Underground Tunnel
Summary
The Underground Tunnel is a dark passageway located beneath the Rex Tree, accessed through a concealed entrance in the tree's trunk. In Session 2 of the campaign, the party discovers this tunnel and becomes trapped inside when the entrance seals shut behind them. The tunnel descends into the earth and remains in total darkness except for the faint glow of a magical butterfly brooch, which provides barely enough illumination to see nearby faces but not the path ahead.
Description
The entrance to the tunnel measures approximately six feet tall and opens when someone touches a specific section of the Rex Tree's bark, triggering a trap mechanism. The entrance reveals itself dramatically, with a portion of the tree falling away to expose the passageway. The tunnel leads downward into the earth, its full depth and extent unknown.
Once the party crosses the threshold, the entrance door shoots back up from the earth with a grinding sound, sealing them inside and plunging them into complete darkness. The only source of light available to the trapped party is a magical butterfly brooch, though its illumination proves severely limited. As described in Session 2, the brooch produces light that is "very, very dim" — sufficient to see "the faces of the people next to you, but not very far ahead." If the butterfly were to fly forward, the party could potentially follow it to navigate the darkness.
History
Session 2
The party—Vasso, Safia, Cat, and Sucks—discovers the Underground Tunnel's entrance at the Rex Tree. When they enter the tunnel, the entrance mechanism activates immediately after the last person crosses the threshold. The door shoots back up and locks behind them, trapping all four party members in total darkness. The session concludes with the party trapped in the tunnel, facing the challenge of navigating through near-complete darkness with only the dim light from the butterfly brooch to guide them. The presence or nature of any Monster potentially connected to the tunnel remains unclear at the session's end.
Notable Features
- Hidden entrance mechanism — Opens when a specific section of the Rex Tree's bark is touched, revealing a six-foot-tall doorway
- Automatic sealing trap — The entrance closes and locks immediately after the last person enters, with no apparent way to reopen it from inside
- Complete darkness — The tunnel contains no natural or artificial light sources
- Descending path — The tunnel leads downward into the earth, destination unknown
- Grinding mechanical sounds — The entrance door makes grinding noises when it seals shut