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Against the Wizards: Undersea Laboratory of Aquan Archmage

by Not a Decepticon from Threshold Magazine issue 31

D&D 5th Edition Adventure for a party of 12th Level

At the bottom of the Undersea, near the coast of Sind, occupying Alphatian forces have built a laboratory. Inside, on the orders of Emperor Zandor the Mad, ruthless mages are researching new means of fighting the civil war that consumed their fatherland. In white-clean corridors magic becomes science and office politics play in the shadows of horrors this world has never seen.

Synopsis

The adventure is intended to be set in an alternate timeline described in War On All Sides¹ and Mystara 1030² timeline by Glen Welch, with changes carrying over from my own campaign, especially regarding shark-kin. It is located in waters of the Sea of Dread on the coast of Sind. It may require adjustments to place it in other timelines or locations, but any nation occupied by Alphatia with access to the sea, especially Sea of Dread, should do.

The adventure is balanced around a party of 4 12th level characters. After completing it they should advance to level 13.

The adventure assumes that the PCs are accomplished adventurers who have been heard of in the region; characters who carry ill will towards Alphatia or have worked with or sympathize with Sindi people and their plight.

The three main themes of the adventure are:

1. Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from science. This is accomplished by giving the location a look more out of a science-fiction story, despite all machines being inherently magical, in order to cause a sense of unease and discomfort among player characters.

2. Picking up your battles. High-level PCs are absolutely overpowered in 5e. As such, the adventure has been designed by throwing balance out of the window, often putting deadly fight after deadly fight. This is an encounter dungeon, where charging ahead will get the whole thing crashing down on you. PCs need to learn to pick their battles and use stealth, lies, diplomacy and treachery to get ahead.

3. Playing with forces you cannot control. A lot of the rooms are examples of classic Wizard Hubris, with Alphatian wizards poking every possible hornet's nest they could find, all at once. It is very likely the PCs' actions will make this whole thing spiral out of control and to that I say: ride the wave. If things go straight into the recreation of Cabin in the Woods climax, embrace it and let it happen. There are many ways in which consequences of PCs' decisions will come to haunt them.

Background and Setup

In this timeline Sind has been "liberated" from the Master's forces by Alphatians, who promptly occupied it themselves. However, Alphatia is distant and has recently descended into a civil war of succession. With his claim to the throne challenged, Emperor Zandor has begun moving troops from Sind. It is finally time for the nation to rise and throw off the oppressors

When occupation began, the legendary artifact, Black Hole Diamond, was stolen by Alphatian forces, in order to study its magical properties. Its religious importance as a symbol of the Immortal Ganetra (Sindi form of Ssu-Ma), has been of great cultural significance and recovering it could be seen as a sign of divine approval of the revolution, greatly raising morale and recruitment.

The artifact is currently being held in a laboratory built at the bottom of the Undersea, a few miles from the coast of Sind.

Shivangi Adhira (CG Human Scout), one of the leaders of the Sindi resistance cell in the region, approaches the party in secret. If the PCs are famous in the region, she will have a letter delivered to them by one of the secret sympathizers, in which she appeals to their sense of justice and compassion, asking to meet in the city of Kandaputra. There the PCs will be led by subtle signs and actions from beggars and former members of Untouchable class, to a small wine cellar away from the main streets. There they'll meet a middle-aged woman with a bow and arrows, who clearly has seen many hardships, but still carries herself with the dignity of a higher born.

Shivangi will reveal she heard of the PCs' exploits, naming at least one deed per PC, slightly exaggerating them. She will see interpretation of various acts that prove the PCs' compassion, altruism and bravery against tyranny. With that she'll segue to asking their help, describing the current situation of people in Jalawar. They hadn't had a chance to rebuild after the Master's occupation, before the Alphatian governor of this province began emptying remaining coffers. And for the last few years he's been dragging able-bodied men and women as young as thirteen as slaves or "volunteers," shipping them across the ocean to fight in Zandor's war. But many people in the province wish for restoration of old ways, so her resistance, with its reformist stance, is struggling. She had considered joining a more conservative resistance cell, but they were wiped out by some new weapon³, making her group the last in the region. Recovering the artifact could paint her group as having Immortal blessing, rallying people to her banner.

Shivangi hopes to appeal both to the PCs' altruistic side and egos. However, if pressured about payment, she admits the resistance, like most, is strapped for cash. So instead, she offers them the Golden Key: one of three keys to open a secret legendary vault where the last Rajah of free Sind kept hidden vast riches beyond imagination. The key will serve as advanced payment, and if the PCs will serve their purpose, she will also provide them with the location of said hidden vault. With her revolutionary views, Shivangi believes this money would only consume the revolution in greed-induced squabbles, so it is better to hand it to a dangerous third party, which hopefully may have a vested interest in investing in the restoration of Sind.

The party will likely find her offer too good to be true. If any of them wants to roll for Insight, you can tell a PC with the highest modifier they don't even need to roll, they see Shivangi is honest, to an outright unsettling level. However, if the PCs wish to investigate her, allow them to choose the method and roll for whichever skill feels appropriate. For every two points over 10 on the roll, reveal one of the following sentences about Shivangi: She has lost her family's fortune to machinations of another noble. Her two sons were slain by the Master's forces. Her elderly husband died from working the fields under the occupant. She found new love with a member of the untouchable caste, only to watch him die during the long winter. She saw the man who took her fortune sacrifice his life to save her from an explosion during Alphatian "liberation." She learned archery from legendary hero Raahinya. Her goal is a Sind free of both the colonizers and the old caste system and Rajahs.

Monster Adjustment

Due to not wanting to design every spellcaster and warrior, I use substitution of existing statblocks from Monster Manual (these monsters, due to wide availability of SRD, do not have their source listed), Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Mordekainen's Tome of Foes, Tales from the Yawning Portal, Volo's Guide to Monsters and 3rd party adventure Sea King's Malice. As I know not everyone will have access to them, I will provide Challenge Rating of these creatures, for easy substitution of the DM's own choice. In other places I will be using homebrew monster conversions, mostly those done by Glen Welch, Sheldon Morris or Seethyr, available at the Vaults of Pandius and linked for each individual creature in the annotations. I take no credit for the design of any creature in this adventure.

If an NPC uses statistics of a drow, they are instead an aquatic elf from the Kingdom of Aqua. They lose Sunlight Sensitivity Trait and gain Amphibious, allowing them to breathe both air and water, and swimming speed equal to their walking speed.

Shark-kin working for Alphatians are a result of experiments on regular shark-kin, making them even more dangerous. These mutants are bipedal, but look more like main characters of the Street Sharks animated series, rather than the creatures whose statblocks they use, the sahuagin. In addition, having been spliced with electric eels, all mutant shark-kin in this adventure gain the following traits:

• Damage Immunities: lightning.

• Lunge: Shark-kin's first attack in a turn deals additional 2d6 damage if it has moved at least 20 feet in a straight line before making it.

• Electric Explosion: When a shark-kin dies, it explodes with electric energy. All creatures within 10 ft from it must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity Saving Throw, taking 8 (2d6) lighting damage on a failed save, half as much on a successful one. If the shark-kin's size is above Medium at the moment of its death, increase the range of explosion by 5 ft, Save DC by 2 and damage by 4 (1d6) per size category.

• Electrified Body (applies only to shark-kin size Large or above): A creature touching a shark-kin, hitting it, or getting hit by it with a melee weapon attack, takes 5 points of lighting damage.

These traits are something I added to shark-kin mutants in my campaign when using them as substitutes for original monsters from adventure The Secret of Skyhorn Lighthouse⁴.

Adventure Location

The Laboratory is located at the sea bottom not far away from the border with Atruaghin Clans, sixteen miles south of the Royal Elephant Gardens in the Province of Jalawar and forty miles east of Kandaputra. It is a complex built into the sea bottom itself, majoritarily underground, with tunnels and rooms built into the rock.

On the way there the PCs may have a random encounter; roll a d4 to determine what they run into:

1. A bored sea giant⁵ that will seek a fight unless the PCs find a way to entertain him. He retreats if reduced to less than a half of his hit point maximum

2. 4 giant manta rays⁶ trying to ambush the party

3. Swarm of giant jellyfish⁷ composed of 1d4+1 death's heads, 2d4+1 marauders, and 2d6+1 galleys, occupying the narrow passage in coral reef the PCs must take

4. Nothing, the journey is uneventful

Features of the Area

Walls: The walls, ceilings and floors of all rooms and corridors are made out of magically-reinforced adamantine, covered on the inside with adamantine-reinforced ceramic. As such they all have AC of 23, hardness of 20, and hit points appropriate to size. All checks to climb the walls or avoid being knocked prone are made with disadvantage. If more than half of the walls in the room all are destroyed, it will flood in 5d10 minutes. In corners of each wall, there's a number of miniscule portals to Plane of Air, providing breathable air in the whole complex.

Light: Within each room there is one of three possible light sources that double as a surveillance system,remotely operated by the sea hags in Area 35, installed in the center of the ceiling. Whenever PCs enter a numbered room, roll 1d4 to determine which one. 1: a shark's head with eyes plucked out and continuous light cast on its teeth. As an action a hag can use it to make a smell-based Wisdom (Perception) check to detect all creatures in the room, making it at advantage if any of these creatures is below its hit point maximum. 2: A dolphin's head with continuous light cast on it. As an action a hag can make it emit a dolphin sound, learning the number and type of creatures in the room. A DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to fall prone can be used to avoid detection. 3–4: A small hole with hag's eye inside it and a spell of continuous light cast in such a way as to remove all shadows from the area. Hags can see through the eye as normal, but, due to close proximity of the light, they make all Perception checks through it with disadvantage.

If all the dolphin heads begin making noise at once, it means the alarm went off.

Doors: All doors are made of the same material as the walls and possess the same object statistics. The doors are made of three wavy squares, two that extend from the ceiling and one that extends from the floor, so that when the door is closed, it looks like a wavy A symbol. The door can be forced open with a DC 25 Athletic check. Next to each door is a panel that can be used to open or close the door with possession of the right password (usually a simple magical formula), DC 15 Arcana Check or DC 20 Dexterity Check using thieves' tools or spending a spell slot of level 1 or lower.The doors are all protected against the knock spell. If a room or corridor begins to flood, all doors in it lock automatically and can only be opened with force until water is removed. Each door holds for a number of hours equal d12 minus the number of flooded rooms connected to one directly behind it. Eg. if Areas 11 and 17 flood, door to Area 22 holds for 2d12-2 hours.

Prison Cells: All rooms named Prison Cell are equipped with manacles and chains attached to the walls, made of adamantine. The panels to open the doors to these rooms are installed only on the outside, but the doors can still be forced open with brute strength.

Scrying: False Hydra in Area 32 had its powers redirected to shield the laboratory from Divination magic. All magical attempts at inferring knowledge from outside the lab will succeed, but the caster and everyone else will instantly forget any knowledge learned through it. However, the DM should note what knowledge has been gained this way, as if the Hydra is slain, the party will regain all lost memories. In addition, at any point during exploration of the lab, the DM can decide to have the player character make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw, allowing them to recall a piece of knowledge; I would suggest one relevant to the nearest room.

Teleportation: All teleportation magic used to enter the laboratory results in all creatures affected by the spell to appear at the sea bottom near the false entrance to the laboratory. The Alphatians regularly send out golems to retrieve any gear of enemies drowned that way. The only exceptions to that rule are attempts at teleporting to the Teleportation Circle in Area 1 and only if the caster knows a secret password. Passwords change each 24 hours, with people often coming in and out of the facility possessing a special cipher key they use to learn new passwords. Passwords are usually based on the phases of the moon during historical events in the Alphatian calendar.

