At the beginning of the adventure, set the scene by reading following boxed text aloud:
For the last few moon cycles, a war has waged among those who dwell above the waves. The lands called Turmish and Thay are at war. This conflict has become so violent and strange that it’s even spread beneath the waves. Those from Thay summon foul undead beings to do their bidding, and even launched an assault on the sea elf city of Myth Nantar! Outrageous!
During these conflicts, each of you have assisted the Turmish in driving these foul undead creatures away, and in this endeavor you have experienced both glorious successes and dismal failures.
Recently, the waters in a nearby area have grown swift and angry, and the skies above show no blue or beautiful bright light. Many ships from the surface have sunk in this ‘darkening’ and the coral has quickly grown to envelope the remains, so quickly as to no doubt be unnatural.
The elders are worried, as the source of this strangeness remains unknown. The Turmish and Thayans are too busy with their conflicts to notice, and so it is up to you brave heroes to travel into the darkening and discover what evil has come to reside so near your shoals.
Whether you’re playing with the pregenerated characters or your players have created locathah heroes of their own (see “Appendix B: Locathah Characters”), this is a great time for the players to introduce their characters and describe them to the group. Once they have completed their introductions, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
After swimming for half the day, you see the “darkening” up ahead. It’s difficult to see anything clearly within its borders, though you can vaguely make out the outline of a mountain of sunken ships resting on the sea floor, grown over with coral. No other creatures can be seen within the darkness, and the silence here is broken only by the turbulence of the water around you.
A group consisting of two Sahuagin Blademaster, two Sahuagin Deep Diver, and a giant shark are circling this area, giving the characters a wide berth. These creatures, which have darkvision, can see quite well into the “darkening.” While their baron has ordered them to investigate the area, they’re willing to wait and see what happens if the characters attempt to go in first.
If the characters manage to somehow spot the sahuagin party, who do their best to remain at least one hundred feet away from them, the sahuagin immediately attack. Otherwise, they follow and watch from a distance, allowing the characters to spring any potential traps or hazards.
To this end, the sahuagin are most likely to attack the characters just after the party enters combat with the undead in area area 2.
Exterior Features
The presence of Gar Shatterkeel and the rift he opened (Umberlee’s Maw) have created an area in the ocean that acts like a beacon for strong, irregular currents and bad weather. Underwater, the effect manifests as a general darkness in an oddly specific area, surrounding the coral mountain that encases the many sunken ships that recently met an untimely demise.
Current: The current here is strong and constantly shifting. This effectively makes the area around the exterior of the coral mountain difficult terrain, even if you have a swim speed.
Light: There is almost no light here; the area is lightly obscured. Without some kind of light source or darkvision, all Wisdom (
Perception ) checks that rely on sight are made at disadvantage, and the encounter distance is reduced to 10 feet (see “Unusual Environments” in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). Assuming the players have locathah characters, they’ll need to use some kind of magic to see inside the area.
Umberlee’s Maw
The coral mountain, comprised of recently sunken ships covered by a crunchy coral shell, is referred to as Umberlee’s Maw by Gar Shatterkeel. Normally this would include his followers as well, but at the moment they consist of a pair of sea lions that are drawn to the divine power he possesses and the undead remains of those who lost their lives when their ships sunk.
The only way to enter Umberlee’s Maw is through area area 1. The coral mountain is otherwise sealed against intrusion.
Underwater Combat
When making a melee weapon attack, a creature that doesn’t have a swimming speed (either natural or granted by magic) has disadvantage on the attack roll unless the weapon is a dagger, javelin, shortsword, spear, or trident.
A ranged weapon attack automatically misses a target beyond the weapon’s normal range. Even against a target within normal range, the attack roll has disadvantage unless the weapon is a crossbow, a net, or a weapon that is thrown like a javelin (including a spear, trident, or dart).
Creatures and objects that are fully immersed in water have resistance to fire damage.
1. Caravel Emergent
This ship was the last one to sink before Gar caused the coral to grow up around the entire mass. As such, the forecastle protrudes from the coral, creating a passage in and out of Umberlee’s Maw.
The top deck of this protruding ship is completely exposed to the ravages of the open sea, though it tilts at a precarious forty-five degrees, with the aft end sunk deep into the surrounding coral. The masts have been completely torn off the ship.
