Morass of the Melting Men

Overview

Morass of the Melting Men is an adventure for Knave 2e, suitable for low-level PCs. The adventure revolves around a mansion flooded with a magical liquid exuding chaotic energy. The longer the PCs remain within the location, the more they suffer the unexpected effects of an alien magic.

Set within a mansion slowly being overtaken by a chaotic, magical ooze, the module emphasizes exploration, curiosity, and caution over brute force. As the characters delve deeper into its corridors, they’ll find strange chaotic beings, unpredictable magical effects, and factions locked in a slow, surreal conflict, all while trying to survive the corrupting influence of the ooze before its effects take a lasting and bizarre toll.

What the PCs Know

  • An old mansion atop a hill, once owned by a corrupt noble, has recently been overtaken by sorcerous cultists. Not long after their arrival, a strange magical slime began leaking from the mansion and spreading across the landscape.
  • Animals and unintelligent beasts are mesmerizingly drawn to the mansion. Entire ecosystems are being destabilized as migration patterns shift toward the morass.
  • The slime has chaotic magical properties that range from amplifying a spellcaster’s powers to dissolving their flesh. Local authorities are growing increasingly concerned as the ooze creeps beyond the mansion’s perimeter.
  • Many bold adventurers have already organized expeditions to the mansion in pursuit of strange magical items and unimaginable power. The latest group was known as The Dauntless Curio Collective. None of them returned.

Factions

Four factions and competing forces inhabit the mansion, each with their own goals and limitations. These factions influence the environment, react to the players’ presence, and may become allies, enemies, or unpredictable wildcards.

Tzork, the Unfathomable

Empowered after the cult’s failed ritual, Tzork now channels its magic to slowly bring part of its home plane into this world. Tzork is often Pedantic, Authoritative, and Verbose.

Touching Tzork while it is alive and hostile requires a chaotic goo check. If the PC continues contact in later rounds, repeat the check with a cumulative -2 penalty. On the other hand, spells cast while touching it have double effectiveness.

Objectives

  • To leave the mansion: Acquiring enough power to leave will take time. Specifically, 4d4 years to gather enough chaotic energy in the material plane. Each year spent channeling increases Tzork’s HD by 1. Once ready, Tzork can move itself and nearby objects with powerful telekinesis. However, it may try to shortcut the process by using charismatic marionettes (see next goal).
  • To be worshiped: Used as a mere tool by its first human handlers, Tzork became prideful and rebellious. Tzork now wishes to rule, just as others once tried to rule him. It now seeks charismatic characters willing to spread chaos in its name. (Tzork acts as a Relic whose patron is itself. See Knave 2e rulebook, p. 32.)

Cult of the Melting Men

Since Tzork’s rebellion and the partial dissolution of their leader, the cult has been recovering, doing their best to study ways to retame the orb. They are still led by what remains of Theridus’s body and focus especially on self-transformation spells.

Notable Members

Theridus, Cult Leader (Room 16)

All that remains of Theridus is his talkative, half-melted head, kept sealed in a glass jar. He dreams of regaining a body but refuses to cooperate with anyone who doesn’t show deference or submission. The head wants servants, not allies.

In his current state, he can only give advice to allies and curse his enemies in a wheezy, arrogant voice. Humbled but bitter, Theridus leads his cult through sheer charisma and intimidation. His followers obey, fearing his claims that he can still cast devastating spells (he can’t).

However, anyone near Theridus can feel strong magical reverberations emanating from his jarred head. For in-game purposes, it functions as a magic item.

Objectives

  • Retame Tzork and regain control of its chaotic magic. Their current strategy involves “fighting fire with fire”: collecting enough chaotic energy to emit a frequency that nullifies Tzork’s field (see Necklace of Chaotic Waves).
  • Drive out the goblins and reclaim the mansion. As if their situation weren’t bad enough, Tzork’s hypnotic power ended up attracting a band of goblins to the mansion, who then pushed the cultists back into the western wing. Humiliated, nothing would please them more than to melt the intruders into a puddle.
  • Regain access to the cult library. A paper-eating goblin now resides in Room 10, devouring their sacred texts. Several cultists have tried to stop it. None survived. The cultists refuse to face it again without a better plan (or external help).

Slimy Goblins

A group of goblins known as the Yellow Eyes ventured into the morass, drawn by Tzork’s magical power. Through (un)natural selection, they underwent chaotic mutations, their skin now perpetually oozing slime, and their eyes glowing like fire. These goblins can cling to walls and ceilings and feed on both the ooze permeating the mansion and the radiation emitted by Tzork itself (see Room 19).

