Recommended Party Size: 3-5 players

Estimated Duration: 2 threads (briefing/preparation/travel, then investigation/encounter)

Quest Type: Repeatable Bounty / Side Quest (potentially Faction Quest for a Merchant Guild or City Guard)

Prerequisites (If any): Reliable means of water breathing (potions, spells, racial abilities) is essential. Proficiency in underwater combat is highly recommended.

Objective:

Details: Captain Valerius Thorne, a stern but respected official from the Harbormaster's Office, is gravely concerned. Reports of missing cargo, damaged vessels, and even lost fisherfolk have increased along the vital "Azure Passage," a trade route that skirts the treacherous "Kraken's Clutch" reef system. Survivors speak of coordinated attacks by a cunning Sahuagin leader and its pack of trained sharks. Captain Thorne needs a capable group of adventurers to venture into the Kraken's Clutch, locate this Sahuagin marauder, eliminate the threat, and restore safety to the passage. This isn't just about lost goods anymore; lives are at stake.

Primary Goal:

• Navigate to the suspected Sahuagin hunting grounds within the Kraken's Clutch reef system.
• Locate and eliminate the Sahuagin leader and its associated pack of sharks (e.g., 1 Sahuagin and 2-3 Reef Sharks).
• Ensure the immediate area of recent attacks is cleared of this specific threat.

Secondary Goals:

• Recover a lost Harbormaster's Strongbox from a recently wrecked merchant cog, "The Sea Serpent's Kiss," believed to be near the Sahuagin's lair (it contains important shipping manifests).
• Map a particularly treacherous, previously uncharted narrow passage within the Kraken's Clutch that the Sahuagin might be using for ambushes.
• Report any signs of a larger Sahuagin presence or a more established undersea settlement.

Failure Conditions:

• The party is defeated or forced to retreat without neutralizing the primary Sahuagin threat.
• The party causes significant, avoidable ecological damage to the reef or antagonizes other, non-hostile significant aquatic life in the area (e.g., a peaceful pod of dolphins, a wise old sea turtle).
• The Harbormaster's Strongbox is lost or destroyed due to the party's actions (if its recovery is attempted).

Location: The Kraken's Clutch reef system – a sprawling network of coral formations, underwater canyons, kelp forests, and small sea caves, known for strong currents and hidden dangers. The water depth ranges from 30 to 100 feet.

Timeline: Captain Thorne needs the passage secured urgently, ideally within 3-4 days. The Sahuagin threat is active and ongoing.

Difficulty Level: CR 4 (This encounter is designed to challenge a party accustomed to CR 4 threats, especially with the complexities of underwater combat).

Useful Skills/Abilities:

Skills:

• Swim: Absolutely critical for effective movement and combat. Checks may be required for navigating strong currents or tight spaces.
• Perception: To detect ambushes, spot the Sahuagin, locate the shipwreck/strongbox, and identify hazards or map details. Underwater penalties apply.
• Survival: To track the Sahuagin, navigate the reef system, and potentially identify safe resting spots or sources of aid (if any).
• Knowledge (Nature): To understand Sahuagin tactics, shark behavior, and reef ecology.
• Knowledge (Local or Dungeoneering): For information about the Kraken's Clutch, shipwrecks, or navigating cave-like structures within the reef.
• Disable Device: If the strongbox is trapped or requires picking.
• Use Magic Device: If scrolls or wands for underwater utility are found/used.

Abilities:

• Consistent access to Water Breathing.
• Enhanced swim speeds or abilities like Freedom of Movement.
• Darkvision or superior low-light vision.
• Attacks and spells effective underwater (piercing weapons, force effects, electricity spells, some cold spells). Ranged attacks will be heavily penalized unless specific (e.g., tridents, crossbows at short range).
• Abilities to deal with multiple opponents or a tougher single foe.
• Healing capabilities.

