After their escape from the Underdark in chapter 7, the adventurers have time to rest, recuperate, and reorient themselves back in the surface world from which they were taken. Some three months after their return, they receive a summons to the dwarf kingdom of Gauntlgrym in the North. King Bruenor Battlehammer desires an audience with them regarding their experiences in the Underdark. Representatives of several factions with an interest in what is happening in the Underdark will also be in attendance. Following the audience, Bruenor extends an offer to the characters, who are tasked with returning to the Underdark once more on a perilous mission.
Summoned by Bruenor
King Bruenor has learned of the characters' exploits from dwarf merchants and couriers recently returned from the Underdark. (If Eldeth Feldrun was part of the adventurers' successful escape and returned safely to Gauntlgrym, word of the party’s heroics came to Bruenor through her. See “Gauntlgrym Connections.") King Bruenor’s summons reaches the characters by whatever method best suits the story, depending on where they go and what they are doing following their return to the surface world. It can be in the form of a messenger carrying a handwritten letter bearing the king’s seal, or even an animal messenger or sending spell focused on one or more of the adventurers. Regardless of how it gets to them, the message is simple and clear:
Come at once to Gauntlgrym for an audience with King Bruenor Battlehammer, to discuss matters of grave importance concerning your experiences in the Underdark.
Characters belonging to any of the factions involved in the meeting at Gauntlgrym (see “Forging an Alliance”) might receive a summons from their faction as well, and could even travel with the representative of that faction to the dwarf hold if circumstances permit. Otherwise, the choice to make the journey is up to the characters, although ignoring Bruenor’s request leads the dwarf king to send ever more insistent messages.
Gauntlgrym Connections
If Eldeth Feldrun survived and escaped from the Underdark with the characters, she is eager to return home to Gauntlgrym, and does so at the first opportunity. In that case, King Bruenor’s summons might come in the form of a personal message or a visit from her, and it’s likely Bruenor has heard all about the Underdark exploits from Eldeth.
If Eldeth didn’t survive, she might have charged the characters with returning either her remains or her warhammer and shield to her home. This errand can bring the characters to Gauntlgrym of their own volition even before Bruenor’s summons.
Either aiding Eldeth’s return or honoring her memory enhances the party’s reputation with the dwarves of Gauntlgrym. It also reinforces King Bruenor’s opinion that these adventurers are the right people to do the job of investigating the happenings in the Underdark.
Arrival
Once the characters arrive at the gates of Gauntlgrym, they are welcomed as the king’s guests and escorted into the underground city, through the Vault of Kings (see below), and shown to guest quarters. The dwarves of Gauntlgrym take matters of hospitality seriously, ensuring that the adventurers are offered food, drink, and a chance to rest and refresh themselves before their audience with the king (see “Audience with Bruenor” under “Events in Gauntlgrym”).
The characters' arrival is noteworthy, and the dwarves of Gauntlgrym treat them in a manner befitting great dignitaries. You can also have one or two of the faction representatives described under “Forging an Alliance” pass the characters in the corridors of the city, giving them curious looks-and perhaps even making a brief introduction-before moving on.
Gauntlgrym
In ages past, the subterranean city of Gauntlgrym was the capital of the ancient dwarven Delzoun Empire. Its cavernous halls-some large enough to contain entire surface villages-were carved with unerring precision, their ceilings soaring scores of feet overhead. Towering statues of dwarven gods and heroes stood vigil over chambers and thoroughfares, the least of which was wide enough to march fifty dwarves standing abreast.
The mines of Gauntlgrym produced endless tides of iron, silver, gold, and mithral, and booming trade brought goods and wealth to the city from across Faerûn. But it was the Great Forge that was the burning heart and true treasure of the city. Deep beneath the settled levels of Gauntlgrym, dwarven crafting and elven magic bound the slumbering primordial Maegera, a being of fire and destruction, harnessing its incredible powers to heat the forge. On anvils of adamantine blessed by priests of Moradin, great items of power were forged, their base material infused with a splinter of Maegera’s essence. The unceasing wonders flowing from these forges helped make Gauntlgrym into one of the most magnificent cities Faerûn has ever known.
Relations between the great empires of the elves, dwarves, and humans soured as the centuries passed. And so when numberless hordes of orcs smashed into the north, each empire stood alone. The war was brutal and devastating. Gauntlgrym was swarmed by rampaging armies of orcs, and the empire of Delzoun was overrun in the terrible fighting. Ultimately, the dwarves of Delzoun drove back the orcs, but at great cost. The once-mighty dwarven empire was left crippled, never to recover, and the great city of Gauntlgrym was left in the control of an orc horde.
