Campaign Overview

Odyssey of the Bronze Seas

In the aftermath of a cataclysmic Bronze Age war that shattered kingdoms, felled empires, and drowned coastlines, a battered crew gathers at the Shattered Archipelago’s last safe harbor. They are drawn from every shattered realm: ex-soldiers seeking redemption, scholars desperate for lost lore, refugees longing for home, and mercenaries chasing legend. Their quest is no simple treasure hunt—it is a storm-tossed odyssey to reclaim the fragments of the legendary Compass of Waves, reunite four elemental relics, and ignite the portal within the Obsidian Throne that may bear them back to Wendeborn.

Every island holds a memory of war: half-submerged warships in coral graveyards, storm-scarred monoliths echoing with the voices of lightning, and drowned temples where sea-forged automatons still stand guard. Players will navigate treacherous reefs, bargain with siren spirits, challenge elemental guardians, and outwit cultists of the Leviathan’s Hand who would enslave world-weary souls to drown every coast under a tidal apocalypse.

Their voyage weaves through three dramatic regions. First, the Shattered Archipelago—an intricate web of coral spires, ruined observatories, and flooded catacombs. Next, the Isles of Ægir’s Wrath—a tempest-ridden cluster of basalt isles where wind-mages once harnessed storms and swamp-bound spirits whisper secrets of the deep. Finally, the Obsidian Throne—a black basalt plateau crowned by a temple-palace of starlit obsidian, now besieged by cultists determined to hijack the portal’s power.

Along the way, the party will encounter factions that offer aid or interference. The Tidecallers sail to preserve freedom of passage; the Order of the Broken Oar pieces together ancient maps and incantations; and the Leviathan’s Hand spreads terror beneath the waves, seeking to redirect history’s compass toward endless ruin. Magic items bound to the sea—harps that calm storms, pearls that command currents, rods channeling lightning—are not mere treasures but interlocking keys to a portal that may rewrite fate.

This campaign tests naval strategy, underwater exploration, puzzle-filled temples, and epic ritual encounters. It weaves political intrigue in crumbling port cities, emotional bargaining with elemental spirits, and desperate last stands in echoing hallways of obsidian. As the heroes gather each relic, they unlock new possibilities—and new dangers. Can they outpace the cult’s dark tide, align the Calendar of Homecoming, and step through the portal before the Leviathan’s Hand unleashes the Nameless Deep? Their odyssey across the Bronze Seas will decide not just their fate, but the destiny of every shore battered by war’s final wave.

Embark on the Odyssey of the Bronze Seas: a voyage through myth-laden isles, elemental abysses, and obsidian halls, striving against prophecy and storm to find the way home. Weave your legend across the crashing tide—before the tide overwhelms you forever!"} } }

Starting Location

The Shattered Archipelago

The Shattered Archipelago is a maze of rocky islets, coral reefs, and drowned temples rising from the deep blue. Once home to coastal kingdoms that vied for maritime supremacy, it now lies fractured and scarred in the wake of the Great Bronze War. Jagged lava-black spires jut from silent lagoons where wrecked war galleys rest beneath the surf. Salty sea breezes carry echoes of ancient hymns, mixing with the screech of gulls and the mournful groan of rigging on derelict masts. Fisherfolk cottages cluster around natural harbors, their broken pilings a testament to storms and enemy raids alike. Underwater kelp forests drape hidden grottoes, rumored to hide treasures from kingdoms long since swallowed by time. Salt-licked cliffs harbor seabirds and twisted braziers burned by rune-cursed soldiers. Trade routes once threaded these passages; now only bold captains and desperate refugees navigate its hazards. Beneath the surface, currents swirl in deadly whirlpools and caves where phosphorescent algae festoon statues of lost gods. Stone markers carved with twin waves and bronze helms guide those who can read the old language. At twilight, the archipelago glimmers with lantern lights from hidden shrines, lit by survivors paying respects to fallen warriors. Port Corinthia stands as the largest settlement—a half-ruined dock city holding ragged fleets of refugees and mercenary crews. But no anchorage is safe: fogborne spirits, malformed sea sprites, and bands of war-torn raiders threaten travelers who linger too long. The Archipelago is the natural launching point for any voyage deeper into the mythic Bronze Seas. Players will barter for supplies, gather maps, recruit crew, and uncover fragments of an ancient navigational compass rumored to guide them home. Each isle holds its own perils and secrets: siren-tempted reefs, sunken sanctuaries of diviners, and coral-encrusted war machines that still lurk beneath the waves. The archipelago’s geography constantly shifts with hidden reefs and shifting tides—a living trial for any crew daring enough to cross it.

Secrets

  • A sunken crypt off Fisher’s Haven holds skeletal remains of a war-priest and his sealed scroll of tides.
  • The Siren’s Idol on Reef Isle whispers a prophecy—if only one can decode its ancient tongue.
  • A hidden grotto under the Drowned Spire stores an entire map fragment of the Compass of Waves.

