Main
Mudjaw Beach is a beach mostly in name. Here, Profit's Flow spreads outward into a broad, flooded lagoon, its current slowing until the river becomes an expanse of green-brown water broken by reeds, roots, drifting timber, and small patches of muddy ground. Most of the lagoon is two or three feet deep—shallow enough to wade, but deep enough that every step means pushing through the water. Farther to the east, the color changes sharply to a darker blue-green where the bottom falls away into a deeper channel.
Cypress and mangrove crowd the edges of the backwater. Their trunks rise directly from the flooded earth, surrounded by great tangles of exposed roots that twist above and below the surface. Behind them, the Palakar presses close: dense underbrush, broad wet leaves, hanging vines, moss, and shadow layered so thickly that the forest seems to begin almost immediately beyond the water.
Near the center of the lagoon stands an enormous old cypress, far larger than the trees around it. Its trunk widens into massive buttressed roots before plunging into the flooded ground, leaving dark pockets of water beneath arches of wood. Heavy limbs spread over the lagoon, draped in long strands of moss, and its canopy throws a broad patch of broken shade across the water below.
The shallows are cluttered without ever quite becoming solid ground. Reed beds rise in scattered clumps. Submerged branches appear beneath the surface and vanish again beneath reflected leaves. Patches of pale mud and coarse sand show through the clearer water, while elsewhere the bottom disappears beneath vegetation and shadow. A narrow sandbar rises just above the surface in one part of the lagoon, one of the few obvious stretches of dry footing.
Six darkwood boles have drifted into this maze. Each is more than a dozen feet long, black-brown with water and heavy enough that only part of the trunk rises above the surface. Captain Sella's mark is unmistakable on every one: a pair of bright blue slashes across the dark bark. Some float in relatively open water; others have caught against reeds, submerged branches, or the spreading roots of the great cypress.
For a place this overgrown, the lagoon is strangely quiet. There is the soft lap of water against wood, the whisper of reeds rubbing together, insects humming somewhere in the brush, and the occasional hollow knock as one drifting bole touches another. Sunlight flashes across the surface whenever the canopy moves overhead.
But the longer you watch, the less still the water seems. A circle of ripples appears between two stands of reeds and slowly fades. Somewhere near the cypress, bubbles rise from beneath an overhanging root. A floating branch shifts several inches sideways although the surrounding water barely moves. Farther out comes a quick splash, followed by silence.
Nothing openly challenges you from the lagoon. Nothing clearly announces itself. There is only deep water, tangled roots, drifting timber, and countless places where something could remain unseen only a few feet away.
Somewhere among all of it are the six logs Sella sent you to recover.
Sella's Job and the Hidden Cargo
Sella's Public Job
Captain Sella Varn says six valuable darkwood boles broke loose into Mudjaw Beach and wants all six recovered before another merchant claims them as salvage.
One bole has been hollowed and resealed around a waterproof copper cylinder containing packets of unregistered Cedar Court amber. Sella wants the contraband back without involving the Blackjackets.
If the party presents hard evidence of the smuggling arrangement, correctly identifies the hidden cargo, or otherwise proves Sella's story false, no check is required. Otherwise they can press her.
Press Sella for the Truth
Sella stares at you, jaw working. “Fine. You know what you're looking for, so I'll save us both the performance.”
“One log is hollow. Same blue double-slash, but it'll ride higher in the water. Bring me that one intact. The other five can rot in the swamp.”
Once Sella admits the truth, the other five boles are optional. The hollowed log is lighter and can be floated free with less noise, making stealth a legitimate solution to the encounter.
Creatures at Mudjaw Beach
These are the encounter's larger mobile hunters. They stay mostly submerged, using roots, reeds, and floating timber as cover before seizing prey with their claws and venom. They are stubborn once committed and intelligent enough to understand nearby speech even though they cannot speak.
The grindylows have adopted the root-choked shallows as a hunting ground. They are scavengers, not Sella's allies, and are happy to let the reefclaws create openings they can exploit. They move quickly through water, throw spears from cover, and use tentacles and clinging suckers to hamper creatures trying to move through the shallows.
They do not treat the octopus as prey. Grindylows admire octopuses and give this one space, though they are not under its command.
The lurebloom resembles a patch of pale yellow marsh flowers and broad floating leaves until its feeding tendrils rise from the water. It is not allied with any of the other creatures and reacts almost entirely to movement.
Motion Hunger. The lurebloom creeps 5 feet toward anything it detects moving. If several creatures are moving, it favors the easiest prey to catch—especially slow creatures wading through the shallows, which usually means the PCs. Fast-swimming grindylows and reefclaws can also draw it, but often move away before it can close.
The octopus is curled against the hollowed bole, using wet bark, algae, and shadow as camouflage. The log is simply its favored shelter; it attacks creatures that close on, touch, or move it.
