100 UNDERWATER WILDERNESS LOCATIONS CREDITS Design, Editing and Layout: Adrian Kennelly Cover and Page Backgrounds: Lord Zsezse Works Images: Some artwork copyright William McAusland, used with permission. Published by Azukail Games, a trading style of eGDC Ltd COPYRIGHT INFORMATION The contents are copyright © 2021 Azukail Games. All rights reserved. As a purchaser of this product your are entitled to print one copy for personal use. Reproduction, reselling and redistribution of this work are strictly and expressly forbidden without written per- mission from Azukail Games. COMPATABILITY This product is designed to be system agnostic and usable with any pen and paper role playing game system. This PDF uses Adobe layers and the backgrounds and images can be disabled for a print- er friendly version.This is a collection of 100 different wilder- ness locations that can be dropped into a setting to enliven a journey. The locations are of many different types, from large to small. Each location has been named and is described, and many could have po- tential adventure and encounter hooks as well. All the locations are in intended to be un- derwater, with flora and flora appropriately suited to the location. USING THE LOCATIONS Locations can be rolled randomly, but it is a better idea to manually select suitable results to avoid improbable ones. 1. Ancient Volcano: This submarine vol- cano is active and has been for as long as any creatures living in the vicinity can re- member, At the volcano's most quiescent, plumes of superheated water are emitted from it, whilst periodic eruptions of lava are not unknown. Perhaps the strangest element of the volcano is that it also ap- pears to be the same size, no matter how many times it erupts. The volcano remains a submarine volcano, rather than building into an island as might be expected. 2. Aquamarine Canyon: This steep-sided canyon winds down the continental slope and extends well onto the continental shelf. Though the canyon walls are low at the top they are close to a mile high at their high- est. A swift-moving turbidity current moves through the canyon and an unwary crea- ture can get dragged off by it if they are not careful. The water within the canyon’s walls are an unusual aquamarine colour, lighter than would be expected from the depth of water in places. 3. Ascendant Maar: A low-relief crater that is difficult to see from nearby but is ... more obvious when viewed from above. Lf The maar is filled with water of a slightly different hue from the surrounding seas, a deeper blue colour than the other wa- ter. The crater is rumoured to have been formed when a powerful individual at- tempted to ascend to godhood but acci- dentally caused an immense explosion by weakening the ocean floor above a magma pocket. 4. Babbling Brine Pool: Nestled in the sea floor is a depression with clearly de- marked borders and a water colour differ- ent from the surrounding area. The depres sion, which resembles a lake, is filled with brine, water that is significantly saltier than the surrounding ocean. This brine pool is avoided by intelligent sea creatures that know of it, for it has an unusual effect on those entering it. The pool's brine seems to impart a temporary madness on those exposed to it; sea life acts far more errat- ically and intelligent life often speaks non- sense, the “babbling” of the name. 5. Blasphemous Whirlpool: A whirlpool that is said to have originated as an indi- vidual who was cursed by one of the gods for blasphemy, though no-one is clear as to which god. It’s thought to have been a sea god of some type, but that isn’t certain. The whirlpool never ceases spinning and appears to deliberately seek out creatures to suck into it. Those who have survived the experience have claimed to have heard a constant, hateful muttering whilst within the whirlpool’s grip. 6. Blinding Atoll: The part of this atoll that is above water does not appear un- usual, but below water it glows so bright- ly during the day it appears to glow. This glow even continues after the sun sets, though it does quickly fade. The glow in the water can be seen from some distance away. It’s thought that the atoll absorbs sunlight in some way and emits it through its underwater portion. Magic is believed to be responsible for this unusual feature. The atoll can be used as an underwater land- mark, but those sensitive to bright light avoid it. 7. Bloodstained Temple: Sunk below the.faves and now lying at the bottom of the sea is an ancient temple to an unknown deity. Not much is known about the tem- ple or the deity who was worshipped at it, only that they were so evil and hated that the island the temple stood on was delib- erately sunk by the actions of some other gods. The temple, though long abandoned, is made of black marble and is physically in good shape. The walls are clean of crus- taceans and plants, as nothing seems able to grow on it. The furnishing and the other perishable items are now long gone. 8. Blurred Fan: This abyssal fan stretch- es for many miles from the coast, formed by frequent landslides of mud and sands caused by regular tremors in the area. Where the sediments are deposited stretches out in a substantial fan that can easily be seen from some distance. The frequency of the slides that form the fan mean that there is always at least some sediment in the surrounding water, making vision through the water in the area blurry. 9. Bone Field of the Harbinger: An ex tensive field of bones covers the ocean floor, many of larger creatures that are uncommon at best and far more bones than would be expected in the ocean where much sea life lacks bones. The bones are said to be collected by the Harbinger, who lures creatures to the region for their bones, although no-one seems to know precisely who this being or creature might be. All that is said is that the being is pow- erful and aquatic in nature. 10. Briny Blue Hole: This marine cavern is open at the top where the roof collapsed long ago. Though it is all underwater, the hole is very distinctive from above the sur- face, being a deeper shade of blue than the surroundings. A coral reef surrounds the hole itself, though there are many breaks within the reef for the coral has died. The water in the hole is unusually salty, to the degree that the majority of marine life is completely unable to survive, leaving the hole dead and barren. The high salt con- # tent was also responsible for the death of the coral reef. 11. Caustic Crater: An ancient meteorite crater on the ocean floor, now mostly filled with sand, The area is devoid of life, either plant or fish, and a few rapidly-decaying bones and remains can be seen within the crater. The meteorite, which is buried in the centre of the crater, is made of a sub- stance that reacts badly when exposed to water, turning the water into a caustic sub- stance which also permeates through the sand. Any creatures remaining in the area for more than a minute or two find any- thing exposed to the sand and water get- ting burnt by the caustic effect, a process that can be rapidly fatal. 