There are three different ways to descend into the coral structure from this point. There is a gaping hole in the hull of the caravel at the fore that leads directly into the lower deck, and from there into Umberlee’s Maw.
The characters can pass through the doors that would normally lead to the captain’s cabin aft, to discover that the floor has collapsed there leaving a crude set of stairs as well as a gaping hole to swim through, also to the lower deck.
Lastly, the characters can attempt to smash their way through the metal grate affixed to the floor of the upper deck (AC 19, 27 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage) that also leads directly to the lower deck. It hasn’t been here long, so it has only just begun to corrode.
There are four padlocks keeping the grate bolted down. Each grate can be opened with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using
Lastly, a character with a crowbar can attempt to pry the grate open with a successful DC 20 Strength (
2. What Is Dead May Never Die
As the characters descend into the lower decks of this ship, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
As you proceed belowdecks, it becomes much easier to swim as the hull protects you from the the strong currents outside. Many boxes and barrels are present here, somewhat waterlogged but largely intact.
This ship served as a tender vessel, bringing supplies to repair other warships as well as food, ale, medical supplies, and ammunition.
The fresh foodstuffs, including fruits, vegetables, breads, and hardtack, have been destroyed by sea water. Heavily salted meats that have been cured are salvageable, as is the ale, whose barrels are coated in a thick layer of tar to keep water out. Additionally, there are twenty
Two Drowned Blade and two Drowned Ascetic wait for intruders toward the ship’s aft end on the lower deck of the caravel. As soon as any of the characters makes their way below deck, the undead attempt to ambush the party.
If the characters haven’t encountered the sahuagin lurking outside the coral mountain, these creatures take this opportunity, joining the battle at the end of the the second round in the hopes of overwhelming the party. The giant shark is too big to get into the lower decks, and so may be excluded from this combat if the entire party is below.
Interior Features
This area has the following features.
Current: The water here is still, though it slowly filters through the coral that encompasses this area.
Light: There is no light here; the area that is heavily obscured. Characters without some kind of magical light or darkvision are considered blind. The encounter distance is reduced to 10 feet in these instances (see “Unusual Environments” in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). For characters with a magical light source or darkvision, the water is considered to be clear.
Sea Floor: The sea floor here is compacted sand with some small stone outcroppings, though none big enough to stand on.
Ceiling Height: The ceiling of the coral mountain is approximately 50 feet above the sandy ocean floor.
Inside the ships that are part of the coral mountain, the ceilings are 8 feet high.
3. The Boneyard
As the characters emerge into this area, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
This area extends well beyond where you can see, stretching into the darkness. Thousands of humanoid corpses (humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, and the odd half-orc) are neatly arranged in lines along the sea floor beneath the ceiling of the coral mountain, in some kind of macabre underwater morgue. Most of them are dressed in uniforms common among surface-dwellers traveling at sea.
For the most part, the corpses are unmarred. Some bear the odd bump, bruise, or scrape, but it’s obvious that wasn’t the source of their demise. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (
Development
When he arrived, Gar Shatterkeel arranged the corpses into orderly lines, so that he might prepare them for transition into one of the living dead. He completed a ritual using a small amount of blood he had obtained from a kraken, animating a handful of these creatures.
Since then, he’s managed to dupe a pair of kraken priests into bringing a young kraken into the coral mountain, where they might “nurture it into maturity in relative seclusion.” Gar’s intent, of course, is to use the blood from the young creature in a much larger ritual, to animate what will certainly be a terrifying army of undead to assault the coastline of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
Treasure
If all of the corpses are thoroughly searched, they have a combined stash of 250 gp and 500 sp. Additionally, there are
4. Tortle in Torpor
As the characters approach this ship, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
The coral creates a passageway here that leads directly to another sunken ship which is nearly enveloped by the surrounding coral. About five feet from the sandy ocean floor there’s a sizeable hole, about fifteen feet in diameter, in its hull. A faint green light emanates from somewhere inside the lower decks of the ship.
The area inside the green glow is teeming with life. As the characters approach the opening, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
Within the lighted area, there is life in abundance. Starfish of all shades grow on the coral, in the opening, and inside the hull of the ship. Tiny fish that flash silver and green swim in schools, and algae, seaweed and other underwater plants grow in abundance, all lit by the soft green glow.
