TEXT: Copyright © 2014 Michael Prescott -
  - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ - Find more adventure locations at http://patreon.com/adventures
  v1.1 p.1/3
  THE SALT MINE (LIT)
  The mine chief, Goccan, will be (d6) 1-3:
  gambling with d3 pious-caste fellows, or 4-6:
  supervising d6 carreg mine slaves as they dig.
  The mine chief is quite mad, having somehow
  contracted spores from the privy cavern. The
  dreams have plagued him for months, and he
  believes them to be true visions from Inceraugh.
  The visions insist he drop bodies down the
  privy, though the law forbids this.
  To this end he has murdered two carreg slaves
  and a Dradkin salt-carrier and stashed their
  bodies in the salt pile.
  He believes in his task, but he is afraid. Goccan
  has prayed many long hours for someone who
  understands to come and aid him.
  HALL OF WAITING (DARK)
  The outermost hall of Incerat is a shrine
  decorated in high relief, showing dradkin hunting
  and roasting ineptly rendered surface animals.
  The hall contains d3 pious-caste dradkin,
  praying in the dark, or d2 pitiable heretic
  sympathizers waiting for an opportunity to
  relay news.
  MIST-SHROUDED CAVE (DIM)
  Foggy
  air
  roils
  as
  the
  pool's humidity meets the chill
  of the depths, limiting sight to 20'
  (given noon light, or light sources).
  This area is frequented by dradkin fishing
  parties (2d6 individuals) entering from the Miners'
  Hall.
  Hiding in the mist are 15 heretics, exiles from
  Incerat. Led by Dussa the Squint, they refuse to
  wait any longer for prosperity, and have etched out
  a crude ladder that makes the terrifying 110' climb
  up into the bat roost.
  From there, they have made several forays into the
  surrounds, but their exploits so far have been limited
  by the drying heat and light of the sun. They are eating
  well on goat, but grow desperate, fearing reprisal from
  Incerat.
  THE PILGRIM'S STAIR
  Two guardian statues (oxen with
  oddly batlike faces) stand at the top.
  They watch the stair, but will attack
  anyone defacing the shrine.
  The side chamber is a store whose supplies
  have turned to dust long ago.
  The stair leads half a league down to the shores
  of dry Ur-Menig, though twenty paces down the air
  is unbreathable: after a brief dizziness comes a
  deathless sleep.
  FUNGAL CAVERN (DARK)
  The stream winds briskly through a forest of
  massive fungal caps, then plunges into an airless
  shaft. The caps grow tightly packed, with no gaps.
  The smallest can be stepped over, the largest
  walked beneath, but those of person height must
  be hewn or clambered over, or crawled under.
  The sickly-sweet smell of rot wafts from the
  bend in the stream, where two goat carcasses lie
  bloating (accidentally herded over the waterfall by
  Dussa's heretics).
  Gatherers (2-4) from the dwelling chamber
  come often, alert because of the strange smell.
  THOUGH FLESH BE VAST
  An adventure by Michael Prescott
  THE SITUATION
  Among
  the
  dradkin,
  prophecy
  holds that the under-god Inceraugh
  would one day lead them to the
  prosperous surface world, where mute
  beasts grow fat on endless plants.
  Now, though, the faith's last known
  temple stands on the brink of social
  collapse.
  GHARIAL'S PERCH (DIM)
  Basthenes the gharial
  fell into the cavern three
  decades
  ago,
  and
  has
  grown
  massive
  on
  the
  plentiful fish.
  He
  is
  a
  devoted
  narcissist, deeply lonely,
  who longs for interesting
  conversation and better
  sport than fish.
  THE SUNLIT POOL (DAY)
  A blinding patch of sunlight edges
  around the waterfall shaft; at noon,
  the sun touches the water and fills the
  cavern with blue light. Fish abound.
  A small but feisty whorl drains
  water to the fungal cavern down a
  water-filled tunnel. 10-15' deep.
