NOTICE 3/27/2026 : THIS ADVENTURE IS NOT FINISHED : I’M STILL ADDING THE IMAGES, BUT ALL THE TEXT SHOULD BE HERE

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All ocean voyages are fraught with peril, yet a voyage to the infamous Isle of Dread might seem to some old salts to be a deliberate goading of the gods of the sea. Many of those who have attempted the voyage before and managed to return to civilization often choose not to speak of the trials they experienced on the dangerous route, yet those whose lips can be loosened by a draught of grog whisper amazing stories… tales of pirates, sea monsters, terrifying storms, and perhaps most harrowing of all, of a strange and sinister land without land, a floating graveyard of dead ships mired in a sargasso the size of an island. This place has many names, but its most well-known may be its most apt—Journey’s End.

“The Sea Wyvern’s Wake” is the third chapter of the Savage Tide Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures appearing in Dungeon magazine. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon magazine’s monthly “Savage Tidings” articles, a series that helps players and DMs prepare for and expand upon the campaign. Issue #350 of Dragon magazine features a regional guide to the seafaring environs the PCs can expect on the journey to the Isle of Dread.

THE SEA WYVERN’S WAKE

BY RICHARD PETT
BY BEN WOOTTEN AND WARREN MAHY
BY ROBERT LAZZARETTI
ADVENTURE PATH, LOW LEVEL (1ST–5TH), SEA VOYAGE

Switching Sides

If the PCs decide to go to work for Rowyn in “There Is No Honor,” you’ll need to change some aspects of “The Sea Wyvern’s Wake.” It’s likely that by the time this adventure comes along, the PCs have helped Rowyn and the Lotus Dragons gain control over Sasserine’s harbor. After several weeks, Rowyn grows bored and sets her eyes on new targets. She approaches the PCs with a plan—during her time with Vanthus, she learned that his parents established a colony on a distant island. She’s uncovered sea charts that lead to this colony, and plans on sailing south to see what can be done to plunder it—after all, the Vanderborens have proven to be an excellent source of plunder, and with the Sasserine harbor under Lotus Dragon control, she really sees no reason to stay in town all the time.

Rowyn hires two ships, and places the PCs in charge of one. Her plan: to masquerade as a resupply convoy, sail down to Farshore, and usurp control of the colony. With a lock on the rare and exotic imports the Isle of Dread has to offer, the fortunes of all involved can certainly do nothing but swell.

If you run this version, the stowaway on the PCs’ ship becomes someone else; it might be fun to make the stowaway Lavinia herself, driven to despair and madness by the ruin brought upon her by the Lotus Dragons and the PCs and now obsessed with getting revenge against them.

Adventure Background

Larissa Vanderboren had long held a longing for the unexplored regions of the world. While her husband Verik became an adventurer as a means to secure personal glory and a mountain of wealth, Larissa saw the adventuring lifestyle as a chance to explore the unexplored, to experience the unknown.

When Verik Vanderboren hit upon the risky and unconventional idea of establishing a colony on the shores of the infamous Isle of Dread in 593 CY, Larissa saw only the opportunity for discovery.

While Verik spent months building the colony fortress of Farshore and interacting with the locals to establish peaceful relations, Larissa was off exploring the Isle of Dread and writing her journal—a journal that has recently fallen into the hands of her daughter, Lavinia.

Adventure Synopsis

Lavinia recruits the PCs to aid her in a long journey south to visit and resupply the colony of Farshore on the Isle of Dread. The PCs are put in charge of a ship captured in the previous adventure, the Sea Wyvern. The journey takes them from the city of Sasserine along the coast of the Amedio Jungle, and along the way they encounter several dangers and perils, including possible treachery from within. After a quick stop at the infamous ruins of Tamoachan to do a bit of exploring, they must run a blockade of Scarlet Brotherhood ships. Meanwhile, the PCs discover an old enemy, Rowyn Kellani, who has stowed away on board and is busy making trouble.

Eventually, they hit the open sea and arrive at the centerpiece of the adventure, an immense sargasso sea in which dozens of ancient ships lie lodged. The Sea Wyvern becomes enmeshed in the creepy seaweed as well. In order to free their ship and continue onward, the PCs must defeat the vine horrors of the sargasso and slay the heart of the seaweed, a plant monster known as the Mother of All.

Finally, the PCs reach the Isle of Dread during a tremendous storm. The Sea Wyvern, battered and sinking, crashes on the northern shore of the island.

Welcome to the Isle of Dread!

Adventure Hooks

If you aren’t running “The Sea Wyvern’s Wake” as part of the Savage Tide Adventure Path, you can use this adventure at any time the PCs need to travel from one point to another—you need simply change or adjust the nature of their starting and ending points as appropriate.

PART ONE: A MODEST PROPOSAL

After the harrowing events of “The Bullywug Gambit,” the PCs should have a chance to relax. Give them time to craft magic items, research spells, explore Sasserine, and if they’re not quite 5th-level yet, perhaps go on a few side quests into the region surrounding Sasserine (issue #349 of DRAGON magazine details many of the locations surrounding the city). When they’re ready to start the adventure, they receive a message from their patron, Lavinia Vanderboren (NG female human aristocrat 2/swashbuckler 2), inviting them to a meeting at her manor house.

The current atmosphere of Vanderboren Manor gives the place a busy, vibrant feel. Not only has Lavinia retained several workers to repair the damage done to the manor during the bullywug attack in the previous adventure, but as her fortunes slowly recover, she’s hired a new staff of servants to tend to the manor’s needs. Having just finished a funeral service for her last major-domo Kora Whistlegap (who died during her previous adventure) and washed her hands of capturing her scoundrel brother Vanthus (who has fled to parts unknown), Lavinia is eager to turn to the future. And for Lavinia, that future encompasses a long sea voyage.

When the PCs arrive, they find Lavinia in the main dining room, pawing over a number of nautical maps, sea charts, and a large journal they may recognize as the one they recovered from the family vault in “There Is No Honor.” When the PCs make their presence known, she smiles and invites them to sit at the table. Read or paraphrase the following to the PCs:

“Do you recall this journal we recovered from my family vault? It turns out that it was my mother’s. My parents, may the gods rest their souls, were brave—foolish and rash some would say, but I have never been one to criticize an adventurous spirit. On the contrary—” she casts a wry smile at you all. “I admire it. In any event, it would seem that about four years ago, my mother and father undertook a risky endeavor. They sailed the Blue Nixie, along with a ship full of colonists, down south and across the Vohoun Ocean to a place they refer to as the Isle of Dread.”

 

“You may have heard of this place—if you haven’t, it seems apparent from reading my mother’s journals that the place is aptly named. A jungle-covered hell infested with immense reptilian monsters, feral savages, and peril at every turn. Yet the southern peninsula remains relatively sheltered from the menaces on the isle mainland, and it was here, among the villages of several friendly locals, that my parents founded the colony of Farshore.

 

The Isle of Dread represents an untapped trove of resources—exotic lumber, spices, animals, foods, and even minerals like silver and gold. Once Farshore was up and running, the influx of trade would have guaranteed my family a relatively uncontested flow of wealth. Yet before mother and father were able to return to Farshore with supplies and more colonists… my brother made his move and left me in the state you found me in a few short weeks ago.

 

Lavinia indicates her mother’s journal. “Since we recovered this journal, I have not been idle. If Farshore fails, then my parents’ last legacy fails. I intend to carry on their work, and have planned for a journey south to the Isle of Dread to resupply and join the colonists at Farshore for the rest of the year. I have the Blue Nixie ready in the harbor to take fresh supplies to the colony, but I find myself a vessel short.” Lavinia’s face breaks into a glowing grin as she continues, “You wouldn’t know of anyone with stout hearts who might happen to be interested in helping me mount this expedition, do you? I fear the journey itself might grow dangerous at times, and there’s no way of knowing what state or condition Farshore is currently in, but I suspect that danger is a vice you have.”

Lavinia plans on taking her family ship, the Blue Nixie, to Farshore, and is already in the process of hiring a crew, outfitting it with supplies for the voyage, and recruiting additional colonists. Yet the amount of supplies she calculates Farshore needs greatly exceeds the amount she can haul with a single ship—she needs another sizable vessel to accompany the Nixie south. Fortunately, the PCs may well know of a perfect candidate—the Sea Wyvern. This former pirate ship was moored at Kraken’s Cove in the previous adventure, and if the PCs haven’t already claimed it as their own, a return trip to the Cove finds the ship still there, safe and sound. Technically abandoned, ownership of the Sea Wyvern now falls to whoever claims it first, and as fortune would have it, no one else knows about the abandoned ship.

If the PCs agree to Lavinia’s request, she sees no reason to wait. She’d like to leave for Farshore as soon as possible. The Blue Nixie can be ready to go in a day—all that needs done is for the PCs to make the Sea Wyvern ready as well.

Preparing for the Voyage

The PCs (and by extension, the players) may be ill-prepared to manage the logistics of a long sea journey. If they have little interest in preparing the Sea Wyvern for the trip, you should skip over this section of the adventure. Simply tell them that it takes a week to prepare for the voyage, introduce them to the crew and passengers, and start them on their way with Part Two.

Yet if the PCs want to take part in the preparation for the journey, let them take the initiative on planning for the voyage and outfitting the Sea Wyvern. Listed below is a checklist of the things that need to be addressed before the PCs take off. Any character who has at least 5 ranks in Profession (sailor) automatically knows these steps. If your PCs don’t include someone with this level of nautical knowledge, a DC 15 Profession (sailor) check reveals it; otherwise they’ll either need to consult a sailor NPC or run the risk of forgetting something critical.

The Voyage to Come: Using her mother’s journal and extensive charts, Lavinia has already plotted her course out for the expedition. She intends to hug the coast of the Amedio Jungle until she reaches the far side of the peninsula, at which point she plans to sail more or less directly south from there to the Isle of Dread. Dragon magazine #350’s installment of “Savage Tidings” presents what Lavinia knows of the journey in detail; if you’re not using this article, feel free to drop hints to the PCs as to what they can expect along the way as you see fit. The voyage itself covers just over 3,000 miles. Including stops to resupply here and there, and assuming fair weather and minimal mishaps along the way. Lavinia estimates that the entire journey should take not much more than three months.

Securing a Vessel: Lavinia needs a second ship to make the voyage; she can’t carry all of the colonists and supplies on the Blue Nixie alone. She’s looking for another caravel-class ship, but with her expenses tied up elsewhere, she can’t afford the cost of hiring one (let alone purchasing one for 10,000 gp). The easiest solution to this dilemma is the Sea Wyvern, a perfectly-sized ship that escaped the inferno at Kraken’s Cove in the previous adventure. Even if the PCs ignored her completely in “The Bullywug Gambit,” the Sea Wyvern remains moored at the cove, safe and sound. Local salvage laws grant ownership of any found vessel in a case like this, so for the PCs, the Sea Wyvern is theirs for the taking. They may have to sail the Blue Nixie out to Kraken’s Cove to collect it, but this should be a fairly minor task requiring only a few days’ work.

Securing a Crew: The Sea Wyvern requires a crew of at least seven to sail, and can comfortably accommodate up to 30 people on a long voyage (although there’s bunk space for 22, an additional 8 can sleep on mats in the galley or the forward hold, if needed). This adventure assumes that a total of 24 passengers (including the PCs, named NPCs, colonists, and one vengeful stowaway, who doesn’t use one of the bunks) set out on the voyage. Consult the “Sea Wyvern’s Passengers” sidebar for a complete list of names.

In order to make the voyage to the Isle of Dread, the Sea Wyvern needs a crew capable of making Profession (sailor) checks (typically, these rolls are made by the ship captain) and Knowledge (geography) checks (normally made by the navigator). If none of the PCs can fill these roles, Amella Venkalie takes the role of captain for the voyage, and Urol Forol the role of navigator. Fortunately, Lavinia has already secured a crew and taken on passengers for the voyage, so unless the PCs insist on replacing crew members or adding new crew or passengers, this stage should consist of little more than a “meet and greet” of the NPCs involved.

Supplies and Cargo: The Sea Wyvern’s hold, storage lockers, and other areas must carry at least 60 tons of supplies for Farshore, leaving an additional 60 tons of space for supplies. Ten tons of this space is consumed by repair supplies for the ship itself. A further 10 tons of food, water, and other miscellaneous supplies for the passengers and crew leaves 40 tons of space for the PCs to play with. If Avner Meravanchi has his way and is allowed to bring along his prize horse Thunderstrike, she and her food supplies consume another 10 tons of space. If the PCs don’t have any other particular requests, Lavinia suggests using any remaining space to load up on additional supplies for the colony.

Armaments: The Sea Wyvern is not currently outfitted with any siege weapons. If the PCs wish to add a ballista or catapult (dungeon Master’s Guide 99–100) to the vessel, they may do so. The Sea Wyvern can accommodate up to two ballistae or one light catapult.

The Ship’s Captain : Amella Venkalie

Female human rogue 4
CN Medium humanoid
Init +2; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common

CR 4
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 16; uncanny dodge
hp 20 (4 HD)
Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +2; evasion
Spd 30 ft.
Melee mwk rapier +6 (1d6–1/18–20)
Ranged light crossbow +5 (1d8/19–20)
Base Atk +3; Grp +2
Atk Options sneak attack +2d6
Combat Gear elixir of swimming, potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of remove disease

Abilities Str 8, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 16
SQ trapfinding, trap sense +1
Feats Persuasive, Skill Focus (Profession [sailor]), Weapon Finesse
Skills Balance +11, Bluff +12, Craft (carpentry) +7, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (geography) +7, Profession (sailor) +11, Swim +6, Tumble +9, Use Rope +9

Possessions combat gear, masterwork studded leather armor, masterwork rapier, light crossbow with 20 bolts, ring of protection +1, silver ring decorated with tiny emeralds that look like multiple eyes worth 200 gp

A slight but powerful woman with fine blonde hair tied neatly back from her forehead, Amella dresses to fight and sail rather than to please the eye. A thin scar graces her right cheek. Amella is rather foul-mouthed, fond of uttering oaths only heard in the worst dockside taverns. Confident, haughty, and astute, she does not suffer fools gladly. She makes few attachments, having buried one husband—a dashing sea captain named Heldram Flashwell. They once ran a smuggling operation some distance from Sasserine, but were betrayed by a group of shifty gnomes led by a treacherous cur named Shortstone Badgewell—it was this cruel gnome who murdered her husband. This event has left Amella with a poor opinion of gnomes. She makes friends slowly, but once someone has earned her trust, she’s quite loyal despite her carefree attitude. At your discretion, one of the PCs might bear a more-than-passing resemblance to her late husband, in which case her reaction to the PC could blossom into romance or degrade into a bitter rivalry, depending on how that PC treats her.

The Sea Wyvern’s Passengers

The key NPCs on the Sea Wyvern are listed below. Full stat blocks for them appear in sidebars throughout the following pages. You should round out the passengers on the ship with enough incidental NPCs (crew and colonists heading south to Farshore) to bring the crew up to a total of 23 members. The names and personalities of these additional NPCs are left to you to design, so you can customize them to your own campaign. NPCs marked with an asterisk play key roles in the next adventure—do your best to keep these NPCs alive.

Amella Venkalie*: If no PC has the skill to captain the Sea Wyvern, Amella fills this role; otherwise, she can serve as a first mate, crew member, or advisor for the journey.

Father Feres (AKA Conrad Horst): A disguised criminal, Conrad has hired himself out as a mule for some sinister folk and uses the Sea Wyvern to escape persecution in Sasserine.

