Forge (5e Environment)
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Bezmadan[edit]
Forge, or bezmadan in the Dwarven tongue, is a legendary dungeon formed from an old dwarven forge located within a series of volcanic systems underground. Since its abandonment, it has become infested with creatures that now run about the old mine shafts. However, people eagerly flock to this dungeon still, as there were allegedly many treasures left behind by the dwarves who had worked there. There are possible gems and metals like mithril or even adamantium awaiting those brave enough to spelunk into its core. Thrill-seeker no doubt seek the fame and glory privy to the first to plumb the secret depths of this legendary forge. There lie tales of betrayal, suspicion, and horror about the forge's last days... and few have ever ascertained the truth as to the ancient creatures that have now taken over the territory and made it a home to things new and dangerous. Players could perhaps fall into these categories of spelunkers when choosing this location to explore.
Surrounding the forge is the long-abandoned dwarven city of Aldrjaum. The walls of the citadel still stand, camouflaged by the surrounding foliage that now creeps between the crevices of its brick and mortar. Aldrjaum's armaments were once used to protect Bezmadan from any who would want to steal the forge's use for their own. Now it is a ghostly city, void of its original inhabitants. Creatures from the nearby forests roam the old streets and the old central fortress has been emptied of its former splendor.
General[edit]
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| By Oission |
The forge is an ancient structure constructed in a minor volcano. This volcano is centered on a tropical peninsula, surrounded by obscuring foliage. This helps to keep the civilization around it hidden from prying eyes who would want to steal from their rich resources. In this location, a modest population of dwarves has built generations upon the fertile soils and volcanic treasures that lie beneath the surface. This is not without its challenges, as the volcanic vent reaches deep, breaching levels of other subterranean fauna which does not like to be disturbed. The mines of igneous ore reach deep and have now turned over back to the original inhabitants who roam in the twilight of the dwarves.
This location was selected by the fugitive dwarven clan of the Lavahewers, and thusly founded. They were innovative forge-smiths who dared to use the forces of nature. This paid off as their legacy shows, with sturdy technology that remains usable despite the passage of time. The dwarves themselves, however, were not able to fully enjoy this as their population is all but gone from here.
It is unclear exactly what brought the forge to a quiet end. Scholars note there is evidence of growing unease within the city outside the forge towards the last days of Bezmadan. Citizens noted some sort of illness or perhaps a curse permeating through the workers and civilians. These journals are still found in scraps in the city's abandoned homes and forge workshops. The exact cause has three theorized inferences:
- One is that a new biological disease was contracted, perhaps from a newly opened vent below, which first spread among miners into the city above, eventually wiping out the entire population.
- Second is a mental illness or cultist mind that may have taken root in the dwarves and driven them insane. The extension of this theory is that the afflicted dwarves fled the forges and the surface altogether, becoming duergar and derro who retreated deep and beyond into the darkest areas of the tunnels. This is probably mainly because there actually are duergar and derro present in the deeper levels of the dungeon, though it is debated whether they actually were the original civilians of Bezmadan and Aldrjaum. Supporters of this theory fight over the source of the mental affliction, with ideas ranging from illithids to a secret cult of Diirinka.
- The last theory believes the dwarves to have fallen under a curse, coupled with an invasion. The volcano on which Bezmadan is founded at one point in its existence housed a vortex that connected it to the Elemental Plane of Fire. It is probable that the dwarves may have incurred the wrath of an azer or similar fire elemental, which soon spelled doom for their little encampment. The vortex has since closed so that remains to be known. However, there are beings of fire that have been rumored to roam areas of the forge which remain active strangely, leaving some to believe this to not be some far-fetched dream.
- Some straggling theories talk of the kobolds who dwell here in the underground, whose tunnels reach as far up as the dwarves do downward. An unlikely idea is that the kobolds may have seized the forge and drive out the dwarves originally. Their motivation may have been a powerful prototype drill machine that could free their imprisoned god, Kurtulmak. There is also stray rumor about dwarves succumbing to mysterious fungus which transformed them into other beings that never again returned to the surface.