  ABANDONED SHRINE (DARK)
  A
  12'
  statue
  of
  Inceraugh
  dominates the shrine; roughly bovine,
  it beckons with six legs that frame a
  distended belly. Its front is studded
  with hundreds of garnets (a handful
  are rubies) representing the promised
  beast flesh. Anyone meeting the idol's
  gaze finds hunger.
  Wall etchings show hundreds of
  dradkin eating the flesh of a recling
  Inceraugh, vast and never-dying.
  The side chamber by the idol is
  empty but for the husk of a dradkin
  flesh-priest, still gnawing on the hem
  of its cassock. Devotional writings on
  wax tablets recount the legend.
  Beneath the flesh-priest's cot is a
  bundle of isopod shells, etched with a
  ritual intended to provide hope and
  comfort, but it was never finished.
  THE GORGE (SKYLIT) AND BAT CAVERN (DIM)
  A river gorge ends suddenly at a deep
  fissure - the water falls 120' straight down
  before thundering into an underground pool.
  A crevice to the east opens into a large bat
  roost,
  where
  a
  second
  fissure
  drops
  into
  darkness.
  GORGETIP CAVERN (DIM)
  The gorge ends in a cavern: Szimalt, a dradkin,
  lurks in the darkness. Bravest of the heretics, she alone
  dwells above ground, subsisting on mosses and gorge
  skinks.
  She makes nightly forays along the river, looking for
  other habitable caves or holes, and might share details
  about Incerat in exchange for surface survival lore.
  A narrow shaft
  drops
  50'
  to
  the
  shrine, but the bottom
  6' is
  plugged with lake
  pebbles
  tossed
  in
  by
  Basthenes.
  UNCLAIMED LEGACY (DARK)
  An illusory wall conceals a
  dry
  cavern,
  undisturbed
  for
  years. Within is an enchanted
  set of bone-scale armor, a kin-
  leather cloak of stealth, and
  four stone urns of good oil.
  CAVERN CLIFFS
  The natural caverns are
  joined by steep drops (20-
  30', variously). While the
  climbing is not particularly
  difficult with good light,
  anyone who tarries at the
  top
  risks
  attracting
  the
  attention of d3 ghost bats
  from the ceiling.
  
  Copyright © 2014 Michael Prescott -
  - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ - Find more adventure locations at http://patreon.com/adventures
  v1.1 p.2/3
  THOUGH FLESH BE VAST
  INCERAT THE HIGHMOST
  Founded centuries ago as a monastery,
  Incerat was funded by the largesse of
  wealthy pilgrims from the depths. Several
  weeks' hard travel from the underlands,
  it gradually achieved self-sufficiency on
  fish, fungus and oil.
  The flow of pilgrims ebbed centuries
  ago, and the community has stagnated
  into three castes: the fleshpriests, the
  pious warriors, and the pitiable.
  HALLS OF THE PIOUS (LIT)
  Here dwell the pious fighting
  caste:
  nine
  warriors
  and
  their
  families, 27 in all. Warriors wield
  bone and steel blades, wear bone-
  scale armor and chitin helm. Each
  is attended by a lamp-bearer.
  THE CHAMBERS OF PITY (LIT)
  The dwelling place of the lowest
  caste Dradkin, 30 individuals in all.
  They will be (d6) 1-2: just starting;
  3-4:
  in
  the
  midst
  of;
  5-6:
  just
  finishing:
  1.
  cooking, eating, gambling and
  gossiping
  2.
  a long period of sleep and sex
  3.
  praying as one
  4.
  wringing oil from carefully
  gathered apocalypse larva
  5.
  serving food to the other castes
  6.
  a funeral and body gift-making
  About half will fight, armed with bone
  or metal-tipped spears or blades.
  Abscon
  the
  Filch,
  disgraced
  fleshpriest, knows rituals of defeaning
  and weakness.
  THE SLAVE PENS
  The slave warden watches over 2d6
  carreg, used for the worst of Incerat's
  physical labor, as well as arena sport.