Avner Meravanchi*: A spoiled and despicable cur, Avner also represents the primary investor for the voyage south.

Skald: A mysterious figure fleeing assassins from the northern port of the Stycs, Skald serves as a red herring. When things start turning sour, he’s a prime suspect even though he’s actually innocent.

Urol Forol*: A gnome naturalist who’s studied the Isle of Dread extensively, Urol also wants to stop at the legendary ruined city of Tamoachan during the voyage.

Liirith Veldiros: Liirith gives the PCs a little extra firepower for the many onboard combats that await them on the journey to come. She can also serve as a member of the crew.

Rowyn Kellani: Rowyn is a stowaway who seeks to get vengeance on the PCs for their role in ruining her plans in “There Is No Honor.” For much of the voyage, no one knows she’s on board.

Tavey Nesk*: A young and excitable lad, Tavey is the Sea Wyvern’s cabin boy and an idolizer of one of the PCs. The PCs should know he’s there, but he doesn’t play a major role in the Savage Tide until “Here There Be Monsters.”

PART TWO: LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVES

Once the PCs have met the crew and passengers, are comfortable with the Sea Wyvern’s cargo and armament, and have said any goodbyes to friends they may be leaving behind in Sasserine, the journey may begin. The two ships set out from the harbor at dawn, and within the hour have left the familiar skyline of Sasserine behind. While the PCs may wish to return here later in the campaign via spells like greater teleport, the adventurers themselves are not scheduled to return to Sasserine. As the city slips around the bend to the stern, the next stage of the campaign truly begins.

The map of the voyage on page 31 shows the route Lavinia has charted for the two ships. Letters indicate encounters along this route. Certain time-based events not keyed to specific points on the journey occur as well. Feel free to liven up the voyage along the way with other random encounters as you wish.

As the journey proceeds, don’t dwell too much on daily routines. The voyage ahead will last, at the minimum, three months—the PCs will have plenty of down time to relax or even to craft magic items (although you might wish to limit item crafting if the PCs haven’t brought along tools for the job).

Naval Combat

At times during this adventure, the PCs’ ship may be attacked by enemies. Stormwrack has extensive rules for naval combat, but if you aren’t using that book in your campaign, the following quick rules should suffice.

A ship effectively has three areas an enemy can target: the rigging, the hull, and the ship itself. A ship has a number of “sections” in its rigging and hull, each with its own hit points. A hit against a ship damages a randomly determined section of the ship. It’s possible to target a specific section of a ship, but specific sections have a higher AC than the ship as a whole. Destroying a section of a ship’s rigging reduces its speed by 10 feet. Destroying a section of a ship’s hull reduces its speed by 10 feet and holes the ship. Each time a ship is holed, its captain must make a Profession (sailor) check to avoid sinking (DC 15 +4 for each hole after the first). On a successful check, the ship does not sink but the captain must make a new sinking check every hour thereafter until the holed section is repaired up to at least 1 hit point or the ship sinks.

A ship takes 1d10 minutes to sink once this check is failed, unless the ship has lost 25% or more of its hull sections, in which case it takes only 1d6 minutes to sink.

To repair a damaged section requires a Craft (carpentry) check and 1 minute of work. For every point by which this check exceeds DC 19, 1 hit point is restored. A section that has been destroyed can be repaired completely with a DC 20 Craft check and one day of work. Each day of repair work (successful or not) consumes one ton of repair supplies.

The Sea Wyvern
The Sea Wyvern is a caravel-class sailing ship. Full statistics for caravels appear on page 98 of Stormwrack, but the following information should be enough for you to run encounters involving the Sea Wyvern.

Seaworthiness: Any Profession (sailor) checks made to avoid foundering, sinking, and other hazards that large, well-built vessels avoid more easily than smaller ones receive a +4 bonus.

Shiphandling: Any Profession (sailor) checks made to avoid collisions, sailing, or other situations that small, swift vessels avoid more easily than large and clumsy ones receive a +2 bonus.

Speed: The Sea Wyvern has a speed of 30 feet in normal wind, allowing it to travel at a rate of 3 miles per hour. In moderate wind, her speed increases to 60 feet, while in strong winds it increases to 90 feet. The Sea Wyvern can change its speed up to 10 feet per round and turn up to 45° after moving at least 60 feet in one direction. This adventure assumes the entire journey, with the exception of two storms, is with normal winds.

Combat: The Sea Wyvern’s overall Armor Class is 3. It has 24 hull sections (AC 3, hardness 5, hp 80) and 3 rigging sections (AC 1, hardness 0, hp 80). If six hull sections are destroyed, the ship sinks automatically. If the ship rams a target, it inflicts 4d6 points of damage per 10 feet of speed.

The Blue Nixie

Although there are two ships on the expedition, they stay in sight of one another for most of the adventure. As a result, when making Profession (sailor) or Knowledge (geography) checks to pilot or maneuver the ships, it’s best to only make one check for both vessels. The PCs should be encouraged to remain on the Sea Wyvern, in any event, if only to keep things running smoothly for the adventure.

The Blue Nixie’s crew and passengers include Lavinia Vanderboren, the Jade Ravens (a second group of adventurers that serve the Vanderboren family—the PCs interacted with these adventurers in the last adventure), and several other NPCs who have little role to play in this adventure or the next, but become key characters once the PCs reach Farshore.

The Weather

Lavinia has chosen the best time of the year to travel—the weather, for much of the journey, is quite pleasant. With the exception of the two storms the PCs encounter at the end of the voyage, they have little to fear from nature in this regard.

If you use Stormwrack in your campaign, feel free to use the charts in Chapter One of that book to determine weather, wind, and precipitation for the voyage.

The Voyage

When the expedition sets out, one of the navigators on the Blue Nixie or the Sea Wyvern must make a Knowledge (geography) check to pilot a course. This normally determines if you arrive on target, but for the purposes of this adventure, you can assume that between the two ships, at least one navigator makes the DC 15 Knowledge (geography) check required to make the voyage.

Of greater import are the daily piloting checks to stay on the intended course. You should make this Knowledge (geography) check in secret. The Blue Nixie’s navigator and Urol Forol on the Sea Wyvern both have Knowledge (geography) +12; if one of the PCs has a higher modifier, use that character’s modifier instead.

As long as the Amedio coastline is in sight, it’s a DC 8 Knowledge (geography) check to pilot the expedition. Missing one piloting check doesn’t mean the expedition is lost, but it does increase the next day’s check to DC 10. If a second consecutive check is failed, the third day’s check rises to DC 13. If three checks in a row are failed, the expedition becomes lost. This is immediately obvious, as the coastline should not match that indicated on the sea charts. A DC 20 Knowledge (geography) check is enough to get back on course, but each check adds a day to the journey.

Once the expedition heads south into the open sea after encountering G, it’s a DC 15 Knowledge (geography) check to navigate (rising to DC 19 after 1 day’s failed check, and then DC 22 after two consecutive failures). Make a DC 20 Survival check for each PC once per hour to see if any of them notice the expedition is lost (you should also make a Survival +14 check to represent the crew as a whole as well). Each hour, the DC drops by 1 point, until someone notices the expedition is lost. Once the expedition realizes they’re lost, a DC 25 Knowledge (geography) check is enough to get back on course, but each check adds a day to the journey.

The Crew

The Sea Wyvern’s crew must consist of at least seven people. One crew member must have ranks in Profession (sailor), and one must have ranks in Knowledge (geography). You should leave the selection of who’s on the crew up to the PCs; of the named NPCs on the voyage, Amella Venkalie, Skald, Urol Forol, and Liirith Veldiros make excellent choices. Tavey Nesk is the ship’s cabin boy, but he’s not technically part of the ship’s crew. Crew members sleep in the bunks at the ship’s stern (each of the bunks shown on the map are two bunks high). The seventh crew member is the captain, who sleeps in the captain’s cabin on the main deck at the stern, and is likely the only person on board who gets a room to himself. Tavey often chooses to sleep on deck, even in the crow’s nest at times.

The Passengers

Anyone not a member of the crew is a passenger. The forward barracks on the ship’s lower deck contain five relatively cramped bunks, three beds high. After the crew of 7, the remaining 15 passengers all sleep here. Some of them may choose, at times, to sleep elsewhere (on deck above on nice nights, or even slumped in a chair in the galley). The unnamed passengers are non-combatants, and whenever the ship is under attack, they quickly flee below decks for safety. If statistics for a passenger become relevant, assume they are all AC 10, have 3 hit points, and are unarmed.

The 23rd passenger is Rowyn Kellani, a stowaway. She crams hidden in the ship’s hold for much of the adventure. Rowyn is quite adept at hiding her presence, both via skill and via magic. If the PCs insist on searching the hold on any day, it’s a DC 30 Search check to find evidence that she’s on board. For more information about Rowyn’s plans, see event 4.

Provisions

If you’re not interested in tracking provision consumption during this adventure, it’s easy enough to ignore as long as the PCs don’t take a major side trek or spend a lot of time at Tamoachan or other stops along the way.

If you want to add this level of realism to the adventure, assume that one person consumes a unit of provisions each day. With 23 people and a horse on board, that means that each day that passes, 24 units of food are consumed. The 10 tons of food Lavinia loads onto the Sea Wyvern at the start of the voyage consists of 2,000 units—enough for an 83-day voyage. This is just barely enough to reach the Isle of Dread; Lavinia intends on restocking food at friendly ports during the voyage, but it might be a good idea for the PCs to dedicate some of their remaining cargo space to extra provisions.

If food runs low, the PCs can put their crew and passengers on rations, in which case a person consumes only half a unit per day (reducing consumption to 12 units per day). Likewise, attrition and loss of crew or passengers reduces the draw on the ship’s stores.

The Dishonest Priest : Conrad Horst, AKA Father Feres

CR 2
Male human expert 3
CN Medium humanoid
Init +0; Senses Listen –1, Spot –1
Languages Common, Dwarven

AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10
hp 7 (3 HD)
Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2
Spd 30 ft.

Melee dagger +2 (1d4/19–20)
Ranged dagger +2 (1d4/19–20)
Base Atk +2; Grp +2

Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds (3), potion of lesser restoration, wand of cure light wounds (32 charges)

Imbued Spells (CL 7th)
1st—cure light wounds (2)

Abilities Str 10, Dex 11, Con 8, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 13
Feats Persuasive, Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Use Magic Device)
Skills Appraise +7, Bluff +12, Diplomacy +11, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (religion) +7, Sense Motive +5, Spellcraft +7, Use Magic Device +10 (+12 scrolls)

Possessions combat gear, dagger, wooden holy symbol of Hieroneous, small locked box (DC 25 Open Lock; contains two scrolls of contact other plane and a map of Limbo portal locations in the world)

Former scribe Conrad Horst is a consummate liar, and has taken Lavinia in by convincing her that he’s a clergyman. In fact, Conrad is a desperate criminal recently forced to flee Cauldron when his scam of swindling old ladies out of valuable heirlooms came to light, and he spent several months hiding out in Sasserine.

Conrad has recently hired his services out as a mule to a sinister man whose name he doesn’t know. In return for delivering a sealed box to a shrine of Hieroneous at Fort Blackwell, his benefactor arranged for Conrad a new identity as a priest. Disguised as Father Feres, Conrad hopes to travel to Farshore not only to escape persecution from his enemies, but to establish his scams in a new location unaware of his talents.

If there are PC worshipers of Hieroneous in your campaign, you might want to consider switching Conrad’s cover identity so that he worships a deity not represented in the party. If you make this change, you should change the shrine of Hieroneous at Fort Blackwell (encounter A) as well.

Event 1: This is an Outrage!

Avner Meravanchi wastes no time establishing himself as a troublemaker. He arrives a half hour late but doesn’t apologize. With him are his two servants and his magnificent steed Thunderstrike. The horse is, if anything, as spoiled as Avner, and getting it secured in the jury-rigged pen that’s been set up for it in the Sea Wyvern’s hold takes another half hour. During this time, Avner discovers that he’s expected to sleep with the other “commoners” in the forward barracks, and demands his own accommodations.

This scene is an excellent way to introduce the characters of the key NPCs as they react to Avner’s temper tantrum. Amella has little patience for him, and unless the PCs intervene she makes it clear that Avner can sleep with the rest of the passengers or he can stay in Sasserine. Father Feres does his best to try to soothe Avner and play the part of a priest, but a few choice words from Avner about Feres’ hair and baldness sends the priest into a private sulk for a few days. Skald avoids the confrontation by busying himself at the far end of the ship, while Urol takes up an almost obnoxious interest in Thunderstrike’s pedigree. Liirith sees in Avner a chance to make friends with a noble, and might offer to share her bunk with him.

In the end, it’s up to the PCs how to handle the situation. Any solution that results in Avner getting his own room makes the nobleman happy. With a DC 30 Diplomacy check, the PCs can convince him that it might be fun in a “slumming” sort of way to sleep in the forward barracks, in which case the nobleman reluctantly agrees. Any other solution leaves Avner bitter and cantankerous, and throughout the voyage he second-guesses the PCs and attempts to undermine or countermand his orders, becoming even more of a nuisance than he would be otherwise.

The Dashing Deviant : Avner Meravanchi

CR 2
Male human aristocrat 3
LN Medium humanoid
Init +1; Senses Listen –1, Spot –1
Languages Common

AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10
hp 13 (3 HD)
Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +2
Spd 30 ft.

Melee mwk longsword +3 (1d8/19–20)
Base Atk +2; Grp +2
Atk Options Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack

Abilities Str 11, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 9, Cha 8
Feats Alertness, Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack
Skills Bluff +5, Diplomacy +9, Forgery +6, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (nobility & royalty) +6, Ride +7

Possessions masterwork longsword, steamer trunk filled with several suits of fine clothing (worth 400 gp in all), six bottles of fine wine worth 100 gp per bottle (hidden in steamer trunk), Meravanchi signet ring worth 250 gp, leather-bound journal chronicling his conquests among Sasserine’s maidens and debutantes (approximately half of the contents are embellished and falsified), Thunderstrike (light horse), military saddle

Avner is a despicable cur—a slanderer, a deflowerer of maidens, and an utter cad who cares only about himself. Yet on the surface he is charming, helpful, and brave. This is all an act. When trouble appears, he disappears. When coins go missing, he is the culprit. When ladies are left in a lurch at the altar, he’s off frolicking with their sisters.

Despite the slow recovery of her wealth, Lavinia couldn’t quite finance her expedition to Farshore on her own. She spoke with the other noble families of Sasserine, but only one felt the profits for aiding her outweighed the dangers—the semi-notorious Meravanchis. Of course, Avner’s father, Zebula, had an additional reason to send Avner on this trip. By giving Avner the responsibility for representing Meravanchi interests in Farshore, he effectively removes the threat of him embarrassing the family in Sasserine. Avner has no concept that his father wanted to get rid of him, and carries with him a vastly inflated sense of self-importance as a result. Traveling with Avner are two meek servants (Banaby Chisk and Quenge Asper, both 1st-level human experts) who defer to his every need but are otherwise unobtrusive.

Event 2: Dinner with Lavinia (EL 3)

Once the voyage is underway, Lavinia sends a message via a rowboat piloted by one of her crew—she wants to invite the PCs, their crew, and Avner Meravanchi over to the Blue Nixie for dinner to celebrate the start of the expedition that evening.