In addition, in each dead end of a corridor (which are where digging work into the rock has been stopped or is in progress), there is a teleport platform. Stepping into it allows a creature and all creatures touching it to teleport to any of the other teleport platforms in the complex. The teleportation can be directed with a DC 30 Arcana check done by a creature stepping on the platform. Any subsequent use of the platforms lowers the DC by 1. If the check fails, the creature is teleported to a random platform within the complex. Undergoing week-long special training mandatory for the staff reduces DC to 10. Being instructed by a creature who did undergo such training gains advantage on the roll.

Anti-Magic:The magic reinforcing the ceramic covering also has built-in wards that trigger whenever someone attempts to cast anti-magic field or dispel magic, automatically casting counterspell of appropriate level on the caster. This is installed in the walls with a wish spell in order to prevent removal of magic that keeps the structure from being crushed under the immense pressure of rock and ocean. While the wards are integrated into the ceramic and made near-invisible, they can be detected with a DC 30 Perception or Investigation check. DC 15 Arcana check reveals the purpose of these enchantments.

Named NPCs with dispel magic on their spell list have temporary clearance allowing them to be ignored by the wards, being trusted to use the spell in case of emergency. The admission process takes 24 hours, so if a higher-ranked NPC that should have such clearance doesn't, assume they're in the middle of renewing it.

Entrances: There are two ways to enter the complex. There is an adamantine hatch visible on the bottom floor. It can be opened with DC 15 Athletics check or with use of a knock spell. Alternatively, a DC 13 Dexterity check using thieves' tools (or other appropriate tools of player's choice), can be used to remove it from the hinges. The low difficulty of these checks and the fact no effort was put into hiding this hatch will probably tip your players off that this is the false entrance that is used to lure unwanted guests. If it did not, they can only blame themselves for what is to follow.

The hatch opens to a downward slide to a small natural cave, where water will form a small pool. The water leaks through many cracks in the floor, so the PCs can leave towards the nearby ascending staircase, without fear of drowning. The staircase leads to a small 5 by 5 feet platform (unmarked room in top right corner of the map). Any creature standing on the platform it teleported to Area 1. Creatures that enter this way do not follow recompression procedure and suffer decompression sickness: they instantly gain one level of exhaustion and must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw each real time hour or gain another level of exhaustion, until lesser restoration or similar spell is cast on them.

The true entrance is hidden sixty feet west from the false one. It is painted and covered up to blend into the ocean floor, requiring a DC 20 Perception or Investigation check to be discovered, and cannot be found through use of passive checks. This hatch is adamantine and requires a DC 20 Athletics check to force it open. It is not possible to take it off its hinges or to open it with a knock spell. The mages assume any creature knowing of this entrance is capable of opening its traditional way and any magic-user would possess the password to teleport into the complex. This hatch opens to a downward stair that leads to an isolated room, in which water is drained by grates in the floor and redirected back to the ocean. The door on the opposite end of the room opens automatically when there is no water, leading to an upward staircase, leading to Area 2.

Alarm: Any of the NPCs with official titles or rank of Inquisitor has a modified wand of sending they can use to raise alarm. Other NPCs can run to nearest areas where such NPC are to be found. Some Areas list a percentile possibility an NPC will be in the room. In a situation an NPC runs to them to raise an alarm, assume that NPC is there. NPC with access to spells like message or sending will use them for direct contact but will still leave the room to meet with reinforcements. Alarm immediately sends a modified sending message with a brief description for the reason (example: "A dwarf, an Ethengarian, a sea elf and a Makai have been spotted in Area twenty, they are armed and dangerous.") to be heard in all rooms. NPC in Areas 5, 7, 9, 13, 15, 16, 25, 31, 34, 35 and Professor Admiral from Area 38 arrive in the area within 1d4 rounds, starting from those who are nearest, then each new group arrives a round later. If the PCs move, they may still run into the groups as they converge on the area, as would be reasonable. Alarm lasts for 1d10 minutes, unless there have been any updates made through another sending. All through it the Archmage is handling all information sent to him and forwarding it through mass sending with his wand. If reinforcements lose the track of the intruders, the Archmage will direct the search and taunt the PCs with further sendings.

Equipment: Every NPC who does not possess an ability to breathe underwater has been equipped with a cloak of the manta ray. Every NPC who needs to breathe water and isn't a prisoner has a mask of air breathing (Wondrous Item, Common, while wearing this you can breathe air).

Shattered Mind Zones: Areas marked with letters on the map are suffering from manifestations of broken mind and broken magic of Inmate #28 (see Area 28). Whenever a creature enters the marked square, roll d100 on Shattered Mind Surge table below, causing an Inmate's escaped thought to appear in their head as their own. It is added to the creature's Personality, Ideals, Bonds or Flaws (which one is determined randomly with roll of d4). If an effect of a thought calls for a saving throw, it is a Wisdom saving throw, unless specified otherwise. Save DC is 15 the first time, then increases by 2 every next time the situation calls for it. Effects last until the affected creature succeeds on three saving throws in a roll, or greater restoration, remove curse, or higher-level spell of similar effect is cast on them. In addition whenever a creature is subjected to one of those thoughts, roll 1d4+1. This is a number of days after which, if not removed, the thought becomes permanent and can no longer be removed. In addition, a creature that lets this happen rolls on an Indefinite Madness Table. A creature can be affected by multiple Shattered Mind Surges at the same time. Their effects overlap, and if two would nullify each other, only the nullified part isn't in effect, while others are. If a roll determines a thought that has already been rolled, roll again. Once there are no thoughts left, these areas do not trigger anymore. Once triggered, the Shattered Mind area does not trigger again for 1 minute.

Result	Thought	Positive Effect	Negative Effect
1–4	None	None	None
5–8	"I AM THE LAW!"	Advantage on Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion checks to establish your dominance.	You must succeed on a saving throw whenever wanting to de-escalate conflict or admit being wrong or you cannot say anything.
9–12	"What do I have to fear?"	You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or, if you already had such ability, you are immune to frightened condition.	You must succeed on a saving throw to take a disengage action or leave combat.
13–16	"...connoisseur of all things beautiful"	Advantage on all checks relating to all forms of art.	Whenever presented with an opportunity to spend money on art pieces or participate in art performances, you must succeed on a saving throw or have to do it.
17–20	"It's all a matter of hand-eye coordination"	Advantage on ranged attack rolls.	When in combat you want to take an action other than a ranged attack action, you must succeed on a saving throw or must take a ranged attack action instead.
21–24	"This party is only getting started!"	Advantage on Performance checks.	Whenever you try to make a Stealth or Sleight of Hand roll, you must succeed on a saving throw or break into a loud performance.
25–28	"One more round, please!"	You remove a level of exhaustion whenever engaging in any addictions you have.	If you do not suffer any addictions, you gain one as determined by you and the DM in private. Whenever taking a short or long rest without having indulged your addiction since the last one, you must pass a saving throw or suffer a level of exhaustion.
29–32	"...is right, I should put myself more in other people's shoes"	Advantage on Insight checks.	Whenever you try to take an offensive action (attack, spell that causes damage, etc.) against an enemy, you must succeed on a saving throw or you must spend that action taking Persuasion or Deception check instead.
33–36	"Do I ever leave the library? Kid, I AM the library!"	Advantage on all Knowledge Skills.	Whenever attempting another Skill check you must pass a saving throw or must try to apply a Knowledge check of your choice instead. If the task is not something a Knowledge check can be applied to, you automatically fail.
37–40	"Just... bear the... pain...for a little....longer..."	Advantage on Constitution saving throws.	Disadvantage on all Dexterity saving throws to avoid taking damage.
41–44	"You snooze, you lose, moron"	Advantage on Intimidation checks and on attack rolls against creatures who haven't made their first turn in combat.	Disadvantage on Saving Throws to avoid being frightened.
45–48	"...the whimsy and strange beauty found under every rock, in every grain of sand..."	Advantage on all rolls to recall knowledge about Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fiends, Monstrosities, or Undead.	Disadvantage on all saving throws and ability checks to avoid being charmed, frightened, or tricked by illusions.
49–52	"Always have right tool for the job"	Advantage on all checks requiring the use of tools.	Whenever presented with an opportunity to use tools you are proficient with, you must succeed on a saving throw or take it.
53–56	"Unlike you, I am perfectly logical"	Advantage on Intelligence checks and Saving Throws.	Disadvantage on all Animal Handling, Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion checks.
57–60	"I must been so in the zone, I didn't even notice when she stabbed me"	Advantage on Concentration checks.	Whenever you make a choice to avoid taking damage (eg. not entering an area of poisonous gas while walking) you must succeed on a saving throw or forget about the danger and act in a way that will make you take that damage.
61–64	"You're missing the forest for the trees!"	Advantage on Perception checks.	Disadvantage on Investigation checks.
65–68	"We're gonna do it like my good old daddy used to!"	Advantage on all melee attacks.	Whenever you take an action in combat other than melee attack, you must pass DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or you must take melee attack action instead.
69–72	"..but if I'm quick, I should be able to tackle him before..."	Advantage on Initiative Rolls and Dexterity Saving Throws	Whenever trying to peacefully engage a hostile creature, you must succeed on a saving throw or enter combat.
73–76	"What's the matter? Scared of an honest debate?!"	Advantage on Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion checks.	Whenever meeting a person holding any strong beliefs, you must succeed on a saving throw or must engage in a debate with the opposite position, even if you do not believe it.
77–80	"I feel like I could run the walls, dance on the rooftop's edges, jump to the moon if I wanted"	Advantage on Acrobatics, Athletics, and Performance checks.	Whenever standing or sitting in the same spot for more than one round, you must succeed on a saving throw or must immediately move and do something requiring Athletics or Acrobatics check.
81–84	"Do you feel it? It's the city, whispering to me sweet secrets and painful truths. Blood has flown down these streets."	Advantage on all checks to recall information about cities and navigate city streets, laws and customs.	When in a city, once every 12 hours you must succeed on a saving throw, or be incapacitated for 10 minutes, as your mind and senses are pleasantly overwhelmed by the city.
85–88	"You want these kids? You'll have to go through me!"	Whenever an effect is targeting an ally within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to redirect it to yourself. However, unless you succeed on a saving throw, you must use this ability.
89–92	"The truth is, I'm so afraid of disappointing anyone, I end up disappointing everyone"	Advantage on Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion checks.	Whenever you're about to do or say something that you know will negatively change the attitude of someone who likes you towards you, you must succeed on a saving throw or you cannot do it.
93–96	"The construction of this room, don't you think it's a little odd?	Advantage on Perception and Investigation checks.	Analytical approach to your surroundings imposes disadvantage on all Initiative rolls.
97–100	"Keep yourself together, you goddamn fool!"	Advantage on Wisdom Saving Throws, except those related to effects of this table.	Choose one Ability Score other than Wisdom. You have disadvantage on saving throws of that Ability Score.