12. Chaotic Rift: Cutting into the ocean floor is a deep rift. From a distance, lights appear to be playing from the rift and, as it is approached, the sea life grows stranger, warped in chaotic ways. The colours come from within the rift, where there is a swirl- ing mass of many different colours, a gate way to pure chaos. The chaotic effects are what's warping life in the region, and even the stone of the rift is pulled into strange shapes, some seemingly of screaming fac- es. 13. Crooked Sinkhole: An underwater sinkhole on the ocean floor of a curious, crooked shape. The sinkhole has a small tunnel down from its bottom, leading deep into the ocean floor. The tunnel is of a crooked shape, with many twists and turns, and no-one has managed to travel through it for any distance. The curious shape of the sinkhole, and the nature of the tunnel, cause many to believe that this is not a natural phenomenon, but an artifi- cial construct. 14. Daunting Tree of Coral: Stretching high into the water is an unusual coral for- mation that takes the shape of an immense tree, with branches stretching out into the water for some distance, like the limbs of a tree. The central trunk is several yards in diameter and the entire tree is surprisingly hard and sturdy. It is thought that the tree must be the result of some sort of magicalinterference with coral growth. The parts of the coral tree have as many sharp edges as coral often does and will slice open the unwary. 15. Dead Water of Chaos: Nothing lives in this area of the sea and the sea floor is barren of any plants or life. If the seabed is searched, bones of strangely warped hu- manoid can be found as well as the occa- sional piece of twisted armour. On closer inspection, the armour was clearly made in a twisted fashion. Long ago, warriors of chaos died here and the chaotic taint from their bodies and equipment have perma- nently affected the surrounding water. Nothing can live in the region for long. 16. Deceptive Reef: This appears to be a small patch reef within an atoll, no more than a couple of dozen feet in diameter. If the area of the patch reef is crossed over, things change significantly. From within the area, the reef appears to be much, much larger, stretching for hundreds of feet in every direction. It takes a substan- tial amount of time to cross over the patch reef, and those on the outside will see a creature swimming yet apparently not get- ting anywhere, until they finally reach the end and suddenly dart forward. 17. Demoniac Zone: A subduction zone where a tectonic plate is being forced un- der another. It is notable for its appear- ance, for it is an open trench filled with molten rock, which is unusual. The lava is not spreading out from the zone, instead remaining within the trench. Those who venture close enough to the trench, which is dangerous, given the superheated water, have claimed they have heard screaming coming from within it, with tortured faces appearing and disappearing in the lava’s surface. There's a belief that the trench is a portal to a demonic plane 18. Despised Badlands: These underwa- ter badlands are avoided by most creatures and little is able to grow in them anyway. Oddly-twisted spires of rock and crevasses dot the badlands, though these don’t make the surface. Those who spend time in the badlands discover what look like relics from an underwater civilisation that used to call the area home. The civilisation dabbled in magics that had unfortunate consequenc- es, resulting in its destruction and the for- mation of the badlands. 19. Devil's Ice Cliff: Stretching up through the water is a sheer cliff of ice, even though the temperatures and pres- sures should make such a cliff of ice im- possible. Ages ago, a portal was formed to an icy hell, and a powerful ice devil came through it. Though the devil is believed to have either been driven back through the portal or defeated, residuals of their presence remain, with the ice cliff being the most noteworthy. It’s believed that a hellish relic buried deep within the cliff was responsible for its forming and continued existence. 20. Diabolical Gate: An underwater gate of a fiendish nature, it can be seen some distance away as a swirling mass of red- tinged water that glows with a sullen hue. The water has a taste of brimstone to it and is unpleasant to entire. The region around the gate sees the frequent appear- ance of fiendish creatures of water, from relatively minor nuisances to beasts that are far more powerful and dangerous. The gate itself is believed to lead to a watery fiendish plane, though few are willing to go through it to confirm this. 21. Dismal Quarry: Underwater civili- sations need building materials just like surface ones do, and sometimes those building materials are rock. This is a quarry cut deep into the seabed, but it has been abandoned for years. The quarry is gloom- ier than the surrounding area, and shad- ows seem to gather within it. The users of the quarry stopped after workers started fearing the shadows, claiming that they were behaving oddly, and there were also a number of unexplained disappearances. 22. Disintegrated Margin: This conti- nental margin stretches from the shoor of the adjoining continent down to the deepA -ocean. This particular continental margin is unusual, for it is in a state of decay, with pits and cracks and random caverns that have opened up in the margin. The entire appearance is extremely odd, and does not appear to be natural, and it isn’t. Many centuries ago, some sort of magical acci- dent happened in the area, undermining the margin, and as time has passed the material that makes up the region has de- cayed and disintegrated 23, Dolmen Shipwreck: A shipwreck that is an odd combination of tomb and shup. Though from a distance the shipwreck looks comparatively normal, festooned in barnacles and weed, when viewed more closely it is revealed to be made of stone, not wood. Legend has it that this was a stone tomb built for a dead demigod that was then deliberately sunk. With it being a legendary tomb, over the years many have attempted to get inside the ship to plunder it. If any have been successful, they have not announced it. Some would-be tomb robbers have failed to return at all. 24, Doomed Field: The sea floor here is covered in small, rocky balls, some a frac- tion of an inch across, others close to a foot. The balls, if examined, prove to not just be rock but to contain metal as well, and there are areas where they appear to have been harvested for this metal as the seafloor is clear of them. Such harvesting has been long given up, for accidents kept befalling those who harvested the nod- ules and those who utilised the metal from them, leading to a belief that the nodule field was cursed in some way. 25. Dreaming Water: This water is ex- tremely cold and would be frozen solid were it closer to the surface. The tempera- ture is far lower than any of the surround- ing area and floating within the water are the corpses of those creatures that have frozen to death. Though the water clearly feels cold when entered, it also has a pe- culiar effect on intelligent creatures. They often fall into a dream-like state, slowly # dying from cold as they drift unawares, enamoured by their dreams. 