As dusk falls, the two ships close and a line is thrown between the two, a pulley is attached, and a net seat is hoisted, allowing for safe crossing between the two ships. Lavinia looks very fine that evening, dressed in a silk shirt, jewelry, and dress. She leads her guests into the ship’s galley; the Blue Nixie is a bit bigger than the Sea Wyvern, and even after only a couple days, the PCs should feel relieved to get a little bit more elbow room. A fine spread is laid out on the table, including grouse, peacock, and even wine imported from Celene.

Consider the meal an opportunity for each character to interact with their crew, Lavinia, and the Jade Ravens. (If you aren’t running this adventure as part of the Savage Tide Adventure Path, you should omit the Jade Ravens from the dinner.) In the pleasant surroundings of the cabin, allow PCs a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks made to make an impression. This moment could begin potential romances (or further them along, if any PCs have begun relationships with the Jade Ravens or Lavinia herself), and any connections the PCs make will help spice up the rest of this adventure, as events in the later stages of Savage Tide run better when the PCs have more to care for than just treasure. Be sure to note PC actions toward NPCs and feel free to vary future interactions accordingly. At the end of the evening a final drink is taken on deck after the evening sun has sunk but the air is still pleasantly warm outside. As the sun sets, it is finally time to return to the Sea Wyvern.

Creature

During the dinner, Rowyn Kellani has been busy. Using disguise self and invisibility to move undetected among the Sea Wyvern’s crew, she positions her pickled mephit on the upper deck inside a coil of rope near the mast, where it remains hidden. She then cuts nearly all the way through the rope supporting the net chair and pulley between the ships. The first character to cross back to the Sea Wyvern via the net chair can make a DC 25 Spot check to notice the cut rope. Otherwise, as he is halfway across, the rope suddenly snaps and drops the character into the water below. The fall deals no damage to the PC, but he must immediately begin making DC 15 Swim checks.

The round after this occurs, Rowyn casts open/close on the pickled mephit from her vantage point near the door down to the lower deck, opening it up and releasing its cranky occupant into the evening air. She then ducks back down to hide in the hold, leaving the mephit to do its thing.

Water Mephit hp 19; Monster Manual 185.
Tactics: The water mephit released from the jar is particularly angry at having been imprisoned for so long, and immediately attacks the closest target, be it a PC or a passenger, with its breath weapon. It follows up with a Melf’s acid arrow and then a stinking cloud before it engages the closest creature in melee. If the mephit is reduced below 5 hit points, it dives into the sea and waits for its fast healing to repair the damage before emerging to continue harassing the PCs. After being reduced to 5 hit points twice, the mephit gives up and flies away.

Event 3: Father Feres’ Illness (EL 8)

Conrad Horst has a mission. In return for a fairly convincing disguise as Father Feres the priest (including an imbue with spell ability to give him the ability to cast a few spells along the way to help his disguise) and a method to escape the Sasserine law, he agreed to do a favor for a shady smuggler he contacted in Sasserine’s Shadowshore district. The smuggler asked Conrad to deliver the package to a shrine of Hieroneous in Fort Blackwell, and Conrad agreed readily.

Unfortunately for Conrad, both the smuggler and the “shrine of Hieroneous” in Fort Blackwell are in fact members of a sinister cult known as the Wizards of the Hopping Prophet, a cabal of slaadi-worshiping bigots who wish to infest the Material Plane with chaos in the form of their beloved outsiders. The sealed box Conrad’s been asked to deliver contains two scrolls of contact other plane and a map that purports to identify a half dozen portals to Limbo scattered throughout the world. The map’s authenticity is left for you to determine.

Creature: When the PCs visit Fort Blackwell (see encounter A in Part Three), Conrad makes his delivery and agrees to the priests’ invitation to stay the night, during which he is impregnated with a red slaad egg as thanks for helping the cult—the cultists care not what comes of Conrad’s spawn, only that it emerges in the world to spread chaos.

Six days later, Father Feres falls desperately ill, taking a –10 penalty to all ability scores (minimum 1). His skin flushes, he can’t keep down food or water, and he grows delirious, moaning and complaining that the world’s grown too bright and soft around the edges. A remove disease spell cures him of the infestation, and a DC 16 Heal check locates the strange pulsing growth nestled in his belly. A DC 25 Heal check allows its removal and destruction (each attempt to remove the egg deals 1d4 points of damage to Conrad).

If the PCs don’t learn of Father Feres’ condition (or if they fail to remove the red slaad egg), one day after he falls ill his body rips apart in a terrific explosion as a fully-formed blue slaad tears free into the world.

Blue Slaad: hp 68; Monster Manual 229.
Tactics: The blue slaad wastes little time trying to figure out where it’s been born into; if there are any creatures to eat—it’s quite ravenous. The monster uses telekinesis to hurl characters overboard, or chaos hammer if it ever needs to hit a lot of foes at once. Otherwise, it simply tears into the nearest enemy with its claws and bite. It attempts to summon another blue slaad if reduced below 20 hit points, but otherwise fights to the death.

Note that a blue slaad is a dangerous foe for 5th-level characters, but if they allow Conrad’s condition to go this far, you should pull no punches in the fight. The fact that the slaad doesn’t discriminate between PCs and passengers should help the PCs a little, even if it costs a few of their passengers in the process.

Development: If the PCs save Father Feres and prevent the blue slaad from reaching maturity, grant then an experience award as if they had defeated the CR 8 creature in combat.

The Sinister Passenger : Skald

CR 3
Male feytouched ranger 3
CG Medium fey
Fiend Folio 71
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Listen +7, Spot +7
Languages Common

AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14
hp 20 (3 HD)
Immune mind-affecting
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +2
Spd 30 ft.

Melee scimitar +4 (1d6+1/18–20)
Ranged +1 composite longbow +7 (1d8+2/x3) or +1 composite longbow +5/+5 (1d8+2/x3)
Base Atk +3; Grp +4
Atk Options Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, favored enemy +2 (reptilian humanoids)
Combat Gear vial of acid (2)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd)
1/day—charm person (DC 11)

Abilities Str 12, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 10
SQ wild empathy +3
Feats Iron Will, Endurance, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Track
Skills Hide +11, Knowledge (geography) +6, Listen +7, Move Silently +5, Spot +7, Survival +7 (+9 when avoiding hazards or to keep from getting lost), Swim +7

Possessions combat gear, chain shirt, scimitar, +1 composite longbow (+2 STR) with 20 arrows, two unused tickets to the Lachrymal Theater in the Stycs to see “Feasting Corpulence of Devils”

Skald is a shifty-looking, hunch-shouldered character with pale skin, a nasal voice, and unsettling eyes. Yet despite appearances, Skald is an honorable and courageous man. A former advisor to corrupt Councilman Rashlen in the foul waterfront far to the northeast known as the Stycs, Skald fled after discovering just how evil his boss was. In the process of fleeing the Stycs, Skald torched one of Rashlen’s warehouses (which, at the time, was being used to store a large amount of opiates).

Since his flight, Skald’s dodged Rashlen’s agents nonstop, and as a result he has taken to jumping at shadows. Skald’s gift for navigation and his eagerness to join the expedition (he asked only for room and board for the voyage) are the primary reasons Lavinia invited him along.

Skald’s unusual appearance and morose attitude soon become the focus of rumor. When things start going wrong on the voyage, it’s Skald many of the passengers blame for the ill luck. Yet while he begins the adventure as unfriendly, PCs who befriend him over the course of the voyage should find in him a loyal friend indeed.

Event 4: Rowyn’s Vengeance (EL 8)

Rowyn Kellani was once the guildmistress of the largest thieves’ guild in Sasserine—at least, until the PCs defeated her Lotus Dragons and forced her to abandon her wealth and flee for her life. Since then, she has seethed with a need for revenge. When she learned the PCs were preparing for a voyage, she knew she had to be on their ship. Fortunately for the bitter ex-guildmistress, her magic made stowing away a simple task.

If your PCs killed Rowyn in “There Is No Honor,” you have a choice. You can omit this encounter entirely, replace Rowyn with another Kellani (perhaps she left behind a sister), or change Rowyn into an agent of the Crimson Fleet named Hannah Larn. Hannah has been sent by the fleet to spy on the voyage, but as it turns out, Hannah has a particular bone to pick with one of the NPCs on the ship. Perhaps she’s one of Avner’s jilted lovers, or was humiliated in a duel some time past with Amella. In this case, her primary target becomes an NPC, and the PCs are simply in her way. In any event, the rest of this event assumes the stowaway is Rowyn Kellani.

Creature: Rowyn is patient. She makes, at most, only one attempt to hurt the PCs a week, since she doesn’t want to expose her presence. She’s been defeated by them once before—she has little desire to fight fair. Listed below are several possible methods Rowyn uses to murder the PCs.

Poisoning: Rowyn uses disguise self to appear as one of the passengers, then slips into the kitchen before a meal and laces one of the PCs’ meals with a dose of arsenic (Fortitude DC 13, 1 Con/1d8 Con). She repeats the poisoning every day for 3 days, or until she thinks that the PCs might be on to her. An investigation into who might be poisoning the food should lead the PCs to the passenger Rowyn was impersonating. Whether or not the PCs believe the shocked passenger’s claims of innocence is up to them.

Seduction 1: If one of the PCs is carrying on a romance with an NPC, Rowyn approaches that PC one night with disguise self to appear as that NPC and invites that PC to somewhere private for some fun. Once she has the PC alone, Rowyn begins to dance for the PC, using her disguise self to cast suggestion on the PC, suggesting that the PC strip down and join her in a midnight swim. She waits for the PC to undress and dive into the ocean, at which point she uses her scroll of summon nature’s ally III to summon a large shark to attack the swimming PC before she sneaks back to the hold to hide.

Seduction 2: As seduction 1 above, except that Rowyn uses disguise self to cast hold person on the PC. If successful, she coup de graces the character with one of his own weapons, leaving the body on the deck for others to find. If she fails to kill the character with the first strike, she drops the weapon and flees, reasoning that it’s almost as damaging to the PC to leave him thinking his lover tried to kill him.

Accidents: Rowyn might use invisibility to position herself so that she can cut a key rope that drops a yardarm or other heavy beam down upon a PC on the deck. The PC takes 3d6 points of damage, but can avoid all of the damage with a DC 15 Reflex save.

Opportunistic Strike: During any other shipboard combat, Rowyn uses disguise self or invisibility to take up a position where she can sneak attack a PC during the battle, using the chaos to escape back into hiding after she makes a single strike.

Rowyn Kellani

Rowyn Kellani CR 8
Female human rogue 3/bard 5
NE Medium humanoid
Init +2; Senses Listen –1, Spot –1
Languages Aquan, Common, Draconic

AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 15
hp 38 (8 HD)
Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +4; evasion
*3-point Combat Expertise
Spd 30 ft.

Melee +1 rapier +5 (1d6+1/19–20)
Base Atk +5; Grp +5
Atk Options Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, sneak attack +2d6

Special Actions bardic music 2/day (countersong, fascinate, inspire competence, inspire courage +1)

Combat Gear pickled mephit, scroll of summon nature’s ally III

Spells Known (CL 5th)
2nd (2/day)—invisibility, hold person (DC 15), suggestion (DC 15)
1st (4/day)—charm person (DC 14), cure light wounds, disguise self (DC 14), expeditious retreat
0 (3/day)—daze (DC 13), ghost sound (DC 13), mage hand, message, open/close, prestidigitation

Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 16
SQ bardic knowledge +7, trapfinding, trap sense +1
Feats Combat Expertise, Disguise Spell (see page 55), Improved Feint, Weapon Finesse
Skills Balance +12, Bluff +10, Diplomacy +14, Hide +10, Intimidate +4, Jump +12, Knowledge (local) +8, Move Silently +15, Perform (dance) +13, Sense Motive +7, Sleight of Hand +12, Swim +8, Tumble +14, Use Magic Device +11

Possessions combat gear, +1 leather armor, +1 buckler, +1 rapier, boots of elvenkind, pickled mephit, 3 doses of arsenic

Tactics: Eventually, the PCs should realize they have someone on board who’s trying to do them in. There’s only a certain number of places Rowyn can hide on board, so once the PCs start searching, they should find her soon enough. When caught, Rowyn curses the PCs vehemently, blaming them for her ruin and promising them all painful deaths. If she has a chance before combat begins, she begins to dance so she can cast a disguised suggestion or hold person without being obvious. She uses Improved Feint to sneak attack foes during combat. If brought below 10 hit points, she tries to escape. She might try to murder a passenger and then use disguise self to pose as that passenger for a short time to give her a chance to strike at the PCs again, but in the end Rowyn knows she’s cornered. She’d rather fight to the death than be captured.

Rowyn Kellani has no further role to play in the Savage Tide Adventure Path—her eventual fate is left to the PCs.

PART THREE: THE VOYAGE SOUTH

The map of the expedition’s voyage lists several locations along the way at which preset encounters occur. If you wish to liven up the journey between these encounters, feel free to check for wandering monsters every day. Along the coast, there’s a 28% chance per day of an encounter. Once the expedition heads out into the open sea, there’s only an 8% chance per day of an encounter. If an encounter occurs, there’s a 30% chance it’s with another ship (50% chance of being friendly); otherwise use the encounter table on page 92 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide or the EL 5 encounter for Warm Marine encounters on page 216 of Stormwrack to determine what peril stumbles into the PCs.

Minor Encounters

In addition to the keyed encounters of the voyage, several minor encounters are presented here as well. These encounters are little more than descriptions of strange events with the exact details left to you to determine.

Coastal Fort: Forts are common sights along the Amedio coast up until encounter E, after which no more forts are to be found. The majority of these forts are held by the Scarlet Brotherhood (a sprawling organization of sinister monks and assassins), and are used as staging points for expeditions into the jungle interior. Lavinia avoids these forts, and often takes the expedition out further to sea as she passes them by to avoid any possible conflict. Two forts are not held by the Scarlet Brotherhood—Fort Blackwell (detailed in encounter A) and Fort Greenrock (detailed in encounter E).

The Great Web: For several miles, the ships pass several enormous spider webs which cling to the boughs of the great jungle trees. Huge black shapes lie within the webs. PCs stopping in this area or sailing beneath these trees (which stretch forty feet over the ocean) encounter dozens of hungry monstrous spiders of all sizes.

The Sacred Forest: These ten miles of jungle coastline are home to vast Kapok trees. A DC 20 Spot check allows a character to notice the hundreds of tribal ornaments in the trees, as well as numerous desiccated corpses of lizardfolk hanging from the boughs. These trees are filled with strange fetishes, masks, and totems, and a DC 25 Search check (made over the course of an hour) nets 3d6 gp of loot. Characters stepping too far into the jungle here risk the wrath of whatever strange tribe erected the fetishes, be they savage humanoids, lizardfolk, or worse…

Ruins: Now and then, the PCs may spot glimpses of ancient civilization—the vine-clad remnants of strange humanoid statues of great size, the crumbling forms of immense ziggurat temples, or the tottering stone ruins of villages. While any of these ruins could promise treasure or adventure, Lavinia would rather ignore them for now. She’s promised Urol Forol a stop at the mightiest of these ruins, and doesn’t want to waste additional time along the way.

The Vast Burning: The expedition passes a huge blackened valley along the jungle shore. Closer inspection reveals that this was a vast sacrificial pit into which hundreds of what look like humanoid apes were thrown. The sacrifice took place a decade or more ago, but birds and plants do not touch the place. The pit has nothing to do with this adventure, but you could develop it further if you wish.

Wyvern Sighting: A flock of six wyverns swoop down to fly alongside the Sea Wyvern for ten minutes, cavorting in the skies above and occasionally swooping down to skip their talons or wing tips across the ocean surface. A few might come close to the ship or curiously look over her wyvern-shaped figurehead, but as long as the PCs don’t attack, the wyverns eventually wing off to the port side and are gone.

