Proposal for a dungeon for Darkfall

by Francois-X. Sarrazin

Setting

This dungeon is a series of caves. 8 in all. 6 flow in paralel, while generaly decending consiting of two sections of three. Each of the six meet at the mouth, vestibule and the pit of the cave network. The seventh extends from the vestibule to a separate chamber containing a sphere of blue hot mythril. From the vestibule the three more paralel caves continue to meet again at the pit. Within the pit is a crack in the rock of fair size that is emiting a deep golden light. This is a cave within a sphere of solid Gold.

The Mouth

The entrance is hidden from view from the surface by a thick forest which is entirely flat. The creatures inhabiting it are sparse and of little value. The entrence is about 200 meters wide and falls slowly for another 200 to 300 meters in a downward cone. This is based on the idea of the great limestone caves of the Yucatan Peninsula. Other elements of the cave system derive from Cenotes. Smaller subteranian lagoons also of the Yucatan.
The entrance floor is covered in sand. Huge stalagtites hang from the ceiling but no
stalagmites emerge from the floor. A few pools of water lie here and there. One pool of water to the side has a few fish, wich are quite colorful. The entrances to the first three caves open at the end of the funnel. The first two are easily seen. One dives deep into the rock. The second goes right to a flat and slowly curving and large tunnel. The third is hidden. The theme of the Entrance is intimidation by scale. And choosing of the path of procedure. Frontal assault, evation, and inspection.

The Passages

The three sets were made when a race occured between three large gangs of proffesional grave looters. The seventh was dug by a clan of Mirdain Magus. The three main gangs were Mahirim, Dwarven, and Alfar. This is signfificant in the core design of the dungeon.
Combat having been part of the entire enterprize, from ground breaking to the reach of the
pit. And each was desgned for tactical reasons. The Alfar remained close to the dark and listened for their enemies in large yet completly dark and including many hiding places along the pocked floor. This is an early example of Alfar digging. Meaning that it reflects those of today. The dwarves tried to confuse them in warrens of tight, easily blockable and including alcoves where they could easlity corner an enemy and kill it. The Mirdain built high or wide tunnels, with large columbs in the center, or a couple of platforms. Or sometimes one of each or both of each. These to evade and catch their enemies. The Mirdain though used magical means to burrough. They left a cylinder directly in the center of the sphere of Mythryl's impact trajectory after reaching it by hand. This tunnel faces directly into the sphere of mythryl. And it's light is visible from it's entrance into the cylinder, near the vestibule. Though it is not visible within the vestibule.
Significances. The Alfar tunnels will favor the use of stealth to evade or surprise their enemy. The dwarven tunnels favor the use of hand weapons and brutal tactics. The Mahrim tunnel encourages the use of mobility to out maneuver the enemy. The tunnel to the sphere of mythryl will contain magical creatures. The goal of this tunnel is to outthink enemies which share the same tactical situation.
The tunnel designs are based on tactical specialities. And in the case of the magic one, mental agility.

The globes.

