The Weeping Wall
A gargantuan cliff face of bruised red and ochre stone that dominates the Cinnabar Gulch. Mineral-saturated water constantly oozes from the porous rock, cooling into bulbous, grotesque stalactites and slick flows of calcified runoff. Rusted iron gantries and rotting timber walkways are bolted haphazardly to the vertical surface, connected by a network of clanking chain-lifts and steam-powered pulleys that struggle against the damp.
The Weeping Wall
The air is heavy with the smell of wet iron and sulfur. The constant, rhythmic dripping of heavy water creates a discordant chime against the metal scaffolds, overlaid by the distant, wheezing hiss of failing steam vents.
A gargantuan cliff face of bruised red and ochre stone that dominates the Cinnabar Gulch. Mineral-saturated water constantly oozes from the porous rock, cooling into bulbous, grotesque stalactites and slick flows of calcified runoff. Rusted iron gantries and rotting timber walkways are bolted haphazardly to the vertical surface, connected by a network of clanking chain-lifts and steam-powered pulleys that struggle against the damp.
Thorne is a man of logic and failing patience. He treats the cliff as a living patient he is trying to keep on life support, obsessing over pressure gauges and structural integrity while ignoring the safety of those around him.
History
Industrial Hazards
Characters moving on the scaffolding must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to move at full speed. On a failure, they are prone as they slip on mineral slush. Furthermore, any thunder-based magic used near the cliff face has a 25 percent chance of vibrating a stalactite loose, forcing a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw to avoid 3d6 piercing damage.
Mineral Extraction Machinery
The Wall is dotted with rusted Bore-Drills and Pressure-Pumps. A character with proficiency in Smith's Tools or Tinker's Tools can attempt to overload a boiler (DC 15) to create a 20 foot radius explosion of steam, or repair a pulley system to create a quick escape route up the cliff.
Chemical Seepage Effects
The water of the Weeping Wall is highly alkaline and tainted with mercury. Any creature that starts its turn drenched in the runoff must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned for 1 minute. If a creature remains in the water for more than 3 rounds, the mineral buildup begins to harden, reducing their movement speed by 10 feet until they take a short rest to chip the residue off.
Denizens
Thorne is a man of logic and failing patience. He treats the cliff as a living patient he is trying to keep on life support, obsessing over pressure gauges and structural integrity while ignoring the safety of those around him.
A weathered veteran with a prosthetic bronze hand who knows every loose bolt on the Wall. He is fiercely protective of his remaining crew.
A nimble youth who climbs the slick rock without ropes, searching for rare mineral clusters to sell on the black market.
Rumors & Plot Hooks
- 1.The weeping water has started to hum a low, vibrating tune that can be felt in the teeth.
- 2.One of the lower steam-vents recently blew, revealing a hollow chamber filled with petrified miners.
- 3.Elias Thorne is no longer paying his crew in coin, but in mysterious vials of refined red liquid.
Classified Entry
The mineral seepage is being accelerated by a bound Earth Elemental in the strata above. The industrial drills pierced its heart years ago, and it is effectively bleeding out, its essence turning the water into the strange, fast-growing crystalline formations that are currently destabilizing the entire cliff side.
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