This is a horror-based adventure featuring body horror, be warned!
*printer friendly version at: The Fishery
Getting Started
Sagaborn D100
The system is easy; everything is a d100 (percentile 1-100 % chance) skill. Want to listen? If your skill is 54, roll a d100, and success is 54 or below. Things can be difficult (skill halved) or easy (skill doubled). Everything else – talents, combat tactics, and magic – adds complexity, but the core system remains simple percentile-based resolution. Want to see the full system? Check out the full online System Resource Document at www.d100srd.com.
Characters
Pregenerated characters can be found at https://www.sagaborn.com/d100heroes/
StoryGuide Synopsis
Ranulf is a fisherman who found a strange catch. One late evening, he caught a small snake-like fish that fascinated him. It turned out to be some sort of symbiotic Navirite, some old thing that found its way to Atheles. Ranulf allowed the fish to mentally and physically connect, and now Ranulf is under its influence and works to help it reproduce in other villagers!
This is mainly an investigation adventure. You should play up the creepiness, and use Horror to your advantage! Another feature of investigations is that they can go in many different directions and there is no way to cover all facets of what players may come up with. Each scene has a goal; keep that in mind and just have fun with it!
Many of the details have been left vague so that you can insert this adventure into any small town in your game setting.
Adventure Synopsis
Adventure Style
- Combat: 2/5
- Investigation: 4/5
- Horror: 5/5
- Social/Roleplay: 2/5
Overview
Ranulf has become one with a parasitic navirite, who calls itself a y’khaalith. Ranulf is selling trout (normal fish) infested with the larvae of the creature. These larvae quickly begin to devour the host from the inside out. After they eat their host, they find their way to a waterway and return to the cavern below Ranulf’s house.
Events
- Day One: Heroes meet the constable and begin to investigate.
- Victim one: the lone weaver. The victim is missing from her house, but there are still a few clues.
- Victim two: the romantic couple. Lost on a picnic, no bodies, but a single hand was left behind.
- Downtime
- Day Two: Current victim: the creatures were interrupted and fled down the well.
- The perpetrator is found – Ranulf. A confrontation at his house as he begins to transform.
The y’khaalith needs to grow, and it needs it larva to feed. After the larva feed, they then return home and join with the first, creating a wormlike swarm of creatures. Ranulf, when not out selling the infested fish, sits in the cavern below his house staring at the water, adoring is strange new friends.
Hooks
- The heroes are making their way through the small town when they hear of the strange disappearances.
- The local constable has put up posters asking for help.
- The Resistance in Kowal sent the heroes to investigate the strange occurrence before the Ministry catches wind of it.
Investigation Encounters
Investigation is handled through Skill Challenges. There can be generic clues or clues that fall into specific skill categories. Often, there are also extra clues based on how well the skill check is handled. In an investigation, players will often come up with wild uses for their skills. Never limit yourself to the listed clues; if they have a great idea and roll well, reward them for thinking outside the box.
Example:
Skill Challenge: Gold has been stolen from a chest. Vekka the elfling was hired to steal the coins for a minor lord who wants to sell them at an auction later in the week.
Rating: Average
# of Rolls: 3
Clues:
- Perception (Spot, Track) – The chest was not forced open. Special: There is a dirty handprint on the side. Critical: the hand is the size of an elflings hand.
- Mental (Appraise, Knowledge, Strategy, Survival) – The contents of the chest are rare coins. Special – there are a few collectors who would pay a lot for these coins. Critical: One coin collector is hosting an auction event this week.
- Dexterous (Art, Fine Manipulation, Repair) – This lock can only be picked by a specific set of tools.
- The coin’s owner, Ms. Revelia, is a well-known braggart and probably told many of her small, rare coin collection.
- The coins are ancient Valantian.
- The elfling came through a small window in the basement.
Day One
Scene One: The Constable
| Mary, the town’s constable, meets you as you approach. She is of medium height and build, and she has a friendly demeanor about her. A blue cloak with the constable’s badge hangs over well-oiled leather armor, and a small cudget hangs at her side. |
Mary has been the constable for about 2 years in the small town. She has no issues asking for help, as this has shaken her. She will share all she knows and wants this resolved before more people are lost or before the Ministry finds out. She is offering 100 gold to help solve the case, which is all the gold in the coffer of the local constabulary. She will take those helping to the site of the last two “assaults.”
What Mary Knows
- She has had a person disappear over two days.
