Storm Rising - Kraken Week - Pointy Hat

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Storm Rising
A Pointy Hat Kraken Week Adventure
Introduction
Welcome to Storm Rising, an epic Kraken Week adventure! Every year, Cape Coral has been
attacked by a monstrous Kraken, and the next attack is predicted to come in two days. It’s up to
the players to help the town prepare and save as many lives as they can. Will they save the
coastal city, or will their preparations all be for naught? And what secrets live deep in the
Kraken’s heart?
I’d like to give a huge thank you to everyone that has made Kraken Week possible! Thank you
to Ginny Di for helping me create this event, and to each of the creators who have made content
for this week and helped turn it into the amazing event it is. Thank you so much to everyone
who watches my videos and enjoys my work, without whom none of this would exist in the first
place. Thank you to Bia, for her fantastic video editing; Robin, for their indispensable help with
additional art; and Briar, for their editing and for co-writing this very adventure.
Credits
Writing, Art, and Game Design by Antonio Demico @PointyHat
Additional writing for Princess Lua by Ginny Di @GinnyDi
Additional Character Art by Santiago Varela Taborda @bluepigart
Additional Monster Art by Pilar Hernández @dyinglikeicarus
Video Editing by Bia @BnazF
Additional Video Art by Robin Fey Milde @feymilde
Additional Writing and Text Editing by Briar Banerji @theminism_
A Short Summary
Every year, on the very same day, the city of Cape Coral has been besieged by a giant Kraken,
killing dozens of people and destroying huge chunks of the town. That day this year is
approaching quickly -- in fact, the town has only two days left to prepare. Princess Lua, the
daughter of the former king of Cape Coral, has reached out to the party to beg their aid in
protecting the town. The Kraken is far too formidable a foe to try to attack alone, so instead the
party must convince as many factions of townsfolk as they can to aid them in the fight, set traps,
and fortify or evacuate the town. After their two days are up, the Kraken attacks, and the party,
supported by whoever they managed to convince, must face it in battle. Along the way, though,
the players have a chance to figure out why the Kraken attacks in the first place -- and, if they
are quick and clever enough, they can stop the attacks for good.
The Specifics
• This is a level 8 adventure designed for a group of 4 players.
• This adventure clocks out at around 2 to 4 sessions of 3 to 4 hours to complete.
• This adventure can be a standalone adventure, the beginning of a campaign, or
part of an ongoing game with minimal tweaking.
• If battles are too easy or too hard for your party, we recommend adjusting
enemies’ HP accordingly.
• No encounters in this adventure are classified as easy, or even medium,
following the CR calculation system. However, experienced adventures will most
likely find that most encounters other than two climactic fights skew towards
being too easy for their liking. If this is the case -- and since players are not likely
to even do three combat encounters in one day -- we suggest that you increase
the level of difficulty by increasing the HP and AC of the provided stat blocks, and
even exchange the stat blocks referenced with similar stat blocks of higher CRs.
• All monsters in this adventure are brand new. Their stat blocks can be found
embedded throughout the adventure text.
• We encourage you to change the details of this adventure to fit into your
campaign or setting. Use your party’s existing knowledge of gods and Krakens --
or lack thereof -- to guide and subvert their expectations for the plot of the
adventure.
• Content Warnings:
Reading these content warnings will spoil twists and parts of the adventure. If
you are a player, you might want to reconsider reading this section and instead
ask your GM or a trusted friend to read these and see if there is anything you
would rather not have come up during play. We strongly encourage you to play
with all necessary precautions and safety tools for a smooth and enjoyable
experience at the table.
• Natural Disasters: The Kraken attack is framed deliberately as analagous

to a hurricane or tsunami, and many of the NPCs’ experiences and
reactions to the previous attacks are reminiscent of survivors of natural
disasters. If you feel that this topic is likely to make players at your table
uncomfortable or upset, you can play up the monster-hunting aspect of
the preparations and gloss over the long-term effects of the previous
attacks.
• Abuse: The Council of Cape Coral alleges that Princess Lua’s late family
brutally abused her, which is why she was used as the figurehead of the
revolution. This is not true, and Lua herself does not claim that it is. While
this is not treated lightly and is an important part of Lua’s backstory and
plot, it is a very sensitive topic. If you or any of your players would be
made uncomfortable by this, you can simply reference her being
mistreated by her family and not go into any further detail; or have the
Council instead claim that she chose to rebel against her father for his
tyrannical rule.
• Child Death: Mama Magda’s motivation to take care of the town is
informed by her loss of her two sons during the rebellion. If this is a line
for you or any of your players, you can have her sons remain alive, and
have her motivation to support the rebellion and fight the Kraken be
purely out of empathy rather than grief.
• Spouse Death: Rayco’s motivation to fight the Kraken is informed by his
loss of his wife to the Kraken’s first attack. If this is a line for you or any of
your players, you can have his wife remain alive, and have his motivation
to kill the Kraken tie into his whale-hunting career or revenge for an injury
his wife sustained.
Where to Start
If you are running this as a standalone adventure not tied to an ongoing campaign, we
recommend giving the players an introduction to the adventure and starting right as they arrive
in town. The players can be an existing party of adventurers looking for work or seeking to do
good, or a group of like-minded individuals who were individually invited by Princess Lua, who
band together to solve this problem.
If you are running this adventure as part of an ongoing campaign, here are some hooks for you
to connect this adventure to your existing story:
• Princess’ Plea: An NPC the party knows, or one or more members of the party
themselves, has met Princess Lua before and proved themselves competent.
She sends them a letter asking for their support against the threat to her city.
• Kraken’s Call: The heart, eye, or other part of a Kraken or its legendary lair is an
essential part of a potion or magical contraption the party needs. When they seek
out word on where one of these rare creatures can be found, they hear word of
Cape Coral, and arrive just in time to help prepare for the fight.
• Port in Every Storm: In a campaign that involves travel, Cape Coral can be a
stop along the way. Every tavern and shop is buzzing with talk of the upcoming
attack, but if the adventurers inquire about it, they’re pointed to Princess Lua.
Running the Adventure

In order to help you run this game smoothly, the adventure is organized into six main sections:
• A Town with an Ocean View: The party’s introduction to Princess Lua,

containing the quest information they’re given.
• The Calm before the Storm: The options for how the players can spend their
preparation time, containing each of the factions and their leaders they can meet
and how to convince them.
• Storm Rising: How to run the Kraken’s siege, with brand new Siege Rules and
Siege stat blocks for the Kraken and the town.
• The Eye of the Storm: An additional encounter after the siege, which can only
occur if the players learn the true identity of the Kraken.
• After the Rain: All of the possible endings to the adventure, which vary based on
the players’ decisions and successes.
Stat blocks are embedded in the adventure text at the appropriate locations. Use the Outline
function of Google Docs to quickly find the stat blocks and details you need!
The bulk of the adventure will involve several encounters of various types with different factions,
culminating in the Siege itself. Make sure the party knows to choose carefully which factions to
visit, as they have a very limited amount of time and cannot speak with everyone without risking
exhaustion. Each faction has a boon to offer, but the combination of boons the players choose --
and, of course, whether or not they succeed in convincing each faction to help -- will determine
how the Siege and battle will go for them. Meanwhile, they will also have the opportunity to look
deeper into the town’s history in order to find out who the Kraken is and why it’s attacking. If
they spend time with Mariano and find success in pursuing that line of inquiry, they will have the
chance to free Princess Lua from her pact -- but they won’t have as much time to gather support
against the siege.
The stakes in this adventure are very high, and the countdown to the Kraken’s arrival will help
keep the tension high for the party, but don’t be afraid to use exposition and NPCs’ dialogue to
show just how dire the circumstances are. Consider using music and ambiance to slowly ramp
the pressure up as time goes on, or keeping a visible countdown to the time of the attack.
Act I: A Town with an Ocean View

The adventure begins as the characters arrive in Cape Coral, quest in hand. Read aloud or
paraphrase:
The sun is rising over the ocean as you enter Cape Coral for the first time, spilling like flame
across the gray, choppy waters. The main street of Cape Coral runs parallel to the waterline,
and is made of shells so crushed over time that they have hardened into a road. A few shops
line the street, although some look to still be in the process of being built – or rebuilt. A few
wooden stalls sit between the shops and the roadway proper, providing a barrier between foot
traffic and passing carts. The stalls sell everything from clothing and housewares to
vegetables and prepared food -- and, of course, fish -- but most of them have the look of
either temporary shacks or half-rebuilt works in progress. The citizens of Cape Coral, it
seems, are either in the process of reconstructing their shops or have given up entirely,
knowing that Kraken will come to destroy them once again no matter what.
The end of the road bends sharply away from the ocean and begins to incline toward a white
stone cliff. At the top sits the Coral Castle: once the home of the royal family, now the seat of
the City Council. The castle, made from great blocks of sandstone and the city’s signature
bright coralite, stands out from the white cliff below it in its colorful splendor. Depending on the
time of day, the walls seem to vary in color from pink to orange, but they always give the
impression that this is a place of power.
Cape Coral is a large, prosperous port city, a growing hub of trade. It is home to a thriving
fishing guild and a whaling enterprise; it is the home base of both a wealthy pirate band and a
prominent cult to the sea goddess known as the Sunken Harridan; and it is closely allied with a
local Merfolk settlement. Ever since the people banded together three years ago and overthrew
their tyrannical king, Cape Coral has been led by a representative Council. Princess Lua, the
bastard daughter of the former king, aided in the uprising against the royal family, and now sits
on the Council.
Princess Lua receives you in the Council room. Formerly the throne room of her father, the
King, it is still a grand space, with high, arching ceilings and huge windows that open to the
sea, but frescoes and statues depicting the royal family’s history have been replaced by
simple landscapes and artisan crafts. Instead of a throne, a large, round table sits on the dais;
its surface is made of polished driftwood, its legs huge branches of coral. The room’s peach-
colored sandstone walls muffle the sounds and the heat from outside, despite the open
windows which allow in the cool ocean breeze. A beautiful young half-orc woman sits in an
unassuming rattan chair at the Council table, a half-elf in full armor standing at her shoulder.
Princess Lua welcomes provide the characters with the following information:
• Cape Coral has been attacked by a monstrous, gigantic Kraken on the exact
same day and time for the past two years. Each attack has been completely
devastating, killing dozens and destroying huge swaths of the town.
• The Coral Council has been busy fortifying the wall of coralite that now serves as
the city’s first and only line of defense between them and the sea, and funded a
formal artillery to assist their armada in any combat, but Princess Lua still
believes that this will not be enough.
• Lua has been personally overseeing preparations with Rita, the Captain of the
Royal Armada, and Fernán, Cape Coral’s artillerist. While they finish their work,
she needs the party to go out into the town.
• Some of the townsfolk are attempting to make preparations on their own, while
others are expecting the attack with fear and resignation or blind optimism. They
need to be rallied to work together with the Princess -- and with each other.
• It’s far more important to save the lives of the citizens of Cape Coral than to
protect or preserve their businesses. Buildings can be rebuilt much more easily
than people can be un-killed.
• Lua suggests speaking with the following people:
• Atop a Rock, the leader of the Merfolk kindred, in the Kin-Grounds; the
kindred song may distract or disable the Kraken.
• Aurum, captain of the Golden Carvers, at the Merry Mermaid; their pirates
are formidable, cunning fighters.
• Mama Magda, the leader of the Fishing Guild, at the fishing docks; her
nets are famously strong, and could slow the Kraken down.
• Rayco, a prominent whaler, at the harbor; he has been working on
harpoons that could impair the Kraken’s abilities.
• Saltmother Cathaysa, the leader of the Cult of the Sunken Harridan, at
their temple in Reek Reef; her goddess could protect the population.
• The townspeople at large in the main plaza; they need to be convinced to
evacuate or take shelter.
• Lua gives the party a map, marking each of these locations.

