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  FAERIE TALES FROM UNLIT SHORES
  The Portsmouth Mermaid
  FT 2
  Daniel J. Bishop
  
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  FT 2: The 
  Portsmouth 
  Mermaid
  A Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure for 4-8 level 2 
  characters by Daniel J. Bishop.
  Written by Daniel J. Bishop • Cover Design by Matt 
  Morrow • Cartography by Kristian Richards • Editing 
  by Perry Fehr • Interior Art by Luigi Castellani; Layout 
  by Mark Gedak
  Playtesters: Elliot N, Connie Thomson, Ian Court, Bill 
  Gerzoli, Chris Crowthers
  Introduction
  If H. P. Lovecraft didn’t have Hans Christian Andersen’s 
  depiction of the Sea Witch’s dwelling (from The Little 
  Mermaid) in mind when he penned Dagon, he should 
  have. 
  The Portsmouth Mermaid takes place over the twelve 
  days of a Yuletide Celebration in the town of Ports-
  mouth, north of Westlake. The adventure is largely 
  political, with several factions, all of which have a differ-
  ent optimal outcome. The PCs have to figure out what is 
  going on, decide what to do about it, and then live with 
  the consequences. Complicating matters, some of the ac-
  tion occurs at times, and in places, where the PCs do not 
  have access to their typical adventuring gear.
  This adventure is laid out in an unusual manner. After 
  the introduction and background materials, the judge is 
  given a discussion of the factions involved, a description 
  of Portsmouth, and then a description of events over 
  the course of several days. Most groups will resolve the 
  main action within the first 5 days, so the remainder can 
  be glossed over as the PCs rest and recover, ending in a 
  wedding. The judge must remember that PC actions can 
  (and should) affect these events. 
  The town of Portsmouth is described enough to be used 
  as a regular location in an ongoing campaign, includ-
  ing some elements that may not see play during this 
  adventure. These include a hidden Cthulhu cult, tunnels 
  beneath the town, and rather knowledgeable 
  ghouls in the Lovecraftian tradition. These ele-
  ments may be incorporated during the events of 
  The Portsmouth Mermaid or later in an ongo-
  ing campaign. Temple Island on Devil’s Reef is 
  also described, as the climactic location of the 
  main adventure. 
  A fair amount of supporting material is sup-
  plied. Appendix A contains combined stat 
  blocks for all characters and creatures in the 
  adventure for easy reference. Appendix B con-
  tains new magic items. Appendix C lists some 
  additional encounters for the Portsmouth area, 
  to be used either during this adventure or over 
  the course of a campaign. Appendix D describes 
  the Esoteric Order of Dagon and gives informa-
  tion for using Dagon as a patron. Appendix E 
  contains a table for creating faerie animal char-
  acters in the Portsmouth area, usable by those 
  who also have Creeping Beauties of the Wood. 
  This adventure assumes that the PCs have 
  played through the previous adventures in 
  this series (Prince Charming, Reanimator and 
  Creeping Beauties of the Wood), but they are not 
  necessary. 
  Background
  Portsmouth is a town located 15 miles north of 
  the Grimmswood, where the Golden River en-
  ters Portsmouth Harbor. Between the Grimms-
  wood and Portsmouth is an area of rolling 
  hills that gives way to a treacherous salt marsh 
  around the landward periphery of the town. 
  Founded well over two centuries ago by the 
  “Black Brothers” Angell and Manux, Ports-
  mouth prospered from the start. Fishing was 
  good, and Portsmouth became known for it 
  lobsters and salt cod. The town also acted as a 
  waypoint for foreign ships, in part because An-
  gell was a secret member of the Cthulhu cult. 
  A century later, both the Houses of Angell and 
  Manuxet still existed, but the town itself was 
  slowly dying as the waters around it were 
  fished out. Whether this was due to the 
  actions of the Cthulhu cultists, or if the 
  Children of the Deep were already secret-
  
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  ly active in the waters around Portsmouth may 
  never be known. In any event, it was Captain 
  Wilhelm Zardok who brought the worship of 
  Dagon to Portsmouth, and with it new prosper-
  ity. Portsmouth’s prosperity is currently founded 
  on renewed fish stocks, driven by the Children 
  of the Deep, and treasures made of a strange 
  alloy of gold and another unknown metal, pale 
  and beautiful. 
  Captain Zardok had found an island to the 
  south, where Dagon was worshiped. On this 
  southern island, the folk had already hybridized 
  with the Children of the Deep. One day, when 
  Captain Zardok returned, he found them gone 
  – slaughtered by their neighbors, perhaps, or all 
  descended into the briny tropical depths. Ex-
  actly what had happened did not concern him. 
  He was able to make contact with a local colony 
  of the Children of the Deep, and convince them 
  to move to the Portsmouth area. The Esoteric 
  Order of Dagon has been growing ever since.
  Two years ago, Prince Hans Manuxet was 
  aboard a ship celebrating his 18th birthday 
  when he was glimpsed by the mermaid Cora-
  line, coincidentally celebrating her 15th birth-
  day by rising to the ocean’s surface for the first 
  time. A storm arose, and the ship foundered. 
  All hands were lost. The prince was rescued, 
  however, for the mermaid saw him and found 
  him beautiful…like an old statue lost ages ago 
  and standing in her grandmother’s garden, save 
  made of flesh instead of cold marble.
  A mermaid’s kiss can confer the ability to 
  breathe water for a time. Sustained by Coraline’s 
  kisses, the Prince survived until she brought 
  him to Devil’s Reef and left him at the temple 
  there. She did not know that the reef temple 
  was dedicated to Dagon, or that the girls who 
  lived there were Children of the Deep, poten-
  tial brides for human hybridization. When the 
  prince awoke, he saw only a temple maiden 
  smiling down at him. This was Orne.
  Over time, the mermaid’s love for the 
  prince deepened, and she often spied 
  upon him when he came near the ocean. 
  At last, consumed by passion, she made 
  a terrible bargain with the Sea Witch. The Sea Witch 
  made for her a sword which would cut her tail into two 
  legs, but her price was threefold. First, it would always 
  hurt to walk upon the land, and Coraline’s feet would 
  often bleed as though cut. Second, the Sea Witch would 
  take the mermaid’s lovely voice for her own. Finally, if 
  Coraline failed to win the heart of her prince, and he did 
  not marry her within a year and a day, she would die. 
  If he did marry her, though, she would become mortal, 
  gain a soul, regain her voice, and her feet would no lon-
  ger pain her with every step.
  Now, as a merfolk, Coraline was immortal unless killed, 
  though her form would age slowly. When they do die, 
  they collapse into sea foam. Thinking that this was the 
  worst that could happen to her, Coraline accepted the 
  Sea Witch’s terms. In truth, should she die as a thrall to 
  the Sea Witch, Coraline’s spirit would be bound into a 
  new form, to do the Sea Witch’s bidding for all eternity.
  The mermaid placed herself on the shore where she 
  knew the prince was likely to find her. She cut her tail 
  into two legs, and then threw the sword into the sea. 
  The prince did find her, and took her in. Although she 
  could not speak, her devotion to him was plain to see, 
  and he soon grew equally devoted to her. She could not 
  speak, and had learned neither to read nor write beneath 
  the waves, so he could not learn her name. He called her 
  “Dear Foundling. Although the match was not to Lord 
  Manuxet’s liking – there was no clear profit in it – the 
  prince’s mother was glad. It seemed as though a date 
  would be set.
  Neither the Sea Witch nor the Children of the Deep are 
  so easily foiled, however. Orne presented herself to the 
  House of Manuxet, masquerading as a foreign princess 
  who had been taught at the Devil’s Reef Temple. Due to 
  the Orb of Enchantment in the temple, Orne was able to 
  wrest the prince’s affections away from Coraline.
  Prince Hans Manuxet and the “Princess” Orne are now 
  due to be wed on the Twelfth Night of Yule. If they 
  wed, Coraline will die, and her spirit will be enslaved 
  by the Sea Witch. Within a generation, Portsmouth will 
  be completely controlled by the Children of the Deep. 
  What problems this may cause down the road for the 
  surrounding region is left to the judge’s imagination.
  If the Orb of Enchantment is shattered, the prince will 
  come to his senses, and wed Coraline instead. This will 
  
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  stymie the Sea Witch, and the Children of the Deep. 
  Most importantly, True Love wins and the PCs gain an 
  ally in Portsmouth.
  Aftermath from FT 0 and FT 1
  If the PCs played through the previous adventures in 
  this series, they are probably wealthy and influential. 
  One may be married, or engaged to, Princess Annegret 
  of Westlake. When an invitation comes to a Winter Fete 
  and Prince Manuxet’s wedding, the Princess will cer-
  tainly want to go. She is not an adventurer, and keeping 
  her safe is an additional burden on the PCs. If Princess 
  Annegret is slain, her husband’s claim to Westlake is for-
  feit. Baron Jochim Charming will provide men-at-arms, 
  serving-men, and maids-in-waiting whether asked or 
  not. If the PCs demur, he will insist, and will also send 
  along his seneschal, Red Walters, to ensure his daughter’s 
  safety.
  The party will probably still have contact with the ghost 
  of Doctor Chapman. One of more PCs may have Doc-
  tor Chapman as a patron. The ghost can be of help in 
  several events, as described in the adventure, and can 
  give ominous warnings. He would also like the PCs to 
  acquire for him a mermaid’s tear. It can be a tear of sor-
  row, or of joy – he doesn’t care – but he needs it for his 
  researches.
  PCs may retain the Sword of Truth, the Shield of Truth, 
  and the Mirror of Truth from Prince Charming, Reani-
  mator. These are of limited use in a social environment, 
  where swords and shields are not carried. If a PC retains 
  the Golden Orb, given by Doctor Chapman, its ability 
  to answer three yes-or-no questions each day might be 
  of far greater use.  Even with the adventure spread over 
  twelve days, the characters might have difficulty deter-
  mining what questions they can ask which will actually 
  be of use. The Mirror of Truth will show that Coraline is 
  actually a mermaid, if players think to use it. It can also 
  show a Deep Child hybrid for what it is.
  Princess Annegret was envisioned as a combination 
  of the princesses in The Princess and the Pea and The 
  Goose Girl. She is fragile, but plucky, and has a cer-
  tain amount of magical protection given to her by her 
  mother. Three times when it appears that the Princess 
  is dead (or must die), a freak happenstance will come 
  to her rescue – a dagger that surely would have killed 
  her strikes her prayer book instead. She has swooned 
  instead of succumbing to the poisoned gas. A 
  dead body in a pit trap breaks her fall. For some 
  reason the hobyahs leave her unscathed. This 
  ability is tied to a blessed white handkerchief 
  she carries, which is stained with three drops of 
  her mother’s blood. Each time she miraculously 
  escapes, one of the drops fades from the cloth.
  Some judges may wish to allow a player to run 
  Princess Annegret. This is perfectly acceptable; 
  her statistics are found in Appendix A.
  Doctor Chapman remains concerned about 
  the Desert Faerie, whose curse bound him for 
  a time at Sefton Castle (as described in FT 0 
  and FT 1). In order to reach (and punish) the 
  Desert Faerie, he has begun a great magical 
  work. This requires, among other things, a mer-
  maid’s tears – whether they are tears of joy or 
  sadness do not matter to him. There are several 
  places where Doctor Chapman may intervene 
  in the adventure. If you are not running this as 
  a continuation of the earlier series, ignore these 
  events. 
  What if No One Married 
  the Princess?
  It is possible to run Creeping Beauties of the 
  Wood without anyone winning the hand of 
  Princess Annegret at the end. The PCs may 
  have been too churlish to win the Baron’s 
  favor. Or they may have been too noble to 
  press their advantage. Or they may simply 
  have failed to follow instructions, and have 
  left the un-dead bride’s heads to rot in the 
  forest. In this case, the Baron may request 
  the PCs to act as guardians of the Princess 
  Annegret on his sojourn to Portsmouth. 
  Even if you did not run the earlier modules 
  in this series, it is easy enough to invite 
  the PCs to the Winter Fete on the basis of 
  whatever they did accomplish.
  
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  Factions
  There are a number of factions involved in this 
  adventure. These factions can be broadly divid-
  ed into the Dagonites, the Cthulhu Cultists, the 
  Sea Kingdom, the House of Manuxet, and the 
  Sea Witch. They are summarized below for the 
  judge’s convenience.
  Dagonites: These are the followers of the Old 
  One, Dagon, god of the seas. The Esoteric 
  Order of Dagon has brought prosperity back 
  to Portsmouth, albeit at a terrible price. Many 
  of the Dagonites have deformities, which they 
  wish to hide from others.
  • 
  The Esoteric Order of Dagon: Given 
  over to the promises of the Children of the 
  Deep, the Esoteric Order wishes to create a 
  greater unity with Dagon by cross-breeding 
  with the Children of the Deep. This causes 
  hideous deformities as one ages, but it also 
  confers potential immortality once the 
  hybrid reaches a completely amphibious 
  stage. The Esoteric Order worships openly 
  in Portsmouth, but only those who have 
  “partaken of the Great Communion” know 
  their true goals.
  • 
  The House of Zardok: Founded by Cap-
  tain Wilhelm Zardok, who first brought 
  the worship of Dagon to Portsmouth, this 
  House is firmly tied into the Esoteric Order. 
  All of its living members are now hybrids.
  • 
  The Children of the Deep: Gain tribute 
  in exchange for driving fish and lobster 
  into the Portsmouth fisherman’s nets and 
  traps. The tribute they seek is in the form of 
  sacrifice – including human sacrifice. They 
  wish to increase their influence on land by 
  creating hybrids with willing (or unwilling) 
  humans.
  • 
  “Princess” Orne: A human-looking hybrid 
  from the Temple on Devil’s Reef, the “Prin-
  cess” wants to marry Prince Hans Manuxet, 
  thus uniting the House of Manuxet with 
  the Children of the Deep. If she succeeds 
  in this, the rest of Portsmouth will fall 
  under the sway of the Dagonites within a 
  generation.
  Cthulhu Cultists: Although Cthulhu is listed as a 
  potential deity in the core rulebook, the original source 
  material (i.e., The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft and 
  similar works) describes an extremely secretive cult. 
  • 
  The Cthulhu Cult: Partially local, but supported 
  by sailors and foreigners, the Cult of Cthulhu works 
  towards the day that R’lyeh will rise from the sea and 
  the Old Ones will return. They view the Esoteric Or-
  der of Dagon with fear and loathing, for it will surely 
  bring unwanted attention to Portsmouth and the 
  servants of the Old Ones. Thus far, their attempts 
  to assassinate the heads of the Dagonite church have 
  failed.
  • 
  The House of Angell: Prominent supporters of 
  the Cthulhu Cult, this House wishes to thwart the 
  marriage of the Deep Child “princess” to the heir of 
  House Manuxet.
  Cleric of Cthulhu
  If there is a cleric of Cthulhu in the party, the judge 
  may wish to quietly advise her of the existence of the 
  secret cult in Portsmouth. So long as the cleric can 
  keep the secret – even from her own party members! 
  – she can use the cult as a resource. If she reveals the 
  existence of the cult to the party, they had either be 
  ready to join it or die. The cult will keep its secrets!
  The Sea Kingdom: True merfolk, the Sea Kingdom 
  has little to do with the world of mortals, apart from 
  wrecking ships and collecting their treasures from the 
  briny deep. They are free to range far and wide across 
  the ocean from the age of 15 onwards, and know many 
  strange things. 
  • 
  The Sea King: The Lord of the Merfolk has become 
  quite concerned about the Children of the Deep, 
  whose ever-growing numbers compete for resources 
  with the Sea Kingdom. If questioned about Cora-
  line, he first argues that he wants his daughter back. 
  If pressed, he admits that wants her happiness in-
  