Notable Members

Mirkla, Goblin Matriarch (Room 18)

She prays to Tzork as if it was a god. She conducts daily oracular readings of the magical ooze (basically swirling it around and interpreting random patterns. Occasionally, she eats a bit of the slime for “insight”).

Mirkla patiently awaits a sign that Tzork will finally allow her to enter its chamber and touch it, which she believes will make her and her kin transcend to the “realm of eternal ooze.” She deeply loves her son Misk and is fiercely protective of her tribe, ready to resort to violence if threatened.

Misk, Son of Mirkla (Room 9)

Misk is the pampered and grinning son of Mirkla. He is addicted to eating shiny objects. Whenever he consumes shiny trinkets worth 200c or more, roll 1d6:

  • On a 6: Misk coughs up a rough gemstone worth 1.5x the original value.
  • On a 3–5: The swallowed items follow their natural digestive journey and are expelled a few hours later.
  • On a 1–2: He suffers damage equal to the number rolled due to indigestion (the coins are lost).
Dundu, the Book Eater (Room 10)

Dundu is a feral goblin driven mad by his proximity to Tzork. Unlike the others, he doesn’t feed on light but on ooze and on pure knowledge. Ooze to him tastes like raw flour. He craves for books. The more complex the text, the more satisfying it is to devour. Mirkla believes Dundu is a divine creation of Tzork and occasionally slashes him open in search of what she believes are prophetic messages hidden within his guts.

Objectives

  • Worship Tzork. The Yellow Eyes worship the chaotic globe as a god and are irresistibly drawn to its glow. Although they dream of stealing the orb, anyone who gets too close is melted. For now, they’re content basking in its presence, occasionally acting as fanatical guardians. The ultimate dream of any Yellow Eye goblin is to touch the globe with their slimy little hands.
  • Collect Shiny Things. Even before reaching the mansion, the Yellow Eyes have always loved gold, gemstones, and gleaming trinkets. They’re so obsessed with shiny objects that they frequently lick or bite them, which sometimes ends poorly (see Room 18.1).

The Dauntless Curio Collective

A group of adventurers with a growing reputation in the region—not for strength or swordsmanship, but for their uncanny ability to escape danger using cleverness and bizarre trinkets. After a series of unfortunate events while attempting to loot the mansion and claim Tzork, they’ve taken refuge in the orchard (Room 11), surviving on exotic fruits for days.

Notable Members

Mr. Hamsworth (Room 11)

An eccentric collector and scholar of bizarre curios, Hamsworth is torn: he desperately wants to leave the mansion but refuses to abandon Orinia. Usually cheerful, he’s grown visibly sick after eating a Purple Guava (see Strange Fruits table).

Orinia, The Sorceress (Room 11)

A cunning spellcaster, Orinia originally aimed to steal Tzork but has since deemed it beyond her magical abilities. Now, she seeks Theridus’s head and his spellbooks. She’s curious, greedy, and has a habit of deceiving people just for the fun of watching their confusion, often using her magical item, The Self- Proclaimed Oracle. She might be persuaded to make another attempt at stealing Tzork if she thinks the players have a clever plan.

Selma Silver Arrows (deceased, Room 10)

Once a top-tier archer and tracker, Selma died fighting the book-eating goblin, gnawed to death.

Sir Gus (deceased, Room 20)

A renowned treasure hunter who met his end by being melted into goo by Tzork.

Objectives

  • Escape the Dungeon. Now that half their crew died, the group’s top priority is simply to escape this nightmare alive.
  • Obtain Magical Items and Strange Objects. Their original mission was to gather as many magical artifacts, books, and maps as possible, including Tzork itself. Though they’ve mostly abandoned this goal, the temptation remains. Perhaps, during their escape, they’ll try to snatch one last treasure... or maybe more.

Adventure Hooks

Hooks

D8 Hook
1 Someone very dear to you was last seen entering the mansion, searching for the long-lost
2 You seek vengeance on Theridus, the cult leader, for killing someone you loved.
3 A mysterious benefactor offers a reward for anyone who can retrieve some Strange Fruits from the mansion’s orchard.
4 A powerful noble wants the slimy goblins gone. They are dirtying the region with their goo! They are paying 600c to any group of adventurers who do so.
5 A mysterious benefactor offers a reward for anyone who can retrieve some Strange Fruits from the mansion’s orchard.
≥ 6 You are on a rescue mission. Roll on the "Rescue a Lost Adventurer" table.