• She warns the party specifically against speaking with and getting tangled up in
the research of Mariano, the Royal Librarian. He’s one of the few members of the
king’s court who has retained his position -- mostly because nobody is interested
in taking his place. He’s been wasting his time trying to research the Kraken,
believing that there’s a solution to its attacks in his books somewhere, but he
hasn’t found anything in two years.
What Lua doesn’t tell the party is that she knows exactly why the Kraken attacks every year,
and what it is -- or, more accurately, who. Contrary to the claims of the Council and, therefore,
the beliefs of the townsfolk, Princess Lua was beloved by her father and treated as part of the
family despite her bastard status. When the people rose up against his tyranny, they killed her
family but spared her, positioning her as a figurehead of the revolution and coming up with a
tale of abuse to stir sympathy for their cause.
Furious and grieving, Lua made a pact with a powerful entity in the ocean’s depths. It would
grant her power -- the power to avenge her family, in Kraken form. When she was transformed
and made to attack a second time, though, Lua began to regret her deal. She got her revenge.
Now she doesn’t want anyone else to die.
Act II: The Calm before the Storm

The party has two days and one morning to prepare for the attack. Each day is divided into
three sections: Morning, Afternoon, and Night. Trying to convince a faction to help in the
defense of Cape Coral against the Kraken will take up one of these time periods -- and if the
party wishes to work at Night, they must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 10) or
take a point of exhaustion.
We strongly suggest communicating to your players that nearly all of these activities must be
completed by a full party. Dividing the group is dangerous, as many of the encounters are
combat scenarios. We also suggest that you communicate to your players what the boons of
each faction will be during the upcoming fight, either through Lua or out of character, before
they commit to spending their time convincing them.
Before Princess Lua sends the party off to meet any of the factions, she will discuss with them
the preparations she’s already made (see The Artillerist and the Captain below). After that,
the players are free to proceed in whatever order they choose.
The Artillerist and the Captain:

The great doors to the Council room swing open dramatically, and the hand of the paladin at
Lua’s side jumps to the hilt of her sword -- but she relaxes immediately upon seeing the
newcomer. A human man, broad and imposing, tattoos peeking out from underneath his black
leather attire, crosses the room in a few long strides, greeting Rita with a sloppy salute and
Lua with a nod and a smile, mostly hidden behind his dark mustache.
“This is Fernán, the lead artillerist of Cape Coral,” Princess Lua introduces. “He and Rita --
Captain Rita, that is -- have been working hard on preparations for the attack.”
The woman at Lua’s shoulder finally takes off her helm, resting it on her hip to speak with you.
She has a sunburnt, freckled face set in a seemingly perpetual scowl, but the expression
seems more determined than belligerent. “Here’s what we’ve got,” she says.
Fernán and Rita will fight alongside the players during the siege against the Kraken. As they do
not need to be convinced, it does not take up a section of the players’ time to speak with them.
Fernán, the Artillerist

Basic Information: human, he/him, late 30s.
Appearance: Behind the soot and gunpowder, Fernán is a rather handsome man, with the
muscular build of a man who does hard manual labor. His tan skin is covered in tattoos, which
peek out from under his coarse black leather artillerist’s gear. He has black hair, though his
hairline is receding, and a thick mustache over a grim-set mouth.
Tone and Mannerisms: Though Fernán is a man of few words, his deep love for and loyalty to
Cape Coral is apparent through his determination to support Princess Lua’s plan.
History and Goals: Fernán was one of the leaders of the Coral Revolution against the royal
family; he was offered a seat on the Council, but chose to keep his job as artillerist. The scars
that his cannons left on the Coral Castle have been left unrepaired as a reminder of what was
hard-won that day. He would never abandon his city in a time of need, and would be gearing up
to defend it with the full strength of his artillery even if Lua hadn’t asked.
Boon: Artillery - deals 5 (1d4+2) damage to the Kraken.
Rita, Captain of the Cape Coral Armada
Basic Information: half-elf, she/her, early 50s.

Appearance: Rita stands ever at Princess Lua’s back, perpetual scowl on her sunburnt face.
She has light skin covered with copious freckles and light brown hair that she wears cropped
short. She wears shining, perfectly maintained plate armor over her military uniform, which is
emblazoned with countless medals for her many accomplishments.
Tone and Mannerisms: Rita is, above all, determined to protect Princess Lua. She is doggedly
stubborn and fiercely defensive of her charge. She speaks with a gruff brusqueness, but softens
visibly when she interacts with Lua.
History and Goals: Rita was a common girl from Cape Coral who dreamed of serving in the
city’s armada, and she stopped at nothing to make that dream a reality. When she was eleven,
she spent a week straight standing guard outside the armada’s then-captain, following him
whenever he left the house and pestering him until he finally acquiesced and made her his
squire. She served the royal family and their city as squire, then paladin, and eventually as
captain of the armada herself. So faithful was Rita that she refused to participate at all in the
revolution, causing some to accuse her of being a loyalist -- but when the revolt was won, she
immediately offered her armada, her crew, and herself to Princess Lua and the new Council.
She’s pledged to defend the residents of the town, and their princess, with her life.
Secretly, though, Rita is Princess Lua’s lover, and loyal to her alone. She is also the only
person aware that Lua is the Kraken. Though it hurts her, she will obey her Princess’s command
to fight the Kraken -- but she will be ready the moment the Kraken falls to hide her lover away
and nurse her wounds.
Boon: Armada Attack - deals 7 (2d4+2) damage to the Kraken.
The Merfolk
To the north of Cape Coral, past the harbor, past the docks and the last long piers, there is a
long stretch of rocky beach. The waves lap gently at your feet, but the riptide is strong and
cruel, tugging hard as if to pull you deeper. A few vaguely humanoid shapes in the distance
turn their heads as if hearing or smelling you on the breeze, then dive quickly into the sea,
swimming out only a short distance before diving deep.
Mere moments later, a head breaks the surface of the water near you, followed by a pair of
powerful shoulders. A selkie regards you with large, impassive black eyes.
“My kindred warned me of your approach.”
Atop a Rock, Leader of the Kindred

Basic Information: merfolk (selkie), he/him, unknown age.
Appearance: Atop a Rock has an almost alien appearance, with an unearthly beauty and
grandeur. His build is largely humanoid, but clearly adapted to life underwater, with broad,
sloping shoulders that reduce drag while swimming; long, muscular arms that end in long,
webbed fingers; extremely developed pectoral muscles; and a long torso that gives way to a tail
similar to the lower half of a sea lion. His hair is long, silvery, and mottled like the fur on his
body, with a coarse texture more like the hide of a beast than a humanoid’s hair. His eyes are
wide-set and large, his nose snout-like, and his lips thin and black.
Tone and Mannerisms: Atop a Rock’s speech is measured, calm, and deliberate; as the only
member of his kindred who can speak Common, he’s used to dealing with land-dwellers.
History and Goals: As the leader of the Merfolk kindred, Atop a Rock’s only goal is to keep his
people safe and thriving. He does not count his age in years, but he has led his people for
countless tides. His name might seem strange to above-sea cultures, but every member of Atop
a Rock’s kindred is named after the place where they were spawned. In the Merfolk’s own
language, these names are easy and fast to say, but they can get unwieldy when translated to
the common tongue -- for example, the previous leader of the kindred was named Under the
Dead Portion of the Coral Reef.
Boon: Kindred Song - imposes disadvantage on the Kraken’s attack rolls until the end of the
Siege Phase.
Encounter: Trial by Combat

Long ago, the city of Cape Coral made a pact with the Merfolk kindred who resided in the Kin-
Grounds, this stretch of beach and underwater cave systems: the city would recognize the
kindred’s sovereign land and respect their independence, and in turn, the Merfolk would
contribute to the city’s fishing efforts, corralling schools of fish into the city-folk’s nets and
sharing the yield. They have maintained this symbiotic relationship for generations -- but the
new government has not reinitiated diplomacy with the kindred to prove that they are still worthy
hunt-mates. Since the party has been chosen by the princess, Atop a Rock asks them to
represent her in a trial by combat. They’ll choose a number of fighters equal to the party’s
numbers to make it a fair fight.
• Enemies: Atop a Rock, 2 Merfolk Bruisers, 1 Merfolk Wavesinger

• Atop a Rock will swear -- and make the player characters swear -- that the fight
won’t turn deadly. He and his kindred will deal non-lethal damage, and he
expects the party to do the same.
• Atop a Rock and the Merfolk Bruisers will use Pack Tactics and Atop a Rock’s
Might of the Kindred trait to go on the offensive, while the Merfolk Wavesinger
concentrates on support and healing from the backlines.
• Atop a Rock will forfeit when he’s the last one standing and his HP is low enough
(below 20).
• If the party has maintained their agreement and has not used lethal force during
combat, the kindred will heal their wounds during a Short Rest after combat,
regardless of the outcome.
ATOP A ROCK
Medium Humanoid (Merfolk)
Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

19 (+4) 16 (+3) 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Con +6, Wis +5

Skills Athletics +7, Nature +3, Persuasion +5, Survival +5
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Aquan
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Aquatic Affinity. If Atop a Rock spends at least 4 hours submerged in

water, he adds 10 feet to both his walking and swimming speed until the
end of his next long rest.
Amphibious. The merfolk Atop a Rock can breathe air and water.
Might of the Kindred. Atop a Rock gains a +1 to all attack rolls and
damage when a friendly merfolk he can see is within 30 feet of him.
Next in Line. Atop a Rock gains a +1 to all saving throws when he starts
his turn with 45 hit points or fewer.
Pack Tactics. Atop a Rock has advantage on an attack roll against a
creature if at least one of Atop a Rock's allies is within 5 ft. of the
creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Trident Tactics. When Atop a Rock makes a successful melee attack with
his trident, he can use one of the following maneuvers as part of the
attack action.
• Paralyzing Strike. The target’s speed is reduced to 0 and

it cannot use any abilities, spells, or actions that change
its current position until the end of its next turn.
• Sprinting Strike. Atop a Rock can move up to half his
movement speed without provoking attacks of
opportunity after dealing damage to the creature.
• Shutdown Strike. The creature cannot perform the
same action it last performed, including legendary
actions, until the end of its next turn.
Atop a Rock can use this trait a number of times equal to his Strength
modifier (4). He regains all uses of this trait when he finishes a long rest.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Atop a Rock makes three melee attacks: two with his trident
and one with his bite.
Trident. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6
+ 4) piercing damage.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4)
piercing damage.
Spellcasting. Atop a Rock casts one of the following spells, requiring no
material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell
save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks):
• At will: bless
• 2/day each: cure wounds, healing word, inflict wounds, lesser
restoration
• 1/day: mass healing word, revivify
REACTIONS
Defensive Bite. Whenever a creature within 5 feet of Atop a Rock makes
an attack against him, he can use his reaction to make a Bite attack
against that creature.
MERFOLK BRUISER
Armor Class 13 (hide Armor)


16 (+3) 14 (+2) 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0)
Saving Throws Con +5

Skills Athletics +5
Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Amphibious. The merfolk bruiser can breathe air and water.

Aquatic Affinity. If the merfolk bruiser spends at least 4 hours
submerged in water, it adds 10 feet to both its walking and swimming
speed until the end of its next long rest.
Pack Tactics. The merfolk bruiser has advantage on an attack roll against
a creature if at least one of the merfolk bruiser’s allies is within 5 ft. of
the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
ACTIONS
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9
(1d12 + 3) slashing damage.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3)
piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Defensive Bite. Whenever a creature within 5 feet of the merfolk bruiser
makes an attack against it, it can use its reaction to make a Bite attack
against that creature.
MERFOLK WAVESINGER
Armor Class 13 (hide Armor)

9 (-1) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 15 (+2) 10 (+0)
Saving Throws Wis +4

Skills Nature +2, Perception +4, Survival +4
Languages common, aquan.
Amphibious. The merfolk wavesinger can breathe air and water.

