C10.
This is part of the #Dungeon23 challenge in which you make one room to a dungeon every day for a year. In an effort to link my memories to the creation, I am also writing a personal journal entry with each room that may or may not be related.
You don’t have to read that part.
C10.
Okay. This might be a lot. And you’re players may never get in here. And you may not even want to read this right now, but you might later. Regardless here’s C10.
There is only one real entrance to this room. It is the southeastern door. The Northern and Southwestern walls most likely can’t be penetrated as they’re made of a very strong metal - but they’re exposed and who knows what the players come up with.
Additionally these walls have similar engraved runes on them. So if the characters come across one wall at a certain point of an adventure, and then run into the other - they’ll be able to recognize they’re connected in some way. Perhaps if someone is mapping they’ll even be able to surmise that they’re connected to the same room. But that’s really on them.
The South Eastern door, from the outside is similar to the other walls. However off center of the wall is an engraved outline of what appears to be a door. It is rounded and shape and inset into the wall metal wall.
In the center of the door is an indention in the shape of a hand, tho the fingers are much longer than that of a human. The indention looks like it’s made of some kind of foggy glass.
Putting your hand on this glass will cause the it to illuminate for a brief second. The light will start out white and most likely turn red, after which the light will turn off.
OKAY SO HOW DO WE GET IN, ASSHOLE?
I know I know. So there is a creature much deeper in this mega dungeon who has a hand that can open this door. You’ll need to find that creature and get them to open this door to get in. That’s it. That’s the only way.
BUT WHAT IS INSIDE?
Using the proper hand causes the light to turn a soft blue. A lot of whirring and humming happens as the door recesses even further and slides out of the way.
The entire room is made of metal. There are strange metallic desks lining the walls of the room. The surface of these desks are covered in more runes and decorated with glass beads that magically light up.
The center of the room is raised platform with more of these metal desks arranged in a hexagon. On top of one of these desks is a collection of metallic discs with circular grooves like the rings of a tree.
A curious investigator may discover that a slot in one of the wall desks that is the same width as one of these discs. If they put the disc into the slot something will happen:
DISC 1
The room goes dark and the ceiling illuminates with a spectral image of the stars.
DISC 2
Opens a door to C11
DISC 3
Opens a Door to C12
DISC 4
Is different than the others. There are large gashes in the surface of the disc. It will only be spit out if you insert this disc.
However doing the math, one will still recognize that there is another closed portal to the south of the room. Getting in there could be tricky.
3/10/23
So that was a lot. And there’s more to this room. But I feel like this is enough for now. I haven’t really fleshed out the rest, but I’ve got a few months before I have to come back to it. The idea is that this room will possibly open ways to get to other levels of the megadungeon. Like levels 9 or 10.
It’s all about the long game baby.
So most likely your players are going to deal with the door with the hand scanner, and get pissed. It may drive them and their characters insane as they search for something with a hand matching the scanner. I love that idea. I love the idea of them going all the way to level 6 or 7 before they find the “key” to this room, and then making the decision to go allllll the way back to see what it was.
….
Oh hey it’s day 69 of the project.
Noice.
You’re such a fucking child.
That’s right. I never want to grow up, Wendy.
…
See you tomorrow.
-jae
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