If any character peers directly into the hole, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
The source of the green light quickly becomes apparent. About ten feet from the aft of the lower deck, a large turtle, its head and limbs pulled in, floats in the middle of the rear cabin. The green light emanates directly from the creature’s shell.
This is Amble, a tortle druid who sought passage on this ship, and was on board when it sank. Amble was traveling to Turmish on the Sea of Fallen Stars, as they had heard of the war with Thay. Detesting undead and necromancy, Amble wants to help fight the Thayans in any way they can.
Due to their extremely strong connection with the Feywild, Amble was able to enter a protected state of suspended animation as the ship sunk, protecting them from drowning.
The undead will not willingly approach this ship, repelled by the power emanating from Amble, and Gar has yet to explore this passage inside the coral mountain.
At the moment, Amble is waiting for someone to wake them up. Any good-aligned character who touches the tortle will wake them. When this occurs, Amble is momentarily confused, and then gathering their wits, casts
Assuming the characters don’t act with hostility, Amble is very interested in hearing what the characters are doing. Amble can be a powerful ally for the party, though the tortle’s vow to never harm humanoids is not negotiable. Amble doesn’t necessarily expect others to follow this rule, but will encourage them to do so nonetheless.
Roleplaying Amble
Amble speaks with a slow, deep resonance, and their head slowly gyrates when they get excited or want to make a point. The tortle has a gentle demeanor and loves to experience unfamiliar cultures that are peaceful. As a druid, Amble reveres both Selune and Eldath, and has a marked fondness for the Seldarine as well. It is important to note that as a tortle, Amble doesn’t self-identify as either male or female. They are a member of the Circle of Dreams and has laid several clutches of eggs while traveling the Feywild.
Amble’s Rule: The tortle will never attack a beast or humanoid with the intent to damage them. If such a creature is hostile, Amble will use magic to restrain them, and has a plethora of spells with which to accomplish this. Amble has no such restrictions with regard to hostile creatures of other types (undead, fiends, constructs, monstrosities, aberrations, etc.), and will fight to destroy them.
5. Ravenous Rabble
When the characters can see this area, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
The coral here glows with a light of its own. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet are all present in great swathes across the walls and ceiling here.
The chamber spans fifty feet across from the southwest (where you are) to the northeast, where you can see the wreckage of a massive ship that split in two when it was pulled beneath the waves.
The chamber is twice as long in the opposite direction, and the walls of both sides are split by holes that lead into adjoining chambers in the northwest and southeast.
Nestled into the cracks of the coral throughout this chamber are four Sahuagin Hatchling Swarm. Characters with a passive Wisdom (
Likewise, characters who succeed on an active DC 15 Wisdom (
Otherwise, the characters are surprised as the sahuagin hatchling swarms attack when they enter the chamber.
6. Awaiting the Master’s Orders
If any of the characters peer through the hole in the hull of this ship, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
The inside of this cabin is fitted with hammock-style bunks affixed to the interior hull of the ship. Each hammock is a web of ropes and knot-work, lined with canvas. Nearby, there are several footlockers that have been broken open, their contents strewn about the floor of the cabin.
This area is occupied by three Drowned Ascetic. As they don’t have anything to do until they receive orders from the drowned master, or directly from Gar Shatterkeel, they all lay inert in a bunk, covered with a pile of blankets—a force of habit from before they were undead.
It may not immediately be obvious that these creatures are in the cabin. Any character with a passive Wisdom (
Characters who are aware of the undead, or that want to remain undetected in general, must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity (
The creatures were sailors when they were alive, so they are dressed in the uniforms commonly worn by sailors in the Turmish navy. Since they died suddenly from drowning, their clothing is only slightly worn from exposure to the briny depths.
Any conflict in this area will also attract the attention of the drowned undead in area 7, who join the fight at the end of the second round.
7. The Master
Unless the characters punch a hole in the hull of this ship (possible, but unlikely), the only way into this area is through the door in area 6. When the characters can see this area, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
The interior of this ship’s hold has been converted into a war room. Water-resistant nautical maps, crafted with the treated hide of some aquatic creature, and detailing sections of the coastline in the Sea of Fallen Stars, have been pinned on one wall. Two creatures float upright, peering intently at the maps. While both are roughly humanoid, one of these creatures is completely encrusted in barnacles. The other creature’s legs have split into shadowy tentacles, and it emanates a menacing inky aura.