Aquatic Affinity. If the merfolk wavesinger spends at least 4 hours
submerged in water, it adds 10 feet to both its walking and swimming
speed until the end of its next long rest.
ACTIONS
Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit (+4 to hit with shillelagh),
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d6 - 1) bludgeoning damage, 3 (1d8 - 1)
bludgeoning damage if wielded with two hands, or 6 (1d8 + 2)
bludgeoning damage with shillelagh.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 - 1)
piercing damage.
Spellcasting. The merfolk wavesinger casts one of the following spells,
requiring no material components and using Wisdom as the spellcasting
ability (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks):
• At will: poison spray, resistance, shillelagh

• 2/day each: cure wounds, faerie fire, healing word,
thunderwave
• 1/day each: enhance ability, flaming sphere, moonbeam
REACTIONS
Defensive Bite. Whenever a creature within 5 feet of the merfolk
wavesinger makes an attack against it, it can use its reaction to make a
Bite attack against that creature.
The Golden Carvers

Despite the tension in the air around you, the Merry Mermaid always bustles with life and
good cheer. Several pairs of shrewd eyes follow you, though, as you climb weather-worn
stairs all the way up to the third floor and knock on the door with the golden handle.
A well-dressed half-elf, bedecked in jewelry, shows you in through an apartment twice as
opulent as Coral Castle itself, and into... the bathroom? The room is richly appointed, with
painted tilework, gold and porcelain fixtures, and, in pride of place by the open window, a
claw-footed, solid gold bathtub.
A human reclines in the tub, arms splayed out to rest on its lip and head lolled to the side in
complete relaxation. They regard you with hooded eyes, gold shimmering on their lids, and a
crooked smile.
“I hear you have a business... proposition for me.”
Aurum, Captain of the Golden Carvers
Basic Information: human, they/them, early 30s.

Appearance: Fitting their name, Aurum is covered in gold. They have deep brown skin and jet
black hair, immaculately laid in finger waves framing their face. When not in the bath, they wear
high-waisted pants, mostly covered by thigh-high black leather boots that tie with leather garters
to their belt; a floor-length black leather coat matches their boots, with nothing but their
exposed, scarred torso underneath. The tall heels of their boots, the jewelry that drips from their
ears, neck, and fingers, and the gold eyeliner perfectly applied to their lids betray a penchant for
form over function that even extends to their choice of weapon. Their scimitar and cutlass have
been gilded from pommel to tip, their true, deadly steel only peeking through the scuffs on the
blades.
Tone and Mannerisms: Aurum is confident and cunning -- and not at all interested in hiding it
from anyone who speaks to them. They draw out their words and lace them with double
meaning, taking as much space as possible both with their gestures and their sheer presence.
They have an exaggerated, cocky way of moving their body when they talk, and a certain
performativity to all they do, but that shiny veneer is replaced with cold, hard calculation and
short, cutting sentences when talking business.
History and Goals: Aurum is the latest captain of the Golden Carvers, an extremely rich pirate
band that allied itself with the rebels of Cape Coral during the revolution. They took leadership
of the crew in a bloody battle against the Carvers’ previous captain -- Aurum’s former lover.
Rumor has it that Aurum won by turning the former captain’s blood magic against her, and that
upon her death Aurum stole her power and became a Blood Thief. Aurum transformed the
Bloody Carvers into the Golden Carvers, and made a series of strategic moves that filled their
coffers into the fortune they hold today. Since they helped the rebels, the Golden Carvers have
become a mainstay in Cape Coral, using it as their base port. Unlike most pirates, they have
little interest in making a quick buck. They’ll only take jobs that pay handsomely, or that might
lead to enormous profit down the line.
Boon: Pirate Quartering - deals 7 (1d8+2) damage, or more if the Kraken is bloodied.

To convince Aurum to help, the party must first face them and their Golden Carvers in a fight; if
the party is to lead the defense, they need to prove they are up to the task and that this is not a
losing battle. Aurum does not take jobs that can go wrong. They pit their entire crew against the
party, regardless of the party’s own numbers.
No matter who wins, Aurum will only agree to help if they are promised the spoils from the
Kraken: its corpse, and any parts, pieces, and secretions it leaves behind. They plan to sell it to
the northern wizards as spell components, flood the market to drive down the astronomical price
until all their competitors are forced to retire, and then form a monopoly. With the right
preservation methods, a Kraken’s corpse can last centuries; with the size of this one, the
Golden Carvers could sell its parts for generations.
The Golden Carvers currently at the tavern are a crew of 5, plus Aurum themself. The crew is
comprised of Argentum, Margarita, Carbuncle, Sapphyrus, and Cuprum, who are all Bandit
Captains. If you prefer a higher challenge, consider raising the damage of Aurum’s weapon
attack and change the stat blocks to be 2 Bandit Captains, 2 Veterans, and 1 Knight.
• Enemies: Aurum, 5 Bandit Captains

• Aurum has no desire to kill the party, but does want to dispatch them quickly if
they are no match for them. They will not hold back, but won’t kill any of them
unless the party kills one of their crew.
• Aurum will use their blood magic to extend their survivability in combat, and
they’ll make liberal use of their Cunning Action trait to weave in and out of the
front lines.
• Aurum will forfeit if the party threatens to kill one of their crew or if their HP goes
below 20 and they have no uses of Blood Transfusion left.
• A Golden Carver cleric will take care of Aurum’s wounds as they get back into
the tub, along with the injuries of the rest of the Carvers.
• Aurum will gladly command their cleric to heal the party, too, for only 100 gold
pieces per person. Anyone who agrees receives a level 2 cure wounds and
a lesser restoration to cure Aurum’s poison.
AURUM
Medium Humanoid (Human)
Armor Class 15 (studded leather)


9 (-1) 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 15 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +6

Skills Deception +8, Insight +5, Investigation +9, Perception +5, Sleight of
Hand +7
Damage Resistances poison
Languages Common
Blood Purge. Aurum has advantage on saving throws against poison.

Evasion. When Aurum is targeted by an effect that allows them to make
a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, they take no damage
if they succeed on the saving throw, and only half-damage if they fail.
Sneak Attack. Once per turn, Aurum deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage
when they hit a target with a weapon attack and have advantage on the
attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Aurum that
isn't incapacitated and Aurum doesn't have disadvantage on the attack
roll.
Turn Bloody (Recharge 5-6). When Aurum inflicts damage to a creature,
Aurum can turn the creature’s blood against it. The creature must make
a Constitution saving throw (DC 14). On a failure, it takes 11 (3d6) poison
damage.
ACTIONS
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6
+ 4) piercing damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Blood Magic. After Aurum deals Sneak Attack damage to a creature, they
can use their bonus action to control the creature’s blood to inflict one of
the following effects:
• Blood Transfusion. Aurum heals for an amount equal to

half the damage inflicted by their Sneak Attack, rounding
down.
• Blood Stain. The creature damaged by the Sneak Attack
must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 14). On a
failure, the creature is poisoned for 1 minute. It can
repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns.
This trait has 5 uses. Aurum regains all uses at the end of a long rest.
Cunning Action. Aurum can use a bonus action to Dash, Disengage, or
Hide.
REACTIONS
Uncanny Dodge. Aurum can use their reaction to halve the damage
against them as long as they can see the creature attacking them.
Cape Coral’s Citizens

The main plaza of the town, leading into the harbor, still bears clear signs of last year’s attack.
Scaffolding supports the façades of the buildings lining the square, and the sandstone and
coralite paving-stones are cracked and worn beyond normal use. Even more obviously
evident, though, are the signs of preparation for the upcoming attack. Some townsfolk rush
around, building barricades from sandbags and old furniture, gathering makeshift weapons
like fishing harpoons and smithing tools, piling up stores of drinking water and salted food.
Others watch with disapproval, murmuring to each other in doubt or disbelief.
The Townspeople
Basic Information: one or two dozen humanoids of all ages and genders.
Appearance: Like most members of coastal communities, Cape Coral’s townspeople are
extremely diverse, since many families only came to settle there a couple of generations ago at
most. The population is largely human, although there are sizeable orc and sea elf communities.
Halflings and dwarves, and their descendants, are rare in Cape Coral because of its
geographical location, though not unheard of.
Tone and Mannerisms: Most of the people who speak up in discussion with the party are those
who are defiant, fervent believers in their own ability to fight the Kraken. Others want to hide
their heads in the sand, believing that the last attacks were coincidental and another won’t
actually come.
History and Goals: The townspeople of Cape Coral are proud of their new form of government,
as most remember what life was like under the now-dead king. They love their town, and they
believed in its bright future after the revolution, but the last two Kraken attacks killed many and
convinced some survivors to pack up and flee. Those who remain are the most passionate
believers in their town -- who wish to fight and defend their home, but are not fighters, and
would not be helpful in any way to the upcoming fight -- or the most deliberately ignorant
optimists, who deny that more attacks will come at all.
Boon: Safe Haven - grants Cape Coral an additional 10 HP, reducing casualties.
Encounter: Skill Challenge

The common folk of Cape Coral have no chance against the Kraken and its minions, and it’s too
late to fortify the town and protect the buildings. The only solution is for the townspeople to flee,
and only come back when the coast is clear. Present the party with a skill challenge: allow them
to be creative in what methods, skills, and even spells they want to use to persuade the citizens.
Prompt each member of the party to make one skill check (base DC 16), describing how they
use that skill to convince -- or coerce -- the people of Cape Coral to flee. For example, they can
use a Charisma (Persuasion) check to speak convincingly, but they could also use an
Intelligence (Arcana) or Wisdom (Survival) check to explain the details of how dangerous the
Kraken is.
This is a hard challenge: the players need to get four successes before they get three failures.
[TIP: reward your players for creativity and cleverness! If they come up with a brilliant idea or
roleplay especially well, lower the DC or grant them Advantage. If it’s a bit of a reach, raise
the DC or grant them Disadvantage on their checks.]
Skill Challenge Rules

In order to pass a skill challenge, the party must achieve a certain number of successes before
they get a certain number of failures. Similar to death saving throws, it’s two simultaneous
counters. Also like death saving throws, natural 20s count as two successes. Allow the party to
keep making skill checks, explaining how they use that skill to work on the challenge, until they
fill either the success counter or the failure counter.
Feel free to add nuance to the result depending on the degree of success or failure they
achieve. They acquire the boon concerned if they succeed, and don’t if they fail -- but if they fail
by a very slim margin, consider giving them a weaker version of the boon, or only one use of it,
or grant them the mechanical effect but not the full narrative effect. If they succeed by a high
margin, perhaps their success carries over to the next task they tackle in some way, or grants
them advantage on their first use of the boon they’ve acquired.
The Fishing Guild

At the center of Cape Coral’s coast lies the great, imposing harbor, where warships and
trading galleons dock. To the south is the armada’s shipyard, masts proudly flying the Cape
Coral standard. To the north, though, are the docks the humbler vessels call home. Rickety
wharfs lined with little fishing-boats give way to long piers, stretching towards the horizon.
There is, of course, a pervasive stink of fish, but the smell of rich spices overpowers even
that.
You follow your noses to the front of the Fishing Guild, where a middle-aged half-orc stirs a
bubbling cauldron filled with enough delicious-smelling fish stew to feed an army. She looks
up as you approach, beaming in welcome.
Mama Magda, Guildmaster of the Fishing Guild
Basic Information: half-orc, she/her, early 50s.
Appearance: Mama Magda has the well-built frame of someone who hoists and carries nets full
of fish for a living, and the belly of someone who cooks fish for groups that never go below the
double digits. Her green skin is a shade darker on her shoulders and forehead from the constant
sun, and lines are carved deeply into her face from a lifetime of broad smiles. She has a scar
across her nose that she tells the children of Cape Coral she got during the uprising -- but that
she actually got when she first got on a boat and slipped.
Tone and Mannerisms: Mama Magda greets everyone with a wide, welcoming grin and a
motherly hug, and listens carefully to the party’s proposal before agreeing unconditionally to
help. However, her maternal demeanor belies a core of grief and a spine of steel.
History and Goals: Mama Magda joined the Cape Coral revolution when she heard about the
way the previous king and his family abused his bastard daughter. She agreed with the
revolutionaries’ cause, but it was the mistreatment of that young girl that pushed Magda, a
mother of two herself, to finally take up arms. She and her two sons swapped their nets for
blades and fought in the uprising. Mama Magda became a mother figure to many of the young
rebels, stitching their wounds with fishing line and covering them from enemy fire -- but while
she gained many surrogate children during the fight for Cape Coral, she lost her own two sons
in battle. Once the king was deposed and the child who inspired her to take up arms was freed
from her torment and added to the ruling Council, Mama Magda grieved her children the only
way she knew how: she took care of the town she loved nearly as much as her two boys. She
continues to do so to this day, and has risen as the new guildmaster for the fishing guild. She
takes her twin fishing boats, which she named for her sons, sets sail before the sun rises in the
morning, and comes home with nets full of food to share every evening.
Boon: Trapping Net - limits the Kraken to two Siege Actions per round while in effect (one use).

