Thousands of years ago, an angel was cast out from the heavens for believing that the secrets of divinity should be given to the mortal races. His name was Phaeros (CN

  • Solar). Before he was exiled, he managed to steal the Promethean Fire (appendix C). He wandered the planes for centuries before coming to the lands of Thylea. He despised the tyranny of Sydon and Lutheria, and he decided that he would use the Promethean Fire to change the world of Thylea for the better. Phaeros sought out the greatest champion of each race

and brought them to the City of the Sirens, the most beautiful city in Thylea. The sirens welcomed Phaeros, for they had fallen out of favor with the Titans and saw the angel as a messianic savior. Phaeros elevated each champion to godhood, creating a new pantheon. The sirens built great temples to each of the gods and sent missionaries out into the rest of Thylea to bring news of this new faith to the other races.

But the Twin Titans saw this and called upon their father, Kentimane, to stop Phaeros. Sydon and Lutheria saw Phaeros as a foreign invader who intended to subvert everything that they had created. Kentimane released the great beast, Scylla, from its imprisonment on Typhon. Then Scylla and the Titans waged war against the new gods. This battle raged on for weeks, but finally, Phaeros was devoured by Scylla.

In the aftermath of the battle, Lutheria convinced the remaining gods to return to their temples, where she would offer them redemption—a chance to atone for the sins of Phaeros. This was a trick—Lutheria used her magic to trap the gods in their temples. Kentimane then rose out of the ocean and destroyed the foundations of the city, so that the oceans swallowed it.

Each of the new gods has remained trapped at the bottom of the ocean for thousands of years. They know that if they could convince someone to kill Scylla and rescue Phaeros, they could return to the surface world and rule over it again as gods.

The Imprisoned Pantheon#

Each of the gods is imprisoned in their own temple. While they can move freely within their temples, they cannot leave them, even if the walls are torn down. Each of the gods is either a Young Hyperion or Hyperion (both in appendix B). While the gods can be destroyed, they will simply reform in their temple in 1d6 days. Over the millennia, the gods have convinced several intelligent marine creatures to worship them, including the merfolk and nereid that live in the ruins of the Sunken Kingdom. The gods want these worshippers to free them from imprisonment by killing Scylla, but so far none have been up to the task. These faithful creatures are protective and jealous of their chosen god.

For more information on the imprisoned gods, refer to appendix A.

Building the New Pantheon#

If approached, the gods are all willing to speak with the heroes. They explain that after being trapped for so many millennia, they wish to leave the world of Thylea and explore the many worlds that lie beyond. They want to leave Thylea in capable hands, and they feel that the heroes are the best candidates for that responsibility. Each of the gods will single out one of the heroes and flatter them, extolling their virtues. Each god selects one hero as a “worthy successor,” and grant them gifts.

Read the following after the first hero is granted one of these gifts:

The god’s voice echoes with weariness and longing. “We have been trapped beneath these waves for ages beyond memory. Now, we yearn to leave Thylea behind and walk the stars beyond.” Their gaze lingers on you. “But we will not abandon this world to chaos. Its future must rest in capable hands—yours.”

Quest: Destroying Scylla#

The gods tell the heroes that they must destroy Scylla, for she has swallowed the Promethean Fire (appendix C). With the fire released, the gods will be free, and they can use the power of the Promethean Fire to grant a spark of divinity to each of the heroes. You can have any of the gods deliver the message:

“You must destroy the creature called Scylla. She is no mere beast—she is a primordial horror. She dwells in the Chasm, a trench so deep it swallows light and thought alike. It was there she devoured the Promethean Fire. Find her. Destroy her. Then, and only then, can we rise again—and pass a spark of that divine flame to you.”

Roleplaying the Lost Pantheon#

The hyperions are lying to the heroes—they are entirely self-interested. They have had their minds twisted by millennia of imprisonment. They want to return to power over Thylea and punish the races that left them trapped at the bottom of the ocean. They have no intention of surrendering any portion of their divinity.