Wandering Monsters

The DM should roll for a random encounter every hour of real-life game the party spends in the laboratory. On a result of 1 the DM should roll 2d8-1 or select one of encounters in the table below:

1	Shark-kin Patrol: 1 Commander (Sahuagin Baron), 2 Priestesses (Sahuagin High Priestess) and 10 shark-kin mutants (Sahuagin). They are instructed to attack intruders, but they can be fooled into believing the party are members of the staff with a DC 18 Deception check. The check is made with disadvantage if the party is doing anything suspicious and becomes impossible if they are doing anything hostile or blatantly out of character for a staff member.
2	Sea Hag Patrol: 9 sea hags, grouped into 3 sea hag covens. As they are being controlled by kopru, they attack immediately and fight to the death and cannot be fooled. Moreover, if they notice the intruders, the kopru will immediately raise an alarm and inform everyone of the party's presence.
3	Junior Researchers: 3 Mages engrossed in a conversation about their research. The conversation makes them pay little attention and they are taught to not question their superiors. Combination of these factors make all checks to hide or deceive them to be made with an advantage.
4	Researcher: One Archmage on the way either to their lab, quarters or cafeteria. Researcher walks by, eating a sandwich and reading a new report, so engrossed in the lecture all checks to hide from them are made with an advantage. However, they know by name all of the personnel, so it is impossible to deceive them that the party is working here and all other checks to lie to them are made with disadvantage.
5	Harini the Deer (see Area 3) on her way to another maintenance job. The party can avoid her with a DC 10 Stealth check or convince her they're working here with a DC 10 Deception check, since she tends to avoid people and does not know the staff very well. Otherwise she follows the rules outlined in description of Area 3.
6	Roll on Shattered Mind Surge Table for a single PC, reroll results below 5.
7	Seahawk and Weehawk. Twin brothers born from a romance between a Turtle Clan man and a sea elf from the Minrothad Guilds. Seahawk (NG, Human Swashbuckler, Volo's Guide to Monsters, CR 3) is a bombastic, if a bit cowardly, wannabe pirate and adventurer, who had been captured when trying to sabotage an Alphatian ship. Weehawk (CG Aquatic Elf, Berserker), his serious, but prone to solving all problems through fighting, trans brother, heard about it, set off on a rescue quest...and promptly got himself captured. The brothers managed to escape from Area 19 when it was overtaken by Crazy Hassan, and are now looking for an exit, bickering about which way to go. The party will hear their arguments, in a mix of Minrothaddan and Atruaghin languages, from a good way ahead, giving PCs a full round to hide. DC 10 check is needed to avoid being noticed by them. If they do notice the party, Weehawk will rush them, yelling "YOU WILL NEVER TAKE US ALIVE, ALPHATIAN SCUM!" and attack, while Seahawk will grab his head and scream "Mom's gonna kill me!". It should be relatively easy, except for potential language barrier, to convince the two that the PCs are not Alphatians. At worst, DC 12 Persuasion check will suffice, but good arguments may allow PCs to pass without having to roll. The brothers are eager to escape, but the PCs can convince them to help fight the Alphatians, gaining potential allies. However, their constant arguments do impose disadvantage on the group's Stealth checks to avoid being heard. If either of the brothers is slain, the other one will swear revenge and dedicate his life fighting his killers, be it the PCs or Alphatians. As the two are completely lost, they are too confused to deliver any meaningful information on the laboratory.
8	Interns: 1d4 Apprentice Mages (Volo's Guide to Monsters) in hurry carrying on one important task or another. If they spot the PCs, they run away to the nearest allies to raise the alarm. They can be deceived with a DC 15 Deception check or intimidated with a DC 10 Intimidation check.
9	Chief of Security: Samaeel the All-Seeing (See Area 5) on his morning round around the facility (which, despite being "morning round," he does whenever he feels like). Due to being distracted by his new conspiracies, all Stealth rolls to hide from him have an advantage. He can be interacted with just as described in Area 5.
10	Grand Inquisitor Aleenusa (See Area 5) is on one of her regularly scheduled patrols across the whole complex and is on high alert, making all rolls to hide from her to be rolled at a disadvantage. She can be interacted with as described in that Area.
11	Poe & Chandler: Detective Poe (see Area 16) is scolding Junior Detective Chandler (See Area 15) after the latter's mess-up. Due to that the PCs have advantage on Stealth checks to avoid them. If combat breaks out, Poe sends Chandler for reinforcements, raising the alarm, while he holds the PCs off.
12	David the Kobarian (See Area 13) has left the hideout to scavenge for food. He acts as if encountered in Area 13.
13	The Inquisition: Three members of Alphatian Inquisition who went to celebrate promotion of one of Trainees to full-fledged Inquisitor, have spotted the party and set up an ambush at the next turn, wanting to capture them for themselves and assuming the PCs will not be expecting that. Members of this trio use statistics of Drow Elite Warrior, Drow Priestess of Lolth and Drow House Captain (Mordekainen's Tome of Foes, CR 9). The ambush can be spotted with a DC 18 Perception check, otherwise PCs begin the combat surprised. The PCs can try to avoid the ambush altogether, but that will require DC 16 group Stealth check or the ambushers will notice it and begin chasing the PCs down to fight. They fight to the death, as they fear the humiliation awaiting them if they fail, more than death.
14	Lead Researcher: Professor Admiral Patrisha de Fray-Seaserpent (Drow Matron Mother, Volo's Guide to Monsters, CR 20) is approaching the nearest laboratory to discuss some matter or another. She immediately raises an alarm and attacks the PCs if she spots them, wishing to capture and study them.
15	A single Malignant Thought, that is "trying" to pass unnoticed but can be spotted with a DC 12 Perception check. It runs away but always can be seen taking turns away from each room, as if trying to lead the PCs to Area 27 (which is exactly what it is doing).

Image: Map of the Undersea Laboratory http://pandius.com/AquanLaboratory.png

Caption: Undersea Laboratory, the map has been generated using donjon, https://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/dungeon. I picked up the map and didn't read its ideas on how to fill it. The website is, however, responsible for the chaotic manner in which the rooms have been numbered. I tried to make the best of it.

Laboratory Room by Room

1. Teleportation Room

Walls of this room have been covered in glyphs that trigger whenever any creature is teleported into the room without the password. On Initiative Order 20 the glyphs cast hypnotic pattern with Spell Save DC of 20 on the whole room. Next round, on Initiative turn of 20 the glyphs cast hold monster with Spell Save DC of 20 on all remaining creatures unaffected by the hypnotic pattern. If all creatures are incapacitated, the soldiers in Area 9 enter the room, strip them of all weapons and equipment and deliver them to area 25. If any of the creatures are left capable of fighting back, the guards enter the room and attack, fighting to knock unconscious, not to kill.

2 Recompression Chamber

This chamber serves to allow for controlled recompression of the creatures entering the area. Magic in the room regulates the pressure differences, allowing for peaceful adjustment. The process starts once creatures enter the room. Doors on the opposite end do not open until the process is complete. Once it is, the door to Area 3 opens automatically, while the door to Area 7 remains closed. A creature that interrupts the process or forces their way through the chamber deeper into the lab before it is finished suffers decompression sickness as if it entered the other way.

3 Maintenance Room

This room is used to store tools necessary for maintaining the spells in the laboratory, including rare spell components, metallurgy tools, and wands of metal shape, a spell which works like stone shape, but operates on metal or metal-infused objects, used to repair the walls. There is a sleeping bag in the corner of the room.

Harini the Deer (Apprentice Wizard, Volo's Guide to Monsters) works and lives there, even sleeping in the sleeping bag. There is a 25% chance the party will encounter her whenever they enter this room. She is a native Sindi, who works for Alphatians in exchange for providing her impoverished family better means of life and sending her younger brother into an Alphatian school of magic. She cares for neither Alphatian occupation nor the liberation of Sind, but fears retribution to her family if she's found out doing anything treacherous. She is also extremely digilent and a workaholic, who believes neglecting her job would count as treason. She also suffers from social anxiety, which earned her the nickname the Deer, due to her habit of running away from people. All these combined should make her frustrating to talk to for the players. However, she can be relatively easily persuaded into not raising an alarm, so allow DC 13 Persuasion or Deception check if the party makes good arguments. DC 18 Check is necessary to convince her to provide any information, as that would be actively aiding the enemy of Alphatia, which is treason. Any attempts at intimidation or use of force will cause her to flee to Area 7, raising an alarm. She fights only if cornered.

Harini can provide the PCs with all information outlined in Features of the Area section. She can also list 3 Horrible Rooms—places that cause the biggest maintenance problems around the laboratory. In fact, most of her work is revolving around these rooms.

• "Madman's Room" (Area 28): There is a single madman being experimented on. His screams are haunting and it seems he can infect people with his madness.

• "Skeleton Room" (Area 41): There is a corpse of something horrible and great in it; she has seen the substance being drained from its bones to "turn people into monsters and monsters into even worse monsters."

• "Uuuum...": Third room is Area 32, but Harini cannot tell what exactly is a problem here, she knows she cannot enter this room without the company of Magister Garvit, whose office is in Area 40. He has the only key to open the door to this area and even higher-ranking mages do not go there without him. At some point during the conversation or as the PCs are leaving, Harini's eyes will suddenly widen with fear and she will mutter to herself "It's always hungry... Just eats and eats and eats... so many people." But when pressed about it, she will have no recollection of ever saying that.

Harini can also point to the location of the rooms.

4. Interrogation Room

This room features a single table with two chairs on opposite ends. One of the chairs has manacles attached to its arms and legs. A large Venetian mirror is placed in one of the eastern walls. It is enchanted to connect to the other side of the wall across the stone.

A permanent zone of truth spell is cast on this room. Any creature entering it must pass a DC 15 Charisma Saving Throw or be unable to lie. If a creature passes a saving throw, a hidden compartment in the end of the table opposite to the chair with manacles reveals itself. Otherwise, it can be discovered with a DC 20 Investigation check and unlocked with a knock spell or DC 20 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. Inside is a set of torturer's tools worth 100 gp at any shady fence or 300 gp from a collector of macabre and horrible things. It is kept in a black leather case, with bright gold and pink letters saying "To the Best Mommy in the World—Alexander and Sophia" on the side. The second object is a pair of leather gauntlets with small, round, flat blue crystals installed on the palm and back of each hand. These are shock gauntlets. It also contains a wand of cure light wounds and a wand of revivify.

Sitting on the chair makes the manacles automatically clasp around the target's hands and legs. It requires a knock spell, DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools from another person, or DC 30 check from the trapped person to unlock them. They can be broken free with a DC 18 Athletics check from another person or DC 25 from the trapped person.

Every time a person without protection from lie-detecting magic lies in this room, it receives lightning damage equal to the number of times it has already lied +1. This damage is nonlethal.

Shock Gauntlets

Wondrous Item, common.

Select one Ability Score. You can cast shocking grasp like a spellcaster of appropriate level or lower, if you choose so. Selected Ability Score is your Spellcasting Ability for this item.

5. Security Office

There is a large Venetian mirror in one of the western walls, corresponding to a mirror in Area 4.

A large stone desk is placed at the southern end of the room, covered in whole stacks of documents, ledgers, books, all concerning various cases. Behind it the whole wall is covered in a corkboard full of documents, photos, dates, pins and strings in a somewhat incomprehensible mess. Any creature attempting to decipher it must succeed at DC 20 Wisdom saving throw, taking 2d6 psychic damage on a failed save, half as much on a successful one. This conspiracy board is incomprehensible.

This is the working desk of Chief of Security Samaeel the All-Seeing (Death Tyrant). There is a 25% chance he is in the office when PCs enter it. In this case, he is treating this room as his lair. His personality is a mixture of a conspiracy theorist and a loud police chief threatening to take away a cowboy cop's badge in every crime movie. He can be bargained with due to his conflicting loyalties. While he takes a lot of pride in his job as chief of security and will ruthlessly kill any intruders, he's also a worshiper of Nyx and a member of the Knights of Ebony, an organization dedicated to hunting down creatures from other worlds. As such he is very unhappy about the experiment performed by Magister Garvit, but has been overturned whenever voicing complaints about it. He is willing to "turn a blind eye, pun very much intended" on the PCs' presence in the complex if they assassinate for him Inmate #28 (Area 28) and False Hydra (Area 32), and place incriminating evidence in Magister Garvit's Office (Area 40). He is earnest in his offer and will honor it.

