Storyline

While cataloging artifacts for the museum, Torren Flintcloak uncovers a damaged scroll mentioning a long-lost portal in the Drowned Forest, tied to a fungal cult that once followed Zuggtmoy. The portal was believed sealed decades ago, but recent magical readings suggest it's no longer dormant.

Torren believes something is awakening, and Manistrad wants it investigated quietly. She fears news of Abyssal corruption could jeopardize mining operations or worse, give Primewater political leverage.

Torren tasks the party with finding the remnants of the cult, investigating signs of demonic or fungal presence, and confirming whether the portal is active… or if something is already coming through.

• Starting Location: Dwarven Mining Co. , Hoolwatch Tower

• Levels: Any

• Player Handout: Torren's Journal

• Torren’s Research Turns Grim – Torren “Ash-Eyes” Flintcloak shares entries from his private journal and asks the party to retrieve a sample of the spores or ruins he suspects lie at the heart of the Drowned Forest.

• Barun Confirms a Pattern – Old legends from the archives speak of “a forest that breathes rot” and demons that speak through mushrooms. Barun Deepdelve begs them to investigate and to speak with Torren.

• Manistrad Wants It Quiet – Manistrad Copperlocks authorizes the mission but makes it clear: this must not reach the ears of the Council—or Gellan

When the party ventures into the Drowned Forest, what they find depends on how deep they search and how far you want the mystery to unfold. This can be run as a short investigation for low-level characters or as the beginning of a longer arc tied to the Temple of Elemental Evil.

See Ancient Portal

Choose one or more of the following narrative branches to shape the adventure:

• Recover the Decanter of Endless Water – Once a powerful and stable magical item, it was corrupted and shattered by cultists of Zuggtmoy to create an Abyssal rift. Torren believes the Decanter—or at least its core—may still exist, and wishes to study or secure it before it falls into the wrong hands.

• Investigate the Drowned Forest for signs of lingering cult activity, demonic influence, or expanding fungal corruption.

• Determine the status of the Abyssal portal, rumored to still breathe within the forest’s depths. Is it dormant, active, or growing?

• Recover or destroy Abyssal relics tied to the cult of Zuggtmoy.

• Report findings discreetly to Torren and Manistrad, avoiding political entanglement—especially with Gellan Primewater and his allies.

• Recover the Decanter of Endless Water – Once a powerful and stable magical item, it was corrupted and shattered by cultists of Zuggtmoy to create an Abyssal rift. Torren believes the Decanter—or at least its core—may still exist, and wishes to study or secure it before it falls into the wrong hands.

• Investigate the Drowned Forest for signs of lingering cult activity, demonic influence, or expanding fungal corruption.

• Determine the status of the Abyssal portal, rumored to still breathe within the forest’s depths. Is it dormant, active, or growing?

• Recover or destroy Abyssal relics tied to the cult of Zuggtmoy.

• Report findings discreetly to Torren and Manistrad, avoiding political entanglement—especially with Gellan Primewater and his allies.

• Fungal Growth Patterns – A patch of unnatural, glowing mushrooms grows in the exact shape of an abyssal rune (DC 13 Arcana to recognize). The pattern repeats further into the forest, like a breadcrumb trail.

• Whispers in the Rot – At night, the forest hums with faint whispers—only heard with a DC 15 Perception check. The language is Abyssal. Torren confirms this is common near weak portals.

• Half-Buried Shrine Stone – A cracked tablet near a sunken ruin bears a symbol matching an illustration in Torren’s journal: a mushroom with an open eye in its stalk. The stone is part of an old Zuggtmoy shrine.

✅ Favor from Torren & Barun (Researcher’s Access)

• Access to restricted records, magical research, and dwarven historical archives

• Detailed information on local myths and legends, Abyssal lore, and the runes found near the Drowned Forest

• Insights into the history of the dwarven mine, possibly uncovering secrets even Manistrad doesn’t know

✅ Gold Payment (Manistrad Copperlocks)

• 50–150 gp, depending on how efficiently and discreetly the party completes the mission

• If the job is handled quietly, Manistrad offers a bonus item (see below) as a personal gesture of thanks

✅ Faction Favor

• The party earns Manistrad’s personal respect, gaining favor with the Loyalists of Saltmarsh

• Future interactions with the Dwarven Mining Company will be more favorable

• If the party proves competent and discreet, Manistrad may offer further contracts, including:

  • Escorting mining expeditions

  • Investigating suspicious activities

  • Neutralizing underground threats

✅ Bonus Reward (if handled exceptionally well)

Manistrad may gift the party one of the following dwarven-made items:

• A fine set of masterwork mining tools, useful for survival, excavation, or bartering

• A sturdy dwarven-crafted weapon (battleaxe, warhammer, or dagger) with exceptional craftsmanship, granting +1 to damage rolls

• A sealed bottle of rare dwarven spirits—valuable as a trade item or a diplomatic gift to a powerful NPC

Optional Magic Item

• Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location

  • Could be gifted if the players are affected by Abyssal spores or need to hide from cultist or demonic scrying

The following adventure hooks offer a natural progression from the events in Saltmarsh to the legendary Greyhawk modules T1–T4: The Village of Hommlet and The Temple of Elemental Evil. Originally written for AD&D 1st Edition, these classic adventures have been preserved and updated by the community, with 5E conversion guides available.

Both the original modules and modern conversions can be found on DriveThruRPG, making it easy to integrate them into your current campaign as an extension of the Drowned Forest storyline.

• Temple of Elemental Evil (T1-T4)

• Classic Modules Today (5e Converstion)