Hoard of the Sea Wolf King

1. BANDIT CAVE

A group of sullen people with sand-caked leather armor and salt- crusted hair crouch over a sputtering campfire. Their notched blades rest close at hand. A river splits the drafty cave in two.

• People. Six outcast bandits. They're cold, hungry, and irritable.

▶Kayla (eye patch, suspicious), Hrovin (muscled, dim), Ygrid (scarred, quiet), Ivor (young, petulant), Magorth (short, sarcastic).

▶Their leader, Thurgston Rayne (missing front teeth, cowardly, skinny), is newly minted after their last leader never returned from scouting the caves. The new policy is "no exploring."

▶They let the PCs pass for a fee of 5 gp. The fee increases if the PCs look rich. The bandits try to steal unguarded boats.

2. BANDIT STORE ROOM

Water-stained barrels and boxes are shoved against the cave walls.

• Barrels and Boxes. Six total. Each PC can loot one per round.

▶Contents (1d6). 1. Two torches. 2. A rusty suit of chainmail. 3. A 60' rope and grappling hook. 4. A shortbow and 20 arrows. 5. An old longsword. 6. A bag of 10 iron spikes and a bag of caltrops.

• Noise. Bandits (Area 1) have a 3:6 chance of hearing normal noise.

3. HALL OF DEEDS

Tiny runes are carved into every inch of the walls, floor to ceiling. A pile of broken wood and rubbish blocks the eastern door.

• Runes. Thousands of perfectly chiseled, inch-high runes tell the

stories of King Skorgald's many triumphs (the sacking of Lysfinn, allying with King Brog Under the Mountain, wielding the Axe of Nine Eyes, slaying the drake Igald, defeating Hothor the Liar).

• Barricaded Door. The bandits (Area 1) barricaded the door with

trash on the Area 3 side. DC 15 STR to open.

4. FELLED STATUE

A shattered pile of sculpted stone covers the floor of a broad alcove.

• Stone. A fallen statue of a regal nord man (King Skorgald). A rusty,

20' chain lies in the debris. Old graffiti scratched into the alcove wall reads: "A greedy miser who left nothing to his sons!"

▶Treasure. A silvered shortsword is buried in the rubble (20 gp). Its blade is black and tarnished, but sharp.

• Sound. For those who listen carefully, faint, intermittent buzzing

and flapping echoes from the east (stingbats in Area 5).

5. STINGBAT CAVE

Tarry, black mud splatters the ground. The occasional leathery rustle emanates from the shadowy ceiling.

• Stingbats. Four red, dog-sized stingbats with long nose beaks

roost upside-down along the ceiling. Light disturbs them, but they remain asleep if left in darkness.

• Mud. Coppery-smelling stingbat guano. PCs moving at more

than half speed must pass a DC 12 DEX check or slip and fall.

6. TROLL NEST

Cracked bones and crab shells litter the sparkling shore of this cave. To the west, a reverberating snore rises and falls.

• Troll. A troll sleeps in the west cave. Cumulative 1:6 chance each

round that he catches the scent of PCs in the area and wakes up.

▶Ruggamort. Drowsy, covered in boils, shuffling gate. Gets angry if woken up, but can be appeased with interesting food. Has heard human finger bones are delicious.

• Trash. The glint of gold winks among the refuse scattered along

the shore. PCs can pick out 1d4 gp per round (30 gp total).

• Sound. For those who listen carefully, faint, intermittent buzzing

and flapping echoes from the north (stingbats in Area 5).

7. CRYSTAL MINE

Fingerlike cave passages branch off in wandering directions.

• Passages. Hewn stone. Apple-sized, purple crystals poke out of

the rock (6 total, 10 gp each). DC 15 STR to pull one free.

▶Unstable. Pulling a crystal free has cumulative 1:6 chance of causing a small collapse. DC 12 DEX or 1d6 damage from rubble.

8. DVERG ABODE

A diminutive man in a pointed, red cap bustles around a cozy abode. An iron pot bubbles over a fire in the corner, and a pickaxe lies against a chest at the foot of a child-sized bed.

• Man. A dverg who has lived here for 80 years named Adagar

(bubbly, distracted, hurried). Turns into a mouse and flees if the PCs threaten him. Shares savory mushroom stew with kind folk.

• Gear. Freely gifts up to 3 items: 3 purple crystals (10 gp each),

handaxe, 60' rope, blue-painted round shield, torch, flask of oil.