Rescue a Lost Adventurer

You Need to Rescue…

D4 Adventurer
1 Sir Gus, a brave knight.
2 Mr. Hamsworth, renowned collector of rare artifacts.
3 Selma Silver Arrows, an expert marksman.
4 Orinia, a sorceress known for her divination skills.

Because…

D6 Reason
1 They are the last known person who can decipher a prophecy tied to your own destiny.
2 They’re an old friend and you’re worried for their safety.
3 A local village has hired you to bring them back alive to settle a personal dispute.
4 They owe you a large debt, and you can’t collect it if they’re dead.
5 They were researching a rare magical item, and you’re intrigued to learn more about what they discovered.
6 An old sorceress has promised a hefty reward for their safe return.

The Dungeon

The cult's mansion was built into the side of a rocky hillside, standing out against the now slime-covered region. From the outside, the slime is already visible, oozing out of the main entrance, filling the area around it like a basin of goo. Note that the dungeon entrance (Room 01) is a staircase, and the first floor of the dungeon is already significantly elevated. PCs can attempt to enter through the window of the Dining Room (Room 04) with little effort, but the windows on the east (Room 08 and Room 09) and west wing (Room 16) require climbing equipment.

All rooms are in the dark unless otherwise stated.

The Chaotic Goo

The mansion’s gooey substance is made of magical matter: a chaotic ooze that seeps directly from Tzork’s native plane. Over time, this substance has mingled with human and animal remains, dirt, and various strange magical components. The dungeon has a constant stream of goo flowing from Tzork’s chamber (Room 20) all the way to the main entrance (Room 01). Unless otherwise noted, the goo fills most rooms to ankle depth.

Each player must track their GOO VALUE on their character sheet. PCs start the adventure with a Goo Value of 0. Every time a PC comes into direct contact with the goo (touching it with bare hands, etc.), they increase their Goo Value by 1. The GM may increase this value further based on the intensity of contact (e.g., swimming in it, falling face-first, etc.).

As a PC’s Goo Value rises, the GM should increase the frequency of bizarre cosmetic mutations, such as hair falling out in clumps, teeth growing at odd angles, or fingernails turning translucent and humming.

Chaotic Goo Check

The chaotic energy within the mansion’s slime reacts in erratic intervals, producing unpredictable, often grotesque effects in creatures or objects exposed to it.

Whenever:

  • The hazard die result is "Delve Shift", or
  • A PC rolls a natural 1 on any check,

All PCs must make a chaotic goo check!

This is a Wisdom check with a penalty equal to the PC’s current Goo Value. The character suffers the effect from the Chaotic Goo Table corresponding to the final result of the check (Example: rolling a 12 on a d20 with a Goo Value of 2 triggers effect number 10 on the Chaotic Goo Check table.).

