TEXT: A Dungeons & Dragons Adventure
  The Amazing Aquarium at Dragonara Beach
  
  July 2017
  Written by: Sjoerd van Wijk
  Artwork front page: Retrieved July 16, 2017 from http://www.koehnjewelry.com/blog/2015/07/03/an-accidental-
  pearl/
  Playtesters: Friends, Netherlands Roleplaying Guild
  Map editor: Dungeonographer by Inkwell Ideas Ltd. (http://www.dungeonographer.com/)
  Typeset with LaTex using a template from evanbergeron (https://github.com/evanbergeron/DND-5e-LaTeX-Template)
  Dungeons & DragonsTM is a registered trademark of Wizards of the Coast with whom I am not afﬁliated. Use of the trademark and
  references to Wizards of the Coast products is for compatibility purposes only in accordance with the Fair Use trademark laws. All
  other text is released freely to the public domain.
  
  CONTENTS
  Introduction
  1
  Adventure Synopsis
  1
  The Aquarium
  2
  Locations on the ﬁrst level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  2
  Locations on the second level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  4
  Epilogue
  5
  Appendix
  6
  CONTENTS
  
  INTRODUCTION
  This adventure is intended for a party of three to ﬁve
  level two characters. It takes them on a dungeon crawl
  in search of treasure, meeting curious creatures along the
  way. It will take the players around three to four hours
  to complete the adventure.
  It can be easily adapted to any fantasy setting or game.
  Speciﬁc details are designed with the Dungeons & Drag-
  ons Fifth Edition rules in mind.
  ADVENTURE SYNOP-
  SIS
  A long time ago the wizard Nescio founded a small
  wizard’s academy near the town of Dragonara. It was
  called The Aquatic Society of Dragonara and had as its
  goal to research the sea and its denizens. Of main interest
  were the arcane phenomena pertaining to merfolk.
  At the Dragonara Beaches an impressive fortress
  was built where the Aquatic Society could conduct its
  research.
  Its impressive aquarium within was opened
  regularly to visitors, who came from all over the region
  to admire the wonders of the sea. Of particular fame was
  an oyster which held the Golden Pearl. It was said to
  come from a merfolk kingdom deep in the sea.
  Nescio grew obsessed with merfolk and their fabled
  kingdoms. He started to perform grotesque experiments
  to transform people into merfolk. Sadly, he turned mad,
  alienating all but his closest allies. The regular exhibi-
  tions ceased and his apprentices ﬂed away. Memories of
  the Aquatic Society faded. Rumors abound in Dragonara
  about the strange fortress at the beach, its dangers and
  treasures shrouded in mysteries.
  When the characters visit the fortress, they will dis-
  cover that Nescio’s madness has turned into a curse.
  Nescio is incessantly performing trivial experiments in
  his laboratory, aided by his loyal familiar Frogman. The
  only apprentice that sticked to him during his mental de-
  scent has been the victim of a failed experiment and lurks
  the aquarium as a mutated monstrous merfolk, guard-
  ing the Golden Pearl. The exhibition area still looks well-
  maintained thanks to The Handyman, a ﬂesh golem that
  serves as the janitor of the building.
  ADVENTURE HOOKS
  The characters can ﬁnd the fortress in a secluded part of
  the beaches near Dragonara. They can be drawn to the
  dungeon for any of the following reasons.
  TREASURE
  You have heard stories about a forgotten wizard’s
  academy called the Aquatic Society of Dragonara. It is
  said that within the walls of its fortress great riches can
  be found. You are eager to go explore and make a name
  for yourself!
  POTION OF WATER BREATHING
  The alchemist Domenico Abruzzo has enlisted your help
  to visit an old fortress near Dragonara said to be a forgot-
  ten wizard’s academy. He is looking for the Golden Pearl,
  a pearl originating from a mysterious merfolk kingdom
  which is purported to hold magical powers. His inten-
  tion is to use the pearl as an ingredient for a potion of wa-
  ter breathing. He will reward the adventurers 25 gp each
  if they bring him the Golden Pearl. Anything else found
  within the fortress is of no interest to him.
  DRAGONARA
  About 4 miles from the fortress lies the small town of
  Dragonara. It has around 1,500 residents and consists
  mostly of humans and halﬂings.
  Its main economic
  activity is ﬁshing.
  Signiﬁcant locations in Dragonara
  include the following:
  Town Hall. Dragonara is governed by Maestro Mas-
  troianni, a male human noble.
  Market Square. The main source of fresh supplies is
  the market square, where ﬁshermen peddle their daily
  catch.
  Harbor. At the harbor boats can be hired from ﬁsher-
  men.
  Michelangelo Merchandise. The main source of var-
  ious adventuring gear is Michelangelo Merchandise,
  owned and operated by Marcello Michelangelo, a male
  human merchant.
  Alchemist.
  The male human alchemist Domenico
  Abruzzo sells a potion of healing for 50 gp.
  The Mermaid’s Pearl. The local inn is owned by Ariel,
  a female halﬂing commoner.
  She serves seafood and
  wine. There are a few rooms available for rent.
  TOWN RUMORS
  Characters can learn the following information about the
  fortress if they spend some time in town and talk to the
  locals.
  1
  