At the northern end of the room is a desk made of fine ebony wood and beautiful tablecloths with "Immortals Don't Play Dice" knitted onto it. There are six locked drawers, each one requiring DC 18 Dexterity check using thieves' tools to unlock, and each protected with a poison needle trap that deals 1d4 piercing damage and forces target to make DC 20 Constitution saving throw each hour for 1d8 hours, or suffer 1d2 cumulative loss of an Ability Score. Which Ability Score is drained is determined by 1d6 roll when the target fails their first saving throw, reroll if that Ability Score already was selected this way for a different drawer. Results are permanent but can be removed with lesser restoration or a stronger spell. Traps can be noticed with DC 25 Investigation or Perception check and disabled with a DC 25 check using thieves' tools each. A set of keys can open the drawers without triggering the trap. Drawers contain, from top to bottom:

1. Dagger of venom with golden dedication "from Ebenezer to my beautiful wife" on the handle

2. Ring of spell storing, containing a single hold monster spell, disguised with magic to look like ring of mind shielding

3. One thousand platinum pieces' worth of zzonga weed, confiscated from the staff and preserved to be resold on black market

4. Bag of holding containing disguise kit, alchemist supplies, elven rations, traveler's outfit, +1 whip, navigator's tools, thieves' tools, and 500 gp

5. An investigation file of Claudia Avelone (see Area 41), with notes suspecting she's taking bribes from Prince Haldemar, but there is no solid evidence to prove it

6. A small painting of a happy family consisting of a young elven woman, a middle-aged human man in wizard robes and a pair of children, human boy and elven girl, bearing clear resemblance to both the man and the woman

This desk belongs to Grand Inquisitor Arleenusa (use statistics of Drow Inquisitor from Mordekainen's Tome of Foes, but give her +15 bonus to Deception, ring of mind shielding, and keys to all the drawers). There's a 30% chance she is in the room when the PCs enter. She is a beautiful, athletic woman with a serious expression, who takes her job very seriously. She took this position to advance her career and get better status for her two children, Alexander and Sophia. She is frustrated by working under a mad Death Tyrant rambling about conspiracy theories—when he isn't threatening to "eat her badge," whatever that is. She is willing to parlay with the PCs if they help her destroy Samaeel in a manner that makes her look good and heroic enough to get promoted to his position. She is willing to provide her ring of spell storing from drawer 2 and offers contents of drawer 3 as a reward. She will not uphold her end of the deal and plans to betray and kill the PCs the moment Samaeel is dealt with, to get rid of the loose ends. An Insight check opposed to her Deception check can reveal that fact. If she's reduced to below half of her HP in combat, she offers both her rings and content of Drawer 3 in exchange for letting her leave. She will then grab contents of Drawers 1, 4 and 5 and leave the complex.

Both desks have specific magical alert buttons that, when activated, call creatures in Areas 9, 13 and 18 to come to aid. Owner of the desk knows where the button is and how not to press it. Any creature inspecting the desk needs a DC 20 Perception check to notice it or must make DC 15 Dexterity Saving throw to avoid pressing it.

In slight chance both Samaeel and Arleenusa are in the room at the same time, neither is willing to parlay and fights to the death to throw off suspicion of their respective treachery. Arleenusa will however fight in a way that gives her plausible excuse to let PCs kill Samaeel, hoping they will be weakened enough to finish them off once he is gone.

6. Bathroom

This is used by the workers in the northern part of the laboratory and has showers and toilet cubicles. Sinks are on the north wall. There is a hydraulics system installed to redirect dirty water and waste into the ocean and it also hosts two Hydraxes⁸ summoned to take care of maintaining it in operational state and to viciously attack anyone or anything trying to tamper with the pipes on either side. They cannot be detected but remain non hostile as long as the PCs do not destroy or tamper with anything. If they do provoke the elementals, they appear and fight until slain or until the PCs leave the area.

7 Guard Post

5 Knights and 2 Mages are stationed in this room. They are made aware whenever a creature enters Area 2, staying on standby in case of intruders. However, they know Harini is often performing maintenance and tests and leaves directly to Area 3, so they will not become suspicious if the party does the same.

8. Cafeteria

This is a place where everyone goes to eat during the working hours. It consists of 4 large tables with benches on both sides and a kitchen in the northwest end of the room. The kitchen contains a human-sized magic-carved bust of a goblin with a large mustache that, when touched, demands to name a kind of dish and beverage. When told any, it magically summons it, then demands payment that is more than twice of what such dish would usually cost. If refused payment, it casts disintegrate on the whole dish, destroying it, then produces a single glass of dirty water and a single slice of bread with melted cheese on it. This is part of Emperor Zandor's official policy to teach citizens fiscal responsibility. Consumption of these items results in diarrhea lasting for 1d6+1 days or until remove poison is cast on the unfortunate person.

9 Guard Post

5 Knights and 1 Mage are stationed in this room, awaiting development in Area 1. They fight to subdue or knock unconscious.

10. The Crystal Ball of Slup Yensid

A crystal ball is placed on a dais in the center of the room. Any creature can attempt to use it to scry over the complex. Next to the ball lies an instruction manual, explaining that this ball is the only means of scrying over the area, while bypassing the protections, and it is used for security purposes only. It has been modified to project the results on the southern wall. Any magical means will identify the object as a crystal ball of scrying, but a DC 20 Arcana check while using identify or detect magic will reveal the ball is filled with Enhancement, Illusion, and Evocation magic, not Divination. A result of 30 or more reveals the ball's true nature and all features. The ball has AC 10, 10 HP, and immunity to psychic and poison damage. If destroyed it explodes, forcing all creatures within 20 ft to make a DC 20 Dexterity Saving Throw, taking 8d6 lightning damage on a failed save, half as much on a successful one.

When trying to use the ball, it begins to project on the wall, and the doors to this room are closed shut. On Initiative of 20 all creatures that see the projection are asked to create Crystal Ball Memory of themselves and must succeed on DC 15 Wisdom Saving throw. On Initiative of 15 all creatures are asked to download a special Ball Scrying Enhancement on their mind, and must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence Saving Throw. On Initiative of 10 all creatures are asked to make Shared Scrying Call and must Succeed on DC 15 Charisma Saving Throw. On Initiative 5 all creatures are informed their broadcast has been interrupted with a request of signing up to Emperor Zandor's Special Scrying Spy Network and must succeed on DC 15 Constitution Saving Throw. On Initiative of 1 the ball proclaims scrying broadcast failure and begins the process anew. Failing any of the Saving Throws results in 3d8 psychic damage, half as much on a successful one. If a creature failed three saving throws, it must roll for short-term madness. Six and ten failed saving throws require similar rolls on long-term and indefinite madness tables, respectively. In addition, any creature reduced to zero hit points through psychic damage gains temporary hit points equal to its hit point maximum and flies into mindless rage, attacking everyone and everything in sight until temporary hit points are reduced to zero or lesser restoration is cast on the creature.

Any NPC staff member will tell the party about this trap, when interacted with in a peaceful manner, as long as the PCs ask about any traps. Exceptions are Samaeel and Arleenusa, who will respectively forget and decide people who would fall for something this simple are not worth working with.

11. Common Room

This is a room where people come to relax and socialize; it features a few benches and tables, and a bookshelf filled with books and board games. The room is enhanced with time magic, making time inside flow at the half rate of time outside, meaning a regular hour in any other room is two hours in this room. This is done to effectively cut the break times in half, without decreasing the morale or health of the staff.

The books are part of the best-selling in Alphatia series Daring and Scandalous Adventures of Great Ramen in Land of Myoshima, a heavily fictionalized mixture of fantasy, science fiction, erotica and orientalist tropes disguised as historical records of a made-up Myoshiman legendary hero, allegedly recovered by Prince Haldemar during his travel to Myoshima. Haldemar, for the record, resents the allegations. The books are utter nonsense, written by a bunch of Alphatian lupins under the pseudonym I. M. Weeb, none of which has ever been to Myoshima. On the moon nation itself, the books are regarded as so bad they flip back into being hilarious, and are subject to wide-spread mockery among all levels of society.

Board games include several standard games as well as a number of games in a series titled Trains: The Mechanic, in which players assume roles of mundane humans living in a world resembling Earth in the 1960's. Each game's main goal is to win the affection of various women working as train mechanics, before other players. The game had a very short run before cancellation in Alphatia due to lack of interest, but is very popular among mutant shark-kin, beholder-kin, and sea hags, for reasons that both baffle and fascinate Alphatians.

On the southern wall there is a panel that allows paying 100 gold to rent the room, locking it for up to the next four hours of outside time (8 hours in the room). It is a common practice among members of both the Undersea Alphatian Book Club and Train: the Mechanic Appreciation Society. This is the only room where PCs can safely take a long rest, but only if they're careful to not be spotted, as the renting mechanism can be disabled by the Security and it is automatically disabled whenever an alarm is raised. Taking a long rest in this room more often than once per sixteen in-game hours will arise suspicion, leading to two Inquisitor Teams (2 Drow Elite Warriors, 2 Drow Priestesses of Lolth and a Drow House Captain from Mordekainen's Tome of Foes, see Area 13 for more information) to be dispatched and interrupt the party's long rest.

12. Gym and Dance Room

This room is filled with training equipment used in mandatory gym training. The room is also used as a dance practice room. Due to the high value of the equipment, totality of which can be sold as a set for 5,000 platinum pieces, a protective ward has been placed against all attempts at removing it from the room or otherwise messing around with it. In the same room a special spell was used in an attempt at creating automated trainers for the crew. The two spells interacted weirdly with one another. When PCs interact with the training equipment, roll a d20. On a result of 1 or if PCs try to put any piece of equipment into a container or carry it out of the room, a Workout Trap activates.

Workout Trap: Complex Trap. When triggered, it begins to play energetic music and summons an Animated Armor for each creature in the room. Armors have +10 bonus to Athletics, Acrobatics and Performance checks, are immune to all damage, and effects of all spells are reflected from them at the caster. Each Armor points at one other creature not chosen by one of the other Armors and moves in initiative before that creature. On each of its turns Armors will perform one action from the following list. Actions with multiple checks are still one action:

• Attempt to grapple the creature, if successful making it pick that creature up and lift it above its head ten times (two Athletics checks)

• A series of Backflips (three Acrobatic checks)

• Quick dance in multiple styles (four Performance checks)

A creature that Armor selected must match or exceed at least half of the Armor's rolls in corresponding series of checks for each Action, or suffer a level of exhaustion. Once all armors perform all three actions, they disappear and the exercise ends.

The commotion makes creatures in Area 7 come to investigate in 1d4+1 rounds, attacking the PCs if they find them there.

13. Inquisition Office

This is the working office of a special unit of elves, part of the Security, under command of Grand Inquisitor, whose job is to investigate any wrongdoing or treachery from mages working at the facility. There are always two teams of Inquisitors active at the same time, one a woman (Drow Priestess of Lolth) and a male partner (Drow House Captain, Mordekainen's Tome of Foes), one a woman with two Trainees (Drow Elite Guard), from which she has yet to select one to be promoted as her partner. There is 50% chance one Inquisitor and two Trainees are in the room when the PCs enter, 25% that a pair of male and female Inquisitors is, and 10% chance it's both. These elves are career-minded and professional and will try to subdue the PCs or kill them; if that proves impossible, they will retreat and raise alarm whenever they take any casualties.

