The Magnificent Canyon

Awesome canyon (300’ deep). Rushing river (loud, base of canyon). Devil’s bridge (metal lattice across canyon, fragile).

• Canyon floor: 1 watch to climb down safely; DEX check and 1 turn to climb down in a hurry. Dead ancient vehicle. Inside: 3 rotted waterwights tied to chairs. One clutches a chest with a small treasure (page 7), 200gp, and mission papers in a lost language (something about quakes threatening a lost city).

Initial Exploration

Pearly Chasms (Canyon Floor)

Great pool (deep, bright blue). Glowing flowers (crystalline). Geyser (mineral-rich).

• Examine pool: 1d6 cave clams with pearls (75gp each). Pack of 2d6 cave fish (as piranhas).
• Examine geyser: 3 glittering skeletons, embraced (100gp each). Water is near-boiling (2d6 damage/round). Lonely skeleton (Bobheart) tries to make friends by pushing travellers into the water. A search reveals Bobheart’s bad poetry cache, 146gp, and a locket inscribed with the name ‘Amanita’ (page 22). Slippery slopes, narrow ledges, faults, pyrite veins.

Further Exploration

Glabrous Refuge (Canyon Floor)

Pueblos (abandoned). Dripstone (smokestained).

• Search pueblos: Chtonic passage, wafting cave lotus smoke.
• Follow passage: 6 turns. Wisp moss forest and rude shacks of cave lotus-eating Glab- Glabs (page 10). 2d12 of the nigh-immortals remain, all memories of the past wiped away by the cave lotus mushrooms.
• Elder’s bungalow: Sealed. Mummified in lotus position, holding last copy of Testaments of the Ignored (tells how God Carp ignored the Glab-Glab, 500gp). Path to Chasms, bridges, spidering ropes, cascading waters.

Regional Challenges

6. Plunging rocks: Rocks and boulders cascade into chasm, water sprays. Middle-most PC: save vs paralysis or fall 30’. 7. Waterside attack: Random cave fish (page 10) lurks under floating calcite raft, waiting to attack passers-by. 8. Wandering fool: A lost Glab-Glab (page 10) chased from home by quakes. Fragments of memory returning as cave lotus leaves their system. 9. Rising waters: Only affects canyon floor. Quake creates dam. 1 watch to bypass or brave 1d4+1 cave fish (page 10).

Collapse

1. Canyon vibrates like a great bell. Animals must save vs paralysis or flee for 2 turns. +d6 to collapse checks. 2. Waters rise to fill canyon floor in a foaming madness (+30’ per turn). PCs climbing out: lowest CON must pass a WIS check or exhaustion sets in, requiring help to climb further. +d6 to collapse checks. 3. Like a drain emptying, waters rush out. Walls scoured. PCs in water: STR check or swept away. Canyon then groans as it slowly shuts.