Potential Challenges:

Threats: (GM should aim for a combined CR 4 encounter; 1200 XP budget)

• Primary Encounter Group Example:
• 1x Sahuagin (CR 2, 600 XP) – possibly acting as a leader/hunter.
• 3x Reef Sharks (CR 1/2, 200 XP each = 600 XP) – acting as a hunting pack.
• Alternative Encounters for Repeatability:
• 2x Sahuagin (CR 2 each = 1200 XP) – a well-coordinated pair.
• 1x Medium Water Elemental (CR 3, 800 XP) that has been agitated or corrupted, plus 2x Adaros (CR 1/2, 200 XP each = 400 XP).
• Environmental Hazards:
• Strong Currents: Certain channels may have currents requiring DC 15 Swim checks to avoid being pushed 1d4x5 feet or to move at half speed.
• Razor Coral: Moving through or being pushed into patches of razor coral might inflict 1d6 slashing damage (Reflex DC 13 half).
• Murky Pockets/Kelp Chokes: Areas of poor visibility or difficult terrain.
• Unstable Wreckage: The shipwreck might have sections that could collapse (Reflex save to avoid minor damage or being pinned).

Environmental Factors

Weather (Surface): Affects boat travel to the reef. Could range from calm to stormy, impacting visibility from the surface or making approach difficult.

Terrain (Underwater):

• Complex coral formations, narrow passages, small caves, kelp beds, sandy patches.
• The wreck of "The Sea Serpent's Kiss" – broken hull, scattered cargo.
• Visibility can vary from 60ft in open water to 10-20ft in murky areas or dense kelp.

NPCs:

Allies:

• Captain Valerius Thorne: (See Quest Giver). Will provide a chart to the general area of the Kraken's Clutch and the last known coordinates of "The Sea Serpent's Kiss." He may offer an advance on the reward for purchasing necessary supplies (e.g., potions of water breathing).

Enemies: (As detailed under "Threats" – primarily Sahuagin and their aquatic allies/pets). The Sahuagin will use ambush tactics, the cover of the reef, and attempt to separate party members if possible.

Quest Giver:

Name: Captain Valerius Thorne

Description: A human male in his late 40s, with a weathered face, sharp grey eyes, and a neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper beard. He wears the practical uniform of the Harbormaster's Office, adorned with a silver anchor pin. He speaks with authority and expects competence.

Rewards:

• Experience Points (XP): 1200 XP (total, to be divided or per player as per your game's rules).
• Bonus XP:
• +200 XP for recovering the Harbormaster's Strongbox intact.
• +100 XP for providing a useful map of the new passage.
• +100 XP for reporting significant intelligence about further Sahuagin threats.
• Gold Pieces (GP): 500 GP (total).
• Bonus GP:
• +100 GP if the strongbox contains additional valuables that Thorne allows the party to keep a share of.
• +50 GP for exceptional stealth or tactics in neutralizing the threat with minimal alarm.
• Items:
• Consumables (Potential):
• Thorne might provide 2-3 Potions of Water Breathing or a Scroll of Water Breathing as part of the quest resources.
• From the recovered strongbox or as an additional reward: 1-2 Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds, or a Scroll of a relevant 2nd-level utility spell (e.g., Resist Energy (Electricity), Darkvision).
• Mundane Treasure (From Wreck/Sahuagin):
• Sahuagin often use tridents and nets; masterwork versions could be found.
• Small gems, pearls, or coral jewelry worth 50-100 gp total from the Sahuagin's hoard or salvaged from the wreck.
• Quest-Specific Item: Harbormaster's Strongbox.
• Reputation: Significant positive reputation with the Harbormaster's Office and local merchant companies. This could lead to more lucrative or important quests, access to special permits, or discounts on shipping/harbor fees.
• Penalties:
• Failure to recover the Strongbox (if attempted and failed due to negligence) may result in a 100-150 GP reduction from the main reward.
• Causing undue alarm or large-scale destruction in the reef might result in a formal reprimand from the Harbormaster and a loss of reputation.
• If the Sahuagin threat is not dealt with effectively and attacks resume quickly, future contracts from Thorne may be forfeit.