Beneath Fisher Alley
The caverns beneath Fisher Alley are home to a tribe of koalinths that have come to worship an aspect of the Dark Power known as the Uncanny Fool. Each member of the tribe wears a near featureless mask carved from whale bone or ivory. They also tend to dozens of egg sacks containing developing doppelgangers, intending to unleash them upon Mordentshire as a sign of their devotion to the will of the Uncanny Fool.
Map
Environment Notes
The caverns beneath Fisher Alley are pitch black darkness, with only patches of bioluminescent algae providing occasional dim light. Caverns are also assumed to have a height of 30' unless otherwise stated.
Doppelganger Egg-Sacks
When the characters first discover an egg-sack, read the following description:
Out of the darkness emerges an amber-colored pod that glistens in the torch light. As you approach, you can see that the surface is translucent & covered in a network of pulsing veins. Within this pod you can see a humanoid shape curled in a fetal position floating within its fluid. You recognize this creature as a doppelganger, though smaller than the one that recently terrorized Fisher Alley.
Each egg-sack has AC 10 & 25 hit points. They are resistant damage from non-magical weapons, but are vulnerable to lightning, necrotic, & thunder damage. If the egg-sack is destroyed within one round, the doppelganger within is also destroyed. If the egg-sack is not destroyed within one round, then on initiative 20 the egg-sack bursts & the doppelganger emerges. It starts its turn prone & has only 26 hit points. Each egg-sack & its doppelganger destroyed is worth 200 XP.
01 - Entrance Cavern
After your descent, you realize that this cavern is massive. The lights you have brought barely illuminate the cave. There is the sound of constant dripping from stalactites on to rough stone & pools of brackish water. Nearby, you can see the edge of large pool of dark water that disappears into the darkness. There is also a cave wall within 10 feet of the iron ladder. The ceiling of this cavern seems to stretch almost 100 ft above the wet, gravely floor.
01a - Entrance Tide Pool
Within the tide pool is a koalinth sergeant that serves as sentry. It has set a trap near the edge of the tide pool, setting an assortment of valuable-looking baubles upon a patch of bioluminescent algae. Should a player go to investigate, the hidden koalinth (DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to spot the creature submerged in the pool), will spring out & use their hooked net on the nearest & weakest looking intruder on their first turn. It will also sound the alarm as a free action, causing the koalinths in the Desecrated Shrine (02) & the Egg-Tender's Alcove (01b) to come to investigate the disturbance.
If the players avoid the bait, then the koalinth will emerge from the pool & sound the alarm, dashing towards the Desecrated Shrine if possible.
Treasure - The baubles on the shore laid out as bait are things include a handful of coins, some costume jewelry, & a dagger covered in rust. The rusted dagger is actually a masterwork dagger, but requires a player to pass a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check assess its true value. If professionally cleaned by an artificer or blacksmith, the dagger will regain its Mastery: Nick feature.
The players will also find the brass Lamplighter badge belonging to Constable Rocco, still polished despite the damp & grime from the cavern.
Egg-Sacks - There is an egg-sack on the eastern edge of the tide pool, between the shore & the cave wall. A second one can be found along the southern cave wall next to a smaller, shallow tide pool.
01b - the Egg-Tender's Alcove
The female koalinth that resides in this alcove is referred to by her kin as Mec the Egg-Tender. She holds the welfare of the Doppelganger egg-sacks has the highest priority, even going so far as to surrender to the players should she reach 8 HP or below. If captured, she will attempt to convince the players to spare the egg sacks & attempting to deceive the players that the doppelganger that menaced Fisher Alley was defective & went rogue. A DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check will reveal that she is lying & desperate to see the fulfilment of her work.
If Mec is captured, Arcanist Iris Coldheart will have an interest in keeping Mec alive so as to learn more about koalinths & this cult's activities. However, Iris's highest priority is to destroy the egg-sacks, as the dopplegangers are an obvious threat to the safety of Mordentshire. If the players destroy any of the egg-sacks, Mec will become hostile again & fight to the death.
Egg-Sacks - Towards the back of alcove on either side of a shallow pool is an egg-sack. It appears that Mec is especially protective of these two, having made this alcove her quarters.
Treasure - There is nothing of value in Mec's quarters, except for a set of crystal bells worth 100 gp. They are designed specifically to be played underwater where they have a deep, soulful resonance, but sound eerie when played outside the water. Arcanist Iris Coldheart will mention that the bells may be of interest to the Weathermays, who have a private museum of their exploits & important local history.
02 - Desecrated Shrine
This offshoot cavern from the one in which you entered shows clear signs of workmanship. Patches of the rough cavern walls have been smoothed enough for carvings of oddly proportioned faces, misshapen human forms, & characters in an unknown language. Several stalactites & stalagmites seem to have also been carved with what appears to be eyes & mouths. There is a nauseatingly sweet scent lingering in the air, as if something has been burning a foul incense.