The room has five desks next to the walls, and a 15-foot long, 1-ft wide metal pole has been put horizontally on two dais in the middle, welded to them with magic. This is where the Inquisitors duel each other to retain their sharpness. If PCs' weapons and gear have been taken away from them, they're on one of the desks, having not yet been cataloged. Everything but any bags of holding or portable holes or similar items is placed in a chest of holding made of the same material as the walls. If there is no one in the room, the chest is locked and requires a DC 25 Dexterity check using thieves' tools to open, made with disadvantage in case of improvised tools. Any member of the Inquisition has a matching key. If one of the Inquisitor teams is in the room, one of them has opened the chest and is pulling out items one by one for cataloging.

In the northeast wall there's a hidden room that Inquisitors do not know about. The entrance can be found with a DC 20 Investigation check. Inside is the hiding place of David the Kobarian (Neutral Half Red Dragon Veteran with disadvantage on saving throws against being frightened and who, if frightened, must every turn make DC 15 Wisdom Saving throw or run away screaming), a kobold that has been subjected to many experiments at creating a super soldier, becoming a hulking, dragon-like monstrosity capable of breathing fire. However, his mind is still that of a cowardly kobold. When he escaped, he found this secret room and hid in here, only leaving when it was safe to scavenge for food. His oppressors assumed he tried to swim to the surface and drowned and were no longer looking for him. David is armed with the +1 talking sword Apharaxia, which insults him telepathically whenever he shows cowardice. Which is always. David can be easily bullied into aiding the PCs, assuming they won't feel too bad for the guy. He is quite miserable.

How was David able to hide from the Inquisition in what is basically their own closet? There are questions even the Immortals do not know the answers to...

14. Kitchen

This is a more traditional kitchen than an automated one in Area 8. It has a number of magical lockers next to the walls, that are bigger on the inside than on the outside, kept in low temperatures, and protected from all kinds of mundane pests like insects or mice. Each is connected to different food suppliers, new deliveries being magically teleported from the farm into it. Lockers are labeled in Alphatian "beef," "poultry," "milk," "fruits," "vegetables," "milk & cheese," and "drinks." They are stocked with food at all times, which is how no one noticed that David from Area 13 has been sneaking food from here. Kitchen also has a stove powered by the spell of continuous flame, all smoke being redirected by a chimney into the ocean, a set of cook utensils, and a 5-foot wide, 10-foot long kitchen table.

15 Junior Detectives' Office

These are the quarters of Junior Detectives Abott Chandler and Mina Rankin (each one is a Spectator, Mordekainen's Tome of Foes), where they reside when not on errands for Samaeel or Detective Poe. They take care of training their ten Junior Deputy Detectives (Gazers, Volo's Guide to Monsters). None of them is very smart and can be easily tricked into thinking the PCs are new hires and act very friendly towards them. However, if called for help to Area 13 or Area 16, they will join the fight and fight to death due to being too dumb to understand the concept of death.

16 Detective's Office

These are the headquarters of Detective Robert Philips Poe (Death Kiss, Volo's Guide to Monsters), Samaeel's best detective. He always wears a detective hat and talks like a protagonist in a film noir. He will immediately recognize PCs as intruders and try to pretend he confused them with new "clients," but will in reality try to get them to Area 15, even fleeing there if attacked, to get its residents to join the fight against them.

This room contains a stylized desk, a small pot over a plate with a spell of continuous flame cast on it, and a fridge powered by a diminutive portal to the Elemental Plane of Ice, filled to the brim with bags of frozen blood. When stressed, Robert tends to heat a bag of blood before drinking it, usually muttering he picked the wrong day to stop bloodsucking.

17 Humanoid Prison Cell

This is where humanoids are being kept before being processed into Skum in Area 22. Currently the cell holds 4 Kara-Kara⁹ and one Kara-Kara Chief (Orc Claw of Luthic, Volo's Guide to Monsters, CR 2, but possessing War Song trait of other Kara-Kara), stripped of all weapons, armor and gear. If freed and armed, they can be persuaded easily to join the fight against the Alphatians.

There's a 10% chance that, while the PCs are here, Galvas Magen and Hypnos Magen from Area 22 will arrive to drag a Kara-Kara for processing. This chance increases by 10% for each 30 minutes of real time the PCs stay in this room. If the PCs leave without freeing the Kara-Kara or disrupting the process in Area 22, next time they arrive, there will be one less Kara-Kara in this room and one more Skum in Area 22.

18 Sea People Processing Facility

Three tables have been placed within 5 feet from one another in the middle of the room. On two lie dead tritons, while the corpse of a kna lies in the middle table, comically too large to fit. They were experimented on with new kinds of drugs and substances produced in Area 38. However, despite being declared dead, the bodies have been undergoing horrible transformations. Within 1d2+1 rounds from PCs entering the room, bodies burst with blood that forms vengeful and hungry oozes, which attempt to feed on the PCs. The oozes produced by the two triton corpses both use statistics of an Adult Oblex, while the kna corpse produces one using statistics of an Elder Oblex

Ten Bone Golems¹⁰ have been placed along the walls; they activate and attack only if an unauthorized personnel messes with the test subjects. If oozes emerge on their own, bone golems do not move. If PCs interact with the corpses before oozes' emergence, the oozes wait and observe. If bone golems are winning or one of the PCs is reduced below half of their hit points while within 5 feet of one of the corpses, oozes emerge and attack. If the PCs are winning, oozes attempt to sneak away from the room and hunt PCs using typical Oblex tactics¹¹.

19 Crazy Hassan's Used Camel Emporium (Temporary Location)

Crazy Hassan (Chaotic Neutral Sidhe Mage), a powerful sidhe as obsessed with Desert Nomads as he is ignorant of their culture, has impersonated a Desert Nomad and was arrested, then placed in this prison cell. He promptly broke off and turned it into a store, where he buys and sells used camels, for half the price of a regular camel. He has the personality of a bombastic, loud used car salesman. This room is much larger than it appears on the map and any attempts at comprehending what has been done to its geometry or the logic of trying to sell camels underwater result in 1d6 psychic damage. Alphatians have decided to leave him alone. Anyone passing through this room does so in a hurry, not interacting with him and, if possible, everyone tries to avoid this room.

If the PCs slay Crazy Hassan, Malt-y-Nos¹², Lady of the Wild Hunt, will take interest in them. Crazy Hassan, before he decided to pretend he's a Desert Nomad camel merchant, had once earned a promise she will seek to avenge his next death. It's a fact he'll brag about, but will be too afraid to utter Malt-y-Nos' name, out of fear. However, because he's been annoying, Malt-y-Nos will turn this into a game. She did promise to merely try to avenge the guy, after all. At a random point within 3 weeks' time, the PCs will be woken up upon dawn by horn of Malt-y-Nos who will pursue them with twelve Cwn Annwn¹³. If they avoid capture or death until nightfall or slay her, the hunt ends. If the PCs manage to do it 3 days in a row, she will gracefully relent and grant the character who impressed her the most an Epic Boon of DM's choice.

20 Fish Tank

This room is 60 feet tall. A fish tank, 20 feet wide, 25 feet long, 50 feet tall, has been placed in the middle of it. Its walls are made of a wall of force and it's filled with water up to 45 feet. The lid of the fish tank is a crate made of enhanced adamantine, making it several times heavier than a regular thing. If the wall of force were to be destroyed, like with disintegrate, the crate would inevitably crush what is inside this construction, killing it.

And what is inside is Seaghast, Sea Dragon¹⁴ captured by the Alphatians for study. She's extremely hateful of her captors and will try to speak in Draconic to any creature she considers Alphatian enemies. She will plead for her freedom, and is willing to negotiate. Her starting offer is to never terrorize Sindi sea or attack Sindi ships, but a DC 15 Persuasion check can convince her to swear to protect the seas from pirates and invading forces for future generations. DC 20 check will make her offer a Rare Magic Item from her lair, and DC 25 check will bump it to a Very Rare Magic Item. What item it is is left to the DM's discretion, but anyway Seaghast needs to get to her lair to retrieve it. If freed, she will leave, unless persuaded with DC 20 check to join the fight. Either way, as she's literally tearing through the narrow corridors and breaking all doors in her way, every room she passes through will quickly flood, and soon the whole complex may flood as well.

There are additional wards in this room that cast counterspell on any creature trying to cast disintegrate on the fish tank and instantly raise the Alarm. Attempts at moving the crate results in 20 Animated Armors being summoned in the room and attacking the PCs.

21 Prison Cell

This is a prison cell, with a set of manacles and chains lined on the wall. Captured creatures are put in here until they're taken to specialized prison cells in Areas 17 (humans and other humanoids), 24 (aquatic elves and other sea people), 26 (shark-kin) and 36 (sea hags).

If the party is defeated, they are stripped of all their gear and put in this prison. They will be sent to a specific cell in 2d6 hours, once all paperwork is filled. In the meantime they will be individually interrogated in Area 4 by Arleenusa (See Area 5) and can postpone their separation and processing if they convince her they're more useful alive and unchanged. PCs' weapons and gear are taken to Area 13 for cataloging.

22 Humanoid Processing Facility

A 25 foot-long, 15-foot wide, 30-foot deep swimming pool filled with substances created in Area 38 has been installed in this room. It serves the process of turning humanoids into Skum (Ghosts of Saltmarsh, CR 5). There are currently 4 skum swimming deep in the pool. The pool works as water under Mucous Cloud ability of an aboleth, and a creature exposed to it for long enough will begin transformation into skum. The process is irreversible, except for greater restoration or a stronger spell of similar effect.

Magister Magus Dorna (Drow Mage), elven woman in white labcoat, with green tint hinting at some orcish blood, is overseeing the process. Her bodyguard and lover, Kimiyo Kobayashi, who appears as a woman in samurai armor, but is actually a female Oni in disguise, is accompanying her at all times. Dorna is a younger half-sister of Grand Inquisitor Alreenusa (see Area 5), who has been shunned by her family due to having an orcish father. This makes her despise orcs, and take near sadistic glee in subjecting Kara-Kara to a transformation into skum. She also named these creatures, choosing the name precisely to add insult to injury. Her hatred and sadism are what made an oni fall in love with her, but she gets away with it by targeting a subspecies of orcs even other orcs don't care for. Arleenusa has got her this job less out of sisterly love and more because she knew Dorna would do everything to not disappoint.

If PCs were to negotiate with Dorna, whatever they offer her is no deal until they can either convince her they are working with her sister (granting them advantage on Persuasion checks towards her) or PCs can guarantee safety of Dorna, her sister and her lover.

Dorna is currently attuned to ring of skum control (Wondrous Item, Uncommon, requires attunement). Attuned creature is believed by skum to be the aboleth the skum is charmed by, giving her command over the creatures.

Dorna also has a collection of magen consisting of one Caldron Magen, one Demos Magen, one Galvan Magen, one Hypnos Magen¹⁵ and one Scalos Magen¹⁶. The galvan magen is tasked with delivering, grappling and dragging to the room one of the prisoners from Area 17, with the hypnos magen ready to help with more combative "guests." The transformation process itself is as simple as it is brutal and consists just of the galvan magen forcibly holding the victim down in a pool. Even if the creature drowns, after one minute it begins transforming into a living skum. Other magen are to stand the watch and protect Dorna.

If combat breaks out, Dorna calls upon the skum and magen to fight the PCs, while she and Kimiyo flee to Area 5, raising the Alarm. They fight if cornered or backed up by reinforcements, with Kimiyo protecting Dorna with her life.

23 Shark-kin Uplifting Lab

There are three machines—two large at the northern and southern wall, opposite to one another, and one, medium-sized, at the eastern wall. They serve respectively in the creation of shark-kin mutant commanders, shark-kin mutant champions and shark-kin mutant priestesses. Accomplished mutants are selected for this process by King Gore and his royal family (see Area 34) and ordered to walk to this room, where they are subjected to the process, after which surviving members (with 1 to 3 survival ratio) are returned to their brethren and given new roles. There is one of each of these creatures in the machine, undergoing the process currently.