Sea Monster: Have the PCs make Spot checks. Whoever rolls the highest notices something strange in the water several hundred feet out—a sinuous shape, perhaps, or possibly a brief flash of an immense black mass. If this occurs at night the shape might glow in the dark. Perhaps the PC sees, for the briefest of moments, an immense eye the size of a lower shield staring back at him before the shape sinks back into the deep. This sighting of some unknown sea monster shouldn’t lead to combat, but it should serve to keep the PCs on edge for a few days to come.

The Curious Scholar : Urol Forol

CR 3
Male gnome druid 1/expert 3
NG Small humanoid
Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Listen +12, Spot +10
Languages Common, Draconic, Druidic, Gnome, Sylvan

AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 14
hp 26 (4 HD)
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +8 (+10 vs. illusion)
Spd 20 ft.

Melee quarterstaff +1 (1d4–2)
Base Atk +2; Grp –4
Combat Gear wand of shillelagh (32 charges)

Spells Prepared (CL 1st)
1st—calm animals (DC 14), obscuring mist
0—mending, purify food and drink, resistance

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st)
1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 10), prestidigitation, speak with animals

Abilities Str 6, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 10
SQ animal companion (crow named Miss Crazzle), wild empathy +1
Feats Skill Focus (Knowledge [geography]), Skill Focus (Knowledge [nature])
Skills Concentration +6, Handle Animal +7, Knowledge (geography) +12, Knowledge (history) +4, Knowledge (nature) +16, Listen +12, Spot +10, Survival +12

Possessions combat gear, +1 leather armor, quarterstaff, cloak of resistance +1, two doses of stone salve, collection of snakes and spiders, sleeping cap for Miss Crazzle

Urol is a bent old gnome who constantly squints when he looks. He carries the odor of the land about with him, an odor that most find not too pleasant. He is talkative and chipper except when the subject of the natural world comes up, whereupon he flies into a frenzy of excited stuttering bliss, expounding upon obscure and often strangely fascinating (to him, at least) bits of lore.

Urol has actually been to the Isle of Dread before, although his stay, in his words, was, “Unfortunately short—due to events beyond my control, I might add! We’ve certainly nothing to fear this time around!” He demanded to be part of Lavinia’s expedition when he learned about it, and indeed his knowledge of the isle could greatly help the colonists of Farshore. Urol has a strange fascination with poisonous creatures, and his nerve-wracking collection of spiders and snakes is often the subject of whispered talk on the Sea Wyvern.

Urol frequently evokes Amella’s anger during the voyage, despite his best efforts to win her friendship. As the weeks go by, it may fall to the PCs to keep him out of her hair.

A: Fort Blackwell

Distance from Sasserine: 475 miles
Time from Sasserine: 13 days

This small settlement of approximately 2,000 is located near the northernmost tip of the peninsula known to sailors as “The Hook.” One of the few coastal Amedio forts not controlled by the Scarlet Brotherhood (its distance from the Amedio interior makes it not worth the effort for the Brotherhood to control), Fort Blackwell remains an independently governed walled town perched on the edge of civilization.

Fort Blackwell is a cozy town with a tiny harbor protected by an immense sea gate hung between two squat towers. Before any ship is allowed within the harbor, a troop of Blackwell guards must be allowed to search the ship and interview its captain. Fortunately, years of relative peace and being ignored by both the Scarlet Brotherhood and the Crimson Fleet (who maintain larger ports of call in various forts elsewhere along the coast—forts wisely avoided by the expedition) have made them rather lackadaisical in their searches, and barring anything outwardly suspicious performed by the PCs, the guards allow their expedition entrance into the harbor after a mere 15-minute inspection.

Although Lavinia intends to stay only one night in Fort Blackwell, she defers to the PCs if they wish to stay longer. She points out to the PCs that it’ll probably be seven weeks before they reach Fort Greenrock, the next friendly location where they’ll be able to resupply, so she encourages them to get all their shopping done here if they can.

Fort Blackwell features numerous small and cozy inns and taverns, all of which serve a delicious local malt blend of whiskey called The Green Man (10 gp per bottle). Food and supplies can be readily purchased from one of four large provisioners who keep warehouses on the waterfront. Several small shrines, including ones dedicated to Hieroneous, Kord, Pelor, St. Cuthbert, and the gods of the sea (Procan, Osprem, and Xerbo), can be found here as well.

Yet there are hidden dangers in Fort Blackwell. The Scarlet Brotherhood has several spies in town to keep an eye on things. A hidden sea cave just north of town once used by smugglers has become the lair of a family of sinister fey known as redcaps (Monster Manual III 138) led by a foul-mouthed father named Kaboutermannekin who sometimes sneaks into the fort to cause problems. And the shrine of Hieroneous is in fact a cover for a cult of slaadi worshipers who call themselves the Wizards of the Hopping Prophet. These cultists have a terrible fate in store for poor Conrad Horst, who stays the night at the shrine while the PCs are in port here (see Event 3).

Any of these perils could rear their head during the PCs’ stay if you wish to expand the adventure—otherwise, the stay here should be short.

Fort Blackwell (Small Town): AL NG; 800 gp limit; Assets 4,480 gp; Population 1,123; Conventional; Isolated (human 90%, half-elf 7%, others 3%).
Authority Figure: Governess Juliana Terwall (NG female human aristocrat 4/ranger 2).

B: Hungry Flotsam (EL 6)

Distance from Sasserine: 785 miles
Distance from Fort Blackwell: 310 miles
Time from Fort Blackwell: 9 days

As the PCs near the mouth of the Havehu River, the expedition has its first real encounter with poor weather. The ships anchor near the river and take half a day to refill water stores on board from the river’s waters (as they do upon reaching the next three rivers along their route). Near the evening, less than a half hour after the expedition gets under way again, a thick fog springs up. A DC 15 Knowledge (nature) check confirms that fog banks like this often occur along the coast in this region, but the thickness is nevertheless oppressive. Passengers head below deck, and the crew grows silent as all ears strain to the starboard side, marking the distant sound of breakers on the shore as the only trustworthy method of ensuring the expedition doesn’t draw too close to the shallows while still staying parallel to the coast. The fog grows thicker, and soon even the Blue Nixie, only a few hundred feet ahead, is lost to vision.

At this point, Lavinia orders the ships to anchor for the night until the fog burns off in the morning. The voice of one of her crew calling out from the fog to the Sea Wyvern announcing the short stoppage is curiously muted by the fog, but nonetheless easily understood. The PCs should anchor the Sea Wyvern as well, and prepare themselves for a long night.

Creatures: Of course, the fog is far from uninhabited. At some point in the night, the entire ship lurches as if striking a reef. In fact, the ship has been attacked by a dangerous aquatic predator called a flotsam ooze. This ooze has been drifting on ocean currents for several weeks, an enormous glob of transparent protoplasm that exudes a powerful adhesive that causes driftwood, animal carcasses, ship fragments, rocks, and other objects to cling to its surface. To the untrained eye, such an ooze floating on the sea looks like nothing more than a clot of flotsam adrift in the current.

The ooze itself is fifteen feet in diameter, and the lurching sensation was caused not by the Sea Wyvern hitting bottom, but by the ooze attaching itself to the hull as it prepares to slither up to search for prey.

Enormous Flotsam Ooze CR 6
N Huge ooze (aquatic)
Fiend Folio 17
Init +0; Senses blindsight 60 ft.; Listen –5, Spot –5

AC 14, touch 6, flat-footed 14; transparent
hp 115 (7 HD)
Immune ooze traits
Fort +13, Ref +0, Will –3
Spd 10 ft., swim 30 ft.

Melee slam +13 (2d6+15)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Base Atk +5; Grp +23
Atk Options adhesive

Abilities Str 30, Dex 6, Con 32, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1
SQ amphibious
Skills Hide –2, Swim +18

Adhesive (Ex): A flotsam ooze exudes a sticky slime that holds fast any creature or item touching it. It automatically grapples any creature it hits with its slam attack, and a grappled opponent cannot escape as long as the ooze lives unless the adhesive is weakened by soap or lye (in which case the ooze makes a standard grapple check to maintain a hold). A flotsam ooze can make one additional slam attack each round against any creature stuck to it.

A weapon that strikes a flotsam ooze sticks fast unless the wielder makes a DC 12 Reflex save. A DC 16 Strength check allows a character to remove an item stuck to the ooze. These two checks are static, and do not change if the ooze’s ability scores or total Hit Dice change.

Transparent (Ex): A flotsam ooze is transparent in water, and receives concealment while swimming (50% miss chance).

Tactics: The flotsam ooze is aquatic, and as such it does not leave the water once it’s attached itself to the Sea Wyvern’s hull. Its weight causes the ship to list slightly to the port. Attached to the hull just left of the stairs leading up to the bow, anyone who leans over the rail on the port side can see what appears to be a huge pile of flotsam clinging to the hull. The ooze can attack any target that comes within ten feet of the bottom of the stairs along the port side of the ship. Any creature it grabs is pulled overboard if it fails an opposed Strength check—in any event, the ooze can make a free slam attack against such a foe each round.

Treasure: The flotsam ooze floats once it’s slain, the driftwood and debris that once coated it slowly sinking or drifting away. If a DC 20 Search is made of the ooze within one minute of its death, a character finds that among the debris are no less than six bodies of hapless sailors. It’s unclear if they were merchants or pirates, as their bodies are little more than bone by now, but one of the bodies still wears a ring of mind shielding and another wears gauntlets of ogre power. After a minute, these treasures sink to the bottom 40 feet below, where a DC 30 Search can find them.

The Tomboy Warrior : Liirith Veldiros

CR 3
Female human rogue 1/fighter 2
CN Medium humanoid
Complete Warrior 12
Init +6; Senses Listen –1, Spot –1
Languages Common

AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14
hp 20 (3 HD)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will –1
Spd 30 ft.

Melee mwk falchion +6 (2d4+3/18–20)
Ranged mwk composite longbow +5 (1d8+2/x3)
Base Atk +2; Grp +4
Atk Options sneak attack +1d6
Combat Gear potion of cat’s grace, potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of jump, potion of expeditious retreat

Abilities Str 14, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 12
SQ trapfinding
Feats Acrobatic, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Quick Draw, Weapon Focus (falchion)
Skills Balance +9, Climb +6, Bluff +5, Intimidate +7, Jump +12, Sense Motive +3, Swim +7, Tumble +11, Use Rope +6

Possessions combat gear, +1 studded leather armor, masterwork falchion, masterwork composite longbow (+2 Str) with 20 arrows, sapphire nose ring worth 450 gp, silver bracelet worth 150 gp, coral ring that looks like an octopus worth 500 gp

A red-haired tomboy who wears flamboyant scarves and silks, Liirith has been a sailor for the past year. Liirith intends to work hard while she can, then retire early to some fabulous island. Above all, Liirith loves to show off, particularly in combat. She loves to Tumble, Balance, and fight using Bluff and Intimidate checks to ensure everyone notices her.

Liirith’s greatest secret is the fact that she was actually born Liirith Annamanter, the daughter of a minor noble from the city of Verbobonc, far to the north. Her need for attention stems from a childhood spent in the shadow of several talented older siblings. At the age of 19, she ran away from home and eventually ended up in Sasserine, taking a new name to hide her past. Yet sometimes she misses the comforts of noble life, and as a result she puts material needs above emotional needs—her eyes are drawn to precious things. Anyone who openly displays wealth and is particularly good-looking is likely to be in for romantic intrigue.

C: Tamoachan

Distance from Sasserine: 1,285 miles
Distance from Havekhu River: 500 miles
Time from Havekhu River: 14 days

Lavinia promised Urol Forol a chance to explore the ruins of the infamous Tamoachan, and asks the PCs to accompany him on this shore side expedition. Continue with Part Four.

D: Brotherhood Blockade (EL 6)

Distance from Sasserine: 1,435 miles
Distance from Tamoachan: 500 miles
Time from Tamoachan: 4 days

As the expedition approaches the tip of the Tamoachan peninsula, Lavinia draws the Blue Nixie up alongside the Sea Wyvern to speak to the PCs. She informs them that the next several miles will be among the most dangerous of their journey, as they must now thread the needle and sail through a Scarlet Brotherhood blockade. For many years, the Brotherhood has maintained a strong presence on South Olman Isle, particularly the city of Narisban. Although their navy has grown lax in their once-strict patrols of the region, Brotherhood ships are still common in the sound between the peninsula and South Olman Isle. Lavinia suggests that, in order to minimize the chances of their expedition being spotted, the Blue Nixie and the Sea Wyvern should sail through the sound separately, about a half hour apart, to meet up again on the southern side. She defers to the PCs’ opinion in the matter, though—if they think it’d be best to stick together, she agrees.

Creature: Unfortunately, the Brotherhood spots the PCs no matter what as they sail hurriedly around the horn. If the Sea Wyvern has allowed the Blue Nixie to go ahead of her, the Blue Nixie makes it through but the Sea Wyvern is spotted by a Brotherhood caravel. If the two ships sailed together, a pair of Brotherhood ships spot them, in which case each ship becomes locked in its own battle.

These ships are privateers charged by the Scarlet Brotherhood to capture any ships they spot sailing these waters, claim the cargo as spoils, and claim the crew as slaves (or worse) to be brought to Narisban. The ship that accosts the Sea Wyvern is a ragged caravel named Purity’s Prow, captained by an equally ragged man named Lars “No-Neck” Helvur. Captain Helvur hails the Sea Wyvern as he sails toward the ship, informing the crew that he means to board her for “inspection.” Purity’s Prow flies the Scarlet Brotherhood flag, but even if no one on board the Sea Wyvern makes a DC 15 Knowledge (local) check (which calls up tales of how Brotherhood ships are little better than pirates in these waters), the evil and sinister look of Helvur’s crew of nine thugs and cutthroats should leave little doubt that the Sea Wyvern is about to come under attack.

Lars “No-Neck” Helvur

Lars “No-Neck” Helvur CR 4
Male human rogue 2/fighter 2
CE Medium humanoid
Init +5; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0
Languages Common

AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 15
hp 30 (4 HD)
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +0; evasion
Spd 30 ft.

Melee mwk scimitar +8 (1d6+4/18–20)
Ranged heavy crossbow +4 (1d10/19–20)
Base Atk +3; Grp +6
Atk Options sneak attack +1d6
Combat Gear elixir of fire breath (2), potion of cure moderate wounds

Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 13
SQ trapfinding
Feats Athletic, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Intimidate), Weapon Focus (scimitar)
Skills Balance +8, Bluff +6, Climb +10, Intimidate +8, Jump +10, Knowledge (geography) +0, Profession (sailor) +5, Swim +8, Tumble +8

Possessions combat gear, +1 studded leather armor, masterwork scimitar, buckler, heavy crossbow with 10 bolts, gold ring worth 120 gp

Pirate (9)

Pirate (9) CR 1/2
Male and female human warrior 1
CE Medium humanoid
Init +0; Senses Listen –1, Spot –1
Languages Common

AC 13, touch 10, flat-footed 13
hp 8 (1 HD)
Fort +3, Ref +0, Will –1
Spd 30 ft.