Never Mention Phaeros. The gods are careful never to speak of Phaeros. If the heroes mention the many statues of the angel throughout the Sunken Kingdom, they will claim that Phaeros was nothing more than a mortal king of the siren people.

Entering the District#

Scattered about this area are numerous statues of various sizes. While several different entities are represented among them, the majority depict the same figure: a tall, angelic being. He is commonly shown brandishing a flaming sword, with his broad wings outstretched.

There are many statues to Phaeros in this part of the Sunken Kingdom. Some of the statues have his name inscribed upon the base in Thylean script. There are also statues to the other gods, but they are not as numerous or as prominently displayed.

Temple District Key Locations#

D1: Temple of the Sky Father#

The interior of this temple is decrepit and abandoned. The walls are cracked, and the stone altars are broken. In the middle of the floor is a toppled statue of a large centaur. The entire place has been overrun by thick seaweed; tall strands weave gently back and forth on the ocean currents.

The front chambers of this temple are ruined and covered in seaweed and sea anemones. The water carries a faint vibration, like distant applause fading into silence.

Hidden amongst the seaweed are three Ichthys (appendix B) and two Maw Anemone (see sidebar earlier in this chapter). The ichthys were merfolk heroes who led a band into the Chasm to do battle against Scylla. When they failed, they returned to beg forgiveness of the Sky Father. In a rage, he cursed them to transform into ichthys. They are hateful creatures that attack everyone.

The Sky Father (LE Hyperion) is one of the three elder siblings who rule over the other gods. As a mortal, he was a centaur. He now takes the form of a huge centaur with handsome features and a well-groomed beard. He carries a beautiful silver lance and wears silver and platinum jewelry. He is supremely arrogant to everyone he speaks to, except for the one whom he chooses as his “successor.”

If the heroes defeat the ichthys, read the following:

The broken statue of the Sky Father flickers with divine light. A voice rumbles through the water: “Any fool can lead loyal men. Let us see how you fare with cowards, brutes, and glory-hounds. Command them. Bend them. Or be broken.” Around you, spectral warriors materialize. These are ghosts of disgraced soldiers and mutinous centaurs. Their eyes glow faintly, but their posture radiates defiance. The ruined chamber dissolves around you,
transforming into a fetid marsh under gray, drizzling skies. Mud sucks at your feet. The stench of rot fills your lungs. “Make them march to the aid of their comrades, as they refused to do in life.”

To compel the ghosts to form up and move, a hero must succeed on one of the following:

  • DC 18 Charisma (Intimidation). Demand obedience through force of presence.

  • DC 18 Strength (Athletics). Carry the banner forward, leading by grueling example.

Creative or dramatic solutions, such as invoking the names of fallen comrades or offering a poetic oath, may grant Advantage or bypass the check entirely if you desire.

  • Success. If the heroes succeed, read the following aloud:
The scene shifts. You stand upon windswept grasslands. A horde of screaming gygans charges across the plain. Your spectral troops tremble, their forms wavering. “Make these cowards stand to the last man, so that their brothers might live.”

To rally the ghosts into holding the line, a hero must succeed on one of the following:

  • DC 20 Charisma (Intimidation). Freeze them in place with threats.

  • DC 20 Charisma (Performance). Deliver a stirring battle cry or speech that ignites pride.

  • DC 20 Intelligence (History). Evoke a famous last stand, reminding them of the legacy they could redeem. As before, clever or thematically appropriate solutions may grant Advantage or guarantee success. Second Success. If they succeed, read:

The vision dissolves. You stand once more in the flooded temple as the ghosts fade, their heads held high and spectral armor gleaming. As you once again stand before the Sky Father, you hear a roar of phantom cheers swelling around you. “You have impressed me. I grant this gift to your strongest warrior.”

The Sky Father’s divine power surges outward, offering his boon.

  • Failure. If the heroes fail at either stage, read:
The ghosts scream as they dissolve into mist. The chamber dims. The Sky Father’s voice grows cold: “Pathetic. Go crawl to my brothers and sisters. I will have no more of you.”

