91119_RAA_OuterSeas_R2_TEXT_PROOF

The Outer Seas

THE CLAWING CHAOS

Adventure ZQ1 - Zine Quest 2024

ANTON KROMOFF | JAKE ALLEN

ADVENTURE ZQ1 - ZINE QUEST 2024

1

The Clawing Chaos

WELCOME TO THE OUTER SEAS

“The ocean is endless; you can chase the horizon but it will always be just out of reach.” ~Anton the Storyteller

Across the endless waters of Ryn, a world where the very oceans themselves threaten to swallow up all who dare sail upon them, there are those who traverse the waves, seeking far shores and lost treasures in the name of glory, greed, and high adventure. This is a world of salt and sea, a place of ancient mysteries and forbidden secrets, where the shifting tides conceal forgotten treasures and unimaginable terrors. A world where in moments, calm seas can turn against those who dare to defy them and blood tinged waves crash against the hulls of ships like the fists of angry gods. On this world, survival is not just a matter of physical strength, but of cunning and intelligence. The sailors who navigate these treacherous waters must be quick with a blade and quicker with their wits, for every tide brings new dangers. So prepare to set sail. Sharpen your swords and steel yourself for a voyage unlike any other. You are about to enter the Outer Seas, where the winds of fate shift as unpredictably as the ocean currents. Where the Living Gods vie for power and fame and the Dead Gods plot their bloody and glorious return. This is a place only the most resilient and resourceful can hope to endure. It is a world of boundless adventure and ancient secrets, where danger lurks beneath every wave and the wealth of countless lost civilizations lies waiting to be claimed. Weigh anchor, look toward the unreachable horizon, and let the strange tides and winds of fortune carry you to an ocean of endless possibility!

2

The Outer Seas

INTRODUCTION

The Outer Seas is a strange place where many traditional fantasy elements are missing, changed, or wildly unlike what you may have experienced or read about in other works. As Ryn is an ocean world, its inhabitants have little use for things like heavy armor and noble steeds. While a warrior clad in full plate armor wielding a massive greatsword is an imposing sight in many worlds, on the open seas of Ryn, they would become a slow and easy target for those more nimble and less likely to sink like a stone to an early, watery grave. To venture the strange tides of Ryn is to enter a world of horror and wonder that builds upon nontraditional elements from fantasy storytelling. In the Outer Seas, simply surviving is an adventure in and of itself. Those setting sail on the endless seas for the first time have much to learn, but the following passages may provide guidance as you gain your bearings.

The World Is an Endless Ocean

haunting and beautiful to behold from below the waves. There Was Something Before Life on Ryn is one of harrowing adventure and endless exploration. While there are boundless horizons to sail toward, teeming with wonders great and small, beneath the waves there are even stranger sights to behold. Some of these sunken places are little more than small altars with depictions of star-wandering, oth erworldly beings carved into their rocky surfaces, while others are vast cities filled with new life and haunted by the ghosts of worlds long dead before the waters came to Ryn. The Hakarl deep divers tell stories of massive ship graveyards that lie in strange spiral patterns around glow ing pyramids of green stone, while the Black Tide Bards sing songs of hive-like networks of glass that cling to the walls in deep sea trenches and

Ryn is a large planet covered with endless water, which ranges from shallow sapphire seas to vast murky oceans that descend sometimes 20,000 leagues or more. The golden light from the morning star Charon beams down, warming the waves and the three moons Styx, Syax and Syn pull upon the endless waves, directing the tides as they move in nearly unmappable currents across the world. In this aquatic world, cities and civilizations that exist on the water’s surface are few and far between. Most air breathing species that call Ryn home live on small islands, float ing shanty towns, or in fleet cities that drift with the tides. Those who venture away from these tiny pockets of civilization can find themselves far from anything resembling land for months, or even years. The waters between these small islands of civili zation are filled with roaming pirates, aquatic beasts, and things both

3

The Clawing Chaos

contain long abandoned wonders that defy any known explanation. Many lucky explorers have made their fortunes trading goods found in ancient ruins, and many more have met their ends after some horrific fate befell them in the strange lost spaces that litter the seafloor. There Are Gods Both Living and Dead Venturing across the endless oce anic expanses with little more than your crew by your side and the hope that the winds keep filling your sails can take a lot of faith. Faith in your skills, faith in your friends, and some times faith in something greater than yourself. In the world of Ryn there are both living and dead gods who actively curry the favor of those who would truly believe—and, in most cases, sacrifice something to them. The Living Gods are younger forces of creation, who feel that glory and awe are the sweetest of fruit, and give favor to any who are on the rise to fame and fortune, so their stories may spread. This often leaves those who have served them loyally with out blessings when they find them selves on hard times, lacking glory, or a platform to share stories of their god’s power. The Dead Gods are relics and refu gees of fallen worlds who have found themselves tethered to Ryn. They willingly give their favor to those they see as the best agents to further

their goals, be it power, destruction, or some unknowable ends that could boil the world sea or call forth some world ending titan to tirelessly hunt all life great and small until Ryn became nothing more than a watery graveyard for the countless lifeforms that call it home. The Dead Gods care not for stories and songs and look upon the Living Gods as little more than passing fancies who will soon fall to their own hubris. Resources Are Both Plentiful and Limited Ryn is a place full of pirates, mon sters, warlords, and fiends all trying to survive from one sunrise to the next. While the endless waters teem with schools of fish and nutrient rich seaweeds and algae, which provide easy meals for ocean travelers, one of the essential requirements for sur vival, fresh water, is in short supply. Those who call what passed for solid land home typically live in colonies and strongholds built around natu rally occurring fresh water aquifers. These villages and trade posts survive by bartering fresh water and highly valued terrestrial based fruits and vegetables grown from them. These rarely occurring fonts and reservoirs of fresh water also serve as invaluable biomes for strange amphibians and mammals that call Ryn home. Trans portation and storage of fresh water is a lucrative trade on the Outer Seas, and those who have the ability to con jure fresh water through magical or divine means are just as sought after by crews and pirate guilds as those who are skilled with sword or sail.

