It is a century after the Heroes of Many Arrows turned the tide of battle in the Siege of Khundrukar. Three adventurers (Haneul, Myeong, and Brian) seek out the lost lore and wonders of the dwarven stronghold built by the forgemaster Durgeddin the Black. What treasures and dangers await them in the depths of the Forge of Fury?

Heath the Wizard, Yushi the Bard, and Eumin the Dwarf Paladin were three adventurers from Baldur’s Gate who had traveled across the trade ways and the wilderness to the remote mining town of Blasingdell, a century after a great war between orcs and dwarves transformed the countryside in the shadow of the Spine of the World.

The three companions had been on a number of adventures in the past, the most recent of which resulted in Yushi’s transformation into a dragon-headed creature—a blessing, or perhaps a curse, from the ancient green dragon Claugiyliamatar, or Old Gnawbone, of Kryptgarden Forest, who took a liking to the bard’s singing ability.

Eumin, ever the stalwart companion to her friends through thick and thin, stood by Yushi through this ordeal. Though she had a habit of oversleeping even when on guard duty, her heart was always in the right place. 

Heath foresaw that despite her good intentions, the paladin might lead them to their doom. Little did he reflect on his own obsession with ancient lore that often overrode his cautious and rational mind. It was this very desire for knowledge that had set him on his course to Blasingdell.

A hundred years ago, a mighty war was fought on the slopes of the mountains around what is now the lonely mining town. Back then, this region was nothing but a barren wasteland, ruined by the trampling feet of countless orc legions that gathered upon the hills. These orcs had united for one purpose: to destroy the hidden fortress of Khundrukar, from whose depths the renowned dwarf smith Durgeddin the Black forged his legendary orc-bane weapons. 

The tales spoke of a wizard who turned the tide of battle against the dwarves and led to an orcish victory. This story had been passed down through the generations, from teacher to disciple. Heath’s own master had passed his own version to him, but with a warning—do not heed only one side of a story. This story had been spread among the kindred of the orcs, who had hailed a foreign wizard as an ally that led them to victory. Whether that wizard was the one told of in all the legends, Heath’s master would not say. The master would only say to seek out the lost knowledge of the dwarves of Khundrukar, whose buried secrets would reveal the truth.

Soon, a longing sprouted within Heath’s heart to delve into the depths of the lost dwarven citadel. When he confessed his thoughts to his friends, Eumin was greatly pleased. For she was descended from relatives of the dwarves that had lived and died in Khundrukar, and her kinsfolk greatly desired to unearth the lost treasures that the orcs had left behind after their sack of the stronghold. Eumin’s folk had charged her with the same task that Heath was now contemplating—an expedition to reclaim the lost wonders, and lore, of Durgeddin and his people.

Yushi too was delighted by this quest, for she had sworn an oath to the dragon patron that had blessed her—to return to the woods with tales that would entertain and regale the green dragon of Kryptgarden.

Therefore, the three adventurers arrived in Blasingdell, hoping to procure information and supplies before venturing into the wilderness once more. 

Blasingdell

On their arrival in the mining town, the adventurers soon found that they were a bit out of their depth. This was a remote settlement, nothing like the cosmopolitan city that was Baldur’s Gate. They made a faux pas that rubbed a shopkeeper the wrong way. They found that the price of pipeleaf was several times what they were accustomed to. Things were not like this in Baldur’s Gate!

Fortunately, the local tavern and innkeeper, a half-elf woman named Sarel, did share with them some valuable information—after they had bought some pipeleaf from her. She informed them that the Stone Tooth, the sheer rocky mountain where Khundrukar had been built, had been overrun with monsters of every kind over the years since the fall of the dwarven stronghold. More recently, troglodytes had claimed the lower levels, but they were pushed further below by a large tribe of orcs that had taken over the uppermost floors of the complex. Rumor had it that the orcs were led by a much larger creature, though whether it was a tall orc or a small giant, none could say. Numerous adventurers had gone before to Khundrukar in search of treasure, but none had returned. Still, the orcs were known to all, since they often ventured forth boldly to raid the surrounding countryside and villages. Even the people of Blasingdell, guarded as they were by a strong town watch, were not without worry. That was why the mayor of Blasingdell had put out a bounty on the orcs. Any brave soul that brought back the head of an orc would be rewarded with gold.