Key Locations

Port Corinthia

Port Corinthia is the largest bastion of civilization in the shattered chain—a sprawling tangle of half-sunken docks, collapsed warehouses, and makeshift rope bridges over submerged streets. Once the proud capital of a maritime federation, it now serves as a teeming haven for refugees, scavengers, and sea-woven cultists. Bronze and stone walls at the harbor’s mouth bear scorch marks from long-ago catapult barrages, while fishermen’s huts cling to cliff faces overhead. The main quay is strewn with flotsam: barrels of salted fish, crates of amber-glass vials, and broken trireme oars repurposed as fencing posts. Lanterns carved in dolphin motifs light crooked alleys where vendor stalls hawk phosphorescent pearls, dried kelp jerky, and mysterious bronze gears salvaged from war machines. Inside the city, narrow alleys open onto ramshackle piazzas where ex-soldiers gather around communal fires under carved stone reliefs of twin-helmled gods. A twisted basilica has been converted into an open-air tavern: its cracked columns draped with fishing nets, its altar repurposed as a communal feast table. Below the basilica, catacombs lead through coral-encrusted tunnels rumored to hold war-time scrolls and navigational charts. A network of gutters and hidden alcoves offer thieves’ marks for pickpockets seeking to relieve merchants of their coin. Meanwhile, the Governor’s Cliff—a sheer promontory above the docks—overlooks a ruined palace complex now used by the Council of Survivors for nightly deliberations about the next voyage. Key features: • The Tidesinger’s Bell: a massive bronze bell rung at dusk to warn of incoming storms or raids. • The Coral Catacombs: waterlogged tunnels beneath the tavern that hold a fragment of the ancient Compass of Waves. • The Governor’s Spiral: a carved ramp leading to the cliff-top council chambers. Port Corinthia’s fortunes wax and wane with the tides, but its political intrigues, Blackmarket bazaars, and hidden reliquaries make it a vital hub for any voyage of discovery to begin.

Additional Notes

Secrets: 1) A hidden door beneath the tavern floor leads to a smuggler’s grotto. 2) The Tidesinger’s Bell is keyed to open an ancient vault. Major Quest Hook: Governor Eurydice tasks heroes to reclaim the lost bronze Compass Fragment from the Coral Catacombs. DM Tip: Use lanternlight flicker to heighten tension in submerged tunnels.

Ruins of Asteron

Rising above a reef-choked strait, the Ruins of Asteron are the remains of a once-mighty observatory and temple dedicated to the Celestial Navigator, patron of sailors. Towering obelisks carved with star maps and wave patterns crumble into the surf, while fallen pillars form stepping stones across the shallows. Moss and kelp drape every surface, and colorful corals weave among geometric reliefs. The centerpiece is an open courtyard with a circular sundial of brass and marble that still rotates with the moon’s phases. Intricate mosaics on the temple floor depict a legendary voyage home, its mosaic waves subtly shifting if disturbed at night. Below the courtyard lies a labyrinth of vaulted chambers—the Hall of Echoes—where chanting halls amplify even a whisper into resounding thunder. Here, water pours from broken aqueducts into polished bowls, each inscribed with prophecies in ancient script. A collapsed roof directly above reveals a sky-piercing telescope mount aimed toward the north star, still aligned by unseen gears. Scholars believe the temple once housed the complete Compass of Waves, a mystical bronze instrument able to chart a path through any sea, even one ruled by magic and myth. Threats and encounters include guardian constructs half-submerged in briny water, trickster water elementals, and displaced ghostly priests who roam the halls seeking to finish a final ritual. An underwater sealing door at the lowest level holds the only surviving fragment of the compass, hidden behind a pressure-sensitive relief depicting a ship’s prow splitting a tidal wave. Legend holds that on moonless nights the mosaics come alive, revealing hidden runes that unlock a vault. Recovering the compass fragment will reveal the first steps toward returning home—but the ritual that animates the mosaics risks awakening a drowned god’s wrath.

Additional Notes

Secrets: 1) Chanting in the Hall of Echoes completes the ritual to reveal the vault. 2) The sundial’s shadow points to a hidden hatch at midnight. DM Tip: Let players overhear ghostly whispers guiding them or misleading them.

Siren’s Reef

A crescent of jagged coral spires and sharp limestone ledges, the Siren’s Reef is shrouded in perpetual mist and haunted by the mournful music of unseen singers. Sailors avoid its waters for fear of ship-wreck, but local legends say that on foglit nights, a crystalline shrine appears on one of the hollows, dedicated to the Ocean Siren Triada. The reef’s channels twist and fork unpredictably; tides create phantom channels where ships vanish if captains misread the currents. Beneath the waves, air-pocket caverns hold glittering mother-of-pearl altars, and runic statues of three-headed sirens stand sentinel. Their eyes—crafted from black garnet—reflect the moon’s glow, guiding worthy travelers to sacred grottoes. Above water, tidal pools brim with phosphorescent anemones and reflective glassfish that light the way through labyrinthine corridors carved by centuries of wave action. The Reef’s true danger stems from siren spirits bound to starfalls: they lure sailors to dance on the rocks until they slip and shatter upon the reef. Locals speak of a vanished expedition that stole a siren’s harp from the grotto; since, the reef’s spirits have grown restless. To bargain for safe passage—or to acquire the missing harp—they must confront Triada’s descendants in an underground court lit by bioluminescent coral. Players must traverse narrow walkways and leaping stepping-stones while resisting arcane enchantments carried on the ghost-song. In the deepest chamber lies the Siren’s Harp: only those who offer an honest memory to the altar will break the enchantment. Removing the harp without fulfilling the bargain risks cursing the entire archipelago with ceaseless storms.

Additional Notes

Secrets: 1) A hidden grotto holds a sealed memory-jar of Triada’s ancestor. 2) The largest coral spire opens into a tidal shrine at dawn. DM Tip: Use ambient siren song recordings to set mood and test saving throws.