4

The Outer Seas

USING THIS ZINE

The Outer Seas is a hydropunk fantasy setting designed with the ruleset for the world’s most popular role-playing game in mind. However as we are lovers of homebrewers and rule-breakers, we understand that the mechanical rules presented in this book do not have to be nailed down to a single system. If you enjoy the setting but the rules do not fit the system your table is using, take the ideas presented here and apply your own rules to them. Twist the math and metrics in a way that best fits your table; ultimately we just hope you enjoy the setting and that it serves you in having a good time with your friends and loved ones. After all, that is why the Storyteller tells stories in the first place. Some suggested rule sets are D&D 5e, the default for this Zine, or D&D 3.0/3.5, Pathfinder 1, Pathfinder 2, and Symbaroum that can be applied with

some home brew work on your Storytellers end. All that being said, Welcome to the Outer Seas.

THE CLAWING CHAOS

The Clawing Chaos is a six-to-eight-hour D&D adventure for Tier 1 Charac ters, optimized for APL 1 with six 1st-level PCs, and is designed to introduce players to the world of the Outer Seas.

Adventure Background Atop the back of a titanic creature known as Leviathan Roxsis, a large verdant landscape known as the Wandering Jungle grows. It was once inhabited by a community of semi-aquatic elven creatures native to the Outer Seas known as the Eln. These elf-like creatures viewed Leviathan Roxsis as a living god and venerated it by constructing small shrines to their priests, who they believed soothed the great beast’s ill moods by singing to its heart in a chamber deep beneath the temple erected upon its back. In truth Leviathan Roxsis was easily guided by the songs of the Eln priests who tended to the heart chamber in the temple they had built upon its shell and the creature was more than happy to calmly swim through the vast oceans of the Outer Seas, feeding upon pods of whales and other large sea beasts that it would happen upon, rather than descending below the waves or engaging

5

The Clawing Chaos

in combat with other Leviathan it sensed nearby. While the Wandering Jungle was home to small bands of Crablins and other semi aquatic life forms, the peaceful coexistence between the small community of Eln and the Leviathan Roxsis lasted for many generations. Their small community flourished—until, as is the nature of all things, the peaceful harmony of the Wandering Jungle came to an end. A band of bipedal fishlike human oids known as Davrock came upon the Leviathan Roxsis as it drifted calmly through the boundless waters of the Outer Seas. Thinking the jun gle landscape would provide fertile hunting ground, they made landfall upon the Leviathan’s great shell and began to explore the Wandering Jun gle. After discovering the Eln colony, the Davrock watched them from the

shadows for many days before sys tematically attacking their guardians and the small encampments. Finally, they infiltrated their sacred temple, cutting down the priests in the very mystical heart chamber they used to sooth and commune with Leviathan Roxsis. The Davrock traditionally vener ate Nistasi, a Dead God of conquest. They view the Leviathan Roxsis not as a god, but as a creature that could be bent to their will and made into a weapon against all who opposed them. Using the artifacts and oddities of the Eln they slew, the Davrock have been working tirelessly to unlock the secrets of the Leviathan’s heart cham ber, striving to take full control of the great creature. While they have not yet successfully brought it to heel, every day they grow closer to twisting the Leviathan into the living embodiment of their wrath.

6

The Outer Seas

Adventure Synopsis

others might wander the strange terrain, studying the Odd Obelisks and uncovering legendary artifacts, strange creatures, and ancient ruins that will hopefully surprise and delight them, providing hours of amusement and adventure. The Wandering Jungle Jungle Hex Map Location Key 1 - The Beach 2 - Odd Obelisk - The Outer Sea 3 - The Abandoned Village 4 - Odd Obelisk - The Golden Sun 5 - The Sea Elves’ Sundial 6 - Odd Obelisk- The Moons 7 - The Ruined Tower 8 - Odd Obelisk- The Leviathan 9 - Odd Monolith - The Eln 10 - The Great Crab Graveyard 11 - Odd Obelisk- Sky Giants 12 - Odd Obelisk- Heartsong 13 - The Ruined Steps 14 - The Temple of the Leviathan The sprawling dense jungle land scape is a colorful and chaotic eco system complete with gnarled roots that twist underfoot, snaking vines in bloom with an array of brightly colored flowers, and towering trees that form a canopy so dense it often obscures the sky. The air is humid, and a cacophony of bird calls, insect chirps, and distant animal roars echoes through this verdant and often labyrinthian tropical land. The whole of this environment is made stranger by the sudden and violent tremors that shake the ground, send ing flocks of brightly colored birds flying, and toppling trees without strong enough roots.