Mama Magda is very willing to help, and needs no convincing to stand with Princess Lua. She
does need a hand putting her plan together, though. Magda is famed for her never-breaking
fishing nets, and she’ll share her secret with the party: they’re made out of Mermaid Hair. No,
not the actual hair of actual merfolk, but a thin, wiry substance secreted by a type of crab that
lives in the coral reefs close to Cape Coral. With enough Mermaid Hair, Mama Magda could
reinforce some of her nets enough to withstand even the Kraken -- and even slow it down. The
only problem is that Mermaid Hair Crabs are notoriously difficult to find.
The party must dive into the waters off the shore and look for Mermaid Hair Crabs. Have each
of the players make a skill check (base DC 15). They might use a Wisdom (Survival) check to
find the crabs’ habitat; a Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check to find the
crabs themselves; or Wisdom (Animal Handling) or Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks to
acquire the Mermaid Hair. However, feel free to let your players come up with different
strategies and ways to gather the hair! This is a medium-difficulty challenge: they must
achieve four successes before they get four failures.
The Whale Hunters

The harbor is the heart of any port town, and Cape Coral is no different. The road from the
castle leads straight through the city’s main plaza directly down to the large marina. It’s not
nearly as full as it could be; most of the docks -- themselves clearly rebuilt from pieced-
together detritus -- stand empty.
The biggest ship currently docked is a battered behemoth of a whaleship. Smoke pours from
a furnace behind the mast, and smaller boats swing from its sides. A lone man sits on the
bowsprit, a smaller plume of smoke rising from his pipe.
Rayco
Basic Information: human, he/him, early 50s.
Appearance: Rayco can’t be taller than 5’7”, and yet he cuts a striking figure. He has olive skin,
a bushy salt-pepper beard, and a shaved head. Tattoos of waves and harpoons snake down his
well-built arms and portly belly. He wears a simple white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up
and waxed canvas breeches tucked into high boots to keep the sea water away.
Tone and Mannerisms: Crass, rude, and boisterous, Rayco is a fierce believer in Cape Coral
and a staunch supporter of the rebellion.
History and Goals: Rayco has been hunting whales around the Coral Shores for the better part
of forty years. Rumor has it that he started sailing as a pirate, but fell in love with a woman in
Cape Coral. In order to settle down with her, he abandoned the pirate’s life in favor of the
marginally less dangerous life of whale hunting. Unfortunately, his beloved wife did not survive
the first Kraken attack, and he’s harbored a deep resentment towards the beast ever since. His
whale-hunting crew left town after the second attack, but Rayco stayed behind, determined to
kill the creature and avenge his wife. He’s been designing a harpoon that could strike a decisive
blow against the Kraken; now he just needs to test it out.
Boon: Whaler Turned Hunter - permanently disables one of the Kraken’s Siege Actions (one
use).
Encounter: Trial Combat

Rayco wants to take revenge on the Kraken for killing his wife. He’s designed a harpoon he
believes could cripple the Kraken, but he doesn’t feel comfortable putting his life in mortal
danger without being sure that it does. He made a promise to his wife that he wouldn’t do
anything stupid, so he’s going to test this plan’s stupidity before committing to it. He asks the
party to act as a replacement for his whale-hunting crew -- or, more accurately, as bait.
The party must dive into the sea and distract Old Graybeard, an ancient, formidable whale that
Rayco has been attempting to hunt for years, while Rayco uses his harpoons against it to test
their efficacy. While the fight will end if the party successfully reduces Old Graybeard’s HP to
zero, all they truly need to do is survive for three rounds. At the end of each round of combat,
Rayco launches a harpoon from his ship, automatically hitting Old Graybeard. Once Old
Graybeard has taken three harpoons, it falls to 0 HP, allowing Rayco to capture it.
OLD GRAYBEARD
Huge Beast
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 184 (16d12 + 80)

25 (+7) 9 (-1) 21 (+5) 8 (-1) 18 (+4) 6 (-2)
Saving Throws Str +11, Dex +3, Con +9

Skills Perception +8
Damage Resistances cold
Condition Immunities prone
Amphibious. Old Graybeard can breathe air and water (for all intents and
purposes).
Wide Berth. All of Old Graybeard’s melee attacks affect both the target
and all creatures within 5 feet of Old Graybeard.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Old Graybeard makes two attacks: one ram attack and one
tail attack.
Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (4d8
+ 7) bludgeoning damage. If Old Greybeard moves 30 feet towards a
target and then hits it with a Ram attack, it deals 34 (6d8 + 7)
bludgeoning damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (4d6
+ 7) bludgeoning damage.
The Cult of the Sunken Harridan

South past the harbor, past the shipyard, past the docks, past all the hustle and bustle of life,
a sheer cliff rises above the sea. It’s a slippery climb down to where the rocks meet the sea,
and the tide is already beginning to rise as you finally stand before the mouth of Reek Reef. It
laps at your heels, urging you forward into the damp, fetid darkness of the caverns.
Even within the cave system, torches guttering from the water that drips from the walls and
ceilings, the way is treacherous. The slow, inevitable force of the tides have carved divots and
pools into the rock floor; slick algae and seaweed grow wherever they can find purchase; and
tiny sea vermin scuttle underfoot and chitter in your ears.
Finally, you find the cavern opening up before you. The damp dimness is lit only by the glow
of bioluminescent algae, casting everything in an eerie blue-green light. Against the backdrop
of salt-crusted stone, the shape of a humanoid, hunched and gnarled and half overtaken by
barnacles, greets you.
“Who comes to grovel before the Sunken Harridan?”
Saltmother Cathaysa
Basic Information: human, she/her, early 70s.
Appearance: Saltmother Cathaysa endeavors to look as much as possible like the worshippers’
image of the Sunken Harridan. She has successfully cultivated several colonies of barnacles on
her body. Her eyes are glassy and clouded by cataracts and constant exposure to salt water,
and she reeks of brine and dead fish. She is, in fact, human, and only around 70 years of age,
but looks nothing like it.
Tone and Mannerisms: Cathaysa is consumed by her devotion to her goddess and her
leadership of her flock. Her voice has been almost completely destroyed by salt water, and she
alternates between slow, painful-looking hobbling and quick, jerky movements.
History and Goals: Saltmother Cathaysa has led the cult to the Sunken Harridan since anyone
can remember, and has taken much joy in the attacks of the Kraken, a monster she believes
was sent by the Harridan herself to bring destruction down upon those who do not worship her.
She could not care less about local politics or the fate of the town, as she’s completely
consumed by trying to please her goddess.
Boon: Harridan’s Help - reduces damage to buildings, increasing the town’s AC by 2.
Those who follow the Sunken Harridan worship the sea in its most destructive, cruel form. Many
do so out of fear, but just as many follow her out of a sense of awe and deference. They see the
immeasurable power of the sea as something so much greater than themselves that it simply
must be worshiped. They do so by praying to the Sunken Harridan, a monstrous deity who
takes the form of a woman ravaged by age and the ocean in order to remind mortals the power
of the sea against their fragile bodies. Her skin is pale and blotched with purples and greens;
her lips are blue and torn by crabs, crayfish, and other sea vermin; her body is bloated like a
corpse left to decompose in water; she oozes salt water through barnacles that dig into her
flesh. Prayer and religious rites include using the corpses of the drowned as conduits to the
Harridan’s word; submerging for long periods of time in salt water until the skin shrivels and
cracks to “let the sea in”; and drinking salt water to induce thirst, which they believe is a boon
granted by the Sunken Harridan. Needless to say, these rituals and beliefs do not endear her
worshippers to the general populace.

Saltmother Cathaysa will only aid Cape Coral if it is the will of her goddess. Therefore, she
requires the party to undergo the Trial of the Sunken Harridan. She leads the group deep into
the caves of the Reek Reef, then prays to her goddess to test them. The trial in question is a
minion rush: At the start of the trial, 5 Sahuagin appear and 2 Hunter Sharks attack the party.
On initiative count 20 of the third round, 5 more Sahuagin and 2 Merrows appear. On initiative
count 20 of the fourth and final round, a statue of the Sunken Harridan awakens as
a Gargoyle and attacks the party. At least one of the players must survive four rounds, after
which all enemies dissolve into a briny puddle and the statue will return to inanimate stone.
Cathaysa does not believe for an instant that the Sunken Harridan might want to stop the
Kraken, so she submits the party to trial in an effort to incapacitate them. If she succeeds in
downing all of the party members, she plans to drown them as sacrifices to her goddess. If the
party prevails, though, and survives the Trial, Saltmother Cathaysa deduces that the Kraken
was not, in fact, sent by the Sunken Harridan, and that the goddess was in fact testing the party
to see whether they were worthy of fighting alongside her worshippers against it. Upon realizing
this, Cathaysa pledges wholeheartedly to lend a hand in the upcoming attack.
The Royal Librarian
Despite the grandeur of its name, the Royal Library looks more like an enormous storage
closet than a fount of knowledge. Meager shafts of sunlight peek through shuttered windows,
illuminating thick motes of dust in the air. The pleasant scent of old books mingles with the
ever-present smell of salt and damp that hangs over all of Cape Coral. Only a few old
bookshelves, sagging with the weight of their burden, tower over a huge table in the center of
the room, which itself groans under piles of manuscripts and stacks of loose papers. The
sound of a scribbling quill fills the room, but it’s not until you come all the way around the table
that you see its source: a small, elderly gnomish man, head bent over a sheaf of paper.
Mariano
Basic Information: gnome, he/him, mid-400s.

Appearance: Mariano could probably reach nearly four feet in height if he stood up straight, but
centuries of bad posture while reading have permanently hunched his back. His skin is a deep
brown, the color of old leather, dotted with age marks and wrinkles. It contrasts sharply with the
pristine white tufts of hair that grow wild at each side of his face and the equally silvery beard
that grows longer as it travels down his cheeks, ending at a sharp point.
Tone and Mannerisms: Despite Mariano’s age, he’s never been more spry than in the last
couple of years. It seems like it was boredom and routine that slowed him down, rather than old
age, and his once perpetually half-lidded eyes now are wide open, constantly darting around the
room as he trips over his words.
History and Goals: Mariano is the Royal Librarian of Cape Coral, and has been for the better
part of four centuries. This isn’t because he’s particularly gifted at his job -- as a matter of fact,
it’s a position so often overlooked that the new Council hasn’t even gotten around to changing
the “royal” part of the title. He spends most of his days taking inventory, stretching the meager
monthly stipend the library gets as much as possible to order new books, and using his mending
pen on broken books that are nearly as old as himself, but for two years now he’s added
something else to his routine: research.
Boon: Research - stops the Kraken entirely after 4 rounds.