It was humans from nearby Illusk who finally drove the orcs from Gauntlgrym, but their hold on the city proved just as short-lived, as foul creatures from the Underdark swarmed from the depths to claim Gauntlgrym as their own. Over the next thousand years, history turned to legend, and mighty Gauntlgrym was all but forgotten on the surface world. Illithids, duergar, drow, and aboleths vied for control of the fallen city, its treasures, and the primordial still bound within its core. The drow House Xorlarrin eventually took Gauntlgrym, establishing a new city they called Q’Xorlarrin, producing weapons at the forge that they traded and used to pay tribute to Menzoberranzan.
In recent years, the dwarf hero Bruenor Battlehammer was able to seize the fabled city back from its drow masters. Bruenor, along with his companions Wulfgar, Cattie-brie, Regis, and Drizzt Do’Urden, gathered many allies from the surface world and nearby Underdark communities and retook the city. They prevented Maegera from being unleashed upon Faerûn, and set about attempting to restore the city to its former glory. Bruenor now sits upon the Great Throne of Moradin, working to rebuild the city and keep it safe-even as a new threat looms in the depths of the Underdark.
The following areas within Gauntlgrym might be of some importance during this part of the adventure, although they don’t represent the full measure of the city by any means. A detailed description of every level, chamber, and vault of Gauntlgrym would take up an entire volume of its own, and the characters have limited time to see the wonders of the dwarven city.
Gauntlgrym: General Features
Gauntlgrym is a city carved out of the living rock, with halls and passages wide enough for the largest dragons to walk through. There are hundreds of levels, twisting stairs, functioning elevators, and a system of mine carts crossing in and out of the central hub of the Iron Tabernacle. The players should feel their characters are in a place of great antiquity, poised on the edge of reclaiming its ancient glory. By no means is the city fully occupied. Indeed, given the relatively small size of Bruenor’s occupying force, keeping track of anyone within Gauntlgrym is nearly impossible.
Light. In the upper levels and around the Iron Tabernacle and Vault of Kings, Gauntlgrym is brightly lit. Driftglobes, phosphorescent fungi, and huge braziers and troughs of burning coals fill most hallways and chambers. Lights in many parts of the city are dimmed somewhat during the nighttime hours, so that its residents can mark the passage of time on the surface world. In the lower reaches, around the Great Forge, light isn’t as ubiquitous. Farther down, and in parts of the city yet to be reclaimed from the ruins of the past, there is no light other than whatever visitors bring with them.
Mine Carts. Mining was one of Gauntlgrym’s primary sources of wealth and materials. To facilitate the movement of ore, as well as the great quantities of stone used to construct and expand the city, the dwarves laid miles of track traversed by mine carts propelled by enchantments woven into their wheels. Even after thousands of years, the tracks remain largely intact and the magic of the carts has not faded. Where the carts trundle steadily throughout the city, Gauntlgrym’s residents use them for travel, hopping on and off along the system’s wide range of routes. While in Gauntlgrym, the characters can also make use of this convenient transportation system.
All tracks eventually lead to a switching station in the Iron Tabernacle. There, posted operators manipulate levers and gears to transfer carts from one track to another.
ghost. The shades of long-deceased inhabitants of the city, from the time of the Delzoun of old, haunt many of the tunnels and hallways of Gauntlgrym. These spectral remnants are seen passing through ruined sections of the city as if those sections were still intact, following habitual routes, engaging in silent conversation with one another, and generally keeping out of the way of the living. From time to time, the characters might run into a dwarven ghost who warns them away from a place of danger, or confront a less beneficial creature such as a shadow or specter. King Bruenor has decreed the restless dead be left alone for now unless they cause problems.
The Vault of Kings
Large enough to enclose a small town, this high-ceilinged chamber rises above a network of bridges, stone towers, and sturdy walls carved from rock and sheathed in iron and mithral. Dozens of smaller chambers lead out from the Vault of Kings, including sprawling residential areas not yet filled by Gauntlgrym’s new occupants.
The vault is on the same level as the city’s main gates and can be reached from there, though a system of smaller gates and checkpoints has been set up to keep potential invaders from reaching as far as the throne room. That section of the vault, where the king spends a considerable amount of his time, is a large hall lined with pillars and benches, intended as a meeting place as much as a seat of rulership. The Great Throne of Moradin is protected by powerful magic, and forcefully ejects anyone but the rightful king who attempts to sit upon it. While so seated, Bruenor has advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks-a divine blessing granted to the king of Gauntlgrym by Moradin and the other dwarven gods.
The majority of the city’s current inhabitants live and work within the vault, happy to share tales of the city’s reclamation and praise Bruenor’s leadership at any opportunity. This is where the characters reside as Bruenor’s guests, and where the representatives of the five factions are likely to be found. Here, residents and guests alike enjoy access to well-lit passages, comfortable quarters, and substantial amounts of food and drink.
