Dungeon Directory
The Ruined Well

This small farming town is dependent on a large well that sits on a crossroads between several plots of land. All the crops as far as one can see are dry and wilting. The only sounds one can hear are the dry stalks of grain brushing against each other in the wind and the occasional bleat of a wooly ram. There are humble houses scattered throughout the area. The people here are desperate for a solution. They will give room and board in addition to whatever small amount of wealth they have to any adventurers willing to help them.

If the players talk to any of the farmers or ranchers of the town they will explain that they all use the well to water their fields when the region is experiencing one of its frequent droughts. There is a very prolonged drought now and they need the well more than ever. But it is cursed, something is wrong, none can draw water from the well, death and decay now eminate from it.

If the players are speaking to a farmer, they will eventually show you the old iron bucket they use to draw from the well. It has been corroded beyond use, only the handle and a bit of the rim remain. If the players inspect the bucket they will see that it has been eaten by acid.

If they speak to a rancher, they will learn that many of the flock have gone missing. Eventually he will show the players a mangled body of one of his livestock. He'll explain that he heard noises the other night, when he went to investigate he heard something as large as a man run away leaving this behind. If the players inspect the corpse, they will see that the lacerations are from claws and teeth and they seem to be extremely infected.

Anyone you talk to in town will invoke Chauntea, their goddess of harvest. If asked anything about her, they will tell of the altar down in the well. Leaders make sacrifices to Chauntea in especially tough times- multiple leaders have decended this time, none have returned.

Then there will be a section about overall features of the dungeon like environment, theme, any things that apply to the whole dungeon like roving monsters or status effects

This dungeon has become the den for a "Rat Horde" infested with Wererat Plague. Three town leaders were infected after investigating the well and are now "Wererats". They emerge from the well every week or so to kill livestock and drag it back to their den. They will only approach a creature they think they can kill and eat. If they have any sense of being seen or heard above the well they scurry back into the well as fast as they can.
The Wererats will protect their food from intruders. The Rat Horde will roam the dungeon randomly and will bite intruders before scurrying back to their Nest. They can only be fully eliminated by killing all the rats in the Nest.
The negative energy eminating from the rot they have brought has caused an Acidic Jelly to grow in the well. The entire dungeon is pitch dark and smells of rotten flesh.

Next will be several sections corresponding to the different rooms- A, B, etc.

A: Well Bottom-

The well is made of a ring of stone blocks about ten feet across. There is a twenty foot drop to reach a small landing that circles the waters edge. There are grooves in the stone walls that can be used to climb down, but they are well worn. There is a short staircase that rises from the landing at the bottom and leads into another room.

In the space where there should be water, there is instead an "Acidic Jelly" filling the area.

B: Statue Chamber-

A large chamber built of stone block walls and floor. A shallow trench leads from the stairs to the foot of a ten foot statue that stands in the middle of the room. At the base of the statue is a wide bronze bowl covered in black residue. Behind the statue there is a tall arched hall that leads to another room.

The stone statue is of a woman in a hooded robe. She cradles a bundle of wheat in one arm and holds a scythe with the other. Her mouth is closed in what looks like a slight frown. If a sacrifice is burned in the bronze bowl at her feet, her mouth will open and water will flow down to extinguish the fire, run down the trench, and fill the well. One can reach into her mouth to retrieve the "Watery Orb" (see item below). If the orb is removed, the well will be useless until it is returned.

When the players investigate this room- they will deduce that the black residue at the feet of the statue is a mix of water and ash. The ash seems to be the remains of the kind of grain that is grown around the well.
If they do well on the check, they will discover a patch of packed earth in the corner of the room. When picked away at, a tunnel is revealed that would fit a human crawling on their hands and knees.

C: Shrine-

A long, tall hallway leads into a chamber with an altar. The walls are adorned with etchings of agrarian scenes. The altar is centered against the back wall of the room. There are humble farmers tools and religious statues strewn about the area, as well as what appear to be offerings of bronze and silver pieces.

When the players investigate- They will notice that the altar is askew and there is a passageway dug into the wall behind it. The passage is big enough for a human to crawl through on their hands and knees.

D: Feeding Den-

Two earthen passageways about three feet tall lead to the feeding den. The smell of dead flesh and waste is extremely strong and eminates from the ends of the passages. The feeding den is tall enough to stand in. It's hard to tell how many carcasses are in the center of the area, they have been torn away at and are covered in rot and maggots.

The Wererats spend most of their time here, picking at their food. They will fight to defend it, but if one of them is killed they will retreat into their nest.

E: Nest-

The nest is where the Rat Horde and Wererats sleep. It is a mess of upturned dirt, roots, and old clothing. The town leaders that were turned had shed their clothes and possesions here. There are a couple pouches of gold, tattered clothes, a scythe, and a backpack of farmer's tools.

When they are under siege this is where they will retreat to for their last stand. The Wererats will sacrifice themsleves first to protect the plagued horde. Eliminating the horde here will eradicate them completely.

At the bottom of the article there will be blocks for each of the different monsters and any special items