# Scene 1 – Awakening ### Boxed Read Aloud > Consciousness returns slowly. A dull pressure throbs behind your eyes, accompanied by a constant, low humming that seems to come from everywhere at once. The air is warm and damp, carrying the smell of wet stone mixed with something organic and unfamiliar. As your vision clears, you realise you are suspended upright inside a translucent pod of pale, leathery flesh. Thick strands resembling veins wrap around your wrists, ankles, and waist, holding you securely in place. > > Beyond the membrane of your prison, dozens of similar pods hang from the chamber walls like oversized cocoons. Some are occupied by frightened prisoners. Others contain nothing but bones. Between the rows of pods, bulbous growths pulse rhythmically with soft violet light, illuminating the chamber without flame or lantern. > --- ## What the Players Notice - Their weapons, armour and equipment are gone. - They cannot cast spells requiring material components or focuses unless those are recovered later. - The pod is slightly translucent. - Other prisoners are alive. - No guards are immediately present. - A large fleshy doorway periodically opens and closes as creatures move through it. --- ## Investigation Characters may inspect their prison. |Check|DC|Information| |---|---|---| |Investigation|12|The restraints tighten only when significant force is applied.| |Nature|13|The pod is a living organism rather than constructed material.| |Arcana|15|The faint psychic humming originates elsewhere in the colony.| |Perception|14|Small nutrient veins feed into every pod.| --- # Scene 2 – The Escape Puzzle Rather than using locks, every prison pod is controlled biologically. Each pod possesses **three nerve clusters** embedded within the inner membrane. The clusters resemble pale nodules connected by veins. The prisoners can touch them despite being restrained. Each cluster responds differently. #### Cluster One When pressed, the pod contracts violently. Everyone inside takes 1 bludgeoning damage. Nothing else happens. #### Cluster Two When pressed, the membrane briefly becomes transparent. Characters can clearly see the room for one round. #### Cluster Three When held for three consecutive rounds, the pod interprets its occupant as deceased. The restraints slowly loosen. The membrane peels open. The character is released. --- ## Discovering the Solution Characters can determine the function through experimentation. Successful Investigation (DC 13) reveals that only one cluster appears connected to the restraint veins. A Nature check (DC 14) suggests the pod has evolved to release dead captives for recycling elsewhere in the hive. Failure simply means experimentation continues until the correct sequence is discovered. --- # Scene 3 – The Other Prisoners Once free, the party can quietly move between unopened pods. There are approximately twenty prisoners. Most are terrified. Four are willing to speak. --- ## Prisoner 1 – Captain Harlan A veteran city guard. Captured three days ago. Knows weapons were taken east. Saw creatures carrying brains inside glass-like sacs. --- ## Prisoner 2 – Sister Elira A travelling priestess. Reports hearing voices inside her dreams. Believes everyone is being prepared for some ritual. --- ## Prisoner 3 – Durgan A dwarf miner. Claims the walls move. Nobody believes him. He is correct. --- ## Prisoner 4 – Young Stable Hand Captured yesterday. Saw one prisoner dragged away after screaming. Never returned. Can describe an intellect devourer but lacks the vocabulary to explain what it was. --- ### Player Choice The party can: - Free everyone. - Free only useful prisoners. - Leave everyone behind. Each decision affects later scenes. More prisoners create distractions but are difficult to protect. Fewer prisoners make stealth significantly easier. --- # Scene 4 – The First Threat While the party explores the chamber, an **Intellect Devourer** enters through the organic doorway. It is inspecting prisoners. The creature slowly walks between pods, pausing occasionally as though listening to thoughts that no one else can hear. --- ## Encounter Goal This should not feel like a boss fight. It is a tense, close-quarters encounter intended to teach the players that silence matters. --- ## Creature Behaviour If the party remains hidden: The Intellect Devourer continues its inspection. Eventually it leaves. If attacked: It immediately attempts to stun the closest target before retreating to summon help. If someone makes excessive noise: It investigates cautiously. --- ## Terrain Rows of hanging prison pods provide: - Half Cover - Difficult terrain - Concealment Bursting nutrient sacs can create slippery terrain. Characters may sever supporting tendrils to drop pods onto enemies. --- # Scene 5 – Recovering Equipment Once the Intellect Devourer is dealt with, the players discover a side chamber. Rather than chests, equipment has been sorted into fleshy storage cavities. Weapons have been inserted into living tissue to prevent movement. Spellcasting focuses have been embedded within nerve bundles. Retrieving equipment requires only a few minutes. While searching, the party overhears distant telepathic communication for the first time. > **"Specimens twenty-three through twenty-eight remain viable. Prepare transfer to the nursery."** The players now understand they are not prisoners awaiting ransom. They are livestock. ---