to dig out the pas- sage to the sea caves and recover the bodies, all the able- bodied folk of the town having been drafted into the Dock Guard until the sea-devil raids subside. Note that if the PCs do not question the Potentate about the excava- tion, they should still see the site on their way to the Fathomer’s house; Samprey can later supply them with the foregoing information. ‘The small carving on the table appears to be a human- oid carved in serpentine, but time has worn the item almost smooth, so that itis impossible to determine the figure’s race. Determined study has a 45% chance to reveal that the faint mouth of the figure seems circular and vaguely lamprey-like (and thus not similar to sea devils in any obvious way). The figure is one of many similar carvings that the excavators brought up from the sea caves; the rest reside at Lychelle’s shop in the Markets (see page 11). This statuette in particular is worth about 3 gp. Potentate Rynnow offers it to the PCs if they have inquired about the excavators in hopes that they might make some use of it. At this time, Potentate Rynnow does not connect the collapse of the chasm with the sea-devil raids. She has seen sahuagin raids before and expects to weather this one as well. Sahuagin have a history of raiding for land-forged ‘metals and other booty, as itis difficult to make such items while underwater. Unfortunately, the collapse of the cav- em and the raids are part and parcel of a single sahuagin, operation, and if the raids are allowed to continue they will serve as the distraction they were intended as, allow ing the sea devils to fulfill their nefarious designs. The PCs have a chance to determine what is actually occurring only if they manage to enter the underground warrens. If Museio did not join the PC group, the DM may have Marly Rynnow join them at this time. While she is brave and competent, she is not really experienced enough as yet to undertake such a mission, possibly putting the PCs under some pressure to keep her alive in tough spots. Play her as a good person to have on your side when the chips are down, but also as someone who's ina little over her head without realizing it. Naturally, the Poten- tate will be extremely upset if her daughter gets Killed or seriously maimed while adventuring with the party and will investigate to make sure the tragedy was not caused by carelessness or inattention on the PCS’ part. Potentate Kara Rynnow (Fighter, Sth-level): AC 6 (bracers of defense); MV 12; hp 35; THACO 15 (14 with long sword +1); #AT 1; Dmg 148+1 (long sword +1); SD luckstone; SZ M (5 ft. 6 in. tall); ML elite (13); AL CG; XP 650. Str 13, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 16, Chr 14. Personality: shrewd, no-nonsense, impa- tient, practical. Nod (apprentice Fathomer, zero-level): AC 10; MV 6; hp 2; THACO 20; #AT 3; Dmg 143 (darts); SZ M (4 ft.8in. tall); ML elite (14); AL LG; XP 15. Str 10, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 10, Chr 9. Spells: cantrip. Personality: silent, observant, clever. Laur- ish Samprey’s ten-year-old apprentice never speaks to strangers, answering all questions by pointing, shaking his head, shrugging, etc. Player characters may assume that he is mute whereas in fact he is merely taciturn.Map of Angler IslandAROUND THE ISLAND If the PCs accept Potentate Rynnow’s charge, they may investigate the various locations named upon the map; each location is described in the chapter below. Some of, the locations investigated will be more helpful than others in finally steering the PCs towards a successful entry into the sea caverns. If the PCs accept Nod asa temporary guide, the apprentice can escort the PCs to any spot on the island, including the location of the col- lapsed dig and the Last House itself, where Laurish Sam- prey’s aid can be sought when it becomes apparent that, underwater exploits are necessary to find Lychelle. Itshouldn’t be too difficult for PCs who express even a ‘modicum of interest in the excavation to learn the loca- tion of Lychelle the Salvager's shop or to learn that Lychelle brought up at least a dozen other figurines which probably still reside there, leading inquisitive PCs to want to check out this location. ANGLEBURG Angleburg is a fishing city of some 1500 people, the only city on Angler Island, taking advantage of the natural pro- tection offered by both the high cliffs surrounding most of the island (averaging a mostly vertical height of 700 feet) and the enclosing bay. The Potentate’s family is a noble ‘one, and rules by virtue of land rights granted by main- land powers. The various Merchants’ Guilds, when united by some issue (such as stopping sea-devil raids that sadly cut into profits), between them hold power almost equal to the Potentate's; thus, keeping them disunited most of the time is a major goal of the Potentate’s policy. The majority of the citizens make their living by fishing and pearling, while a few renowned shipwrights craft a variety of different styles of ships to order. Due toa steady trade with the mainland and various distant ports, the Angleburg Markets offer a wide range of both com- mon and esoteric items at inflated prices (2x standard rates). By contrast, fresh fish and other sea-harvested cui- sine are plentiful, with great variety at bargain prices. Visitors to the city can choose from a variety of seaside hostels and inns whose characters differ. A favorite of many who visit Angleburg often is Leroi’s Sweetclover Inn, where black-bearded, blue-eyed Leroi brews a mean Redhawk Ale, the taste of which is rumored to have brought a smile even to the lips of Guiruis the Sea Prince. Additionally, the accommodations at the Sweetclover inn are clean and can be had at a reasonable price (2 gp per head a night). Lychelle’s Shop ‘One of the many shops in the Angleburg Markets, Lychelle’s shop is not necessarily distinctive for being closed, as many of the shops are feeling the sting of the constant sahuagin raids. However, the PCs’ attention may be drawn to a figure dressed in disheveled clothes who sits slumped in dejection on the porch, turning a ‘small shell over and over in his hands. This is Lychelle's father, Ulogar, who sits dejected and despairing on the step in mourning for his daughter's Joss; the shell is one she gave him as a child. If the PCs ‘question him at all concerning the excavation, read or paraphrase the following information as told by Ulogar: “Lychelle was always an overly curious lass, even. ‘when just a child. As an adult, she refuses to take up the honorable profession of fishing or sea-trade which ‘supports us on Angler Island; instead she captains a ‘small salvage boat, attempting to make her way by reclaiming treasures seized by the waves. Bad luck, that. I told her a thousand times if I told her once: the ‘sea doesn’t like to give up its secrets. When news of that new chasm opening up in the hills reached Lychelle, she immediately gathered her crew—all those impetuous gallivanting friends of hers, don’t know ‘what she sees in them—and rushed off to investigate. “Anyway, she found a bunch of sea caves which apparently run below the island. Many of the caves are ‘drowned in sea water, but some few of them appar- ‘ently drain with the low tide at midnight, allowing Lychelle to access them safely. Almost immediately, ‘chelle discovered strange bunches of litte statues carved in green stone half-buried in the walls and floors of the caverns. They must have been very, very old to come to be encased in the stone that way. No one around here could even begin to guess at where they came from, or who carved them. Worn as they were, they were like nothing I ever seen before, and I've trav- led a fair bit in my time. Lychelle speculated that they might be artifacts of the drowned city of Carsall, or even relics of the legendary land of Lunia, said to lie along the coast ofthe fabled Silver Sea. “Excited, Lychelle formed a team of excavators to remove as many of the objects as could be reached above the water line. Then disaster struck, and the ‘opening to the chasm collapsed while ‘chelle and a team of excavators were below, in the sea caverns! ‘Soon as I learned the news, I began to assemble a team to dig out the delvers. But as my cursed luck ‘would have it, it was that very day that a band of sahuagin breached the bay and began to scuttle the fishing fleet and slay any citizens of Angleburg whose misfortune it was to be too close to the docks! “1 go up each day and dig as best as I can, but I'm only one old man, and it's cursed slow work. Every- cone else around here is so wrapped up in this sea- devil business that they've no time to help an old man find out what's become of his poor daughter and her friends! Can you young-uns help me discover Lychelle’s fate?”Jn payment for undertaking his request, Ulogar offers the PCs the 12 carvings that the excavators unearthed before the accident. Ifthe characters express an interest in the stat- uuary, he plays on this and hints that there were many more of the strange statuettes still waiting to be brought up from the newly discovered caves below the island; perhaps a great fortune awaits those wiho can find it? The twelve figures are all of serpentine but are rather small, each worth only 1 to 4 gp. Many of the statuettes are in very poor condition, but enough detail remains to determine that some seem to be more-or-less human or humanoid in outline (it’s impossible to identify the race), while others appear to be merely disembodied heads. Determined study of all the statuettes reveals that one of the humanoid figures seems to be metamorphing into an eel-like configuration. If detected for, this particular statuette (henceforward to be referred to as the Eel Key; it has a valuable role to play in the Drowned Caverns in area 48) radiates magic. Identification spells or the like reveal that it is a magical, key to some as-yet-unknown lock. BEACON HOUSE ‘The Beacon House is perched atop a 750-foot cliff look- ing out over the wind-tossed sea. The house serves as a lighthouse to warn off ships who stray near the island in the dark of night. The lighthouse is normally manned only by old Helen, whose grandchild Kris daily buys supplies from the Angleburg Markets. CHASM (EXCAVATION SITE) ‘The chasm opened up at the feet of the Near Downs in the violent shaking caused by the recent seaquake (the seaquake was precipitated by the machinations of the Deep Mother mentioned by Museio; more on this in later adventures!). Direct investigation of the site reveals a depression like a sink-hole some 20 feet wide near the top but narrowing to only a few feet in diameter near the 15-foot-deep floor, which is composed of packed rock and sand. Scattered around the collapsed chasm are various items related to excavation, including shovels, picks, brushes, and drop cloths. There is a large abandoned tent where the excava- tors apparently rested; it contains nothing other than rather forlorn-looking abandoned personal belongings. It should be abundantly clear to adventurers that Ulogar’s efforts have produced very little effect. Players who decide to excavate and try to reopen the collapsed hole can remove 125 cubic feet (a cubic hole, 5 feet to each side) in one hour if the PCs dig in shifts. The chasm, since collapsed by the sea devils is filled with sand and rock to a depth of 30 feet. Thus, it would take a team of determined excavators 6 hours to dig down past, the loose rubble, whereupon they would break through into a shaft like an old stone well that leads down another 40 feet or so to a rough tunnel. Partially smoothed and 0 shored up by the excavation team, this tunnel leads west towards area 18 of the Upper Caves (see the map on the inside front cover and the description of the tunnel on age 20). Unless the PCs have some engineering or min- ing skill and take proper precautions (carrying rock and sand removed from the hole a good distance away, shoring up the hole at regular intervals, et), the excava- tion may collapse on them. There is a base 15% chance that the hole will collapse at a depth of 20 feet, a 20% chance of collapse at 25 feet, and a final 25% chance of collapse immediately before the excavation breaches the shaft; the DM may adjust this up or down depending on the precautions or carelessness of the diggers. Characters, ‘caught in the hole when it collapses will be buried, suffer- ing 1d6 points of damage for every 10 feet of depth the pit had reached before it collapsed. Worse yet, any who ‘were more than 5 feet below the surface will begin to suf- focate (see the Quick Water Rules on page 4 for how long a buried PC can survive before asphyxiation sets in). PCs who have access