The Vault of Kings is heavily patrolled and guarded by shield dwarf veterans traveling in squads of six. It is the safest part of the city, and the characters can probably depend upon its security enough to rest without interruption in one of the guest suites provided to them, barring any unusual occurrences (see “Events in Gauntlgrym”).
The Iron Tabernacle
The Iron Tabernacle is Gauntlgrym’s spiritual and cultural heart as well as its physical center. More than a temple, the tabernacle is an entire section of the city larger than some surface towns, devoted to the faith of the former Delzoun Empire and of the dwarves who answered Bruenor’s call to reclaim the city. Vast cathedrals of stone once echoed with the paeans of a thousand chanting voices. Great sculptures in honor of a multitude of gods gazed across an array of shrines and altars. Priests stood ready by night and day to tend to the spiritual needs of their people, and hundreds of stone tablets trumpeted the holy words of Moradin.
Like so much else of ancient Gauntlgrym, the Iron Tabernacle isn’t what it once was. The intricate patterns and knotwork have faded from the walls, some of the statues have begun to crumble, and many passages are blocked with rubble. The devilish duergar, once in control of the mines below, took delight in defiling the holy icons of the absent dwarves. They defaced statues, tore down altars, and carved obscenities into the sacred tablets. Anything of value, such as silver or mithral trim, gold icons, and hallowed weapons, has been completely scavenged.
Rebuilding Faith
Shield dwarf priests have begun the long task of rebuilding, revitalizing, and restoring the Iron Tabernacle to its former glory. The area is vast, and its halls are numerous and multileveled. The dwarf priests have restored many shrines and altars, and have cleared paths through the cracked and broken hallways to the Vault of Kings so that Bruenor can make personal visits to the main shrines and offer thanks to the gods. This procession often includes Bruenor’s visitors or those ambassadors from the surface who come to Gauntlgrym to seek counsel with the king. Bruenor leads these processions not only to show off the city and its sheer size, but also to take measure of his guests' endurance and patience in matters of spirit.
All Roads Lead Here
As the heart of Gauntlgrym, the Iron Tabernacle is the central hub of the city’s passageways and railways. Broad corridors, winding stairs, iron rails, roadways carved into the earth-nearly all the city’s major byways pass through the tabernacle. Every part of Gauntlgrym can be reached from this area, albeit sometimes indirectly. Notably, the Vault of Kings is about a mile to the north of the Iron Tabernacle, and the Great Forge is several hundred feet below it and a half mile to the south.
Slumber of Ancients
The lowest level of the Iron Tabernacle is a seemingly endless collection of crypts. Laid out according to patterns or traditions now lost to time, the tombs contain thousands of Gauntlgrym’s honored dead. Some crypts are simple biers; others are intricate sarcophagi. All include names, titles, and lineage carved into the stone. A number of scholars have been drawn to Gauntlgrym in response to Bruenor’s call, hoping to record a complete lineage of the great families of Gauntlgrym, including their possible connections to modern bloodlines, from an exhaustive study of the records carved in the crypt’s stones.
Unlike the rest of the Iron Tabernacle, the tombs are unmarred. Spectral dwarves are common in this area, though their spirits remain quiet as long as visitors are respectful of the dead. If any creatures attempt to deface or steal from the sarcophagi, a mob of dwarven ghosts quickly attacks. Start with a total number of ghosts equal to the number of intruders present, then add two new ghosts for each ghost destroyed.
Iron Tabernacle Random Encounters
The Iron Tabernacle is close enough to some of the lower reaches and fissures in the Underdark that monsters from below occasionally find their way in and set up lairs in one shrine or another. The dwarves impress upon the characters to be on their guard, or to take guards with them, if they visit. From time to time, the sound of combat rings through the tabernacle hallways, a contrast to the chanting voices of the priests and a sure sign that something unwelcome has made its way into this most sacred of places.
Check for a random encounter once every hour of travel in the Iron Tabernacle by rolling a d20 and consulting the table below to determine what, if anything, the characters meet.
Iron Tabernacle Encounters
| d20 | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 1-12 | No encounter |
| 13 | 1 cloaker |
| 14 | 1d2 driders |
| 15 | 1 dwarf ghost (friendly unless attacked) |
| 16 | Patrol consisting of six shield dwarf veterans |
| 17 | 1 shield dwarf priest and 1d4+1 shield dwarf acolytes |
| 18 | 1d6+1 gargoyles |
| 19 | 1 grick alpha and 1d4+1 gricks |
| 20 | 1d4 rust monsters |
The Great Forge
The Great Forge is a cavernous chamber divided into smaller sections housing furnaces and anvils. Some areas of the cavern are raised on daises of stone, while others stand in shallow pits. Layers of stone catwalks crisscross the chamber, providing not only vantage points but also anchors for pulleys transporting buckets of ore and water throughout the forge. The Great Forge is about a half mile south of the Iron Tabernacle and several hundred feet below it, and can be reached by mine cart or on foot.