26. Dwarven Crater: This oceanic crater is similar in some ways to a crater lake on land, as the high walls of the crater mean that the water inside them is different to that without. Water seeps up from the sea: floor beneath the crater, and this water is almost fresh, resulting in an area of water within the crater that is not suitable for regular sea life. The crater looks to have been formed by an explosion rather than through volcanic action and it’s rumoured that there used to be a dwarven hold at the site, before a cataclysm destroyed the hold and sank the surrounding land. The fresh water could be a residue from the hold. 27. Eidolic Archipelago: Centuries ago, this archipelago sank below the surface of the sea and now what used to be pleasant and fertile islands are flooded. There are some remnants of settlements in the for- mer islands and the most noteworthy fea- ture of these is that each settlement was constructed around an eidolon. Rumour is that the residents worshipped the eido- lons with rituals that were considered un- savoury at best and were drowned by the gods as punishment. There is a belief that the eidolons still hold power and that it is unsafe to approach them too closely. 28. Enigmatic Chaos: It’s unclear just what this region of water is, for it is a con- stantly churning morass of strange colours. The chaos changes in size frequently, and those approaching too close can be sucked inside when its size suddenly increases. This happens more than might be expect- ed, and there is a belief that the chaos is doing this deliberately. Creatures that do venture inside either do not return or come ‘out changed. The surrounding area is lit- tered with the bizarre remains of sea crea- tures that were changed by the region. 29. Enlarging Ridge: A mid-oceanic ridge that is known to be increasing in size at an unusually rapid rate. The ridge is both rising from the sea floor and spreading outwards from its highest point far moreapidly than would be expected. The rate of enlargement is such that the ridge is a cracked and raw mess of rock, as it is growing too rapidly for most underwater plants to successfully colonise it. There are reputed to be some unusually large preda- tors living in the area though. 30. Fascinating Chasm: A deep underwa- ter chasm that stretches down a long, long way. Patches of luminescence dot the sides of the chasm, and these patches do not remain still but move around, It is believed that they are some sort of bioluminescent lifeform that lives on the cliffs, but the way in which they move and shift has an odd effect on the watcher. More than one crea- ture has become fascinated by the moving lights and remained watching them until they died, their corpses drifting down to the bottom. A theory suggests that the lights are part of how a creature that lives at the bottom of the chasm hunts, fas- cinating its prey and then devouring the corpses 31. Fallen Hi : This underwater above the surrounding sea floor, though it is surrounded by heaps of rock and other debris for some distance around. The hill rises was reputedly once much larger, but some unknown event resulted in it mostly being destroyed. The debris field and piles that surround the hill are said to have been part of it in the past, and on examination it does look as if the debris originated from the hill. 32. Falling Slope: This continental slope drops away rapidly from the continen- tal shelf and is a dangerous area to be around. The slope is unstable and parts of it regularly fall to the continental rise be- low. For some reason, the slope seems to be eroding extremely quickly and the con- tinental shelf is also disappearing. Those who venture too close to the slope run the risk of being hit by pieces of rock tumbling down from above or slides of debris. 33. Ferocious Seaweed: Seaweed covers the ocean floor in what looks like a pleas- @ ant garden of swaying weed, though the observant will notice that sea life appears to be giving the seaweed a wide berth. Once the seaweed garden is entered, the reason why sea life avoids it and why it gained its name becomes obvious. The seaweed begins thrashing furiously, at- tempting to grab hold of any creature that enters within range to drag them down to the ocean floor. It’s thought that the sea- weed is carnivorous and it is grabbing sea life and other creatures to eat 34, Furious Vent: Geothermally heated water exists this hydrothermal vent in the ocean floor, warming the ocean for some distance around. The vent is dangerous to approach too closely, though. The water is heated to a level hotter than most can sur- vive, and moreover exits from the rent at a furious speed, blasting a column of heated a water some distance above it. This col- umn is also dangerous to enter, but it isn’t easy to detect, other than from the alter- ation it makes to the currents in the area. 35, Ghostlike Upwe! Water is con- stantly being driven towards the surface here from the depths primarily by the winds. The column of water is filled with nutrients from the deeper realms of the ocean and many forms of sea life can be found as a result, feeding on the nutri- ents and each other. Some of what wells up are ghostly-pale, almost transparent, phytoplankton, and whatever the cause of this is, sea life that feeds on it also takes a similar form, with their flesh paling to the point of transparency. 36. Grave Reef: This ribbon reef winds its way across a large expanse of sea, lurk- ing just below the surface in most places. Large, oddly-shaped lumps of coral lie on the sea floor next to the reef in many plac- es; those that are most recent can easily be seen to be ships. The reef has a repu- tation for ripping open the hulls of unwary ships and sinking them, so much so that it has become known as a graveyard of ships. 