Well, better a day late than never. My next project for DMsGuild is a bit more ambitious than A Feywild Rescue, and as a result, it is taking a lot more polishing and balancing work than I anticipated. But here I am with the second of the four adventures that make up the micro campaign set in Sliberberg. It is a little rough around the edges, but I hope you enjoy it.

The Missing Mermaid

Lady Seraphina, Duchess of the Seas and the first Duchess of Mountainheart, is on the verge of a breakdown. Her beloved daughter, lady Aeliana, has disappeared without a trace and is beside herself with worry. Aeliana is a sweet, charming, slightly naive girl with an almost supernatural ability to endear herself to people. She snuck out of the palace three days ago to visit her friends among the folk who live and work on the Sliberbergs docks, and she has yet to return. Aeliana has never spent more than a day away from the palace. With panic starting to creep in and unwilling to trust any institution serving her nominal liege, King Fredrick, she decided to hire a promising group of adventurers she had recently heard about, the players.

Unbeknownst to the players or Seraphina, Faelar is pulling both their strings. Faelar is the mastermind behind the kidnapping and told Lady Seraphina of the players’ deeds while in the guise of a selkie. He hopes the players’ failure to save Aeliana will make them renowned as screw-ups who will drop the ball when a life is at stake.

The adventure begins

The players are going about their business in the city when they are approached by a Selkie with grey fur dotted with black spots, dressed in the colorful garb of a herald. He stops 3 feet from the players, clears his throat, and takes out a scroll. Read the following

Hail noble adventurers, I bring forth a Missuve from her Grace Duchess Seraphina, duchess of the Sea, and first Duchess of New Mountainheart. Her grace humbly requests the honor of your presence at her palace with all due haste to discuss a matter of grave importance in utmost confidentiality. If thou should decide to attend her grace in her hour of need and complete her quest, my grace will see to it that thou is greatly rewarded.

It is entirely up to the players whether or not to accept Lady Seraphina’s summons. If they decide not to respond, the herald will break character momentarily to give a much humbler plea. His name is Aonghus, and he is worried about her grace. His lady was in a panic when he was sent off. Her grace is always the most serene person, even when she is mad; to see her like this is deeply troubling. Aonghus then produces a small bag containing a flawless pearl; he says that the pearl is the players’ advance payment for accepting the job, and there will be more if the players succeed in the quest.

If the players accept the summons, he tells them to follow him. Aonghus leads the way to a small dock in Hafenviertel or along the Silverflow River, whatever is closer. A keelboat is waiting for them. The Selkie takes the tiller and leads them into the harbor towards Fasgadhmara.

Fasgadhmara

The keelboat stops above the underwater town of Fasgadhmara; several merfolk and selkies in the uniform of the Duchy of Undermere are waiting in the water for the players. Beyond them are several rafts where selkies are sunning themselves. Aonghus tells the players that they are here. He gives each player a potion of water-breathing and tells them that these merfolk will lead them down into the palace. When the players enter the water, merfolk takes their hands and leads them into the depths. Read the following.

The water is cold as you swim into the sea’s dark depths, and the merfolk lead you by hand into the abyss. Down below, you can see lights of various colors illuminating stone structures. As you swim closer, the shapes resolve into large glowing crystals, and the ruins of temples, towers, and mansions litter the rocky shore. Then you see the merfolk, scores of young and old men and women swimming amidst the ruins. The shape directly below resolves into the remains of a giant Gothic cathedral, its roof rotted away long ago, leaving nothing but the vaulted ceiling behind. Your escorts lead you through a gap in the roof and into a crystal-lit hall. In the light, you can see treasures all around, and amidst these golden piles is a throne. Upon this throne, a beautiful merwoman sits in shimmering clothes made of silver and gold.

Lady Undermere greets the players with nobility and grace. Her pleasure at meeting the players is genuine; she speaks warmly and enthusiastically about their exploits. She then orders all of her servants and retainers out of the room so that she may talk with the players privately. The retainers bow politely and swim out of the hall. Seraphina’s mood shifts when the last one is out of the hall. Her composure drains out of her body and is replaced with desperation and panic. With a face full of worry, she rises from her throne and swims over to the players. She drops into a posture reminiscent of kneeling and pleads, “You must help me; my sweet, darling daughter has disappeared.”

With a trembling voice, she starts to explain what happened. Her daughter, Aeliana, is a sweet, innocent soul fascinated by the surface world. She often runs away from the palace to spend time in the Sliberberg’s Hafenviertel neighborhood, mingling with the sailors, the peddlers, the fishermen and fishmongers, and the longshoremen. She is beloved by the neighborhood’s residents for her charming, innocent nature and her lovely singing voice. Aeliana usually returns to the palace in time for dinner, either by choice or by her men at arms escorting her back home. But this time, Aeliana has been gone for three days. Seraphina has been worried for the last few days and fears she has been kidnapped. Her family are distant relatives of an archfey of the sea and have inherited magical power over the sea. As a result, she thinks that her daughter’s power will be enough temptation for any scoundrel.

She is surprised if the players ask why she does not send her men to search the city for her or request the aid of the watch. She has a long-running public spat with King Fredrick, whom she describes as a pea-brained fool. If pressed for details, she tells them about her first few meetings with Fredrick when she was 19.

“I was lounging in my grand sedan chair in the throne room of Sliberberg Castel. I was so much like my daughter at the time; I was so young and so naive. I dreamed of living in Castle Sliberberg and being Fredrick’s queen, of the balls in those shining palaces upon the hill, of the magical wonders of Sliberberg. My grandmother’s stories painted Fredrick as a wise and just king. However, meeting him opened up my eyes. As I sat in the middle of the throne room, Fredrick was distant, his eyes dull like a dead man’s eyes, his fur and clothing disheveled and unkept, and he barely seemed to acknowledge my presence. I was dismissed with no fanfare or explanation.”

She took her treatment as a personal affront. Since then, there has been a rift between her and the land dwellers. She does not trust the watch or any branch of the royal government to be competent enough to resolve the issue. However, a wandering selkie bard had visited her court recently and recalled her about the player’s abilities and adventures. With no other options to turn to, she decided to seek the player’s help. She promises the players that if they find Aeliana, they will earn 400gp in pearls. Unbeknownst to Lady Seraphina, the bard was actually Faelar using a Selkie Skin and Hat of Disguise to convince the duchess to hire the players as part of his master plan.

Hafenviertel

When they return to the surface, Aonghus waits for them with his keelboat. He offers to take the players wherever in Hafenviertel they want. He suggests that they start their investigation in either the harbor marketplace, the pub at the Fair Winds Inn, or the row of shops halfway along Long Wharf; those are Aeliana’s favorite places to go when she sneaks out of the palace. When the players arrive in Hafenviertel, read the following.