The Sky Father’s Gift. The Sky Father chooses a strong warrior as his successor. He will bequeath upon this hero a powerful magical ability:

Invincibility of the Sky Father. Once per day, the hero can choose to reduce to 0 the damage from any one source. This magical gift lasts for one week, during which the Sky Father expects the hero to kill Scylla.

Full-page art, p.279
Full-page art — p.279

D2: Forge of the Fire King#

Shockingly, the inside of this temple is filled with a large bubble of hot, oppressive air that repels seawater. Hundreds of beautifully crafted weapons and suits of armor are scattered about. In the center of the room is a heavily muscled cyclops, working at a massive forge that belches heat and smoke. His body is a patchwork of scars and metal grafts.

The Fire King (NE Young Hyperion, appendix B) doesn’t like dealing with the aquatic races and has used his power to create a bubble of air so that they can’t approach him. He carries a hammer. He looks up when the heroes approach.

The cyclops fixes you with a molten gaze, his eye gleaming through the wavering heat haze. “If you would earn my favor, you must brave the flames to prove yourself. Burn, and be reforged.” He lifts his hammer and brings it down upon the anvil with a deafening clang. The world twists. You now stand in a ring of smoldering black sand, surrounded by rivers of roiling magma. Jets of flame burst from fissures, painting the air with smoke and heat. Before you there are three weapons: an enormous blade, hammer, and spear. All are half-submerged in molten stone, glowing red with heat. The Fire King’s voice echoes from all around: “Choose your weapon and carry it through fire.”

One hero must select a weapon. To pry it free, they must succeed on a DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check. On failure, the weapon remains embedded, and the hero takes 35 (10d6) Fire damage from the molten stone. Once a weapon is claimed, the hero must carry it through a rising wall of fire and across searing ground.

Anyone attempting to get through the fire, whether walking into the magma or flying over the flames, must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they are blasted back into the black sand and take 42 (12d6) Fire damage. On a success, they take half damage and make it through.

Read the following if the hero succeeds:

The flames dim. The vision fades. The Fire King’s voice rumbles, pleased: “I see it now; you were forged to endure, as I was. The weapon is yours.”

The weapon reshapes itself into a form of the hero’s choosing: Greataxe, Greatsword, Longsword, Maul, Shortsword, Spear, Trident, or Warhammer. It becomes a magic Weapon, +3.

Curse of the Fire King. The enchantment on the item is permanent, but if the hero doesn’t kill Scylla within one week, the item becomes cursed. While under this curse, the hero refuses to relinquish the item. The hero attuned to the item immediately goes into a rage and attacks the closest creature. Once this creature is reduced to 0 Hit Points, the attuned hero switches to the next closest creature. In addition, the attuned hero regenerates 1 Hit Point per round while cursed, even if reduced to 0 Hit Points. The Remove Curse spell must be cast three times on the item to end the curse.

D3: Tomb of the Ghost Lord#

There is an eerie sense of decay and disrepair in this abandoned temple. The woven hangings on the wall are frayed and torn, and the altars are eroded and crumbling. Dark, oily waters swirl around like black smoke, obscuring large parts of the temple from view.

The Lord of Ghosts (NE Hyperion, appendix B) lurks somewhere within those murky currents, concealed in the darkest pool at the rear of the temple. Soft giggles echo through the chamber that sound playful, but deeply wrong. The Lord of Ghosts is brother to the Sky Father and the Sun Goddess, and one of the three elder siblings who ruled the pantheon. Millennia of imprisonment have unraveled his sanity, leaving behind a god who delights in confusion and terror. He will appear after a few moments. Read the following:

A pale shape rises from the oily waters. Emerging before you is a towering 20-foot gygan: skeletal, parchment-skinned, wrapped in black robes that cling like wet funeral cloth. His sunken eyes glitter with manic curiosity. In his hand he grips a rusted spear. As he draws near, you see pale, drifting ghosts following him. These spectral shapes murmur personal mistakes and long-broken promises you thought were buried long ago.

