The Sea Witch of Termallec
The residents of Termallaine tell tales of a spirit that resides in the mountains and the bay, controlling the wind and weather, and deciding their fates. She is said to be wild and unpredictable, much like the tumultuous ocean. If asked about the ring of stone pillars that stand like sentinels in the bay, they will tell you legends of an ancient lord who spited the sea spirit, and was brought down because of it.
Plot points/Scenes
You breach the edge of the silent forest on the crest of a grassy hill. From this vantage point you are offered a commanding view of the bay that opens up before you. The smell of salt and seaweed is carried on the wind, a welcome change from the cloying scent of slowly decaying vegetation that had pervaded the wood. The bay is long and narrow; bounded on the north by sheer cliffs, and on the south by a narrow pebble beach pressed up against the edge of the pine wood. The southern horizon is dominated by the ominous Mountains of the Moon that rise sentinel over this hidden vale. The hill on which you stand slopes gently down to the bay, a worn dirt path passing through fields of grazing sheep and cattle. On the north bank of a small estuary is a cluster of squat stone buildings; you estimate about forty. They're huddled close together, and built facing up the hill, as if trying to turn away from the elements. Perhaps most striking however, are the seven granite pillars that stand in a wide arc several hundred feet into the sea. They stand at various heights, the tallest likely 100 feet tall, and are pitted and crumbling from the constant assault of the weather. But there is no mistaking it. These are the remains of a once great castle wall. There is a slight shift in the wind, and with it comes a new scent, the smell of smoke and burning flesh. You suddenly notice a black plume rising from the beach behind the buildings.
Termallaine
When the party first approach, the majority of the townspeople are on the beach crowded around a funeral pyre. The previous alderman, Dain, was killed by a sahuagin the night before while pulling in his boat. They are initially shocked to see outsiders in town - its not too often they have visitors, especially in this season - but one of them near the back of the crowd approaches and suggests they wait in the mead hall until the ceremony is finished. Regardless of what they choose to do, after the body has been burnt, Aldrin Heed (a tall man with a thick black mustache and wind damaged skin) greets them. He is grieving, and will speak openly about the death of his father and the troubles of the town. Initially he will reveal:- Dain was his father, and now he is the alderman
- Dains death was just the first in a long string of murders and disappearances
- The local divers and fisherman are too scared to go out on the water now, and Aldrin is not too sure what he can do
- Artus spoke at length with his father, Dain, about the history of the region
- Dain took him out to inspect the pillars, and close to the north cliffs
- Artus spoke to several people around town, including the old fisher woman Siora, who lives on the south shore, the boy Carlin, and the pearl divers, Sara, Gordon, and Ender
- He stayed for several days, was gone for a night, returned wet and haggard the next day, and pressed on for Bryn Shander.
Speaking with the locals
Speaking with several of the locals will provide useful information for the dungeon ahead. Carlin A youthful human boy of 17, with short cropped blonde hair and a freckled face. Carlin's parents are farmers and own a house just north east of town, however he loves climbing and earns his coin by collecting gull eggs from the cliffs on the north bank. He says he claims to be the best climber in all of the Dale, but will admit that he's never made it to the ruins in the cliff face on account of the unnaturally strong winds around them. But he has climbed the tallest pillar in the bay! Siora An elven woman of close to 300 years, she is is stooped but still retains much of her grace. She can be found wondering the south shore of the bay collecting various herbs and plants for her tinctures. She is in fact a druid of some ability, and has a strong knowledge of the history of this place. She keeps a shrine to Melora and Kord in her humble home, but is hesitant to explain why. She will sell the PCs gilliweed if they require, for a few silver per dose. Sara, Gordon and Ender A human, and two half-elf brothers respectively, all young adults and with an air of arrogance around them. They're the only diving crew that will still risk the bay, although this latest killing has them a bit spooked due to how close it was to the village. They will speak freely about their work, the treasures they sometimes find on the seafloor, and how the best pearls are found on the north bank. They will all scoff at the idea of an evil sea spirit, but Ender will be noticeably distressed. If pressed, he will speak about how he has heard singing coming from the ruins before. Other townspeople will tell tales and stories surrounding the sea witch of Termallec, and speak of strange sightings and visions on the shoreline or in the hills. They'll also tell of how the town has been destroyed by freak storms on many occasions throughout the centuries.Exploring the Area
The area around Termallaine consists of; sheer cliffs and foothills in the north, rolling hills to the east leading to the forest, a long pebble beach on the south shore, bordered by the forest. The North Shore At the end of the beach the land rises abruptly into steep cliffs. At low tide, a short rocky plateau is exposed at the foot of the cliff, pockmarked with rock pools and the occasional cave. Any time spent exploring here will reveal a number of very valuable pearls, as well as small caves, most less than three feet tall that seem to hint at caverns deeper within the hillside. They will also come across the corpse of a fisherman, half devoured, bloated and decaying. There will be obvious signs of blades on his remains, but a decent medical check will reveal that drowning was the true cause of death. The Hills The foothills are steep and treacherous as they rise quickly into the northern reaches of the Mountains of the Moon. Traversing them is difficult, and there are no trails or paths. Exploring around here runs the risk of bumping into a mountain lion, ogre or hill giant. Its not easy, but it is possible to get close to the cliff edge. Anyone standing here though runs the risk of being blown from it due to the extremely high winds however. With a high enough investigation check, its possible to find a cave that runs deep into the mountains, and will ultimately lead to the castle interior.
