Whispering Waters" Cavern & River Zone (Morequendi Interference) Map ---
[Overgrown Riverbank (1) - Entrance] --- [Sunken Warrens Entrance (2)] --- [Whispering Falls Grotto (3)] | | | | [Hidden River Cave (4)] --- [Undercurrent Passage (5)] --- [Amphibious Beast Lair (6)] | | | | [Glimmering Pool Cavern (7)] --- [Fungus-Ridden Shore (8)] --- [The Shroud's Secret Drop (9)] | | [Rival Guild's Secret Cache (10) - Objective]
--- Area 1 (Overgrown Riverbank - Entrance) --- Description: The riverbank here is unusually thick with gnarled, dark-barked trees and dense, thorny undergrowth. The air is humid and carries the scent of damp earth and murky river water. Strange, faintly glowing fungi dot the shadows beneath the trees. This is the primary entry point to the affected zone. Exits/Connections: To Sunken Warrens Entrance (2) (East).
--- Area 2 (Sunken Warrens Entrance) --- Description: A section of the riverbank here has eroded away, revealing a dark, water-filled opening leading into a series of partially submerged tunnels. The water is cold and murky, and the sounds of distant, unnatural clicks and scuttles echo from within. This is the initial contact point for the rival guild. Exits/Connections: To Overgrown Riverbank (1) (West), To Whispering Falls Grotto (3) (North), To Hidden River Cave (4) (South). Creatures: It has creatures (type: Morequendi - likely aquatic scouts or ambushers).
--- Area 3 (Whispering Falls Grotto) --- Description: This secluded grotto is dominated by a small waterfall cascading into a deep, dark pool. The sound of the falling water is oddly mesmerizing, and the mist-filled air seems to carry faint, chilling whispers from unseen sources within the rock. Exits/Connections: To Sunken Warrens Entrance (2) (South). Trap: It contains a trap (type: tripwire connected to a weighted net covered in venomous moss). Perception DC 14 to spot. Potential Damage: 1d8/T1, 2d8/T2, 3d8/T3, 4d8/T4 Poison Damage.
--- Area 4 (Hidden River Cave) --- Description: A narrow, easily overlooked opening in the riverbank leads into a small, dark cave. The air is still and heavy, and the smooth, water-worn walls are slick with algae. The faint, rhythmic lapping of the river is the only sound, strangely amplified here. Exits/Connections: To Sunken Warrens Entrance (2) (North), To Undercurrent Passage (5) (East). Creatures: It has creatures (type: Morequendi - likely patrolling or hidden).
--- Area 5 (Undercurrent Passage) --- Description: This winding, partially submerged passage follows a strong, unseen undercurrent. The water reaches waist-deep in places, and the current tugs relentlessly. Bioluminescent fungi cling to the low ceiling, casting an eerie, shifting glow. Exits/Connections: To Hidden River Cave (4) (West), To Amphibious Beast Lair (6) (North), To Glimmering Pool Cavern (7) (South). Creatures: It has creatures (type: Morequendi - adapted for water). Encounter Type: Battle Area
--- Area 6 (Amphibious Beast Lair) --- Description: This damp, echoing chamber smells strongly of fish and something reptilian. Large, crude nests woven from reeds and river debris line the banks of a deep, murky pool that fills the center of the cavern. Unsettling splashes can be heard from within the water. Exits/Connections: To Undercurrent Passage (5) (South). Secret Passages/Areas: A camouflaged opening beneath a large, water-worn boulder (Perception DC 17 to find) leads to a small, dry cache used for storing ill-gotten goods or hidden communications.
--- Area 7 (Glimmering Pool Cavern) --- Description: This beautiful but unsettling cavern contains a large, perfectly still pool of water that reflects the faint, scattered light from tiny, shimmering crystals embedded in the ceiling. The air is cold and carries a faint, sweet scent, almost like perfume, but with an underlying metallic tang. Exits/Connections: To Undercurrent Passage (5) (North), To Fungus-Ridden Shore (8) (East). Trap: It contains a trap (type: pressure plate near the pool triggering a burst of corrosive mist). Perception DC 15 to spot. Potential Damage: 1d8/T1, 2d8/T2, 3d8/T3, 4d8/T4 Acid Damage.
--- Area 8 (Fungus-Ridden Shore) --- Description: A muddy, uneven shore within a large cavern, completely dominated by thick, pulsating colonies of various fungi – some glowing, some dark and slimy. The ground is soft and treacherous, and the air is thick with a cloying, earthy odor. Strange, almost inaudible chirps come from the fungal growth. Exits/Connections: To Glimmering Pool Cavern (7) (West), To The Shroud's Secret Drop (9) (South). Creatures: It has creatures (type: Morequendi - perhaps overseeing local resource gathering). Encounter Type: Battle Area
--- Area 9 (The Shroud's Secret Drop) --- Description: This secluded, high-banked section of the underground river is clearly a clandestine meeting and transfer point. Small, flat-bottomed boats are moored to crude docks, and covered crates are neatly stacked, awaiting transport. The faint sound of trickling water is almost drowned out by the muffled sounds of activity. Exits/Connections: To Fungus-Ridden Shore (8) (North), To Rival Guild's Secret Cache (10) (East). Creatures: It has creatures (type: Morequendi - likely security or logistical personnel).
--- Area 10 (Rival Guild's Secret Cache - Objective) --- Description: Hidden behind a natural rockfall, this small, dry cavern is the nascent foothold of the rival surface-world guild. Crude maps of Narathzul's smuggling routes are tacked to the walls, marked with planned infiltration points. Several crates of mundane goods are present, but one distinct, heavily secured crate bears the rival guild's emblem and contains evidence of their initial contacts or communications. A faint, cloying scent of surface-world incense hangs in the air. Exits/Connections: To The Shroud's Secret Drop (9) (West). Encounter Type: BOSS FIGHT! Objective: This area is designed for the final confrontation with the rival surface-world guild's agents who are attempting to establish their presence. The "boss" might be an elite agent of the rival guild, possibly working under the influence of Morequendi, or a powerful Morequendi overseer ensuring the rival guild's failure. The objective is to "discourage their efforts by sabotaging their initial contacts" by finding and destroying or seizing the "evidence of their initial contacts or communications" and making it clear Narathzul's smuggling routes are "taken."
