In The Fog Of Lake Clarandwell
Strange creatures lurk in the mists of Lake Clarandwell - we explore this dangerous location, and the creatures that dwell there in the fog. Features 3 creature stat blocks and 1 magic item!
I'm back! It has admittedly been way later than the "end of May" I originally promised this for (lesson learned, never estimate timelines for posts...). I've had a bunch of personal things to work through, which I'm still getting on top of (learning some pretty interesting things about how my brain works...) - so expect a slower pace of posts for the time being until I get that all under control. My aim at the moment is to do one a month, but we'll see how life goes - I'm not going to commit to something I can't maintain, and my main priority is still crafting the world for my regular Daggerheart group to explore!
However, I managed to muster together enough focus to at least get this promised post together, with its three stat blocks and a location to use them in - so let's dive in!
Lake Clarandwell is a large lake in the centre of the Kingdom of Juthilyl. It is famous for the permanent fog that covers the lake - while it sometimes lightens to a mist, it never vanishes altogether, not even in the heights of summer. Those who live by the lakeshore know that sailing the lake, or even walking its shores, is a dangerous endeavour - for in that dense fog swims the Sky Shoal, strange creatures that hunt creatures that enter the mists.
The Shoal comes in various different sizes - from the comparatively tame Sky Minnow to the enormous Sky Manta. Some say there is an even larger creature that swims in only the deepest fog, but that may never truly be known - only the spirit Clarandis that watches over the lake may know for sure.
The town of Dewbreak on the lake's northern shore has made an industry from Skyfishing - riding on gliders coated with the scales of the Sky Shoal to enable them to soar through the skies, hunting the fish within both for food and to gather their scales to make magical items and potions with. This industry has proved so successful that Dewbreak is now one of the richest towns in Juthilyl, its lord even having a seat on the King's council. It requires fishers of particular skill however, as the potency of the magical scales fades quickly unless the scales are harvested fresh, and the larger and more dangerous the fish - the greater the magical effect. Only the strongest and most agile of Skyfishers can hunt the larger members of the shoal, and so their skills are always in high demand.
The Sky Shoal
There are three main categories of creatures within the shoal, each with their own stat block.
Sky Minnows
Heart Of Daggers link: https://heartofdaggers.com/homebrew/adversaries/sky-minnows/
Sky Minnows are the smallest of the Shoal, the largest growing to barely half a metre in length, and the most common - appearing as small to medium sized fish that ripple through the air in shoals. They are a Minion type adversary, preferring to hunt smaller prey in large groups, although they can be formidable as a group with their Shoal Of Tiny Teeth attack. They are often found swimming alongside their larger cousins, hoping to snack on the leftovers from a larger hunt, or nibble away at those that stray too far from the shore.
Sky Minnow scales are relatively low in magical energy. When combined, they can coat Skyfisher gliders to allow a medium-sized humanoid to fly in the fog of the lake, or can provide a limited magical effect in a talisman or a potion.
Sky Pike
Heart Of Daggers link: https://heartofdaggers.com/homebrew/adversaries/sky-pike/
Sky Pike are larger members of the Sky Shoal, with vicious fangs and sharp, rigid fins. They are the ones most likely to hunt travellers, and often are found swimming in packs on the lake. It is recommended that these creatures are used alongside a bunch of Sky Minnows, as they often are found together in the Shoal.
Sky Pike scales are higher in magical energy and are used in more potent potions and magical artefacts, although they are significantly more expensive due to the danger associated with their gathering.
Sky Mantas
Heart Of Daggers link: https://heartofdaggers.com/homebrew/adversaries/sky-manta/
Sky Mantas are the largest member of the Sky Shoal that has been caught by Skyfishers. It can grow 10s of metres in size, and only very rarely has been caught by particularly brave (or foolish) Skyfishers. They have the shimmering large wings of a manta ray, with long streamer-like antennae and elongated fins. They are often only found in the deepest fog banks at the centre of the lake, preferring to hunt other members of the Shoal rather than creatures from the shore - although occasionally one will stray towards the lakeside settlements and need to be repelled.