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  stead. If pressed even further, he admits that he does 
  not really care, so long as the Children of the Deep 
  are dealt with.
  • 
  Coraline: The mermaid has sacrificed much to be 
  with Prince Hans Manuxet. She loves him, and 
  desperately wishes to marry him. If she succeeds, 
  she becomes mortal and gains a soul. If she fails, she 
  becomes a victim on the Sea Witch. The Prince’s 
  happiness is more important to her than her own, 
  but she cannot bear to leave him, even to save him 
  from “Princess” Orne.
  • 
  Coraline’s Sisters: Well-meaning but oblivious to 
  Coraline’s feelings, they wish for her happiness and 
  believe that they know what is best for her. They 
  have found a way to break the Sea Witch’s spell, but 
  Coraline must drink a potion. Then she can join 
  them in the ocean once more.
  The House of Manuxet: Oblivious to the conflict 
  between the Dagonites and the Cthulhu cultists, the 
  House of Manuxet is primarily concerned with its own 
  prosperity.
  • 
  Lord Obed Manuxet: Wooed by the House of 
  Zardok, which seems to look favorably upon this 
  match, Lord Manuxet has thrown his full support 
  behind his son’s current passion.
  • 
  Lady Lavinia Manuxet: Outwardly approving of 
  her husband, she has some doubts about her son’s 
  choice. Didn’t he dote on that poor mute girl not so 
  long ago? She doesn’t like the looks that she some-
  times catches the Princess Orne giving her, when the 
  Princess thinks she is unobserved.
  • 
  Prince Hans Manuxet: Really has fallen in love with 
  Coraline, but has been enchanted to favor Orne. 
  The Sea Witch: This horrid being wants nothing more 
  than the creation of misery, which she feeds off of, and 
  the collection of beings forced to serve her. If she can 
  catch the PCs in her web, she will.
  Portsmouth
  Portsmouth is a coastal town built upon hilly 
  land amid a salt marsh. The town is bisected by 
  the Golden River, which runs down through a 
  series of falls to Portsmouth Harbor. Even with 
  its new prosperity, much of the town appears 
  deserted, and the upper windows of houses are 
  often boarded up to hide Deep Child/human 
  hybrids that are not yet ready to live beneath 
  the waves. The town stinks of fish, and even in 
  the cold winter the smell is strong enough to 
  remark on.
  Devil’s Reef: Devil’s Reef, and the Temple 
  located thereon, is 1 mile due north from 
  Portsmouth Harbor. North and slightly east of 
  the reef is a small rocky island, where Old Elton 
  operates the North Point Lighthouse. Old 
  Elton has seen a thing or two, and in a lonely 
  place such as this, one needs to turn a blind 
  eye and a deaf ear to the screams of butchered 
  people or the singing of the Children of the 
  Deep. In fact, he has participated in the hybrid-
  ization project more than once, and is not to be 
  trusted.
  Portsmouth Harbor: A deep, cold water 
  harbor fed by the Golden River, this lies at the 
  base of Portsmouth so that all streets leading 
  to it must run downhill. There are always ships 
  in harbor; these are mostly Portsmouth’s fish-
  ing fleet, but foreign ships are found here as 
  well. Ship names, if needed, can be determined 
  by rolling 1d7: (1) Vigilant, (2) Emma, (3) 
  Alert, (4) Andersen, (5) Eliza, (6) Ronti Island 
  Pride, or (7) Aurora. For any ship approached, 
  roll 1d5. On a roll of “1”, the ship belongs 
  to Dagonites. On a roll of “5” it belongs to 
  Cthulhu cultists. On a roll of 2-4, the ship is 
  safe to charter.
  Golden River:  The Golden River runs through 
  Portsmouth, fed by the river passing through 
  the Grimmswood. There are several small wa-
  terfalls along the river, as well as two larger falls 
  and an area of rapid water as it approach-
  es the harbor. There is a 1 in 5 chance 
  that any given falls has frozen over during 
  the winter, and a 1 in 7 chance that the 
  rapids have frozen over. The tendency 
  
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  for water to move under the ice makes the river 
  treacherous even when seemingly frozen – a 
  Luck check is required on the most solid areas 
  to cross safely. Failure means plunging down 
  into the dark cold water, causing 1d5 temporary 
  Stamina damage each round (Fort DC 10 for 
  half); a character must make a DC 10 Strength 
  check to escape the icy waters (armor check 
  penalties apply). This damage heals at a rate of 1 
  point per 10 minutes once warmed. If Stamina 
  falls to 3, a DC 15 Fort save is required to avoid 
  losing 1d5 toes (75%) or 1d3 fingers (25%) to 
  frostbite.
  Major Streets: The major streets of Portsmouth 
  are:
  • 
  Fallsview Road: A short road on the south 
  end of town, ending at the Golden River to 
  the west in the vicinity of the largest of the 
  river’s falls. The buildings along this way 
  were once impressive homes, but they 
  are now mostly derelict, with boarded-up 
  windows and doors.
  • 
  • 
  Main Street: Most of the businesses in Portsmouth, 
  apart from those directly related to fishing and lob-
  stering, are found along this street. 
  • 
  Marsh Street: Marsh Street is the way into town, for 
  the road leading north through the Grimmswood 
  ends here. Travellers are often happy to turn onto 
  River Road, and hence to Main Street, for Marsh 
  Street is lonely and deserted. Large swathes of the 
  countryside are wasteland to the east, as the hilltop 
  gives way to salt marsh, and many of the western 
  buildings have a secretive air, even when they are 
  clearly inhabited.
  • 
  Rapid Road: This roadway is still well-used, and the 
  houses along either side are still mostly inhabited. 
  Among the inhabited houses, perhaps a quarter have 
  the upper windows boarded up. If this road is fol-
  lowed west, it leaves Portsmouth and heads towards 
  Ipham Village, 12 miles to the west.
  • 
  River Road: East of the river, this street is about 
  50% populated, with poorer families now occupying 
  what were once well-to-do homes. West of the river, 
  old mansions and manor houses line the River Road. 
  In both cases, the homes are generally falling apart 
  due to neglect.
  • 
  Water Street: This road follows along the harbor, 
  
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  eventually heading to the tiny hamlet of Harbin, 8 
  miles to the east. Water Street remains busy, even 
  during the height of the Yule season. Any time a PC 
  speaks to a character met here, roll 1d3. On a roll of 
  “1” they are a Dagonite, and on a roll of “3” they are 
  a Cthulhu cultist. East of the river, the drop towards 
  the harbor is steeper, and narrow lanes switchback 
  up the hill, allowing a shortcut to the housing south 
  of the harbor.
  • 
  Western Road: This is the westernmost street of 
  Portsmouth. Wealthy houses and mansions are 
  found to the south, becoming more modest towards 
  Rapid Road, until they become a tangle of small 
  buildings and shanties leading down to Water Street. 
  Many houses are deserted. Many that are not de-
  serted are partially boarded up.
  • 
  Wide Street: This street was used for cartage long 
  ago, when the “Black Brothers” founded the town. It 
  remains abnormally wide, and the houses are about 
  20% deserted or boarded up.
  Special Locations
  The following locations may be visited one or more 
  times during this adventure. 
  A. Church of Dagon: The old Merchant Guild’s Hall 
  has been turned into a church dedicated to the sea-god 
  Dagon. The Dagonites are not at all shy about who they 
  worship, even if they do not advertise their long-term 
  goals. The words, “Esoteric Order of Dagon” have been 
  carved onto the front of the building – the carved letters 
  have been painted to make them stand out better, but 
  the paint has begun to weather away. Within is an idol 
  of green-black stone, showing the twin-tailed fish-god 
  Dagon surrounded by strange hieroglyphs seemingly 
  made of stylized pictograms of sea creatures both known 
  and unknown. The idol is about 4’ tall and weighs 500 
  lbs. 
  The High Priest, Soldeed, wears yellow or red robes for 
  ceremonial occasions, and a tall headdress designed for 
  an elliptical head. Soldeed, being a hybrid, has such 
  a head. The headdress is made of an amalgamation of 
  gold and another strange and beautiful pale metal that is 
  unknown. It can be sold for up to 500 gp, but any who 
  would steal it is cursed by Dagon to suffer bad dreams 
  (no save). Those cursed must succeed in a DC 10 Will 
  save each night to gain any effect from resting (including 
  healing, returned spells, and returned Luck).
  Squatting in Portsmouth
  With all of these seemingly empty build-
  ings, some players are bound to get the idea 
  of investigating them…or even squatting in 
  them rather than paying for an inn. If the 
  PCs are being chased by Dagonites, they 
  may wish to break into a boarded house to 
  hide.
  Gaining access to one of these houses with-
  out drawing attention is a DC 25 task in 
  populated areas, DC 20 in semi-populated 
  areas, and DC 10 in unpopulated areas. 
  The DC goes up by 5 if the PCs are being 
  hunted for, and up by 10 if they are actu-
  ally being pursued. The judge may call for 
  an Intelligence, Agility, or Strength check 
  depending upon what is required to enter 
  the building (or equal chance of each).
  Whenever a deserted building is opened, 
  roll 1d7 and add the average Luck modi-
  fier of all characters present: (1 or less) 2d6 
  deep hybrids hide within; (2) passages to 
  the sewers and 1d3 talking giant rats; (3) 
  the building is empty and deserted; (4) the 
  building is empty and deserted, but there is 
  moldy furniture and a 10% chance of locat-
  ing some minor equipment (roll off Table 
  3-4 on page 73 of the core rulebook); (5) a 
  Cthulhu cultist hides within, pretending to 
  be a squatter; (6) a tramp passing through 
  Portsmouth hides within, frightened by 
  what he has seen in Portsmouth (25% 
  chance of sharing cold beans with the PCs, 
  50% chance of inadvertently acting as a 
  diversion if needed); (7) the building is de-
  serted, and contains a hidden passage to the 
  tunnels under Portsmouth; (8 or higher) 
  the building is uninhabited, and unless the 
  PCs draw attention to themselves, it is safe.
  The judge is reminded that these buildings 
  are cold in the winter, and lighting a fire 
  will surely attract attention. There is only a 
  1 in 5 chance that the chimney flue is clear 
  enough to prevent smoke from backing 
  out of the chimney.
  
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  There will be 1d6+2 hybrid acolytes here at any 
  given time. There is a 30% chance that Soldeed 
  will also be present.
  B. House of Manuxet: Despite its decaying 
  splendor, real efforts have been made to keep 
  this mansion in good condition. Wear and tear 
  is obvious in the plaster, the wainscoting, and 
  the worn textiles throughout the house. No 
  windows are boarded up. The Manuxet family 
  attempts to keep up a way of life that is fading 
  in Portsmouth. The efforts of this family to do 
  so are the only thing holding the town against a 
  slide into utter ruin.
  In addition to Lord Obed and Lady Lavinia 
  Manuxet, and their son, Prince Hans, the 
  butler, Donovan, is present 90% of the time, 
  as well as 1d6 male servants and 1d6+2 maids. 
  There is a 1 in 6 chance that any of the un-
  named staff is secretly a Dagonite, and, if not, 
  a 1 in 10 chance that he or she is a Cthulhu 
  cultist.
  C. House of Angell: Although once a finer 
  mansion than that of the House of Manuxet, 
  this place has not been taken care of well at all. 
  Behind its fences and gates, it has a sad, desert-
  ed air, although the windows are not boarded 
  up and a candle is seen glowing frugally in the 
  night. Herein dwell Lord Basil Angell, his two 
  sons (Francis and Joseph), Francis’ wife Emily, 
  and their young son, George (age 4). No regular 
  servants attend the Angell family, but there is a 
  40% chance that 2d6 foreign Cthulhu cultists 
  are on hand to act the part. Lord Basil’s wife, 
  Lady Jane, died of lung fever 11 years ago.
  D. House of Zardok: A smaller building 
  originally, the House of Zardok has expanded 
  to swallow up several neighboring buildings 
  and diverse architectural styles. It is clear to 
  the trained eye that here is where the money in 
  Portsmouth is centered. Explain, then, why all 
  the upper windows are boarded?
  Lord Rogar Zardok is the nominal head 
  of the family, but no one has seen him 
  now in years. He is hidden with 2d4 oth-
  er hybrids in the upper part of the man-
  sion, and is almost ready to join his elder kin beneath 
  Devil’s Reef. Prince Wayland Zardok, his son, conducts 
  all public business for the House with his wife, the Lady 
  Clarna. Clarna is already beginning to show some signs 
  of hybridization – her eyes seem large, her nose flat, and 
  she seems not to blink – although she has produced no 
  children.
  There are always 3d6 Dagonite serving men here and 
  2d8 Dagonite maids. 4d4 children can be found in the 
  servant’s wing; some of these are Prince Wayland’s prog-
  eny from the maids. There is also a small fortune in gold 
  jewelry and coin to be found by a successful thief, all of 
  it alloyed with an unknown pale lustrous metal. A haul 
  of 5d20 x 100 gp could be gained by a lucky and daring 
  burglar.
  Peerage in Portsmouth
  The various Lords and Ladies of Portsmouth are 
  equal to Baronets, and thus below Baron Jochim 
  Charming in peerage, but above a knight. Their title 
  is hereditary, allowing them to call their sons and 
  daughters “Prince” or “Princess”.
  E. The Golden Lamprey:  The finest inn in Portsmouth, 
  it costs 10 gp per night per major character (each PC, 
  plus the Princess Annegret; which assumes housing and 
  board for serving staff, as well as stabling for mounts). 
  Those who stay at the Golden Lamprey are treated well 
  and kept safe. The rooms have secure bolts to fasten the 
  doors from the inside.
  F. The Gilman House: A meaner inn than The Golden 
  Lamprey, the Gilman House charges each major charac-
  ter a mere 3 gp per night. However, the Gilman House is 
  operated by Dagonites, and characters who pry into the 
  doings of the Esoteric Order of Dagon or the Children 
  of the Deep too closely will be rudely awakened by a fur-
  tive mob. The doors have no bolts, and the management 
  has spare keys. There is a 1 in 6 chance each day that 
  someone stays in the Gilman House that they will have 
  a sense that their goods have been rifled through while 
  they were away, although nothing is (probably) missing. 
  G. Church of Pelagia: This small church of the sea 
  goddess Pelagia is still manned by Curate Gustaf Holt, 
  although few locals now worship here. The curate is 
  aware of something strange happening at Devil’s Reef, 
  although he knows not what, and he knows also that the 
  House of Zardok is strongly connected to the Esoteric 
  
  11
  11
  Order of Dagon. He refers to Dagon as “that Devil-
  God”. If asked about the upcoming wedding, he shakes 
  his head and says, “’Tis a pity that the young prince 
  would marry a girl from that temple out on the reef. 
  Foul sorcery that is, I warrant. Though she is comely 
  enough there is that about her which disturbs me…
  about a great many here these days.” Asked about mer-
  maids, he says “When I was a lad, the mermaids would 
  come up to the shore and sing hymns to Pelagia. I know 
  not what swims in these waters now, but the merfolk are 
  gone. If you wish to find one of the Sea People, you’ll 
  need to go at least a mile past Devil’s Reef before they’ll 
  show themselves.” 
  Gustaf knows which seamen still worship here, and can 
  direct the PCs to a safe ship to charter. If the PCs con-
  fide in him that they are investigating the Devil’s Reef 
  Temple, he can get them a charter as a favor. Finally, he 
  is willing to ask the grace of Pelagia on their behalf, heal-
  ing 2 Dice each day and being able to neutralize a poison 
  or disease once each week.
  The curate has The Scrimshaw Flute of Creation hidden 
  in the church. It was brought to him long ago by one of 
  the Sea King’s many children. If the PCs include a cleric 
  of Pelagia, or are particularly favored, he may allow them 
  to borrow it for their assault on Devil’s Reef.
  He is present at the church 75% of the time.
  H. The White Stones: Old prehuman standing stones of 
  some hard white material form a circle around a grassy 
  area here. It has become a sort of park, although few 
  would be found among the stones after dark. A wizard 
  or elf will immediately recognize this as a place of power. 
  Wizard spells related to divination (such as comprehend 
  languages and detect magic) gain an automatic +4 bonus 
  to the spell check here. Summoning spells (including 
  animal summoning and find familiar) gain a base +2 
  bonus, but can also gain additional bonuses by increas-
  ing the chance for corruption. 
  For every additional +2 desired, the natural roll that can 
  result in corruption is increased by 1. A wizard could 
  therefore gain an additional +8 to his roll (+10 with the 
  base bonus) by accepting corruption on a natural roll of 
  1 to 5. A result within this range always results in cor-
  ruption, and never in misfire. The wizard can still spend 
  Luck to negate the corruption, but the Luck spent must 
  be equal to the roll (i.e., 2 points of Luck if the roll was a 
  natural “2”).
  I. The Emperor’s New Clothier: Appearances 
  are important, and the amount that the PCs 
  are willing to spend to look the part of couri-
  ers will determine (along with their behavior) 
  how seriously they are taken by the nobility of 
  Portsmouth. If they spend 10 gp each or less on 
  finery, they are seen as peasants in fancy dress. 
  At best. Between 11 and 25 gp will make them 
  acceptable in polite society, while they will turn 
  heads if they spend 26 to 100 gp. Going over 
  this amount will seem excessive, and tax the 
  management of the shop (Weaver by name) to 
  find them something fitting.
  The Princess Annegret will certainly advise 
  her husband (or fiancée) in this regard. She 
  has brought a wardrobe from Westlake, and 
  can appear presentable without any additional 
  expense. 
  J. Church of Ulesh: This church has been 
  abandoned, but its power is still intact. A Law-
  ful cleric spending the night here in prayer 
  receives a visitation from an angel of the God 
  of Peace: “Beware the evil which comes from 
  the sea, the Sleeping Priest and the Father of 
  the Children of the Deep. Although they make 
  war upon each other, both bring only ill to the 
  world of Men.” This refers to Cthulhu (Priest of 
  the Old Ones who lies dreaming in his house in 
  R’lyeh) and Dagon. The angel will then answer 
  three questions before departing. Although it 
  seemed like the cleric had already woken, he 
  will now discover that he still slept, awaken-
  ing with the sound of the angel’s wings still 
  whispering in his ears. This only happens once; 
  additional vigils have no effect.
  K. Temple of Justicia: This temple has been 
  abandoned and defiled. There is a sense of 
  brooding evil here by daylight; at night any 
  who venture here will encounter 2d3 ghouls. 
  See below.
  L. The Overlook: This graveyard is on 
  a high promontory overlooking Ports-
  mouth Harbor. The base of the promon-
  tory is honeycombed with catacombs 
  