  In the last cell is a gnome, who has
  died only recently. He bears the scars of
  many fights in the arena.
  THE PRIVY CAVERN
  The communal privy from the dwelling
  chamber empties here. Over many years,
  a thread-like fungus that suffuses the vast
  pile of dung has become intelligent.
  Anyone bearing the invisible dust of its
  spores will hear its will: it desires that
  THE GREAT LIBRARY (LIT)
  A pool of cleansing; urns of melted
  wax over oil-burning braziers. In the far
  chamber, bone-inlaid stone shelves bear
  hundreds of heavy wax tablets.
  Most
  are
  devotional,
  2d6
  are
  inscribed spells.
  d6 fleshpriests of uniform gender
  will be present at all times, bathing,
  tablet-making, praying or transcribing.
  THE DIMREACH BEGINS (UNLIT)
  An
  enormous
  cave
  system
  extends
  several
  leagues to the south, overhanging cavernous Ur-
  Menig. Apocalypse larva and fire beetles are
  numerous; whip scorpions and ghost bats are
  frequent. Cave squid are rare and feared.
  It is thick with trails from the occasional Incerat
  hunting
  parties,
  in
  search
  of
  food
  and
  any
  abominations finding their way up from Ur-Menig.
  fragments of itself be transplanted to the surface. It
  could also do with a decomposing body or six, which
  would let it grow servitors.
  The Dradkin know not to leave bodies here (their
  law prohibits it), though not why, as the last servitor
  outbreak was before living memory.
  THE ARENA (LIT)
  Here carreg slaves fight for their lives
  against the captured abominations of the
  lower world.
  This is supposedly a sacred act, feeding
  Inceraugh's "avatars" so that he may in turn
  feed his faithful.
  A chute in the southern corner allows the
  keepers to return uncooprative avatars to the
  pens.
  HALL OF THE AVATARS (LIT)
  Currently held are a pair of greater cave
  squid, and a horse-sized, three-necked hydra.
  By a quirk of lineage, the avatar keeper is
  low born, and allows frequent visits by
  curious youngsters from the Chambers of
  Pity. He knows a cantrip that, within
  Incerat, will force cave squid to ground.
  At the top of the ramp is a feed store,
  packed with dried larva.
  AERIE (DARK)
  The pious captain of the bailey maintains
  an aerie of trained ghost bats. It is her
  gift to know their speech, and they
  are fiercely loyal to her, or least to
  the scent of her large, kin-leather
  gauntlet.
  Twelve
  hang
  in
  the
  guano-filled chamber, awaiting eagerly.
  BARRACKS (DARK)
  Equipped with cots for twelve, the
  barracks are now empty save for the
  captain and her occasional guests.
  THE BAILEY (LIT)
  Once
  the
  primary
  entrance
  to
  Incerat for visiting pilgrims, the
  bailey stands at the end (or
  beginning) of the pilgrim road, a
  winding trail that tracks through
  the dimreach, along the shore of Ur-Menig,
  and into the underworld.
  The path is no longer safe, and pilgrims
  never come. 1-2 guards will be listening for
  whip scorpions (and worse), or holding lights
  to guide a returning hunting party.
  The upper gate room has arrow slits facing
  the dimreach, and an inner balcony overlooks
  the entrance hall.
  THE PRIESTLY CHAMBERS (LIT)
  The priestly caste lives in two
  separate
  apartments,
  males
  and
  females living apart. In each, elders
  are waited on by the younger, and
  status is conferred seniority first, and
  then by ritual knowledge.
  Their practices have stagnated,
  and new magic will divide
  their opinions bitterly.
  UPPERMOST HALLS (LIT)
  The exclusive domain of the high priestly couple, Uth
  and Semorpha, and their occasional guests of the priestly
  caste. Observing avatar feeding from the high gallery is a
  coveted honor. The few servants that come here are pious.