East Hills and South Coast
The only things of interest to find here are the long forgotten ruins of past cities. They are evidence that the city that once stood here was enormous.Sahuagin Raid
On the second or third night a large group of sahuagin warriors steals into the village but are spotted by a sentry and a battle ensues. The players are woken by the sound of the fighting and emerge from the house to see several groups of villagers battling the raiders. The players will help in repelling the sahuagin, assisting a number of distinct groups in the process. As battle dies down, it will become apparent that the aldermans daughters have been taken, and he will beseech the party to help him rescue them.The Encounter
A large group of sahuagin enter the village to kill, steal, and kidnap as much as possible. One of their goals is to capture sacrifices for their rituals. In total, 24 sahuagin come ashore in four units of six, as well as four merrow and two sahuagin priestesses. The sahuagin warriors form the main fighting front while the merrow hang back, trying to use their harpoons to reel in prey. If they capture someone, they drag them back to the water and take them back to the underground dwelling. The two priestesses will also hang back and provide support to the warriors from a distance. When half of the total number have died, or if one of the priestesses dies, the whole group will retreat. When the party first emerge from the house, they will see a group of local militia being cut down by the sahuagin and a woman being dragged away by a merrow. Once this group have been defeated, the sound of combat will likely draw them towards the center of town where a larger group of NPCs are fighting eight sahuagin, two merrow, and the priestess. Once these have been killed they will see Alrdin, covered in blood, axe in hand and wide eyed as he realises his daughters have been taken. He will beseech the party to find them.The Rescue
The retreating sahuagin and the two girls can be tracked to the beach and towards the north cliffs. There is no sand on the shore, only very small pebbles that give way very easily when stepped on, making a crunching noise and sinking to ankle height (considered rough terrain). The tracks in these stones confirm a number of creatures moved this way before disappearing into the turbulent waters. It is high tide at this time, and the sahuagin cannot be tracked further than this at this time. However, the tide will turn within the next six hours, at which point the rock pools will be accessible again. Diving into the pool, it is a 25 foot journey through a narrow chamber before surfacing in an underground cavern. There is dim lighting from some small cracks in the stone ceiling. The journey from the outside pool to this cave isn't challenging but a noisy exit will alert the guards within the chamber of the parties location. The cavern itself is a large space, almost entirely covered by a large pool of water of varying depths. As the tide rises, the room gradually fills until it is almost compeltely submerged at high tide. At the far end of the space the ground forms a ridge about 5 feet above the floor (2 feet above water level). A large, ancient stone door is set into the natural stone wall of the cave here, in front of it is a stone basin that appears to be naturally formed, and that has a steady stream of water flowing from the bowl. In the bowl is a glowing blue orb, about the size of a football. Two merrow, three sahuagin, two sahuagin priestesses (if they survived the intitial raid, but at least one), and a sahuagin baron stand around it chanting, led by one of the priestesses. The kidnapped girls are unconscious and chained to a stake below the glowing orb. Two sahuagin sentries stand near the entrance, but are distracted by the ritual that is occurring at the north end of the chamber (disadvantage on perception checks). If they become aware of the party they will immediately retreat to warn the rest of the group.Tactics
The priestess/priestesses will provide support from the back while the sahuagin warriors push forward. The two merrow will attempt to harpoon and drag targets into the deeper water where they will try to grapple and drown them. The sahuagin baron will attempt to identify the greatest threat and engage them directly. All will fight to the death, although when the fight begins to look dire one of the priestesses will turn to the orb and begin praying to their god to intervene, ignoring the attackers until she is slain.The Ruins of Termallec Castle
Puzzle
The stone door is set into the natural wall of the cavern, but is clearly man made - although very old. There is no handle, but a DC15 investigation check will reveal markings that suggest the structure slides horizontally. It is magically protected so that the stone can not be chipped or damaged by conventional means. The stone basin has a riddle carved into it, only just perceptible beneath the water that flows over it. It is written in elvish.Away all ye who cursed this land
And stripped it bare with sword in hand
A promise not held inside a keep
Brings you down to oceans deep
But to those few with nature's gift
And kind of heart the earth shall shift
This place was formed by earth, sea, storm
And so these tasks you must perform.
