TEXT:  
   
  An urgent plea for assistance comes from the coastal village of Jarko’tu’ta. Traders are 
  dead, canoes destroyed, bloodthirsty sharks spotted!   A perilous canoe journey and fog-
  shrouded mysteries await adventurers. 
   
  A 2- or 4-Hour Adventure for 1st-4th Level Characters 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Design Andrew Bishkinskyi  
   
   
   
   
   
    
  Development Greg Marks  
   
   
   
   
   
  Version 2.0          
  Produced by Cold Iron Conventions  
   
   
   
   
  Organized Play: Chris Lindsay 
   
  Playtesting Justin D, Brad C, Ryan S, Zvi S, Bruce H. 
   
   
   
   
  Art Andrew Bishkinskyi, Audri Knudsen, Ben Siekert, Wizards of the Coast, Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art C Rick 
  Hershey /Fat Goblin Games 
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Matt Sernett 
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Lysa Chen, Bill Benham, Travis Woodall, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Alan 
  Patrick 
     
   
        
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all 
  other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are 
  property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork 
  contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast. 
   
  ©2017 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The 
  Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. 
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  CCC-CIC-09 Steamy Shores of Danger 
   
   
  2 
  Welcome to CCC-CIC-09 Steamy Shores of Danger, a 
  D&D Adventurers League™ adventure, part of the 
  official D&D Adventurers League™ organized play 
  system and Con Created Content Program. 
   This adventure takes place in Moonsea. 
   This adventure is designed for three to seven 1st-
  4th level characters and is optimized for five 
  characters with an average party level (APL) of 
  3rd. Characters outside this level range cannot 
  participate in this adventure. 
  This adventure provides suggestions in making 
  adjustments for smaller or larger groups, characters 
  of higher or lower levels, and characters that are 
  otherwise a bit more powerful than the adventure is 
  optimized for. You’re not bound to these adjustments; 
  they’re here for your convenience. 
   To figure out whether you should consider 
  adjusting the adventure, add up the total levels of all 
  the characters and divide the total by the number of 
  characters (rounding .5 or greater up; .4 or less 
  down). This is the group’s APL. To approximate the 
  party strength for the adventure, consult the 
  following table. 
  Determining Party Strength 
  Party Composition Party   
  Strength 
  3-4 characters, APL less than  
  Very weak 
  3-4 characters, APL equivalent  
  Weak 
  3-4 characters, APL greater than  
  Average 
  5 characters, APL less than  
  Weak 
  5 characters, APL equivalent  
  Average 
  5 characters, APL greater than  
  Strong 
  6-7 characters, APL less than  
  Average 
  6-7 characters, APL equivalent  
  Strong 
  6-7 characters, APL greater than  
  Very strong 
  Some encounters may include a sidebar that offers 
  suggestions for certain party strengths. If a particular 
  recommendation is not offered or appropriate for 
  your group, you don’t have to make adjustments. 
  Before you start play, consider the following: 
  • Read through the adventure, taking notes of 
  anything you’d like to highlight or remind yourself 
  of while running the adventure, such as a way you’d 
  like to portray an NPC or a tactic you’d like to use in 
  a combat. Familiarize yourself with the adventure’s 
  appendices and handouts. 
  • Gather any resources you’d like to use to aid you in 
  running this adventure--such as notecards, a DM 
  screen, miniatures, and battlemaps. 
  • Ask the players to provide you with relevant 
  character information, such as name, race, class, 
  and level; passive Wisdom (Perception), and 
  anything specified as notable by the adventure 
  (such as backgrounds, traits, flaws, etc.) 
  You have the most important role—facilitating the 
  enjoyment of the game for the players. You provide 
  the narrative and bring the words on these pages to 
  life.  
   To facilitate this, keep in mind the following: 
   You’re Empowered. Make decisions about how the 
  group interacts with the adventure; adjusting or 
  improvising is encouraged, so long as you maintain 
  the adventure’s spirit. This doesn’t allow you to 
  implement house rules or change those of the 
  Adventurers League, however; they should be 
  consistent in this regard. 
   Challenge Your Players. Gauge the experience 
  level of your players (not the characters), try to feel 
  out (or ask) what they like in a game, and attempt to 
  deliver the experience they’re after. Everyone should 
  have the opportunity to shine. 
   Keep the Adventure Moving. When the game starts 
  to get bogged down, feel free to provide hints and 
  clues to your players so they can attempt to solve 
  puzzles, engage in combat, and roleplay interactions 
  without getting too frustrated over a lack of 
  information. This gives players “little victories” for 
  figuring out good choices from clues. Watch for 
  stalling—play loses momentum when this happens. 
  At the same time, make sure that the players don’t 
  finish too early; provide them with a full play 
  experience. 
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  CCC-CIC-09 Steamy Shores of Danger 
   
   
  3 
  -"Sharks. I never saw that coming."  
   
    
   
  —Sharknado 
  The tiny coastal village of Jarko’tu’ta, located on the 
  Moonsea coast between Elventree and Elmwood, is a 
  wonder of nature. Despite the cold and inhospitable 
  climate of the Moonsea, geothermic activity keeps the 
  air and water around the village warm year-round.  
   Finding their trade with the mysterious inhabitants 
  of a nearby island suddenly and violently disrupted, 
  the typically isolated villagers are forced to send for 
  help. 
   
  Location and NPC Summary 
  The following NPCs and locations feature prominently in this 
  adventure. 
   
  Artao (ar-TAY-o). Half-elf, half- earth genasi guide from 
  Jarko’tuta village. Only survivor of the last attempt to visit Big 
  Folk Island.  
   
  Chieftain Big Ear (Big Ear). Firbolg druid and leader of the 
  Big Folk.  
   
  Ida Barnaclebones (EYE-DA Barnacle-bones). Sea hag with 
  delusions of grandeur on a quest to found a kingdom of evil 
  seafolk. 
   
  Island of the Big Folk. Geothermal island home of the Big 
  Folk, now invaded by Ida Barnaclebones and her sahaugin.  
   
  Jarko’tuta. (Zhar-ko, too-ta) Geothermal village of the 
  Whanau, tribal Half-elf, half- earth genasi stone carvers.  
   
  Osse’Tinne (Oss-eh-tin). Awakened Hunter Shark, 
  companion of Sharkfriend Who left. Speaks common. 
   
  Sharkfriend Who Left. Firbolg Druid that lives in seclusion 
  from the rest of the tribe. 
   
  Yska (yis-KA). Half-elf, half- earth genasi guide from 
  Jarko’tuta village. Currently in a coma, cursed by Ida 
  Barnaclebones.  
  This adventure begins after the characters have 
  arrived on the island.  
   After arriving in the village, the adventurers must 
  make a dangerous canoe crossing, negotiate with the 
  mysterious Big Folk islanders and deal with a hidden 
  evil, Ida Barnaclebones. 
   The adventure is broken down into four parts: 
   Part 1. The characters arrive in the village of 
  Jarko’tu’ta and meet with the half-elf, half-earth 
  genasi villagers that call themselves the Whanau. 
  They are introduced to the wounded guide Artao who 
  explains how their trade delegation was attacked 
  while trying cross over to Big Folk Island.  
   Part 2. While trying to make the crossing, the 
  characters must content with becoming separated in 
  the fog, and a shark attack.  
   Part 3. The party is greeted by Chief Big Ear and 
  the Big Folk and challenged with the Greeting of the 
  Forefathers. If the party is successful in this social 
  challenge they find safe harbor with the firbolgs. If 
  they fail, they are pushed toward a dangerous cove 
  and asked to prove themselves.  
   Part 4. The characters seek out the cove where an 
  evil presence dwells. In the process they meet Ida 
  Barnaclebones and her sahaugin minions.  
  If you wish to expand CCC-CIC-09 Steamy Shores of 
  Danger from a two-hour to four-hour experience, 
  additional content is provided in the Expanding the 
  Adventure Appendix.  
   This content is 100% optional to the storyline and 
  need not be mentioned if there is no time to run it.  
  The content in the Appendix takes place during Part 3 
  of the adventure: after the adventurers arrive on Big 
  Folk Island and have their initial interaction with the 
  Firbolgs, but before they set out to find the source of 
  evil on the island.   
   Playing through this additional encounter gives no 
  additional experience though there is one 
  consumable magic item that can be found in that 
  portion of the adventure.  
   If you are unsure about whether you will have time 
  to play through this content, compare how long it has 
  taken your players to arrive at Big Folk Island (the 
  conclusion of Part 2) and consult the total estimated 
  time to finish the adventure with and without the 
  appendix in the following table. This is only an 
  estimation and you consider the playstyle and wishes 
  of your players when making this decision.  
   
  Arrival Time 
  Approx. Finish 
  With Appendix 
  45 min or less 
  90 min 
  120-150 mins 
  60 min 
  120 min 
  180 min 
  90 min 
  150 min 
  200-240 min. 
  The adventure with the characters arriving 
  Jarko’tu’ta. There are several reasons they might have 
  come here.  
   Druids, Emerald Enclave, or other Primal PCs: 
  Stories talk about a strange area of the Moonsea near 
  the Bell in the Deep were geothermal vents create a 
  unique landscape not seen elsewhere in this part of 
  the world. Seeing these lands west of Mulmaster and 
  meeting their tribal people might be worthy of 
  pilgrimage for those with deep ties to nature.  
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  CCC-CIC-09 Steamy Shores of Danger 
   
   
  4 
   Faction Curiosity:  An elven messenger has arrived 
  in Elmwood, seeking help for his village, Jarko’tu’ta. 
  Few people have ever heard of this village, so the 
  factions are curious and decided to send some of their 
  greenest recruits to take a look.  
   Rebuilding the Moonsea: Rumors say that there 
  are a group of reclusive stone carvers in a coastal 
  Moonsea village. Given the necessity to rebuild many 
  of the cities of the Moonsea, trained stone masons are 
  needed. Characters could have been by Zor Van 
  Finklestein of Mulmaster in search of trained help to 
  benefit their home city. 
   