Before you stretch stone wharves that stretch half a mile into the harbor. Between these wharves is a maze of broad wooden piers, sea-stained wooden buildings on piers and shipmasts. The piers are busy with sailors, longshoremen, small wagons, fishermen, and peddlers of all races. In the ruins in the water below the dock are merfolk and selkies

Harbor market

The harbor market is a collection of large piers and floating docks off Long Wharf. The docks are covered in stalls and stands, and a brick market hall sits in the middle of the chaotic scene. Despite its relatively small size, it is a busy place. It takes some effort to ford crowd between the narrow rows of vendors. Fish, vegetables, and everything else one would expect in a small marketplace are for sale. Many vendors are set up along the floating docks to sell to merfolk, and some fishsellers are merfolk themselves. Around the edges are various street performers busking.

Aeliana was a regular at the marketplace. She would spend hours watching the street performers sing, dance, and perform tricks. Most vendors and buskers recognized her by name and eagerly sing her praises. They would tell the players she was the sweetest kid they had ever met. “Everybody loved her,” they say. “She’s the closest thing this city has to a princess” is another common sentiment.

If the players ask any vendors or the buskers if they have seen her recently, the vendors say they last saw her three days ago. She was here to see the performers like usual and drawn to the newest addition to the marketplace, an elven conjurer with a flair for the dramatic. The conjurer is performing right now, in fact, and drawing a large crowd. It takes some effort for the players to get through the crowd. Read the following when they do.

The crowd is gathered around a youngish elf dressed in a stereotypical magician’s costume: slick-back black hair, handlebar mustache, black suit, a blue cape covered in stars, and a wide-brimmed hat. He stands on a makeshift stage and performs classic magician tricks for the audience. He reaches into a teenage girl’s ear and pulls out a dove. The dove then flies away and turns into a swarm of butterflies. The crowd cheers, and the magician bows. He bows and says in a vaguely Italian accent, “Grazie, Grazie, you are a molto meraviglioso audience. I need to take una momento to speak with these bella gente before my next trick.” He points at you.

The magician introduces himself as Zephyros, a master performer and master of the mystic arts. He is a smooth talker and flourishes his words with dramatic poses and small tricks. As the players talk to him, he performs small tricks with either coins or cards, never seeming to keep his hands still. He performs classic magician tricks enhanced using spells; a DC 10 arcana check confirms this. If asked about Aeliana, he tells the players that she did watch his performance on the day she disappeared and was enraptured by it. She asked if he could give her legs, and he told her. Unfortunately, he could not cast something as advanced as polymorph. After that, she left to see a new store on Walkoffa Short Pier. He then holds up a small item that he pickpocketed from one of the players, preferably a wearable and magic item. He hands the item back to the player he lifted it from.

Unbeknownst to the players, Zephyros is Faelar in disguise. He lied to the players to lead them to one of the rats’ favorite ambush spots. He also placed a magical tracker on his lifted item, allowing the rats to track them through the ward.

If the players return to the harbor market after the ambush or if they went to Merchant Row or the Fair Winds Inn first, they find Zephyros gone and a new busker, a young human woman named Molly with a performing awakened sea lion partner named Max, has taken the spot. The pair informs them that Zephyros has let them use his spot for the last few days after his seeming date with Aeliana. She tells them the date was three days ago. The pair headed towards the Fair Winds Inn for lunch and drinks.

Walkoffa Short Pier

Nobody remembers what this old rundown pier is actually called. Everybody calls it Walkoffa Short Pier because that is what most people do when they come here, “Taking a long walk off a short pier.” This short dock stretches between two rows of rundown warehouses. Once the players are halfway down the pier, a hobgoblin Bandit captain with a scarred face and 4 banditsof various races step out of the shadows by one of the warehouses. They have rats tattooed on their arms. He tells the players that they know the drill, give them all their valuables, and they might leave this pier with their lives.

Treacherous footing

The pier is falling apart with dozens of rotted boards. The Rats know about these spots and walk slowly to avoid them. A character can notice the rotted board with a perception check DC 13 and understand the danger. Any character who moves at full speed or dashes on the dock breaks a board under their foot, falling prone and requiring 2 actions to free themselves.

Treasure. The bandit captain has a brass ring with a small opal worth 10gp, one of the bandits has a flask with silver inlay worth 5gp, and the three remaining bandits have 20gp in change between them.

The Fair Winds Inn

The Fair Winds is a large inn that caters to captains and wealthier travelers. It is the best hotel in the entire ward and is known for its seasonal floating dock pub with stunning harbor views. Aeliana used to come here to hear the sea captains tell stories of faraway lands, like the city of Sharn and Sword Coast, and to join in on the singing. Read the following when the players arrive.

As you step onto the floating dock, you hear the waves lapping at the pontoons. A fresh breeze blows through the open deck, carrying the scent of salt and grilled food. There are only a few free seats on the dock. A crowd of pub patrons, including selkies and a few mermaids, are gathered around a captain standing on a chair, regaling them with tales of his adventures. The crowd hangs on his every word.

The captain is a recent arrival from Krynn, and a former navy man turned merchant captain. He tells stories of his adventures in the war. He is a good storyteller; the crowd can’t seem to turn away for a moment.

If the players make a perception check (DC 15), they notice that on one of the nearby docks, a burly human man with many scars over his entire body is discreetly watching them. He is a member of the Rats and has been ordered to keep a lookout for the players. If the players do not deal with him shortly before arriving, he will leave to round up a gang of four thugs and a spiy to attack the players when they leave the Fair Winds.

The barkeeper, Aiden, a selkie with brown fur covering his body and black fur around the eyes, is willing to chat. He is fond of Aeliana; she could brighten up a stormy day with her smile and sing like an angel. Her visits were the highlight of the day for everybody in the tavern. If asked if she had seen her in the last few days, he recalls she was in the tavern on a date three days ago. Her date was an elven man with slick black hair, a handlebar mustache, and an obviously fake accent peppered with words like Grazie and molto meraviglioso. He points to an otter-like pooka woman in a waitress’ uniform leaning against the railing. “Sofia can tell you more. She was working the dock that day, and I am sure she worked at her table. With the crowd so enraptured, she has enough time on her hands to talk to you,” says Aiden.

If the players ask Sofia about Aeliana’s date, she tells them she waited at the table. The magician certainly left an impression; he ordered a steak and the most expensive wine they had and treated Aeliana to the most expensive items on the menu. She also caught snippets of the conversation; they talked about giving her legs, and there was a bit about seeing Miss Wittlebie about a dress before going into the city. Personally, she thinks the magician is a creep. Every time he came in, she felt that he was undressing her with her eyes, and then there were his spending habits; he earned his living busking but always seemed to have enough money to order top-shelf wine with a steak.

Merchant Row

Merchants Row is a dozen shops at the halfway point up Long Wharf centered around the custom house. When the players arrive, read the following.

The row of brick and clapboard buildings has a weathered feel, not enough to be run down, but it suggests a lot of time spent out on the harbor. Long Wharf is crowded around this point, and the constant sound of ringing doorbells indicates that at least some of these stores are doing brisk business.

