THE HOUNDS OF LOW TIDE ern is her undersea lair, home

to her monstrous children the

written by Kiel Chenier — drawn by Michael Prescott kelpups: a vile mixture of
ocean slug and canid creature
the Situation • Mug of stout 1sp coast. Edna Von Böhm is even that feasts on human flesh and
A tavern on the tropical • Bowl of seafood said to rent the room above the blood.
Caribbean coast isn’t what it stew 2sp tavern, but only to those she Her husband, the late
seems to be. Its kind and lord- The Frigate and Barrel is a takes a fancy to, or those trav- Barnabus Stoten, is a lifeless
ly European proprietors are place where reputable sail- elling alone. puppet. She hollowed out the
secretly sea-monsters who’ve ors and privateers of English lord’s body and filled
assumed human identities in all stripes can drink What is Unknown his insides with a salt-water
order to stay close to fresh hu- and enjoy the sea Edna Von Böhm isn’t human. elemental that is bound to her
mans to exploit and kill. Their breeze off In truth she is a vicious sea-ly- will. Stoten’s insides, his bones
tavern is filled with riches, se- of the canthrope and ocean witch who and muscle and organs, are
crets, and terrors. masquerades as a human wom- kept on a table in the Corpse
This adventure assumes an. Beneath the tav- Attic, where Edna experi-
a pseudo-historical setting of ments upon them.
the Carribean islands in 1655
5 Those who rent the tavern’s
during the rise of buccaneers, sole room from Edna are
just prior to the golden age of killed by her and her hus-
piracy. band in the night. Their
bodies are taken under-
the Frigate & Barrel 4 ground into their briny
On the coastline of English oc- lair to be transformed into
cupied Hispaniola is an open- 9 8 another of Edna’s many
air tavern. Built from the kelpup children.
parapet-lined stone towers of
a once ruined fortification (for-
3 Edna Von Böhm
merly Spanish), the three-sto- 7 Armour 14, Move 60’, 3rd
ry structure opens its lowest level Magic-User, 12hp, at-
level to the public to drink and 2 6 tack with fists for 1d4 dam-
eat in. age, Morale 10. Edna can
The tavern is cast four 1st level spells
owned by Lord per day and two 2nd lev-
Barnabus el spells per day (GM’s
Stoten, an choice). Edna can use her
Englishman and 1 action to draw one kelpup
retired sailor. from inside her stom-
Stoten is a shrivelled, ach out to aid her.
wrinkled man of few words
who prefers fine drink to Barnabus Stoten
company. Most days Armour 10, Move 40’, 4
he sits alone at a Hit Dice, 27hp, when in
corner table of his human form attack with
tavern, drinking in fists for 1d2 damage, Morale
silence. He smells 10. As an action the salt wa-
strongly of salt and brine. 10 ter elemental can violently
Despite Stoten’s impres- erupt from Stoten’s mouth to
sive title, it’s his wife that move and attack in its liq-
truly owns and operates uid form. It takes half
the tavern. Edna Von damage from ordinary
Böhm, known to locals as weapons. It can ab-
‘Goodwife Böhm’ or ‘the sorb and drown other
Fräulein’, keeps the tavern creatures inside its
stocked and well-managed. She 11 body. Treat it as a
serves high proof rum, stout non-acidic gelati-
imported from Europe, and nous cube or similar
“seafood” stew: its fishy, monster for attacks.
tentacle-filled contents are
unrecognizable, but tasty. 1. Docks & Tavern
Their prices are high, but their The open-air tavern area has
goods are worth every piece of eight tables and chairs, filled at
eight they cost. any one time by 2d4+1 scurvy
• Shot of rum 1sp sailors, prickly privateers, and
• Bottle of rum 3sp 12 leering locals.