  Do You Want to Know More? 
  This adventure is the ninth adventure associated with 
  Mulmaster, Windy Valley, and the people with an interest in it. 
  You can learn about other Cold Iron Conventions shows in 
  Milwaukee & Chicago by going to 
  http://www.coldironconventions.com/. All of these 
  adventurers can be purchased at http://www.dmsguild.com/. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  CCC-CIC-09 Steamy Shores of Danger  
   
   
  5 
  Estimated Duration: 15 minutes 
   Story Beat: The characters arrive in the unique 
  village of Jarko’tu’ta, on the Moonsea coast between 
  Elventree and Elmwood, and discover that a tragedy 
  has occurred. 
  After spending a freezing cold night camped in the woods, 
  your journey continues through fog that seems to grow 
  denser and denser. The fog seeps into your clothing, making 
  it easy for the wind to chill you to the bone. But the cold does 
  not last, as after a while the fog grows warmer and you 
  notice in places that steam is coming off the ground. The 
  foggy forest gives way to a rocky, more open terrain.  
   
  The morning sun cuts its way through the fog, offering a 
  view of a village made up of strangely constructed huts. 
  Seemingly made of a combination of mud, stone and light 
  wood, the huts stand on porous stone ground that is 
  punctuated by pools of steaming water.  
    Almost as if to announce your arrival, a large geyser near 
  the center of the village erupts in an exclamation of steam 
  and water. Lightly dressed humanoids approach through the 
  steam.   
  Roleplaying the villagers 
  Centuries ago, a group of wood elves and earth genasi drove 
  out the Bloody Scales sahaugin in the area and founded this 
  village. Many years of cross-breeding have resulted in the 
  current population consisting of a people that are half elf and 
  half genasi. For the most part, they have elven features, but 
  with darker skin and occasional “szuldar” line patterns that 
  mark their skin.  
   
  The villagers, who call themselves the Whanau, are 
  friendly but reserved – not used to having outsiders in their 
  village. They move slowly and gracefully, and are slow to 
  judge, taking time to ponder and answer any question even 
  when those questions are inconsequential in nature. To each 
  other, they act as a big family – a trait of the genasi heritage 
  – everyone seems to be a “sister”, “brother” or “uncle”. If 
  there are any half-elves, wood elves or genasi in the party, 
  they will also be addressed as part of the villagers extended 
  family.  
   
  As a society, the Whanau egalitarian eschewing gender 
  roles. They are also deeply suspicious of magic that does not 
  come from their racial heritage, and are especially cautious 
  around those who display it openly.  
   
  The adventurers are met by a party of very 
  concerned and somber villages who thank them for 
  coming and beseech the party’s aid.  The party learns 
  the following: 
  • The tiny village is remote and keeps largely to 
  themselves. The climate is unusual for the 
  Moonsea and between the heat, scalding geysers 
  and constant fog, the village is left alone by both 
  outsiders and predators. The closeness of the Bell 
  in the Deep also gives the area a sinister 
  reputation that deters unexpected visitors.  
  • The Whanau are largely self-sufficient, but they do 
  have some uniquely talented stone artisans and 
  for years have had a trade relationship with a tribe 
  of “the big folk” that live on a secluded island not 
  far off shore. DM Note: The manifestation of earth 
  genasi powers allows their artisans to 
  manipulation stone in unique ways, but this is not 
  openly shared with characters unless the party 
  presses them. 
  • Because of the geothermal activity, there is a 
  constant mist over the sea passage to Big Folk 
  Island, making it very hazardous to navigate.  
  • A tenday ago, their trading party – led by their 
  most experienced guide – was unexpectedly 
  attacked on the water. Only Artao – the guide – 
  managed to make it back to the village, but he was 
  gravely wounded by a shark and they fear that he 
  may not survive.  
  • Artao spoke of unnatural attackers and urged the 
  villagers to send for help rather than venture out. 
  Artao is an experienced guide – well respected and 
  not easily shaken. They heeded his advice. 
   
  After these quick explanations, the villagers quickly 
  take the adventurers to speak with Artao.  
  Your hosts lead you to a brightly decorated house. Atop the 
  house you notice several foot-high figurines made of colorful 
  natural stone. The workmanship is exquisite. One of the most 
  prominent figurines is that of an elven fisherman and is 
  detailed right down to his smirking facial expression and odd 
  trident. Other figurines are just as detailed.  
    Inside, the house is brightly lit by the natural sunlight that 
  falls in dusty beams through a pair of large open windows.  
    A series of loud, labored coughs draws your attention to a 
  heavily bandaged older half-elf, lying atop a padded cot. 
   “Good. You have come,” he says.  
  This is the guide – Artao. If the adventurers offer him 
  medical assistance or magical healing, he refuses it. 
  He is proud and is very worried about his people. If 
  the characters insist, they must succeed in a DC 10 
  Charisma (Persuasion) check to convince him to 
  accept it voluntarily. Using a healer’s kit with the 
  
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  CCC-CIC-09 Steamy Shores of Danger  
   
   
  6 
  Healer feat, or other non-magical healing requires no 
  check.  
   In truth, he is gravely injured and in dire need of 
  such medical attention.  If the players ignore his 
  refusal and examine anyhow, a successful DC 10 
  Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals that he will soon 
  die without attention. If the character succeeds by 5 
  or more, they realize that in order to save Artao, he 
  requires 5 points of healing (from any source). 
  Otherwise, if they apply less than 5 points of healing 
  tell the players “you ease his pain, but aren’t sure if 
  what you’ve done is enough to save him.”  
    Regardless of any healing, Artao speaks to the 
  characters and tells them the following: 
  • While the waters leading to Big Folk Island are 
  dangerous due to the sharp rocks and fog, they 
  typically hold no other dangers. Reef sharks have 
  never attacked people before and the other sea life 
  is not dangerous.  
  • He believes that unnatural forces are behind the 
  attack on him and his delegation. They were 
  attacked by vicious sharks and “it sounded like 
  there was something bigger too.” The canoe he was 
  in got broken apart by a shark and he was bitten 
  before swimming away as one of his companions 
  had speared and wrestled the shark. Artao had 
  passed out in pain and somehow washed up back 
  on shore.  
  • There were five others with him. The half-eaten 
  corpses of three of them eventually washed up on 
  shore, but the other two were not found.  
  • Artao begs the “experienced adventurers” to travel 
  across to the island and search for the two missing 
  half-elves, as well as to discover the true source of 
  the threat. He also asks that you try to make 
  contact with the Big Folk and warn them of danger 
  and ensure that their trade agreement remains. 
  • Only experienced guides go to Big Folk Island on 
  trading missions. Aside from navigation skills, 
  trade with “the big folk” is complicated and 
  requires a very specific approach and diplomacy. 
  • If asked about the Big Folk and diplomacy, Artao 
  tells them that the most important thing is to 
  properly perform the greeting of the forefathers. 
  “You must speak of your ancestors and of your 
  deeds.  You will understand when you meet them.  
  Do as they do and be truthful.”  He is too tired (or 
  passes out) before explaining further. None of the 
  other villagers have ever been to the island and do 
  not know the Big Folks’ ways.  
  • If asked about the fisherman carving and the odd 
  trident, the Whanau note that it is a sahaugin 
  trident. Their ancestors once fought with the 
  creatures when the village was founded, but they 
  have not been seen for decades.  
  • DM Note:  Details of “the big folk” are vague, 
  though if pressed, Artao or others would note that 
  they are the only inhabitants of the island and 
  can’t be missed. They are simply the Big Folk.  
  After having a chance to speak with Artao, the 
  villagers ask the adventurers to undertake the quest 
  of going across to Big Folk Island, searching for the 
  two missing men and warning the Big Folk of the 
  danger while re-establishing trade. No one left alive 
  in the village has made the crossing, as trading and 
  boating has historically been left to the few specially 
  trained for it (Earth Genasi generally don’t like 
  traversing water). They aren’t able to offer much 
  information beyond that already shared by Artao. 
  They do have canoes the characters may use to 
  attempt the crossing. If the characters ask, the 
  Whanau can also provide food and water for their 
  trip.  
  The villagers have no goods for sale beyond stone 
  carvings. Anything the characters need, they will 
  have to fashion themselves.  
  The villagers do not have much gold, but offer 
  several of their sculptures, which they know are 
  quite valuable. They will give each adventurer a 
  figurine (50g each).  
  