Drowned Spire

The Drowned Spire is an isolated sea stack whose base is submerged at high tide. A spiral staircase of carved coralline limestone ascends to the summit, now partially collapsed by centuries of storms. Ancient battle wounds gouge the walls, bearing crenellations where war-mages once stood. The summit hosts a ruined beacon tower: its bronze lantern cap is encrusted in oyster shells, and wind-riven tide-runes spiral around its shaft. At low tide, access tunnels through sea caves allow entry, but only if one times the waves precisely. Inside the tower’s lower level is a flooded observatory ringed with fractured paintings of sky and sea dragons battling beneath storm clouds. A broken lathe lies on the floor with scattered bronze gears—remnants of an experimental sea-going automaton created during the war. A stone dais holds a solitary bronze helm marked with the sigil of an exiled admiral. Local divers swear that at night, the helm emits a ghostly blue glow and whispers commands to the waves. The Spire is haunted by drowned mariners—victims of ambushes by war raiders—whose watery corpses drift through walls and manifest as swirling currents in corridors. The only way to enter the upper spiral is to drain the western chamber by realigning broken sluice gates in the flooded basement, all while avoiding tide-drakes that slither through the water. Legend claims the admiral’s helm grants command of the sea automatons scattered across the archipelago—ancient bronze guardians that could clear paths for a ship. Recovering it requires passing trials of courage, wisdom, and sacrifice under the shifting tides.

Additional Notes

Secrets: 1) A hidden buoy mechanism in the basement opens the sluice. 2) The admiral’s helm binds to the wearer’s blood oath. DM Tip: Use creaky metal sounds and echo effects to make the ascent atmospheric.

Whirlpool Gorge

Carved by violent currents between two towering cliffs, Whirlpool Gorge forms a lethal passage where whitewater rapids churn against submerged rocks. The channel narrows to a circular basin where the tide rotates like a giant millstone, creating a vortex so powerful it can swallow small boats. Rusted chains from wartime moorings fringe the vertical walls, and barnacled shackles still clamp to iron rings bolted into the stone—remnants of prisoners left to drown in the maelstrom. A narrow walkway of stone slabs bolted to cliff faces allows a perilous traverse above the roaring water. Handholds carved into the stone glint with copper inlays that spell out a warning in the old tongue. Midway along the path, a collapsed section forces travelers to shimmy across a swinging chain bridge above turbulent eddies. Sea spray drenches travelers, and the roar of the water makes hearing nearly impossible. At the gorge’s heart, a hidden underwater cave is said to hold the Heart of the Maelstrom—a polished black pearl rumored to control the whirlpool’s fury when placed in an ancient iron brazier. But retrieving it demands diving into the basin’s depths, outwitting a guardian sea serpent that dwells beneath. Local lore says that if the pearl is ever removed from its brazier for longer than an hour, the gorge will widen until it floods the entire archipelago. Control of the Heart could open or close the path home—for better or for worse.

Additional Notes

Secrets: 1) A break in the chain bridge hides a rope ladder down to an air pocket. 2) Copper runes along the handholds reveal the serpent’s true name. DM Tip: Play thunderous water sound effects; require Athletics or Acrobatics checks across the bridge.

Isles of Ægir’s Wrath

Beyond the Shattered Archipelago lies a cluster of storm-lashed islands known as the Isles of Ægir’s Wrath. Named for the sea god said to hurl lightning upon transgressors, these isles endure near-constant gales and colossal surf. Basalt cliffs are perforated by sea archways through which cyclonic winds whip salt spray in glistening tunnels. The soil is thin and rocky, supporting tenacious heath shrubs and wind-gnarled pines. Villages built into natural coves huddle behind windbreaks of driftwood and storm-beaten stones, their roofs weighed down by slate slabs. Each isle offers its own danger and lore. On Stormshard Peak, standing stones mark ley lines that pulse with arcane storms. The Emerald Temples—once repositories of wind-mages—hold enchanted aether crystals, now fractured and dangerously volatile. In the Marsh of Whispers, bogs muffle sound but amplify hidden voices from below: the trapped spirits of sailors lost to Ægir’s fury. Navigational charts warn ships away, but the gale-blown winds also carry unique raw magic that might power ancient engines of return. Those who dare these isles may forge pacts with elemental custodians, recover lost sky-maps, or soothe the rage of Ægir himself. But the storms test both vessel and will: even seasoned crews can be dashed on black rocks or swallowed by tempest-swollen gullies.

Secrets

  • A secret cavern beneath Stormshard opens during lightning storms, revealing a lost airship blueprint.
  • An Emerald Temple prism shard, when assembled, reveals the glyph for controlling the Heart of the Maelstrom.
  • The Marsh of Whispers contains a submerged diary detailing Ægir’s pact with the war-time gods.

Key Locations

Stormshard Peak

Stormshard Peak rises like a jagged spear from the northern isle’s center. A ring of monolithic stones crowns its summit, each etched with lightning rune-glyphs that crackle with leftover arcane charge. The ground around the stones is pocked by scorch marks and scorched flora, while the air shimmers with static energy. Winds grow fierce near the peak’s edge, making footing perilous. Ancient parabolic reflectors carved into the peaksides once channeled lightning into sky-farms—experimental conduits from the old war used to energize arc-engines afloat on the sea. Inside a hidden vault beneath one reflector lies the Storm Conductor, a twisted bronze rod that once tamed lightning for warships. Two giant stone golems guard the entrance—relics programmed to attack any who disturb the ley stones. Weathered tapestries in the vault depict a ritual where mages bound Ægir’s might into living armor suits. Scholars believe fragments of elemental corestones remain, offering power to any who can crack their crystalline shell. Windswept ledges host nests of griffon raptors that attack intruders. Thundercloud elementals swirl around the crest, striking with charged glaives of storm-forged metal. Recovering the Storm Conductor could offer a way to harness storm magic for the voyage home—but releasing its power risks summoning Ægir’s avatar in wrathful fury.

Additional Notes

Secrets: 1) A hidden lever behind a rune graffito opens the vault door. 2) One monolith hides a latent scroll with binding rites. DM Tip: Use gusts and thunderclaps to interrupt spells and encourage dynamic combat.