It normally stays within about 10 feet of the hollowed bole. If wounded from range, it pursues through water while the attacker remains catchable, then breaks off and returns if the target keeps opening the distance. It does not pursue across open dry ground.
Unless detected, reveal signs rather than a lineup: ripples, bubbles, shifting logs, chitin clicking underwater, a spear-tip slipping behind roots, pale flowers that seem to change position, or a flash of blue rings against wet bark.
Battlefield Setup
| Area | Description | Tactical Use |
|---|---|---|
| North Bank | Muddy but mostly dry ground with trees suitable for anchoring ropes. | Safest position for ranged characters and rope or winch work. |
| Shallow Water | Knee- to waist-deep brown water. | Slow, noisy movement exposes characters to grindylows and reefclaws. |
| Deep Channel | A darker ribbon through the center of the backwater. | Fast approach lane for aquatic creatures; dangerous footing for humanoids. |
| Sandbar | A narrow patch of mud and coarse sand. | Dry staging area close to the timber. |
| Root Tangle | Cypress roots, reeds, and submerged branches along the southern edge. | Concealment for stealth; awkward movement; favored grindylow cover. |
| Darkwood Boles | Six marked boles scattered through the shallows. | The visible objective. Moving them creates noise and shifting cover. |
| Lurebloom Patch | A cluster of pale yellow flowers and floating leaves concealed among the shallow-water reeds. | The Mudjaw Lurebloom begins here, then creeps 5 feet toward detected movement. Slow wading characters are its preferred targets. |
| Hollowed Bole | One marked log rides slightly higher. The octopus is curled against its water-side. | The true objective and the octopus's defended shelter. |
Starting Positions
- Reefclaw 1 hides in the northern shallows near the timber field.
- Reefclaw 2 waits in the deeper channel to the south.
- Grindylow 1 hides among the southern root tangle with a clear throw toward the sandbar.
- Grindylow 2 lurks beneath or behind floating timber near the shallow-water approach.
- Mudjaw Lurebloom begins concealed among reeds in the central shallows near the timber field.
- Blue-Ringed Octopus begins curled against the water-side of the hollowed bole.
The creatures are not coordinated soldiers. The grindylows are hunting the reefclaws, the reefclaws attack grindylows or PCs, the octopus defends its shelter, and the lurebloom creeps toward whatever is moving. None of them commands the others.
Before Anyone Enters the Water
Assess the Threat
Running the Encounter
Let the party observe, prepare ropes, stage from the sandbar, use magic, create distractions, or attempt a stealthy recovery before initiative begins.
Roll initiative when the party creates a major disturbance, blunders into a hidden creature, or handles the hollowed bole inside the octopus's defended space.
Defeating creatures is not the objective. The party must still get Sella's required cargo out of Mudjaw Beach.
Once the Mudjaw Lurebloom detects movement, is uses Creeeping Approach to use 3 actions to move 5 ft.
Route A: Recover All Six Darkwood Boles
If the party believes Sella's public story, the job is physical, difficult, and noisy.
A full bole weighs hundreds of pounds and requires several people, rope, leverage, magic, or a comparable solution. Dragging one free shifts nearby timber, scrapes submerged branches, and carries vibration through the water. Repeating that process gives the hunters plenty of chances to respond.
Study the Timber
Once hauling begins, the repeated movement and vibration attract both the mobile hunters and the lurebloom. The plant creeps toward the slowest nearby haulers, while the octopus joins only if the hollowed bole is approached or moved, or if the octopus itself is attacked.
Route B: Recover the Hollowed Log
This route is available if Sella admits the hidden cargo is her true priority or the party independently identifies the correct bole.
The party can potentially bypass the reefclaws and grindylows, but movement through the shallows can still draw the lurebloom. The octopus remains directly against the target, so reaching the log quietly is only half the problem; they must still drive off, distract, pin down, or work around it before moving the bole.
Identify the Hollowed Bole
The hollowed bole rides slightly higher. Close inspection can reveal tool marks, an unusual sound when tapped, and the octopus repeatedly returning to the same side.
Quiet Approach
Deal With the Octopus
The octopus attacks creatures closing on or handling the hollowed bole. Ranged pressure can draw it away briefly, but use the leash behavior in its creature card: it pursues only while the target remains realistically catchable.
Guide the Hollowed Bole
Distracting the Hunters
Food, false disturbances, or clever use of the environment can draw reefclaws and grindylows away from the timber. The lurebloom follows movement rather than food: splashing, dragging an object through the water, or deliberately moving within its senses can pull it 5 feet at a time toward a different route. The octopus stays tied to the hollowed bole unless attacked or presented with a short, reachable pursuit.
Lure the Mobile Hunters
If Combat Begins
Use the normal entries for the reefclaws, grindylows, and blue-ringed octopus, plus the custom Mudjaw Lurebloom. The octopus has a 5-foot crawl on exposed land; the lurebloom has Speed 5 feet and advances toward detected movement.