9. FUNGI GARDEN

A wash of colorful mushrooms creates a bumpy carpet over the back half of the cave floor. The air smells wet and loamy.

• Mushrooms. The four strains present in equal amounts are:

▶1. Bindlesnap. Pointed red cap, snaps crisply when plucked. Poisonous to humans (though not dverg or dwarves). DC 12 CON or 1d4 damage.

▶2. Morgamotta. Flat and purple top with a thin sheen. Edible. Strange effect of greatly amplifying sound when placed in ears.

▶3. Gamstrung. Pearly bubbles of white growth. Contact with uncooked cap causes intense itching. DC 12 WIS or drop everything to scratch feverishly for 1d4 rounds.

▶4. Ungolar. Rich black with dusty pollen that leaves inky stains. Harmless to eat, but teeth turn black for 1 hour.

10. NORD GUARDS

Four humans with knotted hair and red-painted round shields sit around the cavern, gnawing on dried meat and laughing heartily.

• Humans. Four loyal nords from Garatha's retinue (Area 11). They

are alert for intruders (DC 15 to escape their notice).

▶Arne (piercing eyes, jokester), Gorm (face scar, bear-like), Erik (lithe, chatty), Ulf (young, false confidence).

11. GARATHA'S CAMP

Four wolfish humans with red shields nod as a young woman with black hair and a winged helm draws a diagram on the sandy floor.

• Woman. Garatha, a berserker shield maiden. Steely, young,

confident. She is Skorgald's only living heir and believes his hoard is hers by right. She's here to find and claim it.

▶Drawing. A map showing a river exiting out of a cave to the south. There's an X over the cave and "TROLL" in big letters.

• Humans. Garatha's most trusted and capable nord warriors.

▶Harl (rune tattoos, imposing), Torm (gray beard, fatherly), Stenhilde (red hair, aggressive), Ogden (muscled, charismatic).

12. RIVER LANDING

A rowboat with red drakes painted on the sides rests along the sandy shore of a gurgling river.

• Rowboat. Garatha's rowboat. Inside are four bundles of supplies:

2 great axes, 2 round shields, 20 arrows, 1 shortbow, and 12 rations.

• River. Goes deeper into the caves (collapsed further up tunnel if

GM does not want exploration to continue past this point).

▶Sea Nymph. A sea nymph named Ryleen from Area 13 spies from under the river's surface. Garatha's warriors killed her sister, Mireen, and she longs for revenge. She flees to her allies in Area 13 if in danger.

13. SEA NYMPH DEN

Woven nests of dry, black seaweed line the walls. Puddles of water pool around sunken areas in the floor tiles.

• Sea Nymphs. 3:6 chance there are three sea nymphs here. If not,

cumulative 1:6 chance each round they return.

▶Sashir (eldest, cautious), Pareem (thin, inquisitive), Manit (stern, regal).

▶They offer a jelly orb (edible slime ball, breathe underwater for 1 hour) to creatures who impress them with skilled music.

• Puddles. One of the puddles in the northwest of the room is

shinier than the rest. It's a gray ooze.

• Nests. Three, large enough to hold a person. Buried within each is

an iridescent pearl (40 gp each).

14. SHRINE OF THOR

At the rear of the room, a statue of a grim warrior raises a hammer over his head. A woven cloak of seaweed drapes over his shoulders.

• Statue of Thor. The sea nymphs (Area 13) wove the statue's cloak

as an offering (it's a Cloak of Elvenkind). Taking it provokes a lighting bolt from Thor's hammer (DC 12 DEX or 2d6 damage).

15. FLOTSAM CAVE

Towering piles of driftwood, rubble, and shredded cloth fill the southeast cave all the way up to the ceiling.

• Piles. Precariously stacked debris. Each time a PCs touches it, DC

12 DEX or 2d6 damage as they're crushed under a collapse.

▶Treasure. Each time a PC digs through the debris, they pull out one of the following (1d10): 1. A hungry giant leech, 2. Rusty dagger, 3. Salt-crusted leather armor, 4. Bent grappling hook, 5. Flint and steel, 6. Splintering 10' pole, 7. Chipped longsword, 8. Scarred shield, 9. Damp torch (30 min.), 10. Potion of Healing.

16. DECAYED DOCKS

A broad cave slopes gently down toward a sloshing, midnight-blue lake. The splintered remains of ancient docks jut from the water.