Emerald Temples

Carved from sea-green jade and crystallized algae, the Emerald Temples cluster around a central pool of still, mirror-calm water. Once a conclave for wind-mages, they now stand half-collapsed, their halls strewn with prism shards that refract storm light. Broken aether conduits snake across pedestals, leaking raw mana into the atmosphere. Crystalline vines envelop statues of long-dead arch-magisters, their raised hands forever holding storm orbs. Hallways echo with whispers of past incantations; ghostly phantoms of apprentices flit through the corridors, replaying the day the Conclave shattered its own vault in a tragic experiment gone wrong. A massive dome overhead, painted with a mural of a chariot drawn by lightning-charged horses, now hangs in fractured slabs above a giant mana focal point. Insulted caretakers—elemental guardians of air and water—rise from floor conduits to repel intruders. In the crypt below lies the Mana Conch, a polished shell that absorbs and releases arcane energy. Recovering it could recharge magical artifacts on the ship indefinitely. However, the crypt corridor is trapped: shifting floor plates trigger bursts of gale wind and vacuum pulses. Only by restoring the conduit flow in sequence can one approach the conch safely.

Additional Notes

Secrets: 1) A hidden prism behind the broken dome refracts light to reveal a safe path. 2) In the fallen mural pieces is a coded map to the Mana Conch. DM Tip: Incorporate light puzzles and wind traps; allow creative spells to bypass obstacles.

Marsh of Whispers

The southern isle’s interior is a vast wetlands choked with reeds, mist swirls, and shallow pools of brackish water. Every footstep is muffled; voices travel far yet remain indistinct—a haunting effect locals blame on the trapped voices of shipwreck victims. At night, ghost lights drift just above the waterline, guiding or misleading travelers. Ancient stone pillars—only tops visible above the marsh—form circles where rituals to calm the storm spirits once took place. Beneath the murk lie submerged vaults containing drowned relics: rations of enchanted grain, bronze lifesigns preserving last messages from soldiers, and the Driftwood Codex—a chronicle of war-time propaganda that could turn the tide of persuasion back on the cults now rising among the wreckage. The Marsh Guardian, a massive half-submerged wyrm who feasts on lost souls, roams beneath the reeds. It communicates through psychic whisperings, challenging intruders to answer riddles echoing the past’s mistakes. Success grants safe passage to hidden ruins; failure floods the corridors with bottomless mud pits. At the heart of the marsh lies the Weeping Altar, where sacred water can grant visions—but only if an offering of truth is made.

Additional Notes

Secrets: 1) Submerged vault door opens only when pool is drained by siphon hidden in northern reeds. 2) A weeping statue holds a memory crystal with an agenda from the old war. DM Tip: Use ambient whisper sounds and Psychic damage traps; let players interrogate the wyrm telepathically.

The Obsidian Throne

Past the Isles of Ægir’s Wrath, where stormwinds meet polar currents, lies the Black Sea Veil and its crown jewel: the Obsidian Throne. A massive plateau of glass-black basalt rises from frigid waves, crowned by a temple-palace carved directly into the rock. Polished obsidian facades glint with captured starlight. Monolithic statues of war-lords and prophets flank a broad stairway ascending to the Hall of Echoes, where the final portal home is said to lie. At the base, frozen waterfalls cascade into misty chasms, their ice shards singing in the wind like shattered bells. The air is cold and charged, and ancient wards carved in midwinter runes quiver with untamed magic. Within the palace’s obsidian walls, vast corridors stretch beneath vaulted ceilings painted with battle scenes in shimmering silver leaf. Tapestries show the Calendar of Homecoming—an astral schedule predicting phases of the void-sea when a portal might open. But the Throne is contested. Cultists of the Leviathan’s Hand, a militant sect that worships the Nameless Deep, have occupied the temple, conducting dark rituals to bind travelers to the abyss rather than send them home. The palace guards—revenants of the old royal guard—struggle against the cult’s foul magic, their loyalty torn between oaths and corruption. Beyond the Hall of Echoes, the Chamber of Portals holds a massive circular door of inlaid runes and tide-forged metal. When properly activated with four elemental relics—Storm Conductor, Mana Conch, Heart of the Maelstrom Pearl, and the Siren’s Harp—the door will open a shimmering corridor leading to the shores of Wendeborn, the heroes’ homeland. Failing to gather or protect these relics risks sealing them forever in obsidian crypts.

Secrets

  • The palace’s east wall conceals a forgotten royal crypt with ancestral star-charts.
  • A hidden tunnel under the frozen waterfall leads to a reliquary of silver tides.
  • The portal door itself records the names of all who cross—it may betray them.

Key Locations

Hall of Echoes

A vast rectangular chamber with granite walls lined by obsidian pillars. Each pillar is hollowed like a bell, causing voices to reverberate in confusing echoes—they can disorient foes or amplify prayers. A central dais holds an obsidian well filled with still water reflecting star patterns. On ceremonial nights, the well’s surface shows the true date on the Calendar of Homecoming tapestry. Reverberations can be used in ritual to align the portal’s runes.

Additional Notes

Secrets: Pillar No. 3 holds a hidden switch that reveals a passage. Use echo effects for disorientation. DM Tip: Let echoes distort perception—Occult checks to navigate.

Throne of the Depths

The obsidian seat where the High Priest of the Leviathan’s Hand presides. The Throne is carved from a single zero-point crystal of unknown origin, absorbing ambient magic. Dark ichor stains the floor where sacrifices have been made. A secret sapling-like conduit beneath the Throne draws energy from elemental relics, feeding it into the portal mechanism when mishandled.

Additional Notes

Secrets: The Throne’s base slides open to reveal the Portal Core. Ritual graffiti indicates the correct relic placement order. DM Tip: Allow a last stand encounter; time-pressure mechanics.