Chaotic Goo Check

WIS Check Effect
≤ 4 The PC’s body is melting: 1d10 damage. From now on, instead of making a Chaotic Goo Check, the PC repeats this effect.
-3 to -1 The PC begins to slowly transform into goo. From now on, whenever they need to make a Chaotic Goo Check, the PC takes 1d6 damage.
0 to 1 The PC’s skin becomes gooey and sticky permanently. One of their abilities is reduced by 1.
2 The PC’s hands detach and are turned into pigeons (HP 1, AC 11). If they survive until the next delve shift, the hands return; otherwise, the PC loses one hand per dead pigeon.
3 The PC gains a second voice permanently, either deeper or higher-pitched, that echoes their speech. Occasionally, it takes control of their mouth and speaks mysterious phrases.
4 Sudden and inexplicable hunger. The PC must immediately consume a number of rations equal to their Constitution score (minimum of 1) or suffer 1d4 damage
5 The PC's blood permanently turns into a volatile acid. Whenever they take slashing or piercing damage, they spray acid on themselves and all adjacent creatures (1d4 damage).
6 Until the next delve shift, the PC sweats chaotic goo, creating a sticky puddle at their feet. Anyone who touches the PC, friend or foe, becomes temporarily stuck to them (Dexterity check to avoid this).
7 Whenever the PC takes damage, they must succeed on a Constitution check or have the body part targeted detach (hands, head, arms, etc.). Touching the part back to their body reattaches it. The PC can never die from decapitation. This effect is permanent.
8 The PC loses or gains a finger while producing a faint *pop* sound.
9 The PC’s tongue turns into a small gooey slug until the next delve shift, hindering any attempt to communicate verbally.
10 The PC begins hearing senseless whispers coming from within their own body. This constant noise nuisance imposes -2 on any Wisdom or Intelligence checks until the next delve shift.
11 Until the next delve shift, the PC’s hair grows at an alarming rate. It seems to take on a life of its own, moving uncontrollably, trying to grab everything nearby.
12 The PC’s hair and eye colors change to a strange hue permanently.
13 Until the next delve shift, the PC emits a strong putrid smell, making them immediately noticeable to all nearby creatures. However, creatures capable of smelling them suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls against the PC.
14 Until the next delve shift, the PC’s skin hardens, granting them +2 AP but they take a -2 penalty to checks requiring joint flexibility (including attacks).
15 The PC starts seeing small bubbles of reality warp. Until the next delve shift, the PC predicts trivial events just before they happen (such as a door opening or an enemy’s movement), at the cost of always acting last while in combat encounters.
16 The PC feels a wave of euphoria and increases their Wisdom value by 1d4 until they roll 9 or less on a Wisdom check. When this happens, the PC feels as if something inside them has died: they lose 1 point of Wisdom permanently.
17 The PC feels a sudden connection with the chaotic goo around them. They become able to telepathically control small portions of it (up to a hand size). Using this ability causes a slight headache.
18 The PC emits a pink magical aura. The next creatures they encounter will be charmed (creatures equal to their Charisma modifier, min 1). Over time, however, these creatures develop an irresistible urge to devour the PC.
19 Until the next delve shift, the PC can take 1 point of damage to shoot purple laser beams from their eyes, dealing 1d4 damage to any target in their line of sight.
20 The PC feels energized by the chaotic goo and instantly gains 1d4 permanent hit points. However, the irises of their eyes permanently take on a strange shape, which somehow attracts chaotic creatures.
21 The PC’s body absorbs part of the chaotic goo’s power, making them permanently immune to a random type of elemental damage (fire, ice, etc.), but they lose 1 HP permanently.
22 The PC’s mind is flooded by a sudden torrent of new perceptions of reality. They grow a third eye and permanently increase either their Wisdom or Intelligence score by 1.
23 One of the PC’s weapons or equipment gains a magical power permanently. Roll on the spell formula [Quality] [Effect] table on page 28 of the Knave 2e rulebook.
≥ 24 The PC becomes permanently immune to the effects of chaotic goo (they no longer make chaotic goo checks on delve shifts) and become immune to any form of mind control. Also, they increase one of their abilities by 1 (their choice).

Exploring the Dungeon

At the end of each turn (10 minutes of in-game time), roll a Dungeon Hazard Die (for more info, see Knave 2e rulebook p. 13)

Dungeon Hazard Die

D6 Effect
1 Random Encounter
2 Fatigue
3 Lit torches burn out
4 Chaotic Goo Check
5 Sign of a nearby encounter
6 No effect

Random Encounters

D8 Encounter
1 1d4 Fetid Worms. Hungry.
2 3 translucent-skinned Bandits with pulsating organs visible. They are desperately looking for food. Relentless and insistent.
3 A spread open human face screaming for help. It’s drifting in the goo towards the PCs, swelling slowly and about to explode.
4 2 mischievous Slimy Goblins are tossing goo at each other. Upon seeing the PCs, they start throwing goo at them.
5 A humanoid mass of goo follows one of the PCs, mimicking their every move. If ignored, it starts imitating enemy movements.
6 A Floating Mirror (AC 13, HP 5) shows a random room (roll 1d20). If intact for 1 round, all nearby creatures teleport to that room.
7 A Talking Chest filled with acidic slime, feeding on metals. Claims it can enchant weapons (it can’t).
8 1d4 Psychic animals feed on the goo. PCs who look into their swirling eyes must succeed on a Wisdom check or be compelled to eat the goo, raising their Goo Value by 3.