- Both scenes had blood and torn clothing left behind, but the bodies were gone.
- Nothing seemed to be stolen.
What Mary Thinks
- She thinks that some brigand is terrorizing her town, killing people for some nefarious reason.
Scene Two: The First Victim
Read the following:
| The small cottage of the weaver seems idyllic. Small flowers bloom outside, and the windows of glass are crisscrossed with iron. But once inside, the scene changes. If not for the horror in front of you*, you may note the small bed under a large window. The table in the corner covered in yarn, and the well-worn spinning wheel next to it. A cobblestone fireplace that has a large metal pot in front of it. But all you can stare at is the blood stains in the center of the single room. A chair has toppled over next to a round dining table. The floor is covered in dried blood, as is the tabletop. |
*The heroes should roll a Horror check, with the Horror gain being 2/2d6 (pass/fail).
Goal:
The heroes should find out a few clues. The clues found should raise some questions, but give no concrete answers yet. Below are some example clues, but you can add your own, or hold some back depending on how the investigation is going.
-Note: In the Dark Return, as a quasi-medieval dark fantasy setting, investigations and crime scenes are not like modern ones. The constable has surveyed the scenes, but due to a lack of paper and easy-to-access ink, most details will be remembered only by memory. There are no forensic experts (though here the heroes may step into that role), so scenes are often left, or even partially cleaned up.
What Happened:
Two days ago, Gertreg the weaver bought a fish from Ranulf, which she cooked later that night for supper. She made a small fish stew and had finished her meal, when she was treating herself to a tea (with a nip of Hollowbrew Gin), when she started to feel an upset stomach. The fish she had eaten was infested with y’khaalith spawn, which had begun to devour her from the inside out. The small creatures ate her completely, each growing to the size of a gartersnake ( 2’ long and 1” wide at its thickest). These larvae then slithered out the back door, squeezing under the door, and made their way to the well nearby. They fell into the water below and slithered through the earth to the cavern beneath Ranulf’s house.
Skill Challenge: Discover some clues to what happened to the weaver.
Rating: Average
# of Rolls: = # of players
Clues:
- An empty bowl sits on the table with a spoon, and a shattered ceramic mug lies next to the fallen chair.
- There are no signs of breaking and entering. Special: There are small bones on the table near the bowl. Critical: The bones seem to be some sort of fish bone.
- Mary will show them the bloody clothes, which she had picked up from next to the chair. The blouse is torn open on the front, and there are many small holes all over the clothing.
- The blood stain flows towards the back door, but it doesn’t seem like the blood is a trail, so it is unlikely that the weaver left on her own, nor was she dragged to the door. Average. Special or Critical: the blood didn’t flow, something slithered towards the back door.
Scene Three: The Picnic
Read the following:
| A scenic space next to a small pond is disturbed by the dried blood*. A blanket is rumpled into a pile, stained dark red with dried blood. A basket and small pewter cups are tossed about. |
*The heroes should roll a Horror check, with the Horror gain being 2/2d6 (pass/fail).
Goal:
Some more clues were found, with the players getting confirmation that the meals are probably the culprit.
What Happened:
Bertice and Venna went on a picnic yesterday afternoon. They had an assortment of foods, but also a small batch of fish that Ranulf had smoked for them. The picnic began well; the fish and cheese on dried bread were perfect. Soon after, though, Bertice started to get sick and convulse. Venna tried to help her, but she had started to feel sick as well. She called for help, but the remote location of the pond isolated them. As the parasites burst from Bertice, Venna screamed and fled. Soon after she collapsed as the parasites consumed her as well. The hot, bright sun made the young y’khaalith uncomfortable, so they fled to the water before their victims were fully consumed. Many of the larvae then made their way underground tio Ranulfs, but a few stayed behind in the pond. If any hero gets into the water, they will attack and try to burrow into their skin. If the larvae are not found in the pond, they will eventually make their way to the cave at Ranulf’s.
Skill Challenge: Discover some clues to what happened to the two near the pond.
Rating: Average
# of Rolls: = # of players
Clues:
- Perception: A recent trail leads off into the tall grass, evidence of someone running away.
- Perception: A trail of blood goes from where the corpses were and heads into the water.
- There is leftover cheese, bread, and fish, though the flies have swarmed and covered the leftover food.
- There is a partial arm left in the field at the end of the trail. Special: There are noticeable, tiny bite marks all over the flesh.