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  CCC-CIC-09 Steamy Shores of Danger  
   
   
  7 
  Estimated Duration: 30-45 minutes 
   Story Beat: The adventurers traverse dangerous 
  waters on the way to Big Folk Island in canoes. 
  Having been given rough directions by the Whanau and 
  descriptions of many specific outcroppings and islands to 
  orient yourselves in the mist, the villagers escort you to the 
  seashore, where a number of sturdy-looking canoes await 
  you for the crossing. Fishing nets and crude harpoons lie on 
  the shore, having been hastily unloaded to make room for 
  you.      
  • The number of canoes available is the same as the 
  number of characters in the party. The characters 
  must choose how many to take. This is an 
  important choice (though the characters may not 
  realize this!) 
  • The canoes are small enough to be used by a single 
  person, but big enough to accommodate up to 
  three people, with two rowing and a third in the 
  middle. A canoe CANNOT carry more than three 
  people and no more than two can row.  
  • A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation, History, or 
  Nature) allows the characters to ascertain the 
  following about the choice of canoes: 
  o Having more people in a canoe makes it harder 
  to tip over. 
  o Having a non-rower in a canoe might allow that 
  person to focus on navigation or other tasks. 
  o Canoes are fastest with 2 people in them. 
  o More canoes will extra space if it becomes 
  needed to ferry back the missing villagers or 
  objects of value the party might find. 
  o There is no right answer for how many canoes 
  to take.  
  • After choosing the number of canoes to take, the 
  characters must decide who goes in which canoe. 
  Make a note of this! Simple canoes that you can cut 
  out and use on a battlemat are provided in the 
  Appendix.  
  • If the characters ask the villagers, they may also 
  take nets or crude fishing spears. There is one net 
  and one spear up to the number of available 
  canoes – see the Making Harpoons sidebar for 
  more details on the crude fishing spears or rules 
  for making more.  
  Tricks of the Trade – New Players 
  If new or inexperienced players are present at the table, this 
  may be a good time to provide a refresher on Underwater 
  Combat (Players Handbook, p. 198). If your players are all 
  new to the game, you might consider pointing out that their 
  weapons might not be appropriate for fighting creatures 
  underwater.  
   
  Making Harpoons (Optional!) 
  IF CHARACTERS ASK about fashioning a harpoon or more of 
  the crude fishing spears, they may attempt to do so. A non-
  standard Survival (Dexterity) check with a variable DC is 
  required. The characters do not know how successful their 
  attempt to fashion the harpoon is and you should NOT reveal 
  the DC of this check! As long as the result of the roll is above 
  DC 5, inform the player that they’ve successfully crafted a 
  crude harpoon and make a note of their roll. In reality, the 
  quality of the created harpoon is as follows:  
  • DC 5-9: The harpoon is functional but flimsy and will break 
  off after the first ranged attack attempted with it.  
  • DC 10-14: The harpoon is functional but has a flaw and will 
  break off after the second ranged attack attempted with it.  
  • DC 15-19: The harpoon is sturdy and will not break from 
  normal use.  
  • DC 20+: The character creates a sturdy harpoon (as DC 15) 
  and also notices ONE other character’s harpoon is not 
  sturdy (if any) and fixes it. This results in that harpoon also 
  being considered sturdy (DC 15). This bonus applies even if 
  a faulty harpoon is created after.  
  These harpoons have all the properties of a spear (Player’s 
  Handbook, p. 149), with one difference: a character can use 
  their bonus action to pull on the rope and retrieve it after it 
  has been thrown. Due to the crude nature of spear, they are 
  not strong enough to allow the impaling and dragging of the 
  target.  
   
  DM Note: These harpoons cannot be kept or used outside 
  of this adventure. 
  With your canoes set up, you pick up the paddles and set off 
  across the water. Steam rises from the water, making it 
  difficult to see more than few paces.  
    The water is calm and your vessels glide smoothly. 
  Occasionally you notice some of the landmarks that had been 
  described to you by Artao: such a tiny island with a large tree 
  or a nose-shape rock; confirming you’re going the right way. 
  Navigating across takes three successful DC 12 
  Wisdom (Survival) checks. Do not tell the players 
  that they need to succeed. These are group checks 
  
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  CCC-CIC-09 Steamy Shores of Danger  
   
   
  8 
  per canoe. Characters with nautical backgrounds or 
  water vehicle proficiency make the check with 
  advantage.  
   Players may ask about tying canoes together with 
  rope. This is NOT recommended. The passage 
  contains many small islands and sharp rocks. The 
  ropes will make it very difficult to navigate. It may 
  lead to canoes capsizing or the ropes becoming 
  tangled on obstacles.  
   The following additional modifiers apply to all 
  checks: 
  • If a canoe has three people in it, the person not 
  rowing gets advantage.  
  • If a canoe has one person in it, the person must 
  first succeed on a DC 8 Strength (Athletics) check 
  or have disadvantage on the Survival check. 
  • If characters have somehow tied their canoes 
  together (despite warnings not too), the result is 
  that they cannot become separated after the first 
  check regardless of result. However, characters in 
  canoes tied together must succeed on a DC 12 
  Constitution saving throw or suffer a level of 
  exhaustion as the constantly fight against the 
  rocks their boats slam into. After the first check, 
  they find the ropes have frayed and become 
  unusable.  
  • If characters have chosen to drag an empty canoe 
  with them, the characters in the canoe it is tied to 
  must succeed in a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check 
  or have disadvantage on their Survival check due 
  to its drift. 
  • It’s possible the characters may use magic or other 
  creative plans to aid in the crossing. The DM 
  should grant bonuses as appropriate.  
  Tricks of the Trade - Getting Separated 
  Where there is a DM choice in which canoe gets separated 
  from the rest, it is not recommended that a canoe with a 
  single level 1 character in it be chosen. 
   
  Resolve the Checks as Follows: 
  Check 1:    
  • All Canoes Succeed:  Proceed to second check. 
  • All Canoes Fail:  The canoes all become separated. 
  Proceed to second check. 
  • Some Canoes Fail:  One canoe becomes separated from 
  the rest. Proceed to second check. 
  Check 2: 
  • All Canoes Succeed:  Proceed to third check. On a result of 
  15 or more, a separated canoe (if any) finds one of the 
  other canoes.  
  • All Canoes Fail:  The canoes all become separated. 
  Proceed to third check.  
  • Some Canoes Fail:  One canoe becomes separated from 
  the rest. Proceed to third check. 
  • Fail Two Checks:  If any canoe fails both of the first two 
  checks, all characters in that canoe must succeed in a DC 
  12 Constitution saving throw or gain a level of exhaustion.  
  Check 3: 
  • All Canoes Succeed:  On a result of 15 or more, a 
  separated canoe finds one of the other canoes. Proceed to 
  Shark Attack! 
  • All Canoes Fail:  The canoes all become separated. 
  Proceed to Shark Attack! 
  • Some Canoes Fail:  One canoe becomes separated from 
  the rest. Proceed to Shark Attack! 
  • Fail Two Checks:  If any canoe fails a total of two checks, 
  all characters in that canoe must succeed in a DC 12 
  Constitution saving throw or gain a level of exhaustion. 
  • Fail Three Checks: If any canoe fails all 3 checks, the 
  characters in that canoe get turned around and confused. 
  They are surprised when combat begins (do not tell the 
  players this yet). 
   
  Read only if NO canoes are separated: 
  Navigating the misty seaway has proven rather easy given the 
  directions you had received. You have been rowing for a few 
  hours and now, when the steam clears and the features of 
  what must be Big Folk Island solidify out of the mist. You’re 
  almost there. 
  Read only if any canoes are separated: 
  Navigating the misty seaway has proven more difficult than 
  expected. The directions you had received have turned out to 
  be too vague. Tired, you have lost sight and sound of some of 
  the other canoes. There is hope however, as there are 
  moments when the fog clears and you can see the features of 
  what must be Big Folk Island solidify out of the mist. You’re 
  almost there. 
  The party begins the encounter 30-feet from the line 
  of 10’ by 10’ platforms. Any characters in a canoe 
  that failed all three Survival checks begin the combat 
  surprised.  
  
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  9 
  Sighting of the final landmark, a line of strange, large 
  crabbing platforms that you were told the Big Folk utilize in 
  their fishing, your approach slows. You are an easy toss of 
  javelin from the line of platforms when something large 
  suddenly hits your canoe with a loud thump! 
    The canoe jolts violently and you struggle to hold on!  Above 
  the misty surface of the water you see an ominous grey fin – 
  SHARKS! 
  Eerily, all of the canoes are attacked by sharks 
  simultaneously. If any canoes are separated, they are 
  part of the same combat, but with those characters 
  and sharks out of sight of the rest. The separated 
  canoes are not close enough to each other to see or 
  assist, though they might hear calls for help or 
  screams of battle.  
   Canoes that are not separated begin combat 20-
  feet from each other and may collaborate normally. 
  Each canoe gets its own set of sharks. The encounter 
  relies on nonstandard tiering based on how many 
  characters are in each canoe (see the Adjusting the 
  Encounter sidebar).  
   The water is still so any swim checks are DC 10.  
   
  General Features and Combat Tactics 
  The combat begins with every canoe being rocked by 
  the attacking sharks making a ram attack. Each 
  character must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or 
  Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to hang on to 
  something or be knocked into the water and be 
  thrown 10-ft from the canoe. The DC of the check 
  equals 12 + [number of sharks attacking the canoe] – 
  [number of characters in canoe].  
  Canoe Speed and Size 
  Speed: Canoes do not move on their own. A character that 
  spends their action rowing can move a canoe 30-ft, minus 5-
  ft for every person in the canoe. A maximum of two people 
  can row per round.  This translates to following speeds (per 
  round): 
  • 3 characters in canoe:   2 rowing: 30-ft; 1 rowing: 15-ft 
  • 2 characters in canoe:   2 rowing: 40-ft; 1 rowing: 20-ft 
  • 1 characters in canoe:  25-ft 
  Size on a Grid:  For the purpose of drawing on a grid, each 
  canoe is 15-ft long, comprised of 3 5-ft map squares. Despite 
  the front and back of the canoe being elongated for shape, 
  consider the 3 squares as identical. 
   