One of Gold and one of Mythryl.
The chamber surrounding the Mythryl sphere is large and completly sphereical. There is a floor of the tunnel decends to a on the same angle throught a deep pool, also spherical, the sphere having the same center as the mythryl sphere. But the sqhere of mythryl, though some 20 meters in diameter, is firmly held by the rock around it. The rock has been smoothed to a near poslish. A perfectly cylindrical tunnel Looking into the pool the blue light of the sqhere turns pure white (I mean pure CYM white) through wich can be seen fish of bright and glimering color. To touch the sphere, one must swim to it. But the touch the sphere is cold. But all damage fatigue, poisons, harmful spells, and mana are healed at it's touch. The water is pure and, if imbibed will also heal all these ailments. Yet the climb down is terrible. Though the creatures at the top are more dangerous then those at the end those at the end are just as deadly as the party is weakened further and further. But after being healed and having replenshed their supplies and rested, the climb up seems much easier. The point of this peartifular setting is as a recuperation area. Where they will need to go down one of the lower 3 tunnels.
Within these tunnels lives a the nine siblings of a species of demon. But not deamons of the mind. Deamons of void. They do not belong to this world. Yet they walk on it as freely as any player. These three will attack two from behind and one from the front any party which progresses into these tunnels. They will be as poweful a mage as all of Mirdain, of lethal combat tactics. Tactics such as eye gouging, throat slashing, and peircing of other vulnerable spots. These they do with their 4 arms and projectile tougne, all of mythryl.
They stand on four legs which allows them to run as fast as horses. And have senses keener then most Alfar and fight with no moral resteraint. These are meant to be terror incarnate. These are amongst some the the toughest creatures of darkfall alone. But there are three to be beaten.
This will be a great shock compared to the creatures they have fought from the begining. The creatures they have fought were endemic to the caves. Predator upon greater predator. Such as the termites of the Alfar tunels. Large and deadly. They are mindless yet attack anything they can sense. They will move in predictiable ways. The significance of this is to the player wishing to develop stealth, is that they will learn to watch and learn. To observe. The Dwarven warrens are full of smaller or larger melee style creatures. "Their skins will be as tough as 20 hides of leather compressed". The significance of this creature is for the warrior to learn how to hold the line. To fend off a brutal assault. And to develop morale, if they are successful, They will most probably become lost, in what are in fact mazes. The choosers Mahirim tunnels will face fast, agile yet relatively weak creatures that will attack from many sides at once. Here they will learn to plan their movements. The Mages will start down the tunnel to the Blue Orb after having crossed one of the 3 types of previous tunnels. Staying alive is their main goal there. If they can realise it they will probably do it. But on the way down they have to beat weaker and weaker magical creatures. As their resources are depleated, such as scrolls, reagents and Mana, they will begin to think of conserving them and of what they can be used on. They will stop using their most mana draining, and most powerful spells, and begin to think of more efficient ways to weaken their enemies. And on the way up, to kill the weaker mobs with weaker means to save what they can for the stronger ones at the top.
These four types of tunnels will ultimatly teach the player the fundamental principles of combat, surveilience, maneuvering and resource management. Strength in numbers, remaining undetected, use of space, and conservation. This part of the dungeon is used to teach veteran players how to start thinking about conflict. To start to think about ordering cooperation anto begin to see what they lack and to either redress or copensate. And most important, how to beat panic with a stronger presence of mind.

The Vestiblue

The Vestiblue is a relatively safe zone. Though creatures will wander from the higher tunnels at times. And if they linger too long one of the deamons will rise and attack the party.
If they succeed in reaching the Mythryl sphere. They will be able to recuperate.
If they do they will still have to return to the Vestibule. One of the features of the straight decent, and view of a glowing light of the tunnel to the Mythryl sphere is that it will cause the persued and panicing player to flee into it. Where they will most probably die. But if they do not they will still have to climb up to the alcove. The Alcove proper is a vaguely triangular shape. With the three ascending tunnels exiting in one side alone and 3 further decending tunnels at each exiting to the Alcove from the angle opposite. The passage to the Mythryl sphere will have to be looked for as it will not be ovbious. It will be in a dark corner. The ceiling of the Alcove cannot be seen. It cannot be seen. It is too high up. There will be nothing on the floor of broken rock but chips of stone. This place will be where paties decide weather to proceed or turn back.
Where they must judge themselves. And if they find themselves true they will not have regrets.
The chips of stone will be irridecent in sunlight. If a player has taken one of them as a trophy he will be well rewarded.

The lower tunnels.

These are the domain of the 9 deamons. They also allow weaker creatures to attack the parties attempting to go through. The lower reaches are for players of exceptional skill and power. With forknowledge of what they are facing. Strong cooperational skills and well formed and practiced combat tactics. This is one of the toughest challenges that Darkfall as code should be able to provide the player. They should have passed the upper reaches with relative ease.
These guys have to have it all. Combat and deaths are inevitable. To all levels of party.
On the way back up they will face a frontal attack then entire way up from the surviving deamons.

The Pit

Where the three caverns of the lower reaches meet. There is nothing but a small cul of chizzled rock. But with a large crevace, the size of a tall Mahirim, out of which flow a deep golden Light.

