Deal with a Sea Witch

Dia, Beneath the Waves • Sunken Isles • Twilight Meridian

◈ Mysterious

◉ Investigation

≋ Water-Based

Adventure Description

Lunch at Patchwork's finest eatery takes a violent turn when the day's catch fights back. With panicked diners fleeing possessed seafood, someone needs to find who - or what - cursed the kitchen.

Starting the Adventure

"Set atop the exposed skyscraper rooftop and floors of the submerged, lost city Dia sits the research-outpost-turned-town of Patchwork where Helical researchers and adventurers prepare before diving into the metropolitan depths below in search of treasure or answers, just like you. Pockets of exposed building-tops make up a patchwork town where the primary means of travel are rafts...or swimming. Supporting these trailblazers are outcasts gathered to build a new life at the frontiers, one of whose glowing reviews of fried fish fritters, hearty chowder, and various seafood delights have drawn you to book a tab at their establishment, Diver's Rest."

As the party sits down, they have their orders taken and are told by Tara will be delayed due to a late delivery of today's catch. Unknown to the diners, Tara is angry that her family's Surf-n-Turf went bust after Thwak's opened. She has hired a Sea Witch to ruin Thwak's business.

Important Characters

Thwak — Goblin, Male, 22 (Basic Folk)

A scrappy goblin entrepreneur whose culinary obsession borders on fanaticism. His rapid-fire speech matches the speed at which he plates dishes.

"Thwak's chef whites somehow remain spotless despite the grease-splattered chaos around him. He taps his chin with a wooden spoon while thinking; his arms covered with notes."

Tara Tippytop — Chib, Female, 40 (Basic Folk)

The Diver's Rest waiter. Said establishment drove her family's surf-n-turf to close, so she's taken work here to make ends meet.

"Tara's smile never reaches her tired eyes. She fidgets with a tarnished brooch - a memento from her family's shuttered restaurant - whenever she's alone with her thoughts."

Friss Coveheart — Sea Witch, Female, ??? (Sea Witch)

A local Sea Witch irate that anglers have tread upon the waters she is cultivating. She travels with 4 Hopper Majos and 2 Naiads.

"Friss's waterlogged hair clings to her like dying seaweed. Her skin has the blue-gray pallor of a drowned corpse, and when she speaks, her voice carries an icy, guttural spite."

Suggested Story

Describe the Diver's Rest, have Tara take the player's orders, then continue.

Kitchen Catastrophe

While the party are waiting for their lunch, Thwak bursts out of the kitchen screaming, claiming his ingredients are possessed.
Three Octopuses and 4 Giant Crabs are close behind Thwak. The creatures begin causing damage and attacking diners. They must be stopped!

Subduing the Seafood

When a creature is defeated or 10 minutes pass, it reverts back to a dazed angler from the Sandpiper.
The restored anglers recall little except a cloaked stranger aboard their vessel and an eerie emerald flash. Thwak contracts the party to explore the ship and discover what happened.

The Ship's Secret

The Sandpiper is moored in Angler's Cove. Friss and her minions have turned the ship into a horrid lair and can be found lurking in the boat's damp hold.
Ways to resolve the adventure vary depending on the party's intentions, with endings detailed in QUEST RESOLUTION.

Sources & Adversaries

Storybeats & layout inspired from Fishy Business by One-Shot Wonders. Story, mechanics, setting, characters, and vibes reworked to fit BREAK!!'s universe.

Sea Witch: Water Hag by wretchedJarrah (Homebrew)
Hopper Majo by Yan Kodiac (Homebrew)
Frog Ninja by Yan Kodiac (Homebrew)
Octopus: Chompa but with Lash Weapons (Source, pg. 368)
Giant Crabs: Mooks (1HP | 14DR | 0ATK | 6-Stats | Slow)
Traps: CLICK! Traps by VictorSeven

Key Locations

Diver's Rest

"A drowned skyscrapers former rooftop bar, now rebuilt, with walls still holding ancient Gleysian paraphernalia."

Mouthwatering aromas waft from the cramped galley kitchen. The modest open-air dining area seats just twelve tables, each carefully appointed. Patrons often wait on moored rafts, forming a floating queue that snakes across the water.

Deck of the Sandpiper

"The weathered trawler lists slightly at anchor, its once-bright red hull dulled from the prolonged years. Nets and gaffing hooks lie visible on the deck."

The ship is moored on the far side of Angler's Cove, towards a dangerous crumbling section. Loud sounds cause Falling Debris (CLICK! Homebrew). Strange seaweed leads to the hold below.

The Sandpiper's Hold

"Brine seeps through every crack and seam, leaving the metal flooring slick with algae. What was once an orderly cargo space now already resembles a horrifying tidal cave."