- There are small maggot-looking larvae dead in the fish. It has been too soon for fly larvae to form, so this must be something else.
- No birds or small animals are in the area, making it strangely silent.
(3) Pond Larvae
See Y’kaalith Larvae at the end of the book
Downtime
The characters should be given downtime at night, allowing them to use additional skills to gather more clues. At this point, they should be starting to suspect the fish as the source. They could find out that there are two people who regularly sell fish at the market, and that the market is open every day.
Day Two
Scene Four: The Fresh Victim
Read the following:
| In the morning, you are confronted by a shouting woman who runs to Constable Mary for help.“Please help, please, Terrence is getting eaten alive!” The frantic woman will lead you all to her small farmhouse. Inside is a horrific scene*. A man’s body sits in a chair in front of the fireplace. His stomach and chest are a cavernous opening. Small bulbous worms the length of an index finger undulate as they devour the flesh of the man, their bodies becoming swollen as they eat. Smaller, thinner versions of these worms inch out of a bowl filled with a fish carcass in the man’s lap. The woman screams again, and seemingly triggered by the sound, most of the larger worms on the corpse begin to slither to the ground and race towards the far door. |
*The heroes should roll a Horror check, with the Horror gain being 3/2d6+2 (pass/fail).
Goal:
The heroes are now confronted with the true horror of what is happening. The larvae should be easy to kill as they are slow (out of water) and easy to hit.
Skill Challenge: Discover some clues to what happened to the latest victim
Rating: Average
# of Rolls: = # of players
Clues:
- Communication: The woman, whose name is Gerta, says she was married to Terrence and that he went to the market yesterday.
- The larvae eat flesh quickly.
- The worms were coming from the market-bought fish, as smaller larvae can be seen writhing in the bowl.
- The trout is cooked, indicating that the larvae have some resistance to heat.
- Sense, Knowledge: Monster Lore: These larvae are navirite.
(3) Slithering Larvae
See Y’kaalith Larvae at the end of the book
Scene Five: The Marketplace
Read the following:
| This late in the day, only one stall is still occupied, and they are packing up. It is a short woman who is putting bags of turnips on her donkey’s back. |
Goal:
To find the source of the contaminated fish. The problem is, the turnip seller is distrustful of others. Her name is Galina, and it will be a difficult task to convince her to talk.
Skill Challenge: Convince Galina to help find the fish sellers (Ranulf and Guld)
Rating: Average
# of Rolls: 5
5 Successes – Galina will reveal that there are two fishmongers, but one, Ranulf, has been acting weird lately.
3-4 Successes – Galina will tell them that here are two who sell fish at the marketplace – Guld and Ranulf.
2 Successes – Galina will tell them to return the next day and see for themselves. She will at least point to the stalls the fishmongers normally set up at.
0-1 Success – Galina refuses to help them and will probably ignore them on any future encounters.
Scene Six: Ranulf’s Fishery
Read the following:
| Ranulf’s small property is on the edge of what most folk consider an old haunted forest. It is beyond the edge of town and a bit of a journey. From a small hilltop nearby, you can see his modest cottage, a barn, and a fishing pond nested in a dark valley among the old trees. A strange mist and dark clouds hang over this place, causing an unnatural darkness. |
Goal:
Ranulf is nearing complete assimilation with the Y’khaalith. He would no longer be able to hide it and would avoid the market from now on. He will be spending all his time in the cavern below the barn, preparing to give himself completely over to the parasite, as well as preparing the larvae swarm to find hosts themselves. The heroes must defeat the y’khaalith and destroy all the larvae to protect the town.
Ranulf’s House
This small dwelling is not kept very clean, and has been pretty much deserted since his finding of the y’khaalith. There is little here besides some fishing gear, though if searched thoroughly, a hidden cache behind a fireplace brick will reveal a bag with 89 gold in it.
The Barn
Read the following:
| At first, the warm light coming from the barn seems inviting, the floor covered in hay, and a cow standing in the middle swishing its tail. A pig steps into view and grunts, the cow turning to look at the intruders, a goat looks over a haybale behind you. It is then that you see the horrid truth*, the animals have one of the larvae embedded along their spines, their movements jerky and strange. |
*The heroes should roll a Horror check, with the Horror gain being 2/2d6 (pass/fail).