The creatures, respectively, are one drowned assassin and one drowned master. Communicating with one another wordlessly through the link created by the drowned master, they are planning their departure from Umberlee’s Maw, once enough drowned have been created to pose a serious threat to settlements along the coastline. Until then, they await the command of their master, Gar Shatterkeel. The drowned master holds a short, slender metal wand in one hand and uses it to make marks on the maps on the wall.
Entering this area immediately draws the attention of both creatures, who attack immediately. If the characters managed to pass through area 6 without alerting the drowned ascetics therein, any conflict in this area will “wake” them. They join combat after two rounds have passed.
Development
Any character who takes a minute or more to study the maps on the wall, and who makes a successful DC 13 Intelligence (
8. Kraken Kibble
This half of the broken vessel is more accessible, so the characters can easily peer into this section as they approach. As the characters get close enough to see into this area, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
This half of the broken ship is wide open. Lines with large hooks hang from the top of the inside, stretched from floor to ceiling and secured at either end. Large dead fish are impaled on many of these hooks.
At this end of the broken ship, the kraken priests that dwell nearby have stored food and supplies for themselves, as well as the young kraken that is their charge. They dutifully maintain the stores here while they work to carve a passage through the coral, which is turning out to be more difficult than originally thought. The intent is to have ready access to and from these chambers for the young kraken so it can exit and enter at will something it hasn’t been able to do, as the creature has grown much larger than the opening currently available.
Unbeknownst to the kraken priests, part of Gar’s plan is to keep them enclosed until he can perform his grand ritual and sacrifice the kraken to animate his undead army.
Trap
There are two ballistae traps hidden behind the fish in the back of this chamber. Thin tripwires have been strung up throughout the area, with the intent of protecting the stores from the nearby undead creatures that are sometimes attracted to any freshly caught fish. When entering the area, any character with a passive Wisdom (
The tripwires spring the trap, but the kraken priests in the chamber nearby also have hidden triggers that allow them to fire both ballistae once from their side.
Ballistae Trap
Simple trap (level 5–10, dangerous threat)
Trigger: A creature that walks or swims through the tripwires triggers the trap.
Effect: The trap makes two attacks, one against the triggering creature, and one against another creature within ten feet of the triggering creature.
Ballistae Trap: Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 120/480 ft., one or two targets. Hit: 16 (
3d10 ) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8 ) poison damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or contract bluerot (see the “Bluerot ” sidebar). This attack can’t gain advantage or disadvantage.
9. Quarters of the Kraken Priests
Fhenimore and Whymsee are two Kraken Priest working really hard to raise a young kraken.
Previously Thayan slaves, these two tough-as-nails women fled Thay after discovering they were both intended for execution and summary transformation into undead warriors in the dreaded Thayan army. On their way out of Thay, they were forced to take refuge on a broken-down skiff that drifted far out into the Sea of Fallen Stars. Both Fhenimore and Whymsee preferred death to becoming the immortal undead servitors of their wicked masters.
In their last weary moments, an aged kraken rose to the surface nearby, and spoke to them telepathically. The creature was actually on its final swim: a group of powerful adventurers sought it out for its treasure, and though they failed to slay the kraken, it was so badly wounded in the fight that the rest of the sea life around it began to strike at it, taking advantage of its greatly weakened state.
Just before passing away, though, it transformed Fhenimore and Whymsee into kraken priests so they could protect its only offspring. Thankful for another chance at some kind of life, the two have embarked on this mission with great enthusiasm and have spent the last ten years looking for a place where they might protect the young titan from the world, so that it might grow in power.
Fhenimore is a tall, lanky human woman with a toowide mouth filled with rows and rows of sharp teeth, like a shark. To accommodate her life underwater, Fhenimore’s hands and feet are both webbed and, like a shark, she has an angular dorsal fin that protrudes from the middle of her back.
Whymsee is a shorter woman with broad shoulders. Her legs have been replaced with tentacles, and her upper torso is covered in some kind of tough, conical shell. When startled, she can tuck in her head and pull her tentacles up into the shell protectively, like a strange hermit crab.
When the characters peer into these chambers, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
Past a dense curtain of sea shells that have been strung up to act as a kind of doorway, the area has been modified to provide comfortable accommodations.