Merchant Row’s stores include an apothecary, a seamstress, a tailor, a used book store, a candy store, a hardware store, a tobacconist, a curio shop, a shoemaker, a souvenir shop, and a haberdasher (AKA a hatmaker). True to her nature, Aeliana was friends with the proprietors of all 12 shops. She especially liked the bookstore and loved to watch Miss Wittlebie, the seamstress, work on dresses. 3 days ago, Aeliana went on a shopping spree with Zephyros, going store to store, buying pretty things for herself, and showing off her new legs. She patronized half the store on that stretch of wharf, and her transformation left quite the impression.

When asked if she saw Aeliana three days ago, Miss Wittlebie, the seamstress, a plump human woman with rosy cheeks and brown hair, will tell the players that the street magician and Aeliana came into the shop three days ago to buy a dress. She was shocked that Aeliana’s pretty turquoise green tail had become a pair of slender legs. The pair purchased a white dress for Aeliana and left.

If the players ask Mr. Hilderwort, the bean-thin elf owner of the used book store, the same question, she says he saw her too. He was sweeping out his store when Aeliana and an Elf in fancy-looking clothes passed by his shop arm in arm. Seeing Aeliana with legs was a surprise for him, let alone seeing her on a boy’s arm. Aeliana seemed in pain as her new feet walked over the cobbles. She asked if she was interested in some Aisling Bellefontaine novels he had just acquired. She smiled and said no thanks, but maybe some other time. They went into the shoe store next door, and that was the last he saw of them.

If the players ask Mr. Hill, the gnome shoemaker, if he remembered seeing Aeliana that day, he recalls that Aeliana came into his store with Zephyros. He bought her a pair of lovely ladies’ size 5 shoes, the sort one can dance in. He did not think much of the transformation, but now that the players are here, he is starting to wonder.

If they investigate the candy store, the ruddy halfling owner, Mr. Sweets, tells the players that Aeliana came into the shop alone and bought a large bag filled with taffies and hard candies. She asks him what he thinks about her new legs, dress, and shoes. He says they look nice. When she left the store, she was dancing.

If the players investigate the apothecary, Mr Moore, the apothecary, recalls that Zephyros came into the store around the time of Aeliana’s shopping spree and bought a bottle of knockout drops. Aeliana entered shortly after that and bought herself some lipstick. He only connected the dots once they asked about the couple.

If the players investigate the souvenir shop, Miss Jones, the owner of the ], tells them that she bought a cheap necklace made of corals and shells and a pair of cheap hairpins. Aeliana said that they would be the perfect touches to her new look. Somebody was waiting at the door for her.

Finally, Mr lee, the Hardware store owner, recalls seeing them walk toward the city and take a right down toward a block of warehouses.

Mr. King, the tailor; Miss Klipsworth, the tobacconist; Mr. Harington, the curio shop owner; and Miss Brown, the haberdasher, did not see her that day.

At some point during their inquiry with the business owners, three members of the Rats gang, a pair of spies, and a cult fanatic will sneak up behind the players. The spies will try to backstab the two most dangerous players, and the cult fanatic will cast a hold on the party’s tank. They flee once it becomes clear they are outmatched.

A Dead End or Is it

The trail you have been following has run cold. Mr Lee’s tip has led you to a block of decaying warehouses on crumbling docks. It is dead quiet, and there is nobody around. The only sign that anybody was here is a single ladies’ size 5 shoe. Then, out of the blue, someone up above says, “Ye lot be searching for the princess of the harbor, right?.”

The voice comes from Gulliver, an awakened pelican sitting on the edge of the roof of one of the warehouses. He tells the players he knows what happened to the princess, as he calls Aeliana, but the information will cost them. He is hungry and would rather bum a meal off the players than go fishing himself. He tells them that the information will cost him a mouthful of fish. The players will either have to buy or catch fish for him.

After the players pay Gulliver, he tells them that the bloke in the fancy duds placed a handkerchief over her mouth; she struggled for a bit and then went all limp and unconscious. Then, two big lugs came and put her in a sack, took her to the street in the market ward with the big cave entrance, and took her inside; he did not know what happened next. Gulliver’s information should be enough to show the players that Aeliana was taken to Underhill, and Zephyros set her up to be kidnapped.

Underhill

Underhill Ward has a complicated relation to the rest of the city. It is ward filled with those beings who prefer to be underground, shield dwarfs, drow, and kobolds, or choose to be out of the public eyes hags, black magic users, the less reputable variant of goblins, and other criminals. The ward is formed from a vast network of mining tunnels, burrows, and natural caverns throughout Sliber Hill, ventilated and lit through the magic. Many of the residents are miners or work in metalworking and gem cutting. However, Underhill is also the hub for the city’s criminal element and is filled with seedy establishments and stores that serve as fronts for illegal businesses and hidden black markets. However, most famously or perhaps notoriously, the ward is home to the goblin market and a marketplace where one can buy anything( and we do mean anything). It is all to itself with its own rules and exotic culture. If Aeliana is anywhere in the Underhill, the goblin market is the best place for the players to start looking.

Entering Underhill

There are three well-known and regularly used entrances to Underhill. The first is in Slibermond, due west from the Coláiste Draoidheil. The Second is in the Grand Fey Marketplace, two streets east of the Market Grove Bazaar. That is the entrance Gulliver saw the goons use. The third is downhill of Hügelseite, where it meets Steinufer. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of entrances to Underhill, but those are known only to less friendly denizens of the mountain.

Picking up the Trail

The air grows cool as you descend into the earth, and the light dims. You can hear the distant sound of hammers striking anvils. Goblins, kobolds, and dwarfs mill about from burrows to workshops and stores. Most do not pay you any mind, but you occasionally get a stare so cold that it could freeze lava solid.

There is a general rule of thumb in Underhill, if you don’t fancy having a knife in your back, you best not talk about the deeds of mean and overly muscular men, especially with outsiders. Unfortunately, the goons that took Aeliana fit this description to a tee. However, the residents of Underhill also tend to be the sort that is willing to make a quick buck. The residents will tell the players to mind their businesses unless they offer some coin to loosen their tounges. When bribed, their tone changes and everybody’s answer is remarkably similar; thugs and goons always go to the Goblin Market in the ward’s center.

The Goblin Market

The Goblin Market, also known as the Undermarket, is the heart of Underhill. No one is sure when the marketplace was created; however, it has been a free-for-all where almost anything has been allowed since then. There are only two rules in the market, no stealing and no fighting. Both laws are enforced via banishment and bounties handed out by Nib, the mysterious goblin money changer who has been serving as the market master for as long as anyone can remember. The two rules have created a relatively safe neutral zone between the various gangs in the city, and all use the goblin market to fence stolen goods and sell illegal products. Many of these products are things that cannot be held; memories, youth, dreams, a person’s attributes, and secrets are all among the items for sale in the market. However, not everybody who uses the goblin market is a criminal; there are plenty of legal and everyday things for sale at the various stalls, booths, and stands.

Entering the Goblin Market

When you step through the threshold of the marketplace, it is like entering a new world. The dim and cool tunnels you spend half an hour walking through have opened into a large cavern lit up like a carnival. Stalls in all colors are adorned with colorful lights and glowing multicolored signs. Massive animated illusions hang in the air above some of the stands. The air buzzes with conversations and haggling. The enticing smells of grilling meat and vegetables assault your nose. And then there are the market patrons, a rainbow of races all rushing this way and that in a wild kaleidoscope of colors.

