Caves of Kunon

The Caves of Kunon are a series of caverns in the hills outside the village of Osaren Kunon, providing that settlement with its name and its primary source of income by way of drawing adventurers, explorers and scholars.

Local Rumors, Legends and Myths
As a series of deep natural caverns which have been periodically explored for over a thousand years, the Caves of Kunon have built up a wide variety of attached myths and legends. Several of the more oft-repeated are provided below.

Temple Complex
The Caves of Kunon are rumored to be home to a massive temple complex. It is this temple that provides some of the most potent rumors of undead, malicious spirits and zealous clerics of a dark god. These rumors are periodically substantiated by an explorer's return with ritual trappings, etchings, holy symbols and other accoutrements consistent with religious practice. Those who have returned do not hesitate to mention that the temple is fairly difficult to reach due to its depth below the surface and its exceptionally potent guardians.

Burial Chambers
Separate and considered by most to be equally likely to exist are the burial chambers rumored to house hundreds of honored dead deep within the Caves. While most returning explorers do not mention the undead in conjunction with these chambers, very few return with treasure due to the extreme danger of the traps designed to prevent grave robbing. Perhaps the most unbelievable tale associated with this part of the caverns is the alleged presence of an Imperial crypt.

The Immortality Draught
While none have returned with conclusive proof, many adventurers return with tales of a chamber in which is housed a bottle of the mythical Immortality Draught. A single drop of this potent elixir is said to stave off the ravages of old age for a century, while consuming the entirety is to reward the imbiber with the ability to remain forever young and vital. Many strive for this treasure and maps to the chamber can be found in nearly any settlement of the Empire, all claiming to be completely legitimate. Those who have returned empty-handed consistently tell of an army of a thousand stone warriors and those who claim to have made their way past that tell of the gauntlet of traps which can kill in a hundred different ways. At the end, lit with celestial brilliance, a jade phial which tantalizingly offers what many consider the ultimate reward.