  
  Copyright © 2014 Michael Prescott -
  - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ - Find more adventure locations at http://patreon.com/adventures
  v1.1 p.3/3
  THOUGH FLESH BE VAST
  THE DRADKIN OF INCERAT
  To surface people, dradkin look fine-boned
  and
  delicate,
  with
  jerky
  and
  unsettling
  movements.
  The
  majority
  are
  albino,
  some
  yellowish with ruddy features.
  Their eyes are small, and bright light hurts
  them. They are at home in darkness, but use tiny
  lamps or naked wicks when they can afford oil.
  They have excellent hearing, which they
  supplement by placing their long fingers against
  the cavern walls.
  They make no cloth, but wear skins made
  from their dead (a final gift), tailored with thread
  spun from hair, and make tools and buttons of
  the bones. Each of their garments is named after
  the giver, and precious to them.
  STRANGE PRESUMPTIONS
  Among Dradkin, it is the norm to answer
  questions confidently. They are never evasive -
  rather, it is more polite to lie outrageously.
  Bear this in mind whenever adventurers make
  statements
  the
  Dradkin
  might
  not
  believe.
  Hesitation or partial answers indicate concealed
  weakness, which will arouse suspicion.
  Dradkin will assume that surface dwellers
  can only endure sunlight for brief spells, too, and
  therefore know many safe places.
  FOUR CASTES
  Within
  Incerat,
  it
  is
  the
  right
  of
  the
  fleshpriests to create the accepted meaning of
  significant events (e.g. the appearance of the
  PCs). They seretly dread the prophecy, for this
  will upend their world. They act to preserve the
  status quo vigorously.
  The pious seek prosperity and status for
  their families - over the pitiable, but also over
  one
  another.
  It
  is
  their
  right
  that
  their
  complaints be heard by the fleshpriests.
  The
  pitiable
  want
  justice
  from
  the
  persecutions
  of
  the
  pious,
  and
  many
  have
  heretical leanings. When the pitiable fail in any
  way it is seen as accidental by other castes,
  however
  outrageous.
  It
  is
  considered
  confirmation of the lowliness and incompetence
  ascribed to them.
  The heretics need help surviving on the
  surface, but by leaving Incerat they have lost all
  sense of safety, and are wracked with paranoia.
  WHAT'S THAT DRADKIN CARRYING? (D20)
  1.
  Strips of edible fungus
  2.
  d6 devotional garnets (5% one is a ruby)
  3.
  Tin lamp half-full of beetle oil
  4.
  Heirloom kin-leather coat or breeches, lined
  with ghost bat fur
  5.
  Glass vial of whip scorpion acid
  6.
  An engraved bone prayer rod
  7.
  A heretical prayer rod
  8.
  A bone-handled sickle, wickedly sharp
  9.
  A devotional medallion of underworld
  10. A pouch of salt chips (to eat)
  11. A flake of lodestone (held on the tongue for
  wayfinding)
  12. Braided kin-leather cord (d6x10')
  13+ 3d6 coins
  RITUALS OF THE FLESHPRIESTS
  Dradkin
  ritual
  study
  has
  devolved
  into
  reformulations of stale, ancient formulae, and
  debate centers on irrelevant stylistic flourishes.
  Most pertain to masonry.
  Nevertheless, the library contains an arsenal
  of useful rituals which the fleshpriests, if roused
  to action, can quickly prepare.
  RITUAL: SOMATIC TRAITOR
  This turns d2 of the victim's limbs against
  them.
  RITUAL: DIMREACHER'S HUM
  Ruins
  echolocation,
  and
  dradkin/carreg
  vibration sense within a 15' radius.
  RITUAL: RECLAMATION
  Salt crystals form on the victim's skin, having
  been drawn from their bodily fluids, causing
  muscle spasms, fainting, and lasting weakness.
  THE CARREG OF UR-MENIG
  Genderless, with skin like supple clay. When
  healthy, they are cool and moist.
  They have small mouths, slitted nostrils and
  no eyes or hair: unlike dradkin are quite alien to
  to the surface peoples. They "see" by means of air
  currents
  and
  ground
  vibrations,
  and
  are
  unaware of light. They tolerate the air of Ur-
  Menig, which sends others into a deathless sleep.