Magical traps and rotting sealife line the halls. Friss's minions are scouring the deck/hold for valuables. There are 2 packs, each with 2 Hopper Majo and 1 Naiad.

Minor Locations

Diver's Guild: Helical branch for aiding researchers/adventurers in their dives.
Sells nautical equipment.

Tea's Ferry: A entrepreneurial Neriedian named Tea Foam who offers a ferry
service around Patchwork. 5 Stone/ride.

Angler's Cove: A covered mooring spot for non-Helical boats within a ruined building's upper floor.

Secrets & Clues

Thwak is new to Patchwork. He was raised in Portia and trained as a chef in its bustling docks.
Thwak recently found an anonymous letter warning he shut down his restaurant lest he "drown with it."
Thwak's anglers have been fishing within Friss's cove, disrupting the ecosystem she's cultivated for decades.
Friss prefers indirect action and was amused that Tara was willing to strike a deal so desperately.
As a child in the Galvanus Archipelago, Tara was told cautionary tales of Sea Witch deals.
Dockworkers mention a hooded stranger asking pointed questions about who sells their catches to Thwak.
Friss used her cursed baubles to turn the anglers into seafood and delivered them to Thwak's restaurant.
Tara assumed Friss would simply spoil the catches or scare off customers to ruin the Rest's reputation.
The Sandpiper's crew are freelance anglers. Thwak's generous prices make him their preferred buyer.
Thwak hopes to secure a visit from Plum, the Helical Archive's leader, before the next expedition - scandal would destroy this opportunity.

Quest Resolution

☆ Fighting

If the party defeats Friss, they find a contract signed by Tara detailing the deal. When faced with evidence, Tara collapses in tears, pleading for Thwak's mercy. Feeling betrayed, Thwak tells the party to decide her punishment.
Loot:
- Cracked Fish Eye Jar (1 use left)
- 4 Trapped Song pearls (Source, pg. 293)
Reward: Free meals + 200C from Thwak.

✦ Negotiation

If the party sympathizes with Friss's irritation at the ecosystem disruption, she might negotiate. Convince the reluctant Thwak to shift fishing grounds elsewhere, and Friss will release the Sandpiper.

Reward: Sinew Fishing Line (1 Slot, 100C) - cast Friss's Fishing Lines ability 3 times before its curse runs out. Outstanding results may gain a favor or Social Bond.

Rank 7-8 Adventure

Lower Rank: You could change the Sea Witch stats into the Hopper Majo, and reduce the Hopper Majos into Froggie Ninjas.

Higher Rank: You could simply add more Sea Witches (a coven of them plotting together!)

PC Starting Coin: 800C

1

2

3

4

Random Encounters (d20)

1-10 No Encounter: The boat creaks, a wave splashes, a piece of debris falls.

11-15 Surviving Angler: Basic Folk x1

Situation: A scared angler who escaped Friss's curse. They may be hiding, trapped, or trying to escape the ship. The party must earn their trust, and can help them to safety.

Consequences: If calmed down, they will warn the party of the magical traps within the Lair (Loc. 4). If not calmed, they will scream automatically altering a Majo Pack to search.

16-20 Majo Pack: Hopper Majo x2, Naiad x1

Situation: Friss's minions are patrolling the deck and hold, searching for remaining treasure and intruders. They are on alert and will try to subdue anyone they see as prisoners for Friss.

Location Key

1 Rocky Waters Trap

The Sandpiper was intentionally moored by Friss within the crumbling, dangerous section of Angler's Cove where the building's ceiling has started to collapse. Loud sounds or vibrations trigger Falling Debris (CLICK!).

2 First Deck

The ship is eerily quiet and the acrid stench of the Sea Witch lingers on board. A trail of filthy brine and pieces of rotten seaweed can be found on deck, leading to the hold below.

3 Captain's Deck Loot

A raised platform on this humble fishing vessel. A captain's log details the anglers' luck fishing in a new spot - a cove not far from Patchwork with crystal clear waters no one else has found. They note but have so far ignored strange occurrences in the water - odd bubbles, ticking sounds, etc.

4 Friss's Lair Trap Guardian Encounter

Muddy water coats the walls and forms puddles on the dirty metal floor. Barnacles and seaweed have claimed the interior. Littered with magical traps, fish bones, and slimy kelp. A Poison Trap (CLICK!) sits in the corridor before Friss's Lair.

Art Vibeboard

"Carpentry"
Art by Nuclear Cookies

"Flooded City"
Art by Slawek Fedorczuk

"The Sandpiper"
Art by Unknown

"Ahjuutal Rising"
Art by Ralph Horsley

"Posuka Demizu Art"
Art by Posuka Demizu

"Fishing Village"
Art by Slawek Fedorczuk