The Shadow-Vein Sewers
Beneath the city's commerce, blood and sulfur flow through the dark.
A sprawling network of reinforced tunnels originally built for a master thieves' guild, now partially occupied by an apocalyptic demonic coven. The air is stagnant, smelling of old grease, copper, and the ozone of abyssal portals.
The walls drip with slimy condensation while the distant sound of chanting echoes through the narrow stone passages. Dim green ever-burning torches cast long, flickering shadows that seem to move independently of their owners.
☠ Threat
Matriarch Xolara and her coven are tearing a permanent rift to the Abyss within the deep chambers. They are protected by a mixture of elite guild assassins and bound demons, using the labyrinth's traps to thin out any urban watch or adventuring parties.
History
Built three centuries ago by the Gilded Hand syndicate to bypass city tolls, these tunnels became a legend among the underworld. Recently, a coven of demonologists known as the Void-Heart purchased the guild's loyalty with forbidden power. Now, the thieves serve as guards for dark rituals that threaten to pull the city into the Abyss.
Encounter Table
CRAn invisible fiendish assassin that strikes from the Ethereal Plane.
Four master thieves equipped with potions of speed and poisoned crossbows.
Rumours & Whispers
Vance the merchant is actually 'Vance the Vulture', a disgraced guild lieutenant.
A member of the demonist coven is looking for a way to betray her sisters.
The centipede in the tunnels was grown from abyssal waste and eats stone like soft bread.
The greatest treasure isn't the gold, but a key that opens any lock in the city above.
Quest Hooks
Quest giver: Vance
Vance approaches the party in the entrance, claiming his family locket was stolen by the cult.
10,000 gp and information on the city's corruption.
Quest giver: Archmage Kaelen
Local mages have detected a rift growing beneath the city and hire the party to seal it.
A favor from the Mage's Guild and a Staff of Power.
Corridor Notes
Sconce-held skulls that whisper 'Beware' as living beings pass by.
A steady stream of black, foul-smelling water flowing toward the lower levels.
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