The adventure begins as the player characters find themselves washed up onto the southern beach of the Wandering Jungle. As they explore the unfamiliar tropical landscape around them, they discover a ruined Eln village. If they are lucky, they meet a tiny spectral crab who guides them, as best it can, through the treacherous jungle to a safe haven. The players encounter wandering bands of Crablins, strange monoliths, haunted ruins, and other oddities that help them learn about the Lev itan Roxsis, the Wandering Jungle that grows upon its back, the Eln who once called this place home, and the Davrock forces trying to bend the great beast to their will to use it as a weapon of war. The adventure concludes with the party entering the Temple of the Levi athan, confronting the Davrock, and clashing with their war priestess as she tries to use her magic to bring the Leviathan under her sway.

Adventure Overview

The Clawing Chaos is a hybrid Hexcrawl and Dungeon Delving adventure. It focuses on establish ing the players in the strange and dangerous setting of the Wandering Jungle, leaving them to explore the lush landscape to find areas of inter est, combat encounters, and ancient oddities at their leisure. Some players may charge straight for the Temple of the Leviathan once they learn of its existence, while

7

The Clawing Chaos

8

The Outer Seas

Hexcrawling Navigating the Hex Map: While navigating the Hex Map of the Wandering Jungle, players without a magical item or spell to give them direction must rely on blind luck, geo graphical markers, and their Survival & Nature Checks. The DC for Navigating is an Intelligence Check (Nature) or a Wisdom Check (Survival) DC 12 Possible Modifiers A well drawn map +10 A compass +5 Decent directions +2 Identifiable landmarks +2 Familiar landscape +1 Fog -1 Rain -1 Flooding - 2 Heavy rain -2 For those who have not wandered a Hex Map uncovering sites of inter est, it can be a new and freeing sand box experience where players choose their own adventure and forge their own paths like true adventures, finding treasure and fighting dan gers. This freeing experience can also sometimes lead to moments of frustration as clues are missed or arguments about where to go next. Getting turned around can prove frustrating, as a party could easily start running in circles. In the land scape of the Wandering Jungle it can be fun to get lost, but not for too long. As a Storyteller, you have some tools at your disposal to nudge the players along. These tools come in Dense foliage -2 Bad directions -2 Unreliable Map -5

Dungeon Delving and Hexcrawling: Dungeon Delving Wandering dark dungeons and haunted hallways is an iconic part of the tabletop role-playing experience. This adventure presents opportuni ties to explore locations of interest presented alongside labeled maps. These help to give the narrative bits of the game some visual structure as well, as a grid to explore for traps, treasures, and the occasional tussle with terrors, terrestrial or otherwise. While the setting notes are fairly detailed, there are plenty of opportu nities to insert some personal touches into the mix. Location notes are pre sented in two forms. Text appears like this, outside the confines of a box, to denote that these are notes intended for the Storyteller of the game. These contain results of dice rolls, notes, and the occasional secret to enhance the adventure. (Players always want more secrets.) Text that appears in a box like this, for the most part, is text to read or paraphrase to help describe the moment or setting the players are expe riencing. There may be other information presented in boxes along the way, like random roll tables, item descriptions, and other little bits of interest but our designer will do their best to ensure that you know what is what when you get there. Skill checks and other narrative opportunities are also presented in each section. Storytellers are encour aged to showcase world simulating skills and add flavor to the adventure.

9

The Clawing Chaos

the form of Environmental Haz ards, Random Encounters, Ghostly Guides, and a well-meaning, though sometimes less than helpful, Scuttling Familiar. Environmental Hazards Life on the Outer Seas is unpredict able, and that is in no small part due to the environment itself. The Wan dering Jungle being perched on the back of the shell of a giant leviathan poses all manner of environmental dangers. Below are a few of the reg ularly occurring environmental Haz ards players could encounter during their adventures in the Wandering Jungle. Bioluminescent Flora and Fauna: A multitude of the brightly colored plants that grow in the Wandering Jungle are naturally biolumines cent. Due to this fact, those who drink from freshwater deposits or eat of the plants or animals that make their home in the Wander ing Jungle may find themselves glowing, as strange patterns of multi-colored light ignite under their skin in dim or darker lighting conditions. While this effect can be quite beautiful and potentially boost Performance and Intimida tion Checks, unless precautions are made, this newly found illumina tion can also cause disadvantage on skills related to stealth and obfuscation. Nagging Insect Swarms: Swarms of emerald gnats live in still waters and stagnant places of the Wander ing Jungle. Players without scales or natural armor may find them selves nagged by bites from these small buzzing insects as they tra verse the strange jungle landscape. While these bites typically only cause small welts to rise on the skin, some more robust specimens

may impart a sickness known as Skin Split. Skin Split

Natural Disease Incubation Time - 1 min Save - Constitution DC 13

A character who is bitten by one of the disease carrying emer ald gnats of the Wandering Isle must make a Constitution saving throw DC 13. Upon a failed save, the welts on their skin raise and split in a star shaped pattern. Those infected with this dis ease take an additional point of damage from all slashing based attacks. This save can be remade after the infected has taken a long rest. Cure - The disease can be cured simply by magical means, however those without arcane or divine abilities may discern with a successful Medicine or Survival Check DC 11 that a combination of fish fat and ground bone in a warm sand compress, accompanied by a long rest, will leach the toxins from the skin and remove the effects of the disease. Mysterious Sounds: Unidentifiable sounds echo through the jungle, making it challenging to discern friend from foe during the day. It becomes even more difficult at night. Players relying on auditory based skills for Perception Checks should make those checks at disad vantage due to the constant choir of chaotic clicks, chirps, and cries. Shifting Sands: Hidden pockets of shifting sands can pose a danger to terrestrial based travelers nav igating the Wandering Jungle.

