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Dustwall Bay

Location

Mucklands Sandbox Campaign Setting · p.312

Open source p.312
Scalawag Strand

Situated south of the Dustwall Mountains, the bay is home to Anchorbottom and Ligerhead Beach. But it is also known for the Forbidden Caves, so named for the legends surrounding their dangerous nature. The sheer cliffs stretch for miles across the shoreline with some precipices reaching up to two miles high. A multitude of caves pock the heights looming over the water and loose rocks threaten to fall on anyone trying to climb the crags.

modifiers
  • Travel Checks
  • Wandering Intruder Chance
wandering intruders

##### dustwall bay

  • 1. Reef Nyads
  • 2. Troggles
  • 3. Sarpathi Reavers
  • 4. Sea Gulliaths
  • 5. Pirates
  • 6. Finfolk
what's there

DEATH'S HEAD PASS

A secret trail cut out of the side of the cliff allows travelers to hike partway down the cliff in Hex 46.21. It's said that TROGGLES forged the path as well as many of the caves dug into the side of the cliffs. Death's Head gets its name from the 20-foot tall, dark red, demonic-looking troggle head painted on the side of the cliff in dark red. While still relatively dangerous, the path is the safest way to the cave of the Whisker Mystic. Unfortunately, time and the punishing seaspray of crashing waves has eroded the rest of the pass and it doesn't connect to any of the Forbidden Caves.

##### random caves

  • 1. Dry, firelit, hushed high-pitched voices further in. A group of SARPATHI REAVERS (L5-G) chatter in their language around a fire as several sailors peer from wooden cages with concern. Ancient, rudimentary markings on the cave wall depict something difficult to understand. It looks to be
  • 2. TROGGLES fighting a monster. Lore Check to discern that the cave painting depicts a HYDREEL, revealing the critter's weakness: its long necks get twisted up in knots as it's attacked from all sides.
  • 3. A wooden treasure chest (Old Hoard ) sits in a small, dripping cave. Opening it causes the loose floor to give way, dropping everyone into a HYDREEL nest (see Cave 5).
  • 4. A tourist seeking spiritual guidance came to see the Whisker Mystic but got lost, and now they need help finding their way back. Apparently there's a HYDREEL in one of these caves.

THE FORBIDDEN CAVES

It is unknown exactly how many caves, both natural and carved, speckle the cliffs of Dustwall Bay, but some speculate in the thousands.

Long ago, the caves were TROGGLE dens evident by the cave drawings in many of them. Exploring the Caves Each time the PCs climb the cliffs to a new cave, they alternate making Athletics Checks. On a Failure, everyone suffers Dread. On a Success, roll on the Random Caves table.

  • 5. Dank, dark, snoring sounds further in. PCs find skeletons clutching at a treasure chest (Old Hoard ). The snoring comes from a slumbering HYDREEL (L6-C) in the dark that wakes if the PCs make too much noise. The body of a DWEORG mountaineer lies on the wet cave floor. It appears as if he had been mining the walls
  • 6. when he was attacked by something. The notes in his pack reveal that he is from Yr'ghgrg on an expedition to gather ROGGLE ROCKS, and he has three in his pack. A group of sopping wet PIRATES struggle to light a fire. They're startled when the PCs arrive, expecting to
  • 7. be caught by Daggerhearts. They need to hurry up and find the cave where they hid their booty before the Daggerhearts find them. Quiet screeching echoes. A SEA GULLIATH nest made of sticks and shells fills the cave, as six large baby birds
  • 8. (L1-G) scream for food. Just then, a mother SEA GULLIATH (L4-C) arrives with a wriggling SLURPWORM (L1-B) in her mouth.
  • 9. A TROGGLE (L2-B) family (mother, father, and three babies) huddles around a dwindling fire. The parents grab their sharpened sticks and point them at the intruding PCs. A dry, empty cave with parts of a broken flying machine beyond repair. A shrym skeleton clutches a small, bronze box blinking with a yellow light. A very faint, crackling voice from the box says: “S-s-S-s-Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! And Sunday only! Stop on by Captain Snood's Aeronautic Emporium to get half price on all your Sky Adventure needs! That's Captain Snood's on 2099 Wheel Street in Spark City, Shrym!” The radio
  • 10. cuts out, then cuts back in “Is y-y-y-your house plagued by a Cyclops? We've all been there! But don't fret with Kyro's Electric Cyclops Net! Wave old one-eye goodbye! Stop by Kyro's Home & Office Defense on 3001 Cog Street in Spark City, Shrym!” It's apparent the mystic voices appear to be coming from some kind of radio broadcasts from a land far away. The knob on the radio can be turned louder, which summons the group of SARPATHI REAVERS from Cave 1 to investigate the noise.
rumors
  • There are many things to discover in the Forbidden Caves—even treasure!
  • Folks travel great distances to meet the Whisker Mystic, an old FINFOLK that dispenses great wisdom.

THE WHISKER MYSTIC

The wise FINFOLK elder has long lived within a cave at the base of the cliffs. For years sea dwelling travelers have sought out the mystic to peer into their futures, provide spiritual guidance, and to get his autograph. The Whisker Mystic believes that the Forbidden Caves are the home of spirits and entities who share cryptic wisdom.

  • Traits: Talks in circles, full of pithy phrases, smug smile.
  • Motivation: Offer insights into the lives of folk searching for meaning.

CHUMELLA THE SHARKUNI

Apprentice to the Whisker Mystic, Chumella the SHARKUNI cares for the Whisker Mystic and organizes his agenda with visitors, who are more frequent by the day. And they're really starting to get on her nerves.

  • Traits: Overly protective, annoyed by tourists, about to blow her top.
  • Motivation: Look after the Whisker Mystic.
quests

MYSTIC WISDOM OF THE FORBIDDEN CAVES

The strange voices of the Forbidden Caves that the Whisker Mystic communes with have gone silent and Chumella wants someone to investigate for the old elder's sake. Suddenly, he is openly telling every visitor that the end times have come. As you can imagine this is very off-putting!

wisdom for sale

The Whisker Mystic fortune tells for Copper •, providing useful insight about a PC's Personal Quest or a Relationship.

  • Cave 10 is the one emitting a radio broadcast from Shrym that the Whisker Mystic believes are voices from another world (see Random Caves table).
  • Sharing this directly with the Whisker Mystic makes him disillusioned. For the first time in years he stands up and walks out of the cave, leaving a line of tourists confused.
  • If the PCs only tell Chumella, she nods, but does not tell the Whisker Mystic.