  • A treasure called the Golden Pearl is rumored to be
  in the fortress. It is believed it holds magical proper-
  ties.
  • Every once in a while a brave soul tries to venture
  within. They always disappear without a trace.
  • It is said that a mad wizard lives inside its walls.
  • The mad wizard used the place to conduct crazy ex-
  periments.
  • A strange silent giant guards the place.
  THE AQUARIUM
  Following an old abandoned path to a secluded part of
  the Dragonara beaches a decently sized fortress appears
  at the seaside, the waves crashing against the quays out
  back.
  A withered sign above its large entrance door
  near the large tower shows that these ruins belong to
  The Aquatic Society of Dragonara. The small windows
  up high reveal darkness within.
  Entrance.
  The large stone double doors are easily
  opened into area 1.
  Windows. The windows are too small even for Small
  creatures to move through.
  However, at the back of
  the tower the stones surrounding one window have
  crumbled to create a space large enough for Medium
  creatures to enter the fortress.
  If the characters enter
  in this way, more stones will come down after the last
  character enters to block the exit.
  Alarm. If the characters enter the fortress through the
  windows, an alarm is triggered and a small hand bell will
  sound for 1 minute.
  WANDERING MONSTERS
  Every time the characters take a rest or an action that
  can attract attention (such as making a lot of noise),
  roll a d20 and refer to the following table.
  d20
  Monster
  1
  2 gray oozes lurking at the ceiling
  2
  2 rust monsters nibbling on some iron
  scraps
  3
  1d8 giant ﬁre beetles crawling past
  4
  Frogman (see area 8 at page 4) on the hunt
  for some beetles
  5-20
  No encounter
  LOCATIONS ON THE FIRST LEVEL
  The following locations are identiﬁed on map 1.
  map 1
  1. ENTRANCE HALL
  A faint salty odor comes at you as soon as you open
  the doors. At the back there is a statue of a merfolk
  holding a lyre. He looks exuberant and seems to juggle
  several gold pieces, frozen in mid air. A sign to the right
  reads start of the visit with an arrow pointing onwards,
  into a narrow hallway past a door holding a sign reading
  private.
  Floating Gold Pieces. The 6 gp are ﬂoating due to a
  gelatinous cube engulﬁng the statue.
  Statue. If the statue is not engulfed anymore, it will at
  repeated intervals welcome visitors by saying:
  Welcome all! Come and see the wondrous secrets the
  sea holds!
  Wooden Door. The door leading to area 5 is locked and
  can be opened with a successful DC 10 Dexterity check
  or forced with a successful DC 10 Strength check.
  2. GIFT SHOP
  Shattered racks are everywhere. Between the scant re-
  mains you see all sorts of ﬁgurines and withered books.
  A large desk stands at the southern wall, with a small
  safe on top. Near the same wall you spot two large vats.
  Figurines and Books.
  The ﬁgurines depict sea crea-
  tures and are made of decayed wood.
  The books can
  barely be deciphered but seem to contain colorful illus-
  trations of sea life.
  Safe. The safe is made of iron and looks rusty. It’s
  locked and can be opened with a successful DC 10 Dex-
  terity check. It has an Armor Class of 15 and 6 hit points.
  2
  THE AQUARIUM
  