Along the northern side of the cavern is a small alcove with a stone altar carved from the base of a broken stalagmite. The altar is conspicuously empty, unlike the wall behind the altar. It is covered in small niches that contain what appears to be life-size busts of people with effigies of hands.
If the koalinth veteran in the Entrance Cavern did not raise the alarm, also read the following:
Around the altar stands three humanoid shapes, each covered in rough, green scales & reeking of rotting fish & seaweed. They are dressed in an assortment of garments & accessories either crafted from the sea's bounty, such as coral, shells, & teeth, or foraged from shipwrecked treasures lost to depths. Each one also wears a featureless mask of bone or ivory. The one in front of the altar seems to be a priestess, speaking in a reverent tone but in a language unknown to you. The other two kneel before her in supplication.
The koalinth cultist is named Zulza the Faceless & is the priestess of Tichsegrelos (tich-se-gre-lowz), the Face-Stealer. A DC 20 Intelligence (Religion) check will allow a player to see a connection between this cult's deity & the Dark Power known as the Uncanny Stranger.
Zulza is inherently hostile to the players, fully expecting them to destroy all that she has been working to achieve. However, she will also stall them as long as possible in the hopes of other koalinths coming to her & her disciples' aid from the Spawning Cavern (03) or the Great Cavern (04). Topics of conversation can include the recent disappearance of their altar's idol, offers to return Constable Rocco (DC 11 Wisdom (Insight) check to discern she is lying about being able to return him), & the glorious purpose given to them by their god. A DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check will reveal to the players that she is stalling.
When combat does occur, Zulza will attempt to keep her distance & support her two koalinth disciples with her magic, & will flee to rally the rest of her tribe should she fall to 13 hit points or her two disciples be killed.
Egg-Sacks - There is an egg-sack along the southern cave wall opposite of the altar & shrine, just above a shallow pool on that side of the cave.
Treasure - On closer inspection, what appeared to be carvings of human hands & faces in the niches are actually the flayed skins of the victims of the doppelganger that haunted Fisher Alley. They have been supernaturally preserved with a magic similar to the Gentle Repose spell. Near the niches are a set of ceremonial knives, the blades crafted from obsidian with handles of gold wire & decorated with beads of coral & jade. The full set is worth 100 gp. There are also three scrolls of Gentle Repose.
03 - Spawning Pools
The three pools in this cavern are used for spawning koalinths, each used to contain the eggs at different stages. The small southern pool contains the fertilized eggs until they are about to hatch, at which point they are transported into the middle pool. The middle pool contains swarms of sizable tadpoles with goblinoid features. If a player should enter the pool, they will be attacked by three koalinth tadpole swarms (use the statblock for a Swarm of Quippers). The northern pool contains the infant koalinths which haven't developed the ability to breath air yet. If a player should enter the pool, they will be attacked by six koalinth infants (use the statblock for a Goblin, but their only attack is an unarmed strike with +1 to hit that does 1 bludgeoning damage, they have the waterbreathing feature, & a swim speed of 20').
The Spawning Pools are tended to by Rherz the Wetnurse, who monitors the pools to ensure that the developing koalinths don't consume too many of their siblings. She does this by separating them into their respective pools & regularly feeding them fish & other meat. Her priority is the safety of "the lil' bairns," to the point she is willing to defy Zulza & allow the players to destroy the egg-sacks within the cavern. Should the players attack her or attempt to harm the contents of the spawning pools, she will attack with a savage ferocity (use the statblock for a sea hag).
If asked about the whereabouts of Constable Rocco, Rherz is initially hesitant to reveal any information for fear the adventurers will retaliate against the young in her care. A successful DC 12 Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion) check will convince her to share that she isn't sure of its specific source, but some of the meat she has recently fed to the young has been human.
Egg-Sacks - There are three egg-sacks in this cavern, one next to each spawning pool.
04 - the Great Cavern
05 - Tide Pool Cavern
06 - Roper's Chamber?
06a -
06b -
07 - Mimic's Chamber
This chamber has08 - Western Passage
There are three piercers, one next to each egg sack, that will attempt to ambush the first character to get near the egg sack. It is a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check to spot the piercers before they can ambush the players.
09 - Serpent's Chamber
There are three giant eels hidden among the rubble that will strike out at players as they pass by. The eels will attempt to ambush a character that passes by the rubble. Use the statblock for giant venomous snake but give it the amphibious trait & the poison damage just does additional piercing damage.