  THE DIMREACH CONTINUES
  A league from Incerat, beyond where Dradkin
  venture, the floor of the dimreach becomes a
  maze of fissures and sinkholes. It ends in a vast,
  crumbling drop, a thousand yards into Ur-
  Menig.
  APOCALYPSE LARVA
  Fat white grubs (2-3' long) cling to cavern
  walls, sloshing with precious lichen oils. Passive,
  but if poked they burst, splashing anyone near
  with flaming oil.
  FIRE BEETLES
  The brief adult beetle (2') stage of the larva,
  they fly noisily on crystalline wings.
  They occasionally spurt small flames, which
  the observant can use to survey the dimreach.
  WHIP SCORPIONS
  Nightmares of black chitin (5' long), they
  patrol incessantly, seeking sound or movement.
  Seizing prey with great claws, they then spray it
  strong acid from their stiff, whip-like tails.
  They are perfect climbers, moving easily
  along walls and ceilings.
  GHOST BATS
  These giant bats (3-4' bodies, 12' wingspan)
  are swift and nearly silent, but delicate. A
  sizeable colony roosts out by the drop to Ur-
  Menig.
  They attack climbers and larger prey near
  steep drops (common in the dimreach) with
  buffeting strikes, hoping to dislodge them so they
  can devour the crippled victim leisurely.
  Their fur is greyish-white and of unrivaled
  softness.
  CAVE SQUID
  A cloud of black tentacles, hanging in the air
  like an inkdrop in water. They 'swim' through
  the air, fronds wafting on unseen currents.
  Normally constricted to a mass 4-5' across,
  their tentacles stretch up to 12' if need be, and
  given time they can squeeze through gaps only a
  few inches wide. Highly resistant to crushing or
  piecing attacks.
  Their
  venomous
  touch
  causes
  paralysis,
  searing pain, or control of whichever of the
  victim's limbs has been seized, depending on the
  squid's vile purpose.
  They hunt alone, and act intelligently.
  HIGH UTH AND SEMORPHA
  The
  rulers
  of
  Incerat
  are
  rarely
  seen,
  supposedly spending most of their time in prayer
  in the uppermost shrine.
  The lavish bedchamber next door is never
  used, for Inceraugh's blessing has rendered them
  undead: they sleep in the moist soil of the secret
  chamber behind the shrine.
  The pair produce dradkin ritual effects at
  will, and may take on the form of cave squid once
  every 13 hours.
  The shrine idol has thirty platinum claws,
  and among countless garnets blanketing its
  belly, there are twenty large rubies.
  THE INVERTED PROPHECY
  Uth and Semorpha harbor a dark secret
  learned through augury: Inceraugh's ascension
  is involuntary, a terminal sentence imposed by
  great powers of the deep.
  The weekly "avatar" feedings merely give the
  under-god the strength to delay the inevitable. If
  they stop, Inceraugh dies, his death throes
  manifesting
  as
  d10+10
  cave
  squid
  that
  materialize randomly throughout Incerat.
  The squid feed rapaciously (and can each
  digest a humanoid daily).
  BEGINNINGS AND ENDS
  PCs may become aware of Incerat a number
  of ways:
  1.
  Peasants discover a lone dradkin heretic
  sheltering in their barn
  2.
  Heretic parties begin organized raids,
  stealing cattle regularly
  3.
  Heretics find a mediocre shelter (e.g. dense
  wood, a crappy cave) allowing them to
  venture further
  4.
  Civil war breaks out in Incerat; heretic
  refugees turn up in surface settlements in
  desperate condition
  5.
  Inceraugh dies; cave squid begin appearing
  on the surface
  6.
  Incerat's lower gate falls, and underworld
  abominations enter in numbers, some
  making it to the surface.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Trilemma Adventures/Trilemma 11 Though Flesh Be Vast.pdf