to the dig spell significantly decrease the time spent in excavation; in such a case, the chance of the hole collapsing is as given in the spell description. ‘Questions by the PCs to the citizens of Angleburg, ‘uncover vague rumors that the chasm was deliberately col- lapsed from below (once the shaft has been reached, a suc- cessful Mining or Engineering check, or a Wisdom check at a -5 penalty, will garner the same information). Deter- mined questioners have a 35% chance of tracing these rumors to an excavator named Salish who at the time of the disaster was taking a break from the dig in his usual tavern, Cat's Claw Hideaway (run by the no-nonsense but beautiful tavernkeeper Deelisa). Salish is a drunkard, but swears up and down that he saw dark shapes moving and shining eyes like sharks in deep trenches of the sea caves; that’s why he felt the need of a “litle restorative.” Salish knows no more but sticks to his statement, emphatically and repeatedly insisting that itis true. CRYSTAL SPRINGS LAKE & LAKE HOUSE Crystal Springs Lake is fed from below by a natural spring of the same name. The water is clear, clean, and cold. Much of it pools to form the lake, but the overflow constantly washes over the cliff to the west, forming the magnificent Crystal Falls, visible many miles from the shores of Angler Island. The Lake House next to the lake is where the Water Bearers’ Guild jars the water in clay pots, selling them down in the market in large quantities. In addition to the chasm that allowed Lychelle’s exca- vators into the subterranean sea caves, the sahuagin have also discovered that there is an entrance beneath the Crystal Springs Falls, below sea level (see the Cross- section sketch on the inside front cover). PCs who apply logic to the situation when they learn that the excavation site may have been artificially collapsed from below could speculate that the sahuagin are responsible. From this conjecture, it only stands to reason that the sahuaginmust have a second point of access to the sea caves, most likely underwater. Those PCs who take advantage of this theory will find it significantly less dangerous to enter the séa caves through the Crystal Falls entrance than through the original chasm. THE DOWNS Both the Near Downs and the Razorback Downs appear as tumbling grass-covered hills, mostly barren of trees or bushes. Large rocks protrude from the worn- down hills, giving the downs their rough appearance; this is especially true of the Razorbacks. Rabbits, gophers, snakes, and the occasional fox can be seen on the downs. GREENROOT FOREST A dense tangle of bushes and palms around the edges of the forest gives ground further in to mainly coniferous trees adapted to the environment. A huge variety of bird life lives within the forest, as well as mice, weasels, the ‘occasional wild pig, and perhaps even a remnant of the original monkey population, HALFMOON BAY ‘The waters of the bay are calm, protected by the tower- ing cliffs of the strait. Even during stormy weather, the water within the bay is still navigable to larger ships; only exceptionally bad conditions would scuttle a ship inside the bay. Fishing within the bay is not allowed; the bay serves merely as a gateway for the hordes of fisherman who issue forth each day to try their nets on the open seas—or did, before the sahuagin came. LAST HOUSE (LAURISH SAMPREY) Built on the edge of Dolphin’s Point, the Last House looks 800 feet down a sheer cliff to the crashing, ‘waves of the sea. The Fathomer Lau- trish Samprey makes the lower levels of this 5-room lighthouse his home (his apprentice Nod also lives here). ‘The PCs must come to the Last House if they wish Samprey’s aid When the PCs come calling, the Fathomer cordially invites the party into an eccentrically-decorated room. at the base of the lighthouse. Here are sights to warm any sea-lover’s heart: oddly-shaped aquariums filled with all manner of sea-life, stuffed swordfish and small sharks, and windows that look just like 12 portholes offering a view over the cliff. They will find Laurish Samprey a grizzled old fellow who smells of salt and dresses more like a sea captain than a wizard; when- ever the topic turns to anything sea-related, Samprey waxes poetic with purple prose. They'll also get to meet the wizard’s familiar, an energetic sea otter named Scratch. ‘Samprey answers questions concerning the sahuagin cautiously; his studies of the sea have not yet touched upon sea devils. The DM may choose to divulge limited information about sahuagin in general, especially if a copy of The Sea Devils MONSTROUS ARCANA is avail- able. The Fathomer has not guessed that the sahuagin raids may only be a diversionary tactic. Laurish can be persuaded to aid the PCs through loans of sea-adapting magical equipment, as a special favor to “Kara” (ie, the Potentate). To get ahold of these magical, items, the PCs must agree to just a few points: 1) The items must be returned (including any unused potions), 2) Any information of possible interest to Laurish (i.e., sea-lore of all types) must be preserved for the Fathomer, 3) Samprey must be reimbursed 10% of any undersea sal- vage recovered while using the loaned magical items. At the DM’s discretion, Samprey could also demand as his fourth condition that the PCs allow him to accompany them on their quest, so that he can learn first-hand more about the mysterious sea devils, as well as keep an eye ‘on his goods, The Fathomer could make a welcome addition to the PCs’ party, not only because of the contribution of his magical items and spells, but also because of his general knowledge of the sea and the underwater area surround- ing Angler Island in particular. As an NPC, at no point should Laurish’s knowledge advance a plot point in this or later adventures if the PCs have the capacity to do so themselves; he is present to round outa party and give them a better chance of survival against the odds they will soon face. ‘The items the wizard makes available to the PCs should follow the strategy of minimal assistance. For example, if there are six PCs, at Teast two of them should have to rely on a companion’s item or spell to bestow the ability to breath water, provide an airy environ- ment, etc. It goes against the phi- osophy of this adventure to make the PCS utterly at home in the depths, they should be constantly worried as to when a particular spell or potion might lapse. For example, a fighter enclosed in a magician’ airy water spell must try to keep in mind the range of the spell’s effects, even in the heat of melee, or suffer the consequences,If the PCs have items of their own which also serve to ameliorate the effects of being submerged in water, the following ist of items should be reduced accordingly. Suggested items that Laurish makes available to the PCs are 10 potions of water breathing (4 doses per vial), 2 scrolls of protection from water (as an optional rule, the DM might decide that contriving to read these scrolls under- water rockets those affected to the surface), 1 scroll of polymorph self (for those willing to take on the form and characteristics of a water-breathing creature), a ring of swimming (does not confer ability to breath water!), an ‘apparatus of Kioalish (holds up to two PCs; its air can be recharged by an airy water spell), a decanter of endless water (fresh water can repel saltwater-adapted creatures, plus its geyser makes a great underwater jet!) a cloak ofthe ‘manta ray, and an amulet of airy water (affects wearer and surrounding water to a 10-foot radius with airy water; power automatically activates when placed underwater). Laurish Samprey, Wizard, 10th level (Fathomer): AC 2 (bracers of defense AC 5, Dexterity bonus); ‘MV 12, swim 12; hp 33; THACO 17 (14 with staff of striking); #AT 1; Dmg 1d6+3, +6, or +9 (staffof striking, depending on the number of charges expended) or 1d (dirk); SA spellcasting, opponents, suffer 1 penalty to saving throws against his water- based spells; SD +1 bonus to saving throws against water-related spells, +2 bonus to proficiency checks in aquatic applications; SW -2 penalty to all saving throws against fire-related spells, -2 penalty to all. proficiency checks in non-aquatic applications; SZ M ft. 11 in. tall); ML steady (12); AL NG; XP 2,000. Str 10, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 13, Chr 13. Non- ‘weapon Proficiencies: Animal Lore—marine (16), Direction Sense (14), Fishing (12), Herbalism (14), Navigation (14), Seamanship (18), Singing—sea chantey (13), Swimming (10), Underwater Naviga- tion (14), Weather Sense (12). Special Equipment: ring of free action, helm of underzoater action, waterproof spellbook & component pouch, staff of striking (G7 charges), plus any of the items listed above which were not given to PCs. Personality: enthusias- tic and energetic about everything relating to the ocean, the original “salty dog,” Spells (5/5/4/3/3): Ust—magic missile (x4), tears of the alligator* (converts 10-foot-radius sphere of salt- water to freshwater for 7 rounds); 2nd—Jorget, invisibility, knock, withstand water* (waterproofs 1 target and target's possessions for 1 day), wizard lock; 3rd—pressure resistance* (protects target from crushing water pressure for 11 tums), suggestion, ‘water breathing; 4th—charm monster, Evard’s black tentacles, polymorph self, Samprey's sensible sea sphere (creates a sphere of breathable air around target's head for %shour per level); 5th—airy water, conjure ‘water elemental, transmute rock to mud. “Spells introduced in Of Ships and the Sea 13 SIDEBAR 2: SXHUAGIN ABILITIES AND STRATEGIES This section gives the DM a quick rundown on ‘many of the traits and strategies (as introduced in The Sea Devils) which make sahuagin arguably the most dangerous undersea race still swimming the seas. '*'SA: the poison on sahuagin tridents causes the vic- tim to suffer 10 additional points of damage and lose consciousness on a failed saving throw. On a successful save vs, poison, the target remains con- scious but still loses 5 hit points. ‘='SD: exceptionally keen senses, Sahuagin have supe- rior vision and hearing over that of land-adapted creatures. They can scent blood in the water like a shark (to a distance of a mile or more). Lateral lines allow them to detect vibration from any movement, while specialized pits can detect the neuro- electrical activity of any being with a central ner- vous system. Basically, sahuagin can act with no penalty against invisible creatures, ignore illusions, and pursue foes with deadly efficiency within a 30- foot radius even in the densest silty murk! This is especially important during a conflict, when blood and stirred-up silt begin to fog the water. Every 2 rounds of combat in an enclosed space under such conditions cause the PCs to suffer a cumulative -1 penalty to attack rolls, up to a maximum penalty of =4 (Dexterity bonuses to Armor Class also bleed away at the rate of 1 point per round—you can’t dodge what you can’t see coming). By contrast, the sahuagins’ superior senses allow them to ignore these penalties. ‘SW: bright light harms sahuagin eyes. This trans- lates into a -2 penalty to saving throws against light-based attacks. Sahuagin also suffer a2 penalty to saving throws against magical fires and suffer one extra point of damage per die of magical fire damage. ‘* Sahuagin are fiendishly clever, and the DM should play them this way. ‘Ifthe PCs attack but then retreat, the sahuagin replace posted sentries. ‘If the PCs penetrate to a central position, the sahua- gin may try to cut off their escape route. ‘PCs using airy water are susceptible to being yanked out of the area of effect with either a tri- dent, net, or simply a grab. ‘Sahuagin always target magic users first—they fear and hate magic, always responding aggressively to neutralize it whenever they encounter spellcasters. continued on page 14continued from page 13 ‘= Sahuagin can use nets against any creature within 10 yards; nets ignore AC benefits given by armor (Dexterity bonuses still apply). Unarmored targets are immobilized; armored targets (or beings with a natural AC of 5 or better) with a Strength of at least 16 can escape with a successful opposed Strength check against the sahuagin wielding the net. ‘*Sahuagin who successfully strike opponents with their trident-attacks can opt to hold the weapon in place instead of making further attacks. The weapon remains lodged in the victim (inflicting 146 points of ‘damage per round) until he or she can win an opposed Dexterity check against the sahuagin (the sahuagin adds its opponent's AC score to the charac- ter’s Dexterity for purposes of the opposed check). ‘These examples are just a few of the many strategies