It was said of old that the Iron Tabernacle was Gauntlgrym’s heart, the Vault of Kings its mind, and the Great Forge its mighty hands. Here, on adamantine anvils blessed by Moradin’s priests, wonders were hammered from iron, mithral, silver, and steel. When Gauntlgrym thrived, the forge echoed with the hammering and songs of a hundred smiths working at once. In time, it might do so again.
It was the furnaces of the Great Forge that made this place the apex of the dwarf smiths' art, for those furnaces are driven by the power of Maegera the Dawn Titan-a primordial imprisoned below them. Slumbering within the stone, Maegera exudes an unnatural heat that the dwarves tap into by winding coils of copper and adamantine throughout the forge like webs and using them as conduits to transfer magical heat to their furnaces. Runes of power carved into the walls and etched into the coils allow them to withstand the intense energy. Metals melt almost instantly in the furnaces of the Great Forge, and tools cast from those metals are enchanted with motes of primordial essence.
When Maegera awoke in the last century, the earth shook, and many of the furnaces' conduits were severed. Today, lengths of twine-thin metal hang limp and broken throughout the rubble of the Great Forge, which lies upon the bones of those unable to escape the collapse of bridges and walls. Other coils remain in place, and the furnaces to which they are linked burn as hot today as they did in centuries gone by.
The Fiery Pit
Heat and ruddy light emanate from a pit in the depths of Gauntlgrym. Chambers and tunnels lead away from this chasm at different heights. Despite channels built into the walls to carry water to the magma below, the heat from the pit is ferocious. Gouts of steam billow up through cracks in the stone to fill the chambers above this area, and the earth rumbles in a pulse like labored breathing.
The Fiery Pit is the prison of the primordial known as Maegera, who slumbers fitfully in its depths. The only sign of the entity’s presence is a whirlpool of white-hot magma that resembles a great eye, set in the center of the lake of molten rock at the pit’s bottom. Maegera sleeps and dreams, half conscious of its surroundings and half delirious with whatever dreams haunt a being of pure destruction.
When the mages of the Arcane Brotherhood first tapped into Maegera’s power, they used water magic to bind elementals that cooled the primordial’s rage and kept it asleep. This bond lasted for centuries until the channels of water were closed through trickery by agents of Thay. With the pit’s cooling mechanism shut down, Maegera stirred in its slumber, and its dream of ruination was enough to destroy Gauntlgrym.
In the years following, Maegera groggily awoke from time to time, causing earthquakes throughout the region. Eventually, the primordial was returned to its slumber through the efforts of Bruenor, Drizzt Do’Urden, Jarlaxle, and other heroes. Where Maegera sleeps now, the intense heat it generates once again fires the Great Forge of Gauntlgrym.
Back in Operation
Under Bruenor’s watchful governance, the Great Forge has again begun to produce metalworks. If the characters are in the market for any metal goods (including arms and armor), or have any such goods in need of repair or replacement, the dwarves of the Great Forge are happy to help. No magic weapons or armor are available for sale, although damaged magic items can be repaired.
The king has left the day-to-day running of the Great Forge to a pair of experienced smiths: Helgrim Candlewick and Rollo Summergold (both shield dwarf veterans).
Great Forge Random Encounters
The Great Forge is always occupied by either Helgrim or Rollo, their apprentices and assistants (2d4 shield dwarf commoner), and shield dwarf veterans working in squads of six to guard the active furnaces. The characters might also encounter other creatures if they explore the unoccupied areas of the Great Forge. Check for such an encounter once per hour of travel or rest outside the protected areas of the forge by rolling a d20 and consulting the Great Forge Encounters table to determine what, if anything, comes out of the darkness. If the heroes call for help, four shield dwarf veterans arrive in 1d4+1 rounds to aid them.
Great Forge Encounters
| d20 | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 1-14 | No encounter |
| 15 | 1d4+1 doppelgangers disguised as shield dwarves |
| 16 | 1d2 fire elementals and 3d6 magmins |
| 17 | 1 salamander and 1d4+1 fire snakes |
| 18 | 1 spirit naga |
| 19 | 3d6 troglodytes |
| 20 | 1 wraith leading 1d6+1 specters |
Events in Gauntlgrym
This chapter is dominated by negotiation, social activity, and diplomacy-first directed at the characters, then directed by them. The adventurers must first hear what King Bruenor has to say as he entreats them to head back into the Underdark to find out more about the rising threat of the demon lords. Then the characters must help convince the other factions summoned to Gauntlgrym to aid them on their mission. This section of the adventure has some opportunity for action, but players who enjoy plotting, making plans, and pitting NPCs against one another can shine here.
