A1-S2 — The River-Level Descent

Premise

If the party chooses the town‑assisted rope descent, engineers lower them down the official route. The descent reaches a slippery shelf near river level, where the party must scramble across wet rocks while clipped into safety ropes. The Noyrus River itself does not pour directly into the sinkhole. Instead, the sinkhole sits off to one side of the river, where a side eddy once curled back into the main flow. Now that side current drains into the sinkhole opening.

The roar of the Noyrus grows until speech becomes gesture. Mist beads on armor and hair. Below the bridge, slick basalt shelves angle toward the river, and the fixed town ropes sway in the spray. To one side, where the current should curl back into the river, the water now vanishes into a dark, broken wound in the stone.

Skill Checks — The Descent

Reaching the sinkhole lip requires a series of skill checks. The party is clipped to safety ropes for most of the descent, so failure usually means a delay, a lost item, or a minor injury rather than an immediate death.

Obstacle	Suggested Check	Failure Consequence	Success Benefit
Slick river shelf	Acrobatics DC 11 or Reflex DC 12	Fall prone or slide 5–10 ft. while clipped to rope; lose 1 action on next turn.	Maintain footing and move freely along the shelf.
Rope‑supported traverse	Climb DC 10	Lose 5 ft. of movement; gear may scrape loose — one item falls into a shallow pool (recoverable).	Cross the traverse without incident.
Spray and noise	Perception DC 12 (with a –2 penalty due to spray)	Miss signs of recent activity (scout tracks, tool marks, or the kobold alarm runner).	Spot fresh footprints, obsidian chips, or movement near the sinkhole lip.
Cold side eddy	Swim DC 12 if the character falls or enters the water	Dragged 10 ft. toward the sinkhole lip; take 1d4 cold damage from the frigid water.	Swim back to the shelf or grab a rope without losing position.
Ancient masonry exposure	Knowledge (Engineering) DC 13 or Perception DC 14	Fail to notice that the stonework is not natural — the sinkhole was excavated, not formed by erosion.	Identify tool marks, chisel grooves, and recent reinforcement timbers, confirming intelligent activity.

GM Tip: Encourage creative solutions. A character with rope‑tying proficiency (or a relevant background) can secure the traverse for the rest of the party, granting a +2 circumstance bonus to everyone's Climb checks. Likewise, a character who succeeds on the Perception check can warn the party about the kobold alarm runner before Encounter 1 begins, potentially granting a surprise round.

Group Check Option

If the entire party is descending together, you may allow a group check for the Acrobatics and Climb portions. At least half the party must succeed for the group to progress without incident. If the group fails, the party arrives at the bottom disorganised — each character who failed their individual check takes a –1 status penalty to initiative for the first combat encounter.

Key NPCs (Present at the Descent)

NPC	Role	What They Want
Rigger Heskel Vane	Rope master & pulley operator	Wants to ensure the party is securely clipped and that no equipment is lost.
Apprentice Lira Toll	Engineer’s assistant	Wants to take notes on the lower pillars; scared but curious.
Guard Miro Kael	Bridge watchman	Wants to confirm the sinkhole isn't a threat to the bridge's foundation; will report back to the Tollmaster.

TODO: Add optional hero points for creative skill use (e.g., using a shield as a sled, tying off ropes with a clever knot, or using magic to calm the water). Consider adding a "critical success" column to the skill table for extra rewards.