The Sunken Maw (Patreon)

Far too many of my dungeons are easy to access. So why have they lain unplundered all these ages? The Sunken Maw is a bit trickier to get into than most. A nearly straight vertical drop leads to underground stone construction just above the water table. Rope and climbing gear will be the order of the day for lower-level groups, whereas the entry will be a lot easier (and thus less frightening) to those who come equipped with the magic of levitation or means of flight. To complicate the matter, of course, we have nearby ruins which may contain untold horrors (who may be waiting when you come up from the maw) and a harpy nest has been established just inside the entrance of the maw, with a narrow path along the edge of the maw to allow pedestrian access to the stinking nest of foul birds. But it’s the structures below that will of course draw the attention of adventurers in the first place. Originally built by elven sorcerers with imprisoned demons to transport them up and down the maw itself, the structure’s name has been lost to the ages, but it still contains eldritch magics that were once common to the Kale empire thousands of years ago.