Take note of your players' preferences. If they’re not much for long periods of conversation with NPCs, you might want to move things along a little more quickly. On the other hand, you can really bring to life not just the faction representatives and the dwarf king in this chapter, but also highlight the personalities and goals of the characters and any NPCs who remain with them.
Audience with Bruenor
After the characters arrive and are shown to guest accommodations, they are allowed some time to refresh and prepare themselves. They are then called to an audience with Bruenor Battlehammer, the king of Gauntlgrym. Read or paraphrase the following:
You are taken to a mighty hall in which a red-haired dwarf of fierce and proud demeanor sits upon a massive stone throne, flanked by a number of guards and advisors. Although a long stone table has been set to one side, laid out with refreshments, there do not appear to be any other guests. “Welcome, friends,” says the king. “I’ve a mind to know about the rumblings and rumors about goings-on in the depths outside my city. If ye relate to me what ye know, we can talk about what ye might want to do next.”
King Bruenor listens carefully to what the adventurers have to say. Once the adventurers have told their tale, Bruenor might have a few questions, particularly concerning the threat of the demon lords. The dwarf king answers questions from the characters if they have any. However, if asked about his overall plans, he says simply that he must consider all the information presented to him and consult with advisors. With the audience at an end, Bruenor tells the characters he will consider all they have told him, and that they will speak again at a welcoming feast later that night.
Guests at the Feast
After the characters have had a chance to speak with Bruenor and take care of any personal business, the Vault of Kings plays host to a memorable feast. In attendance are representatives of different factions from the surface world, who have come to Gauntlgrym following rumors of bizarre events in the Underdark. If any of the adventurers belong to a faction, representatives of that faction might even be following up on information provided by the characters themselves. See “Forging an Alliance” for more information.
The celebration serves both to welcome the adventurers, who are seated at the high table with Bruenor, and to provide an opportunity for the representatives of the different factions to gather socially and be officially introduced to the adventurers. In addition to the king and his allies, a number of dwarves from Bruenor’s court and important citizens of Gauntlgrym are also present. The feast is also an opportunity for you to include NPCs of your choice who might either be from or visiting Gauntlgrym, or part of the entourage of one of the representatives.
This is a free-form scene, which you can play out as best suits your group. It can range from a detailed roleplaying session, with characters mixing and mingling with their potential allies and members of Gauntlgrym society, or just a brief description of the event and the characters' initial impressions of the faction representatives, before their later efforts to negotiate with those representatives for the factions' aid.
If you want to add some intrigue or action, consider having one of the options from “Enemies Among Us” interrupt the feast, giving the characters an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities in front of their potential patron and allies. Rogue fire elementals roaring out of the hearth or a disguised assassin poisoning one or more of the representatives can completely change the scene.
Bruenor Battlehammer
The legendary Bruenor Battlehammer is a good dwarf and king, and always has the best interests of his people and home at heart. He is drawn to help characters who follow a strong moral and ethical code, and often seeks their help in return. Use his good humor and folksy demeanor to help endear him to the players. The more the players grow to like him, the easier it is for them to respect his advice and request-and to gain more resources and assistance from him in turn.
Bruenor’s Plan
Once the feast winds down, Bruenor excuses himself as the guests depart. Shortly thereafter, a servant comes to collect the characters and takes them to a private chamber where the king of Gauntlgrym awaits them. His previously friendly manner has turned grave.
“I’ve told the allies ye met tonight what ye told me,” he says. “I invited them here to learn what is happening, to share what we know, and to get their backing for what it is I propose. Ye have braved the Underdark and lived to tell the tale. Ye know, better than anyone, what it is we face, but we need to know more.
“The Zhentarim have a stake in a secret Underdark trading post called Mantol-Derith. If ye can get them on our side, they’ll guide ye there, where ye can meet with one of their agents, Ghazrim DuLoc. He can provide ye with a map to Gravenhollow. It’s a legendary place built by the stone giants long ago, said to contain all the knowledge of the depths. If there’s answers to be found for what has happened, ye might find them there. If ye are willing to go back, that is.
“I don’t propose to send ye into the dark unprepared, and I hope ye make an impression on those gathered here so they’ll support our cause and your mission. From all I’ve seen and heard, there’s no one better to do what needs be done.
“So, what say ye?”
Paraphrase Bruenor’s speech as needed to handle interjections by the characters. The king provides honest answers to any questions. He truly does believe the characters represent the best option to find out more about the demonic threat, unless they’ve given him any reason to think otherwise.
Bruenor assures the adventurers they will have his gratitude and that of all Gauntlgrym-indeed, of all Faerûn-if they are successful. If the characters press for details or try to negotiate compensation for their service, the king points out that Gauntlgrym has considerable space, and he can offer them titles, property, and the products of the Great Forge as rewards. Such mercenary negotiation lowers Bruenor’s opinion of the adventurers a bit, but he never loses his genial manner.
