Old Mariner’s bluff

Description: On the coast of Karameikos, near the fishing village of Saescu, lies a headland jutting into the sea. It is home to the solitary dwelling of the old mariner Anton Valescu. In the waters merrow forage for oysters and sea-cucumber s and wait for market day…

Map: Old Mariner's bluff hex
http://pandius.com/OldMarinerBluff.png

Locations

Saescu: This fishing village has about 120 inhabitants. It boasts of something you might call an inn if feeling generous, “The Mariner’s Seat”, that saw better days long ago, its origin forgotten. It is poor, and its mayor, Kern Orlov, deeply unpleasant.
Old Mariner’s bluff: This narrow headland is riddled with underwater caves on its west side, and on the east a small cove holds a beach, and up stairs in the rock, Anton’s modest dwelling.
Merrow market camp: Once a fortnight twenty merrow families from three nearby tribes gather in this famed market location to trade a wide variety of goods, foodstuffs, crafted artifacts and weapons and much more. Silthian is the leader of the local merrow group.
Ruins of Falhraz: Once a Taymoran village, a few buildings and two floors of the central tower remain (though access to the second level is blocked). It is home to many sharks, led by a merrow wereshark called Nurash.
Bluff caves: These caves, underwater at the base of the bluff, are home to giant barracuda, or, in the northernmost one, Morothog, a giant, sentient sea serpent.
Strangleweed bed: A parasite on the kelp forest it lives in, the strangleweed, made up of long thick cords of seaweed emanating from a central cluster, is a predator, entangling and drawing all kinds of passing prey into its maw.
Monument to Viazia: A sarcophagus and obelisk underwater, marking the resting place of Anton’s merrow wife Viazia.
Oyster reefs: Rock-like reefs of fused together oysters providing a rich habitat for other marine animals and plants.
Coral reefs: Coral colonies amongst jagged rocks provide another rich habitat for all kinds of sea life.
Saescu beach: Kern Orlov and his brothers plan to lure ships to the reefs and plunder whatever wreckage washes up on the sandy shore.

Image and Caption: ‘Anton - Done by Midjourney at Senarch's prompting'
http://pandius.com/Anton.png

Dramatis personae

Anton Valescu (Ally): This old fisherman, living on the bluff, is in fact a high-level wizard. Tanned and weathered, his health is failing him and his long life, prolonged by magic, is coming to an end. He founded the village long ago, then disappeared into Undersea for a lengthy adventuring career. He married a merrow woman, Viazia, now dead twenty years. His children and grandchildren are still among the local merrow tribe. His origin is forgotten in Saescu, where he is considered an old eccentric, best avoided, and a figure to scare children with. Anton is worried about Kern Orlov, and Nurash the Wereshark, but too weary and weak to deal with them. He wants nothing more than to join Viazia in eternal rest. He will gladly serve as a patron to adventurers if they can restore peace to the bluff and protect the merrow. He holds several amulets of water-breathing in the caves below his house. If he feels the village and merrow are secure, he will kill himself at Viazia’s monument, to be mourned and laid to rest with her by Sithian and his daughters. His daily routines, fishing, and the natural beauty of the bluff keep him going. He is forgetting things, struggles to do magic, and is terrified of forgetting Viazia. He smokes profusely despite a hacking cough.

Kern Orlov and his brothers (Enemy): The “mayor” (self-appointed) and his four brothers were criminals in Specularum, and originally came to Saescu to lie low. They have since taken over the village and bully its inhabitants. They are tough thugs, but like all bullies, cowards if faced with a fair fight. They are planning to become wreckers, luring ships unto the reefs and plundering whatever ends up on Saescu beach after murdering any survivors. Their first victim, the Seabird, a merchant ship from Minrothad, will pass in one week.

Nurash the Wereshark (Enemy): This imposing merrow is a wereshark wicca. Exiled by his tribe due to his lycanthropy, he is bitter and vengeful, and broods in the Taymoran ruins with the school of sharks he dominates. He is trying to penetrate deeper into the ruins in the hope of gaining more power and plans to attack the next merrow market just before dawn after the night-time celebrations.

Silthian and his daughters (Allies): The merrow leader was married to one of Anton’s daughters. He is worried. Relations with the village and fishermen have broken down, with the merrow considered hostile pests. Nurash lurks, his plans unknown, casting a pall over preparations for the next market. His daughters (Vialinn, Aruza, Keprenia) sometimes meet Anton as he is fishing and sing to him. The youngest, Keprenia, is eager to leave and explore Undersea and would gladly serve as a guide along the merrow trade routes for an adventuring party.

Morothog (Neutral): This huge sentient sea-serpent lairs in the cliffs, hunting the giant fish and barracuda in the area. He is not particularly interested in the merrow or humans nearby and is too strong even for the strangleweed to hold. He dislikes the presence of Nurash and his sharks near his lair, since they have now boxed him in. He has no need or interest in treasure, and has none, and generally just wishes to feed and rest in peace.

Adventure seeds

“The old mariner’s lament”: Anton will gladly hire the adventurers to deal with Kern and Nurash for him, in exchange for his amulets, if they can gain his trust. Their success frees him to die in peace as he desires.

“The market raid”: If the adventurers attend the market, a good idea since they can acquire numerous items for underwater pursuits, as well as build a relationship with the merrow, who are welcoming and generous if the connection to Anton is explicit, then they will likely be present for the surprise attack by Nurash and his sharks.
“Hunting Morothog”: Some fishermen might ask the party to rid them of the sea-serpent, to open the fishing grounds west of the bluff. This would prove a very tough fight, and it might be wiser to deal with the serpent instead.
“The shipwreckers”: Staying in the village any length of time will uncover strange night-time activity near the beach, raising suspicion as to the Orlov brothers’ intentions. In turn the brothers will prove rather unhappy to have the party around and will seek to be rid of them in the most underhanded way possible.

“Falhraz”: The party can seek to clear the ruins of Falhraz, either for treasure hunting purposes or in pursuit of Nurash and his sharks after the market attack. The houses in the ruins are empty, except for sea life, but the ground floor of the tower remains and is home to Nurash and the sharks. A locked door at the bottom of the stairwell has so far frustrated the wereshark. Opening it will unleash a large number of zombies, who will head to the village along the seafloor.

Encounter tables
Area: Reefs		Area: Ruins		Area: Kelp forest
1	Giant crabs	1	Sharks	1	Dolphins
2	Seals	2	Skeletons	2	Eels
4	Dolphins	4	Giant fish	4	Sea horses
5	Fishermen	5	Sea serpents	5	Kna traders
6	Merrow	6	Ghoul fish	6	Merrow
7	Jellyfish	7	Undead fish	7	Aquarendi traders
8	Sharks	8	Jellyfish	8	Giant fish
9	Giant fish	9	Zombies	9	Seals
10	Killer whales	10	Sharks	10	Aquatic spiders

Falhraz tower

I only provide a map for level 1; any lower levels and the content of the tower is up to you. Nurash has made his home in area 3. Sharks and perhaps other sea life swim through and around the ruin. All doors are locked, and many walls are reduced to rubble. At the bottom of the stairs a locked door has so far defeated any attempts made to open it to access any lower levels.

Map: Falhraz tower

http://pandius.com/FalhrazTower.png