  • Treasure. The safe contains 14 gp, 18 sp and 15 cp.
  Desk. In one of the drawers a key can be found that
  can be used to open or lock all wooden doors.
  Vats.
  Both vats feel heavy to move.
  A successful
  DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investiga-
  tion) check reveals the second vat to be remarkably free
  of dust.
  • Vat 1. Filled with hay. In it is a marble ﬁgurine of a
  seahorse.
  – Treasure.
  Throwing the ﬁgurine into the wa-
  ter while saying its command word horsey will
  cause it to transform into a seahorse as if ﬁnd
  familiar has been cast. This ability can be used
  only once.
  • Vat 2. Contains an ochre jelly.
  3. EXHIBIT TUNNEL
  As you walk in the tunnel and peer through the clear
  crystal glass, it feels as if you are many feet deep in the
  sea. Although a lot of signs talk about the colorful ﬂora
  and fauna, you are unable to see any. Instead festering
  seaweed and bleached coral abound.
  Suddenly some-
  thing shines amidst the darkness: a golden pearl, lying
  in the opened shells of an oyster. In the distance you
  see a dark looming ﬁgure coming closer.
  Crystal Glass.
  The glass is under an arcane lock,
  making the AC to break it 23. A piece of glass (10 ft. by
  10 ft.) has 50 hit points. If an attempt is made to break
  the glass, The Handyman from area 4 will come in to
  repair it.
  Looming Figure. The looming ﬁgure is the merrow liv-
  ing in the aquarium.
  4. EXHIBITION GALLERY
  The salty air disappears to make way for a rotten stench.
  A large ﬁgure made of various patches of human ﬂesh
  and ﬁsh skin is sweeping the ﬂoor with a broom. He
  wears a withered leather suit containing tools. The room
  is as tidy as it must have been in its heyday.
  In the
  midst stand several formaldehyde jars containing curious
  creatures, cross-breedings of humans and ﬁshes. And the
  western walls contain the ﬁrst glimpse of the aquarium,
  which can be explored further via the tunnel.
  Patched Figure.
  The ﬁgure is The Handyman, a
  ﬂesh golem that can cast mending at will. He is tasked
  with cleaning and repairments and will only attack if
  provoked.
  He wears a set of two keys, one of which
  looks slimy and green.
  Keys. The regular key can be used to open or lock all
  wooden doors. The slimy green key can be used to open
  the doors and chest described in area 11.
  Formaldehyde Jars. These ﬁve jars contain grossly mu-
  tated ﬁsh-human hybrid creatures.
  • Emergency. If the red button in area 12 is pushed, the
  creatures come alive and break free to attack intrud-
  ers. Use the statistics of kuo-toa without weapons
  and a bite attack that deals 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing dam-
  age.
  5. HALLWAY
  Near the start of a staircase you see a wet pool, formed
  by droplets falling from the ceiling.
  Wet Pool. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception)
  check reveals a patch of green slime hanging from the
  ceiling (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide page 105).
  6. LIBRARY
  When you enter this large round chamber with a pillar
  in the center, the smell of stuﬀy old books comes at
  you. Specks of dust circle in the stale air, shone upon
  by the small snippets of sunlight coming in through the
  windows up high. There are bookcases all around. Yet
  not all are ﬁlled to the brim with books, as if someone
  has taken a lot of books to his study, not to return them.
  Bookcases.
  When the bookcases are investigated, 4
  swarms of animated books (see the Appendix at page 6)
  will attack.
  Books. Searching through the books will reveal that
  a lot of experiments have been held in the building to
  create new lifeforms modeled after merfolks. The pride
  of the place was the Golden Pearl, said to come from a
  merfolk kingdom.
  • History.
  A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana
  or History) check reveals that the place was run by
  a wizard named Nescio, who led the experiments.
  With a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check
  one can discern from the records that he is cursed by
  his thirst for knowledge.
  • Arcana.
  A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana)
  check reveals that the Golden Pearl has magical
  LOCATIONS ON THE FIRST LEVEL
  3
  
