Deep under waves lies a grand city of Visteria from the lost ages. A large underground city built deep into lumen, it has a near perpetual rain from the water trinkling down from lake bravo. The Slumbering City (formerly Visteria) was once a place of beauty, the greatest architects in the land united to build a gem beneath the earth, this gem served as a travel hub for Lumen before the tides rose. Now this old gem sits quite except for the stomping of patrolling golems and the droplets of rain hitting the fine paved roads.
This city is held in a delicate balance; it could take only one push to cause this gem to crumble. Within the cities center exists a Massionare a long extinct race except for a few stragglers. This Creature refers to themselves as "The Oldest Dream" They are maintaining this realm using their boundary magic, keeping the city in a place between reality and a dream. Once they pass the city will crumble into dust like it should've long ago.
The only way to Escape the Slumbering City is to put the Dream to rest.
The Origin of the City: Visteria, a magical disease struck as the oldest dream traveled to the City of Visteria in search of the hidden gem. To save the city the dream used its boundary magic to force the entirety of visteria into a dream, preventing the souls from leaving, as their spirits and sorrow are confined by the boundary and the tear.
The Tear and its Sorrows. Not a soul could've predicted what secrets the Tear held, having powered a machine that returned souls for millennia, it held an affinity for harboring souls. When the plaque first hit the spire had yet to fill, it took a few months before Visteria had no more room to bury the dead, so they took to burning. Tossing hundreds of bodies some fresh others decayed into the depths of the spire, and mere feet from the Tear they burned. Their flesh left this world, but their spirits didn't as the Tear held them down, their rage and sorrow imprinting upon it. Years passed before the arrival of the Dream, when they finally did show Visteria had already fallen to madness dozens of anchored souls and a disease threating the cities Extinction.
The Oldest Dream made the only choice it could, to preserve the city and her people, utilizing its powerful Boundary magic to physically force the sorrows of Visteria into the spire, to force the anguish of the damned souls deep into Tear itself. And hundreds of years later we find ourselves here a city with wandering humanoids and Souls all confined within its bounds, and the only aspect holding it together is the constant syphoning of Visterias sorrow into the Tear allowing her people to remain "sane".
Models to Make: Iris grave, The Spirit Fountain, Corrupted crown of thorns,
Todo List:
have 4 models to make, 12 locations to create, alot of lore, and details, and 6 stat blocks to make, three legendary items, three story feats, 3+ custom spells for this area alone. Not to mention battle maps, area map, and lore on why its here, what happened, how the city fell to the oldest dream.
Landmarks:
The Bottomless Well: The place where all the sorrows of the Slumbering City were placed, the oldest Dream absorbed the hate of his people and confined it to one well. Though the key to accessing the first gate lies here.
The Garden of Iris: A walk in a beautiful garden, a calming place with a grand overlook for the city, on the walls are small exerts written in runic describing the garden and small bits of its history. Within the heart of her garden is the only remnant of Iris left behind her grave and atop it a beautiful dagger, this is a legendary dagger carrying the weight of her history. Grabbing onto the dagger will push the party into Iris's dream, walking through high gardens, fields of flowers, then the slums of the city, as the dream slowly corrupts, reflecting her decaying mental state, the dream will end with Iris sitting in her own garden, before taking her own Life, her lifeless body landing in her field of flowers.
There will be puzzle encounters, roleplay encounters where the players will be placed in parts of her history, a combat encounter with the force of dread consuming her, and finally a small offering encounter, the players gaining a spiritual flower, once they place this flower at the foot of her grave the dagger will be freed as her soul has been put to rest.
For the one who places the flower on Iris grave, a special story feat will be offered, "A Lost Flower" It will grant them access to a few botany related spells, and one special spell that can create a field of flowers.
"They will walk through the high gardens of the city's golden age, through the crowded slums of its decline, and finally witness the shadow of dread that consumed Iris before her final act of despair. Only by placing a spiritual flower at the foot of the grave can the party silence the echoes of the past and free the blade from its vigil."
The Wyrms Rest: The cavern where the Lesser Wyrm took its grand rest. The cavern is lit by glowing Amythest. Here the Wyrm rests, its docile. It has a fear for combat, if a player manages to form a true bond with it and break through its layer of fear, they will be offered a special story feature "Lullaby" Allowing the beast to finally rest peacefully it will impart a small fragment of its providence onto you, allowing you to conjure a minor miracle related to the weather or sea.
The Golden Walk: Similar to the star walk, the path is a reflection of who you are, each reflects their title, it's a path of discovery, one may only escape when they realize a hidden truth from deep within.
