Deep Sea Doom

Deep Sea Doom (level 15-17, everyone is a Triton)

You’re members of a special squad of elite soldiers who led an army against a terrible kraken! When it saw that it was outnumbered, the kraken fled through a portal out of the Elemental Plane and into another ocean. Your leading squad commanded the army to follow as you rushed through the gate. But just before they would charge after you the gate closed, leaving your party alone in alien waters…

Player Equipment (including their base gear)

1 Legendary magic item

2 Very rare magic items

2 Rare magic items

Plot

The party is surrounded by pitch darkness and despite their dark vision everything is shadowy because they are hundreds of leagues deep in an ocean they don’t recognize, far away from a sky they can’t see. With an DC 25 Intelligence (Arcana) check, detect evil and good, or similar magic a character can come to the horrifying realization that they are in the Abyssal Sea. An endless ocean that contains underwater demons and the oldest demon lord alive, Dagon. But it also contains their quarry which they can see with a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check, divine sense, or similar abilities; they can see the long tentacles of the kraken enter a dark cavern over 60 feet below them. 

When the party follows the monster into the caves they are met with a surprising amount of eldritch runes and blood that give the caves the effect of a nightmarish maw of some large serpent. After swimming through winding tunnels for a slow, cold, and dark mile the party will notice that the water is corrupted and foul shortly before they encounter a dark blue wastrilith demon leading 2 cultists of the kraken. They will engage with the intruders on sight, but the demon is willing to let the priests die if he can’t see a way of surviving, provided he has a way of escaping.

As the last cultist dies he utters, “You’ll never reach Artalok…” which reveals the name of the kraken to the party. The party would be able to take a rest here but they have no way of knowing if their quarry escaped or is lurking further back, waiting for them to arrive. After swimming deeper down for a few more miles the front of the marching order is caught in a rapid waterfall that drops them for a terrifying 200 feet into a water filled chamber.

If any member of the party falls alone Artalok can hear their splash and will savagely attack them in their isolated and surprised condition. His personal chamber is an 80-foot radius sphere, dimly lit by Abyssal runes that surround a large, glowing unholy symbol of Dagon in the middle of the ground. The demon lord gave the kraken his mark as a boon, and it acts as the symbol spell of Death against any enemy of the kraken and recharges by itself after 24 hours. Artalok’s lair is also full of loot he has stashed away, enslaved sea elves and tritons in cages (DC 22 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) to unlock), and rare magic items, all of which the party can collect should they destroy the monstrosity.

The party levels up if they’re successful and they can continue finding a way out of the Abyss if you want to continue this into a longer campaign. The Abyssal Sea is dangerous and fraught with demonic forces and other, ancient entities that prowl the dark. If this elite squad of Triton can save an entire collection of 30 Sea elves and Triton, they’ll be heralded as true heroes for as long as they live and beyond!

Map of the whole cave system

Artalok’s lair