that the DM is free to use on behalf of the sahuagin against the poor PCs. OPPOSED ABILITY ROLLS ‘An opponent trapped in a net or impaled on a trident ‘can try to escape during its normal place in the initiative ‘order. Each combatant rolls a 420 and compares the result to the tested ability (Strength for nets; Dexterity for tridents). ‘~ Any number equal to or less than the ability score indicates success. ‘* A roll of 20s an automatic failure. ' Ifboth creatures fail, the sahuagin’s opponent remains trapped. ‘= Ifthe sahuagin succeeds and the opponent fails, the opponent remains trapped. ‘= If the opponent succeeds and the sahuagin fails, the gets free. ‘+ Ifboth the opponent and the sahuagin succeed, compare the opposed rolls. The creature with the highest successful number wins the roll. Ifthe has the higher number, he gets free. If the sahuagin has the higher number, the opponent remains trapped. Ifthe die roll results in a tie the opponent also remains trapped. Scratch, sea otter familiar: AC 5; MV 12, swim 18; HD 141; hp 9; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 143 (bite); SZ (2 ft. long, plus tail); ML average (10); Int aver- age (9); AL NG; XP 35, Laurish offers the use of his small sailing yacht, if nec- essary. The ship, the Stormbird, can hold up to twelve people in its large below-deck cabin, He keeps it moored ‘ona hidden beach accessible by a steep stair carved into the rock of the cliff directly below the Last House. “4 PLAIN OF YELLOW Yellow-green grasses grow in thick profusion on this high plain. A few years ago, a consortium of five Angle- burg fishermen who lost their boats in the waters pooled their remaining funds to buy a half-dozen head of milk cows, which they graze on the yellowish grass. The fish- ermen and their families get by on the distinctive yellow milk they sell fresh daily in the Angleburg market, but it’s difficult and constant labor just to make ends meet and keep their families fed. RATELIFF REACH This crooked finger of rock points towards one of the best pearling beds in the nearby seas, Only the privileged Diving Guild has permission to harvest these waters, paying a double tithe (20%) from their profits to the Potentate, who uses it for the benefit of the city and island as a whole. ‘The raiding sahuagin do not let the opportunity these pearling beds represent pass them by; since the raids have begun, 1-in-4 pearling ships have been attacked by the sea devils. Only two or three of the ships so attacked ‘managed to return to harbor, with the results that the Diving Guild is no longer sending out ships. PCs who hear tell of this may wish to personally inves- tigate. For every two hours spent in the water or on ship in the waters off Rateliff Reach, there is a 25% chance that a party of 10 sahuagin attempt to scuttle the boat. ‘Scuttling (attacking a ship's hull directly in an attempt to sink the vessel) is a rather time consuming process for most creatures. Six man-sized creatures can inflict 142 points of hull damage per round if appropriately armed. ‘Teams of less than six creatures can still inflict damage, but they suffer a one-round delay for every creature missing. Thus, it would take a band of five sahuagin two rounds to inflict 1d2 points of Hull damage. Use the Hull Point configurations found in Of Ships and the Sea to determine how long the PCs’ ship stays afloat. Otherwise assume the sahuagin will scuttle the ship in 3 turns. Sahuagin warriors (10): See page 15 for stats, WATCH TOWERS ‘The Watch Towers are similar to the lighthouse con- struction of both Beacon House and the Last House. However, a contingent of 10 specially-trained Dock Guards man each of these towers, monitoring for foreign ships (the fear of pirates is a strong one). Ballistae and. catapults mounted in the towers on top of the 300-foot- high cliffs effectively cover the strait and have a base 30% chance of scuttling any ship attempting to illegally enter or leave Halfmoon Bay.THE STORY UNFOLDS ‘The PCs have many options open to them following their initial talk with Potentate Rynnow. If the party wishes to investigate the island, the material presented, above should be sufficient to generate interesting game play. Besides the meeting with Samprey, the most impor tant locations the PCs might investigate are the chasm, Lychelle’s Shop, and the base of Crystal Falls. PCs who do not tumble to the truth immediately may make many plans, including direct confrontation of raid- ing sahuagin, stealthy spy missions to the sahuagin’s underwater base of operations, or the questioning of pos- sible sea-devil captives. The DM should allow adventur- cers to take these plans as far as he or she likes. See “The Sahuagin Raiders” below for a framework of information if the adventure initially moves in this direction. Asa precaution against just such tactics, however, the sahuagin baron has arranged things so that the raiders are a separate band of sea devils from those who tem- porarily occupy the sea caves; the raiding sea devils have not even been informed that the sea caves exist! If the PCs deduce that the constant raids are merely a cover for whatever goals the sahuagin are pursuing in the sea caves, reward them with 300 XP each. Additionally, the PCs could deduce from the fact that the chasm was collapsed from below that there must be a second entrance to the sea caves. With this knowledge, they could subse- quently find the hidden entrance below the Crystal Falls and use it instead of merely digging back down into the collapsed chasm. This exercise in logic (which proves the safer course) should earn each PC 500 XP (reduce this to 100 XP for PCs who just chance upon the Crystal Falls entrance to the sea caves through exhaustive searches rather than as an end product of logical deduction). In the end, the PCs must enter the sea caves somehow if the plot is to advance. If they enter by digging out the chasm, refer to area 18 of the Upper Caves map. If they center through the entrance under the falls, see area 1 and. the Cross-section sketch of the Upper Caves map. Both sections of the Sea Caves (the Upper Caves and the Drowned Caverns) are mapped on the inside front and back covers, respectively, of this adventure; the keyed areas are described in the chapter “The Sea Caves.” THE SAHUAGIN RAIDERS A band of 20 sahuagin nightly raid the bayside boats, shops, and inns. Many of these establishments have been evacuated as a result, and their employees drafted into the Dock Guards. After each raid, all sahuagin who sur- vive the expedition return to their base (see below), car- rying the bodies of any fallen comrades with them. Day or night, every two hours spent in the sea or on ship brings with ita (noncumulative) 25% chance that a party of 10 sahuagin attack the boat (see page 14 for tactics). ‘The foraging sahuagin’s base of operation is atop a coral ridge 1 mile to the south of the island, at a depth of (60 feet. A huge 50-foot-diameter net has been strung, above one section of coral to provide a temporary struc- ture; the net also provides 75% camouflage against casual observation. The accumulated booty of the raids is collected in a separate net at the center of the concealed. area (some 50 Ibs. of esoteric iton items, all protected by a coating of special rustproof oil). Sixty sahuagin make up the foraging party, but the DM should make appro- priate downward adjustments to this total number as the PCs inflict losses on individual raiding parties. At any ‘one time, there are two raiding parties (of 10 sahuagin each) absent from the base. Lieutenant Jaagisertan can always be found here, as can Quintesaal the priestess and her four sharks. Note that all the sahuagin in the base believe that raiding Angler Island is an end in itself (as well as great sport). Only the lieutenant and priestess have suspicions that some larger plot lies behind it, and neither knows exactly what it is. Both Jaagisertan and (Quintesaal take their orders from the mysterious four- armed mutant K'thstraam, a baron in his ow’ right as well as a direct emissary of the sahuagin King Laang- foranen in the submerged City of Abiding Hunger. Sahuagin warriors (60): AC 5; MV 12, swim 24; HD 242; hp 16 each; THACO 19; #AT 2 (above water) ot 4 (underwater)Dmg 1d4 (bite)/146+1 plus poison (poisoned trident) or 1d4 (bite)/1d4 (rake) /1d4 (rake)/1d6+1 plus poison (poisoned tri- dent); SA/SD/SW standard sahuagin (see sidebar page 13); SZ M (6 ft tall); ML steady (12); Int high (13-14); AL LE; XP 175 each. Lieutenant Jaagisertan: AC 5; MV 12, swim 24; HD 343; hp 27; THACO 17; #AT 4; Dmg 1d4 (bite)/1d4 (rake) /1d4 (rake) /146+2 plus poison (poisoned trident, Strength bonus); SA/SD/SW. standard sahuagin (see sidebar page 13); SZ M (6 ft 4 in. tall); ML Champion (15); Int high (14); ALLE; XP 270. Priestess Quintesaal: AC 5; MV 12, swim 24; HD 343 (Cleric, 3rd level); hp 25; THACO 17; #AT 4 or 1; Dmg 1d4 (bite)/1d4 (rake)/1d4 (rake)/1d6+1 plus poison (poisoned trident) or by spell; SA/SD/ SW spells, standard sahuagin (see sidebar page 13); SZM (6ft.6 in. tall); ML steady (12); Int high (14); AL LE; XP 420, Spells: bless, cause fear, curse, dark- ness; aid, Spell-like ability: charm shark (once per day). Sharks (4): AC 6; MV swim 24; HD 7; hp 37, 34, 38, 45; THACO 13; #AT 1; Dmg 3d4 (bite); SZ L (10 ft. long); ML steady (11); Int animal (1); ALN; XP 420 each.THE SEA CAVES Many portions of the sea caves below Angler Island are naturally occurring, the result of millennia of water and tidal activity on soft limestone. However, at some distant point in the far past, before even Angler Island ‘was thrust up from the sea by aeons of crustal tectonics, a sea-dwelling race unremembered by the present-day islanders artificially created chambers below the sea for obscure purposes. Only broken relics and idols of stone and serpentine now remain in these half-submerged cav- ems to haunt the imagination of any who discover them. Unless specifically stated to the contrary, all the caves are cold and lightless, requiring the PCs to use artificial light sources if they wish to see. The sahuagin encoun- tered within the cave know only that they are on a spe- cial secret mission under the command of Baron K’thstraam, who takes his orders directly from the King, Most of the sahuagin suspect that the strange carved fig- ures and the artificial chambers that make up many of the Drowned Caverns are very important to the King, but none of the sahuagin know why, nor are they likely to speculate before outsiders, especially hated “air- breathers.” THE UPPER CAVES ‘The caverns described in rooms 1 to 31 constitute the Upper Caves. As indicated on the map, some sections of the cave and tunnels are dry, some half-filled with water, and some completely submerged. Unless noted other- wise, each dry cavern is some 15 feet high. The half-sub- merged caverns are roughly the same height, but the lower 7 feet of those areas is covered by water, leaving only 7 feet of breathable air above. Tides. This adventure assumes that the “dry” cav- ems remain that way only during low tide. As the ‘moon changes position in the sky, so also does the water rise and fall, almost completely submerging the caves every 12 or 24 hours. During high tide, only some six inches of breathing space remains in the dry caves, unless specifically noted otherwise (eg, the ledges in areas 15 and 24). The DM is free to ignore the effects of tides, or arrange some other sys- tem on a different cycle if multiple moons exist in his or her campaign world, 1. Crystal Falls Entrance In the cliffside beneath the crashing flow of the Crystal Falls, some 15 feet below sea level, lies the opening to the rough, 10-foot-diameter tunnel leading to area 1. The tur- bulent influx of water from above has a 35% chance per round of tumbling any swimming creature into cliff rock for 1d4 hit points of damage. This chance is reduced to 25% for proficient swimmers and to only 10% for sea- adapted creatures such as sahuagin. Any creature attempting to swim through the opening must make at least one check. Because sahuagin detest fresh water, and the falls pro- vide plenty of it, they must swim through the underwa- ter opening as quickly as possible and are unable to place ‘guards near this source of freshwater. However, they are confident that the Anglers will never discover this open- ing to begin with, being fully occupied by the raids. PCs who discover the opening find a completely sub- ‘merged tunnel that runs for at least a mile and a half into the cliffside with much wending and curving, Read or paraphrase the following text to those PCs who follow the tunnel to its end and break the surface of the water in area 1: ‘You break the plane of cold water into a damp, dripping cavern of heavy rock, half-drowned with seawater. The watermarks of centuries scribe the cav- em walls with horizontal bands, but the stalactite- infested ceiling 7 feet above the water also holds some variety of luminescent fungus which provides soft light for the entire chamber. ‘In the center of the cavern, a miniature island of bare rock rises above the waterline, worn smooth ‘except for the occasional divot. To the east, a beach of solid rock apparently gives off onto two dark but dry tunnels. A haif-submerged tunnel, only partially lit by the glowing fungus, leads off to the south. ‘There are no sahuagin sentries in this chamber; fresh- ‘water seepage from the outer fails gives the water an ‘unpleasant tang, Besides the exit and the three visible tunnels, there is another completely submerged tunnel in the floor of the cavern to the southeast of the miniature atoll. The tunnel, completely filled with salt water, pro- vides the only access to the areas of real interest to both sahuagin and PCs alike.2. Grotto A simple cavern opens up from the tunnel. The glowing fungus above provides sufficient light to illuminate the school of hundreds of small yellow and red fish which dart within the water among thick strands of slowly waving seaweed. The saltwater fish migrate in and out with the tides throughout the sea caves, finding tasty morsels among the many sessile (stationary) organisms which have taken root in the storm-protected caverns. 