Dwarven city: Asheseth Montarn

 

This city had a population of about 20,000 at its peak. It lies at the top of the long tube-cave which reaches under the island. At one time, this tube decanted onto dry land. The bottom of the tube is now underwarter, located not far from a sea-elf community. The ancient Dwarvish city consists of three levels of passages, chambers and rooms, interconnected by smaller tubes that allow air to flow, water to be pumped, and heat (steam) to be dispersed. There are also daylight shafts in the uppermost level. Below the city, shafts lead down to the mines (the 3rd, mostly industrial, level of the city). The dwarves mined diamonds and mithril here.

 

The uppermost level of the city is essentially deserted of any organized life. A few creatures which can enter through the daylight shafts lair here, and sometimes orcs from Pyrharrus’s band will come to hunt here, but there are no major set encounters. Rooms and chambers are mainly residential, with some shops, and 4-5 larger clan gathering/market halls. There may be one or two smallish temples. 

 

Random Encounters within the city of Montarn:

 

2. Trolls (1-3)

3. Grey Ooze

4. Green Slime

5. Dungeon Bunnies and Fungus

6. Bats (3d100)

7. Orcish Intruders (party of 2d4 orcs and 50% chance of 1-2 wargs)

8. Dwarven scavengers/hunters (party of 1d6+1 dwarves)

9. Giant Rat horde (50-100 starving rats)

10. Odd noises or atmospheric condition

11. Carrion Crawlers (1d4)

12. Xorn (1)

 

The center level is occupied by the remaining dwarven band of about 300. They live mostly in the temple area, a few rooms near it, and still tend the garden chambers. They will do their best to remain unseen by intruders, but if spotted and approached will be warily friendly. If they perceive anyone to be a spellcaster, however, they will be very definitely unfriendly. Spell driven Magic is anathema to these dwarves, for they blame all their troubles on it (with some justification!) Only occasionally can orcs be found here, usually passing through to the above level, or making brief forays against their enemy. Any aggressive intruders they will first try to capture, only killing if there is no alternative.

 

They have a series of elaborate traps and capture devices spread over this level, and at any point which enters the areas they live in. There are actually about 500 dwarves still “living” in the city, but up to 200 of them at any time are “sleeping” in suspended animation. This eases food needs, and helps to decrease battle weariness. Sleepers can be awakened in 4 hours time, at a rate of up to 10 at a time. Each dwarf spends about 2 years in 5 asleep. Still, each dwarf’s lifespan is only stretched to about 300 years, if he or she does not fall in battle. Therefore, these dwarves have lived in isolated guardianship for over 5 generations. Only their leaders, the priests, are original to the group. They have had their lives preserved by their direct link to the artifact.

 

 

1. The entry hall: the doors leading into the city are massive, solid iron banded with now badly tarnished bronze. Great rings are set on the outer side. The doors are locked, but not trapped. The lock is not a keyhole mechanism, but rather a wheel-driven bar at top and bottom which insert into the stone above and below the doors. It cannot be picked, but must be opened from the inner side, or “knocked”. Once unlocked, they still open easily, with a creaking groan.

The room within is very dark, but a faint glimmer of daylight comes from the hall beyond. The floor is strewn with stony rubble, and grey dusty cobwebs hang from the ceiling to the floor, blocking all view of what lies within.

No monsters, only easy to burn or cut webs - very dusty! The stone rubble is of a statue which can be crudely re-assembled to form a trio of dwarven warriors in full battle gear, advancing warily shoulder to shoulder. It takes 1 month of steady work to rebuild accurately. Once the webs are burned away, the purtcullises can be seen just sticking out of their slots in the roof.

In the northeast corner there is a loose stone in the floor. Under the stone is a 2’deep 1’x3’ niche containing a leather sack. On the sack lies the long-dessicated hand of an orc. Inside the sack are 86 silver coins (about 80% the size of a penny) stamped with an axe and smoking mountain peak on one side, the dwarven rune “A” on the other.

The walls of this room are carved into elaborate grooves and ridges, for no discernable purpose.

 

2A and B guard rooms, there are slits cut in the walls which are disguised arrow slits. These rooms are now bare and thick with dust. The narrow halls to the south of each room are similarly equipped. There are also mechanisms in them for releasing the outer portcullis and raising it again.

 

3A and B. Guard rooms again, A contains a strange lever set up which releases stone block 3C. B contains the second portcullis levers.

 

3C is a massive stone slab mounted on rollers in its slot. When it is released, it slides with a hiss of steam across the entrance in a matter of seconds. Only brute force from the inner side working with the hand-slots cut in the back can force it open again.

 

4. Great Hall. This vast chamber was the heart of Asheseth Montarn. Now it lies silent and dark.

The floor still retains a nearly perfect polished smoothness, and the walls are also polished, with many decorative blocks of stone and minerals studding the walls in intricate patterns. The ceiling is at least 40’ high in the center of the chamber, where a skylight pierces the vault (the skylight is 1’ thick glass, about 30x30’ square. The shaft above it is lined in mirror-bright magically polished mithril, extending nearly 800’ up to the sky above. There is enough light to make out dimly the shape of the huge hall, and several unique modifications. Torchlight also spills out of the hallway to 11c.

 

The far hallway to room 5 is blocked off with beautifully cut and fitted stone - dry mortared into a permanent wall. The stairs at 11a are treated the same way, but a wooden door has been mounted in the wall. It is currently barred shut. The hall to 11b is similarly walled off with a door. This door appears to be permanently secured shut with three bars welded across it.