Doctor A (Abjurer, Volo's Guide to Monsters, CR 9), Doctor J (Transmuter, Volo's Guide to Monsters, CR 5) and Doctor K (War Priest, Volo's Guide to Monsters, CR 10) oversee the process. They are seen as brilliant researchers but also extremely unprofessional, to the point that no one in the complex wants to work with them. Doctor A and Doctor K absolutely HATE one another, due to some past incident, and Doctor J is exploiting this for his own sick amusement, pitting the two against each other. Currently their argument is over whether champions or commanders are the superior creations, with A favoring commanders and K champions. Their arguments are heard from far away almost as often as the screaming of their "patients." PCs can infer, either from eavesdropping or capturing Doctor J, who is quite a coward and eager to share any information in order to save his skin, about the conflict.

If PCs reveal themselves to the three doctors, a DC 18 Deception check can convince them the party is part of the personnel. However, even if the party fails, doctors simply question them and try to learn anything interesting, before one of them offers to escort the party to Area 21. If the PCs agree, on the way that doctor will offer the PCs a thousand gp each for sabotaging one of the machines in the room, with A and K wanting to destroy the one favored by the other, and J wanting to destroy either. If they agree and manage to sneak past the remaining doctors, they will need 3 successful checks with DC 17, 15 and 13 with tools of their choice to sabotage the machine. Casting any spell of level 1 or higher will automatically succeed on a single check but players should not be told that and instead be encouraged to explain how exactly that spell would help.

If one of the machines is successfully sabotaged, either Doctor A or K flies into blind rage and begins attacking the other doctor, who responds in kind. Doctor J's laugh makes the other two turn against him and the trio begin hurling spells at each other, quickly moving to different areas and causing a lot of destruction.

If the PCs attack the doctors or attempt to openly destroy one of the machines, the doctors respond by hurling at them their strongest spells first, hoping to kill the intruders fast and get back to work, then releasing creatures in the machines to aid them. Each of them flees if reduced to below half of their hit point maximum, but the destruction they cause by their combat method will raise the alarm after just the first round of combat.

24 Sea People Prison Cell

Here sea people are being kept before being processed in Area 18. Currently in the room there are 1d4-1 aquatic elves (Oceanus, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, CR 1/2) and 1d4-1 kna¹⁷. They have been stripped of all weapons and armor but given water bags to help them breathe. If freed and armed they can be persuaded to join the fight against Alphatians.

25 Mutant Shark-kin Lair

A 15-foot wide, 25-foot long, 30-foot deep swimming pool is built into the surface of this room.

This is the lair where mutated shark-kin are residing. At any given time there are 1d6+10 shark-kin mutants (Sahuagin), 1d2 shark-kin mutant commanders (Sahuagin Baron) and 1d4 shark-kin priestesses (Sahuagin Priestess) resting in this room, while the rest is on patrol or in other rooms. They are brainwashed into fanatical obedience and attack on sight, fighting to the death. However, a singe shark-kin mutant will be dispatched to raise the alarm by running into Areas 31 and 34.

26 Shark-kin Prison Cell

Here shark-kin are being kept before being processed into Alphatian-serving mutants in Area 29. There are 1d4+1 shark-kin¹⁸ in this area. They have been stripped of all weapons and armor but given water bags to help them breathe. If freed and provided means of transportation, like flooding the corridors, they charge to Area 29 and then 30, viciously attacking all Alphatians and kopru they can get their hands on.

There is a 10% chance a flesh golem from Area 29 arrives to drag one of the shark-kin for processing while PCs are here. This chance increases by 10% for each 30 minutes of real-time PCs stay in this room. If the PCs leave without freeing the shark-kin, next time they return there should be one shark-kin less in the room.

27. Grey Philosopher

This room consists of a pair of large magical screens continuously scrying on Areas 28 and 32 (actually showing the creature inside the latter) and a study desk and chair, currently occupied. This room served for observation of two most dangerous test subjects. However, one of the researchers, Doctor W, has been obsessed over the study of a crystal skull he has found, eventually becoming a Grey Philosopher¹⁹, still holding a skull in his hands. Now only Magister Gravit sometimes uses this room.

The skull actually belongs to a deceased kopru and has been used to give anchor to this place for a kopru elder hive mind, an idea introduced originally in Goodman Games' revised and expanded Isle of Dread. It's a hive mind of the eldest and most powerful kopru, who have ascended to a higher plane of existence, but found themselves cut off from the material plane. When PCs enter the room the hive mind, which has laid low to hide from Alphatians, will contact them telepathically. They offer a huge reward in the form of ancient wisdom, and can easily be persuaded to also add financial reward in the form of treasure in Areas 44 and 45. The hive mind wants the PCs to take the skull and place it against forehead of Inmate #28 (Area 28), False Hydra (Area 32), Archmage General Alaman Seaserpent the Third (either Area 37 or 47), and Professor Admiral Patrisha de Fray-Seaserpent (Area 38). Any of these creatures this is done to loses consciousness and cannot be woken up, and the creature who has done this receives permanent unspecified, cumulative 1d4 bonus to, of their choice, Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma, that can raise an Ability Score above 20. A PC who received this benefit is also eligible for Warlock pact with the hive mind as either Great Old One or Undead patron, while an NPC automatically gains one level of it.

If the PCs do it to all 4 targets, they wake up 20 hours later, on the shore east of Kandaputra with promised rewards, all loot they took, no recollection of what has happened and without any NPC allies. The attempts to return to the laboratory will reveal it is utterly gone: only solid rock, untouched by human hand, remains. In the following months they will hear of increased attacks on ships and seaside settlements from all kinds of undersea creatures and sea monsters that appear extremely coordinated. Exactly one year after these events, the aquatic elven kingdom of Seahome will be attacked from all fronts by hordes of monsters serving the new Kopru Empire. But that is a story for another time...

28.Inmate #28

This room has the shape of an orb, 25 feet in radius. In the middle of it, held by powerful magical generators in the ceiling and floor, is a middle-aged man in a chain-bound straightjacket, whose face betrays that he suffered frequent physical abuse and older, equally frequent, alcohol and drug abuse. This is Inmate #28 (Archmage with 8 Wisdom), who claims to come from a place called Faerun and be a famous mage in his home land. He will try to present himself as one of several iconic figures of the Forgotten Realms setting, including Elminster, Manshoon, or Halaster Blackcloak²⁰, and be baffled by how the PCs could never have heard of him, seemingly unaware he is far from home. However, a DC 10 Insight check can recognize that he has no idea about his own identity. As a matter of fact, he forgot his whole past, probably a side-effect of trying to break the barrier to Mystara while both drunk and high on multiple drugs.The entering also messed up his powers, causing him to be responsible for the Shattered Mind Areas. He is unable to control it and Alphatians have been subjecting him to studies (which he'd rather call torture), to try to rein in or even harness this power. He will try to convince the PCs to destroy the magical generators holding him in place and free him. Generators have the same AC and hardness as the walls. If freed, he may either leave to his home plane, causing effects of his powers to cease, or aid the PCs. He knows all Archmage spells, but cannot regain spell slots, and every time he casts a spell, he and all creatures within 5 feet of him must roll on the Shattered Mind Surge table.

If convinced to stay, this man will wander the world, being dangerous to everyone he encounters and slowly leaving more and more of his mind behind, creating further dangers to the world.

29 Shark-kin Processing Facility

The main feature of this room is a huge machine with an open mouth in its north and south ends, which covers most of the room, leaving only a 5-foot wide path around it. Near the northern wall a table with manacles is floating. From time to time a flesh golem goes to area 26 and drags a shark-kin to this room. The shark-kin is tied to the table, which then slowly moves to the southern end of the room in a straight line, through the machine, with a speed of 5 ft per turn, during which the creature is transformed into a shark-kin mutant. Only 1 in 5 shark-kin survives the process, but is driven insane by the pain. The dead ones are dropped through a hatch next door to Area 32, where they're devoured by False Hydra. Surviving ones are dragged by flesh golems to Area 30.

Fleshwarper Brothers (Transmuters, Volo's Guide to Monsters, CR 5), named Bale, Dale and Gale, each accompanied by a Flesh Golem, oversee the process. They resent the doctors from Area 23 and often talk about wanting to take their position. If they'd hear something bad happened to their rivals, especially if it was self-inflicted and humiliating, they'd march to Area 38 and demand to be given their position from Professor Admiral. If attacked, golems fight to the death, while brothers flee to Area 38, warning creatures in Areas 30, 31, and 34, and raising the alarm. They fight if cornered.

30 Kopru Lair

The floor in this room has been turned into a 60-foot deep, 15-square-foot surface swimming pool filled with hot water and toxic substances that fill the air with poisonous mist. Any creature entering the area for the first time must pass a DC 13 Constitution Saving Throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. Alphatians have been trained to be immune to this effect. A creature entering the water takes 2d6 fire and 2d6 acid damage each turn. Kopru are immune to all of those effects. The water is so murky that a kopru who swims underwater gains full concealment, and even a surfacing one benefits from half concealment.

Five Kopru²¹ live in this pool. When attacked they attempt to dominate the most dangerous-looking enemies to make them fight among themselves. If that fails, they use their powers to alert all creatures dominated by them, meaning all qhark-kin mutants and sea hags, and swim below the surface. On their turn they arise and attack with tail attack. If a kopru in the pool has a creature restrained by its tail, it can swim down, automatically dragging the creature down with it (ignoring grapple rules about movement). Kopru are cowards and more than happy waiting for the PCs out while the reinforcements arrive. If reduced below ¼ hit points, kopru attempt to parlay and offer to betray Alphatians, if allowed to be left alone with their servants. If the PCs agree, they order all dominated creatures to turn against Alphatians and, once the Alphatians are slain, let the PCs go freely. They will begin turning the lab into their own lair and soon start kidnapping shark-kin and other creatures to create more mutants and more slaves, carrying on most of the Alphatian plans as their own.

The kopru dismiss all claims of a kopru elder hive mind as "childish tales told to scare new hatchlings."

31 Mutant Shark-kin Garrison

The floor of this room has been replaced with a 30-foot deep swimming pool. Six shark-kin mutant champions (Sahuagin Champion, except Large, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, CR 3), four shark-kin mutant priestesses, two shark-kin mutant commanders and one shark-kin shaman (Sahuagin Waveshaper, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, CR 5) are stationed here at all time, ready and at full alert. Any attempts at sneaking past them is made with disadvantage.

32 False Hydra's Prison

This room is a prison for Magister Gravit's greatest creation, False Hydra²². Gravit (see Area 40) has purged knowledge of similar creatures from another world from Inmate #28 and set off to create one of his own through dark magic. He was hoping he could extract from its flesh a cure for his state, but unfortunately even its abilities to erase memories are impotent against a pachidermion's perfect memory. Enraged, Gravit chained the creature by each head in the center of this 35 feet in radius room. Shock collars are placed on each head, and a special redirecting mechanism is attached above their jaws, projecting False Hydra's song outwards. If more than one head is not singing at all time, Gravit activates the collars, causing electric shock that deals 1d6 lighting damage per head to False Hydra. Gravit also maintains the gravity field used to keep it floating above ground, so that its body cannot spread new heads underground. He personally feeds the creature prisoners from Areas 22 and 24 each day, and is present at all experiments and maintenance of it. He possesses the only key to all doors of this room, each of which has been enforced (+5 to DC of all attempts at opening the door without the key) and locked with an arcane lock spell only the key can bypass.