3. Empty Cave Nothing of any interest can be discovered in this chamber, although it might make a good hiding place for PCs fleeing sahuagin, at least until the tide comes 4. The Porch This cavern has obviously been smoothed through repeated exposure to water, but it’s dry now, albeit a bit damp. Besides the passage you entered from, two separate tunnels lead off from the cavern to the north, both of which look to slope upward sharply. A faint light glimmers from down the passage to the left! This chamber marks the edge of the territory that Horace (see area 7) claims as his domicile. While this ‘outer cavern floods periodically, the tunnels and con- nected rooms to the north are above the tide line; only a ‘major storm will inundate them. A serious search of the chamber turns up scratches in the rock, as if something heavy had been dragged through the chamber towards the north. 5. Wet Larder ‘The water-smoothed cavern at the end of the ascending tunnel, dimly lit by luminescent fungus, widens enough to hold a dark pool of still water, roughly 20 feet in diameter, in its center. Scattered around the edges of the pool are heaped the bones of hundreds of dead fish. The thick, turbid waters of the pool are 30 feet deep and hold the odd “snack” for when Horace doesn’t feel like venturing into the sea for his meals. The pool is stocked with an esoteric variety of fish, as well as a deli- cacy that Horace is saving for a “special occasion”: a large octopus! Unfortunately, the octopus has grown since first stocked, amply fed by the other denizens of the pool; it’s now an even bet as to whether the octo- pus wouldn't turn the tables on Horace if given the chance. The octopus rests at the bottom of the pool, attacking any investigators who probe the murk. Giant Octopus: AC 7; MV 3, swim 12; HD 8; hp 60; THACO 13; #AT 7; Dmg 1d4 x6 (tentacles)/2d6 (bite); SA constriction (2d4 hp per round), 75% chance tentacle pins one (50%) or both (25%) of vic- tim’s arms (constricted victim suffers a -3 penalty to attacks if only one arm is free and a~1 penalty even if both are free); SD camouflage (90% unde- tectable), ink cloud (40 feet by 60 feet by 60 feet); SZ L (11 feet across); ML elite (13); Int animal (1); ALN; XP 2,000. 6. Squalid Foyer This rough chamber is apparently only infrequently subject to tidal inundation. Wooden barrels sit in stacks about the periphery of the cave, while a table and stool (both obviously crafted of pale driftwood) stand near the northern exit. A clay cup and mug sit unattended upon the table top. Even in his present lycanthropic state, Horace still enjoys frequent bouts of drinking. This chamber is filled with the fruits of a recent theft by Horace of an outbound trading vessel exporting 26 kegs of Leroi’s Redhawk Ale (as can be seen stamped on all the barrels still left in the chamber). Only 12 of the barrels still contain any ale, and all of it is tainted with the acrid tang of saltwater. PCs who investigate this chamber have a 50% chance of wak- ing the sleeping Horace in area 7 unless they are absolutely silent. 7. Horace’s Bedchamber Furs, seaweed, and the occasional garment are bunched together in the western portion of this stone chamber, forming a rude mattress, Against the north wall stands a large wooden chest. Opposite the chest, shallow stone shelves in the wall hold a variety of carvings—mostly driftwood, although a few of appear to be of greenish stone. In the eastern portion of the chamber, a large rusted knife lies atop a drift- ‘wood stool pulled up to a large pile of unworked wood. Horace the lycanthropic seawolf is 50% likely to be here, sleeping off his last drinking bout (although he may have awakened if the party was overly loud in the v7previous chamber). Horace was once an Angleburg, \ “fisherman but now suffers under the curse of lycan- thropy (tied to his pendant). Shunned by his fellows, Horace now ekes out a living in secret, lairing here under the island, The seawolf is aware of the sahuagin infestation in the deeper portions of the caves but has decided to let them be so as not to draw attention to himself. However, he does shift into seawolf form and attack any land- dwelling creatures (such as the PCs) on sight, for fear of the secret of his existence being divulged. Note that since Horace’s lycanthropy is caused by a cursed magical item, his bite does not infect the target with the disease, although there’s no need to tell the characters that. If the PCs attempt to talk to the seawolf, the DM may wish to allow the seawolF to listen; a temporary alliance between the lycanthrope and the adventurers has a better chance of clearing the sahuagin from the caves than either alone. ‘There are 17 wooden carvings (by Horace) of various sealife; their quality is quite good and they would fetch 1 to4 gp per piece. There are three serpentine statuettes of vague humanoid figures that Horace has collected from. other portions of the sea caves; the lycanthrope has no knowledge whatsoever of their origin. ‘The chest is locked (Horace has the key) and trapped with eel venom which inflicts 26 hp of damage on unsus- pecting looters (save for half-damage). The chest is filled with beautiful oyster shells (of no value) and a couple of the lycanthrope's better carvings (worth 10 gp apiece). A pouch in the midst of the shells holds two gold rings, each. worth 45 gp, and a single 10-gp pearl. If the PCs steal any of Horace’s statues or treasure, the seawolF (if he still lives) stalks the party with the intention of killing the offender and retrieving his belongings. On the other hand, praising his carvings is the best way to open any negotiations with this unpre- dictable creature. Horace, seawolf: AC 5; MV 9, swim 12; HD 942; hp 56; THACO 11 (bite) or 9 (long sword, Strength bonus); #AT 1 or 2; Dmg 3d4 (bite) or 142 (bite)/ 148+3 (long sword plus Strength bonus); SD harmed only by silver, cold iron, or magical weap- ons; SZ M (6 ft. 5 in. tall) or L (13 feet long); ML elite (13); Int average (9); AL CE; XP 1400. Str 18/62. Special Equipment: amulet ofthe dripping ‘wolf (inflicts possessor with seawolf lycanthropy).. 8, Empty Cavern this bare, waterstained 18 9. Submerged Cavern ‘Seawater completely fills this large cavern. Dank @% strands of some strange sea-growth cling to the ceil- ing, moving like hair in a subtle current. Gray cave fish dart amongst the seaweeds, hunting prey even in these lightless caverns. This is off the main route of the sahuagin’s interest. However, there is a 20% chance that a lone sahuagin has wandered to this cave in search of a quick bite (see sahuagin stats under area 13). 10, Half-submerged Cavern More glowing fungi coat the ceiling of this half- drowned cavern, apparently providing sufficient light for the thick growth of reedy vegetation which breaks the surface of the water here. Ripples and dimples on the water's surface indicate a profusion of cave life beneath, A fragile ecosystem between glowing fungi, sea reeds, cave fish, and waterbugs has sprouted in this unlikely spot; of great interest to someone like Laurish Samprey, but incidental to the plot. 11. Empty Cavern ‘A search of this bare cavern confirms the first impres- sions of observers: this place is empty. 12, Almost Empty Cavern This cavern seems as bare and dry as many of the other sea caves, but a determined search reveals a reposi- tory of three serpentine statues embedded in the stone wall of the cavern. These statues are as enigmatic as the others previously described in the text but are even, worse for wear and would probably only fetch a single gold piece if retrieved and sold. 13, Sahuagin Sentries This submerged cavern initially merely resembles a chance widening in the tunnel. However, it also serves as the invading sahuagin’s sentry position nearest the Crys- tal Falls entrance. Unless the PCs go to extraordinary lengths to conceal their presence, (ie., use no light, make absolutely no noise, and somehow mask their neuro- electrical emissions), the sentries detect them. Remember that sahuagin can sense neuro-electrical activity within a 30-foot radius, just like sharks, and that this, combined with their acute sense of smell and ability to sense minute vibrations in water, makes them exceedinglydeadly hunters even in the most turbid water, ‘The three sahuagin rest lightly in lounge nets (similar to underwater hammocks) nestled into the curve of the cavern, just out of sight of oncoming traffic. If possible, two of the sahuagin attack an advane- ing party or its scout from surprise while the third rushes towards the northeast at its full swimming movement rate to raise the alarm; its goal is area 30. Ifthe sentry reaches this goal (it takes it approximately 3 rounds), it takes a single round to deliver its message, returning 3 round later (a total of 7 rounds since it departed) with a contingent of 15 reserve sahuagin and 3 sharks to attempt to slay the PCs. The general alarm has now gone up, and as long as the PCs continue to fight, 1d4 addi- tional sahuagin continue to arrive every other round from both this level and the Drowned Caverns below until a total of 10 additional sahuagin appear. Allin all, it might be best if the PCs flee or hide (although wounded PCs leave a distinct blood trail in the water easy enough for the sahuagin to track). ‘Sahuagin warriors (3): AC 5; MV 12, swim 24; HD 242; hp 16 each; THACO 19; #AT 4; Dmg 1d4 (bite)/1d4 (rake)/1d4 (rake)/1d6+1 plus poison (poisoned trident); SA/SD/SW standard sahuagin (Gee sidebar page 13); SZ M (6 ft. tall); ML steady (12); Int high (14); AL LE; XP 175 each. 14, Trophy Display ‘This cavern measures at least 60 feet from east to west and is perhaps 30 feet wide, holding a slender atoll of dry rock at its center. The stale green light from the dripping ceiling illuminates ghastly trophies piled upon the miniature island: a half-dozen rotting human skulls! ‘Watermarks band the cavern’s sides, illustrating the ebb and flow of the tides. The mouths of five tunnels break the otherwise smooth walls—one to the south, ‘one to the southeast, one to the northeast, and two to the north, This cavern is a nexus of sorts. While every access point leading to this cave has at least one sentry post guarding it, no guards are specifically stationed here. Only the piled, flesh-stripped heads of six of the original twenty excavators trapped in the caves hints of the sahuagin’s presence (study of the skulls reveals obvious tooth and bite marks scarring the bone itself; sahuagin are voracious eaters!). ‘Two additional passages into this chamber are not obvious. The entrance from the southwest is below the 19 water level, while the narrow channel leading to area 30 is concealed below the waterline with natural- looking rocks. The sahuagin may use this hidden route to cut off fleeing PCs if the opportunity presents itself 15. High Ledge The half-submerged tunnel continues to the north. ‘However, at this point the ceiling height briefly rises 0 25 feet above the surface of the water. To the east, the wall rises 15 feet above sea level to what appears to be a 30-foot-wide ledge; details of the ledge are impossible to ascertain from the water's surface. ‘The high ledge remains dry in times of high tide. This, particular ledge holds nothing but bare stone. 