Map

01 Melted Staircase 02 Goo Hall 03 Spy Paintings 04 Dining Room 05 Pantry Room 06 Dry Corridor 07 Gooey Hallway 08 Room of Lights 09 Charred Room 10 Book Eater Goblin 11 Orchard 12 Small Corridor 13 Overgrown Reading Room 14 Strange Corridor 15 Chaotic Depot 16 Cultists' Lair 17 Cult Leader's Private Chamber 18 Goblins on the Walls 19 Goblin Photosynth 20 Tzork's Room

Room Descriptions

01 Melted Staircase

A stone staircase ascends with goo slowly flowing down toward the main gate. A wide variety of bizarre objects are carried along by the gentle current, including bones and glowing eyeballs (from dead Slimy Goblins).

02 Goo Hall

A large hall covered in thick goo. Several collapsed statues line the room. Slimy humanoid footprints mark the walls and ceiling.

Sound of a goo waterfall and laughter from the north.

  • Part of the ceiling connected to Room 18 has collapsed, creating a small waterfall of slow-flowing goo.
  • Slimy Goblins, laughing while bathing in the waterfall, admire their loot: Goblin junk heap, coins and colorful gems (280c total).

03 Spy Paintings

Three paintings hang on the eastern wall, depicting Theridus in a proud pose alongside cultists that are part demon, part animal, and part human.

The paintings are enchanted, and the eyes of the figures follow the movements of anyone passing through. Harmless.

04 Dining Room

Goo and pieces of furniture whirl around the room in a chaotic vortex.

Trap! Every round inside the room, PCs are attacked by debris with an attack (+0 to hit) that deals 1d4 damage and increases the PC’s Goo Value by 1.

8 silver utensils and 79c flying around the room (119c total).

04.1 Storage Room

There’s a regular knocking sound alternating between the door and a metallic object inside.

Trap! A crazed magical tray (Tray of Force) alternates casting Push and Pull on 4 forks (5c each) toward the door. Anyone opening the door while the tray is casting Push (just after the metallic clank) takes 1d4 damage.

05 Pantry Room

Wooden planks block the door from the outside. A goo-smeared pamphlet reads: "Beware: translucent beast." The smell of rot emanates from the room.

Shelves stocked with boxes and jars.

  • 6 Fetid Worms wriggle on the shelves, feeding on the rotting food.

A Sentient Gelatinous Cube, bloated with goo.

  • It sits motionless, communicating telepathically. It was created by the chaotic goo turning sentient. It hears Tzork calling it to become a slave. The cube wishes to leave the dungeon but is too full of goo to move.
  • Inside the gelatinous cube: A silver- sheathed human skull (50c), 50 feet of gold-coated rope (200c), and a few golden human teeth (36c), and the Twisted Candlestick.

06 Dry Corridor

(No chaotic goo in this room)

A narrow hallway with dried goo on the floor.

A collection of paintings.

  • 7 paintings by different artists, all depicting Theridus in dramatic poses. In most of them, the sorcerer holds a magical glass orb imposingly and bears demonic traits (horns, goat hooves, seated on a throne of bones, etc).
  • An older portrait: Theridus as a young man in an initiation rite.
  • Thick layer of black paint: The foreground of the painting is clearly covered up. Scraping the paint reveals the silhouette of a wide-eyed sorcerer with a long black beard and insane features, seemingly the central figure guiding the rite.

A bulging metal door to the north

  • Trap! Reinforced and sealed with hardened orange wax. Dried goo clings to the edges.
  • Opening the door: the accumulated goo in Room 10 to gush into the hallway, creating a small goo flow down the corridor (The Goo Value of anyone caught in the flow raises by 3).

07 Gooey Hallway

Flickering lights can be seen through the cracks of the door to Room 08. Dim red lights and a faint smell of burning come from Room 09.

08 Room of Lights

A well-preserved room with cloud-themed wallpaper.

A desk holding a small lantern with a magical glowing candle inside that changes colors every 10 seconds.

Over the blue bed

A goo-covered bookshelf

09 Charred Room

A hot, overturned, and charred room. Dry, extremely sticky goo is splattered across the space.

Trap! Magical proximity mines emitting red light are scattered around the room. Approaching them triggers a 1-in-6 chance of explosion, dealing 1d6 damage and creating a blinding flash nearby.

In the center of the room

  • A big, charred magical device. The mine here have already been detonated.Traces of extremely sticky goo follow the blast marks.

Glued to the northern wall

  • 2 charred human corpses (dead adventurers).
  • Trap! A proximity mine near the hand of one of the corpses.
  • A charred wooden bed with gold adornments on the headboard (80c if removed), two silver necklaces with red demon-shaped pendants (300c), and a small silver box with bone motifs slightly deformed by the explosion (200c).