The orb can be rotated freely in any direction due to the bowl shape of the basin and the water rising up beaneath it. On the orb are three equally spaced concave holes about the size of a fist. If within these earth, air and water are placed the door will open. This can be created magically, or be as simple as stone from the walls or blowing into the orb to simulate wind. When one element is added into a bowl it will begin to glow turquoise as the element is seemingly absorbed. Once all three glow the door will unlock and slide open revealing a staircase up to the next area.
And stripped it bare with sword in hand
A promise not held inside a keep
Brings you down to oceans deep
But to those few with nature's gift
And kind of heart the earth shall shift
This place was formed by earth, sea, storm
And so these tasks you must perform.
Level 1: Water
Behind the stone door a weather eroded corridor leads into darkness ahead. The corridor is made of cut stone slabs and has been carved in beautiful detail. It was clearly once part of a majestic structure. As the party progress lanterns of polished glass light up emitting a pale blue glow. Inspection reveals they are age old lamps infused with gradually weakening magic. The corridor exits into a sweeping chamber with ceilings 50 feet high. The visible walls are made of light colored stone, and the entire room is well lit. Several waterfalls pour into the room from above, drowning out any other sound, and filling the floor of the room with three feet of water. The water is crystal clear, and a large circular mosaic is visible beneath it. At the center of the mosaic is a fountain, at the top of which is another glowing blue orb. The room is fifty feet wide and eighty feet in length. On the far side, a grand archway leads into another room. As the players approach the center of the room a water elemental will rise up before them, and speak a challenge to them in quan, and then sylvan. If the players cannot answer it attacks. The elemental will use its turn to merge with the water and pop up near other players to flank them. It will continue to do so until all players are incapacitated. If the orb at the top of the fountain is knocked down or destroyed the elemental will dissapear. As such, it will treat any player that aproaches the orb with priority. When the elemental is defeated it leaves behind a golf ball sized orb, identical to the larger orb that had powered it. This can be used to summon an elemental in the future.Level 2: Earth
The stairs lead to a long rectangular room with an arched ceiling. The room is about 100 feet in length, and 40 feet wide. The players enter close to one side of the room onto a five foot platform with a crumbling stone balustrade that runs along one wall of the room. A perceptive player might realise that this indicates they are not at the base level of the room. A DC15 investigation check of the stonework will show signs that the walkway used to extend around the side of the room as well, and lead to the far side of the room, as well as the fact that on the opposite side of the room a stairway used to exist. Carved into the back wall is the phrase:Those who resist the Wildmothers embrace are doomed to rest forever within her
Between these two platforms is an expanse of small pebbles similar to those found in the bay where the party entered (difficult terrain). They are a mix of black, grey and white. Very light objects can sit on these with no effect but most creatures and items will begin sinking through the pebbles.
When players attempt to walk across the stones they must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC12) or be dragged deeper into the “pool”. The DC will increase by 2 after each failure.
The pebbles are 15 feet thick and underneath them is a bare stone room (10 foot drop). Other than the occasional pebble falling down when something is dropped it is clear that this layer is held in place magically.
If a player stands still they will gradually begin to descend through the pebbles and emerge from the other side unharmed. Only those who struggle are held in place within the pebble layer. Because of this, any item that sinks into the surface will emerge in the empty room below, falling to the ground and providing a clue that there is something below.