The Lord of Ghosts greets the heroes with cheerful warmth entirely at odds with his ghastly form. He claims one of his “pets” has fallen ill and asks the party to help heal it. Only then, he promises, will he offer guidance or aid. This is a lie. What he calls his “pet” is in truth his most cherished creation: a monstrous charyb he has spent centuries breeding and shaping. The charyb resembles a living sinkhole—an enormous, fleshy maw embedded in the seafloor and fused to the ocean bed, capable of drawing in water, debris, and prey with terrifying whirlpool suction. Casius calls it “little one.”

The Lord of Ghosts beckons the heroes deeper into the temple, humming tunelessly as he leads them through a cracked archway into a vast cavern beneath the structure.

A thick layer of oily water blankets the floor, hiding whatever lies beneath. The Lord of Ghosts swims ahead without hesitation. If the heroes follow him inside, read:

The oily waters below begin to churn. They part suddenly, revealing a monstrous, fleshy spheroid fused into the seafloor. Dozens of root-like tendrils snake outward, disappearing into the muck. At its center yawns a vast, circular maw. It is an esophageal vortex rimmed with jagged, calcified ridges and barnacle-encrusted growths resembling shattered teeth. A wet, gurgling roar vibrates the water around you.

If the heroes search for the Lord of Ghosts at this point, they discover he has vanished completely. Only the faint echo of giggling remains, receding quickly into the shadows.

The Charyb (see accompanying stat block) then attempts to drag the party into its vortex and devour them. The entire cavern becomes a deadly whirlpool chamber as the creature churns the water with impossible force.

If the heroes survive the charyb, they are unable to find the Lord of Ghosts. He has vanished.

If the other gods are asked about the Lord of Ghosts, they will warn the heroes to avoid him.

D4: Temple of the Fish Queen#

This magnificent structure is made not from stone, but from coral. The walls and ceiling are bone white and emblazoned with the pattern of a million seashells. Instead of altars or statues, the interior is filled with brightly colored branches of living coral, twisting and intertwining in delicate shapes to form a wondrous garden.

The front chambers of the temple are occupied by a sisterhood of six Nereid Nymph (appendix B, The Great Labors) called the Fish Speakers. These fey creatures are fanatically loyal to the Fish Queen. They want the honor of killing Scylla for their goddess, but they know that they are not ready yet.

Test of the Fish Speakers. They test all visitors, refusing to allow anyone to see the Fish Queen without first passing it.

Our queen gives refuge to the cast out and the hunted. These rare fish will bring her much joy, but they are afraid. You need to calm them so they will go before the queen willingly.

The nereid will point to a school of shimmering fish that dart around within the coral garden.

Any of the following methods allow the heroes to calm the fish:

Š If they charm a fish in the school with spells or abilities

such as Animal Friendship or Animal Messenger, it calms the others. Š Dominate Beast spell.

Š If a hero uses Speak with Animals, or transforms into a

fish, a successful DC 14 Persuasion check calms the fish. Š A successful DC 18 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check

will calm the fish.

Audience with the Fish Queen. If the heroes pass the Fish Speaker’s test, then they escort them to see the Fish Queen.

Within this grotto, curtains of translucent fish drift in slow spirals overhead. At the back floats a towering mermaid armored in living coral. Dozens of strange fish circle her in tight, protective shoals. She regards you steadily, a massive conch horn hanging at her waist.

The Fish Queen (CE Young Hyperion) takes the form of a 16-foot-tall mermaid. She is armored with coral and wields a beautiful trident. A conch horn hangs around her neck on a cord.

The Fish Queen’s Gift. The Fish Queen chooses the hero most closely associated with the sea. She announces her successor and then blows on her conch horn to summon a Giant Shark. The shark is completely white in color and has a harness around its neck. The Fish Queen whispers to the shark in Aquan and then tells her chosen hero that the shark will serve as a loyal mount. The shark serves as a loyal mount for seven days, after which point it will turn on its rider and try to kill and consume them.

D5: Shrine of the Moon Maiden#

The view of this room is mostly obscured by thick seaweed that has overrun the temple. Trapped in the twisted strands are broken bits of furnishings and other detritus. Floating above the tangled mess is a stunningly handsome young man.