37. Grotesque Smoker: This hydrother- mal vent spirals up as a chimney from theocean floor. It is a light-coloured chimney and the water plume from it is hot, but not as hot as some smokers. What is most peculiar about it is how the minerals have shaped the chimney. For some reason, the deposits have formed into the shape of grotesque, screaming faces on the out- side of the chimney. If one of the faces is defaced, it eventually grows back again, identical to the original. Some believe that the faces are trapped sou 38, Guardian’s Carcass: A huge carcass, now merely bone and partially covered by sediment, lies on the ocean’s floor. Little can be told about what creature the bones belonged to, only that it was enormous and apparently a sea-dweller. The name comes from a rumour that it is the remains of a guardian creature, a unique being that was defeated long ago. What the creature was guarding and who for are no longer known. 39, Haggard Sargasso: This conglomer- ation of plants and assorted debris is un- usual in that it is below the water's surface rather than above it. A strange combina- tion of currents, water quality and tides conspire to for the sargasso and keep it in its submerged condition. The name comes from another peculiarity of the sargasso that has created a wealth of speculation. From a distance, no matter from which angle, the sargasso seems to take the form of an enormous, haggard face. 40. Harrowed Neritic Zone: This area of the ocean is close to the coast and sunlight can easily reach the bottom, which should make it an ideal place for marine life of all kinds to live and grow. Yet the area is strangely desolate with very little in the way of marine vegetation and only a few fish. Something in the past happened to the area that resulted in its current condi- tion and its name, though little is known of what happened. It's believed that the land used to be above water, but the harrowing flooded it, amongst other things. 41. Harrowers Caves: These are a se- ries of caves that have been carved into a ubterranean cliff. Some of the caves are connected to others and may stretch deep into the cliff; others are unconnected and may only be a few feet deep. The caves are not natural, as many of them are too deep to have formed from waves eroding the cliff. The caves are believed to have been tombs at some point, but tombs that were plundered many years, if not centuries, ago, and little remains bar a few illegible inscriptions on some of the rock walls. 42. Highlanders Estuary: The estuary is difficult to make out in places, for over the years, much of it has sunk well below sea level and the true estuary has migrated further inland. The underwater section is in some places merely an unusual pattern on the sea floor. The water once flowed from a highland region, but following a major land shift many years ago, the highlands mostly vanished. This resulted in much of the estuary dropping below sea level at the same time. 43. Hungering Graveyard: This section of the ocean floor is covered in the corpses of sea monsters of many different types, varying from the just deceased to the long dead and skeletal. The oldest remains are buried beneath the sediment on the sea bed. Sea monsters seem to travel to this graveyard for some reason, where they die. The name comes from the belief that this attraction is not natural, and some- thing in the region hungers for sea mon- sters, luring them to the graveyard to die. 44, Impossible Tablemount: This flat- topped underwater volcano does not pen- etrate the ocean's surface, when viewed from above, yet when viewed from the sea floor it appears to stretch far higher than it should. Those descending onto the ta- blemount from above are easily able to do so, yet those who try to come at it from below are never able to reach the summit, which appears to constantly recede into the distance, no matter how far is trav- elled, even if the distance travelled means that the ocean’s surface should have been broached. 45. Infernal Reef: An oval platform reefof coral a mile across growing on a conti- nental shelf, this is avoided by most crea- tures in the area. The reef glows with a sullen red light and the surrounding water has a strong brimstone taste to it. Flo- ra and fauna found in the area often has a fiendish taint to it and its thought that the reef has grown around a portal to the Hells, the source of the taint and the glow. No true fiends from Hells have been found in the region and it’s believed that the reef itself blocks the portal, preventing crea- tures from getting through. low the ocean’s surface, an abyssal plain would normally be dark, yet this one spar- kles with points of iridescent light and can be seen from afar. The local sea life has adapted to the, for an abyssal plain, un- usually high levels of light. The motes of iridescence blink on and off in seemingly random patterns, yet when the plain it- self is approached closely, it proves to be impossible to close in on the iridescence, which always blinks out when approached. 47. Lair of the Aquatic Ogre: This under- water network of caves burrows deep into the rock. It was the lair of a feared aquatic ogre, one who terrorised the surround- ing seas both above and below the sur- face. The ogre had many followers, most through fear, giving them a large army. Many years ago, an expedition was sent to deal with the ogre. Although the expe- dition’s members did not return, the ogre hasn't been seen since and their followers have dispersed. It’s assumed that the ogre and the expedition’s members both died during the confrontation 48. Land of the Plague-Ridden: This part of the ocean floor is close to the coast and clearly used to be above the surface, going by the various ruined buildings and settlements that dot the area, plus signs that there used to be forests and fields, which are all now dead. Legend has it that the land was stricken by a deadly plague and as a result ended up sunk beneath the # waves. Whether the sinking was in order to stop the spread of the plague, or whether it was just the last of a number of curses that hit the land, the plague being another, is not know 49. Legendary Shell: An enormous shell rests on the seabed here, one measuring close to a mile in length. No-one knows what creature it belonged to, and nothing similar has ever been seen. The legendary part of the name comes from a legend that a demigod fought another powerful being at this location, and one of the did not sur- vive. The shell is from the one who died. The legend does not say which was the demigod and which the monster, though, so it isn’t known who, if it’s true, was vic- toriou 50. Lethal Seabed: From a distance, this sandy seabed appears to be quite normal; a seabed mostly covered in sand with the occasional rock or plant dotting it. Careful examination will reveal that there is less of such than would normally be the case, and no other marine life can be seen in the area. The seabed is quite lethal to the unprepared, as creatures that venture too close will feel something starting to drag them to the seabed. Those that touch the seabed are rapidly dragged under. Some believe that the sand is a large, predatory organism. 