After more than two years of study, Mariano is convinced he’s close to a breakthrough that
could help stop the Kraken. All he needs is a little more research, and a fresh perspective. The
party can undergo a skill challenge to help him in his research. Have each of the players make a
skill check (DC 14) to aid him. The obvious skills to use are Intelligence (Arcana, History,
Nature, Investigation, or Religion), but encourage your players to come up with creative ways to
help him with his research through other skills. This is an easier one: for this challenge, they
need to achieve four successes before they get five failures.
We have prepared specific pieces of information that the party can glean from their research
that will help you set up the reveal later on in the adventure. Give these to your players if they
succeed with any of the following skills:
• Arcana: It takes enormous amounts of power to summon a Kraken, let alone

control it. If the Kraken is not attacking Cape Coral of its own volition, it’s being
guided by a magic-user or other being more powerful than Cape Coral has ever
seen.
• History: Both the first and second attacks proceeded nearly the exact same way:
the Kraken swam almost deliberately into the Cape Coral harbor, laid siege to it,
destroyed roughly two thirds of the town, and then suddenly dove back into the
sea and disappeared.
• Nature: Krakens do not normally attack the same place more than once. Indeed,
they’re not known to leave the deepest fathoms of the ocean at all, unless driven
by starvation or summoned by a powerful outside force.
• Religion: Krakens are associated with an entity known only as the Deep, a being
more ancient and powerful than many gods.
If the party passes the skill challenge, Mariano gets a wild light in his eye and starts scribbling
notes. He tells the party that he needs time to consolidate all of his two years’ worth of research,
and dismisses them until later.
Act III: Storm Rising

The Kraken attacks at noon on the third day. Its presence is heralded by a roiling storm that
blocks out the sun.
As the day wears on, the sun rises higher in the sky, reflecting so brightly off the ocean and
the bright coralite of Cape Coral’s buildings that it strains the eye. After two days of this,
you’ve grown used to the brilliance of noon on the coast, and the heat that rises.
Today, though, as morning turns to noon, it begins to grow colder. The world dims around
you, rather than brightening. People around you begin to gasp and murmur, pointing at the
sky, where the sun at its zenith is slowly being covered by thick, black clouds. They move
unnaturally fast, like seafoam rushing in to cover the shore. Soon, the sun has completely
disappeared from the sky, leaving Cape Coral shrouded in a dismal gloom. And then it begins
to rain.
The Kraken is coming.
Mariano’s Aid
If the party spent time helping Mariano do research, he arrives just as the Kraken does.
Mariano dashes down the hill towards you, gasping for breath, eyes wide and filled with terror.
“Stop,” he cries, “stop! Don’t hurt her! It’s the Princess!”
Thanks to the players’ help, Mariano found an account of warlocks who worshiped the Deep
itself, and served its will. Every year, the warlocks slowly gathered power from their patron, until
they had accumulated enough to transform their very bodies into Krakens and lay siege to the
surface world. The text did not mention any motivation for them to do this, other than the total
annihilation of the surface.
Mariano went to report his findings to Lua, but he found her bedchambers, where she was
supposed to hide from the Kraken attack, empty. A record of the Cult of the Deep lay on her
bed.
Mariano believes that he can perform a ritual that will interrupt the connection between Lua and
her patron for long enough to disrupt her transformation into the Kraken. This adds a timer to
the fight against the Kraken: after four rounds without losing concentration, Mariano will stop the
Kraken fight short, potentially saving the lives of many citizens of Cape Coral.
Please refer to the “Mariano’s Ritual” subsection in the “Fight Against the Kraken” section in this
same act for details on how to run this particular part of the fight.
If the party did not help Mariano, or did not succeed, proceed immediately to the Kraken’s
arrival.
The light shower of rain turns quickly into an all-out deluge. Thunder booms, deafeningly loud
in your ears, followed by screams. From the shoreline comes a cracking sound: the wood of
the docks splinter, then shatter, as colossal tentacles, each the width of a warship, come
curling out of the water, twisting and lashing at anything within reach.
Then, at last, a shadow falls, darkening the rainstorm’s dimness to almost total black. At first
glance, it looks like a mountain rising from the deep, gray-green like the sea itself, shedding
water in rivulets down its slick sides. Then one enormous, yellow eye opens, and the
gargantuan shape resolves itself into the form of the Kraken. It bears a crown of dawn-pink
coral on its head; fangs the height of houses protrude from its lower lip; and tentacles seethe
from its neck and chest, whipping out to wreak destruction.
Time is up. The Siege has begun.
Siege Rules
This is the set of rules you will be using to run the Kraken’s attack. These Siege Rules have
been designed to help you put massive fights in your games that 5e is not built to handle,
adding another, larger dimension to an important combat scenario without overburdening your
players with a complex second system. The Siege acts as part of a combat encounter rather
than replacing it, allowing players to still make use of all of their abilities and let their characters
shine individually.
Siege Rules can be used in many contexts, from fights against massive Krakens to armies
besieging a fortress. They are meant to be used either when the number of participants in a
fight is far too high for normal combat or when the enemy is far too big to be simply fought using
traditional combat rules. This Kraken encounter offers an example of both.
Siege Actions
When you run a Siege, each side of the conflict is represented as a party. Both the player’s
party and the enemy party gain a list of abilities called Siege Actions. Siege Actions happen at
initiative count 20, winning ties and before lair actions, during what is called the “Siege Phase”
of the combat encounter. Imagine the camera following the action pulling out to a bird’s eye
view of the conflict and showing what is happening on a larger level.
At the start of the Siege Phase, each party rolls 1d20. Whichever party rolls higher goes first for
that round and performs a Siege Action. This is immediately followed by a Siege Action from the
party that rolled lower; for example, if the players roll higher than the Kraken, the order goes
players - kraken - players - kraken, and so on. Both parties roll at the start of every round to
determine who goes first.
The GM decides what Siege Actions the enemy takes each turn; the players collectively decide
what Siege Actions their party takes each turn.
[TIP: If the players are having a hard time coming to a consensus on what Siege Action to
take during a turn, consider having your players take turns deciding, following initiative order.
If this is a recurring issue, it might be a good idea to figure out how to improve your party’s
teamwork -- a siege must be withstood together!]
A party can take a maximum of three Siege Actions per Siege Phase. Each has to be different --
each Action can only be used once per round. Some Siege Actions can only be used a certain
number of times total. All information about a party’s Siege Actions can be found on their Siege
stat block (included below).
Siege Actions are divided into Siege Attack Actions and Siege Effect Actions. Siege Attack
Actions directly damage the enemy party, whereas Siege Effect Actions disable or debuff the
enemy party in some way. All Siege Actions require the party to make a roll against the enemy
party’s AC. A Siege Attack Action that misses deals half damage, whereas an Siege Effect
Action that misses has no effect, but does not consume any uses, if applicable. Natural 20s do
not double damage dice in the Siege Phase.
Once both parties have used all their Siege Actions, normal combat resumes. Imagine the
camera pushing in back to ground level and following the actions of individual PCs.
Cape Coral Siege Stat Block
Below you’ll find the Siege stat block of Cape Coral, which represents the players’ party in this
encounter. The Siege Actions available to the player depend on who they managed to convince
to help them in the defense against the Kraken. In the Cape Coral stat block you’ll find all
possible Siege Actions the players could have unlocked; cross out the actions that are not
available to the players and hand them each a copy of their Siege stat block.
CAPE CORAL - SIEGE
Armor Class 15 (17 with Harridan’s Help)

Hit Points 50 (60 with Safe Haven)
Attack Bonus +5
Damage Bonus +2
SIEGE ABILITIES
Casualties. Whenever Cape Coral loses 10 HP (HP total: 40, 30, 20, 10),
Cape Coral loses one of its Siege Actions. With Safe Haven, there are no
casualties when the HP of Cape Coral reaches 50.
Blaze of Glory. Whenever Cape Coral loses one of its Siege Actions, it
performs that Siege Action immediately. This use does not count against
the three actions available to the party during the Siege Phase.
SIEGE ACTIONS
Cape Coral can perform three siege actions during the Siege Phase.
Armada Attack. Siege Attack Action: +5 to Hit. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) damage.
“Rita, silent and stoic as ever, raises her hand and then drops it. As she does,
her armada converges upon the Kraken, tearing into its flesh with cannon
fire.”
Artillery. Siege Attack Action: +5 to Hit. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 2) damage.
“Fernán screams, ‘Fire!’ and a roll of thunder that rivals that of the storm
overhead cuts through the chaos of the fight.”
Pirate Quartering. Siege Attack Action: +5 to Hit. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 2) damage. If
the Kraken is below 25 HP, it deals 8 (1d10 + 2).
“Aurum and the Golden Carvers descend upon the kraken like they would a
merchant ship, slicing into the monster with blade and fire.”
Kindred Song. Siege Effect Action: +5 to Happen. Imposes disadvantage on
the Kraken’s attack rolls until the start of the next Siege Phase.
“Atop a Rock and the merfolk of the kindred sing an inhuman song that cuts
through the cacophony of the battlefield and penetrates into the kraken’s
psyche.”
Trapping Net (1 use). Siege Effect Action: +5 to Happen. The Kraken has 2
rather than 3 Siege Actions per Siege Phase until it frees itself from the
net.
“Mama Magda ties the last knot as the Kraken tries to raise its tentacles
against the city. Thick ropes of net cut into its flesh, pinning it down into the
ocean floor and slowing its movements.”
Whaler Turned Hunter (1 use). Siege Effect Action: +5 to Happen.
Permanently disables the last Siege Action performed by the Kraken.
“Rayco laughs as a massive steel rod erupts from his whaleship, flies through
the air, and lodges itself deep into the Kraken’s body, disabling a key part of
its anatomy.”
Character Death
The Cape Coral Siege stat block contains the HP of the town. Each time the town of Cape Coral
loses HP, some of its inhabitants die.
The HP of Cape Coral is divided into tiers of 10. Every time it the town’s HP dips below a
multiple of 10 (40, 30, 20, 10), flip a coin (or roll a d4). Tails (or an odd number) means that
whatever Siege Action the Kraken took to attack the town has claimed the life of a named NPC.
[TIP: We recommend flipping the coin in the view of the players (or rolling publicly if using a
VTT) to increase the dramatic potential of this moment.]
You can go about deciding which NPC has succumbed to the Kraken Attack in a few different
ways. You can assign a number to each NPC and roll a die; decide yourself as a GM, based on
the narrative or the Siege Action that lowered the HP of Cape Coral to that threshold; or even
draw a name from a (pointy) hat or a random generator on the web.
The only NPCs safe from the Kraken’s destruction are Rita and Mariano: Lua loves Rita so
much that she’s incapable of harming her, even in Kraken form, and Mariano, if the party aided
him, is protected by the players.
When an NPC dies, their Siege Action is activated one last time as they go out in a blaze of
glory. Take your time describing their sacrifice and their subsequent end; do your best to make
this an emotionally poignant moment that will stay with players.
After an NPC’s death, their Siege Action is, naturally, no longer available to the players during
the Siege Phase.
Kraken Siege Stat Block
Below you’ll find the Siege stat block of the Kraken, containing its party’s Siege Actions. Keep
this Siege stat block and do not show it to your players.
KRAKEN - SIEGE
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 50
Attack Bonus +5
Damage Bonus +2
SIEGE ABILITIES
As Above So Below. The Siege Actions taken by the Kraken during the
Siege Phase affect which lair action is active in the combat phase.
SIEGE ACTIONS
The kraken can perform three Siege Actions during the Siege Phase.
Lightning Crown. Siege Attack Action: +5 to Hit. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 2) damage.
“The coral growing on the Kraken’s back glows with electricity as lightning
passes from its tail to its head, and then shoots out in a ray of concentrated
energy, cutting through the city like a hot blade.”
Monstrous Wave. Siege Attack Action: +5 to Hit. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 2) damage. If
used directly before the Lightning Crown action, the Lightning Crown
action does an additional point of damage.
“The Kraken rears back and bellows an awful song. Behind it, a massive wave
rises from the ocean and crashes against the city.”
Tentacle Slam. Siege Attack Action: +5 to Hit. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) damage.
“The Kraken uses its tentacles to ravage the city, knocking over entire
buildings as its long limbs twist around the structures, reducing them to
rubble.”
Targeted Attack. Siege Effect Action: +5 to Happen. The GM selects a
specific Siege Action in the player’s Siege stat block. On a success, that
action is disabled until the end next Siege Phase.
“The Kraken zeroes in on a specific foe and redirects a lightning strike from
the storm above -- directly to them.”
Unchaining (costs 2 actions). Siege Effect Action: +5 to Happen. The
kraken rids itself from an ongoing negative effect. On a success, the
action that caused that effect is disabled until the next siege phase.
“The kraken collects itself, sinking under the waves for a tense moment -- just
enough for everyone to wonder if the fight is over -- only to reemerge from
the waves reinvigorated.”
The Fight against the Kraken