Melee rapier +2 (1d6+1/18–20)
Ranged light crossbow +1 (1d8/19–20)
Base Atk +1; Grp +2

Abilities Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 8
Feats Athletic, Toughness
Skills Climb +3, Profession (sailor) +3, Swim +5
Possessions leather armor, buckler, rapier, light crossbow with 10 bolts, earring worth 15 gp

Purity’s Prow

Caravel class sailing ship
Seaworthiness +0; Shiphandling –1
Speed 30 ft. in normal wind
AC –3, hull 3, rigging 1
Hull 24 sections; Hardness 5; hp 80 (currently 40)
Rigging 2 sections; Hardness 0; hp 80 (currently 40)
Ram 4d6 per 10 feet of speed
Armament 2 ballistas (10 bolts each)

Tactics: Although they look tough, the crew of Purity’s Prow is actually fairly desperate. They’ve been at sea for months, unable to return to port for repairs or supplies until they’ve made their quota of slaves and booty. With no slaves and slim treasure, a premature return to Narisban is an invitation for execution.

If the PCs attack the pirates before they have a chance to board, refer to page 21 for quick rules for naval combat (or use those provided in Stormwrack). If the PCs let the pirates approach, they pull up alongside the Sea Wyvern, toss several ropes with grappling hooks over to secure the ships together, and lower planks to aid in the boarding process. It’s a DC 10 Balance check to cross on a plank, or a DC 15 Jump check to leap from one deck to the other.

Once on board the Sea Wyvern, Captain Helvur demands the PCs drop their weapons and hold still while he has his crew tie everyone up. If no one resists, the passengers and crew are loaded onto Purity’s Prow and shipped to Narisban for a fate beyond the scope of this adventure.

Helvur and his thugs do their best in combat, fighting together to reduce opponents’ opportunity for flanking. As soon as Helvur is slain, or as soon as six pirates are dropped, the remaining pirates panic and attempt to flee back to Purity’s Prow, cutting the ropes that lock the ships together as they go and then attempting to flee.

Treasure: A search of Purity’s Prow’s hold reveals the cause of Captain Helvur’s desperate attack on the Sea Wyvern—they’ve managed to gather only 1,150 gp in booty (consisting of coins, a few bags of flawed gems, and several pieces of jewelry, all kept in one large trunk). The ship has only about a week’s worth of food, most of it spoiled or infested with weevils.

Development: If the Blue Nixie and the Sea Wyvern attempted the crossing together, the Blue Nixie is accosted by a second ship (the Nightshark). There’s no need to play out this second combat—simply assume that whatever fate the PCs meet in their altercation with Purity’s Prow is mirrored by the Blue Nixie.

E: Ruins of Fort Greenrock

Distance from Sasserine: 1,765 miles
Distance from the Brotherhood Blockade: 330 miles
Time from the Brotherhood Blockade: 9 days

Although Lavinia had hoped to be able to resupply food stores at Fort Greenrock, it becomes obvious as soon as the expedition rounds the last coastal bend before this remote colony of monks and druids that something terrible has happened. The wooden palisade surrounding the fort has been torn apart, and the fort itself has burned to the ground. It appears that whatever grim fate visited the place occurred several months ago, for no sign of life or activity can be seen from shore.

If the PCs investigate, they find further evidence of a great battle. Dried blood stains the timbers of collapsed buildings here and there, broken weapons lie in the sand, and hundreds of black-feathered arrows decorate the sides of the ruins that face the jungle. A DC 25 Knowledge (nature) check reveals the workmanship on these arrows as having come from lizardfolk.

No stores remain in Fort Greenrock, nor are there any survivors. The savage tribe of lizardfolk who brought ruin to this once-idyllic waystation have long since returned to the depths of the Amedio. Lavinia urges the PCs to press on, saying that they’ll have one final opportunity to restock supplies at the village of Renkru on the Axuaxal Isles in about ten days.

F: River Menace (EL 6)

Distance from Sasserine: 1,925 miles
Distance from Fort Greenrock: 160 miles
Time from Fort Greenrock: 4 days

As with Havekhu River and Xatalati River before, the expedition stops here at the mouth of Atikula River to refresh the supplies of fresh water. Unlike the previous two rivers, the point where the Atikula reaches the sea is marked by a magnificent 900-foot-wide waterfall that cascades two hundred feet over a cliff into the ocean below. With no beach nearby to speak of, it’s easy enough for a ship to sail in fairly close and then send out a rowboat with barrels to fill. There’s only room in the narrow harbor for one ship at a time, and Lavinia graciously offers to let the Sea Wyvern go first, unaware of the peril that waits within.

As with the previous stops like this, refilling the stores takes about half a day. While the stores are being filled, some of the passengers may be tempted to take advantage of the secluded and calm cove’s waters to enjoy a swim.

Creature: The deep pool below the waterfall is far from uninhabited, as anyone who decides to take a swim quickly learns. Even if no one tempts fate in this manner, the aquatic seven-headed hydra that lives below swims up to investigate the strange shapes floating on the water above not long after it’s the Sea Wyvern’s turn to refill the water barrels. The hydra happens to choose the largest concentration of PCs for its attack, surging up from the depths below and exploding above the surface with a tremendous spray of water as it strikes. This hydra is identical to the seven-headed hydra detailed in the Monster Manual, save that it has the aquatic subtype. The hydra fights to the death to protect its territory.

Aquatic Seven-Headed Hydra: hp 77; Monster Manual 156.

Treasure: Anyone who dives down to investigate the harbor bed below finds a grim scene—dozens of sunken ships of all sizes rot in the mud and seaweed here, previous victims of the hydra. A DC 20 Search of the wrecks reveals that most of the cargo has long since rotted away as well, but an hour’s worth of exploration is enough to turn up 102 gp in a partially collapsed chest, a suit of +1 chainmail on a long-dead elf in one of the sunken ship’s staterooms, and draped over a drooping yardarm, a bright green cloak of the manta ray.

G: Renkru

Distance from Sasserine: 2,140 miles
Distance from Fort Greenrock: 215 miles
Time from Fort Greenrock: 6 days

The Isles of Axuaxal lie off the southern coastline of the Amedio Jungle, and are settled by several peaceful Olman tribes. The village of Renkru, the easternmost settlement on the isles, is also the most advanced, consisting of a collection of straw huts and even a few wooden structures built years ago by an ambitious priest of St. Cuthbert who had visions of converting the islanders to his religion. He died not long after seeing to the construction of the village’s two buildings; these buildings now serve as the chieftain’s hut and a communal hall respectively.

The residents of Renkru are friendly and chatty, although only a few of them speak Common. Up to ten tons of food can be purchased here, using trade stock from the Blue Nixie Lavinia brought for just this purpose. In addition, the PCs can purchase potions, scrolls, wands, and other magic items that aren’t made of worked metal here, up to the village’s gold piece limit.

Lavinia suggests the expedition takes a day of shore leave on Renkru. There’s little danger here, and it might give the PCs a good chance to roleplay further with the NPCs they’ve been sailing with for the past several weeks in an environment different than the cramped quarters of a ship. Sample reactions for the key NPCs on the expedition are listed below.

Amella Venkalie: Amella would prefer to remain on board the Sea Wyvern, but if she’s developing a relationship with a PC she could be convinced to take some time away from the ship.

Conrad Horst: If he lives this long, Conrad may decide to retire here, his recent brush with death having given him a new outlook on life. Unless persuaded otherwise, he gives his goodbyes to the PCs when they resume their journey.

Avner Meravanchi: Initially charmed by the quaint village, Avner quickly becomes obsessed with one of the village daughters. His attempts to “purchase” her from her parents insults the islanders to such an extent that they refuse to continue trade with the expedition unless the PCs can smooth things over with a DC 25 Diplomacy check, at which point Avner loses interest in the village and its residents and spends the rest of shore leave onboard the Sea Wyvern in a foul mood.

Skald: Intrigued by the island, Skald spends his time exploring the relatively safe interior during his stay. PCs who suspect him of being a villain may be suspicious of his desire to spend shore leave alone.

Urol Forol: Urol couldn’t care less about the village of Renkru, but he quickly becomes obsessed with the wide variety of life to be found in the extensive tide pools that line the nearby shores. He spends hours exploring these pools, scribbling in his notes and squealing with delight at each new discovery.

Liirith Veldirose: Liirith enjoys her time with the people of Renkru, and that evening gets quite drunk during an impromptu drinking contest with one of the locals (or perhaps with a PC). If she gets drunk enough, she may challenge a PC to a mock duel (during which she gains a +2 bonus to her Constitution but a –2 penalty to her Dexterity due to her inebriation).

Rowyn Kellani: If she still lives, Rowyn attempts an assassination of a PC during the shore leave.

Tavey Nesk: As cabin boy, Tavey is expected to stay onboard and watch the ship. If the PCs let him come with them and leave the ship unguarded, nothing bad happens to the ship.

The Blue Nixie: Although both ships take shore leave at the same time, the passengers and crew of the Blue Nixie generally keep to themselves and do not mix much with those of the Sea Wyvern. The notable exceptions are Lavinia Vanderboren and the Jade Ravens. If any PCs have already established relationships with any of these NPCs, this encounter is a great time to continue such rivalries or romances.

Renkru (Village): AL CG; 200 gp limit; Assets 7,800 gp; Population 780; Conventional; Isolated (human 100%).
Authority Figure: Chief Ixawhani, He Who Sleeps With Sound (ranger 4).

H: The Pearl Current

Distance from Sasserine: 2,290 miles
Distance from Renkru: 150 miles
Time from Renkru: 4 days

This section of ocean contains a hidden peril—the Pearl Current. This swift-flowing oceanic current sweeps up from the southern Vohoun Ocean to the northeast toward the Densac Gulf, and can carry unprepared ships hundreds of miles off course with ease. Lavinia’s charts indicate the presence of the Pearl Current, but determining when and where it starts and ends is a trickier prospect, as the current’s exact shape and width vary.

Once the PCs reach this area, the daily piloting checks to remain on course become more difficult, rising to DC 21. This check rises to DC 23 after one day’s failed check, and to DC 27 after two days of failed checks. Characters who aren’t careful can be caught up in the current for days or even weeks as they fight to cross through the current. After a total of three successful checks (not necessarily consecutive), the expedition sails clear of the current, at which point the base piloting check drops back to DC 17.

I: Ruja

Distance from Sasserine: 2,505 miles
Distance from Renkru: 215 miles
Time from Renkru: 6 days

After nearly two weeks on the open sea, land once again looms on the horizon. For a moment, the PCs may think they’ve reached the Isle of Dread ahead of schedule, but in truth they’ve only spotted the island of Ruja, an uninhabited island surrounded by perilous 1,000-foot-high cliffs and crowned with a tangle of thick jungle. Rumors have long held that Ruja is the lair of some form of terrible monster, yet the difficulty of even reaching the jungle peaks above have ensured that the isle’s interior has remained unexplored.

The expedition is not scheduled to stop at Ruja—instead, its southwestern cliffs serve as a landmark on the way to the Isle of Dread. Beyond these cliffs, only 500 miles of open sea lie between the PCs and their goal.

If the PCs wish to explore Ruja, this is an excellent place to expand the adventure. As long as the Sea Wyvern (and thus, by extension, the Blue Nixie) has enough food stores to make the last two weeks of the voyage, Lavinia has no qualms about stopping for a few days here to let the PCs scratch their itch for exploration. Unfortunately, the interior of Ruja is hardly worth the peril; the jungle peaks are the lairs of relatively unintelligent monsters like rocs, terror birds, monstrous vermin, and oozes. The most intelligent denizens of the Ruja heights are several tribes of bickering Large ettercaps. There is little in the way of treasure waiting to be discovered here.

J: The First Storm

Distance from Sasserine: 2,665 miles
Distance from Ruja: 160 miles
Time from Ruja: 4 days

Up until this point, the expedition has been lucky—they’ve had clear weather without a storm in sight. That luck ends as they reach this stretch of the Vohoun Ocean. Late at night, the wind whips into a frenzy, and by dawn, the ships are caught in a full-fledged storm. The Sea Wyvern’s captain must make a DC 20 Profession (sailor) check to maintain control of the ship; failure indicates that the ship is driven off course by the storm. The storm itself has severe winds, but the Sea Wyvern is large enough that it weathers the storm well. The next morning, the skies remain cloudy but the wind dies down once again. If the ship was driven off course, the PCs must spend a day getting back on course (after making a DC 19 Knowledge (geography) check to navigate the route).

Unfortunately, the storm has had another effect. The Blue Nixie is nowhere to be seen. Lavinia’s standing orders in this case to continue on to Farshore and reunite there if the ships get separated should encourage the PCs onward, even though they have no idea if the Blue Nixie made it through the storm intact. In fact, the other ship did, but was driven further south and damaged. Lavinia’s new course takes her around the west side of the Isle, and if the PCs contact her somehow (such as via a sending spell) she lets them know she and her crew are okay, and that they should continue on their way to Farshore.

K: Journey’s End

Distance from Sasserine: 2,815 miles
Distance from the First Storm: 150 miles
Time from the First Storm: 4 days

Cut off from the Blue Nixie, the Sea Wyvern continues south. At this point in her journey, she encounters one of the most notorious perils of the Vohoun Ocean—Journey’s End. Continue with Part Five.

L: The Second Storm (EL 6)

Distance from Sasserine: 3,000 miles
Distance from Journey’s End: 185 miles
Time from Journey’s End: 3 days

Only five days after the Sea Wyvern escapes the clutches of the living sargasso, she encounters her greatest threat yet.

As the sun dawns, the day is overcast and grim. Have the PCs make Spot checks—whoever gets the highest result notices something off the starboard bow: land. The ragged, jungle-choked peaks of the Isle of Dread loom on the horizon. The sight of land brings a cheer from the crew and passengers, and consultation with the sea charts confirms it—the Sea Wyvern has nearly reached her goal. All that remains is to sail down the eastern coast to Farshore.

Alas, by the time morning becomes noon, it should be obvious that fate has something else in store for the ship. The rain begins shortly thereafter, and by 2:00 a second storm is in full force. This one is much more powerful than the first—not quite a hurricane, but close. The Sea Wyvern’s captain must make a DC 30 Profession (sailor) check to stay on course. In addition, the captain must make a DC 15 Profession (sailor) check every hour to avoid rolling or washing (50% chance of either on a failed check).

A roll is when the ship rocks violently to the side as it slides down the face of a large swell, only to rock back to the other direction upon reaching the next swell. Anyone on deck who isn’t lashed to something solid must make a DC 12 Balance check or a DC 15 Strength check to avoid falling and sliding toward the edge of a ship. A sliding character can save himself from falling overboard with a DC 12 Reflex check.

A wash is when the ship plows into an oncoming swell, causing a powerful rush of surf to wash over the deck. This occurs 1d6 times before the ship rights itself, and with each wash, any character on deck further toward the bow than the central mast must make a DC 12 Balance check or DC 15 Strength check to avoid being washed overboard; these characters do not get a “last chance” Reflex save to avoid this fate.

Once overboard, it’s a DC 20 Swim check to stay afloat. A character washed overboard starts 1d3×10 feet away from the ship, and drifts a further 1d3×10 feet away each round. Swimming back to the Sea Wyvern may be impossible.

At sunset, after the Sea Wyvern’s captain has made four checks to avoid rolling or washing, a tremendous lurch strikes the ship and the sound of splintering wood fills the air. The ship comes to a sudden stop, and everyone on board must make a DC 12 Reflex save to avoid falling prone. The ship has run aground on Masher Reef, about 25 miles northeast of the Isle of Dread. Waves crash against the ship, which now lists perilously to port, but as long as the ship remains grounded, the captain need not make Profession (sailor) checks to avoid a roll or wash.