The DM should make the players feel like they are entering a darker version of Wonderland. Describe colorful stalls run by characters in strange costumes selling strange goods. Describe them bumping into strange characters as they navigate the bustling market. The DM should also draw their attention to the landmarks where the NPCs they need to talk to are located. Describe the massive stone pillar where the Nib’s Money Changing stand is located, the sound of a Honkey tonk piano lofting through the air from the Summer Rose or Grex massive black wagon and tables of gear.

Nib Money-changing Stand

The moneychanger’s stand is built into a large natural stone pillar. The stand has a rock-hewed counter with iron bars driven through it that reach up to the ceiling. Behind the bars is a small, wisened old goblin with wispy white hair. Nib writes in a massive ledger chained to his wrist. He seems to sense your approach and asks in a wise voice, “Buy, sell, exchange, or do you want information?”

The ledger chained to Nib’s wrist keeps track of everything in the market via ingrained enchantment, including what vendors are open, who is banished from the marketplace, how much the vendors owe him in fees, their expenses, how much money is in the money-changing office, etc. If asked if anyone brought a mermaid girl in a bag in the last few days, he tells the players to go speak with vendors or the bounty hunters; “Everything imaginable is for sale here, including information. However, the information you want is not my business,” he tells the players. If the players return to Nib after learning about the auction at the Tigh na Faolchu he points out the entrances to the auction house on his map and asks the players to please not cause too much trouble for the House of wolves, they do pay the highest dues of all the buisnesses in the market.

The Summer Rose

The Summer Rose is one of 6 bars that line the edges of the marketplace. The rose, as it is affectionately called, is owned by the Sliberberg Bounty Hunters Union as their base of operations and almost exclusively used by bounty hunters. Read the following when the players enter.

You hear a honky tonk piano as you push open the swinging doors to the Summer Rose. Inside, you are met with over a dozen unfriendly stares belonging to rough-looking characters of all descriptions. As you walk to the bar, it becomes dead silent, and even the piano player stops playing. As you approach one of the tables, the telltale sound of swords and axes being drawn and chairs sliding back echo in the silence.

When the players turn around, they find themselves surrounded by four veterans, eight spies, three scouts, and two berserkers, all with weapons drawn and unfriendly grins on their faces. They talk about how lucky they are that a bounty willingly entered their headquarters. The conversations turn into arguments about who will collect the bounty, and the arguments turn into a fistfight. The fistfight turns into a general brawl, with everyone in the bar throwing punches and chairs at each other. The players can either join in the brawl or try to hide. However, two rounds after the brawl started, read the following.

A voice rings out clear as a bell, and with all the authority of a goddess, “What are all ya idiots doing,” All the bounty hunters stop what they are doing, turn, and watch as a hobgoblin woman about your age comes stomping down the stairs. She is a slim, pretty lady in cowgirl boots, jeans, leather armor, and a belt with dozens of knives, hand crossbows, and a whip hanging from it. Her long, firey red hair is in a braid and seems to glow with her anger. “I told ya knuckleheads that rule number one is no fighting in the rose; if ya don’t want me to put a bolt through your sorry excuses for skulls, go back to drinking in silence.”

The woman is Cassidy Rose, the Sliberberg Bounty Hunters Union’s leader, a renowned breaker of both hearts and skulls and considered one of the ablest shots in the city. After giving her little display of authority, she makes a beeline straight to the players and demands they tell her what they did to make all her men start throwing punches. If they tell her the truth, she simply nods and points at the wall of wanted posters, specifically at a group of posters with their face on them and “WANTED DEAD” emblazoned upon them. “Ya either incredibly brave or stupid to come in here with that much money on her skulls,” she tells them, “So why come in the viper nest given that ya snake food?” If the players tell them why they are here, she nods, walks up to their posters, and shouts, “Listen up, ya lowlifes, the bounty on this lot is officially canceled; anyone who can’t get that through your skull is going to get something else through their skulls.

After that, the bounty hunters became more cooperative. They remember a pair of big goons carrying a person-sized sack through the

marketplace three days ago; they were going to the northwestern branch of the cavern.

Aunty Foul’s Homemade Curse Stand

The stand stands out amidst a row of stalls selling various types of street food. It consists exclusively of dark colors, the fairy lights seem to project darkness rather than light, and a foul order emanates from within. An ugly lady with green skin is stirring a caldron of something dark and bubbling within. A chalk sandwich board says Today’s Special: Perpetual Blunt Honesty 2gp.

The hag Aunty Foul is well known for being a thoroughly unpleasant person by choice. She prides herself on being rude, unhelpful, and ugly, like any self-respecting green hag. Her stand sells curses. The curses come in little bottles containing a liquid with the same consistency as tomato sauce. The curse must be ingested to take effect. Currently, she is selling the following courses.

Perpetual Blunt Honesty 2gp: The victim tells everybody what they truly think about people.
Frog Sauce 1gp: The classic man-to-frog curse.
Instant hatred 5gp: Made to order and makes everybody hate the victim
Medusa Juice 4gp: Petrification curse.
Misery: 6gp: Aunty’s most popular curse prevents the victim from ever feeling joy or happiness again.

Her stand is along the goons’ path to the Tigh na Faolchu, and she saw them pass by. However, true to her nature, she won’t make it easy for the players to learn that bit of information. She will be rude and insulting, insisting that they should go away if they are not here for a curse or hex. If the players insist, she grins her gap-toothed grin and says she may consider helping if they do a favor for her. She points down the row of stalls at another stand. The stall has colorful lights, including an animated neon sign showing either a prince turning into a frog or a frog turning into a prince. She tells them there is a feud between herself and the upstart hag Elina, who runs on that stand. She has been stealing her curse recipes and selling antidotes. She asks the players to take one of her freshly bottled curses and get her to drink it. She does not care how, but she will tell the players that she gets meals delivered daily from Curry Queen; it might be just what the players need to get her to swallow the curse. She neglects to tell the players that Elina is her daughter, and the feud is about how Elina fails to live up to Aunty Foul’s standards.

The curse takes hold.

It is up to the players to figure out how to make ELina eat the curse. When she does, she suddenly turns into a toad. She will give the players quite a dirty look as she hops past to find a cleric to uncurse her. Aunty Foul will be beside her, laughing at her daughter’s new, improved look. She will then tell the players that the two large and rough-looking knuckledraggers were carrying a wriggling sack over their shoulders carpet-style 3 days ago. She tried to sell them a petrifying curse to keep what was in the stack from riggling, but they kept walking on, taking a right by Zara’s shop. As the players continue along the route, Aunty Foul shouts, “I am sure glad not to be in your shoes; Zara has less sense than a beggar.” The players can hear her laughing at her pun as they walk away.

