Geografie - Neverwinter

[OneIceOne]

THE CHASM

The southeastern quarter of Never winter lies in
almost complete ruin, virtually flattened by the
earthquake during the cataclysm and since then
under continual assault by forces of the Abolethic
Sovereignty. At the center of this wasteland yawns the
Chasm- a canyonlike crack in the earth that spawns
all manner of twisted and deadly beasts. It extends
down into the Underdark to a subterranean lake that
is part of the domain of the aboleths. At the bottom of this
sea churns an active pocket of Spell plague.
Proximity to the Chasm causes mild anxiety,
moodiness, and paranoia. The effects are obvious
on people at the Wall, and they increase in intensity
as one moves closer to- or deeper into-the Chasm.
It becomes difficult to think clearly, and even allies
seem to hold treachery in their hearts. Recently, this
pervasive ill will has begun to radiate beyond the
confines of the Wall, plaguing the dreams of Neverwinter's
residents with terrible nightmares.

Ruined Terrain
The surrounding land in the district that takes its
name from the Chasm is a tangled maze of broken
buildings and clotted streets, all ofit battered by the
elements and crushed under the paws of the Chasm's
monsters. Wall patrols venture into this wasteland
only occaSionally, since few who leave the barricade's
safety return. Those who do sometimes carry marks
from the experience, such as azure burns, twisted
limbs, or some other physical manifestation of a
spellscar. Lord Neverember has ordered that anyone
showing symptoms of infection should be sent to
Helm's Hold for treatment.
The Chasm is unfortified but not without defenses.
Characters who reach the edge face attacks by a coven
of plague changed harpies (Monster Manual) that perch
in the shattered hulks of buildings nearby. Their pur·
pose is to battle intruders and to fly down into the
Chasm to warn the more formidable monsters below of
trespassers. Unless the characters can slay every harpy
near them before the creatures deliver the warning,
they might climb down into a series of ambushes.