Two hammocks are strung across the back of the chamber to serve as underwater beds, and a variety of hooks have been driven into the walls with netting attached to serve as shelving.
Caught up in the netting of the “shelves,” there are all manner of odds and ends that might have been salvaged from the nearby sunken ships. Feel free to roll on the trinket table in the Player’s Handbook to populate these chamber with two to three dozen oddities, or make them up to suit your own campaign.
Unless the characters found a way to silently dispatch the sahuagin hatchling swarms, Fhenimore and Whymsee are aware of the party’s presence and have prepared to surprise them. While the characters are in combat, they retreat from this chamber into area 10 and take refuge behind a coral outcropping.
10. The Kraken
As the characters approach this area, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
The coral in this area is equally as beautiful as what you’ve seen elsewhere. The space opens up, rising about a hundred feet up to the coral ceiling above. Bits and pieces of coral lay scattered about the floor of this chamber, apparently broken off from the surrounding walls and ceiling.
Assuming Fhenimore and Whymsee were alerted to the characters' presence, they’re in this chamber when the party approaches. When the characters move into the space between area areas 8 and area 9, Fhenimore speaks aloud to them, asking them to halt and turn around. She is strangely audible underwater.
Unless convinced otherwise, Fhenimore and Whymsee do their absolute best to keep from showing themselves, and remain protective of the area. If the characters want to proceed into area 10 without angering the kraken priests, they must succeed on DC 15 Charisma (
Roleplaying Fhenimore & Whymsee
If the characters stop and talk, Fhenimore and Whymsee will be evasive at first, only telling the characters who they’ve just recently made their home here. When they noticed the mountain of coral, it seemed like a great opportunity. If pressed, they’ll warn the characters about the more powerful undead further into the mountain, and let them know that the master of the mountain also resides that way. They’ll tell the characters his name is Gar Shatterkeel, and that he’s a very powerful ocean dweller with a magical trident. That’s pretty much all they know. That, and he was oddly welcoming, but they didn’t want to question their luck.
Otherwise, as the characters pass between (or into) area areas 8 and area 9, one of the kraken priests triggers the ballistae trap, firing both siege weapons simultaneously, while the other casts
Once the characters emerge from those areas, or manage to remove the spells altogether, the kraken priests cast
When both kraken priests have been reduced to half their hit points, they call for the young kraken to attack the characters. Likewise, if one or more of the kraken priests falls in combat, the creature emerges from its enclosure in the rear of the chamber to assault the party.
Treasure
The remnants of the parent kraken’s possessions are piled up near the back corner of this chamber. The treasure fills and spills out of a pair of large chests that lay open so the young kraken could take stock at its whim.
The combined coins include 50 pp, 1,000 gp, 1,200 sp, and 1,800 cp. There are also ten large pearls (worth 50 gp each), and a pair of platinum chalices with intricately carved images of small fish swimming through a seaweed forest (worth 500 gp for the set).
Lastly, there is a
11. Olhydra’s Canal
When the characters look into the wreckage of this small ship, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
You see gently sloping sand, leading up the length of this sunken vessel to a larger breach in the front of its hull. Beyond, another sandy passage lined with barnacled walls continues to slope up and out of sight.
Unlike other sunken ships embedded in the coral nearby, this one has been cleared completely of debris, forming a seemingly easy path forward. Unfortunately, it’s a trap. While there are no outward signs for characters to notice that might give this fact away, a detect magic spell will reveal that this area has a strong aura of both abjuration and evocation magic.
Trap
When a character crosses the threshold of the bulkhead between the back and the front of the ship, the trap is triggered. When that occurs, refer to the “Olhydra’s Gambit” sidebar.
Olhydra’s Gambit
Tendrils of water surge from the hull of the ship, attempting to seize intruders. Any creature inside the ship must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or become
grappled and pulled to the closest wall inside the vessel, where they arerestrained .
Restrained characters can use an action on their turn to make either a DC 15 Strength (
Athletics ) check or a Dexterity (Acrobatics ) check to escape the grapple.Unrestrained characters in the area must save against this effect at the beginning of their turn each round.