10

The Outer Seas

These loose pools of sand are often indiscernible from more compact ground. Players stuck in shifting sand must make a Dexterity Saving Throw DC 12 to avoid being ensnared. If ensnared, starting at the beginning of the player’s next turn, the player sinks 1 foot into the shifting sands. This continues at the beginning of each of their turns until they are free of the situation. A player must make a Strength Check DC 10 + the number of feet sunk to pull themselves back to the surface of the sand, where they may make a Dexterity Sav ing Throw DC 12 to avoid being ensnared once more. A fully sub merged character begins to suffo cate at a rate of half their hit points every turn until they reach 0. Sudden Storms: The Wandering Jun gle is prone to sudden and violent storms, torrential downpours, gale force winds, and displays of light ing so dazzling they would put many storm gods to shame. These storms can affect visibility, causing vision to be obscured beyond 5ft., disrupting ranged attacks from weapons and spells, and making navigation within the verdant lab yrinth nearly impossible. Ranged attacks and skill checks related to visual senses are made at disadvantage. Titan Quake: Leviathan Roxsis occa sionally makes quick and nimble movements that bely its colossal size. When this happens, the land on its back shakes with the rever berations of this movement. Trees sway, flocks of roosting birds take flight, and anything not nailed down begins to tumble this way and that.

Players must make an Dexter ity Saving Throw DC 14 or be knocked prone. Falling trees and other large envi ronmental features can deal, at the Storyteller’s discretion, 9 (2d8) - 36 (8d8) points of bludgeoning dam age, depending on what exactly falls on the players. During the day a large golden sun hangs in the vast blue sky over the Outer Seas. The Leviathan Roxsis favors warmer waters, and this causes the environment of the Wandering Jungle to be humid and tropical, as the dense jungle canopy insulates the heat from the sun, warming some areas to temperatures that may verge on discomfort for those who favor cooler climates. Roll Encounter 1. A line of small Sapphire Razor Crabs (p. 91) scuttles Daytime Random Encounter Table - Roll 1d10

through the underbrush. They eventually lead any one who follows to The Great Crab Graveyard. Moving at the speed of crab is not exactly the quickest way to travel, so it may take some time to get there. This gaunt humanoid with long pointed ears, almond shaped eyes, and angular features portrays an air of confidence even through the years of weathered stone. The creature’s hair is carved in a way that indi cates the artist was depict-

2. An ancient stone statue of an Eln diver emerges from the undergrowth.

11

The Clawing Chaos

ing the figure while they were underwater, with long ribbons of hair floating about their head. Around the wrist, neck, and ankles of the statue are tied multitudes of woven vines adorned with brightly colored beads made of sea glass and shell. 94) swings through the can opy overhead. Their hooked bills click in rhythm as their long tentacled limbs grace fully navigate the jungle treetops. If left unbothered, they pass without incident. If loud noises or threats are made against them, they become hostile and attack. 4. A small party of Crablin Warriors (p. 82) bursts from the dense underbrush and attacks. sunlight cutting its way through the dense jungle canopy, a Flame Belly Mir ounga (p. 86) naps peace fully. Any sound louder than a whisper disturbs its slumber, and it grows irritated and attacks. 6. A cloud of moth-winged Flitguls (p. 87) hops along the jungle floor, peckingat the sandy soil for their next meal. They take flight if startled, releasing clouds of shimmering pollen that coats everything in the immediate area. 7. The sand underfoot begins to shift. This patch of Shift ing Sand must be navigated before it engulfs those above in a sandy tomb. 8. A Sudden Storm blows in 3. A pod of Tree Octopi (p. 5. Basking in a shaft of

from the east. Within mo ments the rainfall is so heavy it obscures vision be yond 10 ft. Lighting streaks across the sky in a dizzying array of colors, and the sound of something strange and vaguely humanoid begins to echo through the rain-slicked jungle canopy. 9. The ground shakes violent ly as the air fills with the sounds of startled jungle creatures and toppling trees. The Titan Quake causes its own problems while also waking a slum bering Hammer Hound (p. 90) that bursts forth from its burrow. It hungrily stalks toward any nearby crea tures. 10. A Giant Snap-Fist Crab (p. 89) crashes through the tree line nearby. The deep lines on its shell and cracks along its massive claw show that it has seen many years above and below the waves. Its milky eyes dart toward nearby creatures, and it scuttles toward them, bellowing a fightful sound. During the evenings, three moons drift through the skies over the Outer Seas. One is copper, one is silver, and one is bronze in color. Beyond these moons a sea of stars and churning gal axies fill the sky in dazzling constel lations and breathtaking astrological views. As the Leviathan Roxsis favors warmer waters, even the evenings in the Wandering Jungle are warm and often accompanied by sea breezes that carry the exotic smells of tropical flow ers and fair seas. Evening Random Encounter Table - Roll 1d10