Copyright © 2018 Michael Prescott & Kiel Chenier—CC-BY-NC 4.0— c b n a —More at http://blog.trilemma.com v1.0L pg. 1/2
 Stoten doesn’t leave the tav- with a silver dagger inside magical reagents and salves
ern area unless instructed (75sp), and a treasure map worth 100gp to a chemist or
to by Edna. During business leading to a nearby island. a witch. If the reagents are
hours (from midday til mid- Secrets: A small secret door mixed with alcohol, they can
night) Edna is in the tavern leads to the Secret Hearth be made into a magical molotov en’s garments (35gp total), as
area with Stoten. At night, (Room 6). cocktail. Upon impact it forces well as a translucent magical
or during breaks or interrup- everyone in range to make a rod. The rod is wet to the touch
tions, roll for her location: 4. Edna’s Bedroom saving throw versus magic. and appears to be made out of
A simple bedroom with every- Failure causes them to be in- solid salt water. It can be used
d6 Edna’s Location
thing you’d expect. flicted with a random magical to create 1d4 gallons of salt wa-
1-3 Killing Bedroom (rm 9) A crystal ball lays on a ta- effect. ter a day.
4 Edna’s Bedroom (rm 4) ble. There’s a spirit trapped
inside. This spirit knows much 6. Secret Hearth 10. Underground Path
5 Corpse Attic (rm 5) about Edna Von Böhm’s true A fireplace roars and heats the This cold, dark, wet stone
6 Kelpup Warren (rm 11) nature and all the areas of room. chamber is at the bottom of
the tavern. If asked, the crys- Treasure: The painting a 25-foot-deep shaft from the
Behind the bar there are 5 bar- tal ball answers any question above the hearth depicts Sir Docks and Tavern (Room 1).
rels of German stout, 3d6 bot- it is asked with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ Henry Morgan at sea. It is one At the end of the chamber
tles of rum, and plenty of cups or ‘Unsure’. Its responses are of the only known depictions is a magical portal that keeps
and glasses. truthful. Touching the crystal of the man early in life. The this area airtight. On the oth-
The docks are big enough to re- ball or attempting to take it painting is worth 250sp intact er side of the rippling portal is
ceive row boats and skiffs, and out of the room prompts a sav- (half as much if cut out of its an underwater tunnel. If more
there is usually at least one ing throw versus Magic Device. frame and rolled). than two medium-sized crea-
row boat moored here. Failure causes the character to tures try to pass through the
Secrets: Set into the stone be shocked for 2d4 damage. 7. Supply Room portal at once, the pressure of
floor of the tavern is a grate. Filled with mundane tavern the room is disrupted and this
Beneath this grate is a 25-foot- 5. Corpse Attic running supplies, staples, and chamber floods with water.
deep shaft of stone masonry. A simple room with a grisly ingredients.
Metal ladder rungs are built addition. Atop a table is the 11. Kelpup Warren
into the shaft, leading down to skinless corpse of the real 8. Spanish Armory Six kelpups rest in this un-
the Underground Pathway Barnabus Stoten. He has had A collection of weapon racks derwater cave. Their hearing is
(room 10). mollusks and small flesh-eat- from when the tavern was sensitive, allowing them to eas-
ing, shelled creatures embed- part of a Spanish fort. Laid out ily detect anyone who ventures
2. Tavern Entryway ded into his body. on the racks are four spears in through the magical portal.
The front door to the covered The corpse wears a gild- and two steel cutlasses (long- They attack anyone who isn’t
part of the tavern. It is unnote- ed shell charm (50sp) around swords). One of cutlasses is Edna or Stoten.
worthy save for a locked door to his neck. The charm detects charcoal black in colour, but
the stairs up to the Study. as magical. Removing or dis- otherwise ordinary. Kelpups
turbing the charm causes the Armour 14 (small size), Move
3. Study corpse to animate. It attacks 9. Killing Bedroom 60’ (swimming), 2 Hit Dice,
Maps of the Caribbean islands wildly and randomly. The ‘guest room’ Edna in- 12hp, attacks with teeth for
litter the wooden table here. vites weary travellers up 1d6 damage, Morale 8. Kelpups
Investigating them reveals Barnabus Shell to. It’s decorated with carry lycanthropy as a disease.
they are all at least 20 years Corpse regal English decor. Anyone bitten must make a
out of date. Armour 12, The four-poster bed saving throw versus Poison.
Treasure: A locked, magi- Move 30’, smells strongly of Failure causes them to con-
cally trapped chest lies in the 3 Hit Dice, blood. tract lycanthropy and become
corner of the room. Edna has 19hp, at- Treasure: A an aquatic werewolf during the
the key that unlocks it on her tacks with nearby locked next full moon.
person. Failing to disarm the fists for 1d4 chest con-
trap or failing at picking the damage or teeth tains as- 12. Underwater Burial
lock triggers the trap, releasing for 1d6 damage, sorted This is where Edna the Sea
a violent burst of salt water. Morale 10. fine Witch keeps corpses of those
Characters who fail a saving Treasure: wom- she cannot transform into kel-
throw versus Breath Weapon A locked pups. There are a dozen human
are soaked by the water and chest in the and demihuman corpses here,
are mutated into human-sized corner of weighed down with rocks.
prawn people over 1d4+5 min- the room Treasure: searching the bod-
utes. Prawn people need to contains ies reveals a few coin purses
breathe water to live, and are rare (50sp total), an airtight scroll
vulnerable to fire, but other- tube containing an unsigned
wise function the same way Letter of Marque to become
normal characters do. a privateer under the King of
Within the chest is 500sp, England, and an ivory elephant
an emerald encrusted sheathe statuette (75sp).

Copyright © 2018 Michael Prescott & Kiel Chenier—CC-BY-NC 4.0— c b n a —More at http://blog.trilemma.com v1.0L pg. 2/2