The Hole In The Ground

Disclaimer: This is a commission for youseethehat. All characters and concepts herein are owned by RPG for You and Me, and taken from the "Neon Heat" actual-play D&D podcast; the scenario itself, however, is a non-canon AU. Unless directly stated, nothing in this work should be taken as canon to these characters or the setting of Caldonyx.

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In a world that was mostly encased in ice, the region around the equator (fittingly called "the Belt") was, naturally, famous for its temperate climate, unique in the frozen world, and those who could do so had long-since flocked to this region for survival and comfort alike. Other small pockets of civilization existed, but far and away the most thriving metropolises were situated in the underground of this comparatively lush region. Accordingly, much of the infrastructure was highly developed, the cities dominated by skyscrapers of metal and glass; at night, neon lights provided most of the illumination. While hardly sterile or dead, these were nonetheless distinctly settled areas- nature was, intentionally, kept at a distance, lest the planet's icy grip crush one of the last bastions standing against it.

But this wasn't ubiquitous- even in such places, tiny areas contained flora and fauna, reminders that there was more to life than the cityscape. One prime example, tucked away in a remote corner of Caldonyx, was a small establishment, appropriately named the "Hole In The Ground."

Like many buildings in the city, especially the older ones, the Hole had been constructed in an old excavation site out of large chunks of debris, and in these rocks, some bioluminescent fungi had managed to grow. It was common practice to utilize these glowing mushrooms as a light source- cheaper than electrical lights, after all- but the original owners of the Hole had opted to... lean into their presence, cultivating the fungi and tending to them until they had reached frankly obscene size and filled much of the cavern.

The humid conditions within had soon prompted the growth of moss; this, too had been encouraged, til the floors were literally carpeted in it and it adorned the walls and ceiling.

As these features had slowly grown, modifications had been made to the roof, allowing the rivulets of water flowing in from the surface to pool, then flow in regulated amounts through assorted water features, nourishing the garden within and providing the pleasing sights and sounds of trickling liquid.

People had soon wandered over to this makeshift pseudo-terrarium- at which point, the owners surmised that, surely, these visitors must be thirsty, hungry, perhaps would want to sit and rest a while.

Thus did an old excavation site become a modest coffee shop- not necessarily a booming business, but fondly regarded by those who'd stop by for a cup and a taste of greenery in a sea of rock and metal.

The workers, however, had somewhat more... mixed opinions.

"No, sir, I'm afraid we don't carry mushroom tea," the kori-powered robot behind the counter said to the customer in front of him. He stood around four feet tall, with a striking face like a smooth metal mask, topped with a tangle of black wires resembling hair. Two "eyes"- really glass bulbs containing a white, swirling gas, illuminated by deep blue light- stared straight ahead, endowing the face with a look of bored annoyance. As if to accentuate this, his metallic chin was propped up on a mechanical hand in a gesture familiar to all retail workers in all walks of life.

The customer in question, an older bald nakhiir man with thick black-rimmed glasses, beady orange eyes, and greenish skin with patches of dark green scales all over his head, scowled, flicking out his tongue and looking angrily at the glowing fungi all around. "This place has no mushroom tea?!" he demanded in disbelief.