  12
  12
  and burial vaults. At night, the Overlook is 
  haunted by ghouls; there is a 25% chance of 
  meeting 2d6 on any given night. These ghouls 
  are not mindless; they can be spoken to and 
  bargained with. They know many things, and 
  can answer almost any question related to do-
  ings in Portsmouth over its entire history. They 
  certainly know that many graves are empty, the 
  “deceased” not being within their sealed caskets 
  – they even know that these so-called dead men 
  slip into the water and swim out to Devil’s Reef.
  If a PC wizard or elf is attempting to learn 
  a particular spell, the ghouls may know lore 
  needed to master it, at the judge’s discretion (see 
  page 315 of the core rulebook). 
  The ghouls’ price is always in bodies and bones. 
  The judge is advised to seek a low enough price 
  that the players will consider meeting it, yet a 
  high enough price that they will think twice. 
  The ghouls will only attack if pressed by the 
  party, if hungry (50% chance), or if they out-
  number the PCs present 3-to-1.
  Shopping in Portsmouth
  There are several places where the PCs can 
  shop in Portsmouth. 
  Near Portsmouth Harbor, there are many 
  coopers and cord-makers. It is possible to 
  buy nets, sailcloth, sails, and other nauti-
  cal paraphernalia. Several tattooists have 
  small shops here, and there are several small 
  seaman’s pubs where folk look askance at 
  strangers without a nautical air. Fish, lob-
  ster, and other seafood are easy enough to 
  buy here. Tavern names include The King’s 
  Nose, The Mermaid’s Fork, The Full Net, 
  The Briny Bilge, and Sailor’s Alehouse.
  Past where Main and Marsh Streets meet, 
  following Marsh Street to the east, butchers 
  can be found. Just before the road leads to 
  Harbin, a tanners can also be found. These 
  professions create odors that the gentry in 
  nience of the wealthy and because much produce 
  comes from Ipham Village. There is no fresh produce 
  at this time of year; only that which has been stored 
  for the winter.
  No shops in Portsmouth sell ready-made weapons or 
  armor. Weapons, at least, can be bought at 1.5 times 
  normal book value from foreign sailors whose ships 
  are docked in Portsmouth. Other adventuring gear 
  may, or may not, be available as the judge desires.
  The Under Tunnels
  Ancient prehuman tunnels exist beneath Portsmouth. 
  Their walls, floors, and ceilings are of black rock flecked 
  with green, so old that stalactites and stalagmites up to 
  6 inches long have formed within them. These tunnels 
  are all 1d8+10’ high and 1d12+10’ wide, and echo with 
  dripping water. They are used by Dagonites, Cthulhu 
  cultists, ghouls, and giant talking rats with prehensile 
  paws. These rat speak the goblin tongue, and claim fealty 
  to a “Lord of Rats” who is never seen. Once the PCs 
  have the first Sea Witch dream, hobyahs may also be 
  encountered here.
  PCs may use these tunnels to avoid pursuit (such as 
  an angry mob of hybrid Dagonites) or to move unseen 
  from one place to another. Being PCs, they may also 
  simply explore them because they are there. For every 
  10 minutes spent in the Under Tunnels, roll 1d14 and 
  consult the following table. If the PCs have not dreamt 
  of the Sea Witch, any encounter with hobyahs is instead 
  “no encounter”. 
  In addition, every 100 feet, there is a 1 in 10 chance of 
  an access point to a surface home. These are occupied or 
  not depending upon where they are located, or unoccu-
  pied 50% of the time (as the judge desires).
  1d14
  Encounter
  1-5
  No Encounter
  6
  Giant rats (1d5)
  7-8
  Dagonites (1d3)
  9-10
  Hybrid Dagonites (2d4)
  11
  Cthulhu cultists (1d3-1; minimum 1)
  12
  Ghouls (1d5)
  13-14 Hobyahs (2d6) or No Encounter
  Portsmouth would rather not smell.
  Greengrocers can be found along the 
  Western Road, both for the conve-
  
  13
  13
  
  14
  14
  A. Shoggoth Cavern: The tunnel leads to a 
  great cavern beneath the river. You can clearly 
  hear the roar of moving water overhead. the 
  cavern is at least 100 feet wide and 500 feet 
  across, a chasm 60 feet deep crossed by a narrow 
  span of green-flecked black stone. The entire 
  cavern is lit by a pale gelid light coming up 
  from the chasm – a great primordial ooze glow-
  ing in the darkness, forming countless arms, 
  feelers, sensory organs, and other appendages 
  that rise up out of the enormous mass, tower to 
  a height of 30 feet or more, and then collapse 
  back into it.
  Crossing the bridge normally is not difficult. 
  Crossing at a run requires a DC 5 Agility check 
  each round to avoid falling. Those who fight on 
  the bridge must make a Reflex save when hit 
  (DC = damage done) or fall. A DC 15 Reflex 
  save allows a falling creature to grab the bridge, 
  with a DC 10 Strength check to pull himself 
  back up; three failures in a row means that the 
  character has lost his grip and fallen. Falling 
  damage is a mere 3d5 (no chance of broken 
  bones), but the character takes 2d10 points of 
  damage each round when in contact with the 
  primordial ooze, and 1d10 points from various 
  appendages when within 20’ of it. 
  The chasm is fully 200 feet deep, with the ooze 
  filling 140 feet of that depth. At almost 7 mil-
  lion cubic feet, the creature cannot be affected 
  by any power the PCs can bring to bear.
  Walking PCs take roughly 9 rounds to cross the 
  bridge. Fighting or fleeing characters may find 
  this a challenge.
  Rumors in Portsmouth
  1d12 Rumor
  1
  “The church of Pelagia still welcomes sea-loving 
  folk, and the curate is a good man.”
  2
  “The ghouls whisper that they know where a 
  great treasure lies, but they are hungry and I 
  have no one to give them. Say, what are you 
  doing this evening?”
  3
  “Folk have been leaving Portsmouth for de-
  cades, but not every deserted building is truly 
  empty.”
  4
  “Aye, ‘tis true, I say! When I was young, the 
  mermaids sang betimes right in the harbor. I 
  think ‘twas their sweet voices what drove me to 
  the sea….”
  5
  “Old Captain Zardok brought the new religion 
  to Portsmouth. ‘Course, he be with the fishes 
  now.”
  6
  “They say that something lurks beneath the 
  streets of this town, but I say that’s nothing 
  more than ignorant flapdoodle.”
  7
  “I don’t take well to many of the nobility in this 
  town. Lord Obed, now, he’s a right good man 
  by all accounts. We could use more of his type 
  around Portsmouth. May the young prince 
  have all the wedded bliss he can handle!”
  8
  “Bad dreams…every night….bad dreams….’tis 
  a bad place I dream of….I’d cut me own throat 
  if I weren’t afraid I would just open me eyes in 
  that bad place….”
  9
  “Beware the hidden ones….” Muttered by a 
  man who dies mysteriously shortly thereafter, 
  but not before slipping a 5-inch idol of Cthul-
  hu made of a light, soapy green stone into a 
  character’s pocket or gear. 
  10
  “Some folk look for wives in Ipham or Westlake 
  or Harbin. Hereabouts, many folk get their 
  wives from the north.”
  11
  “Without the Order, Portsmouth would’ve 
  dried up long ago. This town owes its current 
  prosperity to the sea. A toast! To recovery! And 
  to the Esoteric Order of Dagon!”
  12
  (In a whisper): “Have you ever heard the dread 
  name Cthulhu? They do say his followers kid-
  nap children and feed them to something what 
  lives below the streets.”
  
  15
  15
  Adventure Start
  Portsmouth lies 15 miles north of the Grimmswood, 
  whose twisting paths lead nearly 100 miles from West-
  lake – taken together a journey of five days from start to 
  finish, and one not altogether comfortable in the wagons 
  provided by the Baron of Westlake. Beyond the forest, a 
  hilly country gives way to a frozen salt marsh, and then 
  to the town of Portsmouth itself. You have arrived for a 
  twelve day Yuletide celebration, culminating in the mar-
  riage of Prince Hans Manuxet to the Princes Orne. 
  It is late when you arrive. Despite the cold and the snow, 
  the town smells noticeably of salt cod. Accommoda-
  tions are not provided, but you have been told that the 
  Golden Lamprey is an inn of good reputation, if pricey. 
  Playing the part of the nobility is taxing on one’s purse, 
  but parsimony is thought churlish by even the poorest of 
  the noble class. You will have to determine what you are 
  willing to spend as hidden expenses arise.
  Princess Annegret, at least, seems excited by the festivi-
  ties to come. 
  Money? What Money?
  PCs who played through Creeping Beauties of the 
  Wood had the opportunity to gain a small fortune, 
  if they managed to obtain both Snow White’s crystal 
  coffin and the chest of gold offered by the Baron. 
  Some PCs might not have much money, though, in 
  which case the Baron supplies a stipend of 200 gp 
  each to travel to Portsmouth. 
  PCs who have not played through the previous adven-
  tures can be invited to the Yuletide Fete on the basis of 
  their reputation. 
  It is not necessary to play out each of the following 
  events. The judge is advised to pick and choose, follow-
  ing the players’ interests, as the adventure progresses. 
  Many events require little more than a brief summary 
  of what occurs. The characters should also be allowed 
  to break out of the pattern of events, travelling about 
  Portsmouth on their own initiative. This is especially 
  true as they become aware of the nature and scope of the 
  problems besetting the town.
  Some events are conditional. They occur only if the PCs 
  do something to trigger them. Even where events are 
  not marked conditional, the PCs may take actions that 
  negate the event. This is to be encouraged; the 
  events are only a rough outline. The important 
  thing is to seed enough clues to allow the play-
  ers to figure out that Coraline is the mermaid, 
  that Orne is a danger, and that they should 
  investigate Devil’s Reef.
  Day One
  • 
  The PCs need adequate clothing; Princess 
  Annegret takes them to The Emperor’s New 
  Clothier (Portsmouth Area I).
  • 
  The PCs have a chance to explore Ports-
  mouth. Relatively barren streets are noted, 
  as are abandoned houses and boarded up 
  upper story windows. 
  • 
  Dinner at the House of Manuxet. The PCs 
  meet the butler, the family, and the “Prin-
  cess” Orne. They also meet Coraline, who 
  cannot speak, and learn the prince’s nick-
  name for her (“Dear Foundling”). Lobster 
  and seafood are served. The wine is good, a 
  vintage from Ipham.
  Portsmouth Hybrid 
  Deformities
  Characters may notice one or more of the 
  following:
  1d14
  Deformity
  1
  Goggling or bulging eyes
  2
  Receding forehead
  3
  Receding hair
  4
  Greying skin
  5
  Flaking, almost scaly skin
  6
  Hopping, shuffling gait
  7
  Extremely narrow shoulders
  8
  Tiny ears
  9
  Wrinkles on neck (proto-
  gills)
  10
  Thin face
  11
  Flat nose
  12
  Fishy odor
  13-14 Roll twice on 1d12
  
  16
  
  17
  17
  Night One
  The PCs have an uneventful night in Portsmouth. This is 
  very much the calm before the storm for events and fac-
  tions within Portsmouth will become far more interested 
  in the PCs and their meddling as the days progress.
  Day Two
  • 
  The PCs are left to their own devices during the 
  morning hours. Because of the evening’s plans, Prin-
  cess Annegret is willing to spend this time teaching 
  them to dance.
  • 
  A ball is scheduled from dusk to midnight. Lord 
  Basil Angell, the Princes Francis and 
  Joseph Angell, and Lady Emily Angell 
  will be present, as well as Prince Way-
  land Zardok and Lady Clarna Zardok.
  • 
  When Coraline dances, her feet bleed. 
  Still, she seems happy. Her devotion to 
  Prince Manuxet is obvious, and it is strange 
  that he seems unaware of it. Princess Annegret 
  remarks on this specifically (or notices it, if be-
  ing run by a player). No one else comments on 
  this unless asked.
  • 
  Both Lord Manuxet and Prince Zardok seem in-
  terested in discussing more trade with Westlake, 
  and hope to meet at some point to discuss it further.
  • 
  Lady Clarna Zardok drinks rather too much and is 
  far too close to the male PC with the highest Per-
  sonality. Prince Wayland seems to ignore this, but it 
  certainly allows that PC to notice her large, rarely-
  blinking eyes, flat nose, and rather fishy breath. 
  Insults will be taken severely by her, superficially 
  smoothed over by Prince Wayland, and the PCs will 
  thereafter find themselves being watched closely by 
  the Dagonites. 
  • 
  Lady Angell takes pity on PCs unfamiliar with 
  ballroom dancing, and gives them a chance to spend 
  the evening telling her about their adventures. If 
  hobyahs are mentioned, she says, “Oh, those. The 
  victims of the Sea Witch.” She refuses to say more, 
  saying “There are things one should not discuss after 
  the sun goes down, or so close to the sea.”
  Night Two
  You wake up mired in a sticky black sludge, filled with the 
  odor of rotting fish and sea creatures. You are on an undu-
  lating plain, stretching as far as you can see in every direc-
  tion. The ebony slime is saturated with the decaying remains 
  of fish, octopi, crustaceans, and things that can scarcely be 
  identified – the strange beings that live beneath 
  the waves which no man has ever beheld. Some of 
  the things look like gigantic flowers or polyps, or 
  trees with sagging flexible stalks, now half rotted 
  away. A boat lies, caught in the muck about 100 
  yards away. Although the last thing you remember 
  is returning from the ball, you must have been in 
  the boat, and fallen asleep when some cataclysmic 
  disturbance thrust up a portion of the sea floor, for 
  there is more than bare white sand at the bottom 
  of the sea!
  The PCs are all there, and without their normal 
  equipment or weapons. As soon as one of them 
  touches the boat, they all wake up in their own 
  beds. Each has had exactly the same dream.
  