Elina’s Hex-be-gone

The stand is a vibrant contract to Aunty Fouls. A large-sided animated magic sign above depicts a frog turning into a prince above the words Hex-Be-Gone, fortune tellings, curse removals, and potions. As you enter the tent, your eyes are bombarded by a kaleidoscope of colors and a flower garden worth of floral smells. Rows of potion bottles sit on tables, and at the far end is a pretty girl, appearing slightly younger than you, dressed in the typical gypsy fortune teller costume.

Elina Foul is a complete failure at being a hag. She is sweet 18-year-old half-hag who adores flowers, unicorns, and frilly dresses. She can’t get the hang of cursing people, dislikes cackling, and despises the way she looks. She is currently using her powers to project how she would like to appear instead of her not-so-ugly-for-a-hag self

Her stall is filled with potions, but nothing too rare here. The potions are your standard love potions, a few healing potions, cures for heartbreak, cures for various diseases, and curses you expect to find in a gypsy mystic’s shop.

If the players ask if anyone brought a wriggling bag containing a mermaid girl through the market. She slyly grins and says maybe. She asks the players to help her test her latest attempt at a dehaggification oil. She gives them a single bottle and tells them to simply get some of it on any hag in the marketplace, preferably her mother, Aunty Foul.

Aunty Fouls request

If the players approach her after talking to Aunty Foul, she knows her mother put them up to something; the stink of Aunty Foul’s foul curses is all over them. She will not drink anything the players give her willingly.

Dehaggification

To test the Dehaggification oil, the players must splash the potion on any hag’s skin to test it. How they go about it is up to them. It is up to the DM to determine whether the plan works. If they managed to splash a hag’s skin with the potion, the hag would petrify into a statue. When they report to Elina that the potion did not work, she sighs and admits it stinks.

She then tells the players that she saw the guys they were looking for when she was eating lunch three days ago. She noticed a pair of men carrying a wriggling sack and decided to follow them, being a good Samaritan. She lost them in the northwestern part of the market. She suggests that Zara might have seen something but warns them that she is pretty senile; she might not have seen anything.

Curry Queen

As you approach the northern side of the market us, a tantalizing mix of spices, meat, fruit, and rice wafts through the air. An enormous magic sign of a goblin queen in full regalia eating from a steaming bowl with chopsticks beckons you to the source of the smell. There are several long lines in front of the counter.

Curry Queen is an incredibly popular fast food joint on the north side of the Goblin market. It has an ‘outdoor’ seating area and a kitchen built into the wall. The players can chat with the patrons and ask if they saw some thugs carrying a wriggling bag. Many will reply yes and say that the men were going north towards the western wall of the cavern.

Brody

The restaurant has a goblin delivery boy named Brody. He is a good kid but has a gambling problem, and he needs cash soon to pay off his bookie. If the players pay him 10gp, he will let the players put the curse into Elina’s extra spice red curry order

Zara’s Curiosity Shop.

The magic sign is supposed to say Zara’s Shop of Wonders. However, the sign is broken, and some letters don’t work; it now says Zara’s Shop of Woes. That sums up the open-air shop well. Under colorful bunting and flicking fairy lights are tables covered in broken magic signs, bent swords, cracked crystal balls, and other forms of magical junk. In the corner of the store, a skeleton in a tattered witch dress and thick glasses messing with a skull with gemstones for eyes.

Zara is an unseen lich and the market’s oldest vendor; her shop has operated since the market first opened. She is a sweet little old lady but entirely and utterly senile. Her vision is impaired, hence the thick glasses, which barely help, and Zara constantly misidentifies people as her grandchildren or long-since-dead patrons. Currently, she is messing with a skull on the table that serves as her shop’s cashier counter.

If the players try to get her attention, she misidentifies them as her grandchildren, Billy and Luna MacCartan, and their friends Gunther, Ivan, and Sylia. She asks them about their adventures and if they brought her any souvenirs. If the players make a history check (DC18), they recall that Billy and Luna McCartan were sibling adventurers renowned in their day for exploring the wilds and slaying dragons. Billy was a paladin, and Luna a witch, and they traveled with a dwarf cleric named Gunther, a goblin rogue named Ivan, and an elf ranger named Sylia.

The players will have to adopt the persona of Zara’s grandchildren and gently steer Zara from reminiscing about each of ‘their’ past adventurers to the present. If players make a DC 12 persuasion check, they get her attention long enough to tell her they are on an urgent mission to save a kidnapped princess and need their help; the kidnappers passed by her shop three days ago. In that case, she will be willing to help but apologetic, “I am sorry, Billy, granny’s eyesight is not so good anymore; if only I could get the scrying skull to work, I would probably show you what happened. Luna could be a dear and fix it for granny?”

She hands “Luna” a human skull with gems for eyes covered in ruins. It takes a DC15 arcana check to determine what is wrong with the skull and correct the problem; a failed check results in getting shocked. Turns out that the skull’s memory is full. Zara will curse herself for forgetting to change the gems and thanks “Luna” for her help. Zara then explains to the player that you simply think of a date and time to make it show what it remembers. The skull shows that the two goons carried their riggling cargo down un, assuming a side tunnel, and did not come out. When asked what is down that tunnel, Zara tells them it is some form of a social club called House of the Wolf or something like that.

Grex, the arms dealer

The Grex, the arms dealer’s stall, is a large wagon with panels that fold out racks and tables filled with wicked-looking swords, axes, and knives. There are racks of prosthetic arms and legs with built-in blades, shields made of black metal, and jagged polearms. Among this collection of unpleasant-looking goods is a goblin in a flashy outfit with enough jewelry for five people.

Grex is the Syndicate’s undercover man in the marketplace and knows the players well. He, like the rest of the Syndicate, is still pissed off that the players wrecked their heist at the mint. He will direct the players to an address nearby if they ask him about the missing mermaid or the goons carrying a bag with a person in it. The address belongs to a syndicate gladiatorand hatchetman named the Eviscerator. The Syndicate sends people to him whenever they need to make someone disappear. If the players survive the fight and return to confront Grex, the gangster sings like a canary. He knows all about the kidnapping. The goons brought her to Tigh na Faolchu, an exclusive underground auction house, to be the main item in an auction later today. Boss Blackhand is keen on getting the mermaid to serve as a singer at the Stacked Deck, the Syndicate’s Casino in the underhill.

The stranger

As the players move through the market, they catch glimpses of a stranger in a black coat and a wide-brimmed black hat following them. He only gets up to 100 feet from the players and disappears as soon as 20 feet from him. The stranger is Faelar, who watches the players to ensure they do not wreck his plans this time.

Other vendors

Numerous other vendors in the market could have seen something valuable to the players. Here is a list of suggestions to get you started.