   Canoes and Opportunity Attacks:  Characters 
  climbing into a canoe while adjacent to a shark are 
  leaving the sharks’ reach and provoke an 
  opportunity attack. Sharks moving away from the 
  canoes also provoke opportunity attacks. The special 
  maneuver for the shark to ram the canoes does not 
  provoke opportunity attacks. 
   Climbing in and Out of Canoes: A character that 
  is adjacent to a canoe can use an action to climb back 
  into it using 10-ft of movement and succeeding on a 
  DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. This check can 
  only be attempted once per turn. A Climb or Swim 
  speeds have no impact on this requirement. 
   Crabbing Platforms: A character that swims up to 
  the crabbing platforms can climb up onto one using 
  10-ft of vertical (climbing) movement and a by 
  making a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check 
  to not slip off. A grappling hook and rope or similar 
  equipment grants advantage to this check. A 
  character with a climb speed automatically succeeds 
  on this check. 
   Empty Canoes: If a canoe is empty at the end of a 
  round, there is a 50% chance that it flips over and 
  can’t be climbed back into. It takes an action and a 
  successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check to turn it 
  back over. Characters proficient in water vehicles 
  gain advantage to this check.  
   Running Away: If the occupants of a canoe choose 
  to row away from the sharks, any sharks attacking 
  them follow the moving canoe for three rounds and 
  will ram the canoe each round trying to shake loose 
  a meal. While it is unlikely to work, running away is 
  a perfectly acceptable tactic for dealing with this 
  event. 
  
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  10 
   Separated Canoes: While the characters in a 
  separated canoe, are effectively treated as being in a 
  separate area from all other canoes, two special 
  circumstances apply: 
  • If only one character in a separated canoe remains 
  conscious and is below half hi points, they have 
  begun to drift towards the remaining canoes. The 
  other canoes hear their screams and the fog parts 
  revealing the separated canoe 90-ft away from one 
  of the other canoes (chosen randomly).  
  • If a canoe defeats their sharks, the fog parts as 
  described above. The characters can choose 
  whether to either approach the separated canoe 
  (using rowing rules in the Canoe Speed and Size 
  sidebar), aid other canoes, or to head to shore.   
   Shark Tactics: Sharks can only attack characters 
  in the water. If there are no characters in the water, 
  the sharks will ram the canoes (use same rules 
  above). Ramming is done by the sharks as a group 
  and consumes their actions for the turn. The sharks 
  can also attempt to ram the crabbing platforms; 
  however, the additional stability of the platform 
  gives those characters advantage on the check to 
  hold on. Sharks prefer to attack those in the water 
  and will prioritize attacking swimmers over making 
  ram attacks. The sharks do not eat or drag away 
  unconscious characters.  
   
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  The encounter begins with sharks ramming canoes, so 
  consider them to be first in initiative.  
  • For every level 1 character present in a canoe, add 1 reef 
  Shark to the encounter. 
  • For every level 2 characters present, add 2 reef sharks. 
  • For every level 3 characters present, add 1 hunter shark.  
  • For every level 4 characters present, add 1 hunter shark 
  and 1 reef shark. 
  Tricks of the Trade: Wrapping Up the Sharks 
  It the canoes are separated, it is possible that one canoe will 
  finish their combat before the other characters rejoin them.  
  Once a canoe wraps their combat, you may choose to allow 
  them to find one of the other canoes and assist.  
   
  Depending on approach and party composition, the shark 
  encounter can vary greatly in time to complete.  If running in 
  a tight 2-hour timeslot, you should aim to have the encounter 
  completed no later than 70 minutes into the overall runtime. 
  Once the battle is over, a successful DC 12 
  Intelligence (Nature) check recognizes that there 
  was “something off” about their behavior. These 
  types of shark are not known for attacking humans 
  unless desperate, and the coordinated ramming of 
  boats is completely unheard of. Also, the sharks did 
  not seem very interested in eating, but simply in 
  killing anything that moved.  
   After the encounter is done, the line of crabbing 
  platforms obvious landmark and successfully locate 
  each other and may proceed to land.  
   
   
   
   
  
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  11 
  Estimated Duration: 20 minutes 
   Story Beat: The adventurers encounter a tribe of 
  highly ritualistic Firbolgs (initially using illusions of 
  elves), and must present themselves properly in 
  order to be received. 
  The rocky shores of Big Folk Island are a welcome sight after 
  the deadly crossing. The beach is made of the same rocky 
  terrain and steam beds as you saw in Jarko’tu’ta. Small 
  geysers erupt in the distance. 
     Before you can rest, three humanoid forms emerge from a 
  tree-covered ridge a bowshot inland. The three figures stop 
  half-way to you along a small path. One of them calls out 
  “Approach!” in a surprisingly deep voice. 
  The characters may be apprehensive, but this 
  encounter is peaceful. If they decide against 
  approaching or dilly-dally, the voice will call out 
  “Approach!” two more times, before they turn 
  around and walk away. If the characters do not 
  approach, the social encounter has failed and the 
  characters will need to find another way to appease 
  the Big Folk. 
   If players approach, they may notice several 
  things:   
  • No check required: The approaching party 
  consists of three darker skinned elves with 
  reddish hair; possibly wood elves. One is holding a 
  wooden staff and two have wooden shields and 
  spears on their backs.  
  • No Check Required: The character recalls that 
  they had been warned about the critical 
  importance of proper greetings with “The Big 
  Folk.”  
  • DC 10 Wisdom (Insight): The elves seem to have 
  a peaceful disposition and body language. 
  • DC 12 Wisdom (Perception): All three elves are 
  approximately 5-ft tall and somewhat stocky in 
  build. If the character succeeds by 5 or more, they 
  also note that there are several more figures 
  watching from the tree line.  
  • DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation History, or 
  Nature), elf and firbolg PCs get advantage: The 
  height and body type are entirely wrong for elves, 
  or at least unlike any kind of elves anyone has ever 
  seen. Their coloring also seems slightly off.  
   
   
   
  Roleplaying the Firbolgs of Big Folk Island 
  The firbolgs of Big Folk Island are a proud tribe with a strictly 
  patriarchal society, where one’s forefathers and deeds carry 
  great meaning. They are not warlike and when offended 
  simply leave silently rather than threatening with violence. 
  Their chieftain is called Big Ear (because he has one big ear - 
  Firbolg names are typically given to them by others.)   
   
  Once the party approaches, the “elf” with the staff 
  begins to speak in a deep rumbling voice. 
  “You are not known. I am Chieftain Big Ear, son of Chieftain 
  Two-Clubs, grandson of Chieftain Bonethrower, great 
  grandson of Healer Soft-hand, father of Two Hunters, Blesser 
  of Eight Unions, and Guardian of the Old Staff.”    
   
  When he finishes, he nods to the elf on his left, who in turn 
  introduces himself saying: “I am Topknot, son of Healer 
  Three-Stones, grandson of Hunter Crabtaker, great grandson 
  of Seer Starwink, father of Hunter Throwing Rock, Builder of 
  Three Huts, six times Trader with Small Folk.”   
   
  After the second elf finishes, the Chieftain nods to the 
  third, who gives his name as Long Runner before reciting a 
  similar lengthy greeting. The Chieftain then looks to you, 
  saying: “You come in small boats. Like Artao, son of Etheryl, 
  Grandson of the Earth, Builder of Many Boats, thirty-seven 
  times Trader with the Big Folk, Teacher to Many Scouts. But I 
  do not see him among you. Speak true of who you are and of 
  your forefathers and you may be welcomed.”   
  This is a social challenge. Each character must 
  introduce themselves with a proper “greeting of the 
  forefathers.”   If the characters try to talk about 
  business or anything else, they are simply reminded 
  to “speak true of who you are and of your forefathers 
  and you may be welcomed.”  After two such 
  reminders, the Firbolgs turn around and begin to 
  leave. See Resolving the Greeting of the 
  Forefathers Challenge for more on the effects of 
  succeeding or failing. 
   The greeting of the forefathers is simple and 
  consists of 7 parts: 
  • Part 1:  Name of character 
  • Part 2:  Name of father 
  • Part 3:  Name of grandfather 
  • Part 4:  Name of great grandfather 
  • Parts 5, 6, 7:  Life accomplishments 
   
  
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  This is a great opportunity to roleplay and talk in-
  character. The DM should consider awarding 
  Inspiration to players who perform well.  
   Truth and Lies:  Chieftain Big Ear is quite 
  perceptive and will spot if the characters are lying. It 
  is entirely possible that players do not have a full  
  family history for their character. This is ok!   They 
  can make it up on the spot, however, you should ask 
  if their intention is to give the true names or if their 
  characters are attempting to lie. The same applies to 
  the character accomplishments. If a character 
  purposely lies, they must do a DC 16 Charisma 
  (Deception) check to beat Chieftain Big Ear’s Passive 
  Insight.  
  Resolving the Greeting of the Forefathers Social 
  Challenge:   
  Encounter is a group challenge.  
  • A character automatically succeeds if at least 6 parts of the 
  greeting are used and all are true.   
  • If a character lies and is noticed, they counted as a failure.  
  • If a character lies and is not noticed, they counted as a 
  success.   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  • If less than 6 parts of a greeting are used, the character 
  must succeed on a Charisma (Persuasion) check with a DC 
  of 12 + [the number of missing parts].  The character gains 
  advantage if the Persuasion check is accompanied by an 
  appropriate explanation (i.e. character is actually an 
  orphan or something similar). 
  If more than half of the party succeeds, the group is 
  successful. Otherwise the group fails.  
   
  If the group check succeeds, all characters that succeed on 
  their individual checks earn the “Greeting of the 
  Forefathers” story award at the end of the adventure. 
   
  If the Group Check Fails: 
  “You have not spoken honorably and are not welcomed. We 
  will not speak. There is a cove to the north. Prove yourselves 
  there if you can. We will return tomorrow. Do not sleep.”   
  With that they walk away and do not answer replies. 
  If players threaten the three, twelve more “elves,” 
  with bows appear from the trees to help discourage 
  the hostilities. 
   The characters will not get a long rest before 
  facing the final battle. Their rest is interrupted by 
  the Big Folk if the characters try. The party CAN get a 
  short rest before proceeding to Part 4. 
  