  18
  18
  Day Three
  • 
  Doctor Chapman appears in a mirror to 
  consult with the PCs, assuming they have 
  had contact with him before. He looks very 
  much as he did in life, and is no longer 
  subject to revealing his deathly state. “Last 
  night’s unpleasantness was sent to you by a 
  power beyond mine, I fear. I am sorry that 
  I could not prevent it. At least I was able to 
  awaken you before things had progressed. 
  I warned you of evil in Portsmouth once, 
  long ago, and that evil has only grown, I 
  fear. Be wary! I need you to find for me a 
  mermaid. I need her tears for one of my 
  researches – tears of joy or tears of sorrow. It 
  doesn’t matter. There were once mermaids 
  which swam into Portsmouth Harbor, so 
  this should be no great task compared to 
  facing Beauty and her associates.” He listens 
  gravely to all that the PCs may tell him and 
  vows, “I will uncover what I may about 
  what you have told me. Seek the mermaid! I 
  will return as soon as I have news.” His im-
  age then fades from the mirror.
  • 
  The Angells have created an ice skating rink 
  in the yard behind their manor, and the 
  PCs are invited to come skating there. The 
  skates provided are made of bone, and strap 
  onto existing footwear. If asked, Lord Angell 
  explains that the river is too treacherous to 
  skate upon – ice that looks solid is often too 
  thin to bear a man’s weight. Children are 
  also skating, including a very young George 
  Angell with the aid of his mother. Lord 
  Basil corners the PC who seems most direct. 
  “Tell me, what did you think of our Lord 
  Zardok?” “What of Lady Clarna? You did 
  not find her at all…strange?” “What of the 
  Lady Orne? They say that she is a princess, 
  but no one seems to know where her fam-
  ily’s peerage is to be found. Only that she 
  fostered at the temple by Devil’s Reef.” He 
  listens politely to all that the PC(s) may say 
  on these matters, and does his best to deflect 
  questions politely.
  • 
  A dinner is scheduled with the 
  Manuxets that evening, but word ar-
  rives that Lady Lavinia has taken ill. 
  The dinner is postponed to the next 
  night, leaving the PCs free to chart their own course.
  Conditional Event: 
  Assassination 
  If the PCs begin investigating a “Cthulhu cult” 
  openly, they attract the attention of the cultists, who 
  arrange an assassination attempt 1d3 days later. A 
  foreign sailor brushes by a PC on the street, using a 
  small poisoned needle. The PC is only 10% likely to 
  notice the jab along with the heavier contact unless 
  the player specifically asks. 
  The needle is coated with a rare sea scorpion venom. 
  1d3 x 10 minutes after the jab, the PC must make a 
  DC 15 Fort save or collapse, unconscious. Thereaf-
  ter, he remains unconscious and loses 1d3 points of 
  Stamina every 10 minutes until the poison is neu-
  tralized or he is dead. Even if the save is successful, 
  the PC takes 1d3 points of Stamina damage.
  Night Three
  It is days later, and the black sludge has dried enough to 
  walk upon. You find yourself walking through a stinking 
  wasteland of dead creatures, many of which you cannot 
  identify. It is strange that no sea birds are attracted by the 
  putrid stench, but nothing moves save yourselves and the 
  occasional dead thing flapping in the foul breeze. Human 
  bones, bleached white and long since picked clean, ship’s 
  rudders, and the detritus of a thousand shipwrecks litter the 
  black slimy ground all around you. You can see that the sag-
  ging polyp-like tree-things have caught now-rotting things 
  in their branch-tentacles – fish, dolphins, drowned men, 
  and even a young mermaid, strangled long ago. And still 
  you move as a group across the unending ocean floor, thrown 
  up by some cataclysm into an endless plain.
   You wake with the overwhelming smell of it still in your 
  nostrils. You have a memory of an irresistible voice, calling 
  to you, drawing you across the black expanse, though you are 
  sure you heard no such voice in your dream.
  The PCs do not have their normal gear in this dream.
  
  19
  19
  Day Four
  • 
  The PCs once more have the morning free.
  • 
  Throughout the day, PCs (especially any PC with 
  Doctor Chapman as a patron) catch glimpses of the 
  Doctor in reflections, or hear his voice on the edge 
  of hearing saying things like “Beware” and “Can’t get 
  through”, but he is unable to make contact barring 
  a successful casting of invoke patron. The judge is 
  encouraged to play up the creepiness of these events.
  • 
  Prince Wayland Zardok sends a servant, Gammell, 
  to the PCs’ inn at noon. If they are about, they are 
  invited to take lunch with him. If the Princess Anne-
  gret is left alone, she is invited instead, and accepts. 
  The prince wants to know what the PCs have discov-
  ered in Portsmouth, and if need be he will attempt 
  to divert their attentions to the 
  “scoundrel priest” at the Church 
  of Pelagia “who worships devils 
  rather than the goddess of the 
  sea” or the Overlook graveyard. 
  If the PCs are still not poking 
  around, he will try to determine 
  if any are of unmarried and seek-
  ing a bride…
  •     Lady Lavinia has recovered, 
  and the PCs are invited to dine at 
  House Manuxet. Beef and pork 
  are served, as well as the omni-
  present seafood.
  Night Four
  The plain is not unbroken. There 
  are hills and valleys of decaying 
  filth and dried slime, and chasms 
  that remain unseen until they are 
  come across suddenly. You are at 
  the bottom of one such chasm, an 
  immeasurable pit with a flow-
  ing body of water at its bottom, 
  lapping almost at your feet. Roar-
  ing whirlpools form in the water 
  here and there, violently pulling 
  anything that floats by  It stretches 
  out beyond your sight to the left 
  and right, but before you, on the 
  far bank, you can just make out 
  a colossal monument, easily taller 
  than ten men standing one atop the 
  other. 
  It seems to be of black stone, carved with disturb-
  ing hieroglyphs, the figures of marine creatures, 
  and humanoid forms that seem half ichthyoid, 
  with great staring eyes, gills, and long webbed fin-
  gers and toes. The proportions of the figures seem 
  to be off, or the humanoids are giants, for they are 
  depicted slaughtering a whale not much larger 
  than they. You gain an impression of malignant 
  horror; whatever the hieroglyphs may say, it is not 
  something anyone should be burdened with know-
  ing.
  The slope above you is thick with the tree-
  like polyps, their tendrils groping down-
  wards toward you, although they cannot 
  
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  20
  reach – the nearest is 25 yards above you. As you 
  watch you see figures slipping among the polyp-trees 
  like small black humanoid fish. “Hobyah, hobyah, 
  hobyah” they whisper, barely audibly, moving in 
  and out of the shadows, the closest at least 50 yards 
  away. “She comes. She comes. She comes.”
  Movement by the monolith draws your attention. 
  The creature that rises here is 60 feet tall, half 
  scaled fish, half old crone, vast and stinking, with 
  a foul yellowish belly and great spongy breasts. 
  “What have you come here for?” the vast figure 
  asks. Where one would expect a harsh croak, or a 
  foul tittering voice, the Sea Witch has instead the 
  sweetest, most angelic voice imaginable.
  The Sea Witch is using Coraline’s stolen voice.
  The Sea Witch will deny calling them to her: 
  “There must be something you seek, or you would 
  not have made it so far.” The Sea Witch can 
  grant almost anything; this is a Quest For It 
  moment if there ever was one. However, the 
  thing that the Sea Witch asks for in return is 
  always almost too dear to bear, and is often the 
  crux of using what is asked for. Once she gets a 
  PC to name something he wants, her method is 
  as follows.
  • 
  “Then it is a lucky thing you made it so far 
  tonight, for when the sun rises tomorrow I 
  would have to wait a year and a day before I 
  could help you again.”
  • 
  She will tell the PC how brave, powerful, 
  wise, etc., they will appear to others, and 
  how much they will be able to accomplish 
  with their new gift.
  • 
  She will then mention a task that must be 
  completed by a certain time “or your soul 
  shall be freed of its currently fleshy form, and 
  go wandering in some new guise throughout 
  the world.” This should be something the 
  PC is almost certainly able to accomplish. 
  Only when he agrees to this does she go on.
  • 
  “Also, you must pay me, and as I must put my 
  sovereign blood into the magic that grants you 
  “Remember, you must decide now. If you wait, I will be un-
  able to give you what you wish.”
  If the PC accomplishes the task, he regains whatever he 
  lost as the price, but it is not intended by the Sea Witch 
  that he does so. If he fails, he dies (no save) and is reborn 
  as a hobyah. The Sea Witch is utterly malignant, and 
  wants only to feed off the misery of others. Any PC who 
  takes this deal should have cause to regret it. Even if they 
  succeed in the end, it should not be without great dif-
  ficulty and cost.
  Any PC who declines the offer politely is dismissed, 
  returning to normal slumber.  Rude PCs are also dis-
  missed, but they lose 1 point of Luck as the malice of the 
  Sea Witch is turned in their direction. If the Sea Witch 
  is attacked, she cannot be harmed. Numberless hobyahs 
  pour down the slope screaming “Hobyah! Hobyah! 
  Hobyah! Protect our mother! Kill the others!” The PCs 
  awake, scratched and covered with reeking black slime, 
  in their beds. This will not make innkeepers or spouses 
  happy. These PCs lose 1d3 points of Luck, as the Sea 
  Witch actively manipulates events to cause them harm.
  Awake All Night
  By this point, some groups will try to stay awake all 
  night or set watches. That’s fine; they have to sleep 
  sometime, and the individual(s) on watch are simply 
  not included in the dream sequence.
  Day Five and Beyond
  By this point, the PCs should be taking actions that 
  undo any ordered plan. If not, there is a sequence of 
  alternating dinners and dances that culminates in a wed-
  ding. Use the following as a guide:
  • 
  There will be no further visitations from the Sea 
  Witch.
  • 
  On Day 6, Doctor Chapman is able to appear again. 
  He is distraught, and knows far too much about the 
  events in Portsmouth for his own peace of mind. 
  “Beware the Esoteric Order of Dagon. It is not what 
  it appears. They are breeding with the Children of 
  the Deep. Someone must go to Devil’s Reef, and 
  at all costs you must stop that wedding!” Doctor 
  Chapman can give some form of answer to most of 
  the questions the PCs have. This is your chance as a 
  judge to provide additional context to the adventure, 
  and push the players towards a resolution.
  your desire, the price shall be no trifle.” 
  She then asks for whatever the PC 
  most needs to accomplish the task she 
  set.
  
  21
  21
  • 
  On Day 12, Prince Manuxet will wed Orne, unless 
  the PCs prevent it. 
  Other Conditional Events
  The following conditional events can happen throughout 
  the adventure.
  Interviewing Coraline: She cannot speak, but she can 
  hear, and she can nod. She is a very good source of infor-
  mation, if the right questions are asked. She also presents 
  a good opportunity to acquire a mermaid’s tears, as she 
  is still a mermaid until she either fails or succeeds in her 
  task, regardless of the form she wears.
  Interviewing Hans: Prince Manuxet continually turns 
  the conversation back to “Princess” Orne. It should be 
  clear to anyone that he is under some form of charm.
  Meeting with Mermaids: If the PCs travel a mile past 
  Devil’s Reef, a trio of Coraline’s sisters appear on the 
  waves – Miranda, Portia, and Juliet are their names. 
  They have managed to win a potion that will restore 
  Coraline’s mermaid form if she drinks it; if they fail to 
  convince the PCs to administer it secretly to her they 
  fall into the clutches of the Sea Witch. This may be a 
  good opportunity to obtain a mermaid’s tears for Doctor 
  Chapman.
  Meeting the Sea King: The mermaids can arrange for 
  the PCs to meet with the Sea King. He demands his 
  daughter’s return at first, but can be convinced easily 
  enough that her happiness is more important. To tell 
  the truth, he has many daughters, and scarcely knows 
  one from another. He does know of the Children of the 
  Deep, worshipers of Dagon, who have come to the area 
  around Portsmouth in the last half century. He knows 
  also that they are active around Devil’s Reef. Making an 
  enemy of the Sea King is a bad idea; storms will tend to 
  arise and follow any ship the PC takes to sea.
  Assassination Attempt: The Church of Dagon attempts 
  to assassinate Coraline, to prevent the PCs from transfer-
  ring the prince’s affections back to her. 
  Assassination Attempt: The Church of Dagon attempts 
  to assassinate Princess Annegret, either to punish the 
  PCs or to drive them away. If they somehow succeed, the 
  Princess’ fiancée would forfeit his future title and lose 1 
  point of Luck. If a PC has already married the Princess, 
  he retains title but loses 1d3 points of Luck.
  Chartering a Dagonite Ship: If the PCs char-
  ter a Dagonite ship to explore Devil’s Reef or 
  to meet with the mermaids, they will need to 
  defeat 2d6+6 Dagonite sailors when they are a 
  half-mile out of Portsmouth Harbor. Then, if 
  they can operate the ship, they can continue or 
  wait for rescue in 2d6 x 10 minutes, when an-
  other ship hails them. There is a 1 in 5 chance 
  that this ship will also belong to Dagonites, and 
  the whole cycle will start again.
  Fleeing From a Mob: A mob of 3d8 hybrids 
  accosts the PCs while they are venturing to, 
  or returning from, a function (and are there-
  fore unarmed and unarmored). If the PCs see 
  the mob approaching, they can have a merry 
  chase through near-deserted streets and empty 
  buildings. If not, they can engage in a desper-
  ate melee with impromptu weapons (generally 
  doing 1d4 damage). 
  Devil’s Reef Temple
  Devil’s Reef is an expanse of small black coral 
  islands and sharp reefs hiding beneath the 
  waterline about a nautical mile from Ports-
  mouth Harbor. The reefs themselves extend for 
  several miles, roughly east-west. Old wood and 
  the rotting hulks of former ships testify to the 
  sharpness and danger of the hidden expanses. 
  A sailor who did not know these waters well 
  would find this place hazardous indeed.
  Temple Island is on the eastern end of the 
  region, a small dark island barely 70 or so yards 
  across at high tide. Although this is supposed to 
  be a place where girls of distant noble families 
  are raised properly, there is no sign of any grow-
  ing thing. There is one large building visible, 
  shaped rather like half of a mottled green-black 
  egg rising from the darker mass, and another 
  small outbuilding east of it, presumably for 
  housing princesses. 
  There is no sign of anyone here. The en-
  tire area smells of brine and dead fish.
  
  22
  22
  
  23
  23
  Landing on Temple Island with a ship’s boat is an easy 
  matter for Portsmouth sailors, although they believe 
  the place cursed (if not Dagonites or Cthulhu cultists) 
  and will not do so without a minimum payment of 10 
  gp, paid upfront.  This is the case even if Curate Gustaf 
  Holt (Portsmouth Area G) has picked the ship and crew. 
  PCs attempting to land themselves on the island must 
  designate one PC to make a DC 5 Intelligence check, 
  and another to make an Agility check (DC 5 if the first 
  check succeeded; DC 10 if not). These checks are made 
  using 1d10 if the PC making them doesn’t have a nauti-
  cal background. Failure sinks the ship’s boat, and the 
  PCs must swim to shore (Strength DC 5, armor check 
  penalty applies, 1d3 temporary Stamina loss on each fail-
  ure, Stamina loss recovers with 10 minute’s rest, drown-
  ing occurs if Stamina reaches 0).
  There are 3 Children of the Deep hiding in the waters 
  around Devil’s Reef. If the PCs sink the ship’s boat, they 
  will attack while PCs are in the water (automatically 
  gaining surprise), and follow-up on land before the PCs 
  can recover from the ordeal.
  Children of the Deep (3): Init +2; Atk claw +3 
  melee (1d3) or bite +1 melee (1d5); AC 13; HD 
  2d8; hp 12, 15, 4; MV 30’ or swim 50’; Act 1d20; 
  SP amphibious, leap; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4; 
  AL C.
  1. Temple of Dagon:  This building stands 60’ tall, with 
  double doors 15’ wide and 8’ tall, made of a strange 
  greenish-black metal that cannot be identified. The 
  doors are impervious to damage (it takes 30 hp damage 
  even to scratch them slightly), but are not locked. They 
  are covered with stylized images of sea creatures, some of 
  which cannot be identified. Those who have encountered 
  the Sea Witch cannot help but notice the similarity be-
  tween these images and those on her ancient monolith. 
  It requires a DC 10 Strength check to open the massive 
  doors, which pull outwards.
  The temple dome is empty, save for a massive statue to the 
  east, made of the same strange metal as the doors. This is 
  Dagon – a repellent mixture of man, fish, and loathsome 
  toad, his bifurcated fish’s tail curling around massive squat-
  ting frog’s legs, like that of an enormous deformed tadpole. 
  The idol’s goggle eyes stare down at you with measureless 
  malignancy, as though the primordial god himself saw 
  through its malevolent eyes. The feeling of brooding evil 
  watching you is very strong.
  There is nothing of interest here.
  2. Rooming House: This is a black stone 
  house, with narrow shuttered windows. The 
  shutters are latched from within, but PCs could 
  hack through the wood shutters, and a halfling 
  could enter through the narrow windows. The 
  door is also made of wood, and is locked (DC 
  10); it would take about 5 minutes to hack 
  through the heavy door with axes. 
  This appears to be a rooming house, with a line 
  of six narrow beds along the eastern wall. To the 
  north is a sitting area with four chairs, a small 
  round table, and a charcoal brazier. The floor is of 
  stone, with woolen rugs in the walkways and the 
  sitting area.
  The brass brazier is cold, but there is some 
  unburned charcoal in it. Hidden under a rug 
  in the sitting area is a wooden trapdoor with a 
  bronze pull ring.
  3. Stairway Trap: Beyond the trapdoor, you 
  can see a 5’ drop, and then stairs leading down-
  ward to the south. A series of corroded bronze 
  rungs in the west wall could be used to climb 
  to the stairs. The area below is dark, and smells 
  strongly of rotting sea creatures.
  The third step down operates as a pressure 
  plate (DC 5 to notice the lack of wear and the 
  separation from the remainder of the steps), 
  easily avoided merely by stepping over the trap. 
  Otherwise, a slicing blade comes out of the 
  riser behind the stair, slicing the back of the leg 
  for 1d3 damage. The wounded character must 
  make a Reflex save (DC 10) or fall down the 
  stairs for an additional 1d6 damage (a natural 
  “6” indicating a broken bone). The character 
  has a -5’ movement penalty until the damage 
  from the blade is healed.
  The stairs lead downward into salt water a foot 
  deep. Light reflects off the water, making it impos-
  sible to see what is below.
  