A kobold named Gizmo sells overly complicated home security devices (traps). He loudly proclaims the quality of his work.
A drow named Oíche sells spiders trained to perform tricks and follow verbal commands. Oíche is very evasive about questions regarding her history.
A person(?) in a long viel who sells secrets from big ledgers of secrets, she only accepts trades, a secret for a secret. The player forgets what is in the books the moment they look away. The stall proprietress speaks in a raspy whisper.
A gnome named Poll is operating a lost and found stand, and he, for a sacrifice of money, can retrieve lost things using his magic bag. He speaks like an auctioneer.
A goblin woman named Aislingeach, dressed like a gypsy, sells dreams and memories. She claims her wares are ethically sourced.
A satyr in a false face mask that everybody calls mag. He speaks exclusively in the third person. He sells little books containing assumed personas. Open the book, and you will be that person for the next few days.
An unnamed tiefling man in a 3 piece suit selling souls in bottles, freshly collected from the dead. His voice is soft and seductive. He is actually a devil in disguise.
A young Human witch named Holly sells powerless charms and trinkets. She dresses like a new-wave practitioner and has an airy personality. Her stall is filled with crystal baubles.
An old human witch named oícheanta sells magical charms made from human bones. She does not say where she gets the bones; her stall has a slightly sinister air.
A goblin in jesters motley sells magical novelty goods and pranks. The goblin constantly cracks terrible jokes and dances around. His products are defective and cause actual harm.
A gnome named Meascthóir sells potions in unmarked bottles. Suffers from mild dementia and continually restarts conversations. He is not sure which bottles contain which potion.

Let your mind go wild with the strange stuff for sale and quirky vendors in the goblin market.

The House of Wolves

The House of Wolves is a members-only auction house owned and operated by hobgoblin brothers Daithí and Darragh that caters to a specific type of high-end low-lifes. It is a luxurious palace where Crime Lords, Pirate Kings, Smuggler kingpins, and Evil-leaning noblemen bid on everything illicit. High-value slaves, rare magic items, artifacts of dark power, dark secrets, stolen essences, and memories, you name it, the House of Wolves deals it. Daithí plays the auctioneer and host, while Darragh is head of security for the auction house.

Aeliana will be auctioned off with other rare specimens at an event that starts 45 minutes after the players enter the House of Wolves. Membership is invite-only, so the players must break in to get Aeliana out. This is no easy feat because the House of Wolves has two dozen guards on the payroll.

Where’s Aeliana?

Aeliana is being kept in a large locked tank in mermaid form. The tank is about 6 feet, by 6 feet by 6 feet, and mounted on a gilded iron cart designed to hold the tank. The tank is so heavy it takes 3 security guards to move it around. The players arrive Aeliana is being kept in the private viewing room to be shown off to several prospective buyers, including Finnegan “Blackhand” O’Malley, the leader of the Syndicate. The viewing starts 20 minutes after the players arrive. The viewing will last another 15 minutes and then Aeliana, she will be wheeled back to the storage room through the corridor behind the auction hall until her turn in the auction. The auction starts ten minutes after that About 30 minutes after the auction starts, it will be her turn on the auction block. After this, it is impossible to save her. To sum up the players have 1 hour and 15 minutes to save her. For simplicity sake

Entering the House of Wolves

There are three entrances to the House of Wolves: the hidden side entrance by Zara’s shop, the hidden employee loading dock in the warehouse by the north entrance, and the main entrance outside the marketplace.

The main entrance is manned by a wearboar. If the players try to enter through this door, he will stop them and tell them to go away. This club is members-only. If the players try to convince him they are new members, he will ask for their invitations. Using a DC 20 sleight of hand check, they can create a reasonable forgery to convince the bouncer. The main door leads to the lobby lounge.

The side entrance is hidden behind a false wall at the end of a supposedly dead-end tunnel. The false wall has a hidden switch that can be pressed to open the door; finding the button requires a DC15 investigation check. However, when the door opens, a bell rings in the security office. The hidden door leads to the employee breakroom.

The employee loading dock is hidden behind a large freight door in an otherwise innocuous warehouse on the market perimeter, supposedly owned by one of the restaurants in the market. The laborers working the warehouse are all members of the House of Wolf’s security force, consisting of four hobgoblins and a 2 acolytesproviding healing support. The big door leads to the storage room.

Security System

The House of Wolves has a state-of-the-art security system. Call buttons throughout the building are linked to bells in the security office. If one of the buttons is pushed, it will summon a squad of 6 hobgoblins with either a druid or priest to provide support. The buttons are in the bar store room, the auction hall, the viewing room, and the primary storage room. Furthermore, there are doors with alarms on them. These alarms work the same way as the security call bells and are located at the false wall entrance, the door between merchandise storage and the auction hall, and the vault. Finally, several brass eyes with permanent scrying spells cast upon them are connected to crystal balls in the security office. There are 8 in total, covering the 3 legs of the hall behind the auction hall, the bar in the lobby, 2 in the merchandise warehouse, one in the breakroom monitoring the exit, and 1 in the vault. These should be watched constantly, but the officers can only watch one at a time to see everything the spell sees. When the players see one of the brass eyes, the DM will roll a d8, and the officer will look out for the corresponding scrying spell. The brass eye’s iris will glow red to indicate that the scrying feed is being watched. If the officer sees the players, he will dispatch one of the squads to investigate. To hide from the scrying spell, the players must succeed on a DC 15 stealth check to stay in the eye’s blind spot.

1 The Lobby Lounge

The lobby lounge is the pinnacle of waiting room luxury. The floor is covered with fine carpet, and the walls are perfectly plastered and covered with fine art. On the east wall is a bar, and large armchairs are spread throughout the room.

Before the viewing: A single hobgoblin commoner(non combatant) is preparing the bar.
During the Viewing: Four bandits, six guards, and a 5 cultists gathered around the door to the viewing room, waiting for their masters to be finished.
Between the Viewing and Auction: The room is filled with 12 nobles, 3 bandit captains and 3d6 bandits and guards. The guests are making idle chatter while their body guards are eyeing each other.
During the Auction: This room was empty except for three commoners: a janitor, a waitress, and the barman.

Treasure: The art is easily worth a thousand gp but is bolted to the walls. Behind the bar is a lock box with 50 gp in various denominations and 10 bottles of fine liquor worth 10 gp each.

2 Private viewing room

The room has gilded accents and is wallpapered in red and gold. The carpeting also has guided accents. There is a trio of armchairs in a semicircle.

Before the Viewing: The only person in the room is Aeliana. She is in her tank in the center of the arc of chairs.
During the Viewing, A nobleman, a Gerbereireihe, and Finnegan O’Malley will inspect Aeliana, with Daithí playing host.
Between the Viewing and Auction: A single commoner maid is sweeping the room
During the Auction: This room is empty.

3 Auction Hall

This large room has luxurious seating for 24 and lush carpets. A stage with a podium takes up the far wall.

Before the Viewing, 6 staff members will be working to prepare the floors and furniture for patrons.
During the Viewing, two hobgoblins are standing on either side of the door to the lobby by the security summon bells.
Between the Viewing and Auction: two hobgoblins are standing on either side of the door to the lobby by the security summon bells. Another two hobgoblins are standing by the warehouse door. 3 Nobles and Finnegan O’Malley are sitting in the comfy chairs talking
During the auction, 24 Bandit captains, nobles, mages, cult fanatics, and 2d20 bodyguards (bandits, thugs and guards) and attendants are in the room. The doors are guarded by 2 hobgoblins each.