Sky Manta scales are prized due to their rarity, and can be used for advanced magical crafting and potion making.
Crossing The Lake
Most travellers that reach Lake Clarandwell are travelling between Dewbreak and Dawndrift (the capital of Juthilyl). To do so, they can take a long road around the edge of the lake - a journey of many days - or they can take a special ferry from The Golem's Rest Inn on the south western shore. This ferry has a hull coated in Sky Minnow scales, allowing it to glide effortlessly through the fog with no sound, hovering slightly above the water. While significantly faster, this comes with its own risks - and any group making this journey will need to brave the fogs and shoals of the lake.
If you decide to use this setting in a Daggerheart game, the journey across the lake can be run as a progress countdown. I used a 6 countdown, but you can adjust as needed. To make this more nerve-wracking, rather than just deciding when the party encountered the Shoal we rolled on the following tables. Every time the players make an action to progress the countdown, check their result against the following table:
| Roll | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Fail With Fear | Subtract 2 from that round's Shoal Table roll, and add 2 points to the next Shoal encounter's battle points, as larger creatures from the Shoal detect a potential meal and begin to circle the group... |
| Fail With Hope | Subtract 1 from that round's Shoal Table roll as the shoal begins to surround the group. |
| Success With Fear | Roll without modifier on the Shoal Table, but add 2 points to the next Shoal encounter's battle points as more of the shoal is attracted to the noise of the group's travel. |
| Success With Hope | Roll with a +1 on the Shoal Table, and reduce 1 point from the next Shoal encounter's battle points, as the shoal moves further away from the group |
| Critical Success | Automatically roll a 12 on the Shoal Table, as the group pass undetected through the fog... For now... |
Then, roll on the following Shoal Table to determine what, if any, encounter occurs as a result. Balance the encounters as usual, with any modifications to the battle points for the encounter following on from the result on the action table above. If a creature is listed in the Shoal Table, it is the largest creature that they encounter, but they may also encounter smaller creatures alongside it (if needed to balance the encounter). Note that the probabilities were based on a Tier 2 party (so a Sky Manta was left unlikely as a deadly worse case scenario they'd likely need to flee from). If you have a higher Tier party you may need to rebalance the encounter (I recommend Heart Of Dagger's rebalancing tools on the stat blocks linked above).
| Roll | Outcome |
|---|---|
| 1 | A Sky Manta emerges from the fog and swoops down on the ferry... |
| 2-4 | A group of Sky Pike dart out the fog and attack the ferryman. The group will need to defend him to continue sailing across the lake. |
| 5-7 | A shoal of Sky Minnows harry the party as they continue their journey. |
| 8 | The fog thickens - subtract 1 from your next roll on the Shoal Table, and each player marks a Stress from the pressure of the predators circling in the Fog. |
| 9-11 | A few fish flicker by the corner of your vision, but so far they are skirting the edges of the group, kept away by the sounds of the party... |
| 12 | The fog begins to thin - add 1 to your next roll on the Shoal Table and no adverse effects happen this round. |
Once the countdown ends, the ferry docks at Dewbreak (or the Inn, if going in the other direction). If your party managed to harvest some scales on the way, perhaps they could make some magic items from them! One such item would be the Armour Of Soaring Scales (link here: https://heartofdaggers.com/homebrew/armor/armour-of-soaring-scales/) that gives a bonus to characters with acrobatic experiences thanks to the magic of the Sky Shoal scales! We used my crafting rules for this in-game, which I will detail in a later post.
I hope you enjoyed our journey to Lake Clarandwell! Once again, apologies for the delay in posting this - and I hope to have more for you from the world of Merithaya soon! If you want to hear when new stat blocks and locations are published, be sure to subscribe for the latest updates directly to your inbox - it's free!