Stuck to the ceiling

  • A semi-conscious, charred, slimy goblin named Misk, son of Mirkla, lies next to an explosive device. He says his mother will offer them help if taken back alive to Room 18.
  • Trap! A proximity mine, very close to the goblin.

10 Book Eater Goblin

The room is cluttered with broken furniture. Several overturned bookshelves. Human and animal corpses float in the goo

South and west exits

  • Partially blocked by rubble.

Floating in the room

  • Body of Selma Silver Arrow: four silver arrows (30c each), nine earrings (73c total), and a common bow decorated with mermaid motifs.
  • A meat hook, a crowbar, a fossil, an axe, and 3 paintings of demons made out of blood and thick black paint (50c each).
  • Books with bite marks.
  • PCs may spend 1 turn exploring to search for useful knowledge. Each PC doing raise their Goo Value by 1 and adds a 1-in-6 chance of finding a useful book on any topic of interest.

A Slimy Goblin, unusually large and covered in books

  • Dundu, the Book Eater, a Slimy Goblin who developed the bizarre ability to absorb knowledge by digesting objects. He loves the taste of magical treatises. He’s always hungry, but alternates each exploration turn between eating goo / books and napping.

Accumulated Knowledge

Whenever the Book Eater Goblin takes damage, some of the knowledge he has absorbed escapes (a voice echoing from a sword wound, a belch when hit with a mace, etc). Compare the damage dealt to the table below:

Damage Knowledge
1-3 A useless curiosity (e.g., a king’s favorite food or the most popular soup recipe in a distant city).
4 Secret codes used by local smugglers.
5 A joke containing magic words. Anyone hearing it for the first time (either from the goblin or being retold) must make a Wisdom check. On a fail, they are unable to take complex actions for 1d4 combat rounds, laughing uncontrollably.
6 The exact sequence of magical words to cast a random spell. PCs may either use one combat round to write it down on a scroll or pass a DC 7 INT check to memorize it for 24 hours. After this time, the character forgets the spell if it wasn’t recorded.
7 The secret to striking deals with elves and fae without offending them.
8-9 The explanation for an ancient cataclysm (and how to reproduce the exact conditions for it to happen again).
10-11 The location of an ancestral magical artifact left by the gods that allows its wielder to contact them once per year.
≥ 12 A secret about the creation of the universe that may drive listeners mad (at the GM’s discretion).

11 Orchard

(No chaotic goo in this room)

Trees, shrubs, and bizarre exotic plants. Some are rare specimens from distant regions, while others are fruits affected by some kind experiment using magic goo.

Two humans barricaded

Fruits hanging in the trees

  • 2d6 Strange Fruits (count as rations and 100c each). Eating a Strange Fruit causes special effects:
D6 Fruit
1 Purple Guava: The tiny “seeds” of the fruit are Fetid Worms eggs that grow inside the stomach or soil. Cumulative 1-in-6 chance of vomiting 1d4 Fetid Worms while the PCs rest.
2 Albino Salak: Metallic taste. For 4 turns, the PC’s skin and flesh become translucent, exposing their organs.
3 Hot Mangosteen: Spicy. The PC glow red for 6 turns.
4 Blue Dragonfruit: The PC’s tongue and ears detach from their body, sprouting tiny limbs, running away in search of freedom. After 1 turn, they lose their limbs and can magically reattach to any body (producing a sound like a tongue snap when it does so).
5 Pink Cacao: For 3 turns, when the PC speak, they release bubbles from their mouth, making their speech sound like gargling.
6 Big Black Custard Apple: The PCs hear sounds of conversation coming from inside the fruit. 1d4 Tiny territorial beings (LV 0, HP 1) made of animated goo live within it. Besides that, it is tasty and juicy.

12 Small Corridor

To the North Twisted vines emerge through the cracks in the door to Room 13.

To the East: Goo flowing through the cracks from the metal door to Room 18.

13 Overgrown Reading Room

A chamber overtaken by thick vines and drooping fronds that hang like curtains from the walls and ceiling. A slow creaking sound echoes. The vines shift ever so slightly, as if aware of the PCs' presence. Goo trickles down from the northeastern staircase and vanishes into the tangled roots, seemingly feeding the vegetation.

A toppled bookshelf, sprouting pale fungi

  • Scattered books swollen with moisture (useless).