  properties and can be used as an ingredient for a po-
  tion of water breathing.
  Treasure. A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investiga-
  tion or Arcana) check reveals a spell scroll of false life.
  LOCATIONS ON THE SECOND LEVEL
  The following locations are identiﬁed on map 2.
  map 2
  7. HALLWAY
  This small hallway contains two doors, one of which is a
  double door made of metal. The other is a regular door
  made of wood.
  Nothing of note can be found in this hallway.
  8. DINING HALL
  A thin layer of smoke permeates the room. Someone
  is cooking.
  In the middle stands a large round table
  that looks in disrepair. The walls are covered all around
  with shelves containing pots and urns in various sizes.
  There is even a wine rack, with cobwebs concealing a
  few remaining bottles.
  Cook. The person cooking is Frogman, a giant frog
  with human arms and legs. He can understand Common
  and Elvish, although he cannot speak. He is the familiar
  of Nescio and will lead friendly adventurers to him in
  area 12.
  Shelves. The pots and urns contain various types of
  food. Most contents have turned stale. An old cleaning
  schedule hanging at one case stipulates that the gallery
  and aquarium are exempt and are the sole responsibility
  of The Handyman, who should not be disturbed in his
  work.
  Wine Rack. Between a few old bottles of red wine a
  curiously clean bottle of Prosecco di Mago can be found.
  It contains 10 glasses of prosecco, that behave as if being
  cast by goodberry.
  9. HALLWAY
  This arched hallway leads to two other doors. In the
  corner is a small basin from which a faint red glow em-
  anates.
  Basin.
  The basin contains a clear liquid and seems
  to hold a red ruby at the bottom. A successful DC 15
  Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that it actually is a
  reﬂection from a red banded agate (worth 10 gp) at the
  ceiling.
  Liquid. The liquid is acidic. A creature coming into
  contact with it will receive 1d6 acid damage.
  Wooden Door. The door leading to area 10 is locked
  and can be opened with a successful DC 10 Dexterity
  check or forced with a successful DC 10 Strength check.
  10. APPRENTICE BEDROOM
  A damp, dank air permeates this cramped bedroom.
  One bed has withstood the test of time. A small wooden
  chest lies in a far corner amidst the rubble.
  Chest. The chest is made of rotten wood and can be
  smashed easily.
  • Treasure. The chest contains a few personal belong-
  ings of a former apprentice: a dagger, 7 gp, 10 sp, 1
  opaque pink light rhodochrosite (worth 10 gp) and a
  diary.
  Diary. The diary is written by an enthusiastic appren-
  tice. The latest entry tells how honored he feels to be the
  subject of the next experiment by Nescio, who promised
  him the ability to breathe under water like merfolk. He is
  dismissive of the skeptics who have ﬂed the premises in
  the week before and praises Nescio’s boundless curiosity.
  11. NESCIO’S BEDROOM
  As you breathe the air in here you can taste the salt. Two
  doors have locks that emanate a faint green glimmer.
  Not much has remained save for a small chest giving oﬀ
  the same glow. At the center of the room various metal
  scraps lie on the ﬂoor.
  Metal Scraps.
  Above the scraps a gelatinous cube
  hangs from the ceiling and will come down when some-
  one steps underneath it.
  Locks. All green locks, including the chest, are under
  an arcane lock, making the DC to open 25.
  4
  THE AQUARIUM
  