The Gold Sphere

Once the warriors enter the crevace they find themsleves in the proverbial treasure horde. A small cave with nothing else then gold for walls. Litterally more then all them put together can carry. Here they must look past immediate gratification and realize that they are olny half way done. They will still need to count their weight and the value of what they carry.
Within the loot they will find a great variety of tools, potions, and spell components, except for reagents which will be very rare. Some of the best spellbooks are to be found here as well.
What the players will not know is that all the items held in this Gold sphere are indestructible.
They will find that any tools they take will give exeptional results. And any perishables such as potions and reagents will never be used up. But these items are not bound to their owners.

Exploration

There is a last tunnel from one of the pools in the mouth of the cave to pool under the Mythryl Sphere. It is entirely dark, free of any mob, and entirely submerged in water. It will be up to the player to find a way to swim the entire way. As well as find a way throught the maze it is. The pool contains the same fish that are in the pool of the Mythril Orb. To pass this test the player will have to show incredible courage.
They will also gain, if they are the first to do it, the ability to swim underwater without ever needing to breathe.

Safety

The common feature of the Spheres is their absolute safety. To swim in the water surrounding the Mythryl Sphere will keep a player's Avatar entirely healthy in perpetuety.
The Gold sphere entrance is too small for the deamons to enter, and they do not allow weaker creatures to near it. Any players inside will find that any food they eat will keep them fed for the entirety of their Avatar's lives. These are places where it is possible to stay stranded.

Fauna and Flora
Apart from the mean stuff, there are many living things of great use in the caves.
Use as reagents and alchemical ingredients. All of the small living things and minerals of the caves are endemic. And many carry powerful effects within their bodies. Taking these home will be a strong reward in themsleves.

Lore

History

The two spheres of metal are the cooling and cooled cores of twin moons which collided when one was suddenly attracted to the other when the second was strongly attractied by a mass of dark matter surrounding a comet and passed too close. The collision caused the both of them to be knocked out of orbit and spiral down to the surface of the planet in tandem. During their falls and their impacts the moons lost all but their fusing cores. This happened before the rising of the continent. The ancients know of this but not of the proceeding history.

Humanoids living on the continent became conscious of the strong magnetic fields encicling the cores. The area then became the site of great cities. Of Imperical Capitals to prosperous Principalities. Some were able to create street lighting from simple familarity to the fields. Others built massive electrical generators which did not need a motor force. In the successive millenia of strong powers of production other species of sencient life began to emerge from strong contacts with the one controling the area of the twin moon cores. And after a few more, they were challenged for the seat many times. Until they were ousted. And their userpers were userped. And so on until no one could remember who were the first to be there. But all this was eons before the first forgoten age.

But the fields did not abate. Nor did the consciousness of them by those living within them. And during an period of complete anarchy three gangs of grave looters of no present fame but of skill never again seen, began to excavate this source of massive power. They were one Alfar, one Dwarven and one Mahirim. Here the Ancients find their thread again. Knowing of what they were excavating they took the Mahirm in charge and comissioned them to cease all excavations. Theirs and those of the other two gangs. Gangs of 120 men each. But they were not able to restrain the Mahirim's beligerance and all three reached the Heart of Gold, as he is called. A Mirdain cult of Magi thought of exploiting the work of the three gangs and make their way to the second source of power. Where the found the brother of the Heart of Gold. The Heart of Myth. They also found that the Heart of Myth was not hot to the touch, though it was obviously metal at very high temperatures. They concluded that it was acutally absorbing energy.

In fact the Heart of Myth was absorbing the Heart of Gold's energy as punishment for now being vulnrable too destruction. For he blamed his brother for their fall, when he got in the way of him when he wanted to get closer to a comet he wanted to come his way.
The Heart of Gold has been suffering his brother's ire for stopping him from touching what he knew was poison. By knowingly plunging them both to their center, the planet.

If he had not done so his brother's Heart would no longer be of Mythryl, but of nickel or iron. Had he lost his Brother of Myth, the Heart of Gold would no longer be able to define himself as part of a multitude, even of two. And would become nothing but empty vanity.