If the characters are agreeable, the king tells them the next step is to bring the various factions on board. One of the reasons he is looking to the adventurers to lead a new mission into the Underdark, apart from their experience, is that they can serve as brokers among all the various parties with an interest in the mission. They need to meet with the different faction representatives, emphasizing the importance of getting the Zhentarim to agree to grant access to Mantol-Derith. Otherwise, the journey to locate Gravenhollow is likely to be much longer and more difficult.
Enemies Among Us
Even Gauntlgrym isn’t entirely safe, nor is it immune to the influence of the demon lords. During the characters' time in the city, you can implement one or more of the following threats to challenge them-and to potentially disrupt their negotiations with the factions.
- One of the characters' traveling companions is revealed as a traitor or succumbs to madness. This NPC secretly serves one of the demon lords and turns against the adventurers.
- If any of the party’s drow pursuers survived from the previous chapter, they might slip into Gauntlgrym and look to slay their quarry.
- A dwarf assassin belonging to a demon-worshiping cult steals into Gauntlgrym to kill one or more of the faction representatives. Hoping to cast suspicion onto the adventurers, the assassin frames them as demonic agents.
- A doppelganger spy poses as one of the faction representatives and tries to arrange a private meeting with one or more of the characters, hoping to discover additional information regarding the looming threat. The doppelganger might serve a faction of the Underdark or a surface world faction Bruenor didn’t invite (such as the Arcane Brotherhood or the Red Wizards of Thay), or might simply be an opportunist looking to sell information to the highest bidder.
- Maegera roars within its prison, stirred by the madness and chaos growing within the depths of the Underdark. As a natural reaction to this new stress upon itself, the primordial spawns a trio of fire elemental that attack the Vault of Kings, setting fire to marketplaces and unleashing chaos upon the dwarven residents. If defeated or somehow convinced to return to the Fiery Pit, the elementals dissipate peacefully and Maegera falls dormant once again… for now.
Forging an Alliance
King Bruenor has called representatives of the Harpers, the Order of the Gauntlet, the Emerald Enclave, the Lords' Alliance, and the Zhentarim to Gauntlgrym to hear about the state of things in the Underdark and to court their aid in finding out more about the situation. The representatives of each faction receive a briefing on what the characters told Bruenor, and all have an opportunity to converse with the adventurers before making their decisions as to whether they will support Bruenor’s plans.
To play out these meetings, use the social interaction rules provided in chapter 8, “Running the Game,” of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Some representatives are fine with meeting the adventurers in the Vault of Kings, but you might have others request a private or even clandestine meeting-perhaps in the characters' quarters, in an out-of-the-way alcove of the Iron Tabernacle, or in the Great Forge.
King Bruenor is the original proponent of the adventurers returning to the Underdark to gather additional information, but he knows that success requires the support of the other factions-particularly the Zhentarim. He doesn’t, however, have the power to command the factions to help-and in some cases, can’t even openly negotiate with them. As King of Gauntlgrym, he can’t be seen to favor one faction over another. He is therefore relying on the characters to do the legwork of getting the different factions on board.
If the characters are already involved with one or more factions, and especially if they have previously contacted the factions with news of developments in the Underdark, adjust the information presented below as needed.
The Harpers
Members of this clandestine network of spellcasters and spies pride themselves on being incorruptible defenders of the greater good and champions of the oppressed. Harper agents are trained to act alone and rely on their own resources. When they get into scrapes, they don’t count on fellow Harpers to rescue them. Sometimes Harper agents must band together to face worldthreatening foes, at which point the deep friendships between them forge the kind of fighting force needed to overthrow tyranny and eradicate evil.
Harper scouts engaged in charting and blocking off Underdark passages leading to the surface world have recently brought back the terrifying news of the demon lords' incursion into the Underdark. Word has spread quickly through their network, and the finest mages in their ranks are researching how to defeat the demon lords and their kind.
For long years, the Harpers have sworn to put an end to unbridled evil in all its forms-especially evil that wields dark magic. They know the demon lords seek to prey on the weak and corrupt the innocent. The Harpers feel this is the moment they have trained for, and their conscience now calls them to act.
Lord Zelraun Roaringhorn
Lawful neutral male human wizard
Ideals: Freedom, opportunity, civilization
Personality: Proud, self-assured, fickle, spendthrift
Potential Resources: Shield guardian
Lord Roaringhorn hails from a Waterdhavian noble family, with all the self-assurance and pride that entails. He pursued his talent for the arcane arts, but never forgot his roots or lost his fondness for spending his family’s considerable income on the finer things in life. He’s a confident sort who likes to gamble. Winning over Roaringhorn requires a willingness to dine, drink, and potentially game with him.