51. Loathed Contourite: A patch of sed- imentary deposits on a continental rise, where the deep currents have deposited material. The majority of the material is re- puted to have a common origin, and that is where the epithet originates. It’s said that the material came from an island occupied by a civilisation that was so despised the gods themselves turned away from it. The island was destroyed in an unknown cat- aclysm, reduced to fine matter, and this matter was swept away to form the con- tourite. 52. Many-Tiered Hill: This abyssal hill, like many of its kind, rises only a few hundred feet above the ocean floor but is many miles wide. What is most curi- ous about this hill is that the slopes havebeen tiered in a manner resembling an above-water way of making hills suitable for farming. Nothing is growing on the hill to suggest itis, or was, being farmed, yet the tiers, on investigation, do seem to be artificial in nature. origin. The muskiness is neither strong nor harmful in nature, but it is noticeable to water breathers. For some reason, howev- er, it isn’t noticeable to those who literally taste the water itself; in that case, it just tastes like seawater. 53. Mossy Seamount: Rising hundreds of feet above the ocean floor but not as far as the surface is this extinct volcano that is a peculiar vivid green colour from a distance. The caldera of the volcano has long been filled in with debris and sediment, though the surface inside the caldera is far more treacherous than the rock of the seamount itself. The green colour comes from a pos- sibly unique plant that grows on the sea- mount, which resembles moss in many ways, yet appears to be unrelated to that. 54. Mummified Lair: An old monster lair, located on the ocean floor, which is ac- cessed through a small tunnel. The lair appears to have been formed from an old tomb and parts of it are free of water, containing pockets of, foul, air. In these pockets are various creatures, possibly the former inhabitants of the lair, who have somehow turned to mummies, though not the undead kind, despite the presence of water. Inscriptions within the tomb mention a curse that will befall anything that de- spoils it, and it’s possible the monsters ran afoul of the curse. 57. Mutating Water: This expanse of ocean has an immediately noticeable pe- culiar property of being fresh, not salt. The boundaries of the area seem to be firmly defined; within, the w3ater is fresh, with- out, it is salty. Water that crosses over from one to the other takes on the relevant property. The less obvious property, which may be the reason for the desalination, is that lifeforms that spend too long within the area of fresh water, assuming that they are able to survive, start to mutate over time, becoming unrecognisable. 58. Mysterious Current: This ocean cur- rent is of unknown origin. Little can be detected of it on the water's surface, as it streams through the deeps, though not down to the seabed. Strangely, though this is not easy to detect, the current flows in an immense circle measuring many hun- dreds of miles across. The water within the current flows noticeably faster than that without, and the unwary can be dragged away. The current is assumed to be mag- ical in origin, given that it has neither be- ginning nor end. 55. Mushroomed Mine: An underwater mine that has long been abandoned follow- ing an outbreak of a peculiar underwater fungus that has taken the mine over in its entirety. The fungus is unusually fast-grow- ing and proved to be practically impossible to keep on top of, especially as it tended to infect those creatures trying to remove it and turning them into aggressive fungal creatures. So far, the fungus has remained confined to the mine as have the creatures. 56. Musky Basin: A vast expanse of un derwater terrain, an entire oceanic basin that contains lesser features within it. The basin is known, by those who breathe wa- ter, for the slight, peculiarly musky “taste” @ to the sea water, that has no discernible 59. Nursery of the Star-Spawn: This area of the ocean is now desolate and it looks like nothing lives there. Aeons ago, it's reputed that the area was a nursery, an underwater breeding ground for some horrific star-born monsters, and the area was avoided by all. Legend has it that the star-spawn and their nursery were even- tually destroyed, perhaps by the gods, and the area turned into an aquatic wasteland. There are rumours, though, that buried beneath the ocean floor, there are still star- spawn waiting to hatch and go on the ram- page once more. 60. Ogrish Seep: Various fluids are seep- ing from the ocean floor here, and the area around the vent is surrounded by rockformations and reefs. Large caves dot the formations and in some of these there are aquatic ogres living. The ogres are always hungry and anything that ventures into the area of the seep will be attacked unless they look too dangerous, and the ogres have a very high opinion of their own ef- fectiveness. 61. Pale Habili: This coral reef doesn’ breach the water's surface but is still high enough to rip open the hulls of unwary ships as it lurks below the waves. The coral is of an unusual, pale colour, always bone white in appearance. The colour is some- times said to come from the bones of all the sailors whose ships have been sunk by the reef. Plumes of superheated water occasionally spout from the caldera, indicating that the volcano isn’t completely quiescent and that it may erupt again at some poin 65. Promethean Rise: This continental rise sharply marks the boundary between the abyssal plain and the continental slope. It is far steeper than a continental rise would normally be, in some places being practically a cliff. Clustered at various sites on the rise are the ruins of what were once huge buildings, suitable for creatures of giant size. They are long abandoned and covered in layers of sea life, which hides most of them from easy view. Only the regular shapes of the ruins mark some of them from a distance. 62. Pest-Ridden Seabed: The seabed here consists of gravel to a depth of sev- eral feet at least, deeper in places. If the gravel is watched, it appears to be moving, and this is because it is. Many small oce- anic pests live within the gravel and their constant movement continually disturbs it, which prevents any plants from grow- ing. The pests subsist on organic matter that drops onto the gravel and have been known to attack creatures en masse should something approach too closely. 