For a while until the Heart of Myth drew enough energy to protect it'self from harm by
offering immortality to any who touched it. But hte Heart of Gold was not able to afford such protection and was attacked until his wounds made the Heart of Myth realize that without his brother he would soon be attacked. And both agreed that all that is in the cave stays in the cave. And the Heart of Myth summoned whatever powers he could. In all they found 15 which would protect them for lives as long as Brothers' would be. 5 gate keepers and 9 guards and one Spy.
The 5 gate keepers would count all who came in and all that was taken in and out as well. They would not allow them to take more then they put in. In energy as well as matter. They also stopped anyone from entering of light foot or anyone fleeing the cave by moving the sands of the floor of the cave to engulf them. They stop anyone from entering the cave who have broken the heart of gold more then five times. But if great show of sacrifice to the Heart of Myth and doubly for the Heart of Gold a mark will be removed against them.
This sacrifice must be of value greater then the total they have removed from the cave. If the Avartar is found in breach of these conditions their bodies and all they carry are taken and given to the Heart of Myth.

The Spy sits on the ceiling of the Vestibule. He observes all there is to see of the people below. He analyses their weaknessess and strengths. He counts all that is carried. And gives the information to the Gate Keepers and the Guards.

The 9 guards will attempt to stop anyone from reaching the Heart of Gold by their lair caves. They are not above killing some to do this. And attempt to kill any that return which pass through their lair caves. They will chase them to the top end of the first tunnels. Where the gate keepers will deal with them as they see fit.

Once the bodies are taken by the gate keepers they are given to the Heart of Myth. Then placed in the pool at his belly. Their spirits are put to defend the way to his Lair. The stronger spirits are put at the mouth. As stronger and more spirits are taken the stronger the guard. When enough bodies are taken the Heart of Myth ejects them from the cave with orders to seak and kill any who come near the mouth. These bodies, though entirely alive have no substance. Though they are vastly more powerful then their sources, the adventurers who have lost their bodies and spirits. They do no leave corpses when they are killed. The adventurers do not cease to exist as their souls are theirs under all cicumstances. The souls are returned to the point they are bound to. And so their bodies are renewed. Though completly devoid of any of the things they brought in with them the time they had the gate closed on them.

During this time the Heart of Myth rests. After his rest is done he gives back to his Brother all that was taken from him of which he has. The gate keepers sleep. When they awake they lose all memory of what they knew before their sleep about those who passed by. Though the spy stays awake.

After which the the cycle of gain is repeated.

Such is the History.
I do not have time to go into the Vicarious Lore. That of rumors, tales, legends and myths.
In which the brothers are defined and their names found.

But i will go into Experiencial Lore. This is the lore given from the players who have been to the cave and of the things they have to show for it.

Such things as when a body is taken by the gate keeper the player simply dissapears from the cave. This effect is ment to cause great confusion and terror in the witnesses. The victim simply repsawns at their bind points with none of their equipement. This trumps any looting rules.

The fabulous weath aquired by the successful will fuel vast intrest in the dungeon and drive many stronger players to attempt it. Brining more and more loot to it.

Stories of metal armor sparking and arking.

stories of the heart of Myth.

stories of seasoned veterans disappearing in thin air. the stories of those who disappear in thin air.

Stories of quicksand

Of the released dopplegangers.

These stories will be the true lore of this dungeon.

All the equipment that is not bound to the avatar remains on the floor of the dungeon.

The themes and purpose of the dungeon.

The first purpose is to teach players how to use their characters to the fullest.
Through training in combat and the realization of their weakness in it.

Though they will hopefuly return.

the second is that of instilling wonder in the twin hearts.

the purpose and theme of the closing of the gate is the arbitrary loss of a great source of wealth and power. it is not depending on that steady source. of independence as a manner of will.

the purpose of the expultion and rest of the Heart of Myth is to renew the dungeon to it's virgin state. And to renew the loot keep in it.

The blant symbolism in the names Myth and Gold represent love and wonder.