Lord Roaringhorn is accompanied by a shield guardian and holds its control amulet. The shield guardian currently has a
A chess match takes 1 hour, and the outcome is determined by a best-of-three Intelligence check contest. Zelraun’s experience gives him a +9 modifier to his Intelligence checks. Zelraun loans the shield guardian and its control amulet to the first character to beat him at the game. If Zelraun proves unbeatable, you can decide that Zelraun, ever the gracious winner, loans the shield guardian and amulet to the party on the provision that the characters vow to redeem themselves with a rematch upon their return from the Underdark.
If a character obtains Zelraun’s shield guardian and control amulet, share the Shield Guardian stats with the player whose character has the amulet. If the amulet changes hands, so too does control of the shield guardian.
If the characters attack Zelraun, use the archmage statistics to represent him.
The Order of the Gauntlet
The Order of the Gauntlet is a dedicated, tightly knit group of holy-minded crusaders driven by a finely honed sense of justice and honor. Friendship and camaraderie are important to members of the order, and they share a trust normally reserved for siblings. They seek to uphold justice as best they can, and to continually test their mettle against the forces of evil. There are few, if any, lone operatives in this organization. Working in pairs and small groups reinforces the bonds of friendship and helps keep members from straying off the path of righteousness.
The Underdark has always been a proving ground for candidates of the order, as well as a frequent destination for veteran paladins, monks, and clerics looking to smite evil. It hasn’t taken long for reports of new threats rising in the Underdark to reach the order.
The demon lords embody the kind of evil the Order of the Gauntlet is sworn to destroy. All members of the order see the evolving situation as an opportunity to deal a mighty blow to the forces of the Abyss. They want to send the demon lords howling back into the pit, proving the worth of the order as well as testing their own valor and bravery.
Sir Lanniver Strayl
Lawful good human fighter
Ideals: Faith, devotion, justice, duty
Personality: Patient, determined, witty
Potential Resources: Order of the Gauntlet veterans
A devout follower of Tyr and a member of the Order of the Gauntlet, Sir Lanniver is the most respected figure among the factions in Gauntlgrym. Little surprises him at this point in his life, and he accepts what comes with a wry wit and an unshakable faith that things will always work out-provided those of good intent do what must be done. If most of the characters in the party are of good alignment, Sir Lanniver is supportive of their mission and wants them to succeed. However, a party of mostly neutral or evil characters will need to work to gain his support.
If he’s of a mind to provide aid, Sir Lanniver pledges five human veterans of the order to the party’s mission. The veterans' names are Thora Nabal, Sylrien Havennor, Olaf Renghyi, Elias Drako, and Tamryn Tharke. Sir Lanniver can also offer a member of the party a
If the veterans accompany the party, make five photocopies of the Veteran of the Gauntlet stat card at the end of this chapter. If you don’t want to control the veterans yourself, you can distribute the stat cards among the players and let them run the NPCs.
Should Sir Lanniver come under attack, use the knight statistics in the Monster Manual to represent him. In addition to the veterans mentioned above, Sir Lanniver travels with a young but able squire (female human guard) named Rhiele Vannis.
The Emerald Enclave
Members of the Emerald Enclave are spread far and wide across the Sword Coast and the North. They usually operate in isolation, relying on their own abilities and instincts to survive. Living deep in the wilderness demands great fortitude and the mastery of certain fighting and survival skills. Down in the Underdark, far from the wild lands, the Emerald Enclave must remain ever vigilant to avoid being blindsided by unnatural forces.
Some members of the enclave engage with the people of the world as protectors, emerging from the wilderness to help others survive its perils. Some are charged with defending sacred glades and preserving the natural balance. At times, however, all members of the order are called together to combat foes great enough to disrupt or destroy the natural order. The demon lords are one such threat.
Druids and scouts of the Emerald Enclave have recently witnessed the corruption spreading through of the flora and fauna of the Underdark. In particular, they have tracked this corruption back to Zuggtmoy and Juiblex, with the demon lords both infecting different parts of the subterranean realm.
The Emerald Enclave fights tirelessly against the corruption of nature. Its members are well aware that the newly seen demonic corruption will not be contained within the Underdark for long. Eventually it will break through to the surface and threaten all Faerûn-and by the time it does, it might be too late to stop it.
Morista Malkin
Neutral good shield dwarf scout
Ideals: Loyalty, nature, the dwarven people
Personality: Stern, stubborn, insightful
Potential Resources: Emerald Enclave scouts and giant lizard mounts
Morista Malkin is the only faction representative who currently resides in Gauntlgrym. Originally from the Silver Marches, she heard Bruenor’s call to reclaim the glory of the ancient line of Delzoun and followed him to Gauntlgrym. Here, she balances her work with the Emerald Enclave and her loyalty to her people and their cause. Stern and stubborn, Morista sees it as her duty to protect the people of Gauntlgrym from the often savage nature of the Underdark and to remind them of its natural beauty. She serves King Bruenor as an advisor and both admires and respects him.