Regardless of its decline, the forge of Bezmadan and the city of Aldrjaum are now void of any inhabitants. Nature has reclaimed much of the city, but the inner heart of the forge and its workings remain relatively intact. The entrance to the forge was also left hidden so it is very likely that no one has yet to breach its sanctum. Thus, its original treasures, masterfully crafted weapons, armor, dwarven artifacts, and even veins of precious ore, remain viable for those who can find them. But beware, adventurers, for the old tunnels have now become home to a host of many new prowlers, some nastier than the last.
Aldrjaum, Nlothjaal[edit]
Nlothjaal Aldrjaum is the full name of the citadel surrounding Bezmadan, meaning "Hidden Walls of Fire." This was because the citadel's impressive walls aided in hiding the forge and keeping the people safe with an impressive fortress in the city center. The city's walls are old and decrepit, but retain their height of 50 or so feet, and a thickness of 20 feet, adding to their structural integrity. The surface's icons and carvings remain, with some wear. But the original insignia of the Lavahewer Clan remains. This clan is the original founder of Aldrjaum, and the signs of their house remain yet in the ghost city, hung in faded tapestries, engraved in stone, and etched into their trademark weapons.
The streets of the citadel have their paved streets intact, but greenery from the surrounding wilderness has found ways in. Vines and lianas hang from roofs and sprout from the sidewalks. Portions of the buildings are crumbling or worn due to moisture and erosion. The metallic structures in the city retain their beauteous forms, but there is rust now where there had been none. Wild critters scurry about but there is still dead calm to the place.
The citadel is about the size of a town rather than a traditional city. What makes it special is the concentric fortress in the center, where the armory used to be. This fortress was called Warmhaven, and it has not seen use for more than a century. Weapons and armor left by the old guard have sat and rusted on their holsters and maps of the city as well as the forge have been eaten away by time. But there remain some probable stores here and there, which may reveal more about the place and its mysterious decline, as well as what treasure may remain.
The forge itself is accessible from the city rear, where the walls breach into the natural mountainside. It doubles as the entrance to the mines, but has since been cordoned off by a large door that was used in emergency lockdowns.
Upper Layer: Aundra Avor Halag[edit]
It was once believed that the ashes and fumes from a volcano were that of a god's breath. The upper layer of the forge is located closer to the throat of the volcano, where the smoke and ash billows up almost constantly. Since it is closer to the crater though, a great deal of moisture clashes with the heat and creates for a rather interesting environment. The upper layer is protected from a lot of the smoke via a thick ring of solid pumice which rims the vent. Soot spurts up in thick concentrations here, which is a valuable resource for the dwarves. They collect this and use it to make glassware, as they do not always have sand, and also distribute it in the form of fertilizer. In addition to this, small windows were carved out towards the outer cone of the volcano, allowing the dwarves to use the structure as a vantage point.
Despite the natural protections on this layer, it remains very smokey and dangerous with prolonged periods of inhalation. Even the dwarves themselves required protective suits when working here.
First Layer: Eth Zanna[edit]
The entry level of Bezmadan is called the Stand or the Base. Here is the layer where the guard barracks and such are located, as well as general access into the forge. The door is operated by a lockdown mechanism, which has long rusted through so that entry requires a great deal of force. There are remains of the old transport strewn by the entrance. Back in its heyday, these transports were operated via a pulley system of metal cords, which stretched about the entire forge, carting materials like ores and smelted bars. It used to reach outside as well to Aldrjaum, but it has since been destroyed by a variety of forces that want no one to re-enter the premises.