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  13 
  If the Group Check Succeeds: 
  The smiling faces of the elves melt away and you can see 
  their true forms. Giant-kin taller than two men with fleshy 
  pink skin and red hair, they bow deeply to you. Chieftain Big 
  Ear’s name is well earned, as his right ear is particularly large 
  and floppy.  
   
  “You are welcomed,” he says, rumbling voice matching his 
  massive stature. “Please find rest in our village.” 
  If any character failed the Greeting of the Forefathers: 
   “This/These one(s) must be silent, but may come.”    
  Characters that failed will have disadvantage on any 
  skill checks within the Firbolg camp (if any). 
  At the village, the characters welcomed. Injured 
  characters are treated (nonmagically) and receive 
  1d6 points of healing as firbolg healers gently apply 
  poultices and bandages to their wounds.  
   The characters are invited to stay the night and 
  partake in a welcoming feast. The party gains all the 
  benefits of a long rest and 5 temporary hit points.  
   During the evening, the party find that one of the 
  missing half-elves from the original expedition is 
  here (Yska). She has been unconscious since being 
  found, but is stable and seems to be slowly 
  recovering. She cannot be woken or spoken to and 
  the firbolgs do not know why. The characters are 
  welcome to examine her. If checked for, Yska 
  radiates magic (necromancy) and is cursed.  
   Big Ear is concerned about the attack and agrees 
  that it is unnatural. He says that the Big Folk have 
  witnessed strange behavior in the sharks as well and 
  have not gone out to their crabbing platforms for a 
  few days since the sharks became aggressive. Their 
  seer, Sees Beyond Sight, has detected a dark 
  presence in a seaside cove and the Big Folk’s scouts 
  have sighted a strange humanoid creature there. 
  Their calls to contact it were not answered, however 
  so they do not believe it is friendly and so according 
  to their customs, they have left the create be.  
   Big Ear tells the characters that they investigate if 
  they wish and perhaps the find the missing half-elf 
  there.  
   After the long rest, proceed to part 4. 
   
   
   
   
  The Firbolgs of Big Folk Island 
  As firbolgs, all of the Big Folk have the following traits in 
  addition to those in their stat blocks.  
  • All of the Big Folk are Neutral Good. 
  • Firbolg Magic. Can cast detect magic and disguise self once 
  per short or long rest. When using disguise self, the firbolg 
  can seem up to 3 feet shorter than normal. 
  • Hidden Step. Once per short or long rest, as a bonus 
  action, the firbolg can magically turn invisible until the 
  start of their next turn or until they attack, make a damage 
  roll, or force someone to make a saving throw.  
  • Powerful Build. The firbolg counts as one size larger when 
  determining your carrying capacity and the weight it can 
  push, drag, or lift. 
  • Speech of Beast and Leaf. The firbolg has the ability to 
  communicate in a limited manner with beasts and plants. 
  They can understand the meaning of the firbolg’s words, 
  though the firbolg has no special ability to understand 
  them in return. The firbolg has advantage on all Charisma 
  checks made to influence them. 
  • Languages. Firbolgs can speak, read, and write Common, 
  Elvish, and Giant. 
   
   
  
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  14 
  Estimated Duration: 30-40 minutes 
   Story Beat: The characters face off against the 
  true threat on the island. 
  After either a short rest on the rocky shore (failing in 
  the social challenge) or their long rest at the Firbolg 
  Camp (succeeding in the social challenge), the 
  adventurers find their way to a cove where they 
  discover a watery grotto.  
  After walking along the rocky seashore, your path becomes 
  blocked by a natural stone wall that leads into a small rise on 
  your right. To the left, a narrow section of wet jagged rocks 
  could be used to circumvent the wall. Waves periodically 
  splash sea foam onto the rocks, making them hazardous to 
  walk upon.   
  In order to continue, the characters must either 
  climb the rise, getting a better view but taking more 
  time, or take the slippery seaside path. 
   The Slippery Path: If the characters choose the 
  quicker slippery path they must succeed on a DC 10 
  Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to avoid slipping. If 
  they slip, the character takes 2 (1d4) slashing 
  damage as they are swept off the rocks. The 
  character must then succeed in a DC 12 Strength 
  (Athletics) check to swim to shore. Those that fail 
  take another 3 (1d6) points of bludgeoning damage 
  as they are slammed against the rocks before 
  climbing out.  
   Climbing the Rise: From the outside, the ground 
  rises gently and walking up does not requires a 
  check. It The other side, however, is a sheer drop of 
  40-ft down into the cove (see read aloud text below). 
  Getting down to the inner side of the cove requires a 
  successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) to avoid falling.  
  Characters that fail fall 10-ft unless the fail the check 
  by 5 or more, in which case they fall 20-ft. Normal 
  falling damage applies.  Having a rope or climbing 
  gear grants advantage on this check. Characters can 
  safely walk down on the side of the wall they began 
  on and take the slippery shore path instead. 
  Beyond the rock wall, you see a semi-circular natural grotto 
  with several steaming pools. In the center of the grotto, a 
  large stone formation rises out of the water and perched 
  atop it is a small hut, which seems to be made of seaweed. A 
  natural stone bridge leads to it from the side of the grotto.  
   Examining the Scene with Passive Perception. A 
  Passive Perception of 12 or higher notices a half-elf, 
  with seaweed stuffed in his mouth tied to a rock in 
  one of the steaming pools. Only the top half of his 
  body is visible above the water. With the steam and 
  distance, it’s hard to see anything else without 
  getting closer. A Passive Perception of 15 or higher 
  notices a shape quickly move and then disappear 
  beneath the water in one of the pools.  While the 
  sahuagin are not revealed by the check, succeeding 
  on the check prevents the players from being 
  surprised when they reveal themselves (after Ida 
  exits her hut). 
  The players can’t see into the hut from where they 
  are, though they are already expected. The shack 
  belongs to a horrific Sea Hag, Ida Barnaclebones. Ida 
  and her minions have been waiting for the 
  characters ever since the characters tangled with her 
  sharks. 
  At approach, something stirs from within the hut and its 
  seaweed drape flies open as a horrific beast emerges!   
    The monster has one giant lobster claw which looks to be 
  dripping fresh blood while its other arm is a myriad of slime-
  dripping tentacles that twitch and grope as the creature steps 
  sloppily out on its webbed feet.  
    “Come to trr-y the warm waterr-s have you? It’s… very… 
  nice…,” says the creature in a hoarse female voice before 
  breaking off into a maniacal laugh: “HAHAHAHAHAHA”.  
  The hag waits for the party to approach within 30-
  feet before emerging from the hut wearing the 
  illusion of a horrific sea beast (see her stat block for 
  full description of the illusionary appearance ability). 
  In addition, her servants, 2 Sahuagin and a 
  Sahuagin Priestess are lurking underwater in the 
  interconnected pools, ready to spring. Ida stands her 
  ground hoping to lure the characters toward her, 
  only to be ambushed by Sahuagin hidden in the 
  depths.  
  Adjusting This Encounter 
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter. 
  These are not cumulative. 
  • Very Weak: Remove the sahuagin priestess and 1 
  sahuagin. 
  • Weak: Remove the sahuagin priestess. 
  • Strong: Add two sahuagin. 
  • Very strong: Add two sahuagin and a sahuagin priestess. 
  
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  15 
   
  Half-elf Corpse: Close inspection of the allows a 
  character to realize the half-elf has died. He appears 
  to have been tied with seaweed with the top half of 
  his body is above water. Unfortunately, his feet and 
  most of his legs are missing, the crabs and other 
  local fauna having eaten him alive at the hags urging.  
  Waking Yska: In the hut is a fist-sized green orb 
  with an image of a sleeping female half-elf inside. A 
  successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check 
  suggests it the focus of a curse which is keeping her 
  unconscious and could be used to syphon away the 
  elf’s soul to power other magic. Smashing the orb 
  frees Yska and wakes her from her slumber. 
   
   
  Roleplaying Ida Barnaclebones 
  The sea hag recently crossed paths with a group of sahuagin, 
  the remnants of the Bloody Scales tribe that lost control of 
  the area to the Whanau. Ida dreams of founding a coastal sea 
  kingdom that she rules and wooing the sahuagin who can 
  control sharks are the first step in her megalomaniacal plan. 
  She does anything she can to embarrass, or frighten those 
  around her in order to demonstrate her superiority. She is 
  crazed, rude, vicious, and revels in torture.  
  Inside Ida’s hut, the party finds a potion of healing 
  and small stash of looted treasure worth 200 gp. 
  If Ida or any of the sahuagin are captured, they can 
  be forced to tell of Ida’s plan to raise a kingdom of 
  evil sea folk starting from her base on Big Folk 
  island. Her plan to humiliate and eventually kill the 
  Whanau and the Big Folk was intended to 
  demonstrate worthiness as a leader. If any of the 
  captives are alive, the Big Folk agree to take them 
  and imprison them.  
   If none of their enemies are captured alive, a 
  successful Intelligence (Nature or History) check 
  reminds a character that Sahuagin can control 
  sharks, explaining the odd behavior. 
  After their combat in the cove, the characters are 
  met on the rocky shore by Chief Big Ear and some of 
  the Big Folk Firbolgs.  
   With them is the injured half-elf, Yska. If the 
  characters smashed the orb, she has wakened from 
  her coma. She is able to guide the characters back to 
  Jarko’tu’ta without incident. 
   Back at Jarko’tu’ta, they players are rewarded with 
  their individual carved statuettes as promised, 
  which they can sell for 50g. In addition, they have 
  crafted a special statuette for the party.  
  The half-elves have also fashioned one special 
  statuette in the shape of a geyser and imbued it with 
  some magic, so that it can spout water on command 
  (decanter of endless water).  
   