The entrance hall of the temple is filled with seaweed and detritus that makes the entire area partially obscured. There are six holes, 2 feet in diameter, along each of the walls of the hallway, but they are difficult to see. Noticing the holes requires a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check. Behind each hole is a Merrow, waiting until given a command to act. The merrow have all fallen under the charms of an oceanid. Taron (CE Oceanid

  • Nymph, appendix B, The Great Labors) greets anyone who enters the temple. He serves the Moon Maiden and is also madly in love with her. He fantasizes about becoming her consort and is intensely jealous of any other male that tries to seek an audience with her. If any male character seeks to meet with the goddess,

the oceanid will try to kill them. In this case, he gives a signal to the merrow, who attack from their concealed locations. Three Duskbloom Anemone (see sidebar earlier in this chapter) also lash out with tendrils.

The Moon Maiden (NE Young Hyperion, appendix B) has the appearance of a towering, beautiful naiad nymph. She is unconcerned about the actions of her murderous oceanid steward, as she is quite used to infatuated mortals acting in such a manner. She will single out the hero with the highest Charisma score and speak with them directly.

illustration

Read the following:

The Moon Maiden’s silver eyes settle on you, her smile cool. She drifts closer, her voice lilting like a song. “Such beauty deserves to be worshipped … You shall be my Head Consort. Let the world see you as I do: flawless.”

The Moon Maiden’s Gift. She confers upon this hero the title of Head Consort and grants them the boon of beauty. The boon gives the recipient +4 to their Charisma score for seven days, whereupon it becomes the Curse of Ugliness and reduces the recipient’s Charisma score by 4 points. The curse can be removed with three casts of the Remove Curse spell.

D6: Temple of the Great Hunter#

The walls of this vast chamber are covered from floor to ceiling with scenes of ferocious battles and triumphant hunts. In the center of the room, a towering man sits upon a massive marble throne, glaring down at you. His fingers trace the edge of an enormous sword whose blade shimmers with fleeting images. Two immense figures stand silently in the shadows behind him.

The Great Hunter (CE Young Hyperion, appendix B) appears as a 20-foot warrior with long, tangled black hair and eyes that never stop searching. The shapes behind him are Storm Giants. Their bodies are covered in recent scars. Though they do not worship the Great Hunter, they revere him. To them he is the only being who might return their scattered kin to greatness. Half their tribe died attempting to kill Scylla, torn apart when they descended to the bottom of the Chasm and tried to kill the beast.

The Great Hunter has little patience for those he cannot respect. Read the following:

“I aid only those worthy of the hunt,” the towering man growls. “Before I was a god, I was a warlord from a far-off realm. I came to Thylea seeking prey fierce enough to challenge me. A bitter smile cuts across his face. “But before I came to Thylea there was one quarry I never claimed. Beyond the Forgotten Sea lies Oceanus. A vast expanse that swallows half the world. A wilderness of water so endless it becomes a living horizon. And it has a guardian.” He points the sword toward the far wall, where murals depict a monstrous toothed whale larger than some towns. “The greatest of all livyatans. A beast so old and so vast, it bears the name Oceanus. I hunted it for years. And yet … I never finished the kill. That failure stalks my dreams, mocking me with the hunt unfinished.”

When he finishes, he gestures for the storm giants to bring forth marble thrones carved to fit the heroes’ size. He explains that he can share his dream, if they are bold enough to step into it and finish what he could not. Should the heroes refuse the thrones, keep watch, or choose any arrangement, he does not object. All that matters is that they allow themselves to sleep.

When the heroes fall asleep, read:

You float in warm, sunlit waters, drifting near the surface. The Great Hunter’s voice carries through the waves, though you do not see him. “You must drive the harpoon deeper. Do not let it slip. Only then will the beast know fear.” Without warning, the world ruptures. A colossal shape bursts upward from the depths. A titan-sized, toothed whale, vast enough to swallow dragons whole. Its maw yawns wide beneath you.”