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  24
  4. Lower Chamber: The corridor leads into a 30 
  foot square chamber with an archway in the center 
  of each wall. The ceiling is supported by pillars 
  that turn into arches after 8 feet, meeting in the 
  center of the room at a height of 14 feet. Slivers 
  and bits of old wood float upon the surface of the 
  water.
  The western way slopes downwards; by the time 
  characters reach the Y-shaped intersection, the 
  water is 2 feet deep. The slope continues down 
  the forks, although less sharply, so that the wa-
  ter is 2½ feet deep by Areas 9 and 10. Once the 
  water is over 2 feet deep, characters lose 1 point 
  of Agility bonus to AC and suffer a -1 penalty 
  to attack rolls. Aquatic creatures do not suffer 
  these penalties.
  If characters spend more than a few rounds in 
  here, 6 Children of the Deep swim up from 
  Area 6, and attack from the south way. If char-
  acters move quickly, they face these combatants 
  based upon their location.
  Children of the Deep (6): Init +2; Atk claw 
  +3 melee (1d3) or bite +1 melee (1d5); AC 
  13; HD 2d8; hp 9 each; MV 30’ or swim 
  50’; Act 1d20; SP amphibious, leap; SV 
  Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4; AL C.
  5. Empty Room:  The passage goes 10 feet, then 
  enters a chamber 30 feet wide and 20 feet deep. 
  The chamber is only 8 feet high. 
  The opening to Area 6 cannot easily be seen 
  from the hallway.
  6. Water Chutes: This chamber appears similar 
  to the one before it; it is 20 feet wide and 30 feet 
  deep. Apart from the dark standing water, there is 
  nothing to see here.
  In the center of every 10’ section is a 6’ diam-
  eter chute leading to the ocean water surround-
  ing Devil’s Reef. These are long tunnels leading 
  to different areas of the reef – each take at least 
  cautious probing, incautious explorers may plunge 
  downward, taking 1d3 damage from abrasions (Fort DC 
  10 negates) and falling far enough to require 1d3 DC 
  5 Strength checks to swim up. Armor check penalties 
  apply, and a rope is useless unless weighted. A DC 15 
  Reflex save will give the submerged character Stamina 
  rounds of air, but failing this indicates only 1d5 + Luck 
  modifier rounds of air are available (minimum 0). Once 
  air runs out, the character takes 1d3 temporary Stamina 
  damage each round until dead or rescued. Temporary 
  Stamina damage is recovered after 1 round with air.
  7. Storage:  The passage goes 10 feet into a chamber, 30 
  feet wide and 20 feet deep, with another arched passage 
  leading east. Wooden pallets are built up along the eastern 
  portion of the room to keep several large barrels and crates 
  out of the water. These are encrusted with barnacles, but 
  otherwise seem whole.
  Six large barrels contain fresh water. Four smaller kegs 
  contain good wine (25 gp per keg). The crates contain 
  various foodstuffs, none of which is particularly valuable.
  10 minutes to swim through for an un-
  burdened swimmer. 
  Although the holes are easy to note by 
  
  25
  25
  8. Treasure Room: The passage opens out into a 30 foot 
  square chamber, some 14 feet high, filled with the rotting 
  finery of a dozen shipwrecks. Much of what is here has been 
  destroyed by water and time – ancient tapestries, corroded 
  weapons of iron and steel, well-made armor that is eaten by 
  salt. There are several statues, in marble or corroded bronze, 
  jumbled in with the rest, some of them so coated with 
  barnacles that their initial appearance cannot be made out. 
  From several sea chests, copper coins green with verdigris, 
  black-tarnished silver pieces, and bright gold spill into the 
  dark water.
  Characters can recover 3d8 cp, 2d6 sp, and 1d8 gp each 
  round from this chamber. Every 1d14 rounds, there is 
  a 1 in 3 chance that 1d5 Children of the Deep attack 
  from the east. In addition, there is a 1 in 7 chance per 
  round that someone finds a 50 gp string of pearls, a jew-
  eled cup of beaten gold worth 150 gp, or a rotted velvet 
  pouch containing 1d30 sapphires worth 10 gp each 
  (equal chance of each; each can only be found once). 
  There is also a 1 in 10 chance each round that someone 
  will find Ivory Horn of the Angakkuit  (see Appendix B) 
  There is a maximum of 20,000 cp, 8,000 sp, and 1,500 
  gp to be found in this room. There is no practical limit 
  to the Children of the Deep that can attack.
  None of the bags or chest in this area is adequate to the 
  task of holding these treasures. The judge is encour-
  aged to factor weight into PCs forced to make Strength 
  checks to swim.
  Children of the Deep:  Init +2; Atk claw +3 melee 
  (1d3) or bite +1 melee (1d5); AC 13; HD 2d8; hp 9 
  each; MV 30’ or swim 50’; Act 1d20; SP amphibi-
  ous, leap; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4; AL C.
  9. Watery Grave: The passage enters a room, 20 feet deep 
  and 30 feet wide. Even with the deep water, you can make 
  out a scattering of old bones, where they are piled so thickly 
  beneath the deep water that they break the surface. 
  These are the remains of all those sacrificed on Devil’s 
  Reef since the Children of the Deep took residence here. 
  There are well over a thousand men, women, and chil-
  dren – some from Portsmouth, but many taken from 
  foreign ships passing this way at night.
  10. Guardian of the Deep: The passage enters into a 
  larger chamber, some 50 feet wide and 30 feet deep. The 
  ceiling is vaulted to a height of 15 feet. The reek of rotting 
  fish is even stronger in here than in other areas of 
  this place you have explored; it is so strong that it 
  stings your eyes.  Another passage leads out to the 
  west, but it seems to slope steeply downward. 
  This is the lair of the guardian of the deep, a 
  creature built like a sea slug, 20’ long, 10’ wide, 
  but only 2’ high. It has 20 long feeler-tentacles 
  and a mouth with rasping serrated teeth. The 
  guardian can spit a line of nauseating fluid up 
  to 20’ in any direction with a +6 bonus to hit 
  (armor does not apply) – a creature hit must 
  make a Fort or Will save (DC 10) or gag and 
  retch for 1d3 rounds, losing 1 round’s worth of 
  actions and taking a -1d on the dice chain pen-
  alty for any Action Dice used in any remaining 
  rounds of gagging.
  Because of the depth of the water, characters 
  lose 1 point of Agility bonus to AC and suffer a 
  -1 penalty to attack rolls. The guardian does not 
  suffer these penalties.
  Guardian of the Deep:  Init -2; Atk tentacle 
  +2 melee (1d3 and hold) or bite +4 melee (2d6) 
  or nauseating fluid +6 ranged (special) ; AC 11; 
  HD 5d12+10; hp  52; MV 10’ or swim 20’; 
  Act 5d20; SP hold (Strength DC 12 to break 
  free; target must be held to be attacked by bite), 
  nauseating fluid (20’ range, DC 10 Fort or 
  Will), half damage from bludgeoning weapons; 
  SV Fort +15, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C.
  11. The Orb of Enchantment: The passage to 
  this chamber slopes downward steeply, so that 
  the water is 5’ deep in Area 11.
  This chamber is 30 feet square, and a mere 8 feet 
  high, the ceiling supported by thick pillars along 
  the walls. In the center of the room is a plinth of 
  mottled green-black stone holding a crystal orb 
  4 feet in diameter. Mauve and pink gasses swirl 
  within the orb, forming licentious images which 
  seem to form Prince Hans Manuxet and the 
  Princess Orne over and over, bound together by the 
  enchanted mists….
  This is the Orb of Enchantment (see Ap-
  pendix B). Breaking it releases Prince 
  Hans from his enchanted attraction to the 
  
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  26
  “Princess” Orne. Alternatively, a wizard or elf 
  could attempt to gain control of it as described 
  in Appendix B.
  Concluding the Adventure
  If Coraline still lives, and the PCs thwart the 
  Deep Children, then the adventure ends with 
  a wedding, and the House of Manuxet show-
  ers gifts upon the PCs worth an average of 100 
  gp per PC. They remain friends and allies to 
  the PCs for all time. The Sea Witch is foiled, 
  and will bide her time to gain her revenge. At a 
  time of the judge’s choice, each PC will face an 
  instance where two dice must be rolled rather 
  than one, and the PC must use the lower roll. 
  The judge need not tell the players that this will 
  only occur once per PC involved.
  If Coraline dies, but the PCs thwart the Deep 
  Children, the victory is tinged with sadness. 
  The Yuletide Fete ends, and the PCs return to 
  Westlake.
  If the PCs fail utterly, the adventure still ends 
  with a wedding – save this time, it is between 
  Princess Orne and Prince Hans. The Children 
  of the Deep win. A deposition of 6d20 Dago-
  nite hybrids attempts to prevent the PCs from 
  leaving Portsmouth, with the express intent 
  of sacrificing them to Dagon at the temple on 
  Devil’s Reef.
  If the PCs are able to acquire a mermaid’s tear 
  for Doctor Chapman, he is pleased with them. 
  Each PC gains +1 Luck, reflecting the Doctor’s 
  greater watchfulness over their fates. Any PC 
  who has Doctor Chapman for a patron gains 
  the opportunity to learn one random 1st level 
  spell from the Doctor.
  If the PCs fail to gain a mermaid’s tear, the 
  Doctor is understanding but warns them, “This 
  failure will make things harder for us all. In the 
  end, you will wish that you had tried harder.”  If 
  the judge runs the remaining adventures in this 
  for 3rd level characters. The judge may wish to run ad-
  ditional material between that adventure and this if the 
  PCs are still 2nd level. 
  Appendix A: Compiled Stat Blocks
  Below is a compiled list of all the possible statblocks you 
  could need to effectively run The Portsmouth Mermaid.
  Carnivorous sky whale: Init +0; Atk bite +5 melee 
  (2d6+4); AC 15; HD 8d8+16; hp 56; MV fly 40’; Act 
  2d20; SP death throes; SV Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +2; AL 
  N.
  Cat swarm (20’ square area): Init +5; Atk swarming 
  bite and claws +3 melee (1d3); AC 10; HD 12d8; MV 
  40’; Act special; SP attack all targets in a 20’ x 20’ area, 
  half damage from non-area attacks; SV Fort +1, Ref +5, 
  Will +2; AL N.
  Children of the Deep: Init +2; Atk claw +3 melee (1d3) 
  or bite +1 melee (1d5); AC 13; HD 2d8; MV 30’ or 
  swim 50’; Act 1d20; SP amphibious, leap; SV Fort +2, 
  Ref +4, Will +4; AL C.
  Coraline: Init +1; Atk none; AC 11; HD 1d6; hp 4; 
  MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP mute, kiss allows humanoid to 
  breathe water for 1d6 x 10 minutes; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, 
  Will +3; AL N. 
  Cthulhu cultist: Init +0; Atk weapon +1 melee (1d4+1); 
  AC 10; HD 1d6; hp 4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +2, 
  Ref -1, Will +5; AL N.
  Cthulhu cultist assassin: Init +4; Atk poisoned dagger 
  +9 melee (1d12 then 1d4, plus poison); AC 14; HD 
  3d6; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP 1d12 damage on first strike, 
  poison (sea scorpion venom, 1d3 x 10 minutes onset, 
  DC 15 Fort save or collapse, remaining unconscious 
  and losing 1d3 points of Stamina every 10 minutes until 
  cured or dead, 1d3 Stamina damage on successful save), 
  thief skills 75% (disguise, move silently, climb, pick 
  locks, hide in shadows); SV Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +6; AL 
  N.
  Curate Gustaf Holt: Init +0; Atk stout club +3 melee 
  (1d4+1); AC 10; HD 3d8; hp 7; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP 
  heal 2 HD per day, neutralize poison or disease once per 
  week; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +4; AL N.
  series, those words will prove prophetic.
  The next adventure in the series, FT 3: 
  In the Snow Queen’s Mirror, is designed 
  
  27
  27
  Dagonite: Init +0; Atk makeshift weapon -1 melee 
  (1d4); AC 9; HD 1d4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +2, 
  Ref +0, Will +8; AL C.
  Dagonite assassin: Init +4; Atk short sword +6 melee 
  (1d6+1); AC 12; HD 2d6; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP thief 
  skills 55% (disguise, move silently, climb, pick locks, 
  hide in shadows); SV Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +12; AL C.
  Dagonite maid: Init +2; Atk makeshift weapon +1 me-
  lee (1d4); AC 11; HD 1d4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort 
  +2, Ref +1, Will +8; AL C.
  Dagonite sailor: Init +2; Atk cutlass +2 melee (1d6); 
  AC 12; HD 1d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP +6 bonus to 
  swim and +4 bonus to climb checks; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, 
  Will +5; AL C.
  Dagonite serving-man: Init +0; Atk makeshift weapon 
  +2 melee (1d4+1); AC 10; HD 1d4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; 
  SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +5; AL C.
  Doctor Fell: Init +2; Atk touch +3 melee (paralysis); AC 
  12; HD 8d12; hp 50; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP paralysis 
  (Fort DC 10), follow victim, steal voice, reform; SV Fort 
  +5, Ref +7, Will +14; AL C.
  Donovan (Manuxet butler): Init +3; Atk fist +0 melee 
  (1d3); AC 10; HD 2d4; hp 6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP 
  take attack aimed at another with a Reflex save (DC 
  equal to attack roll); SV Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +6; AL L.
  Ghoul: Init +1; Atk bite +1 melee (1d4 plus paralyza-
  tion) or claw +3 melee (1d3); AC 13; HD 2d6; MV 30’; 
  Act 1d20; SP un-dead traits, paralyzation (1d3 rounds, 
  Will DC 14 negates), uncanny knowledge; SV Fort +1, 
  Ref +0, Will +0; AL C.
  Giant talking rat: Init +3; Atk bite +2 melee (1d4 plus 
  disease); AC 13; HD 1d6+2; MV 30’ or climb 20’ or 
  swim 20’; Act 1d20; SP disease (Fort DC 7 or suffer 
  1d3 damage each day for 2d7 days), manipulative paws, 
  speech (goblin tongue), infravision 60’; SV Fort +4, Ref 
  +2, Will +0; AL C.
  Guardian of the Deep: Init -2; Atk tentacle +2 melee 
  (1d3 and hold) or bite +4 melee (2d6) or nauseating 
  fluid +6 ranged (special) ; AC 11; HD 5d12+10; hp  52; 
  MV 10’ or swim 20’; Act 5d20; SP hold (Strength DC 
  12 to break free; target must be held to be attacked by 
  bite), nauseating fluid (20’ range, DC 10 Fort 
  or Will), half damage from bludgeoning weap-
  ons, detect living creatures within 100’; SV Fort 
  +15, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C.
  Hobyah: Init +1; Atk bite +1 melee (1d3); AC 
  10; HD 1d6; MV 20’ or roll 40’; Act 1d20; SP 
  infravision 60’, afraid of barking dogs; SV Fort 
  -2, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C. 
  Howling frost demons: Init +3; Atk rend-
  ing claws +4 melee (1d8+2); AC 18; HD 3d6, 
  MV 50’, Act 1d20; SP Frost Aura (5’ radius, 
  Fort DC 13 or 1 Agility damage each round), 
  Frost Aura (5’ radius, Fort DC 13 or 1 Agility 
  damage each round), immune to non-magical 
  weapons, fire magic automatically causes full 
  damage;  SV Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +8; AL C.
  Hybrid acolyte: Init +2; Atk curved dagger +2 
  melee (1d4) or charm (special) or harmful spell 
  (special); AC 11; HD 1d8; MV 30’ or swim 
  30’; Act 1d20; SP charm (1/day, 1d4 hours, 
  Will DC 11 resists), harmful spell (2/day, 50’ 
  range, 1d6+1 damage, Will DC 11 half), semi-
  amphibious (breathe water for 1d10 turns); SV 
  Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +2; AL C.
  Hybrid Dagonite: Init +1; Atk makeshift 
  weapon +0 melee (1d4); AC 11; HD 1d6+1; 
  MV 30’ or swim 30’; Act 1d20; SP semi-
  amphibious (breathe water for 1d10 turns); SV 
  Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +0; AL C.
  Lady Clarna Zardok: Init +2; Atk makeshift 
  weapon +0 melee (1d4); AC 12; HD 1d6+1; hp 
  7; MV 30’ or swim 30’; Act 1d20; SP semi-
  amphibious (breathe water for 1d10 rounds); 
  SV Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +2; AL C.
  Lady Emily Angell: Init +2; Atk none; AC 12; 
  HD 1d4; hp 2; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +0, 
  Ref +2, Will +2; AL N.
  Lady Lavinia Manuxet: Init +0; Atk none; AC 
  10; HD 1d4-1; hp 3; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV 
  Fort -1, Ref +0, Will +1; AL L.
  Lord Basil Angell: Init +2; Atk makeshift 
  weapon +3 melee (1d4+1); AC 12; HD 
  