12

The Outer Seas

Roll Encounter 1. From the canopy overhead Crimson Creeper Vines (p. 83) drop down, lashing at anyone below with hooked thorns. These vines try to feed on bypassers until the vines have been destroyed or potential victims are out of reach of the hungry tendrils. 2. A Crablin Warrior (p. 82) wearing crab shell armor and wielding a wicked looking war club ambushes from the branches above. 3. Orchids cover a massive tree, twinkling with a pur ple, iridescent light. Anyone who touches them begins to glow with the same radiant light. 4. A Lionfish Basilisk (p. 90) stalks from the darkness. Its mouth is stained dark crim son from a fresh kill, but it’s obviously still hungry and intends to extend its meal. 5. A Davrock Warrior (p. 84) hunts for sentient inhabi tants of the Wandering Jun gle. They stalk their prey, waiting to attack when they feel it is at its most vulner- able. A successful DC 15 Perception Check reveals the presence of the bipedal fish creature. 6. The three moons peeking through the dense forest canopy above are obscured by a massive shape that drifts through the air. It appears to be some kind of manta ray gliding through the night sky, but it’s impossibly large and completely silent.

7. The spectral shape of a gi ant crab casts an eerie light as it wanders through the jungle. It scuttles on a mul titude of semi-transparent legs through the night. 8. The ground shakes violent ly as the air fills with the sounds of startled jungle creatures and toppling trees. The Titan Quake causes its own problems, while also causing a pod of sleeping Tree Octopi (p. 94) to fall from their nightly nest. They awaken startled and react with hostility to the slightest perceived threat. 9. A Nagging Insect Swarm moves through the trees. This cloud of emerald gnats buzzes and bites, harassing passersby until they travel more than 100 ft. or remain close to a con sistent source of smoke for more than 10 rounds. 10. The ruins of a forgotten temple emerge from the jungle. In its center is a stone basin full of fresh rainwater. No matter how much of this water is drained, it seems to refill it self from an unseen source in a matter of minutes. The Scuttling Familiar and Ghostly Guides The Scuttling Familiar Because this is an introductory adventure, many players might be experiencing the Outer Seas for the first time. A verdant jungle with octopi who swing through the trees

13

The Clawing Chaos

and crab-like goblins who hunt bipedal sharks can be overwhelming for those who are used to the familiar trappings of setting like those Realms once Forgot or those Paths and the people who Find them. In instances where the party becomes stuck and in need of being nudged along, I encourage you to use the Scuttling Familiar bound to the Strange Amulet in the Abandoned Village to serve as a guide. This odd little creature is the shard of the soul of a druid who once called the Wan dering Jungle home. It is both meek and weak, but it is driven by a sense of duty to see the Leviathan Roxsis freed from the Davrok forces who have taken over the druid’s once idyllic home. While some instances of the Scut tling Familiar’s activities are narrated through the adventure, please feel free to use this tiny helper as you see fit to add to the impact of moments in your game. A suggestion before we move for ward, the Scuttling Familiar should not be a magical quest marker that leads the party through the wilds, avoiding all dangers and taking away the players’ ability to explore and make their own mistakes. Reward without risk is not why many come to the table, and we don’t want the sense of adventure to be dulled because of their newly found crus tacean friend. Ghostly Guides There are many moments of sand box exploration presented within this adventure. As the party explores the Wandering Jungle, feel free to add your own moments of strange tropi cal terror, or make use of the random tables to extend the time your players spend in this beautiful and danger ous setting.

When the players hit a snag or linger longer than you, as the Sto ryteller, feel they need to linger, make use of the Ghostly Guides outlined in the Bestiary section of this Zine. These spectral creatures are the ghosts Eln slain within the Wandering Jungle. While they can not influence the world of the living, they do make an effort to guide any who would see the Leviathan Roxsis freed from the clutches of the Dav rock priestess attempting to control the great beast. The appearance of the Ghostly Guides may be as subtle as a spectral face peering through the dense jungle underbrush, and then slowly slipping back into the shadows, to indicate that something is in that direction. The moving of vines that obscure a safe pool of water to drink from or a safe cave shelter from a storm could be indicated by a semi transparent figure brushing aside obscuring vines. The Ghostly Guides may even leave glowing footprints along a trail to help the party navigate at night. These, much like the Scuttling Familiar, should not be used as quest markers or quick travel guides. The intent for both is to provide moments of memorable storytelling and small atmospheric nudges as needed, not to take away the agency and of the players at the table and their sense of accomplishment and discovery.

A Note from Anton

If you are reading this in early 2024, you have purchased this adventure as part of Kickstarter’s Zine Quest. Thank you for your support, as I’m sure this has encouraged our creative team and myself to produce even more of this setting we are pouring so much of ourselves into. We truly want you to wander away from the