16. Low Ledge ‘The ledge thrusting above the water level to the north is similar in most respects to the ledge described in area 15, However, this ledge is only 5 feet above the water's surface and sadly holds the bedraggled and drowned body of an excavator who escaped from the sahuagin’s, initial attack. Unfortunately, the tide caught the exhausted fellow here and he was unable to save him- self ‘The body, wedged into a rocky crevice, is that of Reigan, who served Lychelle as lead excavator. A search through his rotting belongings uncovers a pouch filled with 37 gp, two small, rough, enigmatic serpentine carv- ings worth 1 to 4 gp apiece, and an unmarked potion of healing. 17, High Ledge ‘The ledge thrusting above the water level here is simi- lar to the ledge described in area 15, including its 15-foot height above the surface of the water. A search of the dry ledge reveals 15 serpentine carvings (each worth 1 to 4 gp). Many of the small figures on this ledge appear more eel-like than humanoid, 18. Chasm Entrance Ifthe PCs dig out the collapsed chasm—see page 11— they discover a shaft like a stone well (with plenty of handholds and footholds), leading down to a rough tun- nel lined with old stone. Dwarves and others with stoneworking skill will not be able to recognize which race created this tunnel, only that it is very, very old and has obviously been repaired and shored up in places by the excavation team (at the DM's option, the excavators, may also have left plenty of ropes and pulleys behindthat help PCs descend the shaft in safety). The tunnel rns for only 250 feet before turning sharply to the south into a large, water-filled cavern: ‘The tunnel comes to an abrupt halt at the edge of a subterranean cavern apparently filled with seawater. ‘Asa horrible stench of rot assails you, you spy two bloated human corpses floating languidly in the still pool. Even from a distance it is no feat to determine that these poor victims were savaged terribly; some body portions are missing entirely! As shown on the map, only a portion of this cavern remains above water; the rest is completely submerged by the sloping rocky ceiling. The bodies are indeed those of two unlucky excavators left here by the sahuagin as a vivid warning against any who might try to penetrate further into the cavern’s secrets. Nothing of any value remains with the poor floating victims. A narrow passage, only 3 feet wide and 6 feet tall, con- nects this chamber to the cavern immediately to the west (area 20; one of three areas so labeled on the map). Rocks have been cunningly placed so that the passage is not only blocked but concealed as well. Note that removing, the rocks automatically alerts the sahuagin sentries in the next chamber, who prepare an ambush against the first PC(s) through the orifice. 20 19. Deadfall This cavern is filled to a depth of 7 feet with seawater; the air-filled portion rises 7 feet above the water's sur- face (as in every half-filled area in the Upper Caves unless specifically noted to the contrary). The sahuagin have placed yet another bobbing body of an unfortunate excavator against the south wall. Its foot is actually lodged in a fissure in the wall so that it does not change Position with the tide. More importantly, this body is| rigged with a hidden line; if the body is turned over or tugged, the line pulls taut on a keystone in the ceiling, causing a ton or more of rock to come crashing down (even if submerged during high tide). Players in the chamber each take 346 points of damage and have a 85% chance to be trapped beneath the fallen rock, requiring a successful bend bars/lift gates roll to shift free. Charac- ters pinned underwater will drown unless aided; see the sidebar on page 4. 20, Sahuagin Sentries Each of the three caverns labeled as area 20 contain five sahuagin guards (fifteen total). The sentries in each of these rooms are out of direct line of sight from each, previous chamber and initially set ambushes for approaching player characters; remember that water is a 3D environment and that sahuagin can surround lone PCs not only on all sides but from above and below as well. Additionally, the sound of conflict and smell ofblood in the water draws at least two sahuagin from the adjacent sentry position (unless separated by a concealed passage). Itis likely that PCs moving from area 18 to area 20 can only send one character at a time forward through the narrow (3-foot-wide) channel; this character receives the full brunt of the attack from the five waiting sahua- gin. Play up frenzied, thrashing, churning foam gener- ated by the initial attack, and the subsequent blood of their companion back-flowing through the channel; this, should give pause to the next in line, even the most stout-hearted. If the PCs retreat after an initial attack, the sahuagin reset their defense in one of the three sentry chambers to include a concealed net over the entire floor. Two sahua- gin will wait around a bend in the adjacent passage hold- ing concealed ropes which, when pulled taut, catch the net about a group of advancing PCs. PCs caught in the net lose Dexterity bonuses until they can saw or break their way out (if they can... ), with the assembled sahuagin spearing the netted victims at will all the while. Sahuagin warriors (15): AC 5; MV 12, swim 24; HD 2+2; hp 18 cach; THACO 19; #AT 4; 1d4 (bite)/ 1d4 (rake)/1d4 (rake) /1d6+1 plus poison (poisoned trident); SA/SD/SW standard sahtagin (see side- bar page 13); SZ M (6 ft tall; ML steady (12); Int high (13-14); AL LE; XP 175 each. 21. Is This The Way? Because of the concealed passages, the obvious route through the sea caves leads to this partially submerged cavern. A small beachhead of bare rock shows the unmistakable marks of clawed feet; perhaps the sea dev- ils use this route? Beyond the bit of dry land is a pool roughly 20 feet in diameter. What appears to be a slow whirlpool visibly swirls the water in the center of the pool. A thin channel of seawater connects the pool to the contiguous waters of the sea; while the current thus cre- ated is noticeable, itis not strong enough to create any danger except to someone in the pool immediately next to the whirlpool itself. This strange phenomena was cre- ated by the recent seaquake, and in time it will subside. But until then it makes an excellent trap that the sahua- agin make full use of. Sure enough, if any item is thrown out into the pool, it {goes around just a few times before itis sucked into a 4- foot-diameter orifice. PCs who think that this is an entrance to deeper inhabitable regions make a lethal mis- take if they jump in; the whirlpool plunges them down a narrow tube of twisting stone as the water moves faster and faster. The tube descends for miles, finally plunging a any and all objects caught in the flow into a reservoir of fiery mantle. The water bursts into steam within just seconds, and PCs are incinerated just as quickly unless they possess magic enough to navigate magma and breathe superheated steam and sulphur. While this, whirlpool could prove potentially fatal to PCs, it does offer them one benefit they may never even become aware of: the current it sets up pulls any scent of spilled blood in the water of rooms 18 to 20 down the whirlpool, so that every sahuagin in the caves are not necessarily alerted when the PCs strike their first blow. 22, Wet Rock The still water is separated ahead by the rising hump of a damp rock squarely situated in the center of this cavern. The green glow from above shows the rock to be a smooth and vivid green, quite unlike the surrounding rock of the sea caves. ‘The rock described above is a huge, water-smoothed chunk of unworked serpentine. The millennia of crustal movement have brought a deposit of it up closer to the surface than the other unworked fragments; it was from such masses that the enigmatic figures were carved in strange eons by mysterious ancients. This rock weighs several tons and is lodged into the rock of the cave; a party of normal means would be hard-pressed to recover it. Ir might be worth as much as 1,000 gp to the right buyer, ifit could somehow be brought out intact and transported to the mainland. Note, however, that the ser- pentine boulder is considerably larger than any of the sea caves’ exits, making it literally more trouble than it’s worth. 23. Pearl Bed This cavern is half-filled with seawater and, like many of the caverns, is softly lit by glowing fungus on the cei ing. PCs who penetrate the murky water discover a dense bed of mollusks (some twenty in all). Those will- ing to take the time to open each clam have a 5% cumula- tive chance of discovering a single pearl of surpassing size and quality, worth 400 gp to the right buyer! 24, Ledge ‘The ledge thrusting above the water level to the east is in form similar in most respects to the ledge described in area 15, including its 15-foot height above the surface of the water. A search of the dry ledge reveals faint signs of recent passage to those who make a successful Tracking, proficiency check25. A Survivor In what would otherwise be a completely bare cavern lies a human figure dressed in rags, hunched up in the deepest recess of the south wall. Fish bones and clam shells litter the area about the figure, as well as a bladder-pouch. As you approach, the man cries out in alarm and staggers to his feet, brandishing the broken haf of a spear, This is Olmes Oakham, one of the excavators lost in the chasm collapse, Olmes is severely dehydrated (salt ‘water is nonpotable, of course) and teetering on the brink of sanity after witnessing the fate of most of the rest of his team at the hands of the sahuagin; hungry sea devils are not too particular about whether their meal has ceased moving before they begin to dine! While raving and mostly incoherent, Olmes has some information the PCs may manage to pry from him (espe- cially if they give him a drink of fresh water!), perhaps just by patiently listening as he talks to himself: ‘>The sahuagin in the sea caves are only interested in the green stone figures. ‘2 The outer raids serve only as a distraction for the sahuagin in the sea caves. ‘= Many of the excavators were eaten alive by the sahuagin (at this point, Olmes breaks down and sobs). However, at least five, including Lychelle, were being kept prisoner (very uncharacteristic for sahuagin!) at the time that Olmes escaped. The pri oners were being held in a large room further to the east (area 31). ‘= The sahuagin kept questioning ‘chelle about some- thing called The Stone Which Abides, apparently a large carving hidden somewhere in the Drowned Caverns that lie deeper below Angler Island. ‘Olmes can provide directions to the fissure leading to the Drowned Caverns (area 31), ‘*'The bladder is filled with “chuvor,” some sort of hor- rible concoction that allows humans to breathe water; (Olmes swiped it when escaping (in fact, one dose of elasmobranchucor; see the Arcana section at the end of the adventure). (Olmes is really in no condition to aid the party, as will be readily apparent from his pathetic, feeble condition. Rescuing him and escorted him safely to the sur face gains each PC an award of 150 XP. If forced to accompany the party, Olmes screams in terror and flees at the first sight of sahuagin (his reason has finally snapped, and he flees into unbreathable water if that is his only option). ‘Olmes (Fighter, 1st level): AC 10; MV 6 (exhaus- tion); HD 1; hp 4 (normally 10); THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1d3 (spear shaft); SW exhausted, distraught, dehydrated; SZ M (6 ft. tall); ML unreliable (4); ALN, Str 16 (8), Dex 14 (7), Con 15 (8), Int 11 (6), Wis 10 (5), Che 11 (6). 26. Tripline A half-flled cavern not unlike many of the others within the caves, this one contains a dangerous secret: a hair-thin tripline flush with the waterline. If PCs trigger this trap, the line unbalances the pile of shells and flat rocks piled upon the rise of dry rock in the center of the cavern. The shells and rocks plop resoundingly in the water, alerting the sahuagin sentry in area 28 that some- thing approaches, 27. Caves Both of the caverns keyed to this number on the map hold 1 to 6 serpentine carvings (worth Id4 gp each) caught in the floor, walls, and ceiling. 28, Lone Guard This crossroads holds a single sahuagin who remains constantly vigilant for any movement, sound, scent, vibration, electrical activity, or light in the tunnel leading, to area 26. If alerted in any way, it immediately signals the two sahuagin in area 29, who in turn signal the 20, additional sahuagin in area 30 that intruders may be rear. While the sahuagin in area 30 respond (see entry 30 for details and sahuagin stats), the guard remains atten- tive in case invaders move quickly down the corridor. 