  28
  28
  2d8; hp 9; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +1, Ref 
  +2, Will +2; AL N.
  Lord Obed Manyxet: Init +0; Atk makeshift 
  weapon +0 melee (1d4); AC 10; HD 2d8; hp 7; 
  MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2; 
  AL L.
  Lord Rogar Zardok: Init +1; Atk dagger +5 
  melee (1d4+1); AC 11; HD 3d8+3; hp 11;  MV 
  30’ or swim 50’ or hop 10’; SP semi-amphibi-
  ous (breathe water for 1d4 hours); Act 1d20; SV 
  Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +6; AL C.
  Maid: Init +3; Atk none; AC 12; HD 1d4; MV 
  30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will -2; AL 
  varies.
  Mermaid: Init +5; Atk none; AC 15; HD 3d6; 
  MV 10’ or swim 60’; Act 1d20; SP charming 
  voice (1/day, Will DC 14 resists, lasts 1d4 days), 
  kiss confers water breathing for 1d3 hours; SV 
  Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +3; AL N.
  One-Legged Tin Soldier: Init +5; Atk spear +1 
  melee (1 + slow); AC 14; HD 2 hp; MV 20’; 
  Act 1d20; SP immune to critical hits and mind-
  affecting spells, resistant to non-magical weap-
  ons; SV Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +12; AL N.
  Prince Francis Angell: Init +2; Atk longsword 
  +4 melee (1d8); AC 12; HD 2d8; hp 5; MV 
  30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +2; AL 
  N.
  Prince George Angell:  Init +3; Atk none; AC 
  14; HD 1d3; hp 1; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SV Fort 
  -2, Ref +3, Will -4; AL N.
  Prince Hans Manuxet: Init +0; Atk longsword 
  +5 melee (1d8); AC 10; HD 3d8; hp 15; MV 
  30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +3; AL 
  L.
  Prince Joseph Angell: Init +1; Atk longsword 
  +2 melee (1d8); AC 11; HD 2d8; hp 9; MV 
  Prince Wayland Zardok: Init +4; Atk longsword +5 
  melee (1d8+1); AC 13; HD 5d8; hp 25; MV 30’; Act 
  1d20; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5; AL C.
  Princess Annegret:  Init +1; Atk weapon +0 melee 
  (1d4); AC 11; HD 1d4-1; hp 3;  MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP 
  mother’s blessing (avoid death 3 times), charmed house 
  birth auger (no bonus); SV Fort -1, Ref +1, Will +2; AL 
  L. Str 8, Agi 14, Sta 7, Prs 16, Int 13, Luck 12. 
  Princess Orne: Init +3; Atk curved dagger +2 melee 
  (1d4) or charm (special) or harmful spell (special); AC 
  12; HD 2d8; hp 11; MV 30’ or swim 40’; Act 1d20; 
  SP charm (1/day, lasts 1d4 hours, Will DC 13 resists), 
  harmful spell (2/day, 50’ range, 1d6+1 damage, Will 
  DC 13 half), semi-amphibious (breathe water for 1d12 
  turns); SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +6; AL C.
  Sea King: Init +7; Atk trident +5 melee (1d8+3) or 
  lightning strike +3 ranged (3d8); AC 17; HD 8d8+16; 
  hp 53; MV 10’ or swim 80’; Act 2d20; SP cause lighting 
  strike 3/day (100’ range, 3d8 damage, Fort DC 15 half), 
  weather control (3/day, +8 on spell check, core rulebook 
  p. 302); SV Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +15; AL N.
  Seal: Init +1; Atk Bite +1 melee (1d3+1) or slam +0 
  melee (1d5); AC 13; HD 2d6; MV 15’ or swim 40’; Act 
  1d20; SP ignores first 3 points of cold damage from any 
  source; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +0; AL N.
  Serving-man: Init +0; Atk makeshift weapon +0 melee 
  (1d4); AC 9; HD 1d4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +1, 
  Ref +0, Will +1; AL varies.
  Soldeed: Init +0; Atk staff +3 melee (1d4+1); AC 13; 
  HD 3d8; hp 12; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP harmful spell 
  (100’ range, 1d8+2 damage, Will save DC 15 half); SV 
  Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +6; AL C.
  Walrus: Init +0; Atk Bite +3 melee (2d6+4) or flipper +0 
  melee (1d4+4) or crush +2 melee (1d8+4); AC 15; HD 
  5d8+5; MV 15’ or swim 40’; Act 1d20; SP ignores first 
  10 points of cold damage from any source; SV Fort +8, 
  Ref –3, Will +2; AL N.
  Walrus, giant: Init –2; Atk Bite +6 melee (2d12+4) or 
  flipper +4 melee (2d8+4); AC 17; HD 15d8+15; MV 
  30’ or swim 50’; Act 2d20; SP crush 5d12 damage to all 
  in 10’ x 10’ area (Ref DC 8 avoids), immune to cold; SV 
  Fort +16, Ref –4, Will +6; AL N. 
  30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will 
  +2; AL N.
  
  29
  29
  Appendix B: New Magic Items
  ORB OF ENCHANTMENT
  This orb is made of crystal, 4’ in diameter, filled with 
  swirling mists of mauve and pink hues. It can be used 
  to enchant any one being, who is then utterly charmed 
  and besotted by the user. The target receives no save, 
  but must be known to the user, and the user must have 
  come into direct physical contact with the target at some 
  point.
  A new user can wrest control from the old only in direct 
  contact with the Orb. This can be accomplished by 
  making a DC 20 Will save; an elf or wizard may instead 
  make a DC 15 Spell check.  Failure causes whoever at-
  tempted it to suffer corruption, increasing from minor to 
  greater corruption with each failure. A user who wrests 
  control of the Orb can release an enchanted target, but 
  if he uses it to enchant another (requiring a DC 10 Spell 
  check), he will become Chaotic (if not already so). The 
  Orb can only enchant one target at a time.
  The Orb can be destroyed with 5 points of damage. 
  This releases any victim currently enchanted, but causes 
  the creature breaking the Orb 1d4 damage in magical 
  backlash.
  IVORY HORN OF THE ANGAKKUIT
  | Range: 60’ | Duration: Varies (1 turn = 10 min) | 
  Casting Time: 1 round |Save: Will vs Spell Check DC |
  General: The hollowed scrimshaw tusk of the walrus is 
  enchanted as a magical instrument by an angakkuq to 
  emit commands, and other communications used in a 
  colony of said species. Small holes in the tusk are bored 
  into various scenes symbolizing the types of commands 
  the rod produces when used.
  Manifestation: The caster or character places their fin-
  gers over cleverly bored holes in the rod located within 
  artfully scrimshawed pictures of Walruses attacking, 
  swimming, defending, retreating, fetching, guarding, 
  chasing, performing, seeking, watching, tracking, or 
  working. With one or more fingers in place and blowing 
  into the apex of the hollowed horn, the scrimshaw rod 
  emits a Walrus call, barking the command upon which 
  the fingers are placed. Advanced use allows for multiple 
  ‘notes’ or commands to be bellowed. Multiple com-
  mands may be divided amongst more than one Walrus, 
  or directed to a single Walrus. Multiple commands may 
  not be unanimously compounded unto a group 
  of them. 
  Corruption: Roll 1d4: (1) You develop a 
  paranoia regarding both humanoid and mon-
  strous predators, this might cause a -1 penalty 
  to melee or spell casts made against such objects 
  of fear. (2) You grow in mass, beyond cor-
  pulent size, your expansive flesh bursting the 
  seams, and straps of your clothing. Reduce your 
  movement rate by half and record an armor 
  check penalty of -10. (3) From now on you 
  occasionally bark like a Walrus when speaking, 
  DC20 Will save to resist for the duration of 
  one conversation. (4) You develop the head of 
  a Walrus, and hunger for marine animals that 
  dwell on the sea floor, including shrimp, crabs, 
  tube worms, soft corals, tunicates, sea cucum-
  bers, various mollusks, even seal and walrus 
  meat. You must hunt and consume the nearest 
  meal regardless of your ability to breathe/refrain 
  from breathing underwater, or lack of insula-
  tion against arctic waters.
  Misfire: Roll 1d5: (1) You are attacked by the 
  Walrus(es) you are attempting to command. 
  (2) The Walrus sends you away to fetch some-
  thing for it without concern for your safety, 
  survival or other objections, you are compelled 
  to oblige immediately. (3) The Scrimshaw Rod 
  permanently loses an enchantment to make 
  any one specific command determined ran-
  domly. (4) All further sounds you emit from 
  the Scrimshaw Rod are abhorrent to your ears, 
  inflicting 1d4 hp subdual damage per use. If 
  you reach 0 hp, you are permanently deafened. 
  (5) Unknown to you, a Red Giant Walrus from 
  somewhere below the blood ice shelf becomes 
  spirit-driven to hunt you down and crack you 
  open like a mollusk and suck the entrails from 
  your body. 
  
  30
  Check
  Description
  1 
  Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified 
  by Luck: (0 or less) corruption + patron taint 
  + misfire; (1-3) corruption; (4) patron taint 
  (or corruption if no patron); (5+) misfire.
  2-11
  Failure. The Scrimshaw Rod does not emit a 
  magically enchanted command until next the 
  moon reaches its zenith.
  12-17
  Failure, but you may reattempt to use the 
  Scrimshaw Rod without the penalty of delay.
  18-19
  Placing your fingers precisely over the ap-
  propriate scrimshawed images you may play 
  one ‘note’ to command a Walrus up to 5 
  HD to attack, come, defend, down (retreat), 
  fetch, guard, heel (follow), perform, seek, 
  stay, track, or work for you. The Walrus will 
  comply for one turn.
  20-23
  In a similar manner, you may use the rod to 
  play two notes commanding one or more 
  Walruses up totaling 10 HD to attack, come, 
  defend, down, fetch, guard, heel, perform, 
  seek, stay, track, or work for you. Compliance 
  lasts for 1d3+CL turns. The two notes may 
  be directed at a single Walrus, or one note 
  each, but both notes (commands) may not be 
  directed at both creatures simultaneously. 
  24-25
  The rod may be used to bark three com-
  mands, playing three notes, and commanding 
  one or more Walruses totaling 15 HD to at-
  tack, come, defend, down, fetch, guard, heel, 
  perform, seek, stay, track, or work for you. 
  Compliance lasts for 1d4+CL turns.
  26-28
  With added intention and force of will the 
  rod may be used to sound two commands, 
  and one advanced note, commanding a 
  special bidding. By playing two notes, you 
  command one or more Walruses totaling 20 
  HD to attack, come, defend, down, fetch, 
  guard, heel, perform, seek, stay, track, or 
  work for you. The advanced note allows you 
  to compel the Walrus to manifest a behavior 
  that is somewhat intelligent. This may be in 
  the form of a two-fold command; waiting 
  and alerting you to a certain trigger, hiding in 
  wait then attacking a certain target, pursuing 
  a target and then returning with information, 
  and so on. Compliance lasts for 1d5+CL 
  turns.
  29-33
  In a similar yet advanced manner the rod may 
  be used to play three notes, and one advanced 
  note, commanding a single special bidding. 
  These commands may be divided among one 
  or more walruses totaling 25 HD, resulting in 
  compliance lasting for 1d6+CL turns.
  34-35
  The rod is used to play two scrimshaw notes, 
  and two advanced notes using the added 
  intention of the character, commanding a 
  group of walruses totaling up to 45 HD to 
  attack, come, defend, down, fetch, guard, 
  heel, perform, seek, stay, track, or work for 
  you. The two advanced notes command 
  two special biddings. Compliance lasts for 
  1d7+CL turns.
  36-37
  With this nigh unparalleled performance 
  the rod is used to play three notes, and three 
  advanced notes. A group of Walruses totaling 
  up to 60 HD may be the target of three com-
  mands and three special biddings. Compli-
  ance lasts for 2d4+CL turns.
  38+ 
  Upon forcing the scrimshaw rod to bellow in 
  a manner beyond any comparison it com-
  pels all Walruses within 120 yards, below or 
  above water and totaling no more than 100 
  HD combined to obey 2d3 commands and 
  2d3 special biddings for a duration lasting 
  2d4+CL hours. As the last note is played the 
  scrimshaw rod shatters in a cloud of fragments 
  and is permanently destroyed.
  Attack: The walrus attacks apparent enemies. You may 
  point to a particular creature that you wish the walrus 
  to attack, and it will comply if able. A walrus will attack 
  only humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, or other 
  animals. 
  Come:  The walrus comes to you, even if it normally 
  would not do so.
  Defend: The walrus defends you (or is remains ready to 
  defend you if no threat is present as long as the wand is 
  not used to issue a new command). Alternatively, you 
  can command the walrus to defend a specific other char-
  acter. The defensive action taken by the walrus grants 
  you one half of its AC rounded up.
  Down:  
  The walrus breaks off from combat or 
  otherwise backs down. A walrus that is already fighting 
  when this command is attempted but failed, continues 
  to fight until it must flee (due to injury, a fear effect, or 
  the like) or it defeats the opponent.
  