A moss-covered armchair nearly hidden by overgrowth

  • Its armrest bears old pipe-burn rings.
  • Cutting through the vines near the chair reveals a cracked golden pipe (100c) and a pouch of Junai seed powder (produces dancing purple smoke when lit).

Odd-looking plants

  • Can be harvested and used as magical components (100c per inventory slot filled).

Trap! (Strangling plants)

Crossing the room draws the attention of the flora, which attempt to ensnare and drown intruders in the goo.

  • Each round, affected PCs must succeed on a DC 8 Strength check to avoid being restrained. While restrained, the PC suffocates slowly, raising their Goo Value by 1 and taking 1 damage per round.

14 Strange Corridor

Wall to Room 15

  • Though painted to blend in with the rest of the mansion's stone walls, this section is actually a thin wooden partition.
    • Knocking on it reveals a hollow sound.
    • Easily breakable.

Sounds of conversation coming from Room 16

15 Chaotic Depot

(No chaotic goo in this room)

A simple, undecorated room.

Fragile walls

  • Thin wooden partitions separate this room from corridors 12 and 14. They can be easily broken.

A pile of demonic objects

  • 77 idols depicting chaotic entities (demons, extraplanar beings, etc.). Carrying one or more increases a PC’s Goo Value by 3 (100c each).

Ancient paintings and statuettes

  • Portraits of a wide-eyed, long-bearded sorcerer (the unnamed former master of Theridus).
  • Though nightmarish in style, the craftsmanship is striking. Up to 4 inventory slots of fragile art pieces can be collected (50c each).

16 Cultists' Lair

(No chaotic goo in this room)

Faded, sinister arabesques decorate the walls. Extinguished candelabras and cracked mirrors line the room, giving the impression of lost grandeur. A cauldron bubbles over a lit fire, and six makeshift beds are scattered about.

On the south wall, the right eye of a demon in the arabesque protrudes

  • Secret Door: rotating the demon’s eye opens a passage to Room 15.

4 cultists with deformed, melting faces

On a pedestal by the north wall

17 Cult Leader's Private Chamber

(No chaotic goo in this room)

A tidy room with demonic-themed decor: a large bed, a desk, and shelves full of books and scrolls. An orange rug stretches across the floor toward a red lever beside a demonic face sculpture on the north wall.

Bookshelves

  • 4 Random Spellbooks (Knave 2e core book, p. 22)

Red lever

  • Trap! (pulling the lever): demon’s mouth to spill slightly acidic goo (Goo Value raises by 3; 1d4 damage).

Orange rug

  • Beneath it: a loose cobblestone. Removing it reveals a hidden compartment with two buttons.
    • “Diamond” icon button: the demon sculpture slides aside, revealing a hidden compartment containing a large vial filled with acidic goo (empty if the red lever has been previously activated) and 400c.
    • “Door” icon button: Temporarily opens a magical translucent opening to Room 13.

18 Goblins on the Walls

A hall decorated with four statues of deformed, bestial demons. Twisted goblin decorations cling to the walls and statues (bones, gems and shiny stones, 138c total).

  • Mirkla, the Matriarch: An old female goblin scrying the goo for signs of Tzork’s will.

2 Slimy Goblins on the east walls

2 Slimy goblins on the ceiling

18.1 Goblin Storage and Bathroom

A foul-smelling area filled with filth.

On the Walls

  • Shiny objects glued in odd patterns (goblin “art” made of valuable gems, silverware and scraps of metal. 357c total).

Goblin filth

  • Bold PCs who dare to rummage through the goblin droppings will find a gold ring that one of the goblins accidentally swallowed (100c).

19 Goblin Photosynth

Illuminated by the purple light coming from Room 20.

4 Slimy Goblins in a trance state

  • Feeding on the light and guarding Room 20. They do not allow anyone to approach without a good reason. Extremely protective of Tzork’s domain.

20 Tzork's Room

A room adorned with profane runes and horrific frescoes of deformed entities.

A floating glass globe radiates purple light, constantly producing goo out of thin air.

Scattered on the floor

  • 3 Ritual Silver Daggers (50c each)

On fragile bookshelves

  • 2 Chaos Spellbooks (see p. 21 of the Knave 2e manual).
  • 8 Glass Jars containing rare preserved creatures (green liquid, fragile, 100c each).