29, Two Guards ‘The two sahuagin guards stationed here act as con- duits for possible signals passed from the guard in area 28 to the warriors in area 30, and vice versa. 30, Warriors On Call Twenty sahuagin (and three sharks) reside here while the sea devils maintain a presence in the sea caves. These sahuagin rotate through the various sentry positions detailed in the Upper Caves, so that the number of guards posted in each position remains constant, although individuals may vary. There are a total of 41sahuagin assigned to the Upper Caves; the DM should keep track of sahuagin mortality, as the sea devils will have trouble finding replacement guards in the short term. Note that almost all the sahuagin in the entire cave complex are in the Upper Caves; a dangerous psychic phenomena known as The Singer in Darkness (see area 42) has proved fatal to so many sahuagin warriors that, Baron K’‘thstraam has posted the bulk of his forces here, beyond the reach of its deadly call ‘A huge sleep-net covers the ceiling of this chamber, providing a comfortable point for resting sahuagin to attach themselves to a loose tether and enjoy a refreshing nap. Also attached to the ceiling net are over two dozen ink-bladders (carefully harvested from giant octopi) which the guards in this chamber grab if alerted to invaders. When punctured, a spherical cloud of ink ‘opaques the water in a 5-foot radius; multiple bladders sum their area of effects. When used against PCs, the ink- cloud allows the sahuagin to operate with no penalties, while players operate as if in complete darkness (4 attack penalty, no Dexterity bonus to AC). Magical light cannot penetrate this murk; only time (5 minutes) dis- perses the ink in calm water. If given a signal from the sentries posted in area 29, half of the assembled sahuagin issue quietly into area 14 via the concealed passage, while the other half leave the cavern by the obvious exit to the south, The two groups, attempt to catch invaders between them and thereby exterminate the trapped targets. If, on the other hand, intruders find the concealed underwater passage in area and enter this room that way, half the sahuagin guards engage the PCs and attempt to repel or destroy them, while the other half exit to the south and attempt to circle around behind them via areas 29, 28, and 26. In either case, at least one of the alerted sahuagin attempts to carry a message down the fissure in area 31, eventu- ally making his way to area 48 to warn Baron K’thstraam of the interlopers. Sahuagin warriors (20): AC 5; MV 12, swim 24; HD 242; hp 18 each; THACO 19; #AT 4; 1d4 (bite)/ 1d4 (rake)/1d4 (rake)/1d6+1 plus poison (poisoned. trident); SA/SD/SW standard sahuagin (see sidebar page 13); SZ M (6 ft tall); ML elite (14); Int high (13-14); AL LE; XP 175 each. Sharks (3): AC 6; MV swim 24; HD 7; hp 40, 36, 32; THACO 13; #AT 1; Dmg 3d4 (bite); SZ L (10 ft. long); ML steady (11); Int non- (0); ALN; XP 420 each, 31. Access to The Drowned Caverns A greater profusion of the luminescent ceiling fun- gus reveals a sea cavern larger than any you have pre- viously seen. Water fills a large portion of the cavern,but a ledge only a few feet above the waterline creates a wide shelf of dry rock to your left as you enter. Thrust into the rock are two thick wooden. ‘posts. Each post contains three heavy cords which hang limply; however, their placement suggests that ‘once these cords were used to tether or bind objects— or people. The bare atoll was used by Baron K’thstraam to bind the six excavators chosen to live (this includes Lychelle!); those excavators who were not so fortunate were eaten in sight of their former teammates. The dry rock flooded with every high tide, but K’thstraam kept the air-breath- ing humans alive with judicious doses of rancid elasmo- branchuvor (see the Arcana section at the end of the adventure), administered each time at the last minute. If the surviving excavators’ prospects were not so dim any- ‘way, the DM might invite the PCs to speculate on the psychological repercussions of seeing your friends and teammates messily murdered, and eaten, then almost drowning ona twice-daily basis. Inany case, the surviving prisoners are no longer here, having been moved before the PCs first entered the sea caves. The PCs may hope to find them in the deeper cav- cers, but K’thstraam has actually moved them out of the ‘sea caves altogether to a location detailed in Sea of Blood, Beneath the water's surface, in the southeastern por- tion of the chamber, a 10-foot-wide fissure plunges down 500 feet. This eventually opens out into room 32 and is the only means of access to the Drowned Caverns, THE DROWNED CAVERNS The caverns described in rooms 32 to 48 constitute the Drowned Caverns. All the rooms, caves, and tunnels here are completely submerged in seawater at all times. Due to the proximity of a magma pipe (an upsurge of fiery mantle), the water in the Drowned Caverns is uncomfortably hot, and surface dwellers penetrating this far down become exhausted twice as quickly as they otherwise might. 32. Shattered Dome The water-filled fissure finally empties into a smooth spherical chamber at least 50 feet in dia meter. Your attention is caught immediately by the transition between the rough, broken walls of the fis- sure and the obviously artificial greenish tiles which cover every surface of the sphere; the recent seaquake 24 has apparently unearthed chambers buried so deeply in the earth that itis difficult to even esti- ‘mate how long ago it must have been constructed! Ina few places, the tile is rippled or missing, pos- sibly damaged by the subtle movements of the earth over time. Besides the fissure, two 10-foot-diameter circular shafts access the chamber, one to what you think is the north and the other to the south. An ancient submarine race long ago lived and delved in. the ocean depths, possessed of technologies wholly unlike those known in the present day. Their identity, character, goals, and final disposition are unguessed by even the most scholarly sea-sages, and even the sahua- gin’s prodigious racial memories cannot recall them to mind. In fact, every sahuagin present within the sea caves wonders at King Laangforanen’s interest in the ancient carvings and artificial structures discovered under Angler Island. Only Baron K’thstraam seems to know what is actually going on, and his plans do not include explanations to the troops (or hated scaleless air- breathing surface-dweller intruders, either) PCs who study the tiles easily determine them to be of, serpentine, the same stone as the carven figures discov- ered above. Any character with stoneworking or mining, skills can tell their great age, but not identify their crafters. The tunnels are not tiled, but their perfectly cir- cular construction has a fused look, suggesting that the tunnels were perhaps melted rather than bored. This chamber is empty, but excessive noise or activity here draws the attention of the two hunting sharks on patrol in rooms 37 to 39 33. Permutation The slippery smooth tunnel is interrupted to the south, where a fissure has bisected the artificial bore, creating a crossroads. Characters proceeding any further down the corridor toward room 37 will be detected by the giant sharks (megalodons) therein unless they take precautions at this point (douse lights, keep silent, etc.) 34, End of the Line? The rough, twisted fissure narrows to only a foot in width and height. However, study of the narrow channel indicates that something may lie beyond; those who can contrive a passage through the narrow straits are able to access area 35.mee vl) 2 a 9 hdd Bs. 35. Overlooked Cavern This chamber was not investigated by the sahuagin initially because it was not easy to reach, and then because Baron K’thstraam deemed that he had found that which he sought in room 48. ‘A few relics reside here, half-caught in the rock, simi- lar to the carvings found scattered in the Upper Caves and Lychelle's shop but in better condition. In addition to 10 fine carvings depicting strange heads bearing circu- lar, tooth-filled maws (each worth 30 gp), there isa fully- rendered carving 6 feet high in serpentine of what is unmistakably an elf! An elf in the party (including Museio, if she accompanied them and has survived this, far), or anyone familiar with the different subraces of elves, thinks that the carven figure looks very strange: the elf depicted looks like a blend between a High Elf and a Drow! Questions as to the age of the archaic fig urine could, at the DM's discretion, lead some to specu- late that the figure represents an example of what elves looked like prior to the surface elf /Drow split. This fig- ure is worth at least 500 gp to human or demihuman col- lectors, and three times that in an elven community. 36. Empty Cave ‘The fissure ends here in an empty sea cave. If the PCs have some means of escaping detection and surviving underwater for long periods, this might be a good place to rest, hide, and formulate plans. 25 il!" a ee: EEE = ieee ee ; Sn ‘ SC i j 4 ig ea | i x zi Beat: a 37, Fractured Sphere This chamber is tiled and spherical like room 32. How- ever, the southern portion of itis simply missing (when plate tectonic activity thrust up Angler Island and these ancient chambers beneath, not all the rooms came along; of those that did, not all survived intact Two giant sharks swim back and forth from this chamber to room 39 in a constant patrol (live food from the sea is regularly fetched by sahuagin so that these two massive creatures do not have to compromise their patrol). Undue activity may have already drawn them to the party—otherwise, the PCs encounter them here as the sharks viciously attack any unauthorized (non- sahuagin) intruders. If the encounter takes place in one of the circular hallways, note that only one of these giant sharks can effectively fight in the same width of a hallway simultaneously. It is only a myth that sharks must always move forward to breath; also, sharks can swim backward (albeit at a movement rate of 5) if nec- essary, s0 tactics based on either of these misconcep- tions will fail. A fight with the sharks almost certainly draws the attention of the sahuagin sentries located in area 40, Giant sharks (2): AC 5; MV swim 18; HD 11; hp 65, 66; THACO 9; #AT 1; Dmg 4d4 (bite); SA swallow human-sized creatures whole (on any attack roll that succeeds by rolling 4 or more greater than theminimum needed to hit); SZ H (17 ft. long); ML elite (13); Int semi (2); AL N; XP 3,000 each. 38. Membranous Boundary ‘The perfect smoothness of the tunnel is broken here by a6-foot-diameter irregularity. Investigation reveals a tunnel leading off to the south, just visible through the barely translucent membrane which completely blocks the passage. This strange, greenish material pulls and stretches but does not break even if a magical blade or destructive spell is used against it. Baron K’thstraam has not been able to penetrate the barrier, a stll-potent relic from millennia past. This membrane organically parts if the eel-man key described in Lychelle’s Shop (see page 11) is touched to ity nothing else suffices. If the Eel Key comes within 10 feet of the door, the key begins to visibly glow, even through the gaps in a pack or pouch. If the PCs have not retrieved the Eel Key from the shop, the DM may wish to provide a hint to struggling PCs regarding the fact that the excavation team was said to have removed some of the artifacts from the site prior to the sahuagin incursion. Perhaps one or more of these artifacts could prove useful if in the party's hands? If the PCs part the membrane with the Eel Key, they find that the passage beyond continues for 30 feet before it is abruptly truncated by solid rock. If they close the membrane behind them this could be a safe, if tempo- rary, shelter from sahuagin pursuit. 39, Fractured Sphere This chamber is tiled and spherical like room 32, but a large portion of itis collapsed and shattered. Broken tiles lie scattered across the floor, and where the tile is stripped bare seaweed and other seawater growths have sprung up. This chamber serves as one end of the short patrol route used by the megalodons described under entry 37. 