Morista spends some of her time training elite scouts to reconnoiter the Underdark passages near the city. A few months ago, one of her scouts - a wood elf named Sladis Vadir - disappeared while on a mission in the Underdark. Hopeful that the characters might stumble upon Sladis and see him safely back to Gauntlgrym, Morista pledges a team of three shield dwarf scouts to accompany them, along with a giant lizard mount for each enclave scout and each player character. The scouts are named Brim Coppervein, Thargus Forkbeard, and Griswalla Stonehammer.
If the characters accept the Emerald Enclave’s support, share the Emerald Enclave Scout stats, as well as the Giant Riding Lizard stats with the players. If you don’t want to control the scouts and giant lizards yourself, you can let the players run the NPCs.
Should Morista come under attack, use the scout statistics in the Monster Manual to represent her.
The Lords' Alliance
The Lords' Alliance is a political and economic coalition of cities spread throughout the North and the Sword Coast. The alliance owes its success to effective cooperation and diplomacy between its members, who work to align their separate settlements toward a mutual purpose. This cooperation is easier during times of crisis, making the Lords' Alliance a powerful force when threats require a united front. The agents of the Lords' Alliance work to maintain the delicate network of information and diplomacy that sustains their order, alert for anything that might threaten the alliance’s interests. Recent reports of unusual activity from the Underdark might mark one such threat.
The alliance has noted how many Underdark sites near their settlements have gone quiet. Routine forays and raids onto the surface world have come to a halt, as has the flow of trade and information. Rumors have reached the Lords' Alliance of demon-worshiping cults and chaos around places such as Blingdenstone and Menzoberranzan, though they have little confirmation.
The possibility that the demon lords of the Abyss are active in the Underdark is a threat the Lords' Alliance can’t ignore.
Lord Eravien Haund
Lawful neutral half-elf noble
Ideals: Order, society, peace, stability
Personality: Charming, sly, worldly
Potential Resources: Lords' Alliance guards and spies
The representative of the Lords' Alliance is a noble of Tethyrian and moon elf heritage, his youthful looks belying his actual age and experience. Although he hails from Waterdeep, Lord Eravien often travels to other alliance settlements. He’s a charming and sly courtier, able to immediately size up any social situation, but his fondness for socializing often distracts him from what’s important. As a result, Eravien has heard relatively little of the recent events in the Underdark, and he is initially unconvinced of the importance of the party’s mission.
If they can convince him otherwise, Lord Eravien arranges for some agents of the Lords' Alliance to join the expedition:
- Five dwarf guards from the alliance city of Mirabar. Their names are Nazrok Blueaxe, Kirsil Mantlehorn, Anzar the Brazen, Gargathine Truesilver, and Splinter Darkmorn.
- Three human spies from the alliance city of Yartar. Their names are Farryl Kilmander, Zilna Oakshadow, and Hilvius Haever.
If the party accepts these NPCs into its ranks, share the Lords' Alliance Guard and the Lords' Alliance Spy stats with the players. If you don’t want to control these NPCs yourself, you can let the players run the NPCs.
Eravien knows that the Lords' Alliance has a deepcover operative in the Underdark. Khalessa Draga, a high elf from Silverymoon, was sent to spy on the drow over a year ago. Eravien knows that Khalessa uses magic to disguise herself as a dark elf and warns the characters not to attack any drow they encounter until they can confirm the target isn’t Khalessa in disguise. The Lords' Alliance lost contact with Khalessa months ago, so Eravien doesn’t know where she is.
Should Lord Eravien come under attack, use the noble statistics in the Monster Manual to represent him. He travels with three servants (strongheart halfling commoner) and three well-paid human guard.
The Zhentarim
Members of the shadowy Black Network consider themselves part of an extended family, and rely on the larger organization for resources and security. The Zhentarim recognizes and rewards ambition, granting its members autonomy to pursue their own interests and gain some measure of personal power or influence. In this way, the organization is a meritocracy. The Zhentarim welcomes dangerous times as opportunities. When a merchant caravan needs an escort, a noble needs bodyguards, or a city needs trained soldiers, the Zhentarim provides the best-trained fighting forces money can buy.
Zhentarim agents traveling to and from Mantol-Derith have recently passed on information and rumors concerning demonic activity in the Underdark. The organization’s members have yet to realize the full extent of the threat, as corruption and madness have already infiltrated their secret outpost since those initial reports (see chapter 9). However, even the most cautious member of the Zhentarim knows that demons at large in the world are bad for business. The organization thus views the possible presence of the demon lords in the Underdark with the same concern as any other external threat to their way of life.
Zhentarim bonds of oath and honor hold the network together and galvanize its members in united purpose. More importantly