 

The entry into hallway to 11c has been seriously modified. A platform 3’ high has been built across the opening, with a further 2’ high barrier at the lip. This creates a 5’ high wall. Furthermore, the opening has been narrowed down to a mere 5’ wide passage. It would be easily defended by only 2 or three people. Torches are mounted here, just to the outside of the passage on each wall. They are relatively fresh and burn brightly. If the PC’s enter the area lit by the torches they are immediately hailed by the dwarven watchmen within.

Watchmen: 3 dwarves named Thewn, Harroc and Mernk : all L10 ftrs weilding dwarvish battleaxes. They also have light crossbows (2 each, loaded and waiting).

These dwarves will send one of their number back to the clan to warn them of intruders (Mernk). The other two will parley, making no attempt to let the party pass, but trying in a fairly friendly way to find out what brings them to the city of Montarn. These two dwarves have no knowledge of the lost knights of Marathina, but will tell the PC’s that their clan records will show their passing if they did so. If the PCs are searching for Aulindo’s magic, the dwarves will be less friendly, telling them they want nothing to do with the matter and suggesting they should “go up above and deal with the winged ones”.

Eventually one of the dwarven priestly rulers will come forward and talk with them. Overall the dwarves are indifferent to the party until or unless a threat is made, or magical spells are cast. Once that happens the dwarves become overtly hostile and do their best to remove them from the city at once. They will not allow the party into Asheseth Calborn unless the PC’s specifically mention the Knights of St. Michael and their quest to discover their fate, or indicate that they are simply seeking knowledge of Aulindo. Should they mention being on a quest for the late Emperor, the dwarves grow much less friendly. They regard humans from that time as absolutely their enemies.

 

5. Market Hall. This was once a bustling market center. Shops with large gaping windows face the square hall, and many post-holes in the smooth floor delineate where rows of market stalls once stood. The wood and metal that once made up the stalls are long gone.

 

6. A-g. These rooms of varying sizes were once all barracks for the city’s gate guard. They are now barren, dusty and empty.

 

12 The Temple of Karathlan and Ontokoth. Here dwell the majority of the dwarves who still remain in Montarn.

 

12A is their gathering hall and center of worship. Scattered around the room are a dozen or so tables, where dwarves sit to eat, talk, play a dwarven variant of chess, do stonecarving, and otherwise entertain themselves.12B is a raised platform containing a pair of stone altars to the two gods these dwarves call upon; Ontokoth and Karathlan. A smaller table or two also are here, where the five priests keep themselves occupied. The corners of this large room are partially curtained off, to provide some privacy for those who require it.

 

12C is a barracks for unmarried male dwarves of age. 31 dwarves live here in quite cramped quarters, but they don’t seem to resent it at all. 12D is likewise where the unmarried female dwarves live. There are only 17 of them.

 

12E is a weapons store. Light crossbows, quarrels, axes, shields, helmets, spears, axe handles, and other bits of weaponry and armor are neatly stored here ready for use. There is also a treadle powered sharpening stone, weapon and armor repair materials, and a good lantern.

 

12F is another storeroom, but there is no lamp here. A continual light stone in a net provides light to see kegs of lamp oil, many torches, lanterns, candles, flasks of oil, rope, and other flammable materials.

 

12g and h are the quarters of the five priests. They have subdivided the outer room with wooden partitions to create several smaller private areas. Each contains a bed, chest, small table, holy symbol on the wall, and other personal items.

 

12I is an office, scriptorium and library combined. Shelves bear records of the entire history of the colony since the Sky-fall.

 

12J is a combination hospital and apothecary’s laboratory. It also serves as a storeroom for other odds and ends. There is running water here. At least five people live in this chamber - the healer (who is not a priest), his wife, two elderly dwarven patients, and the healer’s apprentice, a female dwarf not yet fully grown.

 

12K is the kitchen and dining hall. There are three small storerooms to the rear, a large oven/fireplace on one wall, a food prep area, and a number of tables where the dwarves sit for meals. Note that only the evening meal is served in 12a to a large group at one time. Otherwise, meals are served almost all day long, and dwarves drop in each hour to eat, as their duties permit. About 5 dwarves live and sleep in the chamber, including the 3 cooks and their 2 apprentices. Sometimes a young man from area c will bed down here for some added privacy for a night or two.

 

12L is the stair landing, and also the school for children. There are about two dozen dwarven children (up to age 25 or so) who spend 2-4 hours a day here being taught reading, math, engineering, history, clan law and other important dwarven information. One wall is covered with slate, and there are 24 stone desks for the students.

 

12M is an office. It is where the priests and leaders hold important meetings, where scavenging missions are plotted, where intruders are questioned, etc... It is here that any guests or captives will first be brought.

 

The lowest level is again mostly empty, but the area at the head of the mine shafts is inhabited by the orc tribe which serves Pyrharrus. The mines lead many miles deep into the volcano’s heart, plunging under the caldera to the place where the magma is locked in stasis. The chambers that lie there were created mostly by the mage and his servants, hollowed out of old caves and mines.

 

The mage arrived here in Mount Asheseth about 100 years ago, as an explorer. He had studied rumors of the powerful cloud-lands, and was convinced that a great magic must have existed to hold the realm together. He sought it for himself. His name is Pyrharrus. He was a scholar from Candlekeep.

 

His arrival in Mount Asheseth was sudden. He came from above, in a flying boat, which he still has stored somewhere in the mountain. He first resided in the ruins of one of the cities in the caldron, but his discoveries there soon led him deep into the mountain. He also found the magical knowledge which has led him to control the orcs. He is not interested in world domination, nor in destroying societies. He merely wants to rule Asheseth, and discover all the knowledge that still lies within. Unfortunately, he doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process.

 

 

At this point all my notes stop. I never ran the rest of this adventure, as my PCs always got led astray or the campaign fizzled. Still, I hope someone finds the material useful.