The lying tunnels

Below the Mountain of last passing, west of The capital, Spiralai, unknown to most, there is a massive complex of tunnels which, at their peak, would allow anyone to get around that area without touching the surface. Unfortunately, eons of disuse and unawareness have collapsed most routes.

Known routes

The best-known route through these tunnels is the one that starts north of Spiralai and goes beyond the mountains, reaching quite far into The Imposible Desert. Nobody knows who discovered this route, which had been a closely guarded secret in the Academics University until not long ago. When the investigation of The imposible sand began,it brought the need to collect samples. This made the existence of the tunnels relevant enough to be voiced and shared within the university and with those tasked with the investigators' protection, as this is by far the safest route to venture as far deep into The Imposible Desert as needed to collect good-quality samples.

Description

Advancing through the tunnels is a slow and claustrophobic experience. No light from the surface reaches them, so torches or glow globes need to be brought for illumination. The only way to find the right tunnel to advance is to take notice of the markings at the intersections. They mark the right detours toward the desert. Since losing your way in these tunnels can be fatal, the marks have been redone recently, as some were almost faded due to age.

Secrets at the university

A few of the most curious investigators have started to make observations regarding the different sections of the tunnels. Some of them seem very utilitarian, while others are cavernous. Not to mention the fact that there are many other tunnels that do not lead to the desert but could potentially lead to interesting discoveries. However, all of these observations and general curiosity are always shut down by professors higher up in the University itself.

Hidden history of the tunnels

According to the official history, Utena Crystal led her tribe to The capital, Spiralai, following a vision, navigating through a river before the desert dried it up. However, some evidence found in the tunnels shows that a large group of people used them around the time of the founding. Of course, contradicting the official story is not seen with good eyes in the royal court and even mentioning the existance of tunnel is seen with suspicion. This could explain, not only how the university knew about the routes, but also their curious name.