As the characters are being grappled, a freezing fog fills the inside of the ship. Creatures and objects within or beyond the fog are heavily obscured. A creature that enters the freezing cloud for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there takes 10 (
3d6 ) cold damage, and its speed is reduced by 10 feet.Last, but certainly not least, the openings at either end of the area ice over, and must be broken before characters can either enter or exit the area. Both icy barriers have AC 12, 30 hit points each, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
12. Shrine to Olhydra
When the characters enter or look into this area, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
The coral walls of this chamber shimmer with a light of their own, beautifully cultivated into whirls, peaks, and valleys that resemble the open sea raging at the peak of a violent storm.
On the far wall, directly opposite the entrance, a coral altar emerges from the coral as if it grew there naturally. Likewise, a strange, upright X-shaped symbol, linked by a line across the bottom, has grown naturally from the altar’s front-facing surface. A pair of ornate helms rest on the altar.
A male humanoid with aqua skin, large black eyes, and gauzy robes stands in front of the altar. He makes stabbing motions with his hands, apparently arguing with nobody as he peers directly into the face of one of the empty ornate helms on the altar.
This is Shoalar Quanderil, who was reincarnated by Gar to serve him in his new mission.
Once jovial and quick to laugh, Shoalar has grown quiet, bitter, and apprehensive. He doesn’t understand how Gar can serve both Olhydra and Umberlee, and has developed an extreme mistrust of his morose benefactor. Because of this, it wouldn’t take a great deal of effort to talk Shoalar down.
Any character who succeeds on a DC 13 Charisma (
- Gar once served as the elemental prophet of the elder elemental being known as Olhydra.
- In Gar’s former career, he recruited Shoalar to help construct a temple and recruit other cultists.
- Adventurers found them, destroyed their sanctuary, and slew both of them. Shoalar doesn’t understand how Gar is alive again, but he is thankful for the second chance.
- Shoalar knows that Gar plans to use the blood of the kraken to create an army of undead.
- Since returning to life, it has become clear to Shoalar that Gar’s obeisance to Umberlee prevents him from truly serving Olhydra, and this has caused a rift between them.
- Shoalar truly believes that it’s his mission to depose Gar, but knows he doesn’t have the strength to accomplish this on his own.
If the characters are not hostile toward Shoalar, and express a desire to help him in this mission, the devotee of Olhydra will gladly join them.
If at any point the characters attack Shoalar, or if they say something to make him believe they cannot be allies, he will attack them. If this occurs, the two helms on the altar will rise up as a pair of Water Elemental Myrmidon and assist Shoalar in fighting the characters.
Shoalar is already under the effect of the
Treasure
Shoalar possesses a
13. Umberlee’s Chosen
Accompanied by two Sea Lion that he keeps as pets, Gar Shatterkeel resides in this underwater cave while he contemplates his next move and communes with Umberlee.
When the characters enter the chamber, read or paraphrase the following boxed text:
Seated on a rough throne made of an odd arrangement of coral, bones, and barnacles, is a man whose right arm has been replaced entirely with a large metal claw, much like a crab’s.
His body is covered with clusters of barnacles, and in his left hand he idly grasps the haft of an exquisite trident, engraved with images of waves, shells, and sea creatures. On either side of the throne sit two massive creatures that are a strange hybrid of both fish and lion. They snarl in unison.
Gar’s power has grown by no small measure since he last encountered adventurers. Though he remains sullen and morose, he simultaneously projects an air of strength and confidence.
With the exception of anyone under the effect of a
After everyone has entered the chamber, Gar surreptitiously (but rapidly) grows the coral over the entrance, blocking them in. If anyone is hesitant to enter, he’ll beckon for them to come forward, asking them to converse with him. In this regard, his demeanor is regal, but gracious and non-hostile.
“Please. Come forward that we might speak in a more companionable manner.”
With that, the man gestures with his left hand and the coral in the chamber grows a seat for each of you to perch upon, should you so desire.
“It has been too long since I’ve had a good conversation. Though your arrival is unexpected, your presence is much desired nonetheless. How can I help you?”
If the characters are peaceful and speak with Gar, he’s happy to hear them out, listening intently, with no show of defensiveness or remorse for any accusations they might direct his way. Nor does he offer an apology or reparations for damages they might describe.
When they’re done speaking, Gar will explain his newly found devotion to Umberlee, including his “resurrection” and newly discovered purpose. He’ll even tell the characters what he plans to do, and how he plans to do it. While Gar doesn’t gloat, he will speak of his intentions as though his success is inevitable.
