Subterranean tunnels of Zadash

Located under the the Evening Nip in Zadash, this network of river tunnels lead to the northeast for 70 miles to the Ounterloch and Berleben Swamps. Used by The Gentleman and his Troupe this river system aided in the smuggling of people and illegal goods into and out of the city.

Evening Nip Entrance
The entrance of the tunnel is a hidden and locked trapdoor in the storeroom of the Evening Nip. It has a spiral staircase that leads down about 40 feet, at the foot of which, turns a corner into the stone-set subterranean tavern.

The Tunnel
The tunnel is tight and weaves a bit after a right turn the tunnel continues for 300 feet. Eventually the tunnel splits into two and there is a small resting chamber and another storing chamber. Further down the tunnel there is an archway to the side that lead off into a side chamber. At the end of this tunnel there is a set of stairs that descended into a natural river cavern.

Small Resting Chamber and Storing Chamber
The small resting chamber has a set of tables and a bunk. The Storing chamber contains stacked crates.

Side Chamber
The side chamber has a pit, and about four cages setup, that have different creatures inside making strange grunting and snorting sounds. There is a smell of dung, fresh and old, and very strong pheromone that's a very unpleasant scent.

Natural River Cavern
At the bottom of the stairs there is a dock made out of wood that connect to the underground river. The docks are located at a curve in the river with continues in two different directions. One of them is going with the stream northeast. Along this river there are a few lanterns that are set up with soft, greenish glow. They're perpetually burning in certain areas and are bolted into the rock and stone. On the side of the dock are four different, four person, boats tied to the edge.

Northeast River Tunnel
The current of the river is moving at a fair speed but it’s not rapid and can pull boats along. At this point of the river there are no green lanterns anymore and it becomes a pitch black cavern. The dimensions of the tunnel seems to shift at times because of the river. Sometimes it squeezes in where it’s just the river and the edges of the tunnel are 15 feet from side to side. The ceiling is 15 feet high, sometimes it coasts down and comes a bit lower. It gets colder and colder the further down the tunnel goes. The tunnel eventually splits up and divide into two tunnels, before merging back together about 10-15 minutes ahead of where the entrance to the abandoned research facility was.

The Left Tunnel
Heading down the water path does pick up a little speed and seems to dip suddenly before picking up with a mild splash but you catch yourself. There are a few rocks that break the surface. At the top of the ceiling are stalagmites hidden between these stalagmites are Darkmantles, that looks like any other part of the cavern ceiling. Lining the walls are two large figures covered in greenish algae and vines and look like they're made of earth and stone.

A little bit further up the tunnel, on the north side of the riverbank there is shift in texture and a mild rock slide. The cavern wall that has been slowly shifting through millennia of mineral buildup changes into bits of solid, smooth stone and a portion of it collapsed into what this rock slide is, and is now pushing into part of the river. A ten-foot wide portion of this wall has fallen in, part of the ceiling has come in and above it is just dirt. Behind the cave in there is an Passageway into an Abandoned Research Facility. Further into the tunnel there is a fork that re-merge this tunnel with the right tunnel.

Right Tunnel
This tunnel has a 15-foot drop waterfall. At the bottom of which are of stones and slick rocks that had carved through by the river over time and settled at the bottom. These stones would have spelled doom for a boat that had the misfortune of going over the edge of that waterfall. This was evident by the many destroyed and broken ship pieces that covered the soft dirt and silt, among the jagged rocks. Behind the waterfall, there was an opening that was not wide enough for a boat to pass through.

Behind the Waterfall
Behind the waterfall, there was a soft river floor, which came up to a plateau of a small, enclosed ten feet chamber. The interior of the chamber had no secret compartments or any alcoves, the chamber was empty, except for a partial elf skeleton against the back wall. It had manacles attached to its wrists, neck, and feet, which were all connected by a singular chain in the center. The body's pretty rotted. It looks like whatever clothing they're wearing is very basic material and it looks like bits of it have been eaten away with fungus and mold over time. The manacles are very well made, and they have a small rune at the connecting point.

