Nadjima Caves

Dangerous and Mysterious Ruins

I remember laying eyes on the stone gates of the forge for the first time. My team and I had spent days exploring the network of caves, excavating what we could, and finally the past opened its door for us.

— Abelard Sattar

The Nadjima Caves are a famous site, located north of Ignares at the foot of the Thunder Chains. They are known for being dangerous, and very few attempt to explore the site for fear of death. They were discovered in 12 A.A by Abelard Sattar, and explored only once in depth during the first Nadjima Expedition lead by the explorer himself.

Little is known about what went down during the expedition: contrary to Abelard's other adventures, he never published anything regarding this particular travel, and it has remained shrouded in mystery and superstition ever since. As such, the insides of the caves and its dangers remain unknown.

The Caves

Glowing Mushrooms by Nele-Diel

Plant Life

Most of the plant life within the caves is harmless. Amongst the most notable specimen, one can observe glowing mushrooms which seem to faintly pulse, sticky moss that traps all matters of creatures to slowly devour them, or even instances of trailing plants cascading from the low ceilings of the caves. How these plants survive in the darkness is a mystery.

Do not. Eat. The mushrooms.

— Abelard Sattar

Kobold Village

In one part of the cave lives a small kobold clan, who rarely adventures outside if only to scavenge for food and water. They are very superstitious, and believe in an entity called "The Roaring Evil", who eons ago used to terrorise their village. It has been quiet for ages now, but dark prophecies speak of the day it might return.

Cave by Nele-Diel

Sanctuary

Among the dangers of the caves, the party might encounter a sanctuary. It is but small grotto, easy to miss. A peaceful fountain stands gently inside, the ground covered in soft grass and vines growing on the walls, fed by mysterious magic. Small glowing orbs of light float through the air, humming peacefully as they dance.

Treasures

The ruins are mostly empty, with little more than piles of old coins and a few ancient objects laying around. An adventuring party might find these to be of a certain worth, and attempt to sell them to various antiquity collectors or museums.

by unkown artist

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Documents

Spread throughout the caves and ruins, old journal notes from the first Nadjima Expedition can be found. Only bits and pieces are available, but they give snippets of what might've happened to the team, and what discoveries they might've made.

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Dangers

The Nadjima Caves are home to many mysterious and dangerous creatures. Most roam in the darkest parts of the caves, where only an unlucky party might find them. Ancient mechanical traps also fill the deeper tunnels closest to the ruins, and old metal guardians roam the caves in search of intruders.

Ruins of the Past

Hidden deep in the network of caves, there lies an entrance to some abandoned ruins of a settlement who once belonged to the Baseikans. Little is known about that forgotten civilisation, and to what might've brought their downfall. But their architecture has survived, standing tall against the tides of time.

To access the ruins, one must first pass the closed doors behind which they lie. Inscribed on them are mysterious sigils, who's meaning is unknown and indecipherable. Attempts at translating them with magic seem to fail, a grey fog blocking the caster from seeing them.

Behind them, hostile and menacing pikes of mysterious material spread like a field, creating a weird and uncanny labyrinth as one must travel through the spikes. Whatever lies at its heart is a mystery, if anything lies there at all.

by Safdar Abidi