Tactics: The Sahuagin would engage the party while still about 30 feet away (as the arm didn’t wash ashore too far). The Priestess would stay back, perhaps even in the water, to support her allies. Apart from winning the fight, the Sahuagin also look to overpower the party while they are still somewhat alive to drag them off (see later).

If the party does choose to loiter around while investiga-ting, they are attacked by a party of Sahuagin that steps out of the surf.

As the PCs investigate, it becomes obvious this is a humanoid’s arm, severed at the shoulder, wearing a bracelet set with blue stones. With an Intelligence (Investigation) check they discover it is a human’s (DC 5), a young woman (DC 10), in fact, and that the arm was not torn off, but hacked or sliced by a sharp blade (DC 15). Furthermore, the arm spent several days in the water before washing ashore (DC 20, this is so hard to see, due to the pecking of the birds).

After having travelled for a few hours to this other village (Myski) without seeing a soul, they notice a big flock of seagulls in the distance. As they close in over the next few minutes, they see more clearly that the seagulls are ravenously fighting over something in the sand. When approached however, the birds quickly scamper. Even at a fair few paces, it is obvious what the birds were fighting about, simply because of the smell: rotting flesh.

The PCs find themselves travelling on the beach heading west. They have recently landed in a town called Lovir, after doing some business on an island off the coast. On their way to the capital (Todolsk) of these lands they travel by coast, since there are roads to the center of these lands, but none that follow the waterline. The reason for this is the fact that the sand of the beaches is very flat. Therefore people simply use these beaches as highways whenever they want to travel

This adventure was intended for four 3rd level characters. However it can easily be played with six 2nd level characters, three 4th level characters, or two 5th level characters. Straying too far from these recommended numbers might make the fights rather imbalanced, however, if you’re into that sort of thing and looking for that kind of playstyle, don’t let me stop you.

Terrain: If the terrain is notable, such as being difficult to traverse or if certain parts are interactable, this will be noted here.

Tactics: How the NPCs will most likely interact with each other and the players.

Light: The most likely amount of light, useful for certain class abilities or setting the mood

Myski

Small town, ~250 residents, one inn, which does triple duty as a brothel and a meeting hall. Mayor: Kalagin Yanovich

As the party nears the town, any member with a passive perception of 10 or higher would notice the town is rather quiet for the time of day (late afternoon). Although this does seem in line with not seeing a single soul on the beaches.

Entering the town, it seems rather abandoned at first, until the party comes to the center of the town, where a river debouches into the sea. All across the bank are nearly every single townsperson, looking down onto a rowboat which is slowly let out into the sea. After the boat has reached open water, an archer fires a flaming arrow, lighting the empty boat on fire as it drifts away. After the spectacle, the crowd disperses. Given the time of day, most people go to their homes, or the inn.

During the ceremony, or when in the inn, the party can overhear (people aren’t necessarily very quiet) that it is a young girl, Little Jane, that has gone missing. She was universally loved, as she always played in the marketplace, with a smile gleaming as sunshine on the snow and her blue bracelet around her wrist. Seeing as the body was never found, an empty rowboat was sent out to sea. Since this is the third disappearance this month, and the fifth in two months, people have grown more than uneasy. No one dares venture out of town anymore, except for the fishermen that risk their lives for the rest, just out of bare necessity to stay alive. The town is in dire straits indeed.

If the PCs inquire further, they will surely find someone willing to tell them the full story, even though they are strangers. Any hope at a solution is worth their time. Little Jane disappeared less than a week ago when out collecting shells, even though apparently her mother forbade her to do so. The Mayor insists that the disappearances are due to “just” shark attacks (most did happen at sea) and Jane must have gone swimming that day. Most people don’t buy this though and the mayor’s lack of action doesn’t sit well with them.

If the PCs do inquire, whether in the inn or during the ceremony, the major might intrude on them, ask who they are and what they are doing here. He might even tell them the story himself. Otherwise, the residents can point the PCs in the right direction (the town hall) if they offer their help. A third option is that the PCs go out by themselves without consulting the major.

Continuation

Through their inquiries the PCs can find out that Little Jane was last seen heading west out of the village. Not too many people frequent those parts, as the mountains encroach onto the water and the beaches become too narrow or too bumpy for carts. However, since not many people go there, there are plenty of pretty shells untouched.

Siren (CR 4)

Whether the party chooses to go by foot over the narrow passageways or by boat, just past the surf, they are attacked by a Siren. However, depending on their choice, the fight can play out very differently.

Creatures: Siren* (MM 285)

Light: Depending on when the party set out. If they didn’t stay the night, the sun will have set by now.

Tactics: The Siren would look to first sing to the party and convince them of her good will with her outstanding Charisma (Persuasion) modifier. While she does so, she might also attempt to Charm one of the party members.

The Siren doesn’t look to just murder the party, she’ll look to charm at least one person and overpower the rest. If the party is by boat, the Siren’s first actions will be to destroy the boat, unless she is directly attacked. A DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check is required to destroy part of the boat. Since she is not very good at this herself, the siren will have the charmed PC attempt this. When trying it herself, she would charge towards the boat (by moving at least 10 feet straight towards it, either by air or water), giving her advantage on the check (due to her Fly-/Swimby traits, she doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when flying so close past the boat).

It takes two successful checks for the boat to start sinking. It will fully sink in one minute (so 10 rounds). Every consecutive successful check reduces the remaining time to sink by half.

If she manages to make the boat sink, she has the advantage and will use her Fly-/Swimby trait to overpower the PCs.

If the party is victorious, but their boat was destroyed, they wash/swim ashore in 5d4 minutes. It is unlikely they would have been very far out to sea.

The cave

The party starts coming by a couple of crevices and caves in the mountains that reach the sea, but most of them are very small and narrow and the few that aren’t are empty besides a few sedentary sea creatures, crabs and the like. Not too long after the party faced the Siren (perhaps an hour or two), they come across a slightly bigger opening than the ones they have seen before. Furthermore, it is lined with seaweed, broken shells lie on the ground and part of what seems to be a rowboat is stranded nearby.

At the entrance (1), and especially once they enter the cave, a pungent smell of decay hangs in the air. The water here seems foul and is mostly standing, rather than connected to the sea, due to a height difference at the entrance.

Water Weird (CR 3)

Past a small passageway, a pool of dark brown water, about 15ft deep, takes up the entire floor of a circular room (2).

As the party approaches, a Water Weird forms out of the foul water.

Creatures: Water Weird (MM 299)

Light: Dark

Tactics: Due to the pollution of the water, the Water Weird is evil. It has no advanced tactics. Its sole purpose is to see off intruders. It does not pursue fleeing people.

Terrain: The entire room is a pool of water, so crossing it means either swimming, flying, or water walking. During the fight this might give the Water Weird the advantage.

A few meters after this room, there is a fork in the cave. The room to the left can be seen somewhat, to the right the cave continues around the corner.

The room to the left (3) is the Hag’s hoard, it has several parts of broken ships and boats, on which are growing different types of algae, somewhat like a garden. Trapped in a pool on the ground are several local fish. If any party members were previously captured, this is where they’d be tied up.