[Underworld, Near the River Acheron]
An immense oak tree towers high into the air of the caverns. From between the large leaves peek deep brown acorns, held by stout branches. Several beehives hang from the lower branches of the tree, swarming with fuzzy yellow and black bumblebees. The roots of the tree dig deeply into the stone floor, splitting it open as they quest for the water to the east. An axe leans against the trunk of the tree.
This is the river of woe, one of the five rivers that flow through the realm of Hades. Interestingly, a branch of this river also flows in the living world in the northwest of Greece in a region known as Epirus. This is also the river that Charon ferries the spirits across on their journey to the underworld.
Our River Acheron is one of the routes out of Hades, considered by many to be the most difficult. It involves boarding a raft and poling your way down the river, avoiding rocks and tangles as harpies and hydras attack you from all sides. Should you crash (it will happen) you will find yourself on the banks of the river with a busted raft. This is where it gets interesting. You must figure what part of your raft has broken and then search your section of the bank for a solution to your problem to get back underway... so you can crash again.