This layer is the site of demise for many of the dwarves. Several of them hid in the break room as the forge is believed to have shut down due to invasion or some other threat, barricading themselves in. Ultimately, they starved to death and the room now only has their skeletons... and their ghosts. When intruded upon, the spirits of the dwarves leap up in a ghastly manner. However, they are not unreasonable. If reasoned with peacefully, they are willing to tell their sordid tale of the many forces which eventually took over Bezmadan, from the azers, kobolds, and illithids. They know of where the ancient treasures lie, but are not fully willing to part with these secrets unless their trust is earned, say, by slaying their enemies.
Second Layer: Odror[edit]
This layer is considered the heart of Bezmadan. Here, all the machinery for the forge is centered by the main volcanic vent. There are four main generators that harvest the thermal energies from the laval essence, dividing the layer into quadrants. The energy is then ported via pipes that run along the floors and walls of this layer. There are also various workshops here. Some of these workshops are balanced atop islands precariously set over the bubbling lava, bridged with metal. The workshops still have the tables on which metal was folded, struck, and molded, as well as some hammers and tongs. Towards the back of the layer is the entrance to the deep mines, where raw material is carted from the lower level for smelting.
The elementals known as azers roam here, along with other fiery beings who were trapped by the closing of the vortex. Other than azers, there are also salamanders and firenewts[1]. The head leader of this fiery group is Ala'i, a lava salamander who is a believer of Kossuth. They have a camp set up at the forge center, by the furnace. Currently, they are utilizing the mine's resources to find magical minerals which they might use to construct a gate, under Ala'i's orders. This would allow them to return to the Plane of Fire. Ala'i is a highly intelligent being willing to negotiate for information on these materials. These elementals cannot cross the metal bridges or they would destroy them within 1D4 turns of standing on them. This has limited their access to some of the more secret areas of the layer.
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Third Layer: Eth Abl[edit]
"The Bowels" of Bezmadan were the furthest reaches of tunnels the dwarves carved into the earth here. This was where their mining operations took place, and they also had workshops down here to plan for tools, draw maps, and store ore and other equipment. This layer intrudes upon the locak network of underground kobolds, who have all but infested the forge now with their intricate, hidden tunnels. They have also set up traps to prevent outsiders from getting the drop on them. Their crowded lair of snaking ways allows many of them access to strategic points in the tunnels, making them a clear threat if you can spot them.
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| Drill by Yanied |
In addition to the ores, the Olgathr Jroer, or "Earth Breaker" lies here, dormant and unfinished. It is the beginnings of a chassis the dwarves planned to build. Essentially it was a drill that could pierce the pressurized earth at deeper levels to allow for easier tunnel making. It is a giant metal construct that is impervious to the flames and fire of the lava thanks to the materials used to make it. Unfortunately, Bezmadan never saw to its finished state. Kobolds have hijacked the designs for their own purposes: to free Kurtulmak from his earthen prison.
The chassis remains usable to the end of utility, and the ghosts of the forge may know a secret or two to bring it to completion. Various parts in the making, as well as materials, lie scattered about Bezmadan, some partially realized, others mere concepts. The kobolds are on the lookout for such things as well. If someone wants to complete Olgathr, they will need either the aid of the ghosts or even possibly steal intel from the kobolds.
- Darastrulithix, the Kobold Lair
- The complex nest of kobolds here are actually all of one large clan, divvied into smaller tribes around parts of the tunnels. They are all members of the Zigna clan, led by Arkyriss the kobold skirmisher. They are well organized into groups of miners and scouts who scour the volcanic forge and know many of its geological secrets. The main lair, named Darastrulithix is located in an underground forest within Eth Abl, connecting to a large system of underground lakes for swimming, but they have various routes throughout the tunnels to escape to other layers should they require it. The main lair approaches are laden with traps for non-kobolds.
- Darastrulithix's main landmark is a temple dedicated to Kurtulmak, abutted with two smaller ones dedicated to Gaknulak and Dakarnok. The residences of the kobolds are divided into smaller nests all connected within the main lair. Many of these nests are also used to hoard treasures. These special rooms are often also booby-trapped.