With Kara in the front and Dweez picking up the rear, the Mighty Nein were lead down towards the river docks that would take them towards the task The Gentleman had put them on, as to clear their names and safely lead Horris out of the city.

Seeing through Frumpkin's eyes Caleb saw as the party was blindfolded and looped around the tavern for while to disorient them. Lead to a storeroom which contained among other things sacks of food and barrels of all sorts of alcohol, ale, and water. Hidden two feet from the door of this room was a locked trapdoor. Lead forwards, the party descended down a 20-foot ladder that lead to a packed dirt tunnel that was supported in sections by wood beams.

Weaving through this tunnel and turning right down a second 300-foot tunnel, where a small resting chamber, with tables and a bunk, was dug out of this tunnel. Continuing on a second torchlight chamber that contained individuals stacking crates.

Moving forward down the tunnel there was an archway that lead off to a side chamber smelling of dung and an unpleasant pheromone. Looking down into it, there was a pit filled with four cages. In the darkness, these cages appeared to contain various creatures that were making strange grunting and snorting sounds as individuals prodded and whipped them into obedience.

Past that room, the tunnel continued on to a set of stairs that descended into a natural river cavern that beached off into two different directions. Build into this space was a series of docks illuminated by green perpetually burning lantern light. Guarded at the edge of the dock were four roped off boats.

Making their leave of Kara and Dweez, the party taking two of these four-person boats were instructed to travel with the river northwards for around a mile to where the texture of the wall on the left-hand side of the cavern changed where a small portion of it had been collapsed.

The river moving at a fair pace, and aided by in their progress by Yasha and Jester each rowing their perspective boats, the party made their way down the river cavern. Illuminating the pitch black cavern Caleb's cast his dancing lights spell so that the party could see ahead of them on their progress forwards through the around 15-foot diameter tunnel.

Traveling further and further to the northeast. the air down the tunnel became noticeably colder to the point where their breaths were visible The party rowing their boats came upon a section where the paths split into two separate paths. After some deliberation, the party decided to take the left path.

Left Tunnel
Taking the left tunnel, the boats passed through a small section of rapids with rocks jutting out of the five foot deep water, though the party managed to evade these obstacles easily with the aid of their light sources.

Over time the party soon began fooling around, which lead to Nott to attempt to ski barefoot behind the boat with the aid of her Ring of Water Walking. Although successful in her fun for some time, Nott unknowingly smashed her knee against a rock and needed to be pulled back into the boat.

Attracted by the sound of their revelry, the party was assaulted by Darkmantles that had been clinging in wait upside-down on the tunnel's ceiling seemingly appearing as stalagmites to unwary prey.

Lining the walls were two large figures covered in greenish algae and vines and looked like they're made of earth and stone. Slow moving and bottom heavy these creatures dragged themselves towards the river's edge in an attempt to reach to boats. Outpaced by the boasts moving past these creatures gave up their pursuit and returned back to rest by the tunnel's walls.

Boat Battle
A little bit further up the tunnel, on the north side of the riverbank, there was a shift in texture from the general millennium old mineral buildup of the tunnel's walls to that of smooth stone. A mild rock slide pushed partly into the river where ten-foot-wide portion of the wall had fallen in bringing down some of the ceiling and dirt above. Caleb casting Detect Magic, sensed behind this collapse a faint hint of magic, and with the aid of the party the rock was cleared out to reveal a faint purple glow further in and the passageway into an Abandoned Research Facility.

Leaving Nott, Caleb and Yasha to rest and read at the entrance to the abandoned research facility, the rest of the party went off the explore the right passage of the of the subterranean river.​​​​​ Reaching the waterfall, Beau suspecting a passage behind it poked her staff through the water and discovered that her suspicions were true. Exited at the prospect of fining something interesting, Molly disrobed and dove under the waterfall, who was shortly followed under by Fjord.​​​​​ Hopping back into their boats after a long rest the party made their way past the path they had initially taken and eventually made their way back to the docks where Kara waiting, escorted the party into the Evening Nip, to report on their adventure and findings.

On their journey back Caleb noticed through Frumpkin's eyes that, in the side chamber with the pit, there were two additional cages that were larger in size with heavy meshes of metal.