(3) Larvae Possessed Livestock
See Possessed Livestock at the end of this book
The Cavern
Read the following:
| The cavern is dank and smells of waste and dead fish. There is a soft, sickly lighting coming from the main chamber. The room is partially flooded, with dark pools of water that writhe and wriggle in all the wrong ways. In the center of the chamber is a tall man, his face turned upwards at an awkward angle. His back is to you, and you can see a larger version of the lava is attached to his back, snaking up his neck and entering into the back of his skull. Other larvae curl and slither over his skin. He turns to you, his mouth open in pain or ecstasy, eyes rolled back to only showing white. A distant alien voice, coming from his gaping maw, but not his vocal cords says, “You will be next.”* |
*The heroes should roll a Horror check, with the Horror gain being 3/2d6+2 (pass/fail).
Ranulf, as a possessed y’kaalith, attacks. Larva come from the pools, slithering towards the heroes.
Y’khaalith Possessed
See Y’khaalith Possessed at the end of the book
Creature Compendium
Possessed Livestock
Average Creature / NPC: CV 2
| STR | CON | SIZ | INT | ACU | DEX | SOC |
| 12 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
CV: 2
Class:
Type:
Speed: 25
HP: 24
Damage Modifier: 1d4
Armor Value: 2
Attack: 65% 1d6+2+1d4
Skills: Dodge 50%, Grapple 10%, Hide 50%, Listen 50%, Spot 50%, Stealth 50%, Other Skills 25%
Special: Larvae are immune to fire and acid, host creature is not
Weaknesses:
Y’khaalith Larvae
CV: 1/2
Speed: 10, Swim 25
HP: 1
AV: 0
Attacks: Spiked Hook Tongue 75% grapple
Skills: Dodge 15%, Grapple 30%
Special: Immune to Fire and Acid, Amphibious, Hive Mind
A larva will try to escape to the closest underground entrance or water source. If a threat is nearby, it may try to grapple and burrow in the skin of its assailant (Horror Check 1/1d6). For each round the larva has its victim grappled, it takes 1d4+1 damage as it quickly devours skin.
Larva Swarm
If three or more larva are on a victim, their grapple checks become easy.
Y’khaalith Possessed (Ranulf)
Very Hard Creature / NPC: CV 4
| STR | CON | SIZ | INT | ACU | DEX | SOC |
| 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
CV: 4
Class: Monster
Type: Navirite
Speed: 25
HP: 96
Damage Modifier: 1d6
Armor Value: 4
Attack: (3) claws 85% 1d6+4+1d6+grab, (1) tongue lash 2d6+grab, and Horrible Scream
Skills: Dodge 75%, Grapple 65%, Hide 65%, Listen 65%, Spot 65%, Stealth 65%, Other Skills 45%
Special: 1/2 damage from Fire and Acid, 3x Health, Extra Attack, Area Knockback
Weaknesses: ?
Horror: 2/1d8+1 if grappled
Treasure:
Grab
When hit with an attack that also does grab, the attacker and defender must roll a Heroic Action. If the defender loses, they become grappled. They must succeed at a Heroic Action during their turn to free themselves. If a creature has an opponent grappled, they only have half their normal attacks.
Horrible Scream
As a free action, a y’khaalith can use its host’s vocal cords to make an otherworldly piercing scream. This causes 1/1d4 horror and 1d4 sonic damage to all within 30’.
Area Knockback
A successful Heroic Action allows the creature to push all adjacent targets 5’ away. On a special, they get pushed back 10’, and a critical 15’. The target must also make a successful Agility roll or fall prone (see Prone).
Remnants and Reagents
Paralytic Poison (Remnant)
The y’khaalith uses a numbing venom to slowly grow into its host. This can be used to paralyze a living creature. Each full grown Y’khaalith has 2 doses in its venom gland.
Value: 100 gp
Harvesting Difficulty: Difficult
| Poison | Type | POT | Onset | Effect | Secondary Effect | Cure | Price |
| Y’khaalith Poison | Injury | 16 | Instant | POT damage | Paralyzed for 1 hour | 1 save | 100 gp |
Y’khaalith Biology
Y’khaalith are all hive mind, and they need the connection to their spawning alpha. If they are separated by too many miles (about 60), they die off. If the alpha spawn is killed, all other larvae die, unless there is another alpha in larva form within the hive.
Links:
Pregen characters are here: https://www.sagaborn.com/d100heroes/
Online Core Rulebook – https://www.d100srd.com/
Main site: https://www.sagaborn.com/games/sagabornd100/
More D100 Adventures: https://www.darkreturn.com/adventures/