When not in the Siege Phase, combat proceeds as usual against the Kraken. As it is far too
large and formidable to fight directly, the small-scale combat takes place against its tentacles
and minions.
Lair Actions
Despite the Kraken having no regular stat block for this fight, as it cannot be targeted directly, its
lair actions still take effect. Some Siege Actions have a corresponding lair action: each lair
action only becomes available to use after its corresponding Siege Action has been used. Use
this to ease the transition between the large-scale Siege and the smaller-scale combat, and
describe how both parties’ Siege Actions continue to take place around the scene of the fight.
• Lightning Crown: The storm crackles with electricity, charging the atmosphere
with its current. Attacks that deal lightning damage are rolled at advantage, and
one additional die is added to their damage roll until the start of the next round.
• Monstrous Wave: A wave crashes over the docks, bringing in more enemies.
Bring forward as many Dredge Scullions and Dredge Servitors as you need to
replenish the numbers of the fight.
• Tentacle Slam: The unmitigated assault of the Kraken shakes the ground itself.
All creatures currently in contact with the ground must make a Dexterity saving
throw (DC 14) or fall prone.
• Unchaining: The sight of the Kraken emerging from the water once more,
dashing the frail hope of the fight being over, shakes the defenders’ morale.
Creatures hostile to the Kraken must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 14) or
become frightened of the Kraken Tentacles until the start of the next round.
Mariano’s Ritual
If the players helped Mariano during Act II, he will be present for the fight against the Kraken.
Mariano is a capable magic practitioner, albeit not one suited for combat. His goal is to cast the
ritual he’s devised to interrupt Lua’s connection with her warlock patron, hoping to stop her
assault.
Mariano has an AC of 14 because of the protective shield he cast around himself before the
ritual. He is immune to the Dredge Servitor’s Call of the Deep action, has positioned himself far
enough away to not be in range of the Kraken Tentacles’ attacks, and does not need a hit point
amount. His sole and unique goal in this fight is to complete the ritual.
Place a counter on the battle map -- a physical d6 if you’re playing in person, or a text
countdown, if you’re playing virtually -- starting at 4. On initiative count 20, after the Kraken’s lair
action, Mariano’s ritual counter decreases by 1. If Mariano takes is hit with any attack, he must
make a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration (he has a +4 to this roll).
On a failure, the ritual counter does not decrease that round; however, Mariano can use this
chance to cast a spell and relocate. The ritual does not reset on a failure, and continues to lower
after the next round, provided Mariano doesn’t fail his next Constitution saving throw.
Encounter Guidance
• Enemies: 1-2 Kraken Tentacles, 3 Dredge Scullions, 1 Dredge Servitor

• This is classified as a deadly encounter by official CR rules. Though official CR
calculations tend to be lenient, be careful. If your party has struggled with
previous fights, which were classified as hard, you might have to readjust this
one accordingly, and vice versa.
• The most dangerous enemies on the board are the Kraken Tentacles. They can
inflict a ton of damage; to stay safe, the party must out-maneuver them, since
they cannot go on land and have no ranged attacks.
• The Dredge Scullions are easy to dispatch, but have a ranged attack and can
move on land. They are most dangerous because they can use their reactions to
empower the Dredge Servitors and their Call of the Deep.
• The Dredge Servitors will use their warlock spells to attack the party, but will
concentrate on using their Call of the Deep to lure them towards the range of the
Kraken Tentacles, so position them for the most part near Tentacles. A smart
party will be sure to take out the Dredge Servitors first, once they see their Call of
the Deep ability.
• This encounter uses reactions extensively to make it feel dynamic and ever-
changing, so keep an eye on all of the enemies’ reactions. Consider using a
marker of some sort to track which enemy has used their reaction every round.
• Make sure to remember that PCs will trigger attacks of opportunity whenever
they move out of the Tentacles’ large range. However, remember that forced
movement does not trigger attacks of opportunity.
• Make sure to use the Kraken’s “Monstrous Wave” lair action to summon more
enemies whenever necessary. You should strive to have the same number and
balance of enemies as were present at the start of the fight (or whichever one
you felt best suited your party’s level of expertise). The encounter ends when the
Kraken retreats (as detailed below), not when all enemies are dead. If all
enemies are dead, summon more through the lair actions.
• If Mariano is present in the fight, keep him present. If enemies are not engaged
with a PC, they will attack Mariano to try to break his concentration. That being
said, reward the players for helping Mariano during Act II; don’t punish them by
making Mariano’s ritual impossible to complete.
• None of the dredges have a self-preservation instinct; they will fight to the death.
• The order of each round goes as follows:
• Any creatures that rolled above 20 for initiative take their turns in combat.
• The Siege Phase takes place, each party taking three Siege Actions.
• One of the Kraken’s lair actions goes into effect.
• Mariano’s ritual counter decreases by one, provided he is present and did
not lose concentration.
• All creatures that rolled below 20 for initiative take their turns in combat.
KRAKEN TENTACLE
Large Monstrosity


22 (+6) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 18 (+4) 2 (-4)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +6

Skills Athletics +9, Perception +7
Damage Immunities lightning
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, paralyzed, prone
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages understands Common, Celestial, Primordial, and Aquan, but
can’t speak
Electromagnetic Field. The kraken tentacle uses electromagnetic waves

to “see” its surroundings. It automatically sees through illusions,
invisibility, and magical darkness. Its truesight is limited in that it cannot
see into the Ethereal Plane and cannot see through true shapechangers.
Heads of the Hydra. Whenever the kraken tentacle dies, another kraken
tentacle takes its place at the end of its turn. The new kraken tentacle
maintains the same place in the initiative order as the one it replaces.
Part of a Whole. The kraken tentacle is a part of a bigger creature, and
therefore does not need to breathe.
Reactive. The kraken tentacle can take two reactions per turn.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The kraken tentacle makes two slam attacks, each of which
it can replace with one use of Fling.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6
+ 6) bludgeoning damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until
the grapple ends, the target is restrained.
Fling. One medium or smaller object held or creature grappled by the
kraken tentacle is thrown up to 30 feet in a random direction and
knocked prone. If a thrown target strikes a solid surface, the target takes
3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was thrown. If the target
is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 14
Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone.
DREDGE SCULLION
Medium Monstrosity


18 (+4) 8 (-1) 17 (+3) 5 (-3) 16 (+3) 4 (-3)
Saving Throws Con +5

Skills Athletics +6, Perception +5
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, paralyzed
Languages understands Common, Celestial, Primordial, and Aquan, but
can’t speak
Amphibious. The dredge scullion can breathe air and water.

Electromagnetic Field. The dredge scullion uses electromagnetic waves
Fresh Blood. The dredge scullion gains advantage on attacks against
creatures that are not missing any hit points.
ACTIONS
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12
+ 4) bludgeoning damage.
DREDGE SERVITOR
Medium Monstrosity

12 (+1) 18 (+4) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 9 (-1)
Saving Throws Wis +5

Skills Investigation +4, Perception +5
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, paralyzed
Languages Common, Celestial, Primordial, Aquan
Aides of the Deep. If at least one dredge scullion is within 60 feet of the
dredge servitor, the DC of its Call of the Deep action increases by 1.
Amphibious. The dredge servitor can breathe air and water.
Electromagnetic Field. The dredge scullion uses electromagnetic waves
ACTIONS
Water Jet. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 120 ft., one target. Hit: 13
(2d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Call of the Deep. The dredge servitor bellows a whale-like cry. A number
of creatures equal to its proficiency bonus (2) must make a Wisdom
saving throw (DC 13). On a failure, the target is compelled to use its full
movement to approach the dredge servitor at the start of its next turn.
Spellcasting. The dredge servitor casts one of the following spells,
requiring no material components and using Charisma as the
spellcasting ability (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks).
All spells cast by the dredge servitor inflict lightning damage instead of
the damage type stipulated in the spell’s text:
• At will: chill touch, eldritch blast (2 beams)
Ending the Encounter
The encounter can end in three different ways:
The Kraken’s HP reaches 0
The only way to lower the Kraken’s HP is through siege actions. If the players lower the
Kraken’s HP to 0, the Kraken will retreat. The Kraken is a gargantuan monster of impossible
power, making its retreat a victory absolutely worth celebrating. Make sure to take the time to
make this moment shine for your players’ hard work and sacrifice.
If the players did not help Mariano in act II, this marks the end of the adventure; see Act V for
the possible endings. If they did help Mariano, continue on to Act IV.
Cape Coral’s HP reaches 0
The Kraken’s goal in its attack is to completely destroy the town of Cape Coral, not its
inhabitants. The Kraken will retreat when it considers this goal met, after which it will retreat.
This does constitute a failure in this encounter -- but there’s ways to continue despite that, since
the death of the PCs is not mandatory for this encounter to end in failure. Make sure to give
plenty of space to describe the ravaged town and the losses that its inhabitants have suffered to
the Kraken attack; failure only makes subsequent victories that much sweeter!
If the players did not help Mariano in act II, this will be the end of the adventure; see Act V for
the possible endings. If they did help Mariano, continue on to Act IV.
Mariano finishes his ritual
If Mariano completes his ritual before either the Kraken or Cape Coral reaches 0 HP, Lua’s
connection to her patron is interrupted. The Kraken’s form shifts and becomes distorted. Its eye
goes from beastly to humanoid, and it retreats in a hurry, plunging beneath the waves.
Onlookers can see flashes of magic under the water as the Kraken continues to change
beneath the waves. It flees north, further up the coast.
This end to the encounter can only be achieved if the players help Mariano during act II.
Continue on to Act IV.
Act IV: The Eye of the Storm

This act taking place at all is contingent upon the choices of the players during Act II. If players
do not help Mariano, they will not learn the true identity of the Kraken, and the adventure ends
with the end of the Siege.
After the Dust Has Settled
We recommend starting this chapter the day after the Kraken attack. The town of Cape Coral --
or what remains of it, depending on how Act III went -- is licking its wounds. This is a great time
to sell the tragedy of the loss of life during the siege. If you wish to emphasize the sober mood,
start this act at the end of the service for those who lost their lives in the attack, making specific
mention of any named NPCs that died.
As the service draws to a close, sniffling survivors begin to filter out, leaving the graveyard to
mourn and rebuild. There are a few pats on your backs and handshakes offered your way, but
soon, you are left alone at the top of the cliff overlooking Cape Coral. Before you extends a
neat line of freshly dug graves. Behind you stretches [Cape Coral: still standing proud against
the deep blue waters of the Coral Shore] / [the wreckage of the city: what little of Cape Coral
you were able to save.]
After the attack concluded, the party found that Rita and her ship were missing, her crew left
behind on the shore. The plan had been for Rita, with her Armada, to patrol the seas
immediately after the attack to protect the town from any stragglers, but given how close Rita
and Princess Lua were, it’s very likely they are together.
Mariano’s Plea
Based on the direction in which the kraken fled, Mariano believes that Princess Lua is hiding in
the King’s Cove, the ancient burial grounds of the now-extinct royal family of Cape Coral.
For untold generations, the royal family of Cape Coral practiced their own version of burial at
sea. The bodies of dead members of the family were laid in the shallow tide pools of the cave
called the King’s Cove. Crabs and other sea creatures feasted on the bodies, ensuring the souls
passed into the sea, from which they could look upon Cape Coral and defend it from harm.
Mariano remembers Princess Lua arguing with the Council that her family should still be given
their proper death rites. When the Council finally acquiesced, she oversaw the rites herself.
Mariano thought at the time that the bastard princess was surprisingly empathetic, for one who
had suffered at the king’s hands more than anyone, but Princess Lua continued to make regular
trips to the King’s Cove under the cover of night. Now, given the direction in which the Kraken
fled, Mariano believes that’s where the party will find her.
No one but Mariano and the party know of the Kraken’s true identity. Mariano urges the party
not to tell anyone until they know more. If the party tells the Council, they reply that it’s much too
early after the Kraken attack for them to worry about the princess -- but they take note of that
suspicion. The party’s choice to inform the Council or not affects the endings available later for
the adventure.
Mariano urges the party to go after Lua. He knows the princess well, as she spent countless
days enjoying the library both before and after her father’s death, and he finds it hard to believe
that Lua would bind herself to the Deep and attack Cape Coral for no reason.
Only a member of the royal family of Cape Coral, or one of their servants, can enter the King’s
Cove. Fortunately for them, nobody in the Council thought to replace Mariano or change his title
with the change of regime. He gives the party a key carved out of coralite. The key is enchanted
with abjuration magic: if presented at the mouth of the King’s Cove, the veil that protects it will
fall momentarily, allowing the party through.
Gather Your Allies and Venture Forth