40. Resistant Sahuagin Sentries Not many of the common sahuagin have been able to resist the siren call described under entries 41 and 42; in fact, besides Baron K’thstraam, only a handful dare stay in the Drowned Caverns for any length of time. ‘The three sahuagin stationed here have proven resis- tant, however, and wait in ambush for the PCs if any make it past the two megalodons, Under normal circum- stances, the sahuagin’s superb senses detect the approach of the PCs. The sahuagin each down a dose of celasmobranchuvor; two prepare the ambush while one rushes towards area 48 to warn K’thstraam that the inter- lopers are persistent, and that he must be prepared. This messenger returns in exactly 10 rounds to launch a fierce 26 frontal attack upon the PCs, whether they are engaged with his comrades or have moved on else- where. The sahuagin stats below take into account the effects of the shark-derived elixir (elasmobranchu- vor-enhanced abilities are highlighted in bold). Sahuagin warriors (3): AC 3; MV 12, swim 24; HD 242; hp 27 each; THACO 17; #AT 4; Dmg 1d4 (bite)/1d4 (rake) /1d4 (rake)/1d6+1 plus poison (poisoned trident); SA/SD/SW elasmobranchuvor, standard sahuagin (see sidebar page 13); SZ M (6 tall); ML elite (14); Int high (13-14); AL LE; XP 420 each. ‘Special Equipment: 1 bladder of ‘chuvor each, 3 doses remaining per bladder. 41. Do You Hear That? ‘The rough, broken fissure leading northeast breaks into what appears to be the beginnings of one of the artifical tunnels. Issuing from the mouth of the dark ‘tunnel isa lilting, alien song, quiet and somehow plaintive. Someone is singing in the darkness beyond. A psychic tug manifests as a strangely compelling song when any sentient creature comes within 20 feet of the shaft. Creatures who are in any way shielded from the effects of psionic attacks do not hear the strange music and may wonder what their companions are talk- ing about. Creatures who hear the song and decide to investigate the tunnel and its contents are free to do so. Only those creatures who can hear the song but decide to tun away and leave the tunnel must make a successful saving, throw vs. spell or be compelled to investigate further. Arguments from companions are not enough to sway those caught by the allure of the exotic psychic melody. ‘The compulsion lasts until the victim has either investi- gated the farthest reaches of room 42c or is forcibly removed from the sea caves for a period of at least 12 hours. 42a, Outer Vestibule This chamber is spherical and contains the same dimensions and general features as room 32, except for a torn membrane-door to the west. Like the membrane described in area 38, the membrane here once controlled access through the door. However, the Singer in Dark- ness (see below) has managed to reach forth its power over the centuries and finally rend the barricades. The ‘mental music seems louder here, and apparently has its, source through the rent door.Parting the gently waving tatters of the membrane allows the PCs to see into room 42b. The effects of NAL the psychic call described in area 41 are the same here; those that willingly investigate are not ensor- celed, but those who decide to turn back must make a saving throw vs. spell, but this time with a1 penalty due to proximity. 42b. Atrium This serpentine-tiled chamber merely serves as an intermediate area between the outer vestibule and the Singer in Darkness. The membrane-door in the west is rent just as in the previous chamber; pushing aside the tatters allows a view of room 42c. The effects of the psy- chic song are even stronger in this chamber, requiring a saving throw vs. spell at a -2 penalty for those who finally decide to turn back. 42c. The Singer in Darkness This spherical, serpentine-tiled chamber holds a 5- foot-diameter shaft in the center of the lower bowl. A. faint glimmer of green light weakly spills over the lip of the shaft, but the source of the glow remains hidden ‘The light is sufficient to backlight the silhouettes of at least half a dozen mummified bodies and skeletons that lie broken and rotting about the periphery of the shaft. The bodies and bones appear to be those of sahuagin! ‘The marine race that once abided here knew strange lores and practiced now-forgotten arts, One of the prod- ucts of such knowledge was the creation of an autonomic entity (a meld of psionic and magical energy) which con- trolled many functions within the complex; a pseudo-liv- ing supervisor of sorts, With the abandonment of the complex, most of the functions the entity once oversaw ceased to have meaning, and with the subsequent depri- vations of time the once-extensive complex has been reduced to just a few broken, shattered chambers (as shown on the Drowned Caverns map). The entity, bound to fist-sized lump of serpentine fused to the bottom of, the 10-foot-deep shaft in this chamber, has lost contact With the tiled chambers it once supervised. And with this loss of its reason for existence, it has lost most of its san- ity as well. In the centuries since, it has evolved into a malignant, hate-filled, pseudo-undead relic whose only. Yj aa Sas fgpll) Teg esability is to draw the life out of any living creature which it can catch in its psychic snare. Any creature that does not willingly peek over the edge of the shaft to view the unquiet lump of glow- ing serpentine must make a saving throw vs. spell at a -3 penalty. Those that fail this save can’t help but take a quick peek over the edge of the ominous well. Achieving eye contact with the serpentine lump at the bottom of the shaft vitalizes the malign entity: a psionic/ ethereal eel-like pseudopod of glowing plasma extrudes from the serpentine lump, then unerringly strikes the viewer with blinding speed. In an instant, every iota of moisture is forced out of the victim’s body in a cata- strophic, unstoppable evil tide! Death is immediate, and the suddenly-loosed spirit does not rest in peace but rather is caught up and devoured by the malign entity. No save is allowed (although magic resistance is applica- ble) for those who are not in some way psionically shielded. Once a spirit is devoured, there is no returning it to the desiccated body; itis simply gone. This chamber is a horrible place, and PCs foolhardy enough to ignore the warning provided by all the dead bodies lying around the shaft deserve what they get. If the PCs do not look in the shaft, but instead rifle through the remains, they discover 36 pearls worth an average of, 10 gp apiece, a bladder of elasmobranchuvor, a dwarven- forged dagger +1, and a triton-forged trident +1. 43, K’thstraam’s Quiet Place This widening of the fissure has been hung with a very large net-hammock, from which dangle various small, bone tools, hooks, and even one or two human skulls. Baron K’thstraam comes to this quiet spot occasionally, away from the heat and effort of room 48 and apart from the lesser sahuagin who dare not brave the Caller in Darkness. Such is his dedication to fulfilling his mission, however, that he is extremely unlikely to be found rest- ing here. In the unlikely event that the PCs have pene- trated to this point without K’thstraam becoming aware of it, there still only a 10% chance that they might find him retiring in the hammock. The baron’s stats are listed under room 48. A thorough search through the hammock turns up the bone items mentioned above, as well as a pouch contain- ing 10 pearls (each worth 20 gp), a necklace strung alter- nately with human finger bones and shark's teeth, a bladder of harvested octopus-ink (when punctured, the ink inside opaques the water in a 10-foot-diameter area, dispersing in 5 minutes), and a ring of jasmine odor taken from one of the excavators (changes the body odor of the wearer to a pleasant jasmine scent). 28 44. Does It Feel Warmer? This portion of the rocky fissure appears unre- markable. However, the temperature of the water is noticeable even warmer here than the already abnor- mally high ambient temperature. From this point to room 46, the high temperature of the water accelerates ‘exhaustion; strength and vigor is quickly eroded in such conditions (in game terms, 1 hit point is lost for every three hours spent in this overwarm water). 45, More Excavation ‘The termination of this length of tunnel holds a motherlode of the strange serpentine carvings. Many have obviously already been removed, while at least a dozen more remain half-embedded in the rock walls of the fissure. It requires at least 1 turn of effort to chisel and break a carving from the rock, but once freed the 4-foot- long carvings of vague humanoids are each worth 50 gp. 46. I's Definitely Warmer! ‘The water temperature is really heating up now; heat- leakage through the water from room 48 is even more pronounced. For every hour spent in either room 46, room 47, or the tunnel between without a break in cooler ‘water, 1 hit point is drained from PCs and unprotected, sahuagin alike! Inall other respects, this spherical chamber is much like that described under room 32. 47, 99% of Inspiration is Perspiration This chamber is much like the others that you have previously encountered in these drowned caverns, except that this one is bisected by the walls of a much larger spherical chamber to the west. In the center of this convexly-bulging wall is a membrane-door that has been tom asunder. The end of a large tube-shaped object of nauseating color protrudes from the hole left by the ruptured door. It took over a month of constant tearing with his tri- dent Surge for Baron K’thstraam to penetrate the door- ‘membrane; he was spurred on by a dim glimpse of his final goal just visible in the huge chamber beyond. When he finally did break through, he was almost dismayed by the rush of boiling water which burst forth. However, sahuagin are nothing if not practical and inventive (as sahuagin are wont to say, “We are sufficient to any task; only the inadequate fail”). After only a week of crafty labor by himself and 20 other sahuagin, K’thstraam was able to create an insulative sheath from the lower diges- tive tracts of two whales, one inside the other. The waterelemental bound to the baron’s trident has been charged with the task of insuring that cool water constantly flows through the thin boundary between the two layers of the sheath. However, before taking up its current task, it was commanded by K’thstraam to rig the sheath in the boiling water of room 48 (see below). The double-walled sheath is between 10 and 15 feet in diameter and 100 feet long, although because of kinks caused by the turbulent water beyond it only traverses a stretch of some 80 feet. The end protrudes a few feet into room 47, but the sheath is wide enough and the fit snug enough that relatively litte of the super-heated water from the Place of Keeping bleeds out into this chamber. ‘The whale’s intestines are held taut by fish-gut cords secured by the water elemental to various places along the walls of room 48, However, the onganic tube writhes and pulsates from strong water movement within the contigu- ous chamber, making it impossible to stand in the tube or to see any great length down it. The elemental continually forces relatively cool water from this outer chamber between the layers of the tube, so that any living creature within is protected from the boiling water found there. It is assumed that PCs enter into the mouth of the tube, rather than trying to slide around it and enter into room 48 unprotected. Note that tampering with the tube in this fashion sends out squirts of boiling water that cause 2d8 points of scalding damage to anyone within 15 feet of the doorway, which should quell any further investigation along these lines. 