The Pharaoh Fish

Gleaming rocky “isle” (God Carp’s back, centre of lake, 300’ long and 30’ tall). Bronze surface (harder than rock). Row of spires (centre of isle, sharp, a tattered sail).

• Examine spires: Thrum with divine energy. Touch: Cast cleric spells as 1 level higher for 1 day. Damage: Earthquake strikes island (fish moves), roll challenge.
• Stuck sail: Synthetic silk (75gp), name: Torbin’s Dream.

Initial Exploration

It takes only 1 watch to fully explore this region.

Immense Windows

Two half-submerged disks (God Carp’s eyes, 50’ across, opposite sides of island).

• Touch disk: Hard as adamant. Island quivers and a great eye refocuses from some inner turmoil. The God Fish’s telepathic voice rakes across the PCs’ mind, “What’s this, then?” See Dealing With the Fish. Save vs paralysis or stunned 1 round. Path by water to 1 watch by raft, 6 turns by boat. Roll 1d12 to determine where the party lands (12 marks the shoreline they had first arrived at).

Turbulent Waters

Foaming waves (six 300’ barbels stir the water). Gargantuan mouth (100’ across, barely visible, sucking in fish, plankton, and wisps). Buoy (bobbing).

• Get the buoy: Actually a lodged surfboard, tied tightly to a barbel at the mouth’s corner.
• Sensitive barbels: alert the God Carp if PCs walk on them or enter the water nearby. The Fish addresses the PCs telepathically. See Dealing With the Fish.

Regional Challenges

6. Shifting ground: The island shifts 5’. Water swamps boats on short lines. DEX check or tumble 20’ on the rocky slopes (1d4 damage). 7. Mind-scream: A rippling wave of intense frustration washes over the entire island (party affected by confusion). 8. Wisp vortex: A luminous galaxy of wisps attracted by the God Carp’s frustration lights up the island. After 1 turn, it attracts 1d10+2 giant bats. 9. Hungry parasites: A wave of 3d6 giant fish lice (as giant crabs). Iridescent carapaces worth 100gp each.

Collapse

1. The God Carp sinks. A telepathic bellow wishes, “good speed, little janitors!” Wisps zip around with wild abandon. Lightning flashes, discharging across the cavern. +d6 to collapse checks. 2. Lightning begins to strike the waters where the fish sank. Every 2 turns, a random PC must save vs breath or be struck by a bolt of inter-dimensional lightning for 5d6 damage. +d6 to collapse checks. 3. The lightning creates a bridge of energy and pulls the ceiling of the cavern down into the deep waters. It is shut. The fish has left the mortal plane.

Dealing with the Fish

The fish does not care about why it exists or where. It does not care about time’s passage or the little creatures that sometimes visit. But now it needs some assistance, so when it notices the PCs, it decides they are supplicants come to help.

How the Fish Talks

Aloof, wise, self-centred, ready to assume, quick to forget. It ‘speaks’ telepathically, its voice so loud it is painful (1hp damage per watch).

• If PCs are human or demihuman: “Monkeys! Was frogs last time.”
• If PCs have spears or swords: “Ah, cleaners. Toothpicks, good. Good.”

What the Fish Wants

It feels something stuck in the back of its mouth (actually in the gills). This annoyance is making it twitchy (hence the earthquakes). It wants the party to dislodge the offending particle—like worshipful plovers in a crocodile’s maw. “Do not worry. I will not eat you. I could. But I will not. Go in! Clean!” The mouth then opens wide, rising above the waters, sucking in nearby vessels (STR check to paddle aside desperately).

Fighting the Fish

The God Carp is nearly a mile long and a deity. If the PCs attack, it can swallow them, crush them with its tentacles, drown them with its bulk, or even use its great will to make their brains run out of their ears. Every round, one random PC must save vs death or perish. However, it only pursues one creature at a time and there is a 25% chance after every round it gives up on chasing its target. Too much hassle.