Veiled Sanctum

A hidden chamber accessible only through an illusory wall in the Hall of Echoes. Inside lies ancient scrolls—original logs of the Celestial Navigator’s last voyage—and four niches for the elemental relics. Unlit luminaries mark each niche with carved symbols: wave, gale, storm, and song. When the relics are placed and incantation recited, the obsidian floor rumbles, and the portal door slides open with a hiss of released energy.

Additional Notes

Secrets: Scroll of Return provides final incantation. One niche has a false slot that triggers a trap if empty. DM Tip: Create dramatic lighting; use arcana skill challenges to align runes.

NPCs in The Shattered Archipelago

Captain Lysandra Voss

A weathered trireme captain with a patchwork crew from every nation shattered by war. Scarred eye, quick wit.

Role: Quest giver Other Details: Seeks redemption for her flagship’s loss and the return of her missing brother.

Eurylochus the Navigator

A former royal cartographer turned freelance pilot. Shy, meticulous, haunted by diagrams he cannot finish.

Role: Navigator, side-quest giver Other Details: Holds a fragment of the compass but doesn’t know its use.

Melanthios the Merchant

A silver-tongued trader dealing in salvaged relics and forbidden lore. Appearance always pristine.

Role: Merchant, side-quest giver Other Details: Secretly funnels gear to a rising sea-cult.

High Priestess Thalia

Leader of a small temple devoted to the Celestial Navigator. Stern bearing, luminous violet eyes.

Role: Religious quest giver Other Details: Knows ancient rites to commune with storm spirits.

Dorie of the Shoals

An old fisherwoman with tangled white hair and a tooth-topped wooden hook. Speaks in riddles.

Role: Local guide, side-quest giver Other Details: Once a storm witch; holds knowledge of reef songs.

NPCs in Isles of Ægir’s Wrath

Kara Stormtide

A fierce elemental knight born of a lightning strike, clad in storm-forged armor.

Role: Guardian of Stormshard Peak Other Details: Offers trial by combat for those seeking the Storm Conductor.

Marinus Sylphae

An air-genasi archivist who remains behind to reclaim broken aether crystals.

Role: Guide and puzzle clue-giver Other Details: Wants the Mana Conch to restore his shattered magic lineage.

Fenwick Mirewalker

A half-elf swamp druid whose voice is lost to the Marsh’s whispers.

Role: Quest giver for marsh rites Other Details: Seeks to silence the Marsh Guardian’s hunger.

NPCs in The Obsidian Throne

High Priest Varokos

A towering revenant clad in frost-etched armor, sworn to protect the Throne of Depths.

Role: Final quest antagonist Other Details: Torn between duty and a spark of his former humanity.

Selene Windwhisper

A half-elf oracle imprisoned beneath the Hall of Echoes. Eyes clouded, but her voice still guides lost souls.

Role: Quest ally Other Details: Holds knowledge of the true Calendar alignment.

Brother Thalor

A repentant member of the Leviathan’s Hand, seeking to undo the cult’s ritual.

Role: Insider informant Other Details: Provides the party with a partial ritual script in exchange for freedom.

Factions

The Tidecallers

The Tidecallers are a loose confederation of seafaring warriors, fishermen, and ex-naval officers dedicated to protecting free navigation of the Bronze Seas. Adorning themselves with barnacles and driftwood charms, they pride themselves on reading currents, predicting storms, and rescuing stranded vessels. Their ships are constructed from salvaged war galleys retrofitted with rune-wards to ward off sea horrors. Tidecallers gather at floating bazaars, trading supplies and intelligence. Although decentralized, they share a common oath sworn on rising tides to aid any voyage toward home, viewing the heroes as potential champions of that bond.

Goals

• Ensure safe seas for all voyagers • Recover and restore ancient navigational lore • Prevent war-born cults from monopolizing sea routes

Relationships

With Other Factions
They maintain cordial trade ties with the Order of the Broken Oar but disdain the Leviathan’s Hand, often clashing over ritual sea offerings. They occasionally ally with local coastal governors.
With Players
Tidecallers see the party as key allies in charting a homeward course. They offer supplies, crew, and occasional ships if trust is earned, but expect active participation in rescue and patrol missions.

The Order of the Broken Oar

The Order of the Broken Oar is a scholarly circle of cartographers, historians, and arcane engineers dedicated to reconstructing the lost lore of the pre-war world. Their name recalls the shattered war galleys whose maps and journals they painstakingly reassemble. Operating from hidden academies carved into coastal cliffs, they employ a network of spies and librarians to locate fragments of navigational compasses, war logs, and star charts. While largely pacifistic, they build protective automatons and arcane wards to defend their holdings from looters and cultists.

Goals

• Collect and reassemble maps, compasses, and star charts • Translate ancient prophecies related to the journey home • Develop safe magical transport technologies

Relationships

With Other Factions
They share resources with the Tidecallers but view the Leviathan’s Hand as a heretical threat to rational pursuit of knowledge. They disdain brute pirate methods but occasionally barter with them for rare scrolls.
With Players
The Order provides research, puzzle clues, and arcane tools—often in exchange for expedition reports or recovered relics. They regard the party as field agents capable of retrieving difficult fragments.

The Leviathan’s Hand

The Leviathan’s Hand is a dark cult worshipping the Nameless Deep—a primal oceanic entity said to have granted powers to belligerents during the Great Bronze War. Cloaked in kelp-woven robes, cultists perform blood rites in hidden sea caves, hoping to bind souls to an endless underwater crusade. They seek to claim the elemental relics not to open a portal home, but to rend the seas and drown all coasts in eternal tide. Their agents infiltrate ports and sabotage ships, leaving discarded offerings of drowned victims at each site.

