Megadungeon: Catch the Skull-Star!

 I've been inspired by Cigeus' solar system maps, by Rick Stump's legendary Skull Mountain megadungeon, and by DMDavid's posts explaining the 'Grand Campaign' to conceive of a setting for such a campaign. Not to make or run it, as I'm in the middle of a lot of things and now is not the time to go off one wild tangents. But to dream.

And as with any great campaign, it calls out for a tentpole megadungeon. But what sort of megadungeon would work in a solar-system spanning adventure?

Yup, that'll do 

Imagine, if you will, in a solar system set in motion tens of millennia ago by absent gods, celestial bodies set in clockwork orbits, a true Symphony of the Spheres — and then there's this asshole.

A great comet, returning on its errant orbit once every year. Blazing through the skies with furious speed, accessible for just a few days before it speeds back into dark space.

The Skull-Star!

Nobody knows from whence it comes, or why it has such a deathly appearance, but it has appeared every year as long as historical records remain.

It is the site of a huge construction a megadungeon of gargantuan proportions, with many entrances known and unknown across its icy surface. Ambitious explorers prepare all year for an expedition to the comet's surface, stockpiling and calling in favors in order to have as many hands on deck and take as much loot as possible.

Once, this comet must have been the capital of some great power, for the treasures found within are immensely valuable and seemingly without end. But they are defended, not only by vicious traps, but by undead, constructs and space-spirits which roam its cold tunnels.

And the most eerie thing about the comet... it isn't where it's supposed to be. Astronomers can pinpoint the exact location of every celestial body in the solar system at any time in the past or future, but not the Skull-Star. It arrives around the same time of year, but always a few days and a few thousand miles off from where last year's orbit would indicate. 

So either there's something unknown to astronomers which is affecting the comet's orbit in unpredictable ways... or someone changing it on purpose.

Imagine a true adventuring company, composed of many player characters, with an army of supporting NPCs, and likely with rival parties also present, waiting impatiently for the first sighting of the Skull-Star by the Far Array, rushing to compose flight plans and buy as many adventuring supplies as they can get their hands on, gunning their starships past their top speed in order to match the comet's speed, then multiple adventuring parties taking different entrances across the megadungeon to cover as much ground as possible over the few valuable days, then lifting off at the last possible moment in order to be able to get back to a habitable planet before food stores run out... possibly leaving a PC to freeze on the comet. 

It's a damn fun idea. Perhaps one day I will even have the kind of group to run it. Until then, file it under 'cool stuff I can't do yet.'

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