• Lake. Hundreds of stinging, purple jellyfish seethe just below

the lake's surface. A non-aquatic creature in the water has a cumulative 1:6 chance per round of encountering 1d20 jellyfish.

• Docks. Pillars of rotting, bleached wood. A thin, silvery chain is

tangled around one just above the water line. The ram-headed Ring of Ramlaat hangs from it.

17. SKORGALD'S GRAVE

A sleek, black rowboat rests at the center of a craggy island. The glint of gold and other shapes lurk inside its high, curved sides.

• Rowboat. A skeleton in a ragged, gray tunic rests on top of a

bed of 500 gp that fills the boat up to knee-height. The skeleton clutches a gray-steel greataxe over its chest.

▶Skeleton. The skeleton of a young man (Skorgald's youngest and favored son, Mordeme).

▶Dozens of minuscule holes are bored into the rowboat beneath the coins (it sinks in 1d4 rounds if placed on open water).

• Skorgald. Now a draugr (pg. 45). He hides inside the rocky

island. At noise, he rises from the stone, bringing an icy cold.

▶Blue-black, rotting skin. Tall, severe, wears iron crown. Carries the Axe of Nine Eyes. Frost cracks around where he stands.

▷Axe of Nine Eyes. A silvery, +1 greataxe with nine open eyes engraved on its blade. Its wielder can learn the True Name of up to 9 creatures total. An eye closes each time this is used.

▶Skorgald whispers for vengeance on his descendants (his other sons killed Mordeme in jealousy). He gives the Axe of Nine Eyes to the one who brings him the head of his last descendant (Garatha, Area 11). He attacks those who refuse his commands.

18. HALL OF FEASTING

Pitted, wooden tables stretch the length of this spacious hall. A bedraggled man sits alone at a seat, eating merrily from one of the many silver plates piled with smoking meats and savory vegetables.

• Man. Bernark, the former leader of the bandits (Area 1). Glazed

eyes, black beard, hollow cheeks (subject to the curse below). He has been here 4 days and is nearly dead of dehydration.

• Curse. PCs must pass a DC 18 WIS check to determine the food is

an illusion. Eating the false food causes a creature to be lost in a reverie of glorious feasting for 2d4 days.

• Plates. 50 hefty silver plates embossed with wolves. 2 gp each.

19. LONGBOAT HOLD

A black, creaking longboat fills this vast chamber, nearly touching the ceiling. The scent of cut wood and seawater rolls off of it.

• Longboat. 10' wide, 50' long. Rests on six wooden stands. Red-

and-black striped sail. The figurehead is a rearing, fanged dragon.

▶Inside. A figure draped in white linen lies on a bier. Beneath is a mummified corpse of a woman with long, white hair. She clutches a gold-shod stave (40 gp) in one hand and has a 20 gp ring set with a pearl, crystal, or ruby chip on each finger.

▷Each time treasure is taken from her, 1:6 cumulative chance she rises as a ghost for 2d4 rounds before resettling.

20. NARROW BEACH

A blue-skinned humanoid draped in black seaweed lies face-down on the rocky shore, halfway out of the lapping water.

• Humanoid. Mireen, a sea nymph killed by the nords in Area 11.

Treat as sea nymph with zombie's Undead and Relentless talents. She grabs anyone who comes close and tries to drown them.

▶Only the sight of her sister, Ryleen (Area 12) stops her attack.

21. HIDDEN HOARD

Heaps of gold and silver coins cover the floor from wall to wall. Art objects and relics rest amid of the piles of riches.

• Secret Door. Careful inspection of the wall in Area 20 reveals it.

Door only opens at the touch of the Wand of Wisdom (Area 25).

▶Runes. Dwarvish. Subtly carved, visible on close examination. Reads: "Wisdom is the key that opens the way."

• Treasure. 500 gp, 500 sp, 2 golden goblets set with sapphires

(50 gp each), a silk-and-gold tapestry of armored St. Terragnis looking skyward (100 gp), 6 bejeweled holy symbols of the Four Lords (15 gp each), two tomes with lavish ink drawings that each contain one spell scroll (protection from evil, light).

22. STUCK RAFT

A swiftly running river cuts across the cave. It flows around a half- submerged, triangular shape jutting high out of the water.

• Shape. A stuck and capsized raft with a corner poking out. DC 20

STR to pull it free. Holds five people. Floats east if unmoored.