Concluding the Adventure

Morass of the Melting Men is designed to be an open-ended, location-based adventure. As such, it is structured to let each group of players reach outcomes that reflect the choices they make during play. Will the players trick or confront the goblins to access Tzork’s chamber? Is the Dauntless Curio Collective an ally or a competitor in the race for magical items? Will the encounter with Tzork play out as a true boss fight? Will they find a way to redo the once-failed ritual to contain the alien entity, or will the players strike a deal to obtain the globe as their patron? Also, all of this depends on how the GM roleplays the NPCs (or on dice rolls if you're strictly using the NPC Reaction rules from the Knave 2e rulebook p. 19).

Magic Items

Cardinal Books (Room 08)

3 intact silver-edged books. Opening one of the books causes it to exert itself with extreme force in a random direction, requiring a Strength check to keep hold of it.

Roll 1d6 for direction:

D6 Direction
1 Up
2 South
3 East
4 West
5 North
6 Down

Morphing Blue Pillow (Room 08)

Damp and sticky. Applying pressure (such as sitting or striking it/with it) turns the pillow into a pool of extremely adhesive blue goo for 1d4 rounds.

Multi-Purpose Polearm (Room 11)

A magical weapon with a head that can magically rearrange to take on the qualities of any common weapon or tool.

Self-Proclaimed Oracle (Room 11)

A shiny metal object resembling a paper fortune teller. This trinket gives random, vague oracular answers to any question asked. It's mostly useless except for tricking or manipulating others. The wielder can attempt an Intelligence check to influence the answer, but failure results in an unpredictable response.

Necklace of Chaotic Waves (Room 16)

The user can pour a little of their own blood on the pendant (1 hp or 1 wound) to receive 2 AP against chaotic beings until the next Delve Shift. When worn inside the dungeon, the user also receives a +5 modifier to chaotic goo checks.

Theridus’ Head (Room 16)

Once per day, the user can squeeze the sorcerer’s floppy head to gain a +2 bonus on any roll. However, with each use, there is a cumulative 1-in-20 chance the head turns into goo and loses its effect forever.

If the head is damaged (e.g., if the jar breaks and the contents spill), permanently increase the effect loss chance by 4.

Twisted Candlestick (Room 05)

A black candlestick with mismatched arms jutting out at odd angles, each ending in a claw-like grip. It can hold up to five candles. For each lit candle, a floating black eye (1 HP) is created. The bearer can mentally control the eyes and see through them by closing their own eyes.

Tray of force (Room 04.1)

The user can cast the spells Push or Pull twice per day.

Stat Blocks

Bandit AC 13, HP 4, LVL 1, ATK weapon (d6), MOV 40’, MRL 8. Like to ambush.

Cultist AC 13, HP 4, LVL 1, ATK claws/fangs (d6), MOV 40’, MRL 12. Fanatic. Can turn a part of their body into that of an animal.

Dundu, The Book Eater AC 14, HP 15, LVL 4, ATK bite (d8), MOV 20’, MRL 10.

Fetid Worm AC 11, HP 1, LVL 1, ATK bite (d4), MOV 40’, MRL 6. Sprays chaotic goo on adjacent creatures when it dies.

Mr. Hamsworth AC 14, HP 11, LVL 3, ATK weapon (d6), MOV 40’, MRL 9. Has a Multi-Purpose Polearm .

Slimy Goblin AC 13, HP 3, LVL 1, ATK weapon (d6), MOV 40’, MRL 8. Darkvision. Can walk on ceilings and walls. Touching them increases the PC goo value by 1.

Orinia AC 11, HP 9, LVL 3, ATK weapon (d6) or spellcast, MOV 40’, MRL 10. Spellcast can take the form of a “scry” or a “visual illusion” spell (Knave 2e rulebook p.24-25). She has a Self Proclaimed Oracle.

  • Scry: Orinia can share the vision of a creature she touched today for 2 turns.
  • Visual Illusion: Orinia can create 2 silent, immobile, illusory objects that last until they are touched.

Psychic Animal AC 12, LVL 1, ATK Bite (d4), MOV 40’, MRL 6. PCs who look into their swirling eyes must succeed on a Wisdom check or be compelled to eat the goo, raising their Goo Value by 3.

Talking Chest AC 13, HP 10, LVL 3, ATK acid (2d4), MOV 10’, MRL 9. Has 1d4 half melted weapons inside itself.

Tzork, the Unfathomable AC 12, HP 25, LVL 10, ATK chaotic wave (1d8, 30’ radius) or mind control, MOV 5’, MRL 12. Can control the mind of a target for up to 40’ away who fails a WIS save.