The room has locked, reinforced windows installed in the walls connected with each of the other rooms, to observe the creature. Entrances are placed on the level of a platform attached to a wall halfway through the height of the room, allowing movement between entrances.

False Hydra is an intelligent creature and will attempt to bargain with the PCs, offering them its aid in defeating the Alphatians, but a successful DC 17 Insight check will reveal it plans to eat the party and go on a rampage, killing indiscriminately. If they agree to help, the creature will explain that Gravit has the key to the collars and gravity field; otherwise it attacks. A successful DC 22 Intimidation, DC 25 Deception, or DC 28 Persuasion check can convince it to, once freed, leave the area and travel somewhere far away, to be someone else's problem.

As this creature does not exist normally in Mystara and this particular one is a wizard's creation based on memories of a madman, all Knowledge checks about this creature fail. If False Hydra is slain or escapes, the PCs who attempted scrying of the area learn all information about it that was previously blocked from their minds.

33. Mutated Masher

A Masher²³ captured by the Alphatians has been locked in this room and pumped full of drugs created in Area 38. It is Magister Gravit's "insurance," as he is hoping to create something capable of killing False Hydra in Area 32. In pain, the masher lashes furiously at all creatures who enter, but can be calmed down with a successful DC 25 Animal Handling check. The enduring mutations didn't just cause it a great deal of pain, but also made the creature's body unstable. Whenever the masher is dealt damage, roll a d20. On a roll of 1 or if the masher is reduced below a quarter of its hit point maximum, it drastically mutates, its body literally splitting off the back like a cocoon. A horrifying abomination (Neothelid, Volo's Guide to Monsters, CR 13) emerges from its back and attacks the PCs with increased ferocity, fighting until slain. Unlike a regular masher, it can squeeze through narrow corridors and easily break through the doors, chasing after fleeing creatures, then going after the most intelligent creatures it can sense.

34 Royal Family

The floor of this room has been replaced by a 25-foot deep swimming pool. In this throne room resides King Gore Reborn (King Bachzarisaa the Insatiable, Sea King's Malice, CR 9), as well as the royal family composed of his wife, Nameless High Priestess of Jogmungandr the Great Maw²⁴ (Enzu, High Priestess of Dajobas, Sea King's Malice, CR 9), their daughter One of Blessed Jaws (Sahuagin High Priestess, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, CR 5), and son the Butcher (Sahuagin Blademaster, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, CR 6), with 3 shark-kin mutant champions and 1 shark-kin mutant priestess for protection. They fight to the death with a ferocity and fanaticism that grants them advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

The royal family were previously the real family of mighty shark-kin chieftain Grishnak the Black, who led his tribe in a desperate assault against Alphatians who kidnapped their people and turned them into abominations. They have been defeated, captured and brainwashed and mutated so thoroughly that they forgot their own identities and names, becoming grotesque caricatures of their former selves, devoid of any honor or compassion, and only loyal to the Alphatians through the mind-control of the kopru. A combination of DC 20 Knowledge History, Nature and Arcana from three separate PCs can reveal this to the players.

If the kopru have been slain, King Gore (or any surviving member of the royal family, if he is slain), will call all surviving shark-kin mutants to himself, then lead them against the Alphatians. However, all members of the royal family have been corrupted to the point they no longer seek the good of their people, but destruction of the surface world for the glory of Jormungandr. They will fight to capture Areas 23, 29, 38, and 41, so they can take control over the process of transformation. They will be willing to parlay with the PCs, offering aid against the Alphatians in exchange for being left to their own devices. If the PCs agree and do not destroy resources in all three rooms, within a decade mutants shall use it to conquer and convert all the shark-kin in the Sea of Dread.

35 A Room Full of Hags

Forty five Sea Hags, paired into 15 covens, are being held in this room. As they are all dominated by kopru, some of them are allowed to patrol the laboratory or participate in other tasks. There are never less than 8 covens (24 hags) present in the room at the same time. When the party enters there are 1d6+8 sea hag covens present.

In the center of the room is a small pedestal with a figurine of a kopru. Any creature that looks at it must make a DC 15 Wisdom Saving Throw or become dominated by the kopru. Alphatians know about it and avoid looking at the figurine. If the hags are freed from kopru control, they can be bargained with and convinced to turn against their slave masters. If done so, they'll gleefully attack all creatures other than the party, going so far as to even try to force open the door to Area 32 and blast False Hydra into oblivion with spells. If not, the hags can be questioned for information and are capable of seeing into every room where the surveillance system was not destroyed. They can also inform on the plan for which they have been gathered and are currently working on: Casting a massive combined sleep spell on the whole population of Kandaputra and gorging themselves on their children when everyone is asleep, replacing them all with copies that will later grow into new sea hags, ready to serve in the Alphatian army.

36 Sea Hag Prison Cell

This is where sea hags are being kept before being brainwashed in Area 39. There are 1d4+1 sea hags currently trapped there. If freed, they can be persuaded to join the fight against the Alphatians, but will request time to form covens with one another or, if there aren't enough of them for it, with one of the PCs.

While PCs are in this room, there's a 10% chance a manscorpion from Area 39 will show up to drag a hag for brainwashing. This possibility increases by 10% for every hour PCs spend in this room. If the PCs leave without freeing the hags or dealing with the kopru in Area 39, the next time they enter this room, there is one hag less here and one hag more in Area 35.

37. Archmage's Last Stand

The center of this room is filled by a swimming pool, in which lies a Hydra, leaving only a narrow 5-foot wide path under each wall to walk around it. The pool has a depth of 60 feet.

If at any point during the adventure the PCs raise the alarm or free any of the prisoners, the man in charge of this complex, Archmage General Alaman Seaserpent the Third, will be waiting here for the PCs. He is accompanied by a Shield Guardian with permanent water walk cast on it, and an above-mentioned hydra, which is under his control. If encountered here, he will be fighting to the death. He begins the fight with fire shield, foresight, mage armor, mind blank, and globe of invulnerability already cast on himself. He will be waiting for the PCs at the far end of the room, hiding behind his shield guardian. In combat he will try to force the PCs into the water, then use spells like whirlwind to keep them there, at the hydra's mercy. If that fails, he will try to trap whoever looks most dangerous in a resilient sphere. If PCs reach him in combat, he will cast haste on himself and fight with his scimitar. If reduced below half of his hit point maximum, he will try to flee and escape the laboratory through either a teleporting platform at the end of the corridor leading north from the door in the eastern wall or, if that has been disabled, a secret passage in Area 47. If reduced below a quarter of his hit point maximum, he will surrender and tell his remaining subordinates to stand down. He will expect honorable treatment befitting a prisoner of war. He can be ransomed back to Alphatia for a price not exceeding 5,000 gp, but he will try to claim he is worth at least twice as much. It is not a lie, that's how much the previous Empress would pay for him, but Emperor Zandor is stingy.

Alaman uses statistics of Drow Favored Consort (Mordekainen's Tome of Foes, CR 18) with the following changes:

• His scimitar is a weapon +3

• He wears slippers of water walking and a ring of spell turning, which is his wedding ring

• He has advantage on all saving throw against spells and magical effects

• He has the following spells prepared:

• Cantrips: mage hand, message, poison spray, ray of frost, shocking grasp

• 1st Level (4 Slots): detect magic, identify, mage armor, magic missile, shield

• 2nd Level (3 Slots): gust of wind, mirror image, misty step, shatter

• 3rd Level (3 Slots): counterspell, haste, tidal wave

• 4th Level (3 Slots): banishment, dimension door, fire shield, otiluke's resilient sphere

• 5th Level (3 Slots): cone of cold, scrying, wall of force

• 6th Level (1 Slot): globe of invulnerability

• 7th Level (1 Slot): whirlwind

• 8th Level (1 Slot): mind blank

• 9th Level (1 Slot): foresight

38. Biochemistry Department

Here is where the Alphatians make their various drugs and new chemicals that are used for the purpose of mutating the creatures they captured. There are three tanks close to the western wall, in which a Malfera²⁵,an Oard²⁶, and Veyla²⁷ are being kept, and a huge tank in the southern end of the room, where the Alphatians keep a Kartoeba²⁸. All of them are restrained, and many tubes are connected to their bodies, used to suck away various body fluids and even small bits of their flesh. The tanks look as if made out of glass, but in reality are made from wall of force, and an Intern (Apprentice Wizard, Volo's Guide to Monsters, CR ¼) with a wand of counterspell is stationed next to it, with the sole purpose of stopping any attempt at destroying the tanks. If freed, the creatures lash at every living thing but each other, rampaging through the complex to slaughter as many of their oppressors as they can in horrifying ways.

On the east wall there is a huge machine that is automatically draining the creatures in the tanks and can mix their material with the one delivered from Area 41. There is a 25% chance when the PCs enter the room that Assistant Researcher Selene and a bronze golem from Area 41 are working with the machine, the latter serving to carry the cylinder of substances from the aboleth's corpse. For every hour the PCs spend in the room, there is 25% chance they may enter, the golem carrying a large cylinder of substances.

Overseeing the project is Professor Admiral Patrisha de Fray-Seaserpent (Drow Matron Mother, Volo's Guide to Monsters, CR 20, but with a ring of spell turning, which is her wedding ring), always accompanied by 4 Guardian Warriors²⁹. Her personality combines a mage who revels in slapping laws of physics in the face, a scientist who thinks natural order is a mere suggestion, and a general for whom the road to absolute military dominance must be paved with the corpses of soldiers and innocent bystanders. She more or less runs this facility, being both married and second in rank only to the man in charge.

There's a 10% chance she's in the room when the PCs enter, then for every 10 minutes they spend there the chance she enters the room increases by 5%. If the PCs free any of the creatures in this room while she's not here, she will appear at initiative 20 of the next round.

There is no outwitting or negotiating with her; if she spots the PCs she will immediately raise the alarm and fight to capture them, seeing them as new toys for her to "mold in her hands." If they are defeated by her, she will turn the PCs into monsters that will be unleashed on the Sindi people for daring to dislike "the Alphatian torch of true civilization" she believes the occupation brought. If reduced below half of her hit point maximum, she flees to Area 37 to join her husband in his last stand. At the same time, if reduced below ¼ of her hit point maximum, she surrenders and expects to be captured as a prisoner of war and treated with respect. She can be ransomed to Alphatia for 7,000 gp, which a DC 15 Persuasion check done through written letter or direct contact (and as such with disadvantage) can bump to 10,000 gp.

39 Sea Hag Processing Facility

The room is built identical to Area 30. There are 2 Kopru residing here, accompanied by their Manscorpion³⁰ servant. Whenever the kopru feel like it, the manscorpion will go to Area 36, pick up a sea hag, then throw it into the pool, where the kopru will grapple her with her tails and dominate her mind, at which point the hag will be free to leave the pool and join her sisters in Area 35.

You may question why kopru use a method that is so painful to the subject and may even kill the hag through heat, acid, and tail spikes. The answer is... they're assholes.

40 Magister Gravit's Office

Magister Gravit is a Sindi pachydermion Enchanter (Volo's Guide to Monsters), for whom his people's perfect memory became a curse. Having served in the Sindi army during the Master's conquest, Gravit witnessed firsthand the cruelty of the Master's invading forces. The horrors of war have left a mark on him, and made him curse the Immortals for allowing this to happen. Suffering from severe PTSD, Gravit began studies of the arcane in hope of finding a way to heal his trauma by erasing the painful memories. When offered a job as researcher by the Alphatian occupant, he took it eagerly. However, he has found his own mind resisting even the strongest spells; even modify memory could only work temporarily and even then, lingering pieces of his trauma would remain. In his desperation he turned to torture and experiment on amnesiac Inmate #28 and, using a random piece of his recovered memories, created False Hydra, which he also imprisoned and tortured. He is currently working on an extract of its blood, to create a superior amnesia potion.