The room below only has a few pebbles and a twisted stone staircase that spirals up through the centre of the dungeon.
Further on: If the players make it to the other side of the chamber without passing through they will enter an area of ruined castle.
Castle Ruins
- The top room is empty and crumbling, the floor strewn with rubble. Scraps of metal that may have once been armour can be found alongside fragments of bone. On the east and west walls impressive frescos depicting ocean battles against sea monsters can just be made out. A few giant rats skitter away when anybody enters.
- The middle room is similar to the first. Several tall piles of rubble clog the room, requiring explorers to climb over them. The rubble blocks entrance to the east room, although peaking through the gaps one can see the giant table. The scorpion beast from the caves above will attack through here.
- The western rooms are old guard chambers and connect to a collapsed stairwell that may have once been part of a larger tower. The rooms are designed defensively. Amongst the rubble in here can be found an age old talisman depicting a nordic cross (offers warding bond spell once per day, where the wearer is the target, requires attunement)
- The southernmost room is the scrying chamber. In addition to the well, a small black box can be found on a shelf against one of the walls amongst the decayed remains of several books and empty vials. Inside is a smooth, pale blue crystal set into a silver bracelet (see sending stones). Attunement to this item reveals that it already has a message embedded within it. This is from archmage Acererak instructing Hemon to secure the princess, as Gremshlaung and Gilduaen of Kerramec are bringing their forces to rescue Maiwen.
- The large western room is the war room. In the center is a large table carved into a 3D map of the Kingdom of Arden. Most of it matches the map Ruth already has, but notable additions are Acereraks tower and a large temple to Kord (where Bryn Shander is now). There are signs that someone has been here more recently. A scrap of paper on the floor nearby, scrumpled up, has a mistaken attempt at drawing the map on it. Acereraks tower and Kermarrec Hall are circled on the map
Level Three: Air
From the room beneath the pebbles a long, straight passageway leads to the cliff face. There are a few side chambers along the way, but none contain anything of interest, and if anything appear to have become the home to a colony of gulls. The end of the passage opens up onto a bare platform 300 feet above the surging ocean below. The platfrom appears to be the remains of a castle tower. Another message has been inscribed into the stone:Trust in the lord to carry you swiftly to safe harbour,
but traveller beware,
for his temper is as fickle as his storm
A glance outside reveals another door back into the dungeon 60 feet away to the left. The cliff face is well worn providing plenty of handholds, but a constant gale force wind makes scaling the wall incredible dangerous. Without climbing gear, scaling the wall requires a DC15 athletics check for every 20 feet covered. A pass of 5 or more allows them to scale 30 feet, a failure only allows them to move 10 feet. A failure of 5 or more results in fall with a 1d4 chance of landing on rocks.
The wind blows seemingly in all directions, however the strongest flurries alternate from blowing up to blowing down every 6 seconds, as if the cliff itself were inhaling and exhaling. In a few places, tussock grass and other vegetation clings to the side of the rock. Careful observation of the way it moves in the wind can reveal the pattern (diagram).
When the wind is blowing in an upwards direction the players are able to step into the void and be carried by the air, as though it were a solid surface. However, they need to wait for the wind to change direction before they can progress to another section, and must time it carefully. If they make a mistake they will begin to fall, but it is possible for them to grab onto the cliff, or use their momentum to carry them into a nearby updraft.
The upper platform, similar to the lower, is part of the original castle structure. The pillars that still stand in the bay, and mark where the seawall once stood line up with the upper platform. There is another entrance into the cliff here.
but traveller beware,
for his temper is as fickle as his storm
The Sea Witch of Termallec
The seawall leads into the internal ruins of the castle. There are several rooms that can be explored here although most lie empty and crumbling. As they get closer to the throne room they will notice tendrils of magical blue energy snaking through the structure.