4 Merchandise Warehouse

Rows of shelves dominate the room. On these shelves are cases and cages with little cards with numbers.

The warehouse’s shelves are relatively sparse; today’s auction is dedicated to rare creatures and slaves.

Before the Viewing, A hobgoblins accompany the head of security (a veteran) while he inventories everything in the warehouse.
During the Viewing,4 hobgoblins guard the warehouse.
Between the Viewing and Auction: 8 commoner staff members work to prep the merchandise
During the auction, 8 staff members wait to bring out merchandise, and 6 hobgoblins stand about waiting for anything to happen. Aeliana’s tank sits in the middle of the warehouse.

Treasure. Despite the barren nature of the shelves, the players can find about a dozen pieces of miniature art worth 600gp together. Furthermore, a thorough search of the shelves reveals a Bronze Griffon among the items for today’s auction.

5 Bar store room.

This small room has shelves well stocked with liquor and various small snacks.

There is a 1 in 4 chance that one of the staff members enters this room while the players are searching for it.

6 The merchandise cells

10 10 by 15 cells are located along this short corridor. Within, you can see desperate-looking captives of both humanoid and best varieties.

The occupants of the cells are the merchandise for today’s auction. The cells include.

A Unicorn Foal
A mute eladrin girl with a peculiar birthmark shaped like a crescent moon on her face.
A well-scarred orc beserkernamed Thrasher
a purebred pegasus foal
an awakened and tamed wolf
a brass dragon wyrmling and the remains of a dragon egg.
A treant sampling
A young dryad and her young tree
A yellow female Faire dragon named Twinkle
A young manticore

Each cell is locked with an arcane lock.

Before and During the Viewing, A hobgoblin wererat stands guard over the cells.
Between the Viewing and Auction : A wererat and a hobgoblin handler are in the room
During the Auction, a wererat and two hobgoblinhandlers are in the corridor trying to persuade the next piece of merchandise to quietly go up to the stand.

Potential allies. When the players have defeated the guards, Twinkle will hiss and beckons for the players to come over to her cell. She does not know what the players are after, but if they intend to “Make my captor’s lives miserable,” she is willing to help. She points out that the wererat has the keys to all the cells. Upon Twinkle’s release, Thrasher and the wolf will also ask to be released, promising to serve the players faithfully while they fight through the House of the Wolves. The wyrmling is only a few days old, confused about everything, and constantly asking for mommy. He will follow the players and eagerly fight for them if released from his cell. The other prisoners are too young and too frail to be of much help in the fight.

7 Daithí’s office

This roomy office smells of wood polish, flowers, and money. A large desk occupies the center of the room, with file cabinets along the right wall. On other walls, there are shelves with a collection of pricy curios.

Before the Viewing, Daithí is in the office doing the routine paperwork any auction house requires.
Between the Viewing and Auction Dathi is collecting documents from his desk.
During the Viewing and During the Auction. The room is empty

The office is empty but locked with an arcane lock to which Daithí has the key.

Treasure. The curios are worth about 100gp together. The cabinets contain financial records and client lists. There is also a hidden compartment in the desk that can be found using a DC15 investigation check. In the compartment is a pouch with 6 25gp gemstones, a +1 dagger, two spell scrolls, and a healing potion.

8 Employee breakroom

Half of this room is a stone floored breakroom with a small kitchenette and tables, and the other half is a locker room. There is a large coffee urn in the kitchenette The walls are either bare cave walls or wood dividers

Before the Viewing, 12 commoner staff members are doing various activities while waiting for the auction to start and 2 hobgoblins drinking coffee.
During the Viewing, 6 commoner staff members are doing multiple activities while waiting for the auction to start and 3 hobgoblins drinking coffee.
Between the Viewing and Auction 6 commoners staff members and a hobgoblin are drinking coffee
During the Auction. The room is empty.

Coffee Urn. Throughout the dungeon crawl commoners and guards alike will repetitively stop in the room to take coffee breaks. If the players bought curses from Aunty Foul or have poison they can spike the coffee causing everyone who drinks it to suffer the poison or curse’s effects.

Treasure. The lockers contain clothing, spare uniforms, and a few personal effects worth 6gp each. The kitchenette cabinets have 10 days ‘ worth of food.

9 The security room

The wooden walls of this small room are packed with brass bells and crystal balls. Each has a little label corresponding to a room in the auction house.

Before the Viewing, 1 hobgoblin is monitoring the security cameras
During the viewing, the head of security (a veteran) and one Gerbereireihe monitor the crystal balls.
During the Auction. The head of security is alone in the room.

Security apparatus. The various alarm bells in the room are loud enough to be heard in the adjacent security breakroom. The crystal balls show the current view of the brass eye connected to them. One can pan the eye by looking at the ball from different angles. The security apparatus can be disabled by casting any spell that dispels magic.

Treasure. The head of security has 15gp in a purse on his belt and the key to the vault.

10 Security Breakroom

This large chamber has lockers, a table with chairs, and an old couch. A large metal door in the far right corner.

Before the Viewing: There are 8 hobgoblins in the room, 2 acolytes and a druid in the room arming themselves for the todays auction.
During the viewing, 6 hobgoblins in the room, 2 acolytes are waiting to head to the mecendise warehouse to start moving the merchandise.
Between the Viewing and Auction 5 hobgoblins in the room, 1 acolytes are waiting for the auction to start
During the Auction. There are 2 hobgoblins in the room: and an acolyte.

Treasure. The lockers contain spare weapons, armor, clothing, and about 8gp of personal belongings.

The vault. The security breakroom contains a vault where the more dangerous and valuable items are stored. Currently, the vault includes the following.

A djinni named Ahmed in a glass bottle. He rewards the players with a favor if released.
A sentient flametounge longsword named Teineadair with a pyromania streak
A book titled The Complete Guide to shapechanging
A book titled The Peerage of the Summer Court

Saving Aeliana.

As you approach the massive brass and glass tank wagon, you see Aeliana inside in mermaid form; Aeliana seems desperate. She bangs on the walls, and you hear muffled screaming, “Please help me, get me out of here.”

Once Aeliana realizes that the players are here to save her, she calms down and tells the players her version of what happened as the players work on freeing her. Zephyros led her to a secluded spot and covered her mouth with his handkerchief as if to smother her. She blacked out, and when she awoke, she was in a sack, and her legs had transformed back into a tail. She was dumped in this tank and saw Zephyros talking with some hobgoblin about selling her and a pair of rare magical books, saying he had no need for any of them now. He then saw Zephyros remove his hat and transform into someone else, an equally handsome blond Eladrin in regal clothing.

Opening the tank

Aeliana’s tank has a bronze lid with an arcane lock. The lock requires a DC 20 Arcana check or a key belonging to the lieutenant head of security or Daithí to unlock. Alternatively, the players can smash the glass walls of the tank. The tank has 50hp AC10 and is immune to Psychic and poison damage. An alarm sounds throughout the House of the Wolves if the players smash the tank or open it without using the key. Players can notice the alarm runes with a DC 15 investigation check and disable them with a DC 15 arcana check.