Creature

Unfortunately, the creatures for which Masher Reef got its name do not take kindly to intruders upon their territory. Only a few rounds after the ship strikes the reef, a huge eel-like fish called a masher explodes from the water. The creature strikes at anyone on deck, attempting to make a quick meal of the intruders.

Masher: hp 68; see Appendix.

Tactics: The masher continues to fight until brought below 20 hit points, at which point it flees back underwater. Characters who move about on the listing deck must spend 2 squares of movement per square if they head “uphill” toward starboard, and anyone running or charging “downhill” toward port must make a DC 12 Balance check to avoid falling. A character who falls ends up in the five-foot-deep water atop Masher Reef.

The ship’s captain can make a DC 20 Profession (sailor) check once every minute to attempt to dislodge the Sea Wyvern from Masher Reef. Every minute, there’s a cumulative 10% chance another masher erupts from the waters to attack.

Development: Once the captain gets the ship off the reef, he must make another 1d6 15 Profession (sailor) checks to avoid rolls or washes. After this, the storm abates somewhat, but the damage is done. Striking the reef has holed the ship in several places, and only by putting the entire crew to work at bailing can she stay afloat. As the night grows darker, the Sea Wyvern is in poor shape indeed—continue with Encounter M.

M: Shipwrecked on the Isle of Dread

Distance from Sasserine: 3,025 miles
Distance from the Second Storm: 25 miles
Time from the Second Storm: 1 day

After surviving the second storm, the Sea Wyvern is in bad shape. At this point, continue with Concluding the Adventure.

Part Four: Tamoachan

The jungle claimed this city centuries ago, and now mysterious stone buildings, towering ziggurats, and rubble-strewn streets have fallen to the creeping vines and towering trees. Built in a bygone age by the Olmans, Tamoachan today is one of the greatest lures for adventurers in the Amedio Jungle—its proximity to shore making it the most tempting target of these ancient ruins. Much of the city has been picked over by thieves and looters, adventurers and scholars, whether they were trying to learn the reason for the city’s death or merely seeking its many lost treasures.

Lavinia has promised the gnome explorer Urol Forol the chance to explore these infamous ruins, and has agreed to give him a day to do so. No other crew members set foot on shore at this time, for the ruins of Tamoachan are dangerous. Yet Lavinia is loath to let Urol go it alone—if the PCs don’t jump at the chance to explore Tamoachan themselves, she asks them to accompany the gnome, if only to keep him from getting into too much trouble.

Urol’s desire to explore Tamoachan arose only a week before the expedition left, when he came into the possession of a tattered map. He purchased the map from a one-legged sailor who claimed to have been given the map by a dying elf fished from the sea. This nameless elf claimed to have been part of an expedition into the ruins, and to have found a previously unexplored section of the city. Unfortunately, his party was attacked by a strange eight-legged lizard with glowing eyes that turned those who saw it to stone—only he escaped back to his ship. Alas, on the voyage back to Sasserine to recruit a new party to explore the ruin, his ship sank in a storm. The elf died soon after and the sailor, having no wish to explore a dangerous ruin, sold the map to Urol for a pretty penny.

Urol shows the map to the PCs if they ask; the section of ruins marked are only an hour’s brisk walk into the jungle, the entrance hidden in the lee of a partially collapsed ziggurat. Urol tells the PCs he believes that the strange reptile the elf’s party fought was a basilisk, a creature whose gaze petrifies its prey. If this causes the PCs to balk, Urol assures them that they’ll be able to kill it easily, and even if one or two of them are turned to stone, he’s come prepared with plenty of doses of stone salve to undo this fate. Urol doesn’t tell the PCs he only has two doses of the stuff, though—certainly these brave heroes can defeat a silly basilisk before more than two of them are petrified!

What Urol doesn’t know is that the map’s story, as told him by the one-legged sailor, is a complete fabrication—the only bit of truth to the tale was that this area of the ruins has indeed lain unexplored for many years. The one-legged sailor was in fact a disguised agent of Malcanthet, Demon Queen of Succubi. Ever watchful, she knows that her summoning ally and lover Demogorgon is up to something, yet also knows better than to directly confront the powerful demon lord about it. Consultation with strange oracles deep in the Abyss have led her to the PCs, who for reasons she still doesn’t understand are fated to become embroiled in these matters soon enough. Malcanthet wants them on her side as a result—and if possible, without them knowing it.

Tamoachan Ruin Features

The one-hour trek through the jungle to Urol’s ruins should go fairly easily, as most of the more dangerous denizens of Tamoachan lurk in underground chambers. The ruins that the PCs seek generally have ten-foot-high ceilings, and are constructed of blocks of unmortared stone covered with a flaking layer of stucco decorated with ancient images of men and animals.

1. Tchechhwan’s Nest (EL 5)

The jungle parts to reveal the ruins of a large chamber, once held within the root of the ziggurat above but now open to the elements. Images of pouncing and stalking cats grace what is left of the vine-strangled walls. Dozens of moldering stuffed jungle-cats lie scattered around the edge of the exposed chamber, along with several strangely unweathered statues of men dressed in armor. Of the five passageways that once led further into the ziggurat’s depths, only two remain uncollapsed.

Creature: The statues are adventurers, petrified by the gaze of the basilisk that lives here. Called tchechhwanih by the ancients, basilisks were often kept as pets by decadent rulers who fitted the dangerous creatures with helmets to block their petrifying gaze—helmets that could be removed at range with a hooked pole when said rulers wished to make statues of their vanquished and captured enemies.

This basilisk does not wear such a helmet. It spends much of its time sleeping in a nest of rubble in the northernmost collapsed passageway, but if it hears anyone in area 1, it quickly slithers out to investigate. It avoids pursuing creatures into the chambers, as it dislikes the confined spaces within (and is unsettled by the sound of area 2’s denizen when it is roused).

Basilisk: hp 45; Monster Manual 24.

Treasure: A DC 25 Search of the rubble-choked passageways uncovers a somewhat damaged marble statuette of a reclining humanoid figure with head turned and legs drawn up worth 78 gp and a small silver pyramid worth 3 gp.

2. Xochiquetzal’s Chamber (EL 5)

A huge statue of a lumbering man outfitted in decayed skins and cracked skulls, his gaping and tusked mouth wide enough to swallow a halfling whole stands to the north. A battered but once intricately carved well sits to the south. The whole area is littered with skulls and shards of rusted metal.

The well in this room once contained a wondrous substance called liquid light, but a recent earthquake cracked the depths of the well shaft and opened it into a network of narrow fissures deep below the ground. A gibbering mouther named Xochiquetzal slithered up through these fissures, and has dwelt in the ruins for many years. It avoids the basilisk by slithering through these fissures to hunt in the surrounding ruins when hunger strikes.

Xochiquetzal, Gibbering Mouther: hp 42; Monster Manual 126.

Treasure: Xochiquetzal leaves the remains of its meals in its well, and is slowly filling the depths with bones. A half-hour search of the well uncovers thousands of bones, along with some treasure: six turquoise gems worth 50 gp each, a +1 dagger, what appears to be an ivory wand but is in fact a folded fan of ivory slats worth 180 gp, a platinum bracelet worth 230 gp, and 124 gp.

Malcanthet’s Plan

In years past, a lesser varrangoin outcast named Sutolore stole a powerful artifact from an enclave on the Abyss—the tooth of Ahuazu (one of the teeth of Demogorgon, an artifact detailed in the Tome of Magic). Sutolore sold the item in the Abyssal market of Broken Reach to an agent of Malcanthet in exchange for a sinecure in her domain. When Malcanthet identifies the PCs as possible agents in her efforts to undermine Demogorgon, she realizes that if they recover the tooth of Ahuazu, their chances of success once they reach the Abyss will greatly improve, yet if they fail, she doesn’t want Demogorgon or his agents to be able to trace any link back to her. She just needs to get the tooth of Ahuazu into the PCs’ hands in a subtle way.

Malcanthet sends Sutolore to the Material Plane to hide the tooth of Ahuazu under the Fangs of Zotzilaha on the Isle of Dread in a hidden chamber unlikely to be visited by others for ages to come. Entry to this hidden chamber is controlled by a small golden idol of the bat god Camazotz; Sutolore steals the idol from the chamber then flies north to Tamoachan, placing the idol in the ruins detailed here among other treasures sacred to Camazotz. While Sutolore was placing the idol, another of Malcanthet’s agents (this one magically disguised as a one-legged sailor) sold a map to the ruin to Urol, knowing that he would be involved with the PCs’ coming expedition.

If all goes according to Malcanthet’s plan, the PCs should stop off at Tamoachan, recover the bat idol from the ruins, travel on to the Isle of Dread, later find the cave where the tooth of Ahuazu has been hidden, and then use the bat idol to recover the tooth. To the PCs (and hopefully anything observing them from afar), the discovery of the tooth should be a logical reward for their explorations, which is how the Queen of Succubi prefers it.

3. Mictlan’s Portal

A ten-foot-wide, fifty-foot-long landing overlooks a large chamber to the north, accessible by a short flight of downward sloping stairs. The entrance to the larger room is framed by dozens of skeletons carved into the fifty-foot-wide arch, their bones intertwined with hundreds of carved snakes. Unnerving ripples of black smoke slither and dance among the carvings.

A DC 25 Knowledge (religion) check reveals that this archway marks the entrance to the ancient Olman land of the dead, marking the chambers beyond as an ancient crypt, or perhaps a place where the priests prepared the dead for their journey into the afterlife. The ripples of black smoke are the remnants of an ancient and mostly malfunctioning necromantic trap. Any character that steps through the arch must make a DC 15 Will save or be shaken for one round—this effect is harmless enough in the long run, but it prevents the jittery basilisk from pursuing foes into this chamber.

4. Ancient Tamoachan (EL 6)

The floor of this large chamber once contained a breathtaking carving of an ancient city, yet time has taken its toll on the map-like carving, reducing it to a tangled mess that, ironically, almost seems to reflect ruined Tamoachan above. The walls are decorated with brightly colored frescoes depicting a royal court in ceremonial garb and a king arrayed with his magnificent armies. Pathways wind through the ruins, affording a twisting route through the rubble. In the center of the room is a wide plaza, in the middle of which rests a low stone table.

This chamber once served the priests of Tamoachan as a place to prepare the dead for burial in area 10. By preparing the dead in the center of this model of the city, they hoped to help ease the deceased into the afterlife by surrounding him with familiar vistas.

Trap: The ancients also protected this chamber with a devious trap. Three rounds after intruders enter this chamber, a wall of fire appears along the southern wall. The wall advances north at a speed of 15 feet, extinguishing when it hits the north wall. Three rounds later, if any living creature remains in the room, a new wall appears and sweeps north. The password to deactivate the trap, “Uetzcayotl,” has unfortunately been lost to time. The fifteen-foot-wide collapse along the eastern wall represents the only safe zone in the room once the trap activates.

Wall of Fire Trap: CR 6; magic device; location trigger; automatic reset; onset delay 3 rounds; spell effect (wall of fire, 9th-level wizard, 6th level), 2d4 fire damage to creatures within 10 feet of north face, 1d4 to creatures within 20 feet of north face, 2d6+9 fire damage to any creature that passes through the wall; Search DC 30; Disable Device DC 30.

Development: Tlanextli, the will-o’-wisp that has claimed these ruins as its home, is likely to hear any loud noises from this chamber and comes to investigate, seeking to kill any lone characters it finds. If it finds more than one PC alive, it remains invisible and follows them, hoping they break through the iron wall in area 6.

5. The New Tunnel

This tunnel appears to be a natural vent through the stone, rather than a constructed entrance.

The chambers between area 4 and 6 have collapsed; this tunnel opened up during the earthquake that struck the area a few years ago and damaged the well in area 2, only recently restoring access to the chambers beyond.

6. Antechamber (EL 6)

The walls of this room are covered with eroded glyphs and hieroglyphic images depicting what appear to be batlike creatures feasting on humanoids. The eastern wall beyond a low archway in the room consists of a strangely out of place sheet of iron.

A DC 25 Spellcraft check identifies the metal wall as the result of a wall of iron spell. It completely seals off entrance to the room beyond, and is wedged into groves that run around the alcove’s perimeter. The wall can be battered down with enough force, something Urol urges the PCs to do since it’s obvious the ruins continue on the other side of the wall.

Iron Wall: 2 in. thick; Hardness 10; hp 60 hp per 5-ft. section; Break DC 29.

Creature: A will-o’-wisp named Tlanextli dwells in this chamber, cut off from the rest of its lair by the wall of iron that Sutolore triggered when the two fought several weeks ago. Tlanextli views the chambers beyond as its empire, and the thought of another creature dwelling therein when it can’t reach these chambers shall drive the aberration mad with frustration. It views the arrival of the PCs with an optimistic curiosity, and holds back its natural instinct to feed from their emotions or to attack in favor of remaining invisible, following quietly, and hoping they find a way through to the room beyond.

Tlanextli, Will-o’-Wisp: hp 40; Monster Manual 255.

7. Tloqatcha’s Crypt (EL 7)

This chamber bears a strange resemblance to the previous one, in that the floor consists of a stone scale model of an ancient city. Yet whereas the previous model was terribly damaged, this chamber seems relatively well preserved. The layout and style of the city is quite different, with four wide canals converging upon a large lake in the center, from which rises a great stone pyramid. Mighty temples rise from the low angular buildings, while the stone walls depict lifelike depictions of leering bats, lizards, and snakes.

When the varrangoin Sutolore intruded upon this chamber some time ago, he clashed with Tlanextli the will-o’-wisp in this chamber. After wounding Tlanextli and forcing it to flee, Sutolore pressed deeper in here to place the bat idol he stole from the Isle of Dread. Unfortunately, he triggered a trap in area 8 that caused a wall of iron to seal him into these chambers.

The city depicted here shows a section of ancient Tamoachan that served as a necropolis for the city’s dead. A DC 30 Knowledge (history) check reveals as much.

Trap: The central pyramid is actually a sarcophagus. A DC 20 Search check reveals that the top level of the pyramid can be pushed aside, revealing a hollow within occupied by a mummified Olman priest, bound in a fetal position by lengths of brittle leather cords. The priest is quite dead, but the golden ceremonial necklace around its neck looks valuable. Unfortunately, the air in the sarcophagus is thick with ancient disease. When opened, a cloud of dust blooms from within, filling a 20-foot-radius spread. All creatures in this area must make a DC 16 Fortitude save or contract mummy rot (Monster Manual 190).

Mummy Rot Trap: CR 5; mechanical device; touch trigger; no reset; multiple targets (all creatures in a 20-foot spread); mummy rot (DC 16 Fortitude resists); Search DC 26; Disable Device DC 26.

Treasure: A ceremonial golden necklace carved to resemble a string of bat and lizard heads still hangs from the dead priest’s neck. This is in fact a strand of prayer beads with a bead of blessing and a bead of healing.

Development: The pristine condition of this chamber is fascinating to Urol, and he demands to be left here for as long as possible so he can make sketches of the room’s carvings and sculptures. When finally forced to leave, the little gnome is uncharacteristically morose. Once reminded of the mysteries that await him on the Isle of Dread, though, he cheers right back up.

8. The Great Calendar Stone

A huge circular disk of stone dominates the floor of this chamber, its face carved with dozens of concentric rings of hieroglyphs and shapes. A filthy nest of bones and rubble sits atop it.

This disc is an ancient Olman calendar stone, used once to track the movement of celestial bodies.

