[風] tab Alhat tab Trapdoor tab Caverns tab [風]
Belly tab of tab the tab Whale
______________A r e a tab D e s c r i p t i o n ||
tab Those unfortunate victims of the pits in the Plates of Folhat will find themselves plunged into the caves below. Though sometimes the fall from aboveground can be more than a hundred meters, the Alhat Trapdoor Caverns are not particularly difficult to survive in compared to the land above them. In fact, water and greenery are in abundance down here, as are animals. When given the option to make it down below or bake to death under the sun, one could be forgiven for choosing the cool, verdant caves below.
tab That said, there's a reason why this area isn't extensively settled. While a few small villages can be found down here, groups of even battle-hardened adventurers tend not to last long. The wildlife has adapted to this low-light environment very well, from the giant bats that hang from earthen spires, to the horse-sized scorpions that lodge in the walls, to the predatory fish that lurk in the water, just gathering food and water is a tough proposition for those unaccustomed to it. The only animal in the caverns that isn't immediately hostile is practically a cryptid: the "Cave Horse".
tab The flora here is much more sedate than the animals, but by no means helpful. Strange, treelike plants with snaking roots cover the walls. These trees glow very faintly in different colors depending on the nutrients in their surroundings and are almost bewitching to those who gaze upon them. Their roots seem to stretch endlessly in every direction along the walls and ground, and in fact exude a very faint mana that distorts the senses of those nearby, leading them astray so gradually it's hard to notice. That said, attacking the trees is also a bad idea. In addition to attracting attention from the nearby wildlife, some of the flora that rely on the trees will respond harshly to any perceived threats. Survivors have told tales of the "nightmare flowers" that dwell within the roots.
tab All that said, treasures both natural and from fallen adventurers lie in wait down here, a bounty promising great fortune to those who survive.
______________P o i n t s tab O f tab I n t e r e s t ||
tab • Great Tree Acamar - Legends tell of a tree deep inside the Alhat Trapdoor Caverns that glows with an unearthly white light. Supposedly there's a mountain of treasure hidden among its roots, but no one has been able to even find the tree, so it's uncertain if this part will ever be verified. Still, the promise of endless wealth is enough to drive some fools to look for the tree, with predictable results.
______________N e a r b y tab L o c a t i o n s ||
tab • Plates of Folhat
______________D e f e n s e s // D a n g e r s ||
tab • Speleoscorpions - Horse-sized scorpions with carapaces that blend into the rock walls of the Alhat Trapdoor Caverns. They spend much of the day clinging to walls near overhangs, their tails disguised as stalactites or stalagmites. Their stingers are incredibly durable, but the same cannot be said of the rest of the creature: its armor is considerably thinner and lighter than its counterparts on the surface. At the same time, it’s also considerably more agile and can even climb sheer walls.
tab • Wide-Mouthed Pit Snake - A large, snakelike creature that disguises itself in the salt and mud at the bottom of the subterranean rivers in the Alhat Trapdoor Caverns. Despite its name, this creature is actually related to catfish. The largest member of this species on record was over 20 meters long with a mouth large enough to swallow a speleoscorpion whole. It is believed the scorpions are, in fact, their primary source of food. Interestingly, they have the ability to survive on land so long as they aren’t coated in salt, in which case they do move around like a snake. It’s theorized that this is due to some innate affinity they have for wind- and/or water-based magic, though this hasn’t been proven.
tab • Vespertills - A type of herbivorous bat that lives in the spacious caverns that connect to the surface. Depending on the section of the underground one is in, either gray or brown bats can be found. This difference is mostly cosmetic. Despite being herbivorous, the bats still pose a threat to animals in their vicinity, as they constantly shed fur fine enough to clog up the lungs. Their screeches are physically painful for anyone with enhanced hearing, and their excreta is incredibly toxic to most other animals.
tab • Disorienting Trees - Thin trees that populate the underground, their roots forming a floor above the stone ground. Simply being near these trees is enough to skew one’s sense of direction. They are the reason so many adventurers don’t exit the caverns even if they can survive the creatures. Their sap glows brightly with a soothing blue-green color; beware, though: many an adventurer has made the fatal mistake of trying to collect this sap for use as a light source and succumbed to the wrath of the Nightmare Blossoms its light awakens.
tab • Nightmare Blossom - A black blossom that grows among the roots of the Disorienting Trees. They exude a scent that is acrid and sweet. Exposing them to bright light--particularly the light emitted by the trees’ sap--causes the flowers to glow in rainbow colors and enter a period of high activity. When this occurs, they spray their pollen upward and outward, causing disturbing hallucinations in anyone who inhales it. Overexposure to the pollen causes a creeping mental corruption.
tab • Stone Shade - A very powerful, very hostile creature that can be found very rarely living underground. Their bodies look humanoid, but their limbs are strangely elongated and thin, their mouths wide and full of fat, blunt teeth, their eyes white and covered in a thin membrane. Their hair runs all the way down their back and is typically at least three meters long. Exactly how they fight is unknown as there are no known survivors of any encounters with them, but an analysis of carcasses found in the wild suggests they primarily subsist by leaching nutrients from the earth. Sensors have been able to detect some of them lying in an almost comatose state far underground.
______________R u l e s ||
tab • There are no rules worth noting at this time.
______________R e s o u r c e s ||
tab • Vesper Moss - A thick moss that grows on the banks of the rivers that flow through the Alhat Trapdoor Caverns. Though bland, it is fairly nutritious.
tab • Seven-Colored Pollen - Pollen gathered from the Nightmare Blossom. As its name suggests, when exposed to the light, it glows in rainbow hues. Can be worked into items to grant effects dealing with mental corruption--both causing and curing.
tab • Speleotoxin - A flavorless yellow-white liquid extracted from the stinger of a speleoscorpion. It has potent paralytic effects and causes a dry, crackling feeling to overtake the area affected, followed by numbness. Subjects report feeling as though they were being petrified.
”Royal Taorito”
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