48. The Place of Keeping ‘The fluctuating interior of the almost transparent sheath pulsates under the pressure of the boiling ‘water just beyond the double-layered walls of whale’s gut, Strategically attached cords are just visible on the exterior of the straining membrane, trailing off through the bubbling water in weblike profusion above, below, and to both sides, holding the interior of the tube distended enough for you to swim through, surrounded beyond the thin membrane by a vast open area of superheated seawater. ‘The far end of the sheath is not visible; bends, bulges, and twists are constantly passing up and down the length of sheath due to the pressure of the outer water. It's like being inside a giant caterpillar as it inches its way along. As you move further in, you ‘can catch glimpses ahead of what appears to be another of the strange greenish membrane-barriers; however, this one appears intact. A dark, unmoving shape is visible beyond it, 29 The sheath described in room 47 extends through the open space of this huge spherical chamber from. the entrance to the center, kept “inflated” by the lines described above as well as by the insulative current of cooler water flowing between its two layers. The far end connects flush against a free-floating but immovable bubble of membrane just like that described in area 38 Within the membrane is The Stone Which Abides; see the Arcana section at the end of the adventure. Conditions outside the sheath: boiling water. A coil of ‘magma passes within a few feet of this huge spherical chamber, keeping the water here in a state of continual and extreme heat. Any character who contrives to enter this chamber outside of the sheath and lacks magical pro- tection from heat is instantly broiled, scalded to death in seconds . .. too bad, because sahuagin like their food rare. Just as he was finally able to pierce the membrane lead- ing into this chamber from room 47, K’thstraam is now worrying away at the membrane which protects The Stone Which Abides. If given enough time, he succeeds, and removes the statue to a safe holding place out at sea in preparation to moving it to the Throne of Teeth, as com- manded by King Laangforanen in the name of the Deep Mother. In this case the raids finally cease on the island. above, after much damage and destruction is wrought. Even then, itis still possible for the PCs to track the statue down in Night ofthe Shark if the DM desires, although the better solution is to make certain that the PCs arrive in time to stop K’thstraam from achieving his goal. If the four-armed sahuagin baron has not been alerted. to the PCs’ approach (hard to believe), he is diligently scraping his mighty trident Surge (see Arcana, page 32) back and forth across the ancient membrane encapsulat- ing the statue. In the more likely event that K’thstraam anticipates the PCs’ arrival, he downs a dose of ‘chuvor and then waits unseen in a fold of the pulsating sheath, gripping his trident in one hand and an ink bladder in each of his other three. When the PCs approach to within 10 feet of his hiding place, he steps free of the fold while simultaneously squeezing the ink-bladders; the real bat- tle has just begun! There are a few points the DM should keep in mind ina conflict within the flexible organic tube suspended within boiling water. The sheath is relatively narrow (some 10 feet in diameter at this point), making it extremely difficult for PCs to swim around the four- armed baron and attack him from the rear. In the agi- tated water within the sheath, the murky ink only obscures the PCs’ vision for 1d4+1 rounds. Of more potential concern to PC and sahuagin alike, each attack roll with a piercing or slashing weapon which misses its intended target by 5 or more runs the risk of putting ahole in the insulative sheath! Attackers who make their saving throws vs. death magic avoid this grievous error; a failed save indicates that boiling water is now spurting into the interior of the sheath, inflicting 1d4 hit point per round to any within 10 feet of the rent, Note that the damage from multiple slashes in the sheath is cumulative. K’thstraam pursues PCs out of the tube if they flee. ‘The baron uses the various powers of the almost artifact- level magical trident Surge as he deems it prudent; other- wise he is content with his flurry of rabid attacks. Hopefully, the characters are able to put up a sufficient, fight to challenge the enraged, eight-foot-tall sahuagin. However, the DM should avoid allowing the PCs to kill, off this major NPC if possible; when reduced to 20 hit points or less, the Baron draws himself up and booms forth the following in a distorted, hissing voice: “*Scaleless! Thou hast won this bout, mayhap, but soon shalt the victory be mine! Yea, I go now to assemble such a sally of mine people as shalt raze this island entire into the sea; no air-breather, ne great nor small, shalt be left on live above when I return me to retrieve The Stone Which Abides!” With this impassioned speech, the four-armed sahuagin is gone in a burst of bubbles! CONCLUSION Ifall has gone well, the surviving PCs should be able to recover the statue from the membrane with the applica- tion of the Eel Key. Moving The Stone Which Abides from the sea caves may require alittle rope-work with a block and tackle, winch, and effort, but itis certainly pos- sible to bring The Stone Which Abides to the surface. ‘Once there, the PCs have to decide what to do with it. Ifthe Potentate is told of the baron’s threat, she deems that the safest course is to remove the statue from the island immediately. That way, the sahuagin have no ireason to invade. The Potentate further reasons that it should probably be brought to a land-locked nation on the mainland far, far from the sea, where the sahuagin could never reach it. Alternately, the PCs might speculate along similar lines all on their own, or pethaps they feel it might be a ‘wise course of action to simply dump the thing in the sea ata great distance from the island. In either event, the 31 Having divulged some important information in the {J course of his rather theatrical threat, K’thstraam used {4 Surge to magically escape to a place of safety. The baron will return to haunt the PCs in future adven- tures; for now, he has left them one nasty parting shot by recalling the water elemental who keeps the whale-gut sheath insulated with cooler water. The temperature within the sheath begins to rise at once, and PCs without ‘magical protection from heat will take 1d4 points of damage per round, starting two rounds after the baron departs Baron K'thstraam: AC 3; MV 12, swim 24; HD 747; hp 60 (normally 50); THACO 8 (claw /rake/bite, Strength bonus) or 5 (trident +3, Strength bonus); #AT 6; Dmg 143 (claw)/143 (claw)/1d6 (rake)/146 (cake)/1d6 (bite)/1d10+10 (trident +3, Strength bonus); SA Surge (on a natural 20, trident’s target suffers full damage and then has his or her remain- ing hit points reduced by hall), free action (courtesy Surge), elasmobranchuvor, standard sahuagin (see sidebar page 13); SZ L (6 ft. tall; ML champion (16); Int high (14); AL LE; XP 1200 o¥ 2000. Str 19 (43 to attacks, +7 to damage). Special Equipment: 3 bladders of octopus-ink, 3 bladders of elasmobranchuvor, Surge (trident +3; see Arcana, page 32). goals of the evil race have been temporarily balked, even though no one knows why the sahuagin are so interested in the ancient relic. Each PC should be awarded 1,000 XP, especially if the DM wants to utilize the remaining two adventures in the sahuagin trilogy. If the DM intends to continue playing through the sahtagin adventure trilogy, Evil Tide comes to a close as the PCs make preparations to put to sea as chaperons to ‘The Stone Which Abides, either to move it safely to the mainland, sell it for a profit, or simply dump it in the depths of the sea safely away from Angler Island. The adventure continues in Night of the Shark!Elasmobranchuvor. This elixir is distilled from the oil-rich liver of sharks in combination with rare under- water plant life in just the right measure. The secret of elasmobranchuvor distillation is known only to a very few sahuagin priestesses, and the potion is only completely energized by the blessings of Sekolah. Elasmobranchuvor is in some respects similar to the healing ointment sometimes applied by sahuagin to heal, grievous wounds, except that this elixir (sometimes abbreviated to ‘ciuor) is taken internally, healing sahua- gin 1d4+8 hit points per dose. If maximum hit points are exceed, the elixir temporarily adds the additional hit points to the sahuagin’s maximum (these extra hit points are lost first if the sahuagin is struck in combat). Elasmo- branchuvor also raises sahuagin Morale by +2, confers a +2 bonus to all attacks, and decreases the sahuagin imbiber’s natural AC to 3. The additional effects (besides simple healing) last for 1 tun and then fade. While standard sahuagin healing ointment merely irri- tates surface dwellers and sea mammals, elasmobranchu- vor affects air-breathing creatures as a potion of water breathing with an effective duration of 12 hours per dose. Unfortunately, the viscous liquid is a fetid, rancid con- coction that surface dwellers can only choke down with a successful Constitution check (or if forced, of course), after which imbibers are at -3 to all actions (attack rolls, damage, saving throws, and ability checks) while the water breathing effect lasts. It is unknown what effect, if any, repeated exposure to ‘chuvor would have on an air- breathing humanoid. However, common sahuagin have heard tell of experiments on captive humans in the City, of Abiding Hunger; the results were apparently “inter- esting,” ‘The Stone Which Abides. Upon close inspection, this life-sized statue appears to be carved of serpentine. The statue is that of a seated humanoid figure holding a smaller humanoid figure draped over both arms. Due to aeons of erosion, the detail is so poor that itis difficult to make out either figure’s race; however, close study implies subtle eel-like characteristics to both of the principles. The statue reveals a faint aura of magic if detected for but does not seem to be able to manifest any power other than remaining impervious to chipping or breaking. Nei: ther the most magical of weapons (not even Surge!) nor the most destructive of spells is able even to mar the smallest portion of the statue's surface. The most power- 22 ful magical probes reveal only that the stone “sleeps”; its true power has not yet manifested . .. The Stone Which Abides is obviously a very valuable piece, regardless of its true origin and purpose (which are revealed later in the sahuagin trilogy); the statue would likely fetch over 600 gp to the right collector. The sahuagin would give any price for it, including hostages, seized especially for that purpose, but the PCs would be very unwise to give the sea devils anything they wanted so badly. Surge. Surge is the little-known companion weapon to the legendary trident Wave (detailed in the 1979 adven- ture White Plume Mountain and described on page 847 of the ENCYCLOPEDIA MAGICA™, Vol Ill). However, while Wave was consecrated to Poseidon, Surge is conse- crated to a demigod of the sea possessing eel-like attrib- tutes whose power has lapsed for so many millennia that the deity’s name (Anguileusis) has been forgotten by all save the Deep Mother and the trident itself Surge isa lawful neutral trident +3, inflicting 1d10+3 points of damage per successful attack. It has an Intelli- gence of 14 and an Ego of 20. Its special purpose is death or disfigurement to all who do not revere Anguileusis. Anyone wielding the trident who refuses to revere ‘Anguileusis must check Ego against Surge any time the wielder’s combined Wisdom and Intelligence total drops below 20 (see the intelligent weapon rules in the DMG); if Surge gains mastery, it forces the wielder to toss the weapon into the nearest naturally occurring body of salt water. If this means a journey of many days, so be it. Surge allows its wielder to require three tasks a year of a water elemental (of 12 HD) bound to the trident. It also confers free action and water breathing upon the wielder and once per day can make the wielder immune to normal ‘weapons (ie., only weapons of +1 of better bonus can injure the wielder), duration 1 turn. If the wielder pre- pares a safe haven, twice per month the trident can magi: cally transport him or her there if the spot picked is within 2 miles and if both the embarkation point and the safe haven are under saltwater. Surge telepathically com- :municates in the common tongue and in the languages of all sea creatures. Finally, on an attack of a natural 20, Surge superhy- drates opponents with excess seawater in addition to its normal damage—after computing normal damage, halve the victim’s remaining hit points as his or her tissues swell and burst with too much salty fluidDrowned CavernsD Pasi trary! ungeons&. Dragons: Monstrou Arcana For four to eight charters of levels 5-7 Boy ARSC | Lames @) SDN ai iors NTs tn TOPCO) Pra age! or YOU SHOULD BE AFRAID OF THE WATER... When the sun sinks low, the sea devils rise dripping from the dark PER Me MCMC ane Chr more rent like a promise in their rabid eyes, and the blood of their prey paints their OEE UTR cee aa Night after night they come, slaying all who stand in their way. BUC CCOer O Once eC CRM nee rant COC ean Cece etna ato Pecan M anne Crit tere ts asec ei Mean ACRE Caleta Cem te Cee ane Orn eee ae il ema San en ker Ceca PE Ces ae CO eRe esa Con nn Matt Geta enc an eae ee Gh crtt Prenca reertee ar Ma MACE eT nT arte ema Petite enc ke tec ian kere eC ee iret om Ue Nr are st Cosme Sea Devils, a MONSTROUS ARCANA™ source book providing invaluable, Poon naan eke yee Cae a mune Te LO CU elu On CEU Nellg Cot REUBEN Cen ROM Piece ats ae Rea ey Oe Poca See ty Rrra ee ec SP eT eT) SOR a na ey ee ce ona ee ene the TSR logo are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Ine. CCAR anee er Onn ce ae a eres