  31
  31
  • 
  Fetch: The walrus goes and gets something. If you 
  do not point out a specific item, the walrus fetches 
  some random object.
  • 
  Guard: The walrus stays in place, or circles a single 
  point within line of sight at all times, and prevents 
  others from approaching, intimidating if necessary.
  • 
  Heel: The walrus follows you closely, even to places 
  where it normally wouldn’t go, so long as it is physi-
  cally capable of doing so. An ordinary walrus is able 
  to move 15’ across land or swim 40’ per round. A 
  giant walrus is able to cover larger distances across 
  land faster (30’ per round) and able to swim 50’ per 
  round.
  • 
  Perform: The walrus performs a variety of simple 
  tricks, such as sitting up, rolling over, roaring or 
  barking, and so on.
  • 
  Seek: The walrus moves into an area and searches 
  for anything that is obviously alive or animate, or 
  otherwise detectable by one of its senses. 
  • 
  Stay: The walrus stays in place, waiting for you to re-
  turn. It does not challenge other creatures that come 
  by, though it still defends itself if it needs to.
  • 
  Track: The walrus tracks the scent presented to it. 
  The walrus may be able to find a specific person it 
  knows, or a new scent altogether. 
  • 
  Work: The walrus pulls or pushes a load up to 100 
  times its Hit Dice. (i.e. 500-1500lbs)
  How the Great Walrus 
  Teh’Chutin Created The Land of 
  Ice and Sky
  Before The Land of Ice and Sky was created, there 
  existed only the primal, unformed waters of the 
  ocean below. From these waters came the Great 
  Teh’chutin, who became full and formed when he 
  became aware of Himself. Soon He grew lonely, 
  and rose to top of the ocean with a mighty swell, 
  seeking others in order to know Himself.  His great 
  body rose through the ocean and broke through 
  the surface of the water. In the wake of His impact, 
  Teh’chutin’s loneliness froze the crashing waters into 
  the tundra, and the Land of Ice extended towards 
  the North and South and East and West as far as His 
  eyes could see.
  But Teh’chutin was still alone. He rolled over on his 
  back to sleep away his sadness, and for three days 
  and nights the ground shook. Pieces of the tundra 
  ice rose high into the air like frosted jewels, 
  becoming the sky and stars. 
  Teh’chutin awoke and beheld his new 
  creation, but still felt the visceral pain of 
  His aloneness. This new expanse of white 
  and black stretched into infinity in every 
  direction, and without any landmarks from 
  which to know his place between Sky and 
  Ice, Teh’chutin was lost. In his frustration, 
  Teh’chutin drove his mountainous tusks 
  deep into the tundra ice and rent the land-
  scape into glaciers and frozen rivers, so He 
  could know where it was that He stood. 
  Teh’chutin then gazed upon his new cre-
  ation, and was satisfied, for he was no 
  longer lost, though He was still alone. 
  Teh’chutin knew that there was no mean-
  ing to his creation if there was nothing 
  to behold it. And so in an act of sacrifice, 
  Teh’chutin set his body aflame with the heat 
  of life, and His soul ascended through the 
  air to become the heart of the sun.
  Soon, many creatures sprouted from the 
  ashes of Teh’chutin, curious to behold His 
  new work. From His heart arose seals. His 
  breath became birds. His pelt grew into the 
  great snowbears. From His glistening tears 
  became all the life of the sea. From His 
  rich, nourishing blubber came man, who 
  would serve to protect and nourish all the 
  creatures that had emerged from his sacri-
  fice. And from His brains arose the walrus, 
  in the image of Teh’chutin himself. The 
  creatures stood upon the ice and together 
  beheld the wonder of creation. But in the 
  sadness of his sacrifice, the creatures howled 
  together, their cries rising through the air to 
  coalesce into the moon, so it could always 
  serve to give us hope in the cold darkness of 
  the eternal night.
  
  32
  32
  THE SCRIMSHAW FLUTE OF CREATION
  The scrimshaw flute carved from a remnant 
  of Teh’Chutin’s tusk still contains much of his 
  ancient power. The flute grants +3 to spellchecks 
  when held by a spellcaster or any character 
  from a polar region. When the flute is blown, 
  any creature 8 HD or lower from a non-polar 
  region must roll a Willpower save DC 10 or 
  become enthralled by the song of the flute for 
  1d4 hours. Any creature from a polar region 
  who hears the song of the flute 8 HD or lower 
  will instantly be enthralled and do the user’s 
  bidding for 1d24 hours, even willing to sacrifice 
  their own lives to follow the user’s commands. 
  Creatures 8 HD or higher from a polar region 
  must roll a Willpower save DC 15 or become 
  enthralled by the flute, but can roll subsequent 
  Willpower DC 17 saves every hour to deny the 
  user’s biddings.  
  Blowing the flute has a 2% chance to summon 
  1d8 frost demons, who will attempt to seize 
  back the scrimshaw rod, disappearing into the 
  nether once the flute is back in their possession. 
  Placing any part of the flute into clear water 
  causes it to instantly freeze into a 1’ x 1’ solid ice 
  for 1d30 minutes.
  Howling Frost Demons (1d8): Init +3; Atk 
  rending claws +4 melee (1d8+2); AC 18; 
  HD 3d6, MV 50’, Act 1d20; SP Frost Aura 
  (5’ radius, Fort DC 13 or 1 Agility damage 
  each round), Frost Aura (5’ radius, Fort DC 
  13 or 1 Agility damage each round), im-
  mune to non-magical weapons, fire magic 
  automatically causes full damage;  SV Fort 
  +0, Ref +5, Will +8; AL C.
  The frost demons continually project an aura 
  of cold with a 5’ radius around them, causing 1 
  point of Agility damage each round a character 
  is in close combat with the demon. A character 
  in close combat can roll a DC 13 Fort save each 
  round to resist. 
  Appendix C: Additional Encounters
  Although this adventure is directly tied to Hans Chris-
  tian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, the Lovecraftian 
  elements in the adventure may overpower the faerie tale 
  elements. Below are 7 short encounters which the judge 
  may include, each of which references a well-known fairy 
  tale or nursery rhyme.
  The Dancing Shoes:  A pair of red shoes, dancing by 
  themselves, is seen in the moonlight. If a PC can capture 
  the shoes (AC 20), they are found to contain a young 
  girl’s feet, now little more than bones and scraps of cold 
  flesh. These cursed dancing shoes miraculously fit any who 
  tries to put them on, but should a PC be so foolish as to 
  don the shoes, he is unable to stop dancing. Ever. This 
  curse lowers AC by 4, lowers all Action Dice by -2 on 
  the die chain, and prevents the benefits of rest. The shoes 
  can be removed by cutting off the PCs feet, or destroyed 
  by divine intervention (DC 15) or a remove curse spell 
  with a result of 27+ or higher.
  The Steadfast Tin Soldier: A one-legged tin soldier 
  floating on a little boat is seen on the Golden River. 
  When it reaches the next falls, it disappears without a 
  trace. If it can be somehow rescued before it disappears, 
  this is a flawed construct created by the philosopher-wiz-
  ard Dallspero. It appears as a one-legged soldier, 6-inches 
  high, made of tin and bearing a spear. 
  The one-legged tin soldier can be commanded to attack 
  (or perform other tasks) by a creature who knows the 
  proper command word (which will have to be discovered 
  by the PCs). It has an effective Strength of 3 for physi-
  cal labor, and can carry out instructions in an intelligent 
  manner. It takes half damage (rounded up) from non-
  magical weapons and attacks.
  Any creature struck by the tin soldier takes a cumula-
  tive -2 penalty to his Initiative count that lasts for 1d6 
  minutes after the last successful attack. A creature whose 
  Initiative count is brought below 0 by these attacks is 
  slowed to immobility, allowing the tin soldier to auto-
  matically hit with every attack.
  One-Legged Tin Soldier: Init +5; Atk spear +1 me-
  lee (1 + slow); AC 14; HD 2 hp; MV 20’; Act 1d20; 
  SP immune to critical hits and mind-affecting spells, 
  resistant to non-magical weapons; SV Fort +8, Ref 
  +4, Will +12; AL N.
  
  33
  33
  The Match Girl: On a cold night, a young girl in ragged 
  clothing is selling matches from a box. They cost 1 cp 
  each, and she has 1d24 of them left. She stands in the 
  shelter of a deserted house’s door. She has begun to strike 
  the matches to stay warm, and each match grants her 
  a vision of Paradise. She strikes one match every 1d6 
  rounds once noticed. If she runs out of matches before 
  being taken in from the cold, she dies. If rescued, the 
  PCs each gain a brief glimpse into the Planes of Law, 
  and non-Chaotic PCs gain 1 point of Luck.
  I Do Not Like Thee Doctor Fell: Inhumanly tall and 
  thin, with pale, pale skin, a black frock coat, top hat, 
  and doctor’s satchel, Doctor Fell stalks the streets of 
  Portsmouth after hours. Once he chooses a victim, he 
  can always appear nearby, no matter how far or how fast 
  the victim runs. For example, if a PC escapes into his inn 
  room, Doctor Fell appears just inside the door as soon as 
  the PC retires to bed.
  Doctor Fell’s touch induces a form 
  of paralysis unless a DC 10 Fort save 
  succeeds. Once the opposition is 
  paralyzed, Doctor Fell uses scalpel and 
  tongs from his medical bag to appar-
  ently remove the victim’s tongue in a 
  welter of blood. In fact, the blood is 
  an illusion, and the victim’s tongue is 
  still in his mouth when Doctor Fell 
  departs, but the victim has utterly lost 
  the power of speech. Speech can only 
  be recovered by defeating Doctor Fell 
  and recovering the tongue from his 
  medical bag (which seems to be full of 
  severed tongues; any will do, but the 
  victim gains the voice of the tongue he 
  places in his mouth, which then dis-
  solves into his own).
  Paralysis ends 1d6 minutes after Doc-
  tor Fell departs. No matter how many 
  he must paralyze to have a safe operat-
  ing field, he takes only one tongue. If 
  reduced to 0 hp, Doctor Fell disap-
  pears, dropping his doctor’s satchel 
  full of tongues. He reforms in 5d30 
  days; he cannot truly be destroyed.
  The ghouls can recover a tongue from 
  Doctor Fell, if the price is right. See 
  Portsmouth Area L.
  Doctor Fell: Init +2; Atk touch +3 melee 
  (paralysis); AC 12; HD 8d12; hp 50; MV 
  30’; Act 2d20; SP paralysis (Fort DC 10), 
  follow victim, steal voice, reform; SV Fort 
  +5, Ref +7, Will +14; AL C.
  The Sky is Falling: An acorn-shaped mass of 
  blue sky-stuff falls on one of the PC’s heads 
  (chosen at random). This is the material that 
  the metaphysical vault of the heavens is made 
  of, and it can be used as a rare ingredient, 
  granting a +1 bonus to a single spell check, or 
  a +4 bonus if the spell clearly relates to the sky 
  (due to the spell, manifestation, and/or Mercu-
  rial effect, as determined by the judge). 
  Using the sky-acorn this way consumes it.
  If any portion of sky-stuff is kept, the PC 
  
  34
  34
  keeping it must make a Luck check each day, or 
  1d3 more pieces of sky-stuff fall on him at some 
  point during that day, causing 1d3 damage 
  each. These are larger chunks – about the size of 
  a large apple – but they are not more valuable 
  as rare components, and no mortal means can 
  divide them further.
  After a week, if any portion of sky-stuff is kept, 
  the chunks that fall are larger – pumpkin-sized – 
  and do 1d5 damage each. Worse, for each failed 
  Luck check, 1d5 fall.
  After the second week, 1d7 chunks of sky-stuff 
  fall if anyone with a chunk of sky-stuff fails 
  a daily Luck check. These chunks cause 1d7 
  damage each, and are the size of a sheep. After 
  another week, 1d10 carriage-sized chunks fall, 
  doing 2d12 damage each with each failed check. 
  So long as any sky-stuff remains on the terres-
  trial sphere, it will keep drawing more and larger 
  chunks of sky-stuff after it. Kindly judges may 
  allow a DC 10 Reflex save for half damage for 
  each chunk that falls. Eventually, holes in the 
  sky may be clearly visible from the earth, reveal-
  ing the Outer Dark beyond. Hopefully the PCs 
  will not let events continue far beyond this…
  if they do, the judge is encouraged to throw 
  horrors from the Outer Dark far beyond their 
  power level at them. The rent sky will heal 1d3 
  weeks after every chunk of sky-stuff has been 
  used.
  The King of the Cats:  The PCs come across 
  a procession of 1d20+10 cats, bearing a small 
  coffin and a tiny golden crown. One of the cats 
  addresses the PCs: “Tell Tommy Tildrum that 
  Tommy Toldrum is dead.”
  Driving these cats away is easy, and the crown 
  is worth 20 gp. However, each PC involved in 
  doing so loses 1d3 Luck and gains the enmity of 
  all cats (even their own cat familiar!). Cats begin 
  to haunt them everywhere, and attempt to do 
  mischief on them. A cat brushes by a flowerpot 
  on the third floor of a building, causing it to 
  driven there by cats. A rope is loosened by sharp claws. 
  Ultimately, swarms of cats accost the PCs in dark and 
  lonely places.
  If the PCs relate this story within the hearing of a cat, 
  the cat pays close attention. At the end, it swells up, and 
  says, “What? Old Tommy dead? Then I am the King of 
  the Cats!” and disappears, never to be seen again. All 
  PCs involved gain +1 Luck. If one of the PCs not pres-
  ent for the initial event has a cat familiar, that familiar is 
  the new King (or Queen) of the Cats, and that PC gains 
  an additional +1 Luck (but loses his or her familiar). The 
  judge can adjust the story to take into account the name 
  of the cat to become the new King.
  Cat swarm (20’ square area): Init +5; Atk swarming 
  bite and claws +3 melee (1d3); AC 10; HD 12d8; 
  MV 40’; Act special; SP attack all targets in a 20’ x 
  20’ area, half damage from non-area attacks; SV Fort 
  +1, Ref +5, Will +2; AL N.
  Simple Simon’s Catch: Simon Simple is not the bright-
  est bulb in Portsmouth. If the PCs have a chance to espy 
  him trying to buy a penny-pie without a copper piece, 
  and fishing in a pail (to catch a whale, if asked), so much 
  the better. People make fun of simple Simon Simple. 
  With the powerful, plane-bending influences of the 
  White Stones and the close attention of Dagon and the 
  Sea Witch to this region, they would have been wiser to 
  worry.
  One day, while the PCs are present, Simon gets a bite 
  on his line. The mouth of the pail opens alarmingly as 
  a carnivorous sky whale forces its way through from the 
  elemental plane of air. Luckily, this is only a small sky 
  whale, being merely 20’ long – the size of a small adult 
  orca. It can move, attack, and then use its second Action 
  Die to move again. When defeated, it explodes into a 
  harmless puff of hot air.
  Simon Simple doesn’t learn from this; he can be found 
  later, fishing from a pail in hopes of catching an even 
  bigger whale.
  Carnivorous sky whale: Init +0; Atk bite +5 melee 
  (2d6+4); AC 15; HD 8d8+16; hp 56; MV fly 40’; 
  Act 2d20; SP death throes; SV Fort +8, Ref +4, Will 
  +2; AL N.
  crash among the PCs below (Ref DC 10 
  or 1d3 damage). A cat begins to loudly 
  yowl, calling attention to a sneaking PC 
  thief. Rats infest the PCs’ living area, 
  
  Appendix D: The Esoteric Order of Dagon
  Dagon is not only a fish-god, as he is often known, but is also a lord of batrachian creatures rivalling Bobugbubilz. 
  The Esoteric Order of Dagon is openly worshiped in Portsmouth. Some PCs may wish to join the Order, and, if 
  their wishes are genuine, the Esoteric Order will accept them happily.
  A new member of the Esoteric Order of Dagon is taken to Temple Island on Devil’s Reef at midnight, where he 
  swears fealty to the Order before both the High Priest (Soldeed) and a contingent of the Children of the Deep. At 
  these times, the Temple appears to be inhabited by lovely women – Children of the Deep who can pass for human 
  to mate with mortal men. Confirmation to the Order requires that human blood be spilled into the waves (1d4 
  hp worth), which may come from the candidate or from a sacrifice, but which must be spilled by the candidate’s 
  hand. The candidate immediately gains +1 Luck as the protection of Dagon falls upon him; should he break from 
  the Order, he loses 1 point of Luck. Lawful characters become Neutral immediately, and Neutral characters be-
  come Chaotic. 
  Those who join the Order are expected to take a fish-wife from among the Children of the Deep (if male), or a 
  Deep Child husband (if female). The male Children are not nearly so tempting as the female. They are expected to 
  bear, and care for, hybrid children. Annually, at midnight on the Summer Solstice, human sacrifices are conducted 
  at Devil’s Reef, and members of the Order are expected to attend (unless there is strong reason for them not to). 
  They may also be asked to bring the worship of Dagon to other coastal communities.
  In return, every year on the anniversary of joining the Order, they roll on the Portsmouth Hybrid Deformities 
  table (page 15), ignoring duplicate rolls. Once they have rolled each deformity on the table, they cease to age and 
  become fully amphibious, able to leave underwater or on land with equal ease. Each time a PC provides a hu-
  man sacrifice to Dagon, he receives 1d10 pieces of jewellery made of the strange Dagonite gold alloy. Each piece is 
  worth 1d10 gp per Hit Die or level of the sacrifice.
  According to The Necronomicon, the servants of Dagon also include a strange species of Deep Elders that can pos-
  sess humans and other creatures, working the will of Dagon in their guise.
  A wizard or elf can bond to Dagon, choosing the god as a patron. The wizard or elf need not be a member of the 
  Esoteric Order, but gains a +2 bonus to the spell check if he is. The ceremony to bond with Dagon must be con-
  ducted within sight of the sea. If conducted in a place sacred to Dagon, like Temple Island or the Church of the 
  Esoteric Order of Dagon in Portsmouth, gain an additional +2.
  Invoke Patron check results:
  12-13
  A portion of Dagon’s attention is drawn by the lowly petitioner. Even this small amount of attention 
  bolsters the caster, granting him +3d4 hit points and a +2 bonus to his attack rolls for a number of 
  rounds equal to his caster level.
  14-17
  Dagon grants the petitioner the mark of his favor. So long as this mark lasts, the caster can breathe 
  water, swim at a 40’ movement rate, and use a move action to leap up to 1d10+10 feet forward, back-
  wards, or upwards. The mark of Dagon’s favor lasts 1d6 + Caster Level minutes, plus 10 minutes per 
  point of Spellburn the caster is willing to undergo for this sole purpose.
  18-19
  Clouds gather for 1d3 rounds, and then fish and frogs begin to fall from the sky, in a 200’ radius 
  around the caster for a period of 1d8 + Caster Level rounds. All within this area, except the caster, must 
  succeed on a DC 10 Reflex save each round to avoid falling prone. In addition, the falling creatures 
  seem to target the caster’s foes – each of which takes 1d3 points of damage each round from the un-
  canny rain.
  
