The Gaping Maw

Belly of the Beast

Written by Endrise

How did you lose an entire dungeon? It couldn't just got up and left.

— Adventuring party trying to find the Gaping Maw

Legends speak of a fabled dungeon across Silva, known as the Gaping Maw. Described as a treasure vault with a nation’s fortune buried inside. Many adventurers seek out the fabled ruins to get it themselves. Although few who ventured into it ever came out alive.

Legend of the Dungeon

The Gaping Maw is a common legend told around Silva's taverns. The fabled dungeon, the challenge to any adventurer, home to a nation's worth of treasure. Its origins vary depending on who you ask, either as a treasure vault or a bandit hideout forgotten by time.

Whatever is true, the lure of gold makes it sought after by adventuring parties. The problem comes with the place of the ruins being inconsistent, as no map knows where it lies. People report it being in the east, in the west, high north or even down in the center of Silva. Even those that saw it return only to find turned soil and no sign a dungeon ever existed here.

The Secrets of the Dungeon

The dungeon’s sightings are recorded as far back as the Blazing War, but its purpose remains unknown. It always appears not far away from a major road or town, implying it is aware where civilisation exists. And usually someone finds it in less than a week.

Many adventurers journeyed into its depths throughout the years, with only a few ever coming back. Survivors claim the dungeon is playing with them, getting separated in a hallway or rooms vanishing before their eyes. Nobody even knows how deep the dungeon goes.

Even with the high mortality rate, people want to know the truth about the Gaping Maw. So there will be always a group of adventurers trying to find where it will appear next. Either to learn the truth, or finding a mighty treasure that lying within its depths.

Type

Dungeon

Parent Location

Silva

Seismic Activity

Minor earthquakes tend to warn locals about the dungeon’s arrival, usually by a day or two before someone spots it. It leads to many theories that the dungeon moves underground, changing locations after a few days.

It also vanishes in a similar manner, with sudden seismic activity when nobody is looking. Even with attempts to monitor the entrance, it finds a way to either slip away unnoticed or take any witnesses with them.

Dungeon Layout

Entrance

Every adventurer that witnessed the Gaping Maw’s entrance describes it a little differently. An archway several feet high, with broken pillars surrounding a stone altar. Some describe the architecture as Elven, others as civilisations that are older. The only consistency is the stench of rotting flesh hanging in the air, as if something died within the bowels of this dungeon.

Shifting Hallways

Moist corridors make up large sections of the dungeon, with no consistency in their construction. They turn and twist, some hundreds of feet long while others are only a few. They can be open and wide, but also so narrow one needs to squeeze through.

Despite its ruined nature, the hallways remain clean. Dust does not gather on the floor and weeds do not grow, making people question what keeps these halls tidy.

Treasure Chambers

Deep within the dungeon's bowels are said to be large chambers full of collected treasures and valuables. Gold and jewels, ancient relics and an assortment of weapons. Although nobody is sure how many chambers there truly are within the Gaping Maw's corridors.

Those able to steal some of the treasure notice multiple eras of equipment and currencies present, believing the hoard is still growing in some manner.

Death Traps

A multitude of traps lay dormant within the dungeon’s walls, from spike pits to poisonous needles. Many are hidden in plain sight, often luring fools in with gold or a bejeweled artefact. Not to mention the many dangerous face-melting acid traps.

The reason why so many don’t notice the traps is due to their almost untouched appearance. No signs of blood, no skeletal remains, not even a sign of struggle.

Monsters

Monsters roam the halls of the fabled dungeon, creatures such as oozes, slimes, and other gelatinous entities. They ensure the cleaning of the dungeon and might be the reason for the moisture found across its stonework. While not being a major threat if left unprovoked, their quantities can overwhelm a group with ease and digest them in a matter of minutes.

Some reports do note of reanimated Undead as well, though some believe it to be more a case of parasitism. Aberrations that use the remains of explorers as hosts, moving their bodies with tendrils latched onto bones. Possibly creations of some mad wizard.

The most noteworthy foe found here are the Mimics, who come in all sizes and shapes, hiding everywhere. From bricks in the wall to the furniture, coins in a pile of gold to even the doors to enter rooms. One could almost assume it to be a breeding grounds for these monsters, waiting for unsuspecting adventurers they can use as an endless food supply.