Sniff Lord's Tunnels
Summary
Sniff Lord's Tunnels are a network of underground passages located beneath the town of New Smoke. These tunnels served as the original source of the Purple Goo that Goober collected and that the party has been using throughout the campaign. In Session 10, the tunnels became the site of a rescue operation when the Thunder Hogs used them to imprison Vasso, Sucks, and The Mayor of New Smoke. The tunnel system is accessed via a staircase in a Supply Shed near the foundry and extends approximately 30-40 feet below ground level.
The tunnels appear to serve multiple purposes: they were the original habitat or storage location for the purple goo, they provide covert access to various locations in New Smoke, and the Thunder Hogs have repurposed sections as makeshift prison cells. The complex features varying construction quality and materials, suggesting it was built in stages or for different purposes over time.
Description
The entrance to Sniff Lord's Tunnels lies in a supply shed near the foundry, where a staircase descends at an angle approximately 30-40 feet below ground level. The construction quality throughout the complex is inconsistent and haphazard, described as "a lot more haphazard than you'd expect" and not professionally built.
The tunnel system consists of multiple branching corridors and chambers with distinct architectural zones. The initial sections feature "winding natural ish corridors" carved from stone. Deeper into the complex, the construction transitions to solid gray hard material that "looks like it was almost poured in place"—not stone blocks but some kind of concrete-like poured construction. This poured-material section appears to be the underground level of a pre-apocalypse building, featuring drainage gutters running along the sides of the corridors.
Lighting throughout the passages comes from "guttering torches on the wall, casting flickering shadows across the floors," placed intermittently along the corridors. The main corridor extends into the distance and arcs out of sight. The tunnels have sufficient acoustic properties that Vasso was able to use pigeon calls to echolocate the structure.
The prison section features solid metal doors with no lock mechanisms on the inside and no windows or food slots. These cells held captured prisoners including Vasso and Sucks during Session 10. Players noted that the prison facility appears poorly organized, joking that it resembles an "escape room" or "practice prison" due to its construction flaws.
History
Session 10
Sniff Lord's Tunnels became central to the party's rescue operation in Session 10 when they discovered the Thunder Hogs were using the complex to hold prisoners. The party accessed the tunnels through the supply shed entrance, descending into the complex to rescue The Mayor of New Smoke.
During their infiltration, the party navigated through multiple sections of the tunnel network. They encountered the Barrel Chamber, a room filled with barrels containing caustic, death-smelling substances. The varying construction materials—from natural stone corridors to the poured concrete sections—created a maze-like environment with multiple branching paths.
Vasso and Sucks were captured and imprisoned in the metal cells within the poured-material section of the tunnels. Cat and Monster navigated the lit corridors while attempting to rescue their imprisoned companions. Safia used the drainage gutters along the corridor walls to hide stolen keys during the rescue attempt.
The Thunder Hogs actively patrolled the tunnels, with voices echoing through the passages. Guards carried keys on their belts for the various locked doors throughout the complex. The tunnels provided the Thunder Hogs with covert access to the foundry and other locations in New Smoke.
The connection to the Purple Goo was confirmed when it was noted that "the goo that Goober had was the goo from the Sniff Lords tunnels," establishing these passages as the original source of the substance the party had been experimenting with. Goober was confirmed to be in tunnels with Ralston, possibly within this same tunnel system.
Notable Features
- Multiple construction zones: Natural stone corridors transition to pre-apocalypse poured concrete sections, suggesting the complex incorporates both excavated passages and repurposed building infrastructure
- Drainage gutters: Concrete sections feature gutters running along the corridor sides, useful for concealing small objects
- Torch lighting: Guttering wall torches provide flickering illumination throughout the passages
- Barrel Chamber: A chamber containing barrels of caustic, death-smelling substances
- Metal prison cells: Solid metal doors with no interior locks, windows, or food slots—poorly designed for actual prison use
- Acoustic properties: Sufficient echo for sound-based navigation and echolocation
- Multiple access points: Connects to the foundry and possibly other locations in New Smoke via the supply shed staircase
- Purple Goo source: Original location where the purple goo was found and collected
- 30-40 foot depth: Accessed via an angled staircase descending from ground level