  20-23
  Dagon communicates a spell to the caster, which may then be used until lost.  This can exceed the 
  maximum spells allowed. Once lost, the spell cannot be recovered, although the caster can then try to 
  learn that spell if she has an available spell slot of the appropriate level.  The judge may assign tasks to 
  learn missing parts of the spell, as usual. Spells that are normally clerical spells cannot be learned in this 
  way.  Roll 1d7 and add the caster’s Luck Modifier to determine the spell gained:  (0 or less) cantrip, 
  (1) food of the gods, (2) animal summoning, (3) second sight, (4) chill touch, (5) find familiar, (6) monster 
  summoning, (7) speak with the dead, or (8 or better) water breathing.  Regardless of the spell gained, the 
  manifestation always related to the ocean, fish, or frogs, in a manner chosen by the judge. Clerical spells 
  are cast with a -2 penalty and lost if the spell fails. On a natural “1” these spells have an equal chance of 
  generic misfire and major corruption, as well as automatic patron taint.
  24-27
  Desiring to protect the caster, Dagon wraps him in an aura of selective invisibility that lasts for 1d4 + 
  CL minutes. During this time, no opponent can target the caster unless the caster first targets that op-
  ponent with an attack, spell, or similar effect. Anyone targeted by the caster can be seen and interacted 
  with normally. This selective invisibility does not apply to the caster’s allies, who can see him normally, 
  and it does not prevent him from being caught in area attacks.
  28-29
  For 1d12 + CL rounds, the caster may point at any target using one of his Action Dice, to a maximum 
  of one per round. That target must make a DC 20 Will save or be transformed to fishy-smelling water 
  and run away or soak into the ground. The target remains nominally “alive” for 1d20 days, as its con-
  sciousness is slowly broken up through the environment. 
  30-31
  Pleased to aid the caster, Dagon restores all lost hit points or all lost spells to the caster’s mind (caster’s 
  choice), as well as granting one of the boons granted from a lower spell check result (caster’s choice).
  32+
  The caster and up to 3 allies per Caster Level gain the ability to breathe water and a swim speed of 40’. 
  Affected allies must be within sight of the caster when Dagon is invoked. This ability lasts for 1d3 hours 
  per Caster Level, save for the caster gains this ability permanently. If the caster should ever lose the 
  patronage of Dagon, the ability to breathe either air or water is permanently withdrawn, with an equal 
  chance of each.
  Patron Taint:  Dagon
  Not surprisingly, those tainted by Dagon become closer both to fish and amphibians. When a caster has achieved 
  all levels of all taints, there is no reason to roll any further.
  Roll
  Result
  1
  Fishiness:  When this taint is first rolled, the wizard’s skin becomes grey and rough. When it is rolled a 
  second time, the wizard begins to exude a fishy odor (causing a -1 penalty to Personality). When rolled 
  a third time, the wizard’s skin becomes hardened with silvery fish scales, granting a +1 bonus to AC but 
  causing an additional -1 penalty to Personality. This taint has no further effect if rolled again.
  2
  Frogginess:  When this patron taint is first rolled, the character’s nose grows flatter, and his eyes appear 
  to bulge. When rolled a second time, his fingers and toes lengthen and grow webbing between them. 
  When rolled a third time, the caster’s legs bow, so that he can only walk using a half-walking, half-hop-
  ping gait. Rolled a fourth time, the character’s skin exudes a musty, slightly offensive moisture, reducing 
  his Personality by 1. Ignore future rolls of this taint.
  3
  Mission for Dagon: When this taint is rolled, the character is sent upon a mission for Dagon. The first 
  time, the character is required to merely eliminate some threat to Dagon or his followers, requiring travel 
  of no more than 10 miles and facing opponents who are no more powerful than the caster. When rolled 
  a second time, Dagon demands that his servants be protected as far as 100 miles away from a threat at 
  least equal to 1d4+CL Hit Dice. When rolled a third time, the mission may take the character anywhere 
  in the world, and the opposition is equal to 2d8+CL Hit Dice. If this taint is rolled a fourth time, the 
  mission may take the character anywhere in the multiverse, and may require that he face any possible op-
  ponent. Judges are encouraged to demand the extraordinary! Ignore any further rolls of this taint.
  
  4
  Amphibian Gifts:  The wizard begins to adapt to life beneath the waters. When rolled the first time, 
  the wizard can breathe water for up to 10 minutes per day. When rolled a second time, the wizard can 
  breathe water for up to 3 hours per day. When rolled a third time, the wizard can breathe water for up to 
  14 hours. When rolled a fourth time, the wizard gains the permanent ability to breathe water, so long as 
  he remains in the service of Dagon. Ignore further rolls of this taint.
  5
  Immortality:  The promise of immortality is what draws many to the worship of Dagon. When this 
  taint is first rolled, years seem to roll away from the character, so that she appears in the prime of her life. 
  When this taint is rolled a second time, time slows down, so that the character ages only 1 year for every 
  10 spent upon the mortal plane. When rolled a third time, the character ceases to age. Ignore future rolls 
  of this taint.
  6
  Away From Humanity:  The wizard discovers that spending time with the normal run of humanity, 
  elves, dwarves, or halflings, is increasingly less important to her. Moreover, she finds their company irri-
  tating. When this taint is first rolled, the wizard must spend at least 1 day out of every 5 away from non-
  Children of the Deep or she suffers a -1d on the dice chain penalty to spell checks over the next 5 days. 
  If rolled a second time, the wizard cannot recover spells if she spent any time in human, elven, dwarven, 
  or halfling company the day before. If rolled a third time, the character withdraws, and is unavailable 
  save in the gravest emergencies 50% of the time. If rolled a fourth time, the chance of her being unavail-
  able increases to 75%. Finally, if rolled a fifth time, the wizard completely withdraws from mortal life, 
  and joins the Children of the Deep under the sea. If she cannot breathe water at this point, she willingly 
  drowns. Ignore future rolls of this taint.
  Patron Spells:  Dagon
  Dagon grants three unique spells, as follows:
  Level 1:  Call of the Deep
  Level 2:  Shape of the Deep
  Level 3:  Sea Wrack
  Spellburn:  Dagon
  When a character with Dagon as a patron attempts spellburn, roll 1d4 on the following table, or use the descrip-
  tions below to design a unique event for your own campaign.
  Roll
  Spellburn Result
  1
  The caster feels his blood turning to brine, wracking his body with pain expressed as Strength, Agility, 
  or Stamina loss. As the damage is healed, the caster’s blood returns to normal.
  2
  A shoal of tiny ethereal fish nibbles at the caster’s soul, invisible to all others. The pain of these bites 
  is expressed as Strength, Agility, or Stamina loss. As the damage is healed, the size of the shoal gets 
  smaller, reduced by invisible predators of the ethereal seas.
  3
  A metaphysical lamprey that only the caster can see or feel latches onto the caster’s back. The blood it 
  drains is expressed as Strength, Agility, or Stamina loss. As the damage heals, it seems to swell larger 
  (although causing no discomfort); when the last damage is healed it disappears.
  4
  A tiny frog-like being sits on the caster’s shoulder. It will grant the caster up to 5 points of spellburn 
  for free, but if the caster cannot gain a new convert to Dagon by the next full moon, the frog-like be-
  ing eats a part of the caster’s soul, causing double spellburn damage.
  
  Call of the Deep
  Level:  1 
  (Dagon) 
  Range:  Self
  Duration:  1 turn or more
  Casting time:  1 
  turn
  Save:  N/A
  General
  The caster calls a number of Children of the Deep to himself, and binds them to his service for 
  a time. The number of Children and the duration depend upon the spell check result. This spell 
  requires at least 1 point of spellburn, representing the caster dripping his own fresh blood into the 
  sea, which does not modify the spell check result. It the caster cannot reach the sea with his blood, 
  this spell cannot be cast. Regardless of the Spell Check result, Children of the Deep cannot be 
  compelled to travel more than 10 miles from the sea.
  Children of the Deep:  Init +2; Atk claw +3 melee (1d3) or bite +1 melee (1d5); AC 13; HD 
  2d8; MV 30’ or swim 50’; Act 1d20; SP amphibious, leap; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4; AL C.
  Manifestation By spell check result.
  1
  Lost, failure, and patron taint.
  2-11
  Lost.  Failure.
  12-15
  The wizard summons one Child of the Deep, who serves for up to 1 turn before departing.
  16-17
  The wizard summons 1d3 Children of the Deep, who serve for up to 1d3 turns before departing.
  18-21
  The wizard summons 2d5 Children of the Deep, who serve for up to 1d3 hours before departing.
  22-23
  The wizard summons 3d7 Children of the Deep, who serve for up to 3d3 hours before departing.
  24-26
  The wizard summons 5d12 Children of the Deep, who serve for up to 1d3 days before departing.
  27-31
  The wizard summons 5d12 Children of the Deep, who serve for up to 1d5 weeks before departing.
  32+
  As 27-31, above, or the wizard can summon 1d3 Children of the Deep who will serve him perma-
  nently so long as they live.
  Shape of the Deep
  Level:  2 (Dagon)
  Range:  Touch
  Duration:  Varies
  Casting time:  1 round
  Save:  Will 
  General
  The caster transforms himself or another into an aquatic shape, able to breathe water. The 
  being so transformed retains its normal intelligence and abilities, within the limitation of its 
  current shape. The creature so transformed can no longer breathe air, and will begin to drown 
  if prevented from reaching water.
  The creature gains the AC, move, and attacks of the new form, as indicated below.
  The caster may choose the Spell Check result, or any lesser result. Typically, high results are 
  used to transform the caster and allies, and low results are the fate of foes, but the caster must 
  weigh the utility of the form with the length of the transformation.
  Manifestation
  Roll 1d3: (1) Creature is transformed by painful contortions as the old body physically re-
  builds itself, (2) creature is instantaneously transformed, or (3) translucent fish (which can fly 
  through the air) swarm around the creature, biting away its old form to reveal the new form 
  within (which can be larger than the original form!).
  
  1
  Loss, failure, and patron taint.
  2-11
  Lost.  Failure.
  12-15
  Failure, but the spell is not lost.
  16-17
  Small fry. AC 18; MV swim 30’; no attacks; +3 bonus to hide. Transformation lasts 1d10 + 
  CL rounds.
  18-21
  Seahorse. AC 16; MV swim 10’; no attacks; +5 bonus to hide. Transformation lasts 1d8 + CL 
  turns.
  22-23
  Cod. AC 12; MV swim 50’; no attacks. Transformation lasts 1d7 + CL hours.
  24-26
  Octopus. AC 15; MV 5’ or swim 20’; no effective attacks; can use arms to cast spells at -1d on 
  the dice chain (or no penalty, if the spell can be cast silently). Transformation lasts 1d7 + CL 
  hours.
  27-31
  Small shark: AC 16; MV swim 50’; bite (1d3). Transformation lasts 1d6 + CL turns.
  32-33
  Shark: AC 14; MV swim 40’; bite (1d5). Transformation lasts 1d5 + CL turns.
  34+
  Big shark: AC 17; MV swim 40’; bite (1d7+3). Transformation lasts 1d4 + CL rounds.
  Sea Wrack
  Level: 3 
  (Dagon)
  Range:  100’
  Duration:  Var-
  ies
  Casting time:  Action
  Save:  Fort (half)
  General
  This spell allows the caster to direct the wrath of Dagon. Each time this spell is cast, the caster 
  must spellburn 1 point, which does not modify the Spell Check result.
  Manifestation
  By spell check result.
  1
  Lost, failure, and patron taint.
  2-11
  Lost.  Failure.
  12-15
  Failure, but the spell is not lost.
  16-17
  Gallons of sea water appear around the target, drenching him instantly and putting out any open 
  flame. The target takes 1d3 damage from the buffeting of the sudden wave, and, if the save fails, 
  is knocked prone.
  18-21
  The caster can select up to 7 targets, each of which has the air in its lungs transformed into sea 
  water. Each target takes 1d7 damage, and if the save is failed its next action is lost as it coughs up 
  brine and mucus. Water-breathers are immune.
  22-23
  As 18-21, above, but the damage is 3d7.
  24-26
  A gigantic fish-like mouth appears for a second, and bites a selected target for 10d10 damage (no 
  attack roll needed). If the target is slain, it is pulled out of the material world when the mouth 
  disappears, prey to the Barracuda of the Great Abyss.
  27-31
  1d10 + CL man-sized fish appear from the Shoals of the Abyss, swimming or flying to the 
  target(s) chosen by the caster. Each fish bites for 2d6 damage (no attack roll needed). Any target 
  that dies as a result of these attacks is consumed by the fish, disappearing as they do as attack.
  32-33
  Up to 10 + CL targets have their blood transformed to sea water. Each takes 6d6 + CL damage; 
  the blood of any survivors is returned to its natural state.
  34-35
  As 24-26, above, but the Barracuda attacks one target each round for 1d7 + CL rounds, as se-
  lected by the caster.
  36+
  Up to seven creatures are transformed into sea water if they fail their saves, and are instantly slain. 
  If they resist the transformation, they still take 8d16 damage.
  
  40
  40
  Appendix E: Faerie Animal Types for Portsmouth
  Judges with access to FT 1: Creeping Beauties of the Wood, may use the following table for creating faerie 
  animal characters native to the area around Portsmouth. Full details of the Faerie Animal class are provided 
  in that adventure.
  1d100
  Animal 
  Type
  Attacks
  AC
  MV
  Special Abilities
  01-10
  Cat
  Bite (1)
  16
  30’
  Good balance and climbing
  11-15
  Cod
  None
  12
  Swim 50’
  Water-breathing, helpless on land
  16-25
  Dog
  Bite 
  (1d3)
  12
  40’
  26-27
  Goat
  Butt 
  (1d3)
  10
  40’
  Good balance
  28-33
  Mouse
  None
  18
  15’
  Stealthy
  34-37
  Pigeon
  None
  15
  5’ or fly 40’
  38-45
  Rat
  Bite
  15
  20’ or climb 20’ or 
  swim 20’
  Good sense of smell, stealthy
  46-47
  Raven
  Peck (1)
  15
  5’ or fly 50’
  Ref DC 10 on critical or eye is also 
  pecked out.
  48-60
  Seagull
  Peck (1)
  12
  10’ or fly 40’
  61-70
  Seal
  Bite 
  (1d3)
  13
  15’ or swim 40’
  Ignore first 3 points of cold damage
  71-75
  Shark
  Bite 
  (1d5)
  14
  Swim 40’
  Water-breathing, helpless on land
  76-94
  Songbird
  None
  16
  5’ or fly 70’
  95-00
  Stork
  Peck 
  (1d2)
  10
  30’ or fly 40’
  
  41
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  System Rules Document Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; 
  Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on origi-
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  DCC RPG, copyright © 2012 Goodman Games, all rights reserved, 
  visit www.goodman-games.com or contact info@ goodman-games.com 
  Ivory Horn of the Angakkuit, by Godric McKellan, copyright © 2014.
  The Scrimshaw Flute of Creatio, by Robert Lee, copyright © 2014. 
  Faerie Tales of Unlit Shores: The Portsmouth Mermaid © 2014,
  Purple Duck Games; Author Daniel J. Bishop
  This product is based on the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing 
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeon Crawl Classics/DCC Adventures & Settings/FT2 The Portsmouth Mermaid (DCC).pdf