The party may attempt to bring one or more of the NPCs who fought in the Kraken Siege
alongside them to the King’s Cove.
Not all NPCs will go with them: Fernán, Mama Magda, Mariano, and Rayco, busy with relief
efforts and rebuilding from the attack, refuse to accompany them. Allowing the party to bring
allies will make any fights easier for them, and might make them harder for the GM to manage.
If you foresee this being a difficulty, consider handing control of any allied NPCs to one or more
experienced players during any battles that might occur, or simply not allowing them along.
Aurum
“My dearest darling, I would be ecstatic to slay your bastard of a princess! But... we haven’t
discussed the subject of payment.”
Aurum is only available to be brought to King’s Cove if the party defeated at least two Tentacles
during the fight against the Kraken. If so, Aurum can be found at the docks, overseeing the
loading of the Tentacles onto their flagship. They can be persuaded to accompany the group
with a Charisma (Persuasion) check (DC 14), provided that they get to keep any and all
valuable treasure found in King’s Cove. No exceptions.
If the party did not destroy two Tentacles, Aurum considers the Golden Carvers’ payment for
their support insufficient, and they are busy negotiating with the Council to pay the difference.
Atop a Rock
“I was spawned on the sacred grounds you call the ‘King’s Cove.’ Give them to my kindred,
and I am yours to command.”
Atop a Rock’s eponymous rock is, in fact, the King’s Rock: the altar upon which the royal
family’s bodies are traditionally laid to be consumed by the creatures of the sea. Long ago,
before the last king of Cape Coral was even born, the selkie kindred used the King’s Cove as
the spawning ground for those who were to become their leaders. The last king revoked this
privilege, worried that the mingling of life and death magics would somehow stop the souls of
his family from passing into the sea. The key around Atop a Rock’s neck does not work
anymore, but he keeps it as a reminder of what was taken from them.
He will go with the group on the condition that he be allowed to keep Mariano’s key to the Cove,
and that his kindred are given irrevocable access to it.
Saltmother Cathaysa
“There’s a place on this coast my Lady’s brine cannot seep in. Give me the Cave of Kings for
the Harridan, and I will see that your princess feeds the crabs that feasted on her father’s
flesh far sooner than she expected.”
SALTMOTHER CATHAYSA
Medium Humanoid (Human)
Armor Class 14 (scale mail)


15 (+2) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 13 (+3) 17 (+3) 8 (-1)
Saving Throws Wis +6, Cha +2

Skills Insight +6, Perception +6, Religion +4
Healing Brine. Whenever Saltmother heals a creature that is currently in

contact with seawater, it receives extra hit points equal to her Wisdom
modifier plus her Proficiency Bonus (6).
The Sea Giveth. Whenever she heals a creature, including herself,
Saltmother Cathaysa is healed for an amount of hit points equal to her
Wisdom modifier plus her Proficiency Bonus (6).
Watery Grave. If a creature is in contact with seawater, Saltmother
Cathaysa can cast Gentle Repose on it as a bonus action and with a
range of 60 feet.
ACTIONS
Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5
(1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage, or 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage if
wielded with two hands.
Spellcasting. Saltmother Cathaysa casts one of the following spells,
requiring no material components and using Wisdom as the spellcasting
ability (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks):
• At will: guidance, light, mending, sacred flame

• 3/day each: create or destroy water, cure wounds, healing word
• 2/day each: bestow curse, gentle repose, hold person
• 1/day each: control water, spirit guardians, spiritual weapon
Saltmother Cathaysa is very upset that she and her cult are not allowed into a cave where sea
vermin are ritualistically allowed to eat corpses. Ever since she first learned of the Cove’s
existence, she has taken it as a personal offense that she is barred from entering. She believes
the Sunken Harridan would be most pleased if Cathaysa claimed it for her.
She will accompany the party on the condition that the King’s Cove is granted to the Sunken
Harridan and her followers. Since her goals are diametrically opposed to those of Atop a Rock,
they cannot both be recruited to join the party.
A Cove for Kings

The journey to the King’s Cove is uneventful, though it takes two days by foot. Allow the
characters to discuss the many, many happenings of the adventure; get to know the NPCs
accompanying them better; and plan how to approach Lua and Rita. On the evening of the
second day, they reach the King’s Cove.
The sun is setting behind the curve of land as you step out onto rock and sand,
finally approaching the King’s Cove. The beach here is pockmarked with little pools of water:
tide pools, each filled with colorful coral and little darting sea creatures. The pools are
scattered across the shore before you like stars, still water reflecting the dusk sky -- and
they’re connected like constellations, tiny streams linking one to the next like an astral map,
leading you right to the cave.
The cave itself is made of jet black stone, stark against the sand, low enough that as the tide
rises the sea must flood the floor of the cave. Pointed pillars of coralite jut out from the top of
the cave entrance like teeth, making it look truly like a great mouth -- or, you realize, like a
crown.
At the mouth of the cave there is a small rowboat; farther out to sea, Rita’s ship is anchored,
empty and eerily silent. It’s close enough to see that nobody seems to be onboard.
As you approach, Mariano’s key glows a soft pink in your hand -- then tugs out of your grasp,
floating toward the cave. The coralite pillars over the mouth of the cave, too, begin to glow the
same pink, and then the key meets the entrance of the cave. From its tip a barrier shimmers
into existence, an iridescent membrane like a veil made of mother-of-pearl. A hole opens
where the key touches, then grows wider and wider. The membrane parts to let you into the
dark cavern, now lit with glowing coral.
The cave is low-ceilinged and silent for long minutes, then widens into a large room, flooded
with ankle-deep water. Under the water, the floor is covered with signet rings, pendants, and
crowns, all glimmering with the coat of arms of Cape Coral. In the center of the room stands an
altar in the shape of a crown, made out of glowing coralite rock. Princess Lua sits on the altar,
looking resigned; Rita stands behind her, unwavering, her hand on the pommel of her
greatsword.
“So you came.”
If the party attacks immediately, skip to “A Fight Against a Melusine.” If they allow her a chance
to speak, Princess Lua will explain herself to the party and offer a deal.
A Princess’s Proposal
If given the chance, Lua will explain her circumstances. Read aloud or paraphrase:
”The first year, I very much intended to kill as many as I could. That’s why I made the pact to
become a Melusine -- for revenge. It was in this very room, as I cried for my family, that the
Deep came to me the first time, and offered me power. My father was unjust, cruel to his
people, and a tyrant; that much is true. He was also the best father anyone could have ever
hoped for. He loved me just as much as he loved my siblings. My mother did as well, even if
she didn’t birth me. My siblings never called me half-sister, much less bastard. No, only the
rebels did.
“Imagine seeing the family that loved and cherished you put to the sword. Imagine seeing
your mother and father cry for their children to be spared, for the rebels to only take them,
only for their pleas to fall on deaf ears. And then, imagine if those very people who murdered
your family made you a symbol of their victory. Made you tacitly cosign the murder of what
you loved most, and what loved you most in this world. I was made the public face of my
family’s killers.
“I don’t regret the first attack. If I could, I would do it again... but not at this price. In my grief, I
was blind to the ramifications that my decision would have, years after. I thought I would relish
attacking Cape Coral year after year. I thought I would love the feeling of becoming an
unthinking, unfeeling creature of destruction, and taking my revenge.
“But even last year it felt so… futile. I killed and destroyed, but when I came back to myself I
found out that most of the rebels had died the first year, and most of the Council managed to
flee. This year, it felt even worse. It doesn’t feel like revenge anymore. It feels like being a true
monster, what the rebels accused my father of being. And yet... I can’t stop.”
Princess Lua regrets her pact with the Deep. She no longer feels like revenge will bring her
succor for what the rebels did to her. Unfortunately, she has no choice in the matter anymore.
She has become a Melusine, a warlock of the Deep. Every year, her patron bestows more and
more power upon her, and every year, she transforms into a Kraken and lays siege to the
surface world. The Deep doesn’t care for the death of surface dwellers, only for the destruction
of the surface world, which is why Lua was so intent on saving lives and actively encouraged
the party to prioritize saving people over ensuring that the town itself remained unharmed.
Lua is horrified by the destruction she’s wrought and wants to be free of the Deep, but if she
were to resist or try to break the pact, she would become a Dredge, like the creatures the party
fought in the Siege.
Princess Lua offers the party a deal. She pleads for them to help her break her pact with the
Deep. They will have one year to do so. If they don’t manage to find a way for Lua to break her
pact, she will put an end to her life herself rather than become a Dredge, or, worse, remain a
Kraken forever.
In exchange, Lua offers to double the payment that the party would receive for the original
mission, along with Rita’s ship and both their help. (If the players told the Council about the
Kraken’s identity, she is unable to offer the gold.) In addition, as the Deep is an extremely
powerful being with extremely powerful warlocks, pursuing this path is bound to lead the party to
even more riches than Cape Coral could ever afford.
The party may then choose whether to take Lua’s deal or to fight her and Rita, putting an
immediate end to the Kraken threat. If they choose the former, proceed on to act IV. If they
choose the latter, continue reading.
A Fight Against a Melusine

If the party rejects Lua’s deal, a fight ensues.
“I was hoping to take no more lives -- at least, this year.”
Princess Lua’s words are filled with regret, but she hunches her shoulders forward in grim
determination. No, she’s not hunching over -- the skin of her shoulders is bulging unnaturally,
rippling, moving. Growing.
And then, all at once, thick tentacles uncurl from Lua’s shoulders and back, twisting and
coiling as they lengthen, bright suckers on their undersides flexing. Lua throws her head back
as coral sprouts from her forehead and scalp, parting her hair to make way for a beautiful,
dawn-pink crown.
Two final tentacles, thick and powerful, slowly descend from Lua’s back to the ground, helping
support her weight. Her hands clench and flex, webbing growing between her fingers. Then,
with unsettling, impossible speed, Lua snaps her head back up, hair falling over her face. She
stares at you from cross-pupiled yellow eyes, almost glowing with unnatural, abyssal rage.
The Melusine stretches out her hand from the roiling mass of tentacles -- and attacks.
Encounter Guidance
• The Melusine is a monster designed to be deployed in fights where there are

many more players than enemies.
• The Melusine excels at crowd control and battlefield control. At any time, she
should be able to move out of harm’s way either during her turn or with a
legendary action.
• Have Rita beeline for the backline and exert pressure on casters. Both Rita and
the Melusine are accomplished spellcasters and smart enemies; they understand
concentration rules and know who to target with what abilities.
• The Melusine’s abilities have been designed to combo with each other. Use her
Armor of Storms to protect her, then use her Tentacle attacks or her Wave
Convergence legendary action to pull multiple enemies into range of her Armor of
Storms.
• She can also combine her High Tide lair action with her lightning attacks for extra
damage, or with her Briny Step to get out of harm’s way.
• Rita can heal the Melusine, and will come to her side if the Melusine falls below
half HP to protect her with her fighting style.
• When the Melusine falls under half HP, start playing her more defensively. Use
her Inky Black Storm lair action for half cover and her Pool of Many Faces lair
action to create confusion among the party.
• After she falls below half HP, the Melusine will also begin to plead with the party
to reconsider and take her deal; that the fight is senseless.
• Both the Melusine and Rita will try to deal non-lethal damage to enemies close to
death. Neither will attack a downed enemy unless that downed enemy has killed
one of the two and the other still stands.
• Neither Rita nor Lua will abandon each other. Rita will not flee on her own, but
Lua might attempt to if her HP is low enough. She will, however, not leave Rita
behind, which means she won’t put more than 30 feet of distance between her
and Rita.
• If either Rita or Lua die, the other will refuse to leave and fight to the death,
regardless of their odds.
RITA
Medium Humanoid (Half-Elf)
Armor Class 18 (half plate, shield)

Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
19 (+4) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +6