Eumin grew angry at the report of orcs one again defiling the heritage of the dwarves. She insisted that the party set out at once, lest other adventurers venture to Khundrukar first. She and her companions were not the only ones in the tavern. It was clear that others who were clearly interested were eavesdropping intently on their conversation. The three friends had no time to waste.

Egg Shell Shrine

They stopped by at a local temple where they managed to acquire some ointment and medicine from an acolyte of the Egg Shell Saint. This was a small shrine built to honor a relatively new faith that had emerged a hundred years ago, around the time of the fall of Khundrukar, when a half-orc paladin of the Rainbow God had inspired a following.

The paladin was named Egg. He and his companions had led the orcs of the Many Arrows Tribe to victory in their campaign against Khundrukar, but more importantly, they sparked a revolution among the orcs, particularly their leadership. Since that time, the warchiefs of the Many Arrows tribe became more cunning and wise, so much so that they no longer resorted to opportunistic raiding and pillaging. Now, the orcs were organized and drew territorial lines. They used the threat of violence to demand tribute and only waged war as a last resort. The current chief of Many Arrows, Obould, had united many orc tribes under his banner, and so they called him King. The “protection” of Many Arrows extended even to the town of Blasingdell, whose captain of the town watch and her second in command were both half orcs from the line of Egg the Paladin. The dwarves of Blasingdell bristled at the reality that they lived under the watchful guard of orc-kin. Such was the strange reality of modern times in the Spine of the World.

The orcs that had invaded Khundrukar had come to the Stone Tooth from afar. They were not part of the Many Arrows alliance. They were a tribe that held to the old ways—-of blood, battle, and plunder. That which was not taken by axe or mace was not worth having. 

Feeling that they had learned and acquired what they needed from the town, the heroes set out at last in search of the door to Khundrukar.

The Wilderness

The party had wandered for several days and nights in the wilderness, stretching their provisions to last them through their journey, when they encountered the first of many dangers. Darkness had fallen, and Eumin the dwarf was standing watch. In the middle of the night, Yushi and Heath were roused from their sleep, only to find that they were bound by ropes! Their gear had been taken from them and piled into a heap nearby. Beside them, Eumin was snoring loudly, nearly drowning out the voices of four orcs that stood over the adventurers, arguing over what to do with them. 

Two of the orcs insisted on bringing the prisoners and loot back to their “chief”—they spoke of him with fear and trepidation. But the other two insisted on killing and eating the prisoners, and keeping the loot to themselves. They were so busy arguing that they ignored Yushi who quietly slipped out of her ropes. Heath tried to do the same, but he made enough noise in the process that the orcs took notice of him. At once, they saw that the bard had already freed herself.

Heedless of the danger, Yushi hurled her blade at the ropes that bound Heath’s hands, freeing him from his bindings. The orcs, seeing the dragon-headed Yushi as the greater threat, surrounded her and would have beaten her into oblivion, if the newly freed Heath had not intervened. With a gesture from his hand, a great ball of flame engulfed the tightly packed orcs—and the bard that stood between them!

When the explosion had subsided, all that was left were the charred remains of the four orcs. But miraculously, Yushi was unscathed! Even as the fiery blast enveloped her, Yushi sang a song of protection that safeguarded her from Heath’s deadly magic. Heath attributed Yushi’s survival to her being a creature of dragonkind.

When Eumin awoke, she found that the action was already finished and was dismayed. She helped the others claim the heads of the four orcs and bury their remains so that other passing orcs would not stumble upon them. Then the party followed the tracks left by the orcs they had just slain and tracked them to their source. That was how they discovered the great Mountain Door of Khundrukar.

The Mountain Door

The tall stone doors of the dwarven citadel were flanked on either side by sheer impregnable walls of granite, dotted with arrow slits from which defenders could easily shoot at any would-be invaders. It was no wonder the dwarves of a century ago, outnumbered as they were, had managed to hold off the horde of orcs for so many months. 

Though orcs could not be seen, the heroes felt the presence of others in the wilderness. They suspected that still more would be ready to defend the Mountain Door from within. They dared not stride up to the front gate which would surely be heavily guarded. Therefore, they resolved to look for another way into the citadel.