Gravit has on himself a ring of aberration protection (Wondrous Item, requires attunement, Aberrations treat you as under the effects of protection from good and evil; once per long rest, as an action you can force an aberration to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC; if it fails it cannot attack you and other creatures in your presence; you can only have this effect affecting one Aberration at a time), a control device to manipulate the gravity force field in Area 32, a control device to activate False Hydra's shock collars, and the only key to all entrances to Area 32. He is being watched by his loyal Iron Golem. He is selfish and bitter, will stop at nothing to fix his condition, but is close to believe at this stage only a wish spell can help him. He can be bargained with, but will never do anything to release Inmate #28 or False Hydra, as he is genuinely horrified by both of them. He knows all the staff and cannot be fooled by pretending to be new hires. If attacked he casts hold monster on any of the casters in the party and tries to flee, leaving fighting to the golem, and raising the alarm. A DC 30 Persuasion check is needed to convince him his way of dealing with his trauma is toxic, making him quit. He leaves to area 46 to pack his things, then to drop Area 1, where he wants to use the teleport to leave this place altogether. He takes the golem with him.

41 Aboleth's Corpse

Aboleths were mentioned in ancient texts of Mystara and have been known to ancient Blackmoor. However, by now they are extinct. Most did not survive the Great Rain of Fire, while the rest had been hunted down and devoured by kopru during the times of Elemental Chaos that followed. The kopru working for the Alphatians struck the deal, offering the location of an aboleth's corpse, which has been transported to the laboratory for harvesting and experiments. The goal is to see how useful the creature may be, as the kopru promise the location of a whole graveyard of such bodies, in exchange for further privileges they enjoy. Currently the process of harvesting genetic material from the corpse is overseen by Senior Researcher Claudia Avelone (Human, NE Necromancer, Volo's Guide to Monsters, CR 9), with most of the physical tasks being done by Assistant Researcher Selene (Drow Mage) and a Bronze Golem³¹, who after each hour of work leave the room to Area 38 with a large cylinder of harvested material, returning in around 30 minutes.

Claudia has recently received a hefty bribe from Prince Haldemar to sabotage the project and destroy it. She plans to do it by pretending the aboleth's corpse is speaking to her and controlling her, planning to resurrect it, while dodging responsibility. If the PCs will reveal themselves to her, she will pretend to be a mad fanatic of "our true lord and master" and will try to convince them to join her. If the PCs agree, she needs them to harvest material from all creatures in Area 38, enough to kill them, while one of the PCs casts a part of the special spell she will provide them. While she will be casting the other half of the spell on the corpse, PCs must carry the cylinders of harvested material and inject them into the aboleth corpse. If this is done, the corpse will be resurrected as a horrifying abomination, even by aboleth standards (Elder Brain, Volo's Guide to Monsters, CR 14). The creature will attempt to slay everything it cannot bring under its control, then take over the complex for its own nefarious plans.

42 Crab Rave

This area leads to the private headquarters of the Archmage General and his Professor Admiral wife. They are the only two people who know the password to the door at the southern end of this room (name of their only child, who was a stillborn). There are two doors, each leading to separate antechambers for husband and wife, where they can switch their shoes to slippers of water walking, and hang out their coats. Both doors are trapped by magical glyphs that can be noticed with detect magic. Any attempt at opening the door without the correct password will result in Crab Rave.

Crab Rave: complex trap. On initiative of 20 all creatures standing within 10 feet from the door are pushed 10 feet away from it. At Initiative of 18 a Huge Giant Crab (Tales from the Yawning Portal, CR 8) is summoned in the room between the door and other creatures, and immediately attacks. At Initiative of 15 otto's irresistible dance with Spell Save DC 20 is cast on all creatures in the room. If the crab is killed, the door summons another one. Initiative 20 and 15 effects repeat each turn. Only when a total of three crabs are defeated does the trap end. It resets within 15 minutes; in this window the PCs can attempt to break through the door.

43 Bathroom

This area is identical to Area 6 and is used by personnel operating in the southern part of the complex.

44 Teleportation Room

This entire chamber is flooded, with all corridor entrances being above the water, 10 feet below the ceiling. At the center of it is a platform, on which lies the Black Hole Diamond. It is currently attuned to the Archmage in Area 37 and shields the area from teleportation, except for trap at false entrance, teleport platforms in dead ends, "reverse elevator" in Area 47, and rooms made with rope trick in Area 46. All these effects are removed if the diamond is taken away from this area.

A Wastrilith (Mordekainen's Tome of Foes, CR 14) captured by Prince Haldemar during one of his interdimensional voyages and then sold to the Archmage, guards the artifact. It is bound to fight to the death to defend it. Sounds of combat alarm the Archmage, whether he's in Area 37 or 47, who will arrive in 1 round, cast wall of force to cut off all exits from this room except to Area 37, where he'll retreat for his last stand.

Black Hole Diamond

(Minor Artifact, Requires Attunement)

This is a statue made of utterly black diamond-like substance, in the shape of pachydermion Immortal Ganetra writing down legendary Rig Veda.

While attuned, you are immune to all effects of spells and magical effects that involve any sort of teleportation or interplanar travel, regardless if it teleports you or other creatures (for example, a spell like steel wind strike, which teleports the caster, cannot target you for an attack), except of those you consent to.

You can also connect it to a specific location, shielding it from all forms of teleportation except for the ones you approve of. You can design all ways and locations in which teleportation is active or even automatic in the area, as well as all rules it has to follow.

Whenever you cast a spell that instantly transports you and others, allows you to travel to another plane, or makes you "vanish and reappear" in another location, roll a d100; if you roll above ten times the spell level, you do not lose the spell slot.

Attuning to Black Hole Diamond also gives two random minor beneficial effects and two random minor detrimental effects.

45 Treasury

This room is locked with arcane lock and only Archmage General Alaman Seaserpent the Third has the keys. This is the treasury of the laboratory. There are 30,000 gp worth of gold and gems in coffers, as well as 1 Very Rare Magic Item, 1d4 Rare ones, 1d8-1 Uncommon ones and 1d10 Common ones, confiscated from previously captured adventurers. I leave the choice of items to the Dungeon Master, as the PCs deserve something nice and tailored to them, considering what they went through to get here.

46 Mage Sleeping Quarters

This room is full of multicolored ropes hanging from the air. Each leads to a permanent multidimensional room created with a modified rope trick spell, and each magic-user in the complex has memorized the color combination of their rope and is the only one who can access it, except for the Archmage General, Professor Admiral and Chief of Security. Each rope leads to a small room with a bed, light source, bookcase, desk, and a closet.

47 Archmage's Office

This is a cozy room with a pair of mahogany desks on opposite walls, a fireplace directing smoke straight to the water outside, a bear rug on the floor, and a large bookcase of books about magical research done at the facility, including spellbooks of both residents of this place, containing all their spells. In the southwest corner there is a door to a "reverse elevator;" a control panel next to it lets you select a way to a small demiplane the door then leads to. The buttons lead to 1 - bedroom, 2 - toilet, 3 - bathroom & jacuzzi, 4 - wardrobes, 5 - fully staffed kitchen. Each of these is designed for the convenience and pleasure of the married couple running this operation.

A tunnel is hidden behind the bookcase on the southeast wall, which can be found with a DC 20 Perception check, and opened by finding a false book with a DC 15 Investigation check. It opens to a tunnel with a single wagon that is enhanced to drive itself once a button is pressed. It can carry two people and has a chest of holding prepared on the backseat. The tunnel leads to the Sindi shore and the wagon can arrive there in thirty minutes.

Archmage General Alaman Seaserpent the Third (see Area 37 for statblock) is in this room. If the alarm hasn't been raised, he will be reading a book. He is an extremely ambitious mage, and cares for nothing but advancing magical sciences through any means necessary, and sees everyone as a worthy sacrifice for the progress, with the exception of his wife. However, he is soft-spoken and polite and will try to negotiate with the PCs, offering them magic items from area 45 in exchange for his life. If the PCs come to blows with him, he will attempt to flee to Area 37 and make his last stand, otherwise he fights without fire shield and globe of invulnerability.

If it looks like the laboratory is about to be destroyed, Alaman will take the treasures from Area 45, the artifact from Area 44, and spellbooks from this room and load them into the chest of holding in the wagon, and wait for his wife to appear. If the destruction of the laboratory is imminent, Patrisha will abandon her staff and attempt to flee to this location. If she makes it, the two will flee the area. Only if water or monsters break into the room before her will Alaman leave without her, swearing vengeance on the people responsible.

Concluding the Adventure

The PCs who deliver the Black Hole Diamond to Shivangi find out that she "had some friends" pull in for a modest bonus of 1d10 thousand gp. DC 10 Insight check will reveal she likely murdered and robbed a rich Alphatian to get it. She will then tell them the location of the Rajah's secret vault. However, she will reveal that to open the vault, additional keys are required, if the PCs do not know that yet. And she knows where the next one is located... But that is a story for another time.

Acknowledgments and Gratitude:

I want to acknowledge the contributions of Mystara fans, in particular 5e conversions of Mystaran monsters by Glen Welch, Sheldon Morris, and Seethyr. I thank the Vaults of Pandius for being such valuable resources in finding them. I also thank youtubers Dungeon Dad and Hidden Nerdy Side for inspiration, especially the latter whose video on sea hags helped me break from a writer's block.

False Hydra was created by Goblin Punch and the statblock for it was found on GMBinder but lacks authorial credit.

1http://pandius.com/War_on_All_Sides.pdf

2Only the part from timestamp: https://youtu.be/YjeHgNGoIVs?t=412 to 10:20 is necessary, although it may also help to watch the video on Alphatia: https://youtu.be/LA_PYl7JQs4

3Yo0u may use this opportunity to foreshadow any of many horrors awaiting in the laboratory

4https://www.dmsguild.com/product/215629/The-Secrets-of-Skyhorn-Lighthouse

5http://pandius.com/seagnt5e.html

6http://pandius.com/gmntry5e.html

7http://pandius.com/Jellyfish.png

8http://pandius.com/Hydrax.png

9http://pandius.com/kara-kara.png

10http://pandius.com/bneglm5e.html

11I recommend this article: https://www.themonstersknow.com/oblex-tactics/

12http://pandius.com/Mallt-Y-Nos_2.png

13http://pandius.com/Mallt-Y-Nos_1.png

14http://pandius.com/Sea_Dragon.png

15all using these statistics http://pandius.com/Magen_2.png

16http://pandius.com/jYBmlxu.png

17http://pandius.com/Kna.png

18As they have not been transformed yet, they use these statistics: http://pandius.com/Shark-Kin.png

19http://pandius.com/gphlsphr.html

20For humorous effect you can have him mispronounce the names, claiming to be "Monsoon," "El Maestro," or "Halberd Blackpants."

21http://pandius.com/Kopru.png

22https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LAoJ_bfNWBTTmIV9KQ_

23http://pandius.com/Masher.png

24In my campaign the mutated shark-kin worship Jormungandr from Norse mythology, who is also Leviathan from sourcebook Elder Evils. You may decide to make it a different thing in your game. Demogorgon works well in particular.

25http://pandius.com/Malfera.png

26http://pandius.com/Oard.png

27http://pandius.com/Veyla_2.png

28http://pandius.com/Kartoeba.png

29http://pandius.com/Guardian_Warrior.png

30http://pandius.com/Manscorpion.png

31http://pandius.com/bnzglm5e.html