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Mermaid Rescue

An evil sorcerer has kidnapped the mermaid king’s daughter, and stolen a powerful amulet that threatens to destroy the whole realm.

The Situation

As you’re enjoying a nice breakfast down by the harbor, a massive geyser of water erupts a hundred feet into the air.

A powerful sorcerer surrounded by an arcane bubble rises to the surface, holding a mermaid captive. Her necklace, the legendary Conch of Calling, glitters as it catches the sun. With a wave of the sorcerer’s hand, a swirly portal of bluish-purple light opens up near the shore. As the pair zip through it, it snaps closed behind them with a loud boom.

A moment later, Triton, the king of the mermaids, rises to the surface. He locks eyes with you and shouts:

“My daughter has been kidnapped. If she’s not rescued, your entire world is in grave danger.”

Then he disappears beneath the waves without another word. It’s up to you to rescue her… before it’s too late.

Questions

  • What legends have you heard about Conch of Calling? What does it allegedly do?
  • Who is the sorcerer, and where did he come from?
  • You’ve heard rumors that a powerful group of wizards has been gathering. Where are they rumored to meetup?
  • What do you know about the merpeople?
  • What other magical creatures live in the area?

Locations

The Castle of the North. The giant Castle of the North towers above you. Thankfully, the drawbridge is down. You cross it, and enter the castle courtyard. Knights and townspeople scurry about, busy with the day’s tasks.
  • Locations
    • The Shop Cart. You approach the shop owner, who waves her hands over her numerous wares with a flourish. “See anything of interest,” she asks?
    • The Planning Room. You walk through the door into the first room on the right. There’s a table and chairs, and some maps on the wall. Clearly, this is a meeting space of some sort. The space is otherwise empty.
    • The Supply Closet. There are some brooms and mops leaning against the wall in one corner, and a handful of buckets in another. A sink with water is against the wall between them.
    • The Pantry. You look around and see nothing but food. The whole is stacked floor to ceiling with bread, cured meats, and dried fruits.
    • The Vault. As soon as the door opens, you hear the clinking of coins. Against he back wall is a table. Seated at it is a tiny goblin, with tall pointed ears and a hunch in his back, counting a massive pile of gold coins and noting them in a small journal. On either side are tall shelves stacked high with coins, jewels, and other objects of value.
    • The Tower. The moment you enter the tower, you sense that something is amiss. A dark, magical aura fills the first floor. The tower is filled with traps, monsters, and, on the top floor, either the wizard himself or evidence that he was here.
    • The Dungeon. You open the door and peer into it. A narrow winding staircase leads down. You feel a damp, cold breeze blowing. The yelling gets louder. “Help! Help!” In the dungeon, you’ll find the mermaid locked in a cell.
  • Secrets
    • The sorcerer has been using the castle as a second hideout. There’s clear evidence he’s been here. People know of him but are afraid to say much more.
    • The mermaid is being held captive in the dungeon.
  • Monsters & Traps
    • Enchanted Brooms & Mops. Normal looking brooms or mops spring to life to attack and provide simple defenses to areas people don’t want explored.
    • Magical Lock. The mermaid’s cell can only be unlocked with a special key forged by dwarves in the Mines of the Mountain.
    • The Sorcerer. If he’s still in the castle, he will fight the players, but flee before winning or being defeated.
The Mines of the Mountain. Approaching the mountains, you’re greeting by a gruff dwarf named Targus Balefrost. Once he learns of your need for a magic key, he informs you that you’ll need to retrieve the Torch of Hallows from deep within the Mines for him to complete his task.
  • Locations
    • The Ledge. It’s about 12 feet high, with a rough face. Plenty of places to tuck hands and feet if you wanted to try to climb it. But if you fall, you could get hurt.
    • Cavern of the Hydra. You enter a dark, cavernous space. It’s about 30 feet wide and 20 feet high. A pile of fallen rocks sits against the wall to one side. Stalactites hang from the ceiling, and a stalagmites grow from the ground. You hear the drip of water. Then you hear a low grow.
    • The Cliff. You stop suddenly, put your arm out, and tell the rest of the group to back up slowly. You’ve just come across a deep crevice plunging into the darkness. It’s about ten feet from one side to the other, and there’s a small ledge about five feet down on the far side.
    • Underwater Tunnel. You come to a murky pool of water. It looks to be about 15 feet deep. Directly ahead of you is a solid wall of rock. Staring into the gloom, you notice what appears to be a small opening at the bottom of the pool, along the far wall. You don’t know what’s on the other side.
    • Cavern of the Crab. You enter another cavernous room. Bioluminescent algae casts a blue/green glow into the space, which reflects off the giant rock in the middle of the room. Towards the back of the cavern are gold coins, jewels, and what appear to be magical artifacts. Suddenly, the giant rock in the middle of the room shakes and rises. It’s a giant crab!
    • The Hall of the Torch of Hallows. You see the glowing flame reflecting off the wall before you even enter the room. As you step into the space, you see it: the Torch of Hallows.
  • Monsters & Traps
    • Hydra. Has multiple heads that grow back after several turns. Spits acid.
    • Wolves. A pack of wolves runs wild in the caverns. They’re led by a werewolf, cursed years ago by the same sorcerer who kidnapped the mermaid.
    • Giant Crab. The size of a car, he looks like a boulder when at rest. His powerful claws can crush pretty much anything.
The Mountain Pass. A winding path through the mountains. The pass is filled with dangerous terrain, goblins, and cyclops.
  • Monsters & Traps
    • Goblins. A horde of goblins patrol the pass and shakedown travelers for gold and jewels.
    • Cyclops. Angry and territorial, they’ll strike first even if left alone.
    • Rock Slide. The mountain pass is treacherous, and rock slides are a common occurrence. They goblins have nothing to do with it. They promise!
The Hideout. A former mountain outpost where the sorcerer and his minions are now hiding. There’s a rotting bridge traversing a rapidly moving stream that leads to the front entrance. The walls are crumbling, and the building is in heavy disrepair.
  • Monsters & Traps
    • Sorcerer’s Apprentices. They’ll ambush the players as soon as they enter the hideout.
    • The Sorcerer. This is his lair, and he’ll defend it until the bitter end.

Game Master Tips

  • To extend this adventure further, the sorcerer can use the shell before the players have a chance to stop him, setting off another series of events.
  • Various NPCs in this adventure can be useful party companions if they’re finding it too challenging. Notable options include one of the merfolk, the mermaid herself, a knight or unassuming townsperson, or a reformed sorcerer’s apprentice whose committed to stopping the sorcer before it’s too late.
  • This adventure can be quite long. You might want to break it up over several sessions, or cut out the storyline about going into the caves.