63, Plague-Riddled Chain: A chain of seamounts, large mountains that fail to reach the ocean’s surface, stretches across the sea floor. The seamounts in the chain are clearly of volcanic origin and bear signs that they were once above the surface, but were drowned millennia ago. The seamount chain has a nasty reputation and is avoid- ed; creatures that visit them frequently fall victim to mysterious and fatal diseases. Some think the diseases are why the sea- mounts were drowned by the ocean. 64. Powerful Caldera: This former sub- marine volcano was known for its powerful eruptions that devastated the surround- ing ocean, even causing damage on the surface, killing marine life and destroying ships. It is many centuries since the vol- cano last erupted, but memories of its @ activity linger on and the area is avoided. 66. Putrid Water: A strange combination of tidal effects, and perhaps magic, con- spires to keep this patch of water stagnant. Fresh water doesn’t manage to flush out the stagnant, and rotting matter fills the area. The water is not merely putrid; it is deadly. The lack of circulation means that there is no oxygen in the water and the rotting matter, which somehow manages to collect, fills the water with toxins from the decay. The occasional sea creature gets trapped in the water and dies, adding its own carcass to the mess. 67. Radiant Seabed: The seabed in this part of the ocean is rocky in nature, with outcroppings of rock and many loose boul- ders and rocks covering the spaces be- tween. There is very little sand; only a few patches where the sand has settled in the hollows of the rocks. The seabed can be seen from some distance away, and even from the surface, because many of the rocks emit a phosphorescent glow. This isn’t a uniform glow, but instead follows veins in the rock, though the veins cannot be discerned from the surrounding areas by anything other than the glow they give off. 68. Ravenous Zone: An abyssal zone, far below the ocean's surface, this area re- ceives little daylight, as is typical. Though not one of the deepest parts of the ocean,such being reserved for the various deeps, there are still not many regions outside of the deeps that are further below the surface. The zone takes its name for the tendency for creatures to enter the area to never return. It is avoided by the un- derwater dwellers and is considered to be a dangerous place from which few return. They believe that there is something in the abyssal zone eating those who enter. 69. Reef of the Old Ones: This coral reef is of an unusually regular shape and of a larger size than might normally be expect- ed, stretching many yards from the ocean floor. The shape of the reef is suggestive of something built, rather than organical- ly grown. Legends about the place claim that the reef is the site of an outpost of an ancient, long-gone civilisation, and has grown on the remnants of the walls of the outpost, accounting for both the shape and size. Amongst the underwater dwellers, the coral reef has a bad reputation. and marks, presumably from destructive activities in the past, though it isn’t known what. Some believe that the scars are too regular, in some ways, to be the result of random destruction. This has led to a claim that the lands hold a riddle in the scars, that would be possible to interpret, though no-one has managed to come up with any- thing yet. 73. Russet Shelf: A large continental shelf extending outward for many miles from land, this area is even shallower than is normal for a shelf. From above, the water appears to have an odd, russet hue to it, but this is not due to the water itself. In- stead, it is from an underwater plant that grows profusely all across the shelf, a plant that appears to be a type of seaweed but which isn’t found in other regions. Oddly, many of the fish in the area are a similar colour; it’s thought that they have become: that colour from eating the russet sea- weed. 70. Reeking Maze: A maze of underwa- ter canyons riddles the area. Though the way through the maze is easy enough to traverse when viewed from above, it can be more complicated when an attempt is made to travel through it. The water with- in the canyons somehow manages to reek and also inhibits vision to a degree. What- ever it is that affects the water remains within the canyons; the effect disappears immediately after creatures venture above the canyons. 71. Repugnant Current: This boundary current runs close to a coastline but it is avoided by most. The nearby land has a bad reputation and this may be justified as something seems to have seeped into the adjoining waters. It is a shallow, slow and warm current, so easy to pass through, but any who enter into the current quickly start to feel uncomfortable. This feeling only gets more intense the longer they are in the current, and few are able, or willing, to stay within it for long. 72. Riddled Scarred Lands: This part of # the ocean floor is covered in many scars 74, Sable Maelstrom: This huge, churn- ing maelstrom is filled with sable-coloured water, and those sucked within it are rare- ly able to see through the water to find their way out. The maelstrom can be seen from some distance away as a writing black funnel towering through the water. Approaching the maelstrom is dangerous, as it sways around and, seemingly by de- sign, often lurches towards creatures that approach too close to it, sucking them in, often never to be seen again. The mael- strom is not believed to be natural, but it isn’t known what it could b 75, Scarred Sill: This low barrier divides two oceanic basins, and would have orig- inally kept the environments in the two basins different from each other. Enormous scars and cuts mar the sill, though, and the water can flow between the basins much more freely than before. The two environ- ments are no longer significantly different, and are identical on each side of the sill. The damage the sill has suffered is clearly not natural in origin. 76. Scraggy Guyot: This flat-topped sub- 5the sea floor but fails to come anywhere near the surface. Like most guyots, it is believed to have been above the water at one point, but it is now well below it. The flat top of the guyot is known for its pit- ted and damaged appearance, damage that doesn’t appear to have been caused simply through erosion. Instead, it looks like the guyot was attacked by something, and remnants that look artificial in nature result in the belief that the guyot, when it was an island, was inhabited, and that the inhabitants were attacked by something powerful. 