Subterranean tunnels of Zadash

Located under the Evening Nip in Zadash, this network of river tunnels leads to the northeast for seventy miles to the Ounterloch and Labenda Swamp. Used by the Myriad, this river system aids in the smuggling of people and illegal goods into and out of the city.

Layout

• The Myriad headquarters entrance: The entrance to the Myriad secret headquarters is behind a hidden and locked trapdoor in the storeroom of the ground-level floor of the Evening Nip. It can be accessed through a spiral staircase that leads down about forty feet and turns a corner into the stone-set subterranean tunnel. The tunnel is tight and weaves a bit. After a right turn, the tunnel continues for 300 feet, eventually splitting into two and leading to a small resting chamber and a storage chamber. Further down, an archway to the side leads off into a side chamber. At the end of the tunnel is a set of stairs that descend into a natural river cavern.
• Small resting chamber, a storage chamber, and a side chamber: The small resting chamber has a set of tables and a bunk. When the Mighty Nein entered the storage chamber, it contained stacked crates. The side chamber has a pit and had about four cages keeping different creatures inside who makde strange grunting and snorting sounds. There was a smell of dung, fresh and old, and very strong pheromone creating an unpleasant scent.
• Natural river cavern: A wooden dock at a curve in the underground river is located at the bottom of the stairs. The tunnel to the right goes northeast against the flow. A number of lanterns are bolted into the rock illuminating the river in places with soft green glow. A handful of four-person boats are moored to the side of the dock.
• Northeast river tunnel: The river current moves quick enough to pull boats along, and no lanterns are lit in the tunnel. The dimensions of the tunnel don't remain constant due to the flow of the river, but generally the ceiling is about fifteen feet high and the walls are about fifteen feet apart. The temperature also steadily drops as one travels further down the length. The tunnel eventually splits up and divides into two tunnels, before merging back together about 10-15 minutes past the entrance to the abandoned research facility.
• Left tunnel: The current in this tunnel is slightly faster, and rocks occasionally break the surface of the water. The ceiling is lined with stalactites, sometimes with darkmantles camouflaged among them. Two large figures that seem to be made of stone and earth are embedded in the walls, typically remaining inanimate and blending in with the rest of the wall. On the north side of the riverbank further up the tunnel, the cavern wall changes texture to a smoother stone. Part of this stone - a ten-foot wide section of the wall and some of the ceiling - has collapsed in a rock slide, the edge of which reaches the river. Behind the cave-in is a passageway into an abandoned research facility. Further down, the tunnel re-merges with the right tunnel.
• Right tunnel: This tunnel has a 15-foot tall waterfall with large stones settled at the bottom. Pieces of wreckage in the silt nearby indicate that several boats have come from the wrong side of the waterfall and been dashed on the rocks. Behind the waterfall is an opening wide enough for at least one medium humanoid to pass through, though not wide enough for a boat.
• Behind the waterfall: Hidden behind the waterfall, the river floor rises up into an enclosed ten-foot chamber. The interior of the chamber has no alcoves or hidden storage compartments, and was empty when the Mighty Nein etered it except for a manacled skeleton in simple mold-covered clothing against the back wall. The manacles were attached at the feet, wrists, and neck with a singular chain connecting them all. A small rune could be seen at the connecting point.

History

"Fleeting Memories" (2x14)

With Kara in the front and Dweez picking up the rear, the Mighty Nein were led 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 a while to disorient them. They were then led to a storeroom containing a locked trapdoor which opened on a 20-foot ladder descending into a packed dirt tunnel supported in sections by wood beams. The tunnel continued on to a set of stairs that descended into a natural river cavern leading in 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.

Taking their leave of Kara and Dweez, the party took 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 because a small portion of it had collapsed. The river moved at a fair pace, and aided in their progress by Yasha and Jester each rowing their respective boats, the party made their way down the river cavern. Caleb's Dancing Lights illuminated the cavern so that the party could see ahead of them on their progress forwards through the around 15-foot diameter tunnel.

"Where The River Goes" (2x15)

Traveling further and further to the northeast, the air down the tunnel became noticeably colder to the point where their breaths were visible. They reached a point where the river 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 began fooling around, which led 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 eventually 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 stalactites to unwary prey.

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

Boat battle

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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 a ten-foot-wide portion of the wall had fallen, bringing down some of the ceiling and dirt above. Caleb cast Detect Magic, sensing that behind this collapse was 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 Siff Duthar's abandoned research facility.

"A Favor in Kind" (2x16)

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 subterranean river.​​​​​ Reaching the waterfall, Beau poked her staff through it and discovered that her suspicions of a passage behind it were true. Excited at the prospect of finding something interesting, Molly disrobed and dove under the waterfall, shortly followed 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 escorted the party back to 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.

References

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