14

The Outer Seas

gaming table after experiencing this strange landscape with the same bom bastic afterglow that came from epic Saturday morning cartoons and nail biting Sword & Sorcery stories. If you are an early traveler to the Outer Seas, you do not yet have access to the core book and various supple ments we have planned for this set ting. Some of the material within this adventure will be even more alien and strange than it may be down the road, when you have more lore and setting support for the species and features that make the Outer Seas so special. If you have found this adventure years from the time of publication I hope that you have sent a message to a friend touting your collecting prowess, much like I do with my friend Cullen, and that your friend is now feverishly searching for their own copy so that their collection can keep up with yours. I may never own a 2nd Edition map of the Underdark, but hunting for it is all the sweeter knowing that when I find it, if I ever do, Cullen will celebrate my victory with me. For those who fit into the early adopter camp, you will likely be bringing established character classes and species into this setting from your current tabletop setting. Those work just fine for this adventure and the adventures to come, so jump on in! The water is fine. Drifting into the Outer Seas The Outer Seas have a way of collecting things after all. People, oddities, artifacts, and ancient civ ilizations end up on or beneath the endless waves, making this strange place a fantastical landscape for boundless adventure, so your current or newly established characters are

perfect additions to its ever growing collection. Due to the strange nature of the Outer Seas, most characters not native to them and the planet of Ryn they reside upon come from places beyond. While we believe Storytellers are fully capable of coming up with all sorts of fantastical reasons why your characters have been pulled from their home dimensions and depos ited on these strange, haunted shores, the below options may provide a quick intro to how they have arrived in such a predicament. If the player is camping in a for ested area or grassy field, read or paraphrase the following. As you fall asleep near the warmth of a smoldering camp fire in some cold, dark forest far from home, dreams of a vast shadowy figure, bigger than the sky, tugging upon the hori zon fill your sleeping mind. The landscape is submerged as you find yourself afloat on a pool of moonlight, where golden eyed sea birds sing to them of secrets deep below the waves. As you awaken, the light of a golden sun beams down on you. Beneath you, the cold packed soil of an old growth forest has been replaced with the white sand of a tropical beach. Your gear is all there, but any signs of your camp are nowhere to be found. As you look about, you see a verdant jungle stretching out to the north, with massive trees climbing what appears to be a colossal mountain side.

If the player has found them selves in a situation where death by

15

The Clawing Chaos

execution is close at hand, read or paraphrase the following.

To the south, an endless ocean stretches out to the horizons, and to the north a lush jungle climbs its way up a mountainous landscape.

The blindfold is tight against your eyes as you stand in front of a firing squad for a crime you may or may not have committed. You hear the call for ready, and the familiar sound of bow strings being drawn. The call for aim is given and echoes through the night as strong winds begin to whip about you. And then… screams. They start at first in the dis tance but soon fill the air. If the call for fire is given, you never hear it as you are swept up in a wall of water and tossed about like a cork upon violent seas. As you gasp for breath and try to break your bindings, you collide with something scaly and larger than anyone would be comfortable with meeting in a turbulent sea. Consciousness slips from you, and when you wake you find yourself on a white sand beach.

If the player is traveling, read or paraphrase the following.

As you travel across the desert you become aware that you are quickly sinking into the sands beneath your feet. You try to save yourself from being sucked under, but you find the sand takes on a life of its own, with tendrils that pull you down into the dark embrace of the earth. As you claw to the surface, you are freed from the confines of your sandy prison, only to find yourself in a strange new landscape, where vast waters stretch out to the south. To the north, a tropical jungle slowly ascends up the ever grow ing hills of a mountainous landscape.

16

The Outer Seas

EMBARKING ON STRANGE SHORES

1 - The Beach The players are all strangers to this strange land. Regardless of whether they are native to the Outer Seas or strangers from worlds beyond the watchful eye of Charon the Sun God, they are all cast upon the strange jungle shore by the twisting tides of fate. The threads of chance have knit the player characters together, so it stands to reason that they have been deposited close to each other, able to spot one

17

The Clawing Chaos

another as they get a handle on their current situation. Read or paraphrase the following as they begin to find their bearings. The beach stretches out around you, wrapping gently around the curved shoreline. To the south, a vast sea stretches out to a horizon much farther than you have seen before. Between you and that far horizon, noth ing but waves seems to inhabit the vast oceanic landscape. As you look to the north, the white sand beaches give way to a dense verdant jungle that climbs its way up growing hills and rockwall mountainsides. Perception Check DC 10 - Upon a successful Perception Check the play ers spot location 1. The Odd Obelisk - The Sea . Read or Paraphrase the following. To the North , breaking through the dense jungle can opy, you see a cyclopean mono lith, its gray and weather-worn exterior showing the tell-tale signs of a civilized hand at work. Deep concentric grooves carved into its surface reveal adornment made by intelligent design. While from your current van tage point you cannot make out what the carving is meant to depict, it is the only sign of civ ilization you see in your current predicament. Give the players an opportunity to introduce themselves to each other and express their confusion, fear, or excitement as they now enter a wholly new location.

2 - The Odd Obelisk - The Sea

As the players near 2. The Odd Obelisk - The Sea read or paraphrase the following. The tropical vegetation is dense, making travel across the jungle floor slow going. The slowly increasing eleva tion flattens out as you crest a sand dusted landing of carved heavy stone. In the center of this ancient vine-choked platform is a towering obelisk of carved gray stone. Across its weath ered surface, you can make out a chaotic pattern of thousands of concentric circles that clash and ripple out across the surface of the stone, giving the impres sion that the observer is looking down upon the surface of a vast sea from a great height. The area around this obelisk is overgrown in most areas, with young trees and flowering plants pushing through the cracks in the ancient stone. With an Investigation Check DC 12, the players discover, under a webwork of vines near the base of the obelisk, a woven seagrass basket. The woven seagrass basket con tains: A multitude of brightly col ored dried flowers, 2 pearls (20gp), a small turtle statue carved out of obsidian (15 gp), and a ceremonial dagger made of bone with a handle crafted from the shell of a large oyster (10 gp). Upon a Perception Check DC 12, read or paraphrase the following.

