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thecrossingmods) wrote2024-10-07 10:26 am
SETTING #1 (ARCHIVED)
THE BASICS
The Cavern is a sprawling system of underground chambers, the largest of which is tall enough that the ceiling is swallowed by the darkness, and broad enough to be bisected by The River.
The main chamber is not closed off; there are tunnels and corridors of varying sizes branching off in all directions, some ultimately leading to dead-ends (see THE WHISPERING POOLS), and others leading deeper underground (see THE CATACOMBS). However, none of these appear to break through to the surface at any point; there is no natural light to speak of.
No natural light. There is a land bridge spanning the great expanse of The River to the base of the cliffs above (see THE SUBTERRANEAN CITY). Here is where The Ferryman has chosen to hold their vigil, and where their Lantern casts its light.
Should you choose to venture beyond the glow of The Lantern, it's not all pitch-blackness: there is bioluminescent plant-life growing along the walls and ceilings of the chamber, providing a dim guide for exploration. But it might be worth asking The Ferryman for a light, maybe.
The River is a true river here, massive and mirror-black, carving its way through the stone with all the silent dignity one might expect from a truly ancient force of nature like this one.
While its waters are slow-moving, The River itself is almost a full kilometer wide (about half a mile, for you Americans out there), and much, much, much deeper — even the strongest of swimmers will find that they can't so much as glimpse the bottom, let alone dive far enough to reach it.
That is, if anyone has the kind of mental fortitude required for that level of exploration. The water is cold, so cold, much colder than even a massive subterranean waterway like this one should be. Being in the water is painful: it's the cold, piercing down to the bone, through it, almost beyond it; but it's more than that, too, physical and mental and spiritual. Whatever wounds might have brought you here feel like they're being inflicted all over again, and again, and again, and again.
Notably, the pain is not akin to drowning. No one can drown in The River; those who are able to see beyond the pain might notice that they do not feel the urge to breathe underwater at all.
ARRIVAL
Characters whose journey begins in The Cavern will awaken to find themselves deep beneath the black surface of The River. It is dark, disorienting, and painful: they need to get out of the water, any way they can.
As soon as they do, the suffering ends; breaking the surface is all that it takes to wipe away all the cold and all the pain. Characters may help themselves, and each other. Any who struggle to find purchase will eventually be lifted from the waters by The Ferryman.
LOCATIONS
Any light in this place is eye-catching, and blinking out from the sheer cliffs above The River, some so high they appear fuzzy in the gloom of the chamber, are many of them. Investigation (or, perhaps easier than that, a question posed to The Ferryman) reveals these to be makeshift torches packed full of the same bioluminescent plant-life found elsewhere in the cave system, set into the open mouths of tunnels.
These entrances are the metaphorical tip of a true iceberg of a tunnel system, organized into a modest, but extensive, underground city. The tunnels lead to wide-open chambers: empty squares, abandoned markets, and rows of square "apartments" to sleep. The torches aren't the only sign of life here, either: there are trinkets, tapestries, and other decorations. Some of them might even be familiar to you.
Clearly others before you have settled in this place. How curious are you to find out more about them?
The cavern is massive, but (provided you have a light source) simple enough to navigate. If you explore thoroughly, however, you may find that this isn't always the case: at one point the cavern narrows into dozens of different tunnels, which themselves continue to split and fork off into dozens more.
All of the tunnels are lined with the same bioluminescent plant life as the rest of the cavern, and in many cases that might be enough to see by, if you're feeling brave. (We still recommend a flashlight. The Ferryman might be willing to lend you one.) The tunnels go deep, though; it's hard to say where any one might lead.
There's so many different paths to follow. Is it worth the risk to follow one to the end?
This chamber takes some time and exploration to find, but fortunately there are some advance signs that you're headed in the right direction: a gathering of mist on the cavern floor, and a faint whisper coming from just around the bend of the tunnel.
Following both leads you to a great collection of shimmering pools, shrouded in mist and murmuring, seemingly amongst themselves. The voices have the impression of someone speaking just within earshot: unmistakably language, but too muffled to make out the words.
That's all we know for now. How long would you need to listen to finally make out what the waters are trying to say?
BESTIARY
It's so strange. No matter where you look, you can't find hide nor hair of any creatures that might inhabit this place. There isn't even evidence that anything might be making its home here, just out of sight. No droppings, no burrows, no chewed-on plantlife.
As far as anyone can tell, you're all that's living here. (For some definition of "living", of course.)
QUESTIONS