Goals

• Acquire elemental relics to awaken the Nameless Deep • Undermine voyages aiming for home by cursing ships • Expand cult influence among desperate war survivors

Relationships

With Other Factions
They are mortal enemies of the Tidecallers and the Order of the Broken Oar, often assassinating researchers and raiding coastal libraries. They masquerade as refugees to gain trust, then strike.
With Players
The Leviathan’s Hand sees the party both as obstacles and as potential vessels to retrieve relics. Cult assassins shadow them, and high-ranking priests attempt to seduce them with dark pacts.

Main Questline

The Broken Compass

Given by: Captain Lysandra Voss

In Port Corinthia, Captain Lysandra suspects that a bronze fragment of the legendary Compass of Waves lies hidden within the Coral Catacombs under the old basilica-tavern. Recovering this fragment will help chart the first leg of the journey. The party must navigate flooded tunnels, evade guardian sea sprites, and solve pressure-plate puzzles to unlock the vault containing the fragment.

Goals

• Enter Coral Catacombs at low tide • Bypass or defeat guardians • Retrieve the compass fragment • Return safely to Lysandra

Reward

• Compass Fragment (fits into the larger Compass of Waves) • 250 gp

Secrets

  • The fragment is keyed to Lysandra’s bloodline.
  • Sea sprites know a second hidden fragment location.

DM Notes

Use environmentals: low-oxygen pockets, collapsing ceilings, rival treasure hunters.

Siren’s Song

Given by: High Priestess Thalia

Having learned of an ancient Siren’s Harp on Siren’s Reef, High Priestess Thalia offers to bless any who retrieve it. This harp plays the melody that aligns a portal’s runes. To claim it, the party must track the ghostly music through misty corridors, solve the spirits’ riddles, and perform an honest memory exchange at the altar to break the enchantment binding the harp.

Goals

• Sail to Siren’s Reef • Solve ghostly riddles • Retrieve the Siren’s Harp • Return to Thalia

Reward

• Siren’s Harp • Blessing of the Sea (advantage on maritime skill checks for 24 hours)

Secrets

  • The harp contains a hidden second song that awakens sea guardians.
  • Thalia plans to use the harp to control ocean storms over Corinthia.

DM Notes

Include Wisdom saves vs. charm; allow persuasion with spirits; stage bluff or insight checks.

Whirlpool of Fate

Given by: Eurylochus the Navigator

Eurylochus reveals that Whirlpool Gorge hides the Heart of the Maelstrom—a black pearl needed as the third key relic. The heroes must time their descent to coincide with the lowest tide, dive into the basin, and outwit a guardian sea serpent. Retrieving the pearl and placing it in the ancient iron brazier on the gorge’s ledge will tame the whirlpool for safe passage and grant the pearl’s power.

Goals

• Time descent at low tide • Dive and confront sea serpent • Retrieve the pearl • Place pearl in brazier

Reward

• Heart of the Maelstrom (relic) • Navigator’s Blessing (+2 to navigation checks around whirlpools)

Secrets

  • The pearl corrupts wearers who spend over an hour away from its brazier.
  • The serpent once served the Celestial Navigator and may be reasoned with.

DM Notes

Use underwater combat rules; timed rounds for tide; allow social interaction with serpent.

Ægir’s Vengeance

Given by: Kara Stormtide

Having acquired two relics, the party must brave Stormshard Peak to claim the Storm Conductor—the final elemental relic on the Isles of Ægir’s Wrath. Kara Stormtide grants them passage if they prove their worth by subduing a thundercloud elemental and realigning the monoliths. With the conductor in hand, they can harness storm energy to power the portal’s engine at the Obsidian Throne.

Goals

• Defeat elemental trial • Realign three runestone monoliths • Claim the Storm Conductor

Reward

• Storm Conductor (relic) • Lightning-resistant cloak

Secrets

  • Using the conductor risks summoning Ægir’s avatar in full might.
  • One monolith holds the ritual incantation needed at the portal.

DM Notes

Include puzzle of monolith order; consider dynamic storm effects in combat.

Return to Wendeborn

Given by: Selene Windwhisper

With all four relics assembled, the heroes reach the Obsidian Throne. Selene Windwhisper guides them through the Veiled Sanctum to place each relic in its niche and recite the final incantation from the Scroll of Return. They must fend off the Leviathan’s Hand cultists led by High Priest Varokos, ensure the portal remains open, and step through to sail home on the tide of magic.

Goals

• Place relics and activate portal • Defend against cult assault • Cross the threshold

Reward

• Safe passage home • Titles of Honor in Wendeborn • Optionally, a choice to reshape their homeland’s fate

Secrets

  • Brother Thalor embedded a failsafe to trap cultists in the portal.
  • The portal records each traveler’s name—some may not wish to cross.

DM Notes

Epic finale: mix social, ritual skill checks, and waves of cultist combat; allow players to narrate the crossing.

Side Quests in The Shattered Archipelago

Echoes in the Depths

Given by: Captain Lysandra Voss

Whispers have reached Lysandra that a sunken war galley off Port Corinthia’s harbor still holds gold, provisions, and perhaps war-logs naming her missing brother’s fate. She’ll pay the crew to dive the wreck, recover the ledgers, and return crucial evidence that might both clear her honor and reveal new clues about a powerful marine enchantment the enemy used to turn tides against the allied fleet.

Goals

• Dive to the wreck at low tide • Retrieve the war logs and any gold • Escape with logs intact

Reward

• 200 gp total split among party • War-log scroll granting knowledge of ancient sea spells (one-time use)

Secrets

  • The war logs imply a traitor in Lysandra’s old command.
  • The gold is cursed—any who touch it hear phantom waves that inflict psychic damage.

DM Notes

Provide coral-covered debris map; use Dexterity (Athletics) or tools checks underwater. Adjust pressures for swimmers.