Once Aeliana is accessible from the tank, the players must figure out how to get her out of the House of Wolves. Options include but are by no means limited to.

A character with the strength of at least 11 can carry Aeliana but will not be able to fight due to having to hold Aeliana with both arms.
Create a sling to carry between two characters.
The players can use the Complete Guide to Shapechanging to change Aeliana into a form with legs and use clothing from the staff locker room to sneak her out of one of the exits.
The players can use Ahmed’s favor to spirit her back to the harbor.

Moving the Tank

The tank is heavy. When the staff moves the tank, they need two hobgoblins to push it and another to steer and pull it. The tank needs at least three players to do a strength check with DC 15. The check decreases by one for every additional person helping to move the tank. To get the tank out of the House of Wolves

The Last obstacle

The players might think they are home-free after leaving the House of Wolves, but they are wrong. Daithí has several hobgoblin soldiers led by Darragh stationed in the marketplace for such an eventuality. When the players enter the goblin market, read the following.

As you escape from the House of Wolves into the goblin market, you suddenly find your way blocked by a squad of hobgoblin soldiers in the uniforms of the House of the Wolf security guards. The market falls suddenly quiet as everybody realizes what is about to happen, and merchants and market attendees start to inch away from the two rows of stalls that make up the edges of the soon-to-be battleground. The leader says “,that is far enough, thieves; return the merchandise, and maybe we’ll let you go.”

Darragh the hobgoblin captian is blocking the exit. Back him up are three house of the wolves guards in plainclothes (use bandit stat block) .They have the players boxed in between Aunty Foul’s and Elina Foul’s stand.

Allies

If the players had freed any of the captives in the merchandise cells add the following monsters to the fight.

Twinkle: add 3 additional bandits
Thrasher: add 2 thugs
the wolf: add 2 additional bandits
wyrmling:, add two hobgoblins to the fight

Interactables:

The nature of the goblin market allows for infinite creativity in how the players approach the fight, with dozens of possible interactive elements. Here is a by no means complete list of possible improvised weapons/terrain hazards the players can create.

They can throw one of Aunty Foul’s bottled curses at the enemies. Bottles cause a transformation, status aliment, or debuff of the DM’s choice.
They can overturn one of the street food vendors’ grills, creating a 5-foot diameter patch of ground that causes 1d6 fire damage.
They can knock over piles of crates, which cause 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
The players can topple over stands on an enemy’s head, blinding and knocking them prone.
Players can throw spices and other powders into enemy faces, blinding them; throwing whole sacks creates a 6-foot diameter fog cloud that dissipates in a round.

Concluding the fight

Darragh’s men fight until the players outnumber them, or Darragh falls in battle. At that point, Nib and Cassidy Rose will show up with 4 of the bounty hunters the players met earlier. Nib will order the remaining enemies to stand down; they have broken the marketplace rules by attacking the players and must leave the market immediately. The hobgoblins disengage and make their way towards the north entrance to the marketplace; Nib then tells the players while they were in the right to defend themselves, they also broke the rules of the market by stealing from the House of Wolves sure, there were extenuating circumstances, including the kidnapping of a noblewoman and a conspiracy against the players but rules are rules. He gathers all his authority and, in a booming voice, shouts, “As the master of the Undermarket, I at this moment banish you for six months. Cassidy will escort you out.”

Cassidy does just that, but before the players cross the marker’s threshold, she says, “The old man does not want to say it in front of everyone, but ya did well; if word got out that a duchess’s daughter was sold down here, we would be up to our necks in watchmen and knights. Nobody down here wants that.”

Conclusion

The reunion between Seraphina and her daughter is as tear-filled and emotional as expected. The pair spend several minutes crying and apologizing to each other before the matter turns to the player’s reward. Upon hearing the tale of what happened to her daughter and the lengths the players went to save her daughter, Seraphina decides that her initial reward is wholly insufficient; she tells the players that she will present them their reward after taking some time to think of a more appropriate reward and they should stay in her capital until she does so.

The players can take this time to explore Fasgadhmara. Aeliana will serve as their tour guide, eagerly pointing out various landmarks and introducing them to merfolk and selkie citizens.

The next day, Duchess Seraphina knighted the players at a grand ceremony many of her subjects attended. She declared each of them a knight of the sea and granted each a small coastal estate as a reward for their heroic deeds. The estates are located on various islands and coastlines around Sliberberg harbor. They are small, consisting of two to three fishing villages and merfolk colonies, but they will give the players an income of 30gp a month and a wealthy lifestyle among the city elite.

The players also become Aeliana’s new favorite people. She spends every moment with them and showers them with small gifts like sculpted coral and seashell jewelry. Whenever they are in Fasgadhmara, she follows them around, acting like a starstruck teenager with a crush.

As for the other escapees from the House of the Wolf, Twinkle will bid the players farewell before starting the long journey to her home in the Glade of Titans. Thrasher, or, using his full name, Krothu The Thrasher, has yet to plan what he will do now that he is free. Krothu is far from his native Khorvaire and has no idea how to get back there. He suspects he will earn money in the city and then find a ship heading for Sharn. If the players offer him a job as hireling or man at arms, he will gladly take it. The nameless wolf will insist on the players adopting him. Being trained has rendered him more dog than wolf, in his opinion, and he cannot return to the wilds. He will beg the players to take him and give him a name. The brass dragon wyrmling will follow the players like a lost puppy no matter what they do. It is up to the players to figure out what to do with him. They could try to track down his mother or adopt him as a pet.As for the House of Wolves, 1d6 days after the players rescue Aeliana, the watch raids the House of the Wolves. Seraphina will insist that the players lead the raid. The watch will recover 2000gp of stolen goods and the remainder of the living merchandise. Daithí and Darragh will swear vengeance against the players if they survive the adventure. The day the raid happened is remembered in Underhill history as the day the freewheeling, devil-may-care, fight-the-law spirit of the goblin market died. While the goblin market remained mysterious and exotic. However, the sense of danger and freedom that came with the criminal element that once inhabited the marketplace never returned.

New Magic items

Burkes’ Peerage of the Summer Court.

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

This large folio has a green cover patterned in the style of Celtic knots and elegant handwriting throughout. The book contains the complete genealogy and political standings of members of the Summer Court of the Fey. It is also enchanted to keep its family trees and title listings up to date.. By referencing this book, you automatically succeed on checks related to identifying members of the Summer Court, their lineages, titles, and understanding the current political landscape of the Summer Court. Referencing the book takes 30 minutes of study time.

The Complete Guide to Shape-Changing

Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)

This sleek and shimmering book, bound in silvery leather, is a collection of essays on the art of shape-changing. The essays cover processes and spells required for altering one shape, species, and gender, among other things. While attuned to this book, you can cast Change Shape thrice daily.

Change Shape. You alter the form of one willing creature into a new form for 1 hour. The new form must be a creature of one or less cr, and the target creature must be the same size as the creature the spell is cast upon. Alternatively, you can alter one feature of a willing creature or yourself for up to 3 hours. You can, for example, transform a merfolk’s tail into legs and vice versa or transform a person’s hand into a claw.