Undin Shrine is Falling
Plot points/Scenes
- Mission Briefing
- Anchor Falls
- Within the Shrine
- The Sub-levels
- Undin's Bower
- Escape
- Debrief
Themes
Recovering cultural heritage from the Raitharan Empire.
The empire's lingering malice and corrupt power.
The need to address (metaphorical) infrastructure left by the empire before it gives out beneath you.
Structure
Exposition
Mission Briefing
The Masons Quarry has been monitoring the dam at Anchor Falls for decades, but with the damage it accrued over this winter and with this year's unusually heavy rainfall, the situation has become dire much faster than they expected. As of their last inspection, they believe the base structural damage has progressed to the point that it could give way at any time.
This is, of course, a major disaster. A huge swath of land needs to be evacuated, and many families will be losing their farmland entirely, or may see it become much more difficult to work successfully. All that is being seen to.
A much, much less important concern is the one brought to us by the Temple of Anuth. Nonetheless--they have requested aid, and you are to do your best to aid them.
They claim that there is some treasure of great importance to their god, which is being held somewhere in the shrine to Undin.
He takes a deep breath, composing himself with perhaps more visible difficulty is polite.
An octopus has told them this. Therefor, they are quite certain, but cannot provide any details as they and the octopus did not have a language in common.
He clears his throat, clasping his hands behind his back with great dignity, and continues.
We are sending additional Wings to assist with preparations in Anchor Falls anyways, so you will be going with them. Have a look in the shrine for anything that might be hidden there. Whatever you find of value... or that might count as valuable to an octopus... bring it out.
However, you should be cautious. The Masons would not be calling for evacuations if the situation were not truly precarious. I expect you all to make it back in one piece, even be it empty handed.
Anchor Falls
The players start in town, where people are preparing to evacuate or to weather the flood in place. The atmosphere is tense, but not panicked--plenty think the dam will be fine, at least for a good while still, and all this fuss isn't even called for. Obviously, many others are worried, scared for their home and how this will change their lives or fortunes. Mostly, people are glad to see clear skies, and watching for any sign of rain.
If the players choose to spend some time gathering intel, they will get hints of superstition surrounding the shrine--people have seen the rotunda lit up on moonlit nights, or have heard strange voices in the shrine or from the water in the reservoir. Even though access is controlled, it isn't hard to find people who have been in the shrine, since it offers a path up to the reservoir and since teenagers like to break in at night to prove themselves.
Rising Action
Within the Shrine
The waterfalls inside the shrine make it difficult to hear--all listen checks are rolled with disadvantage. In the rotunda, an obscured switch changes the flow of the water moving through the shrine out of the central descent into a back channel. This reveals the spiral staircase down from the first floor to the sublevels. Unfortunately, water coursing through the back channel powers certain sigils, which wake up bad things.
The Sub-levels
The sublevels are quiet and echoing. Everything is wet and at most everything is slimy. Strange, glowing growths in the corners could be some kind of crystal or perhaps a fungus. The large chambers are still mostly flooded, only narrow walkways allow the players to advance. There are various fish and other sea critters here; they are friend, not foe--they are Anuth's people, after all. The foes are the gross, slimy, waterlogged zombies, the ghosts, and the ghoulish fishpeople.
Opening a Raitharan ritual lock above the door to the final chamber opens it, letting the water flood out. Players can either climb down from the catwalk (if they brought rope) or backtrack to stairs down to floor level.
Climax
Undin's Bower
The final chamber is a semi-circle, with ornate columns framing a window to the falls. Everything is bright; the room is made of white and light pink stone that shimmers and glimmers in light coming through the falls and beaming from seashell lamps. It's a little girl's dream mermaid/unicorn-themed bedroom.
Undin herself is a Sea Hag, a powerful fae that doesn't take kindly to the players invading her home. Peaceful resolution is theoretically possible, but extremely difficult--the Raitharans worshiped her, built the shrine for her... it's unlikely anything the players offer could compare.
Once she is either mollified or dispatched, players can collect the items she has hoarded here. The key mcguffin is Anuth's Mantle--a cloak that mimics the color and texture of everything behind it, and which has eight trailing 'limbs' that the bearer can learn to use as if their own. There are also various sealed scroll cases, carvings, a set of pearl jewelry, and other treasures.
Falling Action
The sub-levels collapse and flood around the PCs as they leave. skill challenge to get out with everything they've found. If fail, they are swept out into the Anchor River, waterlogged, with all loose items swept even further downstream. (Anything plot important is caught in fishers' nets and returned.) If they succeed, they make it out of the shrine with treasure in hand! Either way, they have just enough time to get back to town and raise the alarm before the rest of the shrine and dam give way.
Resolution
So long as players conduct themselves acceptably, the priests of Anuth are happy to accept whatever else was recovered (if anything) and to let the players keep the Mantle as reward. "It has been kept hidden away for so long, perhaps it would like to go on adventures with you." Otherwise, the Mantle will be taken to Anuth's temple in Albion.
Mission-specific Equipment (none provided)
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