Mercantile Dispute

Given by: Melanthios the Merchant

Melanthios wants emissaries to negotiate with the Fisher’s Guild over exclusive rights to an amber-rich reef. However, the Guild’s negotiator demands a rare carved coral icon stolen by reef pirates. The party must infiltrate a pirate cove, steal back the icon, and broker a deal—all without starting a full-blown naval skirmish that would devastate local fisheries.

Goals

• Identify and infiltrate the pirate cove • Steal or negotiate return of the coral icon • Return icon and seal the trade agreement

Reward

• 150 gp plus discount on trade goods • Pirate captain’s coral-studded cutlass (uncommon magic weapon)

Secrets

  • Pirates are secretly funded by a dark sea-cult.
  • The coral icon is a key fragment to summon a reef guardian.

DM Notes

Include stealth patrols, disguise checks, and opportunity for social skill resolutions.

Prophecy of the Siren

Given by: High Priestess Thalia

The temple hymns predict the arrival of travelers who will save the archipelago from an endless storm. Thalia requests that the heroes voyage to Siren’s Reef to retrieve the lost Siren Harp, an instrument needed to complete the prophecy ritual. She warns that the siren spirits test every seeker’s intent and that failure means eternal binding to the reef’s song.

Goals

• Sail to Siren’s Reef • Enter the grotto and commune with the spirits • Acquire and return the Siren Harp

Reward

• Ceremony granting advantage on boat handling checks • Blessed holy water (heals 2d4 HP)

Secrets

  • The prophecy text is incomplete—the harp plays a second hidden melody.
  • Thalia once broke a vow that weakened the prophecy’s power.

DM Notes

Use enchantment saves against the siren song; allow Insight checks to negotiate with spirits.

The Lost Diver

Given by: Eurylochus the Navigator

Eurylochus sent a fellow scholar to survey an underwater ruin south of the archipelago. Days passed with no word. He hires the heroes to track the diver’s submarine bell, retrieve any research notes, and rescue him if still alive. The deeper they dive, the more they find twisted experiments on war machines drawn into underwater labs and the diver’s journal outlining a plan to reactivate a bronze guardian automaton.

Goals

• Locate the diver’s beacon • Retrieve notes and any living survivors • Escape the lab before flooding

Reward

• Diver’s Seeker’s Helmet (uncommon; grants darkvision underwater) • Navigator’s Silver Compass (homemade, grants advantage on navigation checks)

Secrets

  • The lab’s lead scientist is alive and hiding in a deep cavern.
  • The automaton control code is scrawled in the diver’s last journal entry.

DM Notes

Underwater hazards: air supply timer, Dexterity checks to avoid collapsing tunnels.

Reef Cleansing

Given by: Dorie of the Shoals

Toxic sludge from wrecked war barges has poisoned a coral shelf crucial to local fish stocks. Dorie implores the heroes to clear the pollution: they must find a magical sponge hidden in the Coral Caverns that can absorb any poison, then apply it to the reef. But the caverns are inhabited by an oversized sea urchin monstrosity and venomous moray eels. Time is short before the fish die.

Goals

• Enter the Coral Caverns • Defeat or placate the urchin guardian • Use the sponge to purify the reef

Reward

• Potion of Water Breathing • 100 gp worth of rare shells

Secrets

  • The pollution is artificially created to drive fish toward a black-market trader.
  • The magical sponge is sentient and bargains souls for each toxin removed.

DM Notes

Allow creative uses of the sponge; include environmental damage mechanics for the reef.

Side Quests in Isles of Ægir’s Wrath

Lightning’s Bane

Given by: Kara Stormtide

Kara challenges the heroes to ascend Stormshard Peak and defeat a rogue thundercloud elemental threatening nearby fishing villages. She will test them in timed trials of strength and speed, and if they prevail, she’ll grant them a shard of Storm Conductor to aid their journey.

Goals

• Defeat the thundercloud elemental • Prove worth to Kara

Reward

• Stormshard Shard (grants lightning resistance)

Secrets

  • The elemental is a warped experiment of the old war.
  • Kara’s true goal is to recruit the group into her order.

DM Notes

Timed combat scenario; use environmental hazards of wind and lightning.

Shattered Aether

Given by: Marinus Sylphae

Marinus asks the party to recover four aether crystals scattered across the Emerald Temples complex. Each crystal is protected by an air elemental puzzle. Reassembling them into a focus rod will stabilize the entire temple and open a secret vault.

Goals

• Solve four elemental puzzles • Collect crystals • Reforge the focus rod

Reward

• Aether Focus Rod (casts Gust of Wind once per day)

Secrets

  • One crystal is destined for the Heart of the Maelstrom.
  • Marinus intends to channel the crystals’ power into a personal device.

DM Notes

Include intelligence and arcana challenges, puzzle‐oriented traps.

Whispers in the Dark

Given by: Fenwick Mirewalker

Fenwick implores the heroes to lead a cleansing ritual at the Weeping Altar. They must gather three pure water samples from marsh springs, fight off spore-charged bog fiends, and use an ancient chant to pacify the Marsh Guardian long enough for the ritual to complete.

Goals

• Collect three spring waters • Survive spore-fiend ambush • Complete ritual chant

Reward

• Ring of Whisper-Silence (uncommon; advantage on stealth in marshes)

Secrets

  • The Guardian whispers true confessions to each participant.
  • The pond water is tainted by a cult’s blood offerings.

DM Notes

Use environmental hazards: spore clouds, poisonous reeds; require Wisdom saving throws.

Side Quests in The Obsidian Throne

Chains of Oblivion

Given by: Selene Windwhisper

Selene asks the heroes to rescue her from crystalline shackles in the Hall of Echoes and break her curse. Doing so requires collecting three shards of Shattered BellSteel scattered in the palace’s lower levels, reforging them at the Throne, and using the echoes to release her spirit.

