10 Rules for Camping in the Gyre
A Friendly Guide to Long Term Stays in the Gygaxian Gyre
Courtesy of the Lantern Bearer Company
1. Mind the Sunstones
There is no night and day in the Gyre, its completely underground, and many parts of it are completely without light. This is where having a torch, light spell, or lantern bearer guide can make all of the difference. Deeper in the dungeon there are veins and growths of orange feldspar or sunstone. When the sun rises, these crystals resonate with solar essence, producing light and heat. Camping too close to a large sunstone outcropping can be an uncomfortable position, and can ruin efforts to sleep in and gain extra rest.
2. Consider Air Currents
The flow of air through the Gyre changes every eight hours, and in some places this can be dramatic. Don't camp close to chamber entrances or in narrow tunnels. It might be calm when you set camp, but when the breath of the dungeon changes, the calm chamber can become an air funnel and suck loose gear and unsecured tents into the tunnels.
3. Poosker's Warnings
Dungeons tend to be dirty places and there are plenty of insects, insectoids, creeping things, swarms, and a gallery of moulds, slimes, jellies, and oozes that move slowly around the Gyre cleaning things up. Make sure to set your camp out of low areas and away from where encounters have played out. Nothing ruins a long rest like a swarm of carrion crawlers drawn to the scent of blood and battle ripping through expensive tents to get at the campers inside.
4. Check the Ceiling
Look up, there are not just ambush monsters that drop from the ceiling of the Gyre, there can also be loose stones, hanging spikes, and other hazards just waiting to drop and kill an unwary camper. Smooth ceilings are safe ceilings.
5. Be Courteous to other Delvers
The Gyre doesn't truly know day and night, and many people keep their own hours in the Gyre. When placing a camp, make sure to not block a dungeon path. This is courteous to other adventurers but it might also save lives. Monsters that roam the Gyre will often ignore a properly concealed off of the path campsite, where campers in the middle of the path are absolutely going to be woken up by angry dungeon mobs.
6. Avoid the Stench
If you have a strong aroma of rot or a latrine reek, you might be dangerously close to a devouring deep. Best to steer clear of them, because they are often encounter areas for moulds, slimes, and so forth, as well as attracting regular dungeon refuse consumers.
7. Know your Gear and How to Use it
Improperly set tents can turn a long rest into a short rest. A collapsable ladder will collapse if not properly locked when unfolded. Many would be adventurers have their delves into the Gyre cut short by improper use of gear, loss of gear, or completely forgetting they had a special tool when it came time to use it.
8. Choose a Level Spot
No one likes camping on a stone point, or wadded into a bowl. A good rest requires level ground, so watch for rocks, ridges, weird vines, and other things that are trip hazards or might be the exposed parts of sleeping dungeon monsters.
9. Concealment and Protection
Always be aware that a concealed camping site is a good camping site, and one that can be easily defended is too. Camping in the open means easy discovery, and easily surrounded.
10. Leave no Trace
You never know when something might be stalking you through the dungeon and leaving a trail of messy camp sites is an arrow for a stalker or elite dungeon hunter to follow and find you.
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