You’ve been following whispers of a relic—one said to grant any wish, no matter how impossible. The trail led deep into the Underdark, through collapsed tunnels and forgotten paths, until days blurred together under the stone.
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Ask the Player:
How did your character learn of this place? Was the information bought, stolen, coerced—or even killed for?
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Now, at last, you find yourself before a tunnel unlike the rest: narrow at first, then widening beneath the weight of strange violet lichen. The fungi pulses faintly in the dim, as if sensing your presence. Just as you begin to step closer, the lichen shifts—unfurling across the tunnel mouth like a net, barring your path forward.
This violet lichen is a latent illusionary construct, grown thick in areas saturated with the relic’s magic. Though it seems physical, it feeds on thought and memory. Touching or cutting it releases hallucinatory spores.
| Approach | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Nature or Arcana (DC 12) | Reveals the lichen’s affinity for shadow and thought. It recoils from bright light or heat. |
| Using a Torch or Light Spell | The lichen shies away, opening a narrow path through the tunnel. No check required. |
| Brute Force | Attempting to shove through causes the lichen to lash out. The creature must succeed a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 5 (2d4) psychic damage and be poisoned for 1 hour. On a success, take half damage and no poisoning. |
| Burning or Cutting | Triggers a burst of spores. DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or suffer hallucinations (see below). |
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Ask the Player
If the character suffers hallucinations from the lichen’s spores, ask them:
The air thickens. For a moment, the cavern fades, and a familiar figure steps from the wall of lichen. It’s a mentor from your past—unchanged, just as you remember them. What was the most valuable lesson they taught you? Do you still follow it?
This moment is meant to lightly disorient and foreshadow the illusion themes to come. Let the memory pass gently, and note down the player’s answer.
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The nature of this barrier is illusionary. Even if the player takes damage or fails checks, they are able to push forward into the next area.
The remains of a drow caravan lie half-buried beneath fungal bloom. A single cart rests tilted against the cavern wall, overgrown with violet lichen and draped in spiderwebs. A white moth flits from the wheel and vanishes into the dark.
Within the cart are a number of supplies and curiosities. The player may search the cart freely.