How the Reefclaws Fight
- Attack grindylows or PCs according to opportunity, preferring vulnerable targets already in the water.
- Never intentionally attack the blue-ringed octopus.
- Use claws to seize prey, then focus on trapped victims rather than constantly switching targets.
- Use deep water, submerged logs, and roots as cover and approach lanes.
- Fight stubbornly once committed, but they are opportunistic predators, not guards for Sella's cargo.
How the Grindylows Fight
- The grindylows are here to hunt the reefclaws. Reefclaws are their preferred targets unless the PCs threaten them directly.
- Open from concealment with thrown spears, then use strong swimming mobility and Jet to keep pressure on an isolated reefclaw.
- Use tentacles, Reactive Strikes, Grab, and clinging suckers to hamper targets trying to escape through the shallows.
- They respect the blue-ringed octopus and give its bole space. If a PC attacks the octopus, the grindylows immediately treat that character as an enemy and move to defend it.
- If the reefclaws are defeated and the octopus is unharmed, the grindylows have little reason to keep fighting PCs who leave them alone.
How the Mudjaw Lurebloom Hunts
- It is not allied with any creature; it follows movement through the water.
- On its turn, it normally Strides 5 feet toward a creature that has been moving within its senses.
- If several targets are available, it favors the slowest viable prey. PCs struggling through the shallows are usually more attractive than fast-swimming reefclaws or grindylows.
- If equally easy targets are available, it follows the nearest movement.
- Once prey enters its tendril reach, it stops advancing and attacks rather than continuing to chase.
- Clever characters can deliberately create movement elsewhere to draw it away from their intended route.
How the Blue-Ringed Octopus Fights
- Begins against the hollowed bole and attacks anyone closing on, touching, or moving it.
- Uses the log as cover and normally stays within about 10 feet of it.
- Has no ranged attack; ranged characters have a strong advantage.
- If wounded from range, pursues through water while the attacker remains catchable, then returns to the bole rather than chasing indefinitely.
- Prefers water: Swim 25 feet; 5-foot crawl on exposed land for this encounter.
Escaping the Fight
Characters who retreat fully onto dry ground and abandon the timber can end the immediate fight at the GM's discretion. Reefclaws and grindylows prefer the water, the octopus will not pursue across open ground, and the 5-foot lurebloom is easily outpaced. A wounded party can regroup, change tactics, create a distraction, or return with a better plan.
Player Tactical Options
| Approach | Useful Skill | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Watch the Water | Perception / Nature / Occultism | Locate the reefclaws and grindylows and spot the camouflaged octopus and lurebloom. |
| Use the Sandbar | — | Reduce time spent moving through water. |
| Identify the Contraband Log | Perception / Crafting | Find the bole Sella truly cares about and the octopus sheltering against it. |
| Slip Through the Roots | Stealth | Reach the hollowed bole without alerting the mobile hunters. |
| Draw Out the Octopus | Ranged attack / positioning | Pull it away briefly; it returns if the target outpaces it. |
| Float the Hollowed Bole | Athletics | Recover the contraband with minimal disturbance once the octopus is clear. |
| Rig Ropes From Shore | Athletics / Sailing Lore | Keep more party members out of the water. |
| Study the Current | Engineering Lore / Sailing Lore | Use the river to move timber instead of brute force. |
| Lure the Hunters Away | Survival / Crafting | Pull reefclaws and grindylows away from the objective. |
| Bait the Lurebloom | Movement / positioning | Create movement or splashing away from the intended route so the plant creeps 5 feet toward the decoy instead of the PCs. |
| Use Magic | Varies | Move timber, conceal movement, manipulate water, distract hunters, drive off the octopus, or bypass terrain. |
Do not treat defeating all six creatures as the only success. Fighting, distracting, bypassing, ranged pressure, moving timber from shore, or recovering only the hollowed bole are all valid if the party gets Sella's required cargo out.
Do not run this as six creatures versus the party. The grindylows hunt the reefclaws, the reefclaws attack grindylows or PCs, the lurebloom follows whichever movement looks easiest to catch, and the octopus only defends its shelter.
Resolution
All Six Boles Recovered
The party completes the public job exactly as Sella described it and earns 1 Transport Point.
Only the Hollowed Bole Recovered
If Sella previously admitted what she wanted, recovering the hollowed bole completes the job. She does not ask for the other five. The party earns 1 Transport Point.
The Party Discovers the Contraband Here
If the party discovers the hollowed bole during the encounter, they now understand Sella's insistence on recovering these particular logs and can confront her from a much stronger position.
The Creatures Survive
No creature needs to be killed. If the party gets the required cargo out of Mudjaw Beach and escapes, the encounter is complete.