  Chest.
  On top of the chest lies a diary.
  The chest
  contains 2 opaque black obsidians (worth 10 gp each), 2
  opaque gray-black hematites (worth 10 gp each), and a
  spell scroll of thunderwave.
  Diary. The diary is written by Nescio. Its handwriting
  becomes more erratic towards the end, until at a certain
  point it merely repeats the word ’knowledge’.
  12. LABORATORY
  Thin layers of mist are everywhere. Liquids of all kinds
  of colors are bubbling inside variously shaped glasswares.
  Heaps of books are scattered around the tables and
  on the ﬂoors in erratic fashion.
  At the sides several
  formaldehyde jars can be discerned, holding what can
  best be described as grotesque cross-breedings of hu-
  mans and ﬁshes. And in between all this arcane chaos a
  hooded ﬁgure wearing a black robe is running around
  frantically, screaming: “Knowledge!
  Hahaa!
  Experi-
  ments! Experiments!”
  Hooded Figure. The hooded ﬁgure is Nescio, a nothic.
  If asked, he can tell about the threats in the aquarium,
  which he regards as a nuisance. If he believes the adven-
  turers will help him, he will give them a potion of heal-
  ing. However, he does not desire to part with the Golden
  Pearl.
  • Background. Nescio is the mage who once led the
  Aquatic Society of Dragonara. His obsessive desire
  to know everything about merfolk and the Golden
  Pearl made him go mad. He became accursed. His
  only desire is to ﬁnd ever more knowledge and keep
  doing experiments. He is unable to speak whole sen-
  tences.
  Formaldehyde Jars. These six jars contain grossly mu-
  tated ﬁsh-human hybrid creatures.
  • Emergency. If Nescio pushes the red button, the crea-
  tures come alive and break free to attack intruders.
  Use the statistics of kuo-toa without weapons and a
  bite attack that deals 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.
  Green Key. Nescio holds a slimy green key that can be
  used to open the chest and doors in area 11.
  Red Button. If Nescio feels threatened, he will push a
  red button near him on the table. This will trigger the
  formaldehyde jars here and in area 4.
  13. AQUARIUM
  Doors open to reveal the top of the aquarium. The stale
  sea air ﬁlls your lungs.
  All around the aquarium is a
  small pathway. Looking into the water, you can clearly
  see the Golden Pearl lying in its oyster between patches
  of overgrown seaweed. Yet the stillness of the water is
  overruled by loud buzzing all around the docks.
  Buzzing. The buzzing is caused by a swarm of wasps
  (see the variant sidebar on insect swarms at page 338 of
  the Monster Manual).
  Aquarium. The aquarium is 30 ft. deep. The seaweed
  makes the area lightly obscured if swimming around in
  it. A merrow will attack anyone on sight.
  • Background. The merrow is the unfortunate result of
  an experiment involving the apprentice whose diary
  can be found in area 10.
  The Golden Pearl. The Golden Pearl is worth 250 gp.
  It can be used to create a potion of water breathing per the
  rules of crafting a magic item as described at page 128 of
  the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
  EPILOGUE
  If the characters have explored the dungeon and ob-
  tained the Golden Pearl, the adventure has ended.
  It
  can provide the seeds for a next adventure with the
  following hooks.
  Nescio’s Revenge. If the characters did not kill Nescio,
  he can come after them in order to retrieve the Golden
  Pearl, which is dear to him.
  The Merfolk Kingdom. The Golden Pearl could be the
  start of a quest to ﬁnd the merfolk kingdom from which
  it originates. If the Potion of Water Breathing hook was
  used, a potential ally in the search is Domenico Abruzzo.
  Information pertaining to the location could be planted
  in the library or told in conversation by Nescio.
  5
  
  APPENDIX
  SWARM OF ANIMATED BOOKS
  The animated books were crafted by Nescio to guard the
  library against intruders.
  Constructed Nature.
  A swarm of animated books
  doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
  SWARM OF ANIMATED BOOKS
  Medium swarm of Tiny constructs, unaligned
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 21 (6d6)
  Speed 0 ft., ﬂy 50 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1)
  15 (+2)
  11 (+0)
  1 (-5)
  5 (-3)
  1 (-5)
  Saving Throws Dex +4
  Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened,
  frightened, paralyzed, petriﬁed, poisoned
  Senses blindsight 60 ft.
  (blind beyond this radius),
  passive Perception 7
  Languages -
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
  Antimagic Susceptibility. The books are incapacitated
  while in the area of an antimagic ﬁeld. If targeted by
  dispel magic, the books must succeed on a Constitution
  saving throw against the caster’s spell save DC or fall
  unconscious for 1 minute.
  False Appearance. While the books remain motionless
  and aren’t ﬂying, they are indistinguishable from normal
  books.
  Swam. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space
  and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any
  opening large enough for a book. The swarm can’t regain
  hit points or gain temporary hit points.
  ACTIONS
  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 0 ft., one
  creature in the swarm’s space. Hit: 5 (2d4) bludgeoning
  damage, or 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage if the swarm
  has half of its hit points or fewer.
  6
  APPENDIX
  
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