18

The Outer Seas

A gentle breeze from the n ortheast blows through the clearing, bringing with it ash and the smell of fresh cinder. From your vantage point through the trees, you can make out a small gathering of structures in the distance. 3 - The Abandoned Village As the players near 3. The Abandoned Village read or paraphrase the following.

THE ABANDONED VILLAGE MAP

19

The Clawing Chaos

water droplets fall upon all unsheltered creatures within a 50 ft. radius centered on the Well. If the water is collected or taken farther than 50 ft. away from the well, it becomes a strange smelling vapor that occasionally attracts hungry sea birds and biting flies. Roll 1d8 to determine the effect of the Geyser. Roll Encounter Points. If the number rolled puts you over your max Hit Point total, these are consid ered bonus Hit Points until you take a long rest or lose them. 2. Orange - Your skeleton be- gins to glow the color of your eyes. It glows so brightly that it can be seen clearly under your skin. This effect lasts until the next sunrise. Until this effect ends, you have dis- advantage on all Stealth Checks. 3. Yellow - Your movement speed is increased by 5 ft. for the next hour. 4. Green - Your skin begins to develop a green rash as a transparent oil-like substance clings where the droplets make contact with your body. Until you wash the oil from your skin, you make all Constitution Saves at disadvantage. This effect lasts for the next 24 hours. 5. Blue - All natural poison ous and minor diseases currently afflicting you are cured. 1. Red - You gain 1d10 Hit

The smell of cinder and ash grows stronger as you draw closer to the small collection of wooden huts positioned around a large hole in the ground lined with black sea glass bricks. A. The Well : As the players near the Well , read or paraphrase the following. A large hole has been buried into the ground and then lined with polished black sea glass. It appears to be close to 30 ft. deep, with water-smoothed sides. As you stand peering into its depths, you can make out gurgling sounds at random intervals. The Well is connected to an aquifer that runs through Leviathan Roxsis’s shell. At random intervals, the Well spews forth a 10-15 ft. Rainbow Gey ser of fresh water, causing a brief but spectacular ribbon of colored light to drift through the air as the droplets fall upon those close by. The waterline of the Well is 30 ft. down. The well itself travels another 100 ft. down before it splits into a labyrinthian webwork of increasingly smaller tunnels made of jagged coral and sharp bits of shell. For anyone who falls into the well, climbing back up unaided is quite difficult and requires an Athletics Check DC 15. Rainbow Geyser Every 10 min or at the Sto ryteller’s discretion, Roll 1d20. Upon the roll of a 15-20, the Rainbow Geyser erupts and

20

The Outer Seas

As the players enter the Basket Maker’s Hut read or paraphrase the following. As you step through the door less archway of this simple hut and your eyes adjust to the darkness within, you notice to the north of the room, on the floor, there is a simple sleeping mat made of woven seagrass. Along the western wall to the south, you can see a collection of Baskets in various states of construction hanging from stone hooks. Along the south wall sits a wooden loom next to a stone Table scattered with brightly colored bundles of dried cord and threads, and a small pile of folded fabrics. Tucked into a nook along the eastern wall there are two smaller sleeping mats and a col lection of small stone blocks, sea glass marbles, and a small turtle made of natural fibers with pearl eyes. Baskets - There are six baskets in total, two of them complete and the rest in various stages of construction. They are woven of natural fibers and seem to be able to carry close to 10 lbs. Table - An I nvestigation Check DC 12 uncovers a set of Pearl Han dled Knitting Needles .

6. Indigo - Your hair grows six inches and turns an iridescent silver color. For the next 24 hours, you may make all Charisma Saving Throws with advantage. 7. Violet - Where the water makes contact with your skin, your skin takes on a hardened shell like texture. You gain +1 to your AC due to this newfound dura bility, however moving quickly causes these shell like growths to pinch your skin and slice into your flesh. You make all Dexter ity Saves at disadvantage. This effect lasts until your next Long Rest. 8. The Color of Magic - You regain one First Level Spell Slot. If you do not have a first level spell slot, your hair begins to float as if you are under water.This effect lasts for 1 hour. B. Basket Maker’s Hut : As the players near the Basket Maker’s Hut read or paraphrase the following. The walls of this hut are carved from wooden logs, and the roof is a patchwork of shell shards that look as if they came from some enormous aquatic creature.

21

The Clawing Chaos

C. The Net Weaver’s Hut : As the players near the Net Weav er’s Hut, read or paraphrase the following. The walls of this long hut are carved from wooden logs, and the roof is arched with curved reeds woven together by long strips of seagrass and kelp. As the players enter the Net Weav er’s Hut read or paraphrase the following. Upon entering one of the two doors to this hut, you see a large coil of woven rope sitting in the north corner of the west- ern wall. Across from it in the southern corner of the western wall sits a mass of Tangled Mass of snapped lines, torn netting, and various other threads and strings. Along the south wall is a table covered with an array of weaving projects that look to all be rope in various states of construction. In the south corner of the east ern wall next to a woven bed mat are a multitude of Broken Bottles that all seem to have been inten tionally shattered. Tangled Mass - A Tangled Terror (p. 93) is slumbering in the mess of broken fishing nets and discarded rope remnants. If it is touched, it awakens and attempts to make a meal of all living creatures in its reach. Broken Bottles - An Investigation Check DC 14 reveals that these bottles range in age, size, shape, and color. The only thing that really stands out in this mess of shattered glass and spilled components is that no two bot tles appear to have been the same.

