D1-D3.
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.
Quick General Notes
This level is accessible by crawling into the root hole from C24.
IF the adventurers completed the ritual that defeated Inosh and lifted Kik’ina Kir out of the earth and into the sky, there may be other entrances formed by the resulting seismic shift. I will point out some of those possible new entrances as we come to them.
It’s also possible that whole portions of this level are GONE because of that act and I’ll note those changes as we come to them(when I make them up, i mean).
All of these circles you see on the map are upside trees that are clinging to the roof of this vast cavern. So imagine large building sized weeping willows that you can walk around inside.
There are gaps between them, some of which are sizeable, so the players will need to figure out how to traverse these gaps. The general idea is to explore and find see if they can find a tree big enough to safely get to the bottom of this massive cavern and see what’s down there.
Anyone with a particular background may theorize this is the fabled Hanging Forest of Mordama. History believes this forest gave life to a civilization trapped in the depths of the earth. Is that what this is? One way to find out.
D1.
Crawling down from C24, you find yourself inside a spongy tunnel. It eventually opens up into a moist corridor, comprised of wet sinew of raw wood. You are inside a tree. You feel wind coming from the two exits leading from this chamber.
If you listen you can hear the hum of wings coming from the northwest tunnel
D2.
As you approach this room from D1, you can hear the buzz of wings, and periodically a wet crunching sound.
In this chamber is a Lesnar Beetle. They’re monstrous insects, as big as a man and a hive have the capacity to destroy forests. At appears they’ve been eating out these massive trees you’re exploring.
One could… in theory… tame this beetle and ride it from tree to tree - but that may require a certain set of skills your particular group lacks.
There are many Lesnar Beetles down here so keep an eye out for them. While they are vegetarian, they will defend themselves from predators. However, if they are severely wounded they will fly away. Fuck that noise.
This chamber also opens up so you can get an idea of the space you’re in. You can see throughout this cavern, as far as your torch light will allow, that this massive cavern has dozens of gigantic trees hanging from the ceiling. The trunks are large enough that you could live comfortably inside. You can see that other trees have burrows made from Lesnar beetles.
At your feet you see a tarot card - you might’ve seen one like it from C15. This one is The Empress.
Could someone else be down here.
D3.
This chamber opens up and reveals much of what you would’ve seen in D2. Another tree is only 30 feet away. However there is a rope stretching nearly 30 feet to a nearby tree - D6. Someone has indeed been down here.
4/3/23
Alright, so I missed a couple of Days, BUT I was working on this each day. I was just trying to figure out exactly what I wanted. This is the start of a new little arc, so I’m trying to find some new ideas and concepts to play with. I don’t know how I got to upside down trees, but here we are.
Also it was Wrestlemania weekend, which I enjoyed with my kids.
Also also, Gail and I went to go see the Dungeons & Dragons movie which we both thought was a lot of fun. Loved Michelle Rodriguez, who I think had bracers of hill giant strength, but they never explained it, which I kinda liked. Like to most people she just looked ridiculously strong, but I’m fairy positive she had a magic item augmenting her abilities and only the real nerds would recognize it. I want to believe that anyway.
Today was also a big deal because I got to tell people we’re releasing new episodes of Out of Depth Plays, starting this Friday, April 7th.
It was such a long hiatus, and I hated it, but we’re finally able to finish the story. I was editing Episode 7 and had forgotten some of the ridiculous hi-jinks we got into.
Hopefully everyone who has been sticking with us enjoy it.
See you tomorrow.
-jae
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