- Once Gar has completely described his plans, he thanks the characters for listening to him, and disappears from the chamber.
- If at any point the characters act in a manner unbecoming to a peaceful conversation (cast a spell, move to attack, attempt to circle to his flank or behind him, etc.) Gar sighs, and disappears from the chamber.
In both instances, Gar teleports using the coral as a means of transport, similar to the tree stride spell. He casts no spell to do this, so
The Final Countdown
At this point it is extremely important that you keep track of how many rounds it takes the characters to complete this combat, and exit the chamber. While they’re in combat here, Gar has proceeded to the final encounter that begins with his assault on the kraken priests. See below for more details.
When Gar leaves this area, the Sea Lion attack the characters, and the entire room is flooded with magic that acts like an
Each round the characters are in the room, the coral attempts to grow up and around them, forcing them to make a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be
A character who is restrained by the coral can use their action to make a DC 18 Strength (
A character who successfully casts
To leave this chamber, the characters will have to cut their way out or move through the coral blocking the entrance. The coral covering the entrance has has AC 15, 40 hit points, immunity to psychic and poison damage, and resistance to piercing and slashing damage.
It’s possible to push through the coral, but doing so requires a successful DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. A creature who fails this saving throw takes
The Final Countdown
Now is the time for the characters, and any allies they’ve managed to acquire, to face off against Gar Shatterkeel and his drowned minions. Time is of the essence and events progress while the characters are attempting to free themselves from area 13, so it’s best to keep track of the number of rounds it takes for the characters to break through the coral and find their way back to area 5 to confront Gar. It might take them a few rounds to find out where he is, as he gave no indication as to where he was going when he disappeared.
Amble
If Amble has joined the characters, the tortle remains a steadfast ally in the fight to come. Amble will focus any attacks on the drowned, leaving Gar to the characters. If things get tough, Amble can also act as a backup healer for the party. Note that dealing damage to Gar does not break Amble’s rule, as the tortle believes that Gar is some kind of aberrant being. Because of this, Amble will not intercede when the characters attack Gar.
Fhenimore and Whymsee
While they’ve been voted “most likely to die before the characters even show up,” the manner of their demise may depend on whether the characters managed to befriend them. Below are a number of possibilities.
Not Allies
Perhaps the characters killed Fhenimore and Whymsee without being consumed by the young kraken, or the characters failed to negotiate with them and were driven from the area, or the characters simply never visited this area of the coral mountain.
This scenario also works even if the characters did befriend the kraken priests, but never learned of Gar’s plan to use the kraken’s blood—or if they did learn his plan, but never told Fhenimore and Whymsee about it.
Regardless of the reason, the kraken priests are not alarmed or on guard when Gar Shatterkeel arrives. In this instance, Gar’s plans unfold as shown in the “Killing Fhenimore and Whymsee” sidebar.
Killing Fhenimore and Whymsee
Round 1: Not suspecting treachery, the kraken priests aren’t prepared when Gar casts
charm person as a 2nd level spell, charming them both.Round 2: Gar and the two priests swim to area area 6, outside the range of the young kraken’s telepathy.
Round 3 (and 4): If the drowned ascetics are still in area area 6, they attack the kraken priests. If the characters destroyed the drowned ascetics in this area, Gar will require an additional round to slay both in melee combat using his claw and
Wave .Round 4: Gar swims back.
Round 5: Upon returning to the young kraken, Gar casts
charm monster on the creature. It fails its saving throw and believes Gar to be a friend.Round 6: Gar surprises the Young Kraken, hitting it twice with
Wave before the creature can react, and achieving a critical hit both times. The kraken is slain, and Gar begins the process of drawing blood from the creature, storing it in massive five-gallon bladders he brought along for this purpose.
Allies
In this scenario, the characters have befriended the kraken priests, learned of Gar’s plans from either the map in area area 7 or from Shoalar Quanderil, and have convinced the kraken priests that Gar means to kill their charge. Fhenimore and Whymsee are on alert when Gar arrives, and things play out very differently. In this instance, Gar’s plans unfold as shown in the “Fighting Fhenimore and Whymsee” sidebar.