23. HALL OF THE HONORED

Along the west wall, deep carvings of life-sized warriors in armor and helms stand out in high relief. A mound of shattered oars, boxes, and refuse are piled up against the east door.

• Carvings. Seven total. Six lift an empty sword hand, creating a

torch sconce (three hold a torch). They surround the seventh, a woman in flowing robes who cups a pool of water in her palms.

▶Torches. Ancient, damp. They burn for 30 minutes each.

▶Water. Holy water (does 1d8 damage to undead on contact). Enough to fill one vial. Slowly refills over the course of an hour.

• Barricaded Door. The bandits (Area 1) barricaded the door with

trash on the Area 23 side. DC 15 STR to open.

24. SEA WOLF TOMB

A stone coffin lies in each alcove. The lids are carved with life-sized warriors in helms and chainmail, arms crossed over their chests.

• Coffins. Six total. The heavy lids pull off with a puff of dust.

▶Inside. A grinning skeleton in chainmail holding a greataxe and a round shield. A gold coin covers each eye socket. Removing or knocking the coins loose causes the bones to animate as a hostile skeleton (AC 15, 1d8 greataxe damage, no shortbow).

▷If coins are returned, skeleton goes back to coffin, replaces coins over eyes, and falls back into slumber.

• Secret Door. A hidden, sliding panel in the back of the northern,

central alcove leads to Area 25.

25. SEER'S TOMB

A stone statue of a life-sized, robed woman stands over a coffin at the back of the chamber. She holds a golden wand in one hand.

• Statue. PCs versed in history recognize this as Agatha, a

legendary seer who served King Skorgald.

▶Wand of Wisdom. A gnarled stick dipped in gold with the word "wisdom" etched on it in runes. Seers can wield it. Contains the seer spell trance. Its touch opens the secret door to Area 21.

• Coffin. Inside is a body of a pale-haired woman wrapped in white

linen. A blessing from Freya has kept Agatha from decaying.

26. HALL OF PILLARS

Four carved pillars stand in a broad hall. The distant slosh of water echoes down the hallway to the east.

• Pillars. Relief carvings depict dozens of short, bearded men

hammering stone while standing on each other's shoulders.

• Door. Runes say "Here Rest the Sons of Skorgald." "Sons" is

scratched out and the word "betrayers" gouged above it.

27. TOMB OF THE SONS

A stone coffin rests in each alcove. A likeness of a man is carved into each lid, the details obscured by a heavy cotton of spiderwebs.

• Spiderwebs. A giant spider hangs on a thread in the darkness

above the northernmost coffin. It silently ambushes victims.

• Coffins. Five. The faces of the men on the lids are smashed and

marred beyond recognition. The heavy lids pull off.

▶Inside. In each, a skeleton laid face-down with its head removed (nords recognize this as the most dishonorable burial).

▷A secret compartment in one holds a gold signet ring of Skorgald's crest, a rearing drake (40 gp).

28. SACRIFICE CHAMBER

A heavy, stained altar of gray stone fills a niche in the west wall.

• Altar. Carved with owls, wolves, and ravens locked in combat. A

deep bowl carved into the center. Old blood stains fill it.

▶A person who pours the blood of a living creature into the altar's bowl can pray before one mural in Area 29 for a boon.

29. MURALS OF THE GODS

Three alcoves each have a vibrant mural of a figure towering over a landscape. The images are bright and clear, as if just painted.

• Murals. Depict three Old Gods: Freya (east), Odin (center), and

Loki (west). Making a blood sacrifice on the altar in Area 28 and praying before a god's mural grants a boon (once per character).

▶Freya. A radiant shieldmaiden with white owl wings. She towers high over a sunlit field of war and slaughter. +1 WIS or INT.

▶Odin. An old, one-eyed warrior looks down from the sky onto a stormy sea. Two ravens rest on his shoulders. +1 STR or CON.

▶Loki. A gaunt, wolflike man howls before a harvest moon in the night sky. Hundreds of wolves join him. +1 DEX or CHA. Join The Dark

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Sea Caves and Tombs In/Out Bandit G. Spider S B Skeletons In/Out Bandits One square = 5' Jellyfish Sea Nymph S B Rivers = 15' deep Lakes = 40' deep

Draugr Jellyfish Stingbats Troll In/Out Barricaded (DC 15 STR) B N Grey Ooze Sea Nymphs Sea Nymph

1111

Nords Berserker Nords Dverg Secret door (found on close inspection) S