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The Laval Locus[edit]
- The ghosts of the former dwarven workers will tell of comrades who never came to join them as spirits. Whatever fate befell them is largely unknown. However, they tell of the lava, which has never ceased its bubbling after all this time. During their excursions to the deepest reaches of the forge and mineshafts, they recall the lava flow stemming from a particular location in Eth Abl, rather than reaching deeper into the planet's layers. While the ghosts fled upward to the surface during the fall of the forge, several comrades fled downward, into the depths. It is believed a fate worse than death awaited them as they neared the clutches of the evils lurking below.
- This is unfortunately true. Ceralyigg, the elder brain controlling the underlying illithid colony in Dehurgjal, had been cultivating a unique sort of oblex using the laval essence of Bezmadan and brain juice. The resulting unstable creation broke away from the elder brain, escaping to Eth Abl, where it resided and seemed to hibernate until the fall of the forge. The dwarves unfortunate enough to stumble into the cavern where the oblex was resting were absorbed, body and mind, into its oozing essence. This now-elder oblex has fused itself with the laval column, keeping the forge's heat source going. It is believed that it does so due to the minds of the dwarves it devoured, who wished to save the magnificent structure.
- This genius oblex has matured into an elder form, becoming a gigantic lump of laval energy that keeps the lava hot and running in the volcano. It protects itself within its cavern with animated slaves formed from various dwarven remains of the ones it devoured. They periodically search the level of Eth Abl and surrounding areas for sentient prey to feed the oblex. Kobolds have a great fear of this threat and they have been wary of its poaching of their own kind. These servants of the oblex, known as lavablood slaves, are not discriminate with what they find, and will gladly be destroyed protecting the genius oblex.
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Huge ooze, lawful evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Skills Stealth +6 Shadow Agility. While in dim light or darkness, the shadowling can take the Hide or Disengage action as a bonus action. Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the shadow has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. ACTIONSClaw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.
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The laval locus is a creature originally created by the Elder Brain Ceralyigg to be a powerful oblex that would do its bidding around Bezmadan. Infused with fiery energy, the locus was believed to have escaped Ceralyigg's thrall at some point due to a weakening in the Elder Brain's power. It ended up being attracted to the central laval funnel where it became fused with the flow of the volcano. It is now the core that keeps this entire operation still running. It is said that the locus has the voice of all the dwarves it had ever consumed, and emulates a twisted amalgam of their desires to protect the forge. |
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Small undead, lawful evil Armor Class 12
Skills Stealth +6 Shadow Agility. While in dim light or darkness, the shadowling can take the Hide or Disengage action as a bonus action. Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the shadow has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. ACTIONSClaw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.
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Lavablood slaves are corpses reanimated with the fiery, psionic goo from the laval locus. Many of them are the bodies of the original unfortunate miners of the forge, along with any other creatures that were so unlucky to be subsumed by the locus' influence. They bear only the slightest resemblance to their original forms due to the exposure to lava, which makes them appear horrid and burned, as well as stretched in shape and leaner. However, their minds have been all but absorbed now into the locus, leaving their shambling bodies mere empty shells. |
- If the genius oblex is defeated, the entire forge then goes dark, as the lava source is depleted. All its slaves will also melt on the spot. The entire column of thermal energy goes cold and hard, and everything is in darkness. Within the remains of the oblex and its slaves are the decayed bodies of the dwarves. After such a long period of being digested, the souls of the dwarves no longer have any memories of themselves and they will pass onto the Fugue Plane. Within 3d6 days of the volcanic activity ceasing, the underground levels of duergar, kobolds, and illithids will begin to advance towards the surface of the volcano in the light of this disturbance.