Goals

• Collect three BellSteel shards • Reforge under proper echo conditions • Free Selene

Reward

• Oracle’s Pendant (grants prophecy once per long rest)

Secrets

  • The BellSteel is sentient and must consent to reforge.
  • Releasing Selene fully may awaken buried memories harmful to her sanity.

DM Notes

Include forging checks and moral choices about Selene’s memories.

Abyssal Sigil

Given by: Brother Thalor

Brother Thalor believes a sigil carved under the frozen falls can sever the cult’s hold on the portal. The heroes must descend through ice caverns, avoid collapse, and carve the sigil using silver-forged tools. Doing so risks summoning a freed titan bound beneath the ice.

Goals

• Descend into ice caverns • Carve the Abyssal Sigil correctly • Escape before ice shift

Reward

• Silverforged Chisel (uncommon tool; advantage on carving/manipulation)

Secrets

  • The titan beneath the ice will awaken if the ritual fails.
  • The sigil also opens a path to a hidden treasure vault.

DM Notes

Timed exploration; environmental dexterity checks; encounter with ice mephits.

Encounters

Ghost Ship Wreck

Medium

Suggested Level: 3–5

Under a blood-red moon, a derelict war galley drifts toward the reefs, crewed by spectral mariners seeking to add new souls to their voyage.

Creatures

  • 6 Ghosts
  • 2 Wraiths

Terrain Features

• Jagged decking • Partial masts creating cover • Brackish water pools

Treasure

• Ghostly Cutlass (+1, horrifying aura) • 50 gp in pouches preserved in spectral form

DM Notes

Spectral foes ignore nonmagical weapons; offer environmental leverage—rigging to collapse.

Reef Pirate Ambush

Hard

Suggested Level: 4–6

Pirates descend from hidden vantage points on reef towers, firing crossbows and throwing nets to capture unwary sailors.

Creatures

  • 3 Reef Pirate Brutes
  • 5 Reef Pirate Skirmishers
  • 1 Merrow Elite

Terrain Features

• Narrow rock ledges • Tidal pools • Fishing nets set as traps

Treasure

• Reef Captain’s Coral-inlaid Cutlass (uncommon) • 75 gp

DM Notes

Use multi-tier terrain; nets can restrain—allow Strength checks to break free.

Marsh Wyrm’s Lair

Deadly

Suggested Level: 6–8

A colossal half-submerged wyrm lurks beneath fog-choked reeds, defending its marsh domain.

Creatures

  • Marsh Wyrm (custom CR 8)

Terrain Features

• Quaking moss bog • Fog pockets • Submerged root tunnels

Treasure

• Moss-grown Chalice of Clarity (sends visions) • 200 gp

DM Notes

Alternate lair actions: quaking ground, fog bank concealment, psychic roar.

Vault Construct Raid

Medium

Suggested Level: 5–7

Two bronze golems reactivated by cultists storm an old observatory vault to seize a compass fragment.

Creatures

  • 2 Bronze Golems
  • 3 Cultist Archers

Terrain Features

• Collapsed catwalks • Elevation levels with catapult stones • Magical glyph traps

Treasure

• Mechanical gear salvage (use for future crafting)

DM Notes

Golems immune to poison and psychic; glyphs trigger area stun—Arcana to disarm.

Hall of Echoes Illusion

Medium

Suggested Level: 7–9

Within the Obsidian Throne’s Hall, dissonant echoes spawn illusory cultists that sow confusion.

Creatures

  • Illusory Cultist Swarms (Phantasmal)

Terrain Features

• Echoing pillars • Reflective obsidian floor • Low visibility haze

Treasure

• Ritual Candles of Silence (set can mute magic for 1 minute)

DM Notes

Use illusion rules; players need Intelligence checks to disbelieve. Echoes cause disadvantage on Perception.

Magic Items

Navigator’s Silver Compass

Rare
A silver dial that always points toward the next relic fragment.

Location

Eurylochus’s quarters after completing “The Lost Diver” quest.

Attunement

Yes (requires 1 hour meditation at sea)

Stormshard Shard

Uncommon
A jagged piece of charged crystal granting resistance to lightning.

Location

Reward from “Lightning’s Bane” side-quest.

Attunement

No

Siren’s Harp

Very Rare
A pearl-encrusted harp whose melody calms storm spirits and charms sea creatures.

Location

Main Quest “Siren’s Song.”

Attunement

Yes (requires story of personal sorrow)

Heart of the Maelstrom Pearl

Very Rare
A dark pearl that controls whirlpool currents when placed in its brazier.

Location

Main Quest “Whirlpool of Fate.”

Attunement

No

Mana Conch

Rare
A spiraled shell absorbing ambient magic and releasing it as raw arcane energy.

Location

Emerald Temples crypt.

Attunement

Yes (requires taste of ocean water)

Storm Conductor

Legendary
A bronze rod able to channel storm and lightning for powerful spells.

Location

Stormshard Peak vault.

Attunement

Yes (requires exposure to a thunderstorm)

Ring of Whisper-Silence

Uncommon
A silver ring that silences ambient noise, granting stealth advantage in marsh or wind.

Location

Reward from “Whispers in the Dark.”

Attunement

No

Oracle’s Pendant

Rare
A moonstone pendant that grants one truth prophecy per long rest.

Location

Reward from “Chains of Oblivion.”

Attunement

Yes (requires oath of honesty)

Silverforged Chisel

Uncommon
A tool enchanted for carving ritual sigils into any stone.

Location

Reward from “Abyssal Sigil.”

Attunement

No

Moss-grown Chalice of Clarity

Rare
Drinking from this moss-covered goblet grants visions of past events at the location.

Location

Treasure in the Marsh Wyrm’s Lair.

Attunement

No

Player Characters

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