Fighting Fhenimore and Whymsee
Round 1: Gar activates the
cube of force function onWave , so that living creatures may not harm approach him. Fhenimore and Whymsee will both cast lightning bolt on Gar, who will succeed at on only one saving throw only, but then use his Legendary Resistance feature to save on the other. Gar takes 28 hit points lightning damage.Round 2: Gar casts
conjure animals as a 7th level spell, summoning six Swarm of Quippers and directing them to slay and consume the kraken priests.Rounds 3 and 4: The kraken priests are consumed by the swarms while Gar uses Umberlee’s Wake on the young kraken (who fails its saving throw) before charging to attack with Wave as a legendary action. Gar will hit with a critical hit, reducing the creature to 91 hit points. Gar then takes 17 bludgeoning damage from the kraken (reducing him to 99 hit points) and is
grappled .Round 5: Gar casts
freedom of movement , escaping the grapple, and then uses a legendary action to attack the creature. He will score a critical hit, slaying the kraken.Round 6: Gar casts
heal on himself, bringing him back to his hit point maximum, and begins the process of drawing blood from the kraken, storing it in massive five-gallon bladders he brought along for this purpose.
Shoalar Quadril-Ally
If the characters met Shoalar and allied with the devotee of Olhydra, Shoalar accompanies them from his lair to area area 13, bringing the two Water Elemental Myrmidon with him. This makes the fight in that area easier and may allow the characters to interrupt Gar in the actions described above.
Otherwise, if Shoalar is dead or simply hasn’t encountered the characters, neither he nor his elementals will be present at this fight.
Fighting Gar Shatterkeel
Whatever the opposition looks like, and regardless of which allies they bring with them, when the characters encounter Gar Shatterkeel they’re in for the fight of their lives.
Each round after the young kraken is slain, Gar can harvest five gallons of blood from the creature. It takes another two rounds for him to switch from a full bladder to an empty one, so for twenty bladders it will take Gar a total of 60 rounds (6 minutes) to complete his work with the kraken’s corpse. He’ll only need ten bladders of blood to animate the corpses present in the coral mountain, but he hopes to perform the ritual again at a later date.
The state they find Gar in, as well as what resources he has to fight them with, depends largely on when the characters arrive and who their allies are (or were). In any case, it’s safe to say that Gar will open combat with his Umberlee’s Wake ability, catching as many characters and allies in its massive area as he can. In addition to the impressive assortment of powers and abilities listed in his stat block, Gar can employ lair actions (see the “Lair Actions” sidebar) while he’s within the coral mountain.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Gar Shatterkeel takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; Gar can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row.
Gar may teleport anywhere within the coral mountain, bringing up to five willing creatures with him.
The coral in a 60-foot radius grows rapidly around creatures inside the coral mountain. Each creature must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or become
restrained . Restrained creatures can take an action on their turn to make a DC 18 Strength (Athletics ) or Dexterity (Acrobatics ) check to free themselves. This effect lasts for 1 minute unless dispelled (it counts as a 6th level spell), and doesn’t require Gar to maintain concentration. Gar Shatterkeel and any creatures he designates are immune to this effect.Up to five corpses that Gar can see within 60 feet rise up as Drowned Blade and attack anyone Gar directs them to on his turn.
Development
Win or lose, this is a tough encounter, one that the characters may very well be forced to flee from. If the characters do run from Gar, he completes the ritual to animate an army of the drowned, fortifies his position at the coral mountain further, and begins a campaign of terror across the coastal settlements of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
Gar is aware of Thay’s power with regards to the undead, so he isn’t so foolish as to challenge them with this army. Though, he might be open to an alliance with the Red Wizards that could benefit them both.
It is possible, however, to defeat Gar Shatterkeel. As noted in his stat block, when Gar drops to 0 hit points his body collapses into a pool of inky water that rapidly disperses. Except for Wave and his claw, anything he was wearing or carrying is left behind.
If this happens, the characters are victorious! They could, with no small amount of cleanup, to turn the coral mountain into a beautifully misshapen but habitable home for many locathah who have been displaced by recent attacks and other conflicts.
Accomplishing this would not only cement the characters' status as heroes, but elevate them to a position of prestige as potential future leaders of the locathah tribes. The details of their acclaim are up to you, though it is entirely possible—likely even—that Gar will someday return to take his revenge.