Statblocks
Ghosts of Saltmarsh (5e)
Koalinth CR: 1/2
STR
13 +1
DEX
11 +0
CON
12 +1
INT
11 +0
WIS
10 +0
CHA
11 +0
Amphibious. The koalinth can breathe air and water.
Martial Advantage. Once per turn, the koalinth can deal an extra 7 (2d6) damage to a creature it hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 feet of an ally of the koalinth that isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage, or 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack.
Suggested Environments
Coastal, Ocean, Swamp
Ghosts of Saltmarsh (5e)
Koalinth Sergeant CR: 2
STR
14 +2
DEX
11 +0
CON
12 +1
INT
11 +0
WIS
10 +0
CHA
12 +1
Amphibious. The koalinth can breathe air and water.
Martial Advantage. Once per turn, the sergeant can deal an extra 7 (2d6) damage to a creature it hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 feet of an ally of the sergeant that isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Multiattack. The sergeant makes two melee attacks with its trident.
Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage, or 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack.
Hooked Net. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 10/30 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage, and the target is restrained. A creature can use its action to make a DC 12 Strength check to free itself or another creature in a hooked net, ending the effect on a success. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the net (AC 12) frees the target without harming it and destroys the net.
Reactions
Spear the Helpless (2/Day). Whenever a creature within 30' of the sergeant becomes restrained, the sergeant can move its speed toward the restrained creature. If the sergeant ends its move within reach of the restrained creature, it can make a melee attack against it.
Suggested Environments
Coastal, Ocean, Swamp
Homebrew
Koalinth Cultist CR: 1
STR
10 +0
DEX
10 +0
CON
14 +2
INT
14 +2
WIS
16 +3
CHA
13 +1
Spellcasting. The priestess is a 3rd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The acolyte has following cleric spells prepared:
Amphibious. The priestess can breathe air and water.
Martial Advantage. Once per turn, the priestess can deal an extra 7 (2d6) damage to a creature she hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 ft of an ally of the priestess that isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Multiattack. The priestess makes two melee attacks with her trident.
Trident (+1). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage, or 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack.
Suggested Environments
Coastal, Ocean, Swamp
Monster Manual (5e)
Piercer CR: 1/2
STR
10 +0
DEX
13 +1
CON
16 +3
INT
1 -5
WIS
7 -2
CHA
3 -4
False Appearance. While the piercer remains motionless on the ceiling, it is indistinguishable from a normal stalactite.
Spider Climb. The piercer can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Actions
Drop. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, one creature directly underneath the piercer. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage per 10 feet fallen, up to 21 (6d6). Miss: The piercer takes half the normal falling damage for the distance fallen.
Suggested Environments
Subterranean, Underdark
Monster Manual (5e)
Roper CR: 5
STR
18 +4
DEX
8 -1
CON
17 +3
INT
7 -2
WIS
16 +3
CHA
6 -2
False Appearance. While the roper remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal cave formation, such as a stalagmite.
Grasping Tendrils. The roper can have up to six tendrils at a time. Each tendril can be attacked (AC 20; 10 hit points; immunity to poison and psychic damage). Destroying a tendril deals no damage to the roper, which can extrude a replacement tendril on its next turn. A tendril can also be broken if a creature takes an action and succeeds on a DC 15 Strength check against it.
Spider Climb. The roper can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Actions
Multiattack. The roper makes four attacks with its tendrils, uses Reel, and makes one attack with its bite.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 50 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained and has disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and the roper can't use the same tendril on another target.
Reel. The roper pulls each creature grappled by it up to 25 feet straight toward it.
Suggested Environments
Subterranean, Underdark
Quest from the Infinite Staircase (5e)
Wolf-in-Sheep's-Clothing CR: 7
STR
20 +5
DEX
9 -1
CON
16 +3
INT
5 -3
WIS
12 +1
CHA
5 -3
False Appearance. If the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing is motionless (except for its lure) at the start of combat, it has advantage on its initiative roll. Moreover, if a creature hasn't observed the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing move or act (except for the lure), that creature must succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discern that the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing is animate.
Actions
Multiattack. The wolf-in-sheep's-clothing makes one Bite attack & two Root Tentacle attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) acid damage.
Root Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and if the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it has the grappled condition (escape DC 16). While grappled in this way, the target has the restrained condition, & at the start of each of the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing's turns, the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing can pull the target up to 10 feet toward itself (no action required). The wolf-in-sheep's-clothing has four root tentacles, each of which can grapple one target.
Bonus Actions
Completely Harmless Lure. The wolf-in-sheep's-clothing can change the color, texture, and shape of its lure to resemble a Tiny Beast or Tiny object. It can move the lure to reinforce the resemblance (no action required), but the lure must remain within 15 feet of the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing, connected by nearly invisible filament-like tendrils.
Suggested Environments
Forest, Jungle
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