77. Secret Plateau: It may seem odd to describe an oceanic plateau as secret, given that they are large, flat elevations some height above the surrounding sea floor, making them easily visible from some distance, given proper light. However, this plateau cannot be seen from a distance as the sea floor doesn’t appear to rise. It is only when the plateau is approached within a few yards that it suddenly becomes vis- ible as it is shrouded behind some ancient illusory magic. The illusion doesn’t keep creatures from the plateau, although it may once have, and there are some equal- ly ancient ruins on it from some lost under- water civilisation. 78. Senseless Reef: This barrier reef runs fairly close to the shore, and has caused many ships to run aground because it doesn’t quite reach the surface of the sea, even at the lowest tide. There are a few channels through the reef, but these are strangely hard to navigate. Some of the ships that have run aground have done so whilst traversing what they thought was a channel through the reef. Often, those nav- igating the ship reported losing their ability to sense their direction or where they were supposed to be goin: 79. Shattered Sea: A shallow and warm sea that looks as if it was once land. The seabed is marked with many cracks and breaks, as if the land was torn apart by a # cataclysm many centuries ago. Searching the seabed finds the occasional ruin or sign that the seabed did use to be above water, and that it appears to have sunken below rapidly. 80. Shattered Trench: This oceanic trench extends deep below the surround- ing floor of the ocean and is notable for the shattered appearance of its sides. For some reason, huge cracks riddle the sides of the trench and falls of rock to the floor are not uncommon; travellers within the trench need to watch out for tumbling boulders, and sometimes entire cliff faces, descend- ing into the depths. The shattering of the trench seems to be ongoing, yet there is no sign it is linked to earthquakes or any- thing similar that could explain it 81. Skulker’s Seep: Black liquid slowly seeps out of the ocean floor here, form- ing a large pool of thick oil that does not mix with the surrounding water. The seep is avoided by most sea creatures, as once covered in the oil, they quickly die. A few of the more intelligent creatures occasion- ally harvest the oil from the pool, though this is infrequent due to the difficulty in using fire underwater. There is also reputed to be a creature, the Skulker, that lurks in the vicinity, occasionally preying on visitors to the see 82. Soundless Forest: The seabed here is home to a large kelp forest, whose fronds wave gently in the currents. The kelp is home to a wide range of fish, but the most unusual feature is the sound-deadening nature of the forest. Sounds can be ampli- fied underwater, but in this kelp forest the opposite is true. All sounds are muffled, with the effect being greater deeper within the kelp, until eventually it is utterly qui- et with not a sound being hear. This can make it dangerous, as predators that rely on sight use the silence to cloak their ap- proach. 83. Spellbinding Seabed: The seabed here is made of what appears to be mud, rather than sand or rock, and is a glutinous morass of decaying matter. Those who are incautious when they approach the seabedisk getting trapped by the morass and pulled under, which adds yet more decay- ing material to the mess. Little in the way of sea life lives in the area as the morass has polluted the water with the by-prod- ucts of decay. The way in which the muddy seabed sucks down the wary seems so un- usual that most who have encountered its effects assume it to be magical in nature. 84. Spindly Reef: This coral reef runs out from the nearby land, sloping into the sea. It is an apron reef and all of it is currently underwater. Normally, such a reef would continue to grow and form into a fringing reef, but this reef is diminishing instead. It used to be a fringing reef but has gradually disappeared over the years, leaving only a spindly, narrow remnant of what used to be there. It is thought that the reef may have been mined for coral by an undersea civilisation. 85. Stinking Spawning Ground: Under- water, smells can be more often a matter of taste than actual smell, and this vile section of water is the spawning ground for a particularly repugnant type of fish. The fish itself is not aggressive or danger- ous, but it exudes a scent and smell that is So appalling that it works as a defensive mechanism against predators. The fish concentrate so heavily in the spawning ground that most other sea life avoids the contaminated wat 86. Strange Shoal: This submerged bank of sand seems to have a strange distortion in where it is. When viewed from above the water, the shoal appears to be safely below the surface. However, when seen from be- low the surface, it appears to be rise above it, A number of ships have sunk in the re- gion or been damaged, after encountering a shoal that did not appear to be a threat. Even stranger, it is possible to swim over the shoal, if approached from underwater, even though it appears that attempting to do so would result in rising above the wa- ter’s surface. 87. Sunken Town of the Repenters: ¢_This sunken town was once a notable, but ill-aspected, trading port. It was renowned for the depravity and evil indulged in by its inhabitants. Though a travelling preacher of great renown was able to turn most onto the path of repentance, it was by then too late, The town was submerged beneath the waves in a freak, possibly divine, storm that washed the very land away. The re- mains of the buildings now dot the sea floor and the area is rumoured to be filled with the shades of those who were unable to complete their repentance in life. 88. Sunlit Cliff: Deep below the water's surface is this cliff, which stretches even further into the depths. Sunlight doesn’t penetrate this far below the surface of the water, and most of the area is dark. The exception is the cliff, which is brightly illu- minated as if by sunlight. The cliff doesn’t shed light, but it can easily be seen from some distance away and the fauna and flora that lives on it are unusual, being more suited to lighter waters. It is thought that the water near the cliff has a peculiar property that somehow manages to direct sunlight onto the cliff. 89. Swallowing Smoker: Venting out of the ocean floor is superheated water that has formed a black, chimney-like protru- sion around it from precipitated minerals. The smoker's chimney stretches for over a dozen yards around it and is rich in metals. The vent itself is dangerous to approach too closely, as the superheated water may burn the unwary before it cools. The fea- ture gets its name from the occasional “gulp” it makes, when it briefly stops emit- ting superheated water and instead swal- lows some of the surrounding water in. The tug formed when this happens is strona, and the unwary can get sucked into the chimney, only to be blown out again in an exhale of superheated water. 