SONG OF WATER
A DEEP SEA ORGAN Encounter
by Patrick Gregg
You enter the underwater grotto to find it completely
silent, still, and unnerving. Everything seems bleached
and dead. There is no current. No ambient sound of the
reef. Everything lies still as if frozen in death. The silence
of a tomb.
With a successful Intelligence (Investigation)
check (DC 15), the players will notice a layer of
bleached-white dust settled over the entire grotto,
and a large organ opposite of them. It has two seats,
although only enough room for one “instrumentalist”,
the other clearly for accompaniment.
Should a player begin to play the instrument, roll
a Charisma (Performance) check (DC12). As they
play, the other members notice the water behind the
player shift, and the water piping through the organ
throws the white dust into the area, revealing a mass
of churning water that seems to move in time with
the music. This churning mass is a Water Elemental
(MM pg 125).
The creature is huge, has double its maximum HP,
and is invisible due to being underwater, it is only
noticable when moving and stirring the dust.
COMBAT ENCOUNTER
PATREON.COM/DAGONZO
5E
The Elemental waits as the player continues to
play. Make two more Charisma (Performance)
checks (DC 15 and 17, subsequently) should the
player fail two checks or stop playing before finishing
the song (any song), the Elemental viciously attacks.
Every successful Charisma (Performance) check
reveals the Elemental flowing and moving elegantly,
while every failed check sees the water bristle and
chill. Another player can sing or play an instrument
that functions underwater to give advantage to the
checks.
If the players finish the song, the Elemental
disperses into the grotto, cleansing the white bleach
and instantly giving the players the benefits of a
short rest. The song fills the grotto and continues
to play even though the player has finished, filling
the space with a soft sound and giving the area the
Hallowed benefit.
If the players defeat the monster in combat
instead, they find a Pearl of Power (DMG pg 184)
and a Trident of Warning (DMG pg 213). The grotto
returns to its eerie stillness, and the water slowly
coalesces back into its massive form, waiting for
another song.
CR 5 1,800 XP