Dehurgjal: The Deeper[edit]
Below the bowels of Bezmadan, it ceases to be former dwarven territory. These are the areas the dwarves had brief insight on, but never fully explored, nor did they make any tunnels. That which exists, in caverns and narrow, twisting ways, was here before the dwarves came. It is so deep here that it connects to the Underdark via a myriad of complex passageways. Creatures native to the Underdark are thus able to be found here in some parts. The kobolds know of this place, but they rarely come here, and the fire elementals steer clear entirely, remaining by the warmth of the main vent. As these tunnels go far down and narrow, they become cold and nitrous in nature, with more natural characteristics as opposed to bored and structured corridors.
A dampness settles in some tunnels, rendering them overgrown with fungus. There are cyan glowing mushrooms that can provide dim light for up to 30 feet, which would be beneficial. However, there also dwell sentient fungal creatures like violet fungus, myconids, and vegepygmies[4]. One of the supposed meteors of russet mold is believed to be buried here, deep within the caves. As a result of mining, the growth of the mold was exacerbated, creating a small underground city for the fungus people, within one of the underground pockets. This is the fungus city of Guventirum. It is surrounded by neighboring caverns which have been repurposed into gardens of underground plant life for food, including creatures like shambling mounds. Along with the original meteor in the city is a vein of valuable ore, believed to have been imbued with special properties as a result of prolonged contact with the space rock.
- Guventirum
- The mushroom city under Bezmadan is built upon the highest layer where the Araumycos body can reach. The titan mushroom is believed to be responsible for the flourishing growths of fungi through the years, and sustains the entirety of Guventirum.
Word of the Wise: Even if the inhabitants of Guventirum and the surrounding fungal caverns are not hostile, there remain plenty of dangers for foreign, non fungal beings. Russet mold still grows in certain areas, and can turn someone into a vegepygmy. The valuable ore is also mixed with metal russet, can spread ironrot to constructs and organic beings alike.
Deep in Dehurgjal is where a colony of illithids has lived. It is presumed they lived here before the dwarves, and they may have contributed to their downfall when the dwarves came a'digging. The colony is not very large, with an elder brain, named Ceralyigg, and about a dozen or so mindflayers. However, they have since expanded their power by taking control of many dwarves, turning them into deranged derro and duergar slaves. Under their control, these former dwarves run a small slave trade on the other side of the volcano, facing away from Aldrjaum. They trade in mysterious stones and bits of mindflayer technology with slavers for humanoids, which the mindflayers use for food and reproduction. The mindflayers are believed to be holding a semi-functional nautiloid, the Ego Revenant, in their lair. It has lost its abilities to sail the Astral Sea, and the mindflayers are thus biding time to repair it. They fear detection by other Far Realm forces, like gith, as well as discovery by anti-Far Realm forces like shardminds.
- Ceralyigg's Colony
- This illithid colony has less than twenty members that are mindflayers. However, they have a healthy population of slaves, both as workers and for food. The colony structure is believed to have been converted from an abandoned kobold lair, and thus there are multiple roomy caverns connected by snaking tunnels. They do not have access to their usual slave members like quaggoths and drow, however, and so are less advanced than an illithid colony found in the Underdark.
Beyond this colony's level is pretty much an entry to the Underdark. Some of the derro created by the illithids were beyond their masters control and fled Ceralyigg's colony for the nearby caverns, and deeper still into the Underdark. As a final frontier before the world below, there is a derro encampment located leagues below Bezmadan. This encampment coexists with a hidden group of duergar in the city Luarkstaugh, hidden in a large carven with an underground lake. The derro are underclassmen who worship Diirinka, and the duergar here worship Asmodeus. As one can surmise, it is not a picnic to come upon these parties, as they are extremely hostile, and have been known to leave travelers helpless at the hands of the illithids for sadistic punishment.
- Luarkstaugh
- This city, while small, is no less impressive in architecture than any other dwarven city. There is an alien element to the designs, however, with strange twists and inane designs that would normally be uncharacteristic of dwarves and their typical pragmatic style. Luarkstaugh has many column buildings made of repurposed stalactites and stalagmites that connect the floor and ceiling of the cavern. At the heart of the city is a large depression and an entryway into the world below: the Underdark.
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