90. Swampy Downwelling: The water here is gradually sinking towards the bot- tom of the ocean, and this movement can clearly be seen because the downwelling is filled with all sorts of debris, to the extent that it is almost a swamp in its consisten-cy, rather than water. Material gathers on the surface above the downwelling, thanks to the currents, and then makes its way to the bottom. The sheer amount of organic matter present means that there are many fish feeding on it in the area, and in turn predators and their predators can also be found, 91. Thaumaturgic Platform: This carbon- ate platform serves as the base for a large reef, and is often harvested by sea-dwell- ing civilisations due to the curious proper- ties of the carbonate deposits. For some reason, the deposits radiate magic and prove useful when used in spells and other magical endeavours. There is a belief that the platform itself is magical in some way, that an ancient civilisation created the car- bonate platform itself as a way of making a source of magically-imbued sediment to harvest. 92. Thundering Range: A range of sub- marine mountains that stretches for many leagues. Its presence can be detected from some distance away due to vibrations in the water which, to those sensitive enough, does sound like thunder. The mountain range is very unstable and suffers from frequent rockslides, making it dangerous to be on or even to approach too closely. The slides constantly fill the surrounding wa- ter with sediment and particulate matter, interfering with sight and breathing. The source of the instability isn’t known, but there are rumours of mining activity within the range. 93. Tower of the Forsaken Coral: Stretching dozens of yards up from the ocean floor is a cylindrical coral tower, measuring over 20 in diameter. The tower is of a curiously regular shape, seemingly like a round tower that would be found on the surface, but made from coral. Explora~ tion of the tower confirms that it is made from coral, not just coral that has grown up around an existing structure. The coral, however, is dead and has been for some time. A few pieces have been broken off to # use as decoration and jewellery, but after accidents befell everyone who took some, the tower has been left alone. 94, Towering Volcanoes: This arc of ancient to new volcanos stretches across a goodly portion of the sea floor. The most recently, and sometimes still, active volca- noes are where the name comes from, as they quickly breached the water's surface forming islands. The oldest volcanoes in the arc have been worn down by wind and weather until they are no longer above sea level. The entire region has active vulca- nism, most strongly concentrated in the area around the youngest volcanoes, but the other areas still regularly experience earthquakes. 95, Tranquil Meadow: A peaceful area of seagrass near the coast, growing in the soft sea bed. The seagrass reaches high into the water and is home to many dif- ferent marine species. There is little in the way of currents or waves in the area of the meadow, even on the surface. The activity is surprisingly low, only being enough to keep the water oxygenated and healthy. 96. Twitching Gyre: A comparatively small set of circular currents, not the size of a major oceanic current, but not small or fast enough to be considered to be a maelstrom. The gyre is completely under- water, and though it isn’t enormously pow- erful, it is strong enough to drag unpre- pared creatures away. Various small items are found circulating in the current, which can be painful if encountered suddenly. The gyre is known to “twitch” suddenly; mov- ing hundreds of feet away from its previous position. It isn’t known what causes this. 97. Umber Water his region of water is a reddish-brown colour, caused by a lot of suspended particulate matter in the water, which obscures vision and makes it diffi- cult for those with gills to breathe. That's assuming that anyone is foolish enough to enter the water, for it is also boiling hot. The water and the suspended matter are heated by a geothermal source just below the seabed, which not only boils the water but also deposits the matter in it and keep:it swirling. At the edges, the water cools off and the particles start to dissipate, but the water quickly gets hotter and the particles get rapidly denser if the area is entere 98. Variegated Coastline: Until compar- atively recently, this submergent coastline was above the water's surface, but a rise in water levels drowned it. Drowned riv- er valleys cut through the area, and the remnants of them can still be seen, even though alll the old plant life is long dead and rotted. From above, the drowned valleys give the water a variegated ap- pearance, due to the differences in depth between the bottoms of the submerged valleys and the tops of the now-submerged hill 99. Viperous Ruins: Ancient ruins clus- ter on the sea bed, with little more than tumbled, Brobdingnagian blocks marking what used to be immense buildings. The buildings may have been above the surface at one point but they are so ancient it is impossible to tell what their original form was. The ruins are noteworthy for the large number of sea snakes that can be found in the area, all of which are unusually poison- ous. Some theories suggest that the ruins may have been connected to a snake god in some way, which could account for the presence of the sea snakes. 100. Wyrm’s Placer: This submerged reef has a rocky bottom, which is more unusu- al, and stretches for some distance. The reef is high enough that it ships run the risk of ripping open their hulls if they try to sail over it. There are two claimed origins for the reef’s name. The first is from the shape, which is vaguely like a wyrm. The second is that it is the reputed home of a huge aquatic wyrm, one that sleeps for many years before stirring again, and it is the wyrm that is responsible for a number of the lost ships in the area.100 Encounters for Fantasy Plains 100 Encounters in a Fey Forest 100 Fantasy Islands to Encounter 100 Landmarks for a Fantasy Setting 100 Pieces of Flotsam and Jetsam To Find On A Beach 100 Random Encounters for on the Road or in the Wilderness 100 Sights and Sound and Hear after a Batt! now and Ice En: LINKS Join our mailing list and get a free PDF, The Book of Sixes, which contains 33 d6 tables taken from our fantasy supplements. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for product demos, unboxing videos, tutorial videos and more to come. Find us on itch Our Ko-fi Shop