The Environs | The Thirsty Tarragon | Project Random Dungeon
On the eastern edge of the wilderness, far from the great cities of the realm, lies a desolate, rocky land. The extent of its misty lowlands and rolling hills is not mapped, though rumor holds that a great sea lies beyond the wilds. Few roads led into its expanse, maintained for some hundred or more years for the purpose of supplying a growing civilization with precious materials, both exotic and mundane. But the days of civilized commerce have passed. Any small villages that had sprung up to sustain the trade, have since faded away. Now, only a few outposts remain for those who dare to scratch out existence at world’s edge.
At the end of a pitted road in the middle of this desolate expanse lies one such locale. The Thirsty Tarragon tavern has stood the test of time – a legend whispered over dying embers in popular taverns by too-foolish adventurers. For those drawn to The Thirsty Tarragon must truly be mad, or at least very desperate. Only two things lure folk to its isolated confines – raw gems and ancient treasure – things that have to be plucked out of ground many say is cursed.
The Hidden Mesa itself is about a mile-and-a-half in diameter and a mile tall. Its slopes treacherous with unstable rock; its plateau always shrouded in clouds. A winding trail leads around its base through crags and grassy meadows, by scattered ponds filled with runoff and a few sparse stands of trees. Along its path can be found signposts, old and new, from miners staking claim to specific sites along its base. None of the prospectors ever dig far into the mesa. Superstition runs almost as deep as territoriality.
Two other trails exist in the immediate vicinity connected to the mesa loop. The one from The Thirsty Tarragon to the mesa is well maintained and traveled daily by the innkeeper Olbrod Ence and the local guide Gimeld. The other trail, however, is neither, for it climbs The Hidden Mesa with switchbacks that appear occasionally washed out. Every adventurer who sets out to climb it reports that she has had to repair a few tie-offs or mend rotten ladders. At least those who’ve returned have complained.
Why climb it at all then? Why else would any adventurer court danger? Fame, riches, glory, power, lore are ever the enticements of a mysterious dungeon. Such is the one that lies within the rock of The Hidden Mesa. Only a few brave souls have every returned from its depths; and, those who have either spun tales of harrowing nightmares or refused to speak at all. Of the twelve groups that attained the summit in the past fifty years, ten never returned. The two parties that did admitted not descending beyond the crumbling ruin on the plateau.
How stout is your courage? How eager your adventurous spirit? How zealous your thirst for glory? Gather your friends and test your mettle, for the depths of The Hidden Mesa are as unknown as its dangers.
The Adventure Continues…
- Wander the Mesa Loop (coming soon)
- Climb the Path to the Plateau (coming soon)
- Explore the Wilderness around The Hidden Mesa (coming soon)
- Learn the History of The Hidden Mesa (spoiler)