The First Gate: (Gothic Iron gate)
The Second Gate: (Limbo)
The Third Gate: (Stairway to Heaven)
The Crystalline Waterways: The waterways just below the slumbering city, they are constantly flowing as the rainwater from Brave continuously trinkles down. If not for the waterway the city would flood. In absence of the maintenance crew, it seems something else entirely has taken root within the water ways. The dungeon is taken over by this magically infectious disease, at the end of its spread lies a crown, an ornate crown of thorns a legendary magic item. This magic item was corrupted; by slaying the infection they may find and purify the crown.
Overseers Seclude: A Large tower that rests within the cities center, in its heart lies the Oldest Dream.
The Spirit Fountain: the water that comes out glow's violet, it has a reinvigorating effect, (healing potion). Around the fountain lost souls that the Dream trapped remain idle, resting in the safest part of the city. They will share lore.
The Spindle: A large, long Structure built just above where the city used to bury their dead, once the bottomless well is cleared this place will be filled with unfathomable sorrow, those who wish to take the artifact at its furthest depths will have to face the manifesting sorrows within. Within this place lies a beast known as the father. The artifact it holds is known as the Forgotten Tear, a crystalline Arcane focus modeled after a dragon's tear. It offers Unique spells related to sorrow, but the caster must bear the weight of the focus as it holds the weight of every fear every formed within the Slumbering City.
The Crucible: a furnace that never rests, the echoes of smiths long since passed fills the halls. the fire is a deep Azure that is capable of burning souls. Within it a player may gain a Legendary Story Feature "A Lost Dreamer" Gain access to Dream fire. This will require a player to throw themselves in the flames and control it as it reduces their soul to cinders, it may only be acquired by someone who has walked the Golden Path and emerge changed.
Burning in the fire will take the player through a journey covering the deepest parts of themselves, they will see glimmers of their past and future.
Plans
The Outer Ring: Spirit Fountain - Garden of Iris - Wyrm’s Rest.
The Under-City: Bottomless Well - Waterways.
The Inner Ring: The Spindle - The Golden Walk - The Crucible.
The Core: Overseer’s Seclude.
Outskirts: (Intro and some lore)
1. The spirit fountain: a safe haven for the party and a sort of hub to return to, the area is filled with the souls of the cities former inhabitants
2. The Garden of Iris: a calming landmark with a history, it introduces the mechanic of entering dreams. This will set the tone of putting things to rest being the key aspect of the Slumbering City
3. The Wyrm's Rest: Located on the far outskirts of the residential district. Completing this encounter will provide the Lullaby miracle which will let them dampen the storm of the inner city
The First Gate: (The Cities Toll)
1. The bottomless Well: holds the key to the first gate, meant to be completed right after the garden of Iris
2. The first gate: opening the gate allows a low fog to roll in, as the party can enter the inner city. There will be a boss fight against a Gole.m here. The fog has a heavy sense of nostalgia
3. The crystalline Waterways: The way forwards is blocked, the party can either fight their way through dozens of golems on ruined city streets, or enter the waterways through one of the large cracks, they can complete the dungeon or travel and exit through the other side. They will fight an aspect of corruption here. Can purify crown
A Path of Thorns: (Trial of Self)
1. The spindle: After the well is cleared the spindle will fill with its sorrow, combat heavy area with large roleplay potential. After Facing the Father and claiming the Forgotten Tear the party will feel the weight of the citys burden upon them. They will have metaphorically and physically taken it on.
2.The Second Gate (Limbo): A surreal dreamlike transition, the city shifts from a solid in stone city with high buildings into more of a fading memory with fragments of the city having collapsed into pools of etherealness. Things within this part are only half there, (library with book made of rain) ( A bridge that is there visibly but not physically) (A building with rooms that make no sense)
3. The Golden Walk: This is a mandatory encounter to progress forward. Its a path of discovery. The players must experience its growth in order to face the final trials
The Ascent:
1. The crucible: a large undying furnace standing right before the third gate. Only those who have emerged changed from the Golden walk may attempt the encounter and survive. If a player survives the encounter they will gain dreamfire, a powerful weapon against the Oldest Dream.
2. The Third Gate: (The stairway to heaven) An ascent upwards, the rain from lake Bravo will begin to float and fall upwards, the rain will be the heaviest here. As each step will place an increasingly heavy weight on those climbing upwards. And at its top they must face the Saint. The Oldest dream is using a mimicry of its own species executioner to guard its sanctuary. It has anti magical and soul rending abilities. On successful hits they take a memory, stealing a feature for one round. The saint is silent and emits a low hum that causes rain to spike upwards, players must make con saves to avoid moving upward from the inverted gravity. If a player uses the forgotten tear or dreamfire the saint will attack them with a legendary action.
3. Overseers Seclude: The final arena. Here is the place the Oldest Dream calls its home. The party must decide to put this dream to rest and escape or allow themselves to fall into its depths and slumber.