Pearl Handled Knitting Needles melee weapon (simple, knitting needle)

Category: Items Damage: 1d4

Damage Type: Piercing Item Rarity: Standard Properties: Finesse, Light, Range Weight: .5 lb. Description These pearl handled knit ting needles are prized by Eln net weavers for their durability and viability both in the crafting and combat arts. Mending nets, ropes, and virtually any other cord or thread-like object comes much easier when you have these tools in hand. Ability Mending Stitch - Using these knitting needles to repair a single break or tear in a woven, knitted, or cord-like object, such as a net, rope, or web can be done with ease pro vided the two broken halves are able to be moved within a foot of each other. Using the knitting needles, you may repair the damage with only a slightly discolored line to indi cate the work has been done. Good as New - Upon mak ing a repair to a magical or enchanted object, roll 1d4. Upon the roll of an even number, the magical prop erty of the object is restored. This ability can only be used once a day and only one attempt can be made per dam aged object.

22

The Outer Seas

Colored sands, small shells, and fra grant perfumes all have mingled on the earthen floor of this hut as each of these brightly colored bottles was smashed to bits. With an Investigation Check DC 16, the players discover that as they look upon the wreckage, judging by the way the liquid contents have dried upon the remnants of glass, this act was committed within the last few weeks. D. The Harpoon Maker’s Hut : As the players near the Harpoon Maker’s Hut read or paraphrase the following. A craggy gray hide is stretched out along a tanning rack outside this wooden hut. The wooden exterior has a multitude of chips and knicks that appear to have been caused by impact strikes from a piercing blade over an extended period of time. A Nature Check DC 14 reveals that the hide is of a large aquatic mammal, likely a large seal. Upon the players entering the Har poon Maker’s Hut read or paraphrase the following. The interior of the hut is disheveled looking, as if it has been hastily picked through. In the eastern corner of the northern wall is a Round Wooden Table with two large hefts of bone. Along the western wall lies a Woven Sleeping Mat with a leather patchwork blanket and multiple bundles of feathers tied tightly together with cord and twine.

Set against the southern wall is a Long Low Table with a shelf built underneath it. The top of the table has a small collection of harpoons in various stages of construction. Round Wooden Table - If a player investigates the Round Wooden Table read or paraphrase the following. A multitude of bones lay in disorganized piles on the table. It appears as if a skilled hand had been shaping and sharpening them for various purposes and was interrupted in the middle of their work. An Investigation Check DC 16 informs the players that these piles have been sifted through by careless hands, not the hands of the skilled craftsperson who lived here. A Perception Check DC 14 spots a Bone Tusk Dagger carelessly knocked onto the floor and under the table out of casual sight. Bone Tusk Dagger melee weapon (simple, dagger) Damage Type: Piercing Item Rarity: Standard Properties: Buoyant, Finesse, Light, Range Range: 20/60 ft. Weight: .5 lb. Description This dagger is carved from the tusk of a strange aquatic beast. The handle is wrapped in Category: Items Damage: 1d4

23

The Clawing Chaos

Glacial Stone Adventuring gear

shark skin strips and the blade is adorned with a wave pattern. Ability Buoyant - The Bone Tusk Dagger floats and, if released under water, rises at a speed of 5 ft. per round to the surface of the body of water it is in, unless it is halted by something that weighs more than it does. Bleeding Bite - On a natural 20, the dagger causes any target capable of bleeding to take additional bleed damage equal to half the amount of damage inflicted by this strike. This bleeding continues for 1d4+1 rounds, or until a full action is used to stop the bleeding through healing magics or a Medicine Check DC 16. Shattering Strike - On a natural 1, the dagger shatters, dealing 1d10+4 damage to all creatures capable of bleeding, including the welder, in a 20 ft. radius centered on the dagger. Once this ability is used, the dagger is destroyed. Woven Sleepingmat - If the players investigate the woven sleeping mat read or paraphrase the following. The woven sleeping mat appears to be made of strips of tanned leather bound together by strips of kelp and seagrass. The bundles of feathers seem to be collected from a variety of birds and provide a rest for one’s head or feet. An Investigation Check DC 14 uncovers that inside one of the pil lows, there is a small blue Glacial Stone .

Category: Items Item Rarity: Very Rare Weight: .2 lb. Description

This smooth ice blue stone has a thin layer of permanent frost that clings to the outside. Ability Constant Cool - The Glacial Stone lowers the temperature of up to 5 lbs. of a non magical object it is touching to almost freezing temperature. Long Low Table - If a player inves tigates the Long Low Table read or paraphrase the following. This long low table holds four Stone Fang Harpoons in various states of construction. Two of them seem functional while the other two need quite a bit more work. The shelf below the table has various wooden rods, wood carving tools, and sharpening stones that must have been used for harpoon construction.

Stone Fang Harpoon Melee weapon (martial, harpoon)

Category: Weapon Damage: 1d10

24