   
   
  
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  16 
  Make sure players note their rewards on their 
  adventure log sheets. Give your name and DCI 
  number (if applicable) so players can record who 
  ran the session. 
   
  Total up all combat experience earned for defeated 
  foes, and divide by the number of characters present 
  in the combat. For non-combat experience, the 
  rewards are listed per character. 
  Combat Awards 
  Name of Foe 
   
   
  XP Per Foe 
  Big Folk Warrior (MA Adept) 
  700 
  Chieftain Big Ear (Druid) 
   
  450 
  Hunter Shark 
   
   
  450 
  Ida Barnaclebones (Sea Hag) 
  450 
  Reef Shark 
   
   
  100 
  Sahuagin 
   
   
  100 
   
   
  Sahuagin Priestess 
   
  450 
  Non-Combat Awards 
  Task or Accomplishment  
  XP Per Character 
  Freeing Yska from her curse 
  100 
  Succeeding in the Greeting of  
  100 
  the Forefathers 
  The characters receive the following treasure, 
  divided up amongst the party. Treasure is divided as 
  evenly as possible. Gold piece values listed for 
  sellable gear are calculated at their selling price, not 
  their purchase price.  
  Treasure Awards 
  Item Name 
   
   
  GP Value 
  Carved Figurines  
   
  50 per PC 
  Ida’s Loot 
   
   
  200 
  Sharkfriend’s reward  
   
  50 
   (expanded adventure) 
   Consumable magic items should be divided up 
  however the group sees fit. If more than one 
  character is interested in a specific consumable 
  magic item, the DM can determine who gets it 
  randomly should the group be unable to decide.  
   Permanent magic items are divided according to 
  a system detailed in the D&D Adventurers League 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  Wondrous Item, uncommon 
  This small figurine is intricately carved in the shape 
  of a spouting geyser. It behaves as a decanter of 
  endless water.  
   This item can be found in Player Handout 8. 
  Potion, common 
  This item can be found in the Dungeon Master’s 
  Guide. 
   
  This following consumable item is only available in 
  the four-hour version of the adventure: 
  Scroll, common 
  This item can be found in the Dungeon Master’s 
  Guide. 
  During the course of this adventure, the characters 
  may earn the following story award: 
   Greeting of the Forefathers:  You have learned 
  how to introduce yourself in a formal and 
  impressive way. During your future encounters with 
  members of tribal cultures of Big Folk Island or the 
  village of Jarko’tu’ta you may gain advantage on 
  social checks if you recite your Greeting during 
  introductions (DM discretion). 
  For completing this adventure, players earn 
  downtime and renown as described in the D&D 
  Adventurers League Dungeon Master’s Guide 
  (ALDMG). 
  In exchange for running this adventure, you earn DM 
  Rewards as described in the D&D Adventurers 
  League Dungeon Master’s Guide (ALDMG). 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  Chieftain Big Ear (Druid) 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment 
  Armor Class 11 (16 with barkskin) 
  Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
   
  Skills Medicine +4, Nature +3, Perception +4 
  Senses passive Perception 14 
  Languages Druidic plus any two languages 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
  Spellcasting. The druid is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its 
  spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to 
  hit with spell attacks). It has the following druid spells 
  prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, produce flame, shillelagh 
  1st level (4 slots): entangle, longstrider, speak with 
  animals, thunderwave 
  2nd level (3 slots): animal messenger, barkskin 
  Actions 
  Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit (+4 to hit 
  with shillelagh), reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) 
  bludgeoning damage, or 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage 
  with shillelagh or if wielded with two hands. 
  Source: Monster Manual  
   
  Firbolg Warrior (Martial Arts Adept) 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment 
  Armor Class 16  
  Hit Points 60 (11d8 + 11) 
  Speed 40 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   11 (+0) 
  17 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  11 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
   
  Skills Acrobatics +5, Insight +5, Stealth +5 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages any one language (usually Common) 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  Unarmored Defense. While the adept is wearing no 
  armor and wielding no shield, its AC includes its 
  Wisdom modifier. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The adept makes three unarmed attacks 
  or three dart attacks. 
  Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) bludgeoning 
  damage. If the target is a creature, the adept can 
  choose one of the following additional effects: 
  • The target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving 
  throw or drop one item it is holding (adept’s choice). 
  •The target must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving 
  throw or be knocked prone. 
  •The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution 
  saving throw or be stunned until the end of the adept’s 
  next turn. 
  Dart. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 20/60 ft, 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage. 
  Reactions 
  Deflect Missile. In response to being hit by a ranged 
  weapon attack, the adept deflects the missile. The 
  damage it takes from the attack is reduced by 1d10+3. 
  If the damage is reduced to 0, the adept catches the 
  missile if it’s small enough to hold in one hand and the 
  adept has a hand free. 
  Source: Volo’s Guide to Monsters 
   
   
  
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  Giant Octopus 
  Large beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 11 
  Hit Points 52 (8d10 + 8) 
  Speed 10 ft., swim 60 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   17 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  4 (−3) 
  10 (+0) 
  4 (−3) 
    
  Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  Hold Breath. While out of water, the octopus can hold 
  its breath for 1 hour. 
  Underwater Camouflage. The octopus has advantage 
  on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made while underwater. 
  Water Breathing. The octopus can breathe only 
  underwater. 
  Actions 
  Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 15 
  ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If 
  the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 16). 
  Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the 
  octopus can’t use its tentacles on another target. 
  Ink Cloud (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). A 20-
  foot-radius cloud of ink extends all around the octopus 
  if it is underwater. The area is heavily obscured for 1 
  minute, although a significant current can disperse the 
  ink. After releasing the ink, the octopus can use the 
  Dash action as a bonus action. 
  Source: Monster Manual  
   
  Hunter Shark 
  Large beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 45 (6d10 + 12) 
  Speed swim 40 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  13 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  1 (-5) 
  10 (+0) 
  4 (−3) 
    
  Skills Perception +2 
  Senses blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 12 
  Languages – 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
   
  Blood Frenzy. The shark has advantage on melee attack 
  rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit 
  points. 
  Water Breathing. The shark can breathe only 
  underwater. 
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage. 
  Source: Monster Manual  
   
   
   
    
    
  
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  Reef Shark 
  Medium beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4) 
  Speed swim 40 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  1 (-5) 
  10 (+0) 
  4 (−3) 
    
  Skills Perception +2 
  Senses blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 12 
  Languages – 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
   
  Pack Tactics. The shark has advantage on an attack roll 
  against a creature if at least one of the shark's allies is 
  within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't 
  incapacitated. 
  Water Breathing. The shark can breathe only 
  underwater. 
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. 
  Source: Monster Manual  
   
   
   
  Sahuagin  
  Medium humanoid (sahuagin), lawful evil 
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4) 
  Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   13 (+1) 
  11 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  9 (−1) 
    
  Skills Perception +5 
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 
  Languages Sahuagin 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  Blood Frenzy. The sahuagin has advantage on melee 
  attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all 
  its hit points. 
  Limited Amphibiousness. The sahuagin can breathe air 
  and water, but it needs to be submerged at least once 
  every 4 hours to avoid suffocating. 
  Shark Telepathy. The sahuagin can magically command 
  any shark within 120 feet of it, using a limited 
  telepathy. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The sahuagin makes two melee attacks: 
  one with its bite and one with its claws or spear. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage. 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage. 
  Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 
  1) piercing damage, or 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage if 
  used with two hands to make a melee attack. 
  Source: Monster Manual  
   
   
  
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  Sahuagin Priestess  
  Medium humanoid (sahuagin), lawful evil 
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6) 
  Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   13 (+1) 
  11 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
   
  Skills Perception +6, Religion +3 
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16 
  Languages Sahuagin 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
  Blood Frenzy. The sahuagin has advantage on melee 
  attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all 
  its hit points. 
  Limited Amphibiousness. The sahuagin can breathe air 
  and water, but she needs to be submerged at least 
  once every 4 hours to avoid suffocating. 
  Shark Telepathy. The sahuagin can magically command 
  any shark within 120 feet of her, using a limited 
  telepathy. 
  Spellcasting. The sahuagin is a 6th-level spellcaster. 
  Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 
  to hit with spell attacks). She has the following cleric 
  spells prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): guidance, thaumaturgy 
  1st level (4 slots): bless, detect magic, guiding bolt 
  2nd level (3 slots): hold person, spiritual weapon 
  (trident) 
  3rd level (3 slots): mass healing word, tongues 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The sahuagin makes two attacks: one with 
  her bite and one with her claws. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage. 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage. 
  Source: Monster Manual  
   
   
  Ida Barnaclebones (Sea Hag) 
  Medium fey, chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 52 (7d8 + 21) 
  Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
   