Creature: The outcast varrangoin Sutolore was once a member of a large tribe that roosted in the ruined fortress of Overlook on the seventy-third layer of the Abyss, known as the Wells of Darkness. After crossing the tribe’s ruling coven, Sutolore fled with a relic known as the tooth of Ahuazu. Sutolore sold the relic in the town of Broken Reach on the first layer of the Abyss to a succubus in Malcanthet’s service. Unfortunately for Sutolore, Malcanthet’s plots left him little time to explore the hedonistic paradise of her Abyssal realm of Schnidelvarri before he was sent to the Material Plane on an important mission for the Queen of Succubi.

After reaching the ruins, Sutolore found them to be occupied by a territorial will-o’-wisp. A battle ensued, and although it resulted in a draw, Sutolore found himself trapped in the ruins by a wall of iron—a magical trap designed by the ancient Olmans to imprison would-be grave robbers in the tomb.

Since being captured, Sutolore has survived on the rancid water at the bottom of the shaft in area 10 and has eaten nearly all of the foul-tasting hooded tarantulas that dwell along the walls of that shaft. Exceptionally hungry and frustrated at his predicament, the varrangoin is in ripe condition to attack anything that crosses his path.

Sutolore

Male lesser varrangoin CR 6
CE Medium magical beast (extraplanar)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +2, Spot +2
Languages Abyssal, Varrangoin

AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16
hp 32 (5 HD) DR 10/cold iron
Resists acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 12
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +1
Weakness light blindness

Spd 20 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)

Melee bite +7 (1d6+2) and
2 claws +5 (1d4+1) and
tail sting +5 (1d4+1 plus poison)

Base Atk +5; Grp +7
Atk Options Flyby Attack, poison (DC 13, 1d6 Dex/1d6 Dex)

Special Actions breath weapon (30 ft. cone of fire, 3d6; Ref DC 13 half; at will)

Abilities Str 14, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 8
SQ death throes
Feats Alertness, Flyby Attack, Multiattack
Skills Hide +11, Listen +2, Move Silently +11, Spot +2

Death Throes (Ex): When killed, Sutolore explodes in a 20-foot-radius burst of energy. This explosion deals 3d6 fire damage (Ref DC 13 half).

Light Blindness (Ex): Exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds Sutolore for 1 round. After that, he takes a –1 penalty on attacks, saves, and skill checks while operating in bright light.

Tactics: As soon as Sutolore hears anything moving about in area 7, he leaves his shabby nest on the calendar stone to investigate. Upon finding the PCs, he shrieks and attacks with his breath weapon while flying circles in the large room. He resorts to melee combat only if his foes seem resistant to fire or if he’s confronted in a smaller area. If reduced to less than 10 hit points, Sutolore abandons the fight and attempts to escape.

If the PCs haven’t slain Tlanextli when Sutolore attacks, the will-o’-wisp joins the fight, perhaps allying itself with the PCs against their foe. Such an allegiance lasts only as long as Sutolore remains in Tlanextli’s lair—as soon as he’s slain or driven off, Tlanextli turns its wrath on the PCs.

9. Guardians of the Well of Death

Twin statues of men dressed in strange ancient armor and wearing towering headdresses made of coiled snakes and bat wings stand at either side of an arched doorway here. Beyond the archway beckons a circular room, its walls adorned with dozens of niches in which rest the desiccated bodies of long-dead men and women.

These statues once triggered the wall of iron trap built to wall in grave-robbers; Sutolore ironically triggered it when he added the golden bat statuette to one of the crypts in area 10. The trap was intended to trigger only once, and no longer poses a threat.

10. The Well of Death

A yawning shaft descends into gloom here. The walls of the shaft are fitted with hundreds of niches, upon which lie the dusty bones of heroes, priests, kings, queens, and warriors of a bygone age. Resting upon the topmost niche, cradled in the arms of a skeleton, is a glittering golden statuette of a bat.

The shaft here is 100 feet deep, although the bottom 20 feet consists of stagnant water that has drained in here from above. None of the bodies here are buried with anything of value, with one exception.

Treasure: The golden bat idol clutched by the topmost body is a fantastic work of art, with rubies for eyes and tiny slivers of pearl for fangs and claws. A DC 25 Knowledge (religion) check identifies it as a representation of Camazotz, an ancient god of bats and the night. Its presence here is not unusual, since much of the iconography on the walls indicates that the builders of this crypt worshiped him, but if this Knowledge (religion) check exceeds the DC by 10, the character notices that the craftsmanship of the idol is leaner, more angular than that of the images of Camazotz from the surrounding walls—almost as if whoever created the idol were from a different region entirely.

The idol radiates faint transmutation magic, and an identify or similar spell reveals that the idol is in fact some sort of key. In any event, the idol itself is worth 2,500 gp, so it’s unlikely the PCs will leave it behind. If they do, Malcanthet may be forced to intervene, sending another agent to retrieve the idol and surreptitiously return it to the possessions of one of the PCs.

In any event, once the PCs have explored the ruins and convinced Urol it’s time to go, continue with Part Two above.

PART FIVE: SARGASSO

Sailors call it Journey’s End, and speak of it in hushed tones—a floating graveyard that scours the ocean, constantly seeking new ships to add to its collection. This is the sargasso of the Mother of All, and it represents the greatest danger the PCs are destined to face on their voyage to the Isle of Dread.

The Sea Wyvern encounters the strange sargasso bed after the first storm separates her from the Blue Nixie. None on board notice the sargasso’s advent; it comes upon the ship at night, under the cover of an overcast sky. The next morning, the crew awakens to an unsettling sight.

As the gray dawn breaks, burning fitfully through the morning fog to light the sea, something seems strange about the waters below. They seem almost solid, as if the sea had formed some strange sort of skin. The air seems dead as well, and the sails hang limp, heavy with moisture from the receding fog. Finally, the mist begins to clear, and what is unveiled is not the gently rolling vista of the sea but a wet green field of weed. The swath of dirty green stretches flatly in all directions. To the stern, it extends for perhaps a half mile, beyond which lie the open waters of the mocking sea. In all other directions, the weed extends to the horizon. Trapped within its vice are dozens of other long-dead ships, their hulls protruding from the sargasso at odd angles, masts askew, sails hanging in tatters. One such ship lies mired only six hundred feet to the port, and it seems to be in better shape than the others. Perhaps most unnerving, however, is neither the sight nor smell of so much sun-baked seaweed. It is the unnatural silence, for the thick choking green has robbed the Sea Wyvern even of the strangely comforting sound of water lapping against her hull. It is not a healthy silence. It is the silence of a graveyard.

The Sargasso

Characters may make a Knowledge (nature), Profession (sailor), or bardic knowledge check to determine what they may have heard about their most recent plight.

DC 15: The swath of seaweed is a sargasso, a treacherous patch of vegetation often driven by storms only to collect in regions of the ocean that even the wind and currents seem to fear. A patch a mile across would be unusual, yet this swath stretches to the horizon.

DC 20: Sailors call it Journey’s End, and speak of it in hushed tones—rumors of a living island that appears from the mists after storms. This living land is said to have a black soul that fuels the hunger of children rumored to live within its green embrace.

DC 25: Journey’s End is one of the sea’s more terrible blights, and is said to be able to crush ships in its grip. Its children are awful creatures formed of the weed itself, and are said to rise by night to slake their hunger upon any their green mother has caught in her grasp.

General Features

This is one case where the half-whispered rumors are true—the Sea Wyvern has fallen prey to a sinister and dangerous menace known as the Mother of All, a hateful aquatic plant. The Mother of All has grown enormous over the decades, and measures well over five miles in diameter. Unfortunately for the PCs, her fronds are mostly inert except at her core, where she remains horribly, hungrily alive.

In most places the sargasso surface consists of a heavy mat of seaweed. The mat is ten feet thick, and dense enough to walk on (although characters must spend two squares of movement to enter a square of heavy sargasso mat, and the DC of Tumble checks increases by 5). Near the sargasso’s heart, the green fronds rise up into large forests of stinking, rotting kelp, forming mounds of the stuff from which brown and green arms almost like branches or even trees protrude.

The Mother of All dwells at the sargasso’s center, in the hull of her first victim, a ship called the Thunderer. She can vaguely sense the presence of life moving about on her fronds, and the first night after the PCs become mired in the weed, she sends the first of her children to greet them.

In any event, the Sea Wyvern is doomed to rot in this green embrace. Attempts to burn or cut away the weed might allow the ship to make a few dozen feet of headway each day, but the stuff grows back with unnatural speed. Eventually, the PCs should be driven to seek out clues to their predicament in nearby wrecks, such as the wreck of the Rage, which lies only a few hundred feet away.

The Wreck of the Rage

The wreck is strangled with weeds and vines, almost as if immense green claws hold the ship in their grasp. In many places the caravel, a ship hauntingly similar to the Sea Wyvern, has been torn apart by the vegetation’s rampant growth. A plate near the stern gives the vessel’s name—Rage.

This caravel lies two hundred yards away from the Sea Wyvern, her hull crushed and her decks listing perilously to port. As the PCs approach the Rage, be sure to emphasize the quality of the sargasso—the dampness, the disorientation of walking on unsure ground, and the strange currents in the puddles that swirl around the heroes’ feet, almost as if the fronds of the weed itself were stirring.

The timbers of the Rage’s deck are rotting, and squelch nastily underfoot as the PCs board the wreck. Ship beams have been ruptured by the vines, which cling to every surface. As the PCs explore the Rage, they note signs of combat—a swath of dried blood, a broken rapier’s blade lodged in a mast, or signs of frantic fortification.

1. Upper Deck

The upper deck is wreathed in slippery seaweed and swaths of what appear to be thick green mucus. Although almost everything has been smashed, the remains of three dozen burnt torches and an upturned cauldron that seems to have recently been filled with oil are still visible. Anyone who scrapes away the mucus or vines and makes a DC 15 Search check discovers that in many spots, the wood appears to have been partially burnt.

2. Crew Room

The doors from the deck above have been barred with timbers, but to no avail, as they lay smashed herein along with a broken ballista. Although once the ship had lower decks, they have been completely filled with weed and hold nothing of interest to the PCs.

3. Captain’s Cabin (EL 6)

Beyond the crew room lies the captain’s cabin. A large hole is in the floor, through which the green of the sargasso can be seen. PCs that enter this room can make DC 15 Spot checks to notice that a tattered journal lies on the edge of a table across the room. Unfortunately, the ship’s deck has sunk, and the journal now lies precariously perched at the table’s edge.

As soon as anyone enters the room on foot, the floorboards twist and buckle, sending the journal into the sargasso 5 feet below. The journal’s pages can last for up to three rounds in the soggy water of the pit before the words contained within become illegible. It’s a simple matter to leap into the hole to retrieve the book, but unfortunately, the pit is far from uninhabited.

Creature: Three aquatic assassin vines, living in symbiosis with the strands of the sargasso, grow in the weed nearby. Any creature that comes within reach (such as anyone leaping into the hole to nab a fallen journal) is immediately attacked.

These assassin vines are identical to the ones in the Monster Manual, save that they have a swim speed of 5 feet and can survive in air or water with ease.

Assassin Vines (3): hp 30 each; Monster Manual 20.

Treasure: The journal chronicles the tale of a monk named Anhelm and his journey along the southern coast of the Amedio to visit the natives of the Isles of Azuaxal. The document tells of a fierce storm that drove the Rage far out to sea, but it is the entries on the last few pages that are of the greatest interest to the PCs—see Handout 1.

Handout 1

This foul green land is stained with blight. We tried to cut away the weed, but to no avail, and soon had to abandon the tools we had used, their edges dulled to misery.

At noon, I ordered Carus and Twaid out onto the weed to explore. How large can such a place be? The crew grow restless. It is dusk. Efforts to destroy the weed have failed. I have explored what I could, but this is all mists and weed. When will Carus and Twaid return? Despite the calm, the night is not still, and I feel eyes watching me.

The night brought noises but no attack, but I fear for my brothers; I heard cries in the night—was it them? I feel something is alive here, but what can it be? Captain Grough claimed the land had a black heart—maybe Carus and Twaid will have some useful information when they return.

Afternoon. I have decided to find my brothers, and have taken Ranis and Pale with me. They are good brothers, and will aid me as best they can. We shall find the land’s black heart.

We headed east, making good headway as only brothers can. By night we had covered many miles but saw nothing but more of the green.

It is night, and I can hear life. Something moves at the edge of sight. Why do they not show themselves? I can hear them whisper one word, over and over, “Outsiders…”

It is afternoon. We have come to a terrible place, a forest of weed grown in mockery of real life, a mire of skeletal ships. How many souls have been lost here? Our supplies grow wan, we must return by the morn to the Rage.

It is dawn, and we have returned to the Rage too late. The crew are gone and the green holds her ever fast. Where have they gone?

I can hear them in the day now. They are outside. They are watching. They want me to join them, but I shall not.

Ranis and Pale are dead. They came through the mist, yet they were not the same. I knew them by the tatters of clothes draped over the green that took their flesh. What wore their bodies has been vanquished, but I know now that these were but the children of what dwells at this land’s heart. I must seek the mother at this heart, for to destroy the mother is to destroy the brood. If only I had…

The First Night (EL 7 or 8)

Even if the PCs head out into the sargasso at once, they are unlikely to discover the wreck of the Thunderer before night falls. As the sun sets, allow the PCs to make DC 15 Spot checks. With a success, they notice shapes stirring in the distant green, and as the last light of day fades and the mist rises once again, they may just see the shape of horror rising from the weeds.

With night comes the fog (reducing visibility to 30 feet and providing concealment [20% miss chance] to all creatures within) and the children of the sargasso—vine horrors. These plant monsters are vaguely humanoid, fatted on the bodies of the sargasso’s victims and hungry to add more to the hive. The vaguely humanoid plant monsters share a rudimentary hive mind—not enough to communicate with each other, but enough for them to receive impulses from the Mother of All that dwells at this land’s core. She senses new life on the Sea Wyvern (or at the PCs’ camp, if night catches them elsewhere on the sargasso), and sends the vine horrors to collect.

The vine horrors are relentless foes, and the sargasso hides hundreds, if not thousands, of the creatures. During the first night, you should run as many vine horror attacks as you think the PCs can bear; if the fights begin to feel repetitive, feel free to let dawn come and send the monsters back to their watery homes below the sargasso surface. It’s best to focus on the battles that involve the PCs. Feel free to have some of the unnamed colonists go missing, but the named NPCs shouldn’t be idly killed off.

Vine horrors generally attack in groups of 3–4. The goal isn’t to overwhelm the PCs, simply to impress upon them the relentless nature of their foes. As they attack, they whisper and call to the PCs, speaking only one word over and over: “Outsiders…”

Vine Horror

CR 4
NE Medium plant (aquatic)

Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Listen +3, Spot +3
Languages Common

AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16
hp 42 (5 HD)
Immune plant traits
Fort +8, Ref +1, Will +2

Spd 30 ft., swim 20 ft.

Melee 2 slams +7 (1d6+4)
Base Atk +3; Grp +7
Atk Options Blind Fight
Special Actions animate vines

Abilities Str 18, Dex 10, Con 19, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 10
SQ malleability
Feats Alertness, Blind Fight
Skills Hide +0 (+15 in swamps), Listen +3, Spot +3, Swim +16

Animate Vines (Sp): A vine horror can use this ability at will to animate any single strand of sargasso within 90 feet. An animated vine fights as an assassin vine (Monster Manual 20). If the vine horror is incapacitated or moves out of range, the vine returns to normal.