Days went by in the wilderness as the party searched for a secret entrance. But they could not find it. In time, they became lost and ran low on provisions. When they finally emerged from their aimless wandering, they were startled to find that they had wound up back on the outskirts of Blasingdell. Having little other recourse, the heroes brought the heads of the orcs they had defeated to the manor of the mayor. They were handsomely rewarded, and with their newfound gold, they went to resupply and prepare for another expedition.

Unfortunately, the shopkeeper had not forgotten the adventurers and their rudeness from before. He was an older dwarf named Kheldegan Tolm, a former adventurer who had settled down in this town. He demanded to know why the adventurers were so keen to throw themselves into untold danger. Weren’t they just like all the others who had come to this place in search of gold and glory?

The heroes answered in turn. Yushi the bard was in search of new songs to sing, and Eumin wanted to reclaim the lost relics of the fallen dwarves of Khundrukar. But it was Heath’s honest answer that moved the shopkeeper’s heart. He said that his master was a long-lived and elderly wizard who had helped the orcs of Many Arrows defeat the dwarves of Khundrukar a century ago. Heath had come to feel remorse on his master’s behalf for the part that he had played in the war and the dark legends that were told of the wizard who had brought doom to Khundrukar. He now wished to unearth the secrets of the fallen dwarves and discover what truths they hold, so that he might share those truths with the world, whatever they might be.

The shopkeeper was so moved by Heath’s resolve that he offered to join the adventurers on their quest. They were glad to have him by their side. Taking up his old axe and his Bag of Holding from his adventuring days, Kheldegan Tolm closed his shop and followed the heroes on their journey. 

Before setting out for the Stone Tooth once more, the heroes decided to speak with one of the sergeants of the town guard to see if he might know of a secret way into Khundrukar. He was a half-orc named Grendar. Kheldegan was not eager for this meeting, nor did he trust the words of a half-orc. But the heroes had heard that Grendar was of the blood of Egg the paladin, who had been beatified by the faith of the Egg Shell Saint. They trusted him without a second thought, so when the half-orc told them of a subterranean lake that might be connected to the rest of the underground complex, the heroes believed him. They returned to the wilderness, armed with that they believed to be invaluable knowledge. But the information that Grendar had given them would lead them into a danger the likes of which they had never imagined.

The Black Lake

After many long days of searching the base of the Stone Tooth, the heroes discovered at last an immense cavern complex where the sound of running water could be heard within. It became louder the deeper they went into the underground tunnels, until at last they emerged in a cavernous space—the Black Lake in the bowls of the Stone Tooth.

At the center of the lake was a small island where something was glittering in the faint light that came from the tunnels leading there. As the heroes strained their eyes to see what it was, a voice spoke to them in their thoughts.

“Save me… Save me…”

For each of the adventurers, the same words echoed in their mind, but it meant something different. For Heath, it was the voice of ancient lore, reaching out to the wizard in search of salvation. For the dwarves Eumin and Kheldegan, it was the voice of the lost relics of Durgeddin’s forge, which appeared to be lost no longer—the voice seemed to be coming from the glittering objects piled on the island in the lake. For Yushi, it was the voice of a being not of human descent, and she alone recognized that the voice was one of fell enchantment. It called to the heroes and offered each of them what they most desired, luring them toward the island in the lake. 

Yushi had resisted the charm, but she saw that her companions did not. Heath swam halfway to the island before coming to his senses. Then he turned around and swam to the far shore. Eumin had gone into the lake in full armor, and she sank like a stone. Kheldegan grabbed her and swam the rest of the way to the island with the paladin in tow. 

The dwarves cried out in excitement. Here were the masterwork weapons forged by the hand of Durgeddin the Black! They saw axes, hammers, and swords among other treasures that were piled high. They were so overwhelmed with joy that they did not notice the shadow passing over them. The shadow fell into the lake with a soft murmur of water, like a snake sliding into a pool. It moved so quickly that even Yushi’s eyes could scarcely see it. But then it emerged from the surface of the lake, behind the two dwarves who were entranced by the treasure hoard on the island. There were two great wings and a black body in between, armored with scales and armed with a pair of deadly horns. Yushi and Heath looked on with horror as they witnessed a black dragon rising out of the Black Lake.

To be continued…

Rewards: The party purchased some pipeleaf, received 100 gold coins as a bounty on the orcs, and gained an NPC companion (Kheldegan Tolm, middle-aged male dwarf) with a Bag of Holding, which contains plenty of rations.