Each hero must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed whole.

Those who escape see the leviathan thunder past beneath them, trailing an anchor-sized harpoon embedded in its flesh. To stay in the chase a hero must make a successful DC 16 Dexterity (Acrobatics) to grab a barnacle or the trailing chain.

Those who succeed can pull themselves along the chain to the embedded harpoon with a successful DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check. Driving the massive harpoon deeper into the beast’s body requires a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check.

Magic and abilities that aid the hero directly may be used, but the whale itself is immune to all damage, spells and effects.

If the heroes fail to drive the harpoon deeper within 1 minute, the leviathan surges away, leaving them adrift in churning water. When the harpoon is embedded, or the heroes fail to embed it, the dream dissolves and they find themselves face to face with the Great Hunter.

If they failed, he sends them away with a wave of his hand. If they succeed, he grins at them and grants them a gift.

The Great Hunter’s Gift. The Great Hunter grants a loyal companion to his designated champion. It is a

  • Chuul that faithfully follows the champion. The chuul will defend the champion in battle, and it uses its magic sense to guide the champion to magic items and magical traps. After seven days, the chuul turns hostile and attacks its master.
Full-page art, p.284
Full-page art — p.284

D7: Tower of the Sun Goddess#

The lower level of this thirty-story tower is marked by murals and paintings that depict a beautiful woman, engulfed by the aura of a blazing sun. A winding spiral staircase extends upward, seemingly into infinity. From somewhere high above, a blinding orb of golden light shines down through the water.

The Sun Goddess (CE Hyperion, appendix B) is the unofficial head of the pantheon, though her two brothers would dispute this claim. As a mortal, she was a siren and therefore the most favored creation of Phaeros. She appears as a 20-foot-tall siren with beautiful wings and flowing golden hair. The goddess meditates at the top of her 300 ft. tall tower, surrounded by a bright nimbus of light. Anyone approaching within 30 ft. of the Sun Goddess is Blinded until they move away. The area 20 ft. from the Sun Goddess is considered Difficult Terrain. Anyone that moves through this light takes 35 (10d6) Radiant damage per 5 ft. moved. When someone touches the Sun Goddess, her nimbus of light dims, and she identifies the person who touched her as her chosen messiah.

The blinding light falters as your hand brushes her radiant form. The nimbus around her dims to a soft glow, revealing her serene face. Her golden eyes meet yours. “You have reached through the fire. You are my chosen messiah. Let the world see you as I do.”

The Sun Goddess’s Gift. The Sun Goddess will give the sun crown to her messiah. The sun crown manifests as a glowing halo that floats above the head of the recipient. At any time, the wielder of the sun crown can cast the Daylight spell as a Bonus action, with the crown as the target. Once per short rest, the wielder of the sun crown can cast the Sunbeam spell as a Bonus action. The sun crown remains on the head of the chosen messiah for seven days, whereupon it explodes in a 10 ft. diameter ball of blinding light that causes 70 (20d6) Radiant damage. The damage is halved with a successful DC 20 Dexterity saving throw.

D8: Temple of the Vile Trickster#

The walls of this temple are crumbling and broken, and the roof has completely collapsed and fallen in. Broken chunks of stone litter the ground. A few sickly tendrils of decaying seaweed waft among the debris.

The Vile Trickster (CN Young Hyperion, appendix B) looks like a 20 ft. tall satyr, though he prefers to remain invisible. He uses his magic to play tricks on the heroes when they first enter his temple. He uses Dominate Person and Mass Suggestion to make the heroes perform

embarrassing acts. He uses Mislead and Teleport to avoid the heroes when attacked.

He feigns death if he takes more than 100 Hit Points of damage. Eventually, he surrenders to the heroes and tells them a version of the truth, interspersed with nonsense:

Š Sometimes gifts are terrible curses in disguise!

Š The gods are going to conquer the world and punish

the mortal races for being so lazy! Š Eating twelve raw giant octopus eyeballs in one sitting

will grant immortality! Š Scylla has a bad case of indigestion, because she devoured too many angels!

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