Malleability (Ex): Because of its unusual body structure, a vine horror can compress its body enough to squeeze through a 1-inch-wide crack. Cracks and similar openings that are 1 inch or more in width do not slow the vine horror at all.

The Second, Third, and Subsequent Nights

The war of attrition builds. Unless the PCs intervene or help with ideas of defenses on board, colonists and crew go missing as the days pass. Before long, things should grow desperate, and if the PCs don’t seek out the source of the horror on their own, perhaps Urol, Amella, Skald, or even Avner suggests they do their thing and play the part of heroes. Until the PCs destroy the Mother of All, they have little to look forward to but night after night of relentless assaults by her children.

Other Shipwrecks

The Rage and the Sea Wyvern are far from the only wrecks mired in the weed. Other wrecks litter the sargasso, yet these are little more than sad empty shells covered in the foul mucus and vines of the land. If you wish, some of these wrecks could hide vine horrors or aquatic assassin vines.

Some of the ships are over fifty years old, as anyone with a DC 15 Knowledge (history) or Profession (sailor) check can tell. Valuable objects may be found within them at your discretion.

The Wreck of the Thunderer

Eventually, through luck or careful planning, the PCs should come upon the forest of kelp at the sargasso’s heart. The fact that only here does the landscape change should pique their interest, and as they approach more closely, they discover something lodged at the heart of this land—the wreck of a caravel called the Thunderer.

This place is the home of the Mother. Her fronds extend outward for miles, comprising the sargasso itself, yet here in the hold of this ship she is horribly, malignantly alive. As the PCs approach the ship, they hear a strange whispering voice in their minds—not words so much as a mental beacon. Anyone who looks back across the sargasso sees the entire place coming alive. The Mother has sensed their approach, and if the PCs cannot destroy her soon, her thousand young converge at the core to tear the PCs apart.

The time the PCs have to explore the Thunderer is dynamic; the slow march of the vine horrors converging upon them is meant primarily to instill a sense of dread, and is not a promise of a mass battle (unless the PCs decide to retreat from the Thunderer to rest, perhaps).

Exploring the Wreck (EL 7)

Unlike the other wrecks, the original skeletons of the crew remain aboard, soggy bones mingled with broken chests, weapons, and rigging. The wreck itself is nearly sunken into the weed. It’s a mere five-foot climb (DC 10 Climb check) to clamber onto the main deck. The lower decks are accessible from above, but are located below the level of the weed surface. Along the walls, fronds and feelers of seaweed protrude and twitch.

Within the Thunderer wait six more vine horrors, and in order to reach the Mother of All the PCs need to confront and defeat them. Feel free to have the PCs encounter them in two groups of three, and try to time them organically at stressful points during the exploration. In all rooms below decks, fronds of weed protruding from between boards give the vine horrors plenty of targets to animate to aid in their attacks on the PCs.

Treasure: The Thunderer’s hold still contains much of her valuable cargo, and a quick search of the rotten chests kept herein uncovers quite a lot of booty, including 1,200 gp, 462 pp, four fine scrimshaw carvings (each depicting one of the seasons and worth 250 gp if cleaned), a quartet of golden goblets worth 100 gp each, a silver church candelabrum worth 350 gp, an enormous steel barnacles-covered shield depicting sharks devouring men (a +1 animated tower shield), and a watertight bone scroll tube containing an arcane scroll of hold monster, waves of fatigue, and permanency.

The Birthing Maw (EL 8)

When characters finally reach the lowest level of the ship, in the aft hold labeled “The Maw,” they come to the lair of the Mother of All.

A huge section of the hull has rotted away here, leaving a stinking pit with walls of writhing green and brown vegetation. These walls writhe with horrible half-formed life, semi-human shapes twisting and spasming from thick tumescent stalks like anthropomorphic fruits ready for harvest. The pit drops away into a noisome, unseen depth, certainly far deeper than sea level, into an unknown hell below.

The Maw itself is 100 feet deep and lined with young vine horrors—walls of screaming seedlings and writhing adolescents waiting to mature, a process that takes several weeks. At the shaft’s deepest point is a swill of water and decay, and it is here that the Mother of All dwells.

The shaft is 25 feet in diameter, and the air within is stifling hot and foul. Any creature that enters the pit must make a DC 14 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1d6 rounds. The unformed and growing vine horrors in the walls twitch and writhe to the touch, but are incapable of attacking. It’s possible to clamber down the shaft with a DC 20 Climb check.

Creature: The Mother of All dwells at the bottom of this shaft, yet she is capable of sinking into the surrounding sargasso and reappearing at any point in the mire by using transport via plants. If the PCs attempt to attack her from above, she simply appears at the top of the shaft, extruding forth from the rim of the Maw to strike at her enemies.

Mother of All: hp 105; see Appendix.

Development: When reduced to zero hit points, the Mother collapses in on herself and dies—a writhing mass of rotting vegetation that howls and shrieks until finally it lies still. A moment later, the sargasso itself weakens, as the countless vine horrors that still live within feed off the death of their Mother. Without her to hold their forms, they rapidly fall apart into sludge. A few rounds after that, the sargasso shudders and shakes as it begins to unravel from the center. The first to collapse is the maw itself, which collapses over a period of two minutes, filling with seawater at a rate of 5 feet per round. The land quickly follows, and within an hour the whole place has lost its cohesion.

With the exception of the Sea Wyvern, the remaining ships mired in the sargasso sink as the mass drifts apart. The dissolution churns the waters of the sea somewhat, and it’s a DC 15 Swim check to stay afloat. Luckily, the Thunderer collapses into ruin as the sargasso melts away, leaving in its wake plenty of driftwood for the PCs to cling to (negating the need for Swim checks to keep from sinking). In 1d4 hours, the Sea Wyvern, captained by Amella in the PCs’ absence, appears on the horizon to reclaim her floundering owners. By the time the PCs are safely back on board, all trace of Journey’s End has gone.

The expedition is now free to continue on to the last leg of their journey, as detailed in Part Three above.

Scaling the Adventure

“The Sea Wyvern’s Wake” is designed for a group of four 5th-level characters, but with a little work it can be adapted for use by 3rd–4th-level characters. Simply adjust any NPC character levels by +1 or –1 for every level by which your party’s average deviates from 5.

Reduce the flotsam ooze to a Large creature with 6 Hit Dice. Purity’s Prow should have a further 10 to 20 points of damage to her hull and rigging. Replace the seven-headed hydra in area E with a five- or six-headed hydra. Mashers encountered should be much more skittish, and retreat back into hiding in their reef as soon as they take a total of 20 points of damage. In Tamoachan, replace the basilisk with a grick or a carrion crawler. Replace the gibbering mouther with a gray ooze. The wall of fire trap in area 4 should not move. Remove Tlanextli from the adventure, and make Sutolore a 6 Hit Dice half-red dragon dire bat. Remove one or two of the assassin vines from the wreck of the Rage, and have the PCs encounter vine horrors in groups of one or two at most. The Mother of All should be replaced by a half-fiend vine horror.

Concluding the Adventure

After escaping the perils of Masher Reef in encounter L, the crippled Sea Wyvern limps along the waves. It should be obvious to the PCs their vessel will not reach Farshore—that they will be lucky to reach any shore. The closest stretch of land beckons only 25 miles away, where a narrow strip of beach along a thick wall of jungle might afford somewhere safe to land.

The storm continues through the night. Although the winds abate enough that there’s no need for Profession (sailor) checks to avoid rolls or washes, it’s strong enough that the tattered ship seems in danger of sinking at any second. Caught by the storm and the tide, the badly listing Sea Wyvern is driven toward the northern shore of the Isle of Dread. The primeval vista looms larger before the PCs through the driving rain, periodically lit by flashes of lightning. Suddenly, the ship lurches again, throwing everyone to the deck. The Sea Wyvern tilts crazily to the side, lurches one last time, and rolls. The cold dark sea rushes up to meet the PCs, and in a cacaphonous roar of wave and ruin, all goes dark…

Affiliation awards

If your PCs belong to any of the affiliations detailed in Dragon #348’s “Savage Tidings,” goals exist in “The Sea Wyvern’s Wake” that can increase their affiliation score. Each of the following criteria grants an affiliation score modifier of +1.

Church of the Whirling Fury: Kill Sutolore and report his death to the Church.

The Dawn Council: Report the destruction of Fort Greenrock, one of the few friendly ports of call along the Amedio Coast, to the Dawn Council.

The Scarlet Brotherhood: Negotiate a non-violent resolution to the Brotherhood Blockade.

The Seekers: Provide a map and documents detailing the unexplored ruins of Tamoachan visited during Part Four.

The Witchwardens: Recover the map of Limbo portals from Conrad Horst of the Wizards of the Hopping Prophet and donate the map to the Witchwardens.

Zelkarune’s Horns: Claim the seven skulls of the Atikula River hydra as trophies.

APPENDIX: NEW MONSTERS

Masher

This wormlike fish measures nearly thirty feet from tip to tail. Its face is a terrible circular maw of grinding teeth, with two beady eyes peering out from the crown of its head. Large spines rise from its sinuous back, shuddering and rattling with menace.

Masher CR 6
Always N Huge animal (aquatic)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +0, Spot +0

AC 19, touch 9, flat-footed 18 (–2 size, +1 Dex, +10 natural)
hp 68 (8 HD)
Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +7

Spd 20 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee bite +12 (3d6+12)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Base Atk +6; Grp +22
Atk Options poison spines

Abilities Str 27, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 8
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
Skills Hide +4 (+12 in coral reefs)

Environment warm oceans (coral reefs)
Organization solitary, pair, or school (3–8)
Treasure none
Advancement 9–16 HD (Huge); 17–32 HD (Gargantuan)

Poison Spines (Ex): When angered, a masher extends several poisonous spines from its back. The fish is adept at reflexively aiming these spines at any creature it can sense. It can use its spines to make attacks of opportunity on any creature that attacks it with any melee weapon, provided the masher threatens the attacking foe. Attacks made with these spines are at +12, with a hit inflicting 1d6+8 points of damage. A creature struck by a masher’s spine must make a DC 18 Fortitude save to resist taking 1d6 points of Constitution damage. One minute later, the creature must save again to resist taking a further 2d6 points of Constitution damage.

Skills: A masher’s coloration grants it a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks made while within five feet of a coral reef. These wormlike fish move slowly along coral reefs, crushing and eating coral growth by mashing it with their powerful jaws. They are exceptionally territorial, and if threatened are prone to attacking in “self-defense” with a ferocity generally associated only with the most cantankerous of predators.

Masher steaks are particularly delicious, and are considered an exotic delicacy in many ports. Preparation of masher for consumption is a delicate process, as their poison glands run throughout their body. With a DC 22 Profession (cook) check, the food is safe to eat. Consumption of an improperly prepared masher steak results in poisoning as if the feaster had been struck by one of the fish’s spines.

Mother of All

This dislocated sack of foul smelling vegetation is wreathed in screaming humanoid forms that struggle to free themselves from the foul flesh. A vast distended belly bathed in foul green mucus hangs from the vaguely humanoid form. Infantile cries echo from the hideous passengers that slowly pull themselves from their mother. Twenty feet tall, this grotesque hybrid of woman and plant is a nightmare of mucoid arms and clustered eyes. It is a deviant thing of rot, a pyramidal bulk that rises to a head of eyes and barbed, thorny teeth.

Mother of All CR 8
Always N (any) Huge plant (aquatic)
Init –2; Senses all-around vision, low-light vision; Listen +13, Spot +17

Aura babbling young
Languages Aquan, Common; limited telepathy

AC 16, touch 6, flat-footed 16 (–2 Dex, –2 size, +10 natural)
hp 105 (10 HD); DR 5/cold iron
Resist cold 10
Immune electricity, plant traits
Fort +15, Ref +1, Will +5

Spd 30 ft., swim 30 ft.; transport via sargasso
Melee bite +15 (2d6+10) and 2 claws +13 (1d6+5)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Base Atk +7; Grp +25
Attack Options carried progeny

Abilities Str 30, Dex 7, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 10
SQ amphibious, sargasso, spawn
Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Iron Will, Multiattack
Skills Listen +13, Spot +17, Swim +18

Environment ocean
Organization solitary
Treasure standard
Advancement 11–18 HD (Huge), 19–30 HD (Gargantuan)

All-Around Vision (Ex): The Mother of All can see in all directions at once, thanks to the immature vine horrors linked to her. It gets a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks, and cannot be flanked.

Carried Progeny (Ex): The immature vine horrors that cover the Mother of All constantly lash out at any creature that gets too close. Any creature adjacent to the Mother of All at the start of the Mother’s turn is subject to a slam attack from the carried progeny (+13 melee, 1d6+5 damage).

Babbling Young (Su): A Mother of All is constantly in the process of spawning dozens of vine horrors. The immature vine horrors produce a cacophony of wailing that interferes with spellcasting. Any creature within 60 feet of a Mother of All that attempts to cast a spell must first succeed on a DC 15 (+1/spell level) Concentration check or lose the spell.

Limited Telepathy (Su): The Mother of All can communicate telepathically with any vine horror within a 10 mile radius.

Sargasso (Ex): A Mother of All creates a vast stretch of seaweed in the ocean that constantly grows at the rate of 1 square mile a year. The Mother of All cannot leave its sargasso field, although if the seaweed is somehow destroyed, it can create a new one.

Spawn (Ex): A Mother of All produces a new vine horror every three days. It automatically commands any vine horrors within a 10-mile radius. As a free action, it can issue a cry of distress that causes all the vine horrors on the sargasso to return to her at once to defend her.

Transport via Sargasso (Su): Once every minute, a Mother of All can transport via plants as a free action. It may only transport via the sargasso she creates, and may appear anywhere within the sargasso.

Numerous variations of the Mother of All exist, from Sargasso Mothers (which create lands of living seaweed) to Jungle Mothers (great bloated trees), to Moor Mothers (living twisted moorlands). All have one thing in common—they spawn vine horrors of a similar appearance to the land they breed. The Mother quickly grows to subsume the land itself with her roots and branches, a growing mass of vegetation that has a unique and insidious quality of overwhelming all other forms of land in its path. This verdant cancer spreads slowly, at a leisurely rate of about a mile a year. A Mother of All can spawn a hundred vine horrors a year with ease. Her colony forms a crude hive mind and the mother can communicate with them at great distances.

The effects of the advancing vegetation depend upon the terrain, but generally anything inanimate in its path is slowly overwhelmed and absorbed into the whole.

Pickled Mephit

First appearing in the alchemical opium dens of the Styes, a pickled mephit appears as a sizable glass jar of briny liquid, in which floats a vaguely humanoid shape. If the wax-sealed lid is lifted (a move action) or the fragile jar is dropped upon an unyielding surface to shatter (a free action), the mephit stored within the jar wakens from its magically-induced preservation to angrily attack the closest target. A pickled mephit jar can be thrown as a grenade-like weapon—the mephit generally attacks whoever it strikes. The user of the item has no control over the released mephit, and is advised to be well away from the jar when it is opened.

Moderate conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, summon monster IV;
Price 1,400 gp.

Richard writes, “And there I was, thinking the second time would be easier… Where’s that ladder? Which tree to hide in now—ah! The big horrible one Vaughan and Logue are climbing…”

“Big thanks to Eric Boyd and that scoundrel Steve Greer for the long discussion on breathing life into a classic D&D cover. May I humbly suggest that before you run the sargasso you treat yourself to a viewing of one of my favorite films, Aliens, and learn from the classic ‘against the odds’ monster movie.”