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 
  Languages Aquan, Common, Giant 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
  Amphibious. The hag can breathe air and water. 
  Horrific Appearance. Any humanoid that starts its turn 
  within 30 feet of the hag and can see the hag’s true 
  form must make a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw. On a 
  failed save, the creature is frightened for 1 minute. A 
  creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of 
  each of its turns, with disadvantage if the hag is within 
  line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If 
  a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect 
  ends for it, the creature is immune to the hag’s Horrific 
  Appearance for the next 24 hours. 
   Unless the target is surprised or the revelation of the 
  hag’s true form is sudden, the target can avert its eyes 
  and avoid making the initial saving throw. Until the 
  start of its next turn, a creature that averts its eyes has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls against the hag.  
  Actions 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage. 
  Death Glare. The hag targets one frightened creature 
  she can see within 30 feet of her. If the target can see 
  the hag, it must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving 
  throw against this magic or drop to 0 hit points. 
  Illusory Appearance. The hag covers herself and 
  anything she is wearing or carrying with a magical 
  illusion that makes her look like an ugly creature of her 
  general size and humanoid shape. The illusion ends if 
  the hag takes a bonus action to end it or if she dies. 
   The changes wrought by this effect fail to hold up to 
  physical inspection. For example, the hag could appear 
  to have no claws, but someone touching her hand 
  might feel the claws. Otherwise, a creature must take 
  an action to visually inspect the illusion and succeed on 
  a DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discern 
  that the hag is disguised. 
  Source: Monster Manual  
   
  
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  The following NPCs are featured prominently in this 
  adventure: 
   Artao (ar-TAY-o). Half-elf, half- earth genasi guide 
  from Jarko’tuta village. Only survivor of the last 
  attempt to visit Big Folk Island.  
   Chieftain Big Ear (Big Ear). Firbolg druid and 
  leader of the Big Folk.  
   Ida Barnaclebones (EYE-DA Barnacle-bones). Sea 
  hag with delusions of grandeur on a quest to found a 
  kingdom of evil seafolk. 
   Island of the Big Folk. Geothermal island home of 
  the Big Folk, now invaded by Ida Barnaclebones and 
  her sahaugin.  
   Jarko’tuta. Geothermal village of the Whanau, 
  tribal Half-elf, half- earth genasi stone carvers.  
   Osse’Tinne (Oss-eh-tin). Awakened Hunter Shark, 
  companion of Sharkfriend Who left. Speaks common. 
   Sharkfriend Who Left. Firbolg Druid that lives in 
  seclusion from the rest of the tribe. 
   Yska (yis-KA). Half-elf, half- earth genasi guide 
  from Jarko’tuta village. Currently in a coma, cursed by 
  Ida Barnaclebones.  
   
   
   
  
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  This section is designed to allow a DM to extend the 
  adventure to run over a longer time slot. Depending 
  on pace of play, using the content in this appendix 
  adds approximately 60 to 90 minutes to the 
  adventure.   
   Before beginning this section, make certain that 
  you have enough time available to complete this 
  encounter.  
  Incorporating this appendix is easy. Run the 
  encounter with the Firbolgs (Greetings of the 
  Forefathers) as is, but with one of the following 
  adjustments dependent on the characters’ result in 
  the social challenge: 
  • If the party succeeds on the Greeting of the 
  Forefathers social challenge, remove any mention 
  of the Firbolgs having sent scouts or those scouts 
  finding anything. Instead, after the long rest have 
  them tell the party that they have no idea what is 
  causing the strange shark behavior, but they know 
  someone that might.   They mention “Sharkfriend 
  Who Left, Daughter of Hunter Stonehand, 
  Granddaughter of Hunter Stonefoot, Great 
  Granddaughter of Hunter Stonetooth, chaser of 
  sharks, maker of rafts, knower of the sea.”    The Big 
  Folk refuse to say much about her, but give the 
  party directions and suggest seeking her out. 
  Characters with a Passive Insight of 12 or higher 
  receive the impression that there was some sort of 
  falling out that cause her to be separated from the 
  tribe. 
  • If the party fails on Greeting of the Forefathers, 
  remove any mention of the Cove or “proving 
  yourselves.”  Big Ear simply tells the party that 
  they can rest briefly on the shore and return home 
  (also that it is not safe to sleep).  Then, either 
  during their short rest on the beach or shortly 
  after, the characters hear a stick cracking and 
  discover Sharkfriend Who Left hiding in the 
  bushes, watching the party.  
   
  Estimated Duration: 60 minutes 
   Story Beat: The characters make a new ally, 
  rescue a friend, and get find the location of the true 
  evil on the island. 
  The snapping of a twig echoes from the bushes, followed by a 
  shuffle and a barely audible curse.   
   
  “I mean no harm,” offers a voice, followed by a large pink-
  skinned female emerging from the bushes.  
    Standing a good two heads taller than most humans, she 
  sports dirty red hair that has been tied into three topknots 
  and has a large fishing spear across her back. Both her pudgy 
  young face and her voice are marred by sadness as she 
  introduces herself.  
   
  “I am Sharkfrend Who Left, daughter of Hunter Stonehand, 
  granddaughter of Hunter Stonefoot, great granddaughter of 
  Hunter Stonetooth, chaser of sharks, maker of rafts, knower 
  of the sea." 
  This is a prompt for a character from the party to 
  introduce themselves, however, Sharkfriend is 
  distraught and not interested in hearing full 
  greetings from the rest of the party. She interrupts 
  whoever is speaking in order to plead her case if 
  they begin the Greeting of the Forefathers.  
   
  Tricks of the Trade - Timing 
  The timing of Sharkfriend’s interruption is entirely up to you. 
  Use your judgment based on how the Greeting of the 
  Forefathers challenge went – if players were not engaged, 
  there is no need to make them suffer more. If they liked it, 
  give one of them a chance to use their greeting in practice.  
  Sharkfriend either says that she’d overheard their 
  introductions or that she doesn’t care who they are.  Tailor 
  the response to your group.  
   
  Sharkfriend Who Left tells the party the following: 
  • Her shark companion Osse’Tinne has been missing 
  for several days and she is very worried. 
  • The previous day, she went out on her raft to look 
  for him, but it was attacked and destroyed by 
  some sharks. She had to kill one (an act that 
  clearly pains her) just to make it back to shore. 
  • The sharks’ behavior is extremely strange. They 
  typically do not attack anything other than fish 
  and doing something as meaningful and 
  
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  aggressive as ramming a raft (or a canoe!) is 
  entirely beyond their typical behavior. 
  • Sharkfriend believes that there is something on 
  the island affecting the sharks. In fact, she and 
  Osse’Tinne had been investigating, but had thus 
  far not found anything out of the ordinary. 
  • The reef where Osse’Tinne typically makes his 
  home is not far off shore, but her raft has been 
  destroyed and the players’ canoes are both not big 
  enough to carry her and too flimsy to survive the 
  reef. If the characters are willing, she hopes to 
  build a new raft and head out to the reef to look 
  for Osse’Tinne. In return she pledges to assist the 
  adventurers in looking for their missing half-elf. 
  Having a friendly shark would be an obvious 
  advantage as well. (DM Note: If the players failed 
  the Greetings of the Forefathers social challenge, 
  she also offers to provide them with safe shelter 
  for the night – a long rest.)  
  • If asked, Sharkfriend has no qualms about 
  explaining the Firbolgs penchant for disguising 
  themselves like elves. She even changes to one to 
  demonstrate (DM Note: Do this in in a sad way, 
  rather than playful, so as to maintain the somber 
  mood of her separation from the tribe).   They 
  view this as natural way to meet unknown 
  outsiders rather than as a deception. 
   
  Roleplaying Sharkfriend Who Left 
  Sharkfriend Who Left is relatively young female Firbolg (40ish 
  in Firbolg years, which is the equivalent of an early 20s 
  human). She left the tribe several years ago, for reasons she 
  does not discuss but it is obvious that the separation pains 
  her. She still interacts with the tribe, so there is no hostility, 
  but now she prefers solitude and independence.  
    She lives in a small hut near the shore of the Moonsea on 
  the opposite side of the island from where the characters 
  arrived. 
    She is a skilled huntress and fisher. From a young age, she 
  has been fascinated by sharks and had an uncanny gift for 
  befriending them. Once, while fishing, she inadvertently hit a 
  young shark with her spear. While her spear would kill most 
  young sharks outright, this particular one was tough and 
  survived. With care, she managed to nurse it back to full 
  health and awakened it in the process (her ability to do so is 
  part of reason for her separation from the tribe).  She called 
  the shark Osse’Tinne, meaning “harpoon-breaker” in Giant.  
  The shark has since grown up and remains her friend and 
  accompanies her whenever she ventures onto the Moonsea. 
    Sharkfriend is highly distraught that Osse’Tinne has recently 
  disappeared and is looking for help in finding him and 
  ensuring he’s not killed (including by the adventurers). 
   
  Sharkfriend leads the party to her hut, where they 
  find that she has already started the building 
  process. Most of the supplies are gathered and ready 
  for assembly.  The real reason Sharkfriend needs the 
  party is not because she is incapable, but because 
  time is of the essence and she is uncertain of what 
  she will face when she arrives at the reef. After their 
  encounter with sharks during the crossing, the party 
  should be fully aware of how dangerous the waters 
  around Big Folk Island have become.  
   The raft Sharkfriend is building looks pretty basic. 
  The party should be encouraged to come up with 
  suggestions for ways to reinforce the raft or create 
  defenses for it. This is entirely open to the players’ 
  imagination (and DM discretion).   Each party 
  member should be asked what they’d like to do to 
  help with the raft. At least 2 people need to be 
  helping Sharkfriend with general assembly, while 
  others can create defenses or reinforcements. 
  Players should be encouraged to use their 
  characters’ backgrounds, special skills or tool 
  proficiencies (if any).  
   Have each player attempt a roll using an 
  appropriate skill or tool proficiency as determined 
  by the DM. The DM should decide on the benefits of 
  any modifications. For example, attaching railings 
  
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  might give advantage on checks made to avoid 
  falling overboard.   
   Resolve success as follows: 
  • Result of 0-9: The idea doesn’t quite work, so 
  while the activity still helps with the overall 
  assembly, it offers no special advantage.  
  • Result of 10-14: Moderate success. You manage 
  to accomplish what you were attempting, but 
  aren’t sure just how well it’ll hold up. (Provides 
  advantage on related check or save). 
  • Result of 15+:  Great success. You manage to 
  accomplish what you were attempting and believe 
  it will help. (Provides advantage and +1 on related 
  check or save). 
   