The Throne Room
The main central room into which the players will enter. It is a grand space with a high, arched ceiling of white marble and elegant columns spiralling up the walls between stained glass windows. The main throne sits near the far end of the large rectangular space, away from the entrance corridor. Although elements of its original design are still visible the throne itself has been warped with jagged spikes of earth and coral that form a kind of primordial mantle. Where someone would usually sit there is only the faint outline of a person in turquoise blue energy that radiates into the ground of the dungeon in long snaking veins that pulse intermittently. As the party approach, this form takes shape into that of a beautiful elven woman with pale, blue tinged skin and hair the colour of moonlight. She appears to be dressed in a shroud of mist that only barely forms a modest covering. She beckons the party forth so that she may see who has ascended to her domain. She is playful and chaotic, toying with the party as to who she is and why she is here. She dislikes humans intensley and will treat Ruth with much disdain. When Grilmus gets closer she will take a lot of interest in him, sensing his connection to Kord. If she becomes upset or angered, the energy in the room will intesify, electrical energy sparking from the floor and walls. If the party do not roleplay well enough, she will demand that they best her champion before she will agree to help them, and call forth a storm elemental by blowing through her hands. The elemental takes on the humanoid form of a knight with a sword and shield. https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Storm_Paraelemental_(5e_Creature) If the party manage to defeat the elemental, Aide will gift to them a storm in a bottle (literally looks like a small glass jar with a small storm inside), and answer whatever questions they may have. She will become decidedly less interested after the fight. What Aide knows:- Aide is almost as old as the world, and is the protector of land where it meets the sea. She will reveal, with some prompting, that she is the daughter of Kord and the Wildmother.
- She struck a deal with Gilduaen 6000 years ago, agreeing to carry him and his men into the fortress in return for his binding oath as her champion a year from that day. However, when she returned Gilduaen was already dead and the new ruler of the castle refused to take his place. So she destroyed the caslte and pulled the mountains down on top of it.
- She sensed that Artus was exploring the castle below, but he didn't make it this far.
- She preserved Maiwens chamber out of empathy for the girl
Princess Maiwens Chamber
Bottom left. The chamber in which Maiwen was imprisoned is the only room in the entire structure that has not fallen victim to time. This is due to Aide's own empathy for the girl. It was the story of her plight that was one of the main reasons Aide helped Gilduaen in the first place, and the room now serves as a reminder of that promise. A slight floral scent still hangs in the air. Ornate silks decorate the edges of an oak four poster bed intricately carved with lilies and roses. Empty bookshelves line the walls, and there is a large plush rug in the centre of the room embroidered with deep crimson and gold in the shape of the Lorthend family crest. The dark wooden writing desk next to the bed is bare, but has a small locked drawer. This is locked, but if successfully picked this reveals two sleeping potions and a portion of greater healing. Any attempt to damage the desk or drawer causes the vials to shatter and leak their contents onto the floor below. On the bed amongst the silks sits a pair of broken iron manacles and Maiwen's amulet of protection (use stats for ring of protection), given to her by Gilduaen and engraved with the crest of Kerramec. As well as a message of love.Meloras Shrine
Center left. Initially set up to honour a long forgotten family god of the Lorthend family, Aide has imbued it with magical energy as an offering to Melora, the Wild Mother. Most of the original objects of the room have long eroded or turned to dust after thousands of years of age, so only the altar remains in its current form. It stands at the height of a fully grown halfling, and has a large crack down it's center. The initial marble it was carved from has become pockmarked with barnacles and covered in seaweed. Despite being hundreds of feet above sea level and with no apparent presence of water these still seem to ebb and flow with an invisible tide, living and growing from the natural power of Melora. Upon the altar sits a drift carving of the symbol of Melora, a cascading spiral. If an offering to Melora is made and accepted the character is blessed (only one character can have this effect at a time but it last for 24 hours.Kords Shrine
Right center In another part of the ruin is a similar shrine, but this one is dedicated to Kord, and seems to crackle with electrical energy as one approaches it.Guards Rooms
Top right and left These rooms once housed the lords personal guard, but are now empty and overgrown. The north hallway, and the right-most hallway are secret passages designed for a quick escape, as is the room at the bottom right.Conclusion
Aide will summon a stairway that leads the players back to the base of the cliffs. She warns them against disturbing her again before shutting off the stairs. Back in town people will not know what to make of the story, some won't believe it while others will claim they had called it all along. There are no boats at this time of year so the players will need to head back through the woods to get to Bryn Shander.Themes
Myth and legend, religion - specifically around Kord and the Wildmother, elements and weather, exploration, archaeology, mystery.
Plot type
Location Quest: The Last King of Arden
Parent Plot
Related Locations
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