Skills Athletics +7, Intimidation +6, Perception +4, Persuasion +6
Languages Common, Elvish
Aura of Love. Whenever a friendly creature within 10 feet of Rita makes

an attack roll, she can use her reaction to add her Charisma modifier to
the creature’s attack roll.
Knight of Hearts. Rita’s Aura of Love and Dearly Beloved traits extend to a
range of 30 feet when the creature affected is the melusine/Lua.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Rita makes two melee attacks with her longsword. She can
choose to use her Smite on either or both of them. Alternatively, she can
make one longsword attack and use her Channel Divinity.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8
(1d8 + 4) slashing damage, or 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage if used with
two hands.
Channel Divinity. Rita has one use of Channel Divinity. She can choose
between two options:
• Loving Embrace. Rita touches a creature. The creature is

immediately free of the following conditions: charmed,
frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, and
stunned. The creature is also free of any other effects
that negate its free will, such as possession.
• Galvanizing Affection. Rita chooses a number of willing
creatures (including herself) equal to her Charisma
modifier (3). For 1 minute, these creatures add half of
Rita’s Charisma modifier, rounded up (2), to their damage
rolls.
Divine Smite. When Rita hits a creature with a melee attack, Rita can
expend one use of a spell to deal radiant damage to the creature in
addition to the weapon’s damage. She deals 9 (2d8) radiant damage if
she gets 2/day uses of that spell and 14 (3d8) radiant damage if she gets
1/day uses of that spell.
Spellcasting. Rita casts one of the following spells, requiring no material
components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC
14, +6 to hit with spell attacks):
• 2/day each: bless, command, cure wounds, shield of faith

• 1/day each: branding smite, enhance ability
BONUS ACTIONS
Dearly Beloved. Rita chooses a friendly creature within her aura to be

her beloved. While the creature remains in Rita’s aura, it enjoys the
following bonuses:
• It adds Rita’s charisma modifier (3) to one of its attack

rolls per round.
• Its AC increases by 1.
• It is instantly stabilized if it drops to 0 hit points.
REACTIONS
Protection. When a creature Rita can see attacks a target other than her
that is within 5 feet of Rita, she can impose disadvantage on the attack
roll.
THE MELUSINE
Medium Monstrosity
Armor Class 17 (natural armor) (18 with Armor of Storms)

Hit Points 157 (15d8 + 90)

20 (+5) 16 (+3) 22 (+6) 19 (+4) 18 (+4) 17 (+3)
Saving Throws Con +10, Wis +8, Cha +7

Skills Deception +7, History +8, Perception +8, Persuasion +7
Damage Resistances lightning
Condition Immunities blinded, paralyzed
Languages Common, Elvish, Aquan
Amphibious. The melusine can breathe air and water.

Electromagnetic Field. The melusine uses electromagnetic waves to
“see” its surroundings. It automatically sees through illusions, invisibility,
and magical darkness. Its truesight is limited in that it cannot see into the
Ethereal Plane and cannot see through true shapechangers.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The melusine makes three attacks, choosing between her
tentacle attack or her storm ray attack for each.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 16
(2d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 15).
Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. As part of the attack
action, the melusine can pull a grappled creature up to 10 feet toward
herself.
Storm Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, reach 60 ft., one target. Hit: 14
(3d6 + 4) lightning damage. If the High Tide lair action is active, the
damage increases to 18 (4d6 + 4) lightning damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Armor of Storms (Recharge 4-6). The melusine envelops herself in
thunder and gains a +1 to her AC until her next turn. Any creature that
starts its turn within a 5-foot radius of the melusine while her Armor of
Storms is active takes 11 (3d6) lightning damage. If the High Tide lair
action is active, this radius increases to 10 feet.
LAIR ACTIONS
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the melusine takes a lair
action to cause one of the following effects. She can’t use the same effect
two rounds in a row.
High Tide. The water level rises by one foot inside the lair, turning the
space into difficult terrain. Both the melusine’s Storm Blast action and
the Armor of Storms bonus action are affected by this lair action. The
water lowers to its normal level at the start of the next round.
Inky Black Storm. A black cloud fills the lair, lightly obscuring all those
within and granting the melusine half cover against enemies without
true sight or blindsight until the start of the next round.
Pool of Many Faces. The melusine turns to water as jets of water rise
from the pool in the lair and coalesce into perfect likenesses of the
melusine. The melusine can use any action or bonus action from the
location of any of these copies. The copies have an AC of 10 and and hit
point total of 1. An Intelligence (Investigation) check (DC 16) can be made
to ascertain if any of them is a copy or the true melusine. The copies
remain active until hit by an attack or until the start of the next round.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The melusine can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options
below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only
at the end of another creature's turn. The melusine regains spent
legendary actions at the start of her turn.
Briny Step. The melusine turns to water and immediately reforms into
her normal form in an unoccupied space that she can see within 30 feet
of her. Any grappled creature or object she’s not wearing is dropped.
Tentacle. The melusine makes one Tentacle attack.
Wave Convergence. The melusine calls the water in a 100-foot radius
around her to rush towards her. All creatures hostile to the melusine
must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 14) or be pushed 15 feet
towards the melusine. Creatures with a swim speed make this check with
advantage.
Act V: After the Rain

Because Storm Rising has a lot of room for player choice, there are many ways it can end.
Regardless of the ending, the party is paid, either by Princess Lua or the Council, 120 times the
remaining HP of Cape Coral. If the party reaches the King’s Cove, they also get 1,500 gold’s
worth of jewelry from the regalia that covers the floor of the altar room... unless they brought
Aurum along with them.
A Town with an Ocean View

Requisites:
• The party drove back the Kraken before Cape Coral’s HP reached 0.
• The party did not meet the Melusine.
Cape Coral, though battered and bruised, still stands tall. The town has survived a Kraken
attack, something that many cities are, sadly, not able to say. Revelry takes over the streets in
an impromptu festival, and the party is celebrated as heroes. The Council awards the party 120
times the remaining HP of Cape Coral in gold. Perhaps the party can come back next year; it
seems like Kraken defense might be a lucrative venture.
Rebuild, Restore, Renew

Requisites:
• Cape Coral’s HP reached 0 before the party could drive back the Kraken.
The destruction of Cape Coral might lead the party to believe that this was also the end of the
town, but nothing could be further from the truth. These people wrestled control of their town
from a tyrant just three years ago, and they will not let anyone or anything take it from them --
not even a Kraken. The Council of Cape Coral has decided to rebuild the town anew, but this
time, they will build it specifically to withstand the attack of the Kraken. The heroes have failed in
their mission, but Cape Coral promises a much more handsome payout if they stay and help
them make sure that the new Cape Coral can withstand the siege of the Kraken when it
emerges from the the deep next year.
Let Them Fight

Requisites:
• The party recruited Cathaysa in Act II.

• Cathaysa is alive at the end of Act II.
• Cathaysa is alive at the end of Act III.
After the Kraken’s siege, the party member with the highest passive Perception is awoken by
the sound of water dripping on the floor of their room. A hunched figure emanating a putrid smell
of fish and brine looks upon the party’s sleeping figures. It’s Saltmother Cathaysa! She has the
perfect plan to make sure that next year Cape Coral does not have to worry about a Kraken
attack at all. Cathaysa wants to summon a Kraken loyal to the Sunken Harridan and use it to
fight the one that terrorizes the city every year, and she needs the party’s assistance to make
this plan a reality.
A Golden Ticket
Requisites:
• The party recruited Aurum in Act II.

• The party killed at least 2 tentacles in the fight against the kraken.
• Aurum is alive at the end of Act II.
• The party won at least 1,000 gold pieces after defending Cape Coral.
• Aurum is alive at the end of Act III.
Nobody can make such a large sum of money within a hundred miles of Aurum and expect
them to not hear about it. Aurum invites the party over to the Merry Mermaid to talk business.
They have a very secretive client deeply interested in Krakens, the same client they plan on
selling the Kraken Tentacles to. Aurum offers the party a deal: give them half of what they
earned here in Cape Coral, and they will bring the party to meet with this secret client.
Introductions to the right people are worth more than gold, and as the ones that drove the
Kraken away from Cape Coral, it’s more than likely that this client will have a very lucrative job
to offer to the party -- even more lucrative than what they made here in Cape Coral. If the party
met the Melusine and took her deal, this is a promising lead; someone willing to pay thousands
for Kraken parts might know something about how to break Lua’s pact.
A Town Without a Crown

Requisites:
• The party met the Melusine.

• The party killed Lua.
After three years of fear and fruitless rebuilding, the shadow of the Kraken and the memory of
the royal family no longer looms over Cape Coral. Finally, the town can build a future that they
can trust will last. The Council grants the party all the royal regalia that litters the King’s Cove,
adding an additional 1,500 gold’s worth of jewelry to their reward for defending the town.
Call of the Deep

Requisites:
• The party recruited Atop a Rock in Act II.

• Atop a Rock is alive at the end of Act II.
• The party took Lua’s deal.
• Atop a Rock is alive at the end of Act III.
Atop a Rock knows about the Deep. It features in the legends of the kindred as the mother of all
living things. Legend says she loved her creations so much that she could not stand the thought
of them ever leaving her -- so, when they learned to breathe air and left her seas for the surface,
she grew to hate them. Ever since then, she has sought to drown all of them, plunging the
whole world under water and into her embrace once more, as it was at the beginning of time.
Atop a Rock knows of selkies who worship the Deep, who believe those like Atop a Rock and
his kindred to be traitors, poisoned by breathing surface air. They live in underwater kindreds
and never leave the surface. Hoping to establish a connection between the surface selkies and
those of the Deep; Atop a Rock’s father left years ago and never came back. The selkie wants
nothing more than to know what fate befell his father, and will take the party to the settlements
of the merfolk that worship the Deep. It will be dangerous, but few know more about the Deep --
and, potentially, how to break Lua’s pact.
Royal Entourage
Requisites:

• The party took Lua’s deal.
And so, the party sets off with two new members alongside them: a Paladin of Love and a
warlock princess bound to a fathomless entity older and more powerful than the gods. They
have the riches of King’s Cove (if they didn’t take Aurum along), along with whatever they made
defending Cape Coral, but they have also acquired a warship, two new companions -- and a
quest.
License
Creative Commons
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by
Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-
reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.

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PLAYTEST CONTENT

• Natural Disasters: The Kraken attack is framed deliberately as analagous

Running the Adventure

• A Town with an Ocean View: The party’s introduction to Princess Lua,

Act I: A Town with an Ocean View

• Lua gives the party a map, marking each of these locations.

Act II: The Calm before the Storm

The Artillerist and the Captain:

Fernán, the Artillerist

Rita, Captain of the Cape Coral Armada

Basic Information: half-elf, she/her, early 50s.

Atop a Rock, Leader of the Kindred

Encounter: Trial by Combat

• Enemies: Atop a Rock, 2 Merfolk Bruisers, 1 Merfolk Wavesinger

Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Saving Throws Con +6, Wis +5

Aquatic Affinity. If Atop a Rock spends at least 4 hours submerged in

• Paralyzing Strike. The target’s speed is reduced to 0 and

Armor Class 13 (hide Armor)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Saving Throws Con +5

Amphibious. The merfolk bruiser can breathe air and water.

Armor Class 13 (hide Armor)

Saving Throws Wis +4

Amphibious. The merfolk wavesinger can breathe air and water.

• At will: poison spray, resistance, shillelagh

The Golden Carvers

Aurum, Captain of the Golden Carvers

Basic Information: human, they/them, early 30s.

Encounter: Trial by Combat

• Enemies: Aurum, 5 Bandit Captains

Armor Class 15 (studded leather)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +6

Blood Purge. Aurum has advantage on saving throws against poison.

• Blood Transfusion. Aurum heals for an amount equal to

Cape Coral’s Citizens

Encounter: Skill Challenge

Skill Challenge Rules

The Fishing Guild

Encounter: Skill Challenge

The Whale Hunters

Encounter: Trial Combat

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Saving Throws Str +11, Dex +3, Con +9

The Cult of the Sunken Harridan

Encounter: Trial by Combat

Basic Information: gnome, he/him, mid-400s.

Encounter: Skill Challenge

• Arcana: It takes enormous amounts of power to summon a Kraken, let alone

Act III: Storm Rising

Cape Coral Siege Stat Block

CAPE CORAL - SIEGE

Armor Class 15 (17 with Harridan’s Help)

Kraken Siege Stat Block

The Fight against the Kraken

• Enemies: 1-2 Kraken Tentacles, 3 Dredge Scullions, 1 Dredge Servitor

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)