  Once the raft is built, Sharkfriend insists on setting 
  out immediately. You are not going far off shore or 
  into deep water, so no stocking up is required. She 
  has a long sturdy oar that can be used to guide the 
  raft.  The raft is 20x20 in size and Sharkfriend 
  counts as a medium size creature despite her 
  larger size. The raft travels at the speed of 10-ft 
  per round and can go up to 15-ft if any extra 
  measures are taken to make it go faster.   
   
  Mist and steam intermix as you set off from the steamy shore 
  and across the shallows off the northern side of the island.  
  The going is slow and quiet as Sharkfriend methodically dips 
  her oar into the warm water and pushes the raft along. Do 
  more bloodthirsty sharks lurk in these waters or will your 
  new companion’s name ring true?  
  After an hour or so, the raft reaches the area of the 
  reef. This is evident by Sharkfriend becoming much 
  more careful with her large oar, which she explains 
  is done to avoid hurting the fragile reef as much as it 
  is to avoid beaching the raft. 
  As on your crossing over to the island, the mist makes it hard 
  to see more than a few raft lengths ahead. Your vessel wades 
  its way across the reef, slowly revealing more and more open 
  water.    
    Suddenly, there is a series of violent splashes from the mist 
  ahead. Sharkfriend’s gaze turns alarmingly to the water 
  below; water that begins to bleed a strange shade of purple. 
  Just then, the raft enters a clearing in the mist where a 
  massive creature flailing its tentacles wildly as several large 
  fins circle menacingly in the expulsed purple ink around it. 
     Sharkfriend looks up and points excitedly: “The scarred fin!  
  Osse’Tinne!” She calls out to her companion and the scarred 
  fin stops visibly in place and...speaks!   “Shaark..friieeend,” 
  comes a struggling deep voice from the water “yyoouu 
  mmmuust goo… I can..not…” the voice trails off as if 
  interrupted and his large scarred fin charges the octopus as 
  the other fins turn toward the raft. “Please,” pleads 
  Sharkfriend, “don’t hurt him.” 
  The encounter begins with several sharks (see 
  Adjusting the Encounter below), Osse’Tinne 
  (awakened hunter shark) and a giant octopus. All 
  of the creatures are 30 feet away from the Raft.  The 
  adventurers can see them coming, so in this case, all 
  sharks go last in initiative.  There is 1 sahuagin 
  hidden in the water, 50 feet away from the raft and 
  behind partial cover (reef).  Unless the party is very 
  weak, this sahuagin has 38 hit points.  
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  • For every level 1 character present, add 1 reef shark to the 
  encounter. 
  • For every level 2 characters present, add 2 reef sharks. 
  • For every level 3 characters present, add 1 hunter shark.  
  • For every level 4 characters present, add 1 hunter shark 
  and 1 reef shark 
   
  Tricks of the Trade - Tactics 
  • The sharks use the same ramming and recovery tactics 
  outlined in Part 2 of the adventure.  
  • The sahuagin is well hidden 10 feet under the water 
  (Passive Perception of 20 or higher to notice him) and all 
  non-awakened sharks are fully under his control. He 
  directs them to attack the adventurers and ignore the 
  octopus. Because Osse’Tinne is awakened, it takes the 
  sahuagin an action to command him.  Unless something is 
  done to prevent this or to force the sahuagin to defend 
  himself, he remains hidden and uses his action each round 
  to command Osse’Tinne to join the other sharks in 
  attacking the party. The DM is encouraged to use 
  Osse’Tinne to vocalize his struggles against that control.  
  • Unless the sahuagin’s control is broken, Sharkfriend is 
  distraught and spends the first two rounds trying to talk to 
  Osse’Tinne and get him to switch sides (unsuccessfully).  
  • The giant octopus is injured and starts with only 25 hit 
  points. It does not care about the adventurers, but tries to 
  grapple and kill one of the sharks. 
  • When Osse’tinne joins the other sharks in ramming the 
  raft, if the party has not yet figured out that they need to 
  save him, they can be given a clue that the constant 
  ramming is actually hurting the sharks. 
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
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  Osse’Tinne’s awakened sentience makes it harder 
  for the sahuagin to control him, yet he is still 
  compelled to obey. 
  • Any spell or ability that allows for control of 
  beasts is enough to permanently break the 
  sahuagin’s ability to command Osse’Tinne. At that 
  point Osse’Tinne immediately joins the party and 
  points out the sahuagin’s location.    
  • The calm emotions spell will also immediately 
  break the Sahuagin’s control (no save required for 
  Osse’Tinne).  
  • A player using their action and demonstrating 
  EXCEPTIONAL roleplaying may be able to get 
  Osse’Tinne to throw off the mental control 
  through persuasion The DM should set DC based 
  on quality of argument, references to first meeting 
  Sharkfriend, etc.… It is recommended that the DC 
  be 15-25 based on these criteria.   
  • If the players have no access to such abilities, 
  Sharkfriend casts animal friendship during the 
  third round of combat and then again if necessary. 
  • If it becomes necessary, use the Chieftain Big Ear 
  (Druid) stat block for Sharkfriend. Replace 
  Longstrider with Animal Friendship on her spell 
  list. 
  Consider the following various possibilities as the 
  encounter wraps up.  
   Flight of the Sahuagin: The sharks fight to their 
  deaths, but the sahuagin does not. If Osse’Tinne is 
  turned to the party’s side and the battle looks to be 
  lost to him, the sahuagin will attempt to flee. The raft 
  is not nearly fast enough to chase him, however, 
  Osse’Tinne is. He takes off and comes back having 
  killed the sahuagin. The sahuagin cannot be 
  captured unless the characters are capable of 
  underwater combat themselves. If captured, the sea 
  devil is one of Ida’s minions but refuses to speak any 
  details. He says only “death, she awaits you in the 
  cove of blue coral.”  
   Return of Osse’Tinne: Upon his return, Osse’Tinne 
  tells the party that he had discovered some kind of 
  presence within a seaside cove. He tasted rot and elf 
  blood in the water near there. As he was 
  approaching, he felt his mind invaded by the 
  sahuagin and had no choice but to obey as the sea 
  devil’s natural ability to control sharks. Osse’Tinne 
  gives the characters directions to the cove. 
   The Death of Osse’Tinne: If Osse’Tinne dies and 
  the sahuagin gets away, Sharkfriend discovers a blue 
  coral scratch on Osse’Tinne’s body, which serves as a 
  clue to the location of the hidden cove as it’s the only 
  place on the island where such coral is present. 
  While the party doesn’t know what evil awaits them, 
  at least they know where to go.  
   Sharkfriend’s Gratitude: Sharkfriend thanks the 
  characters profusely for saving her friend and 
  rewards them with a small sealed chest that she and 
  Osse’Tinne found in the sea. She also offers them a 
  safe place to rest at her hut if they are injured. She 
  recommends that the party go investigate the cove, 
  while she goes on their behalf to speak to the Big 
  Folk the danger to the island and of the party’s 
  bravery.   
  The chest Sharkfriend gives the party contains 500 
  silver coins and an intact scroll of protection from 
  evil and good in a watertight scroll tube.   
   
  Proceed to Part 4 after this is done. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
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  During the course of this adventure, the characters 
  may earn the following story award. If you are 
  printing these out for your characters, print as many 
  as you may need to ensure that any eligible character 
  receives a copy: 
  You have learned how to introduce yourself in a 
  formal and impressive way. During your future 
  encounters with members of tribal cultures of Big 
  Folk Island or the village of Jarko’tu’ta you may gain 
  advantage on social checks if you recite your Greeting 
  during introductions (DM discretion). 
   The greeting of the forefathers is simple and 
  consists of 7 parts: 
  • Part 1:  Name of character 
  • Part 2:  Name of father 
  • Part 3:  Name of grandfather 
  • Part 4:  Name of great grandfather 
  • Parts 5, 6, 7:  Life accomplishments 
   
  During the course of this adventure, the characters 
  may find the following permanent magic item: 
  Wondrous Item, uncommon 
  This small figurine is intricately carved in the shape 
  of a spouting geyser. It behaves as a decanter of 
  endless water.  
   This figurine sloshes when shaken, as if it contains 
  water. The decanter weighs 2 pounds. You can use an 
  action to speak one of three command words, 
  whereupon an amount of fresh water or salt water 
  (your choice) pours out of the flask. The water stops 
  pouring out at the start of your next turn. Choose 
  from the following options: 
  • "Stream" produces 1 gallon of water. 
  • "Fountain" produces 5 gallons of water. 
  • • "Geyser" produces 30 gallons of water that gushes 
  forth in a geyser 30 feet long and 1 foot wide. As a 
  bonus action while holding the decanter, you can 
  aim the geyser at a creature you can see within 30 
  feet of you. The target must succeed on a DC 13 
  Strength saving throw or take 1d4 bludgeoning 
  damage and fall prone. Instead of a creature, you 
  can target an object that isn't being worn or carried 
  and that weighs no more than 200 pounds. The 
  object is either knocked over or pushed up to 15 
  feet away from you. 
   
  This item can be found in the Dungeon Master’s 
  Guide. 
   
   
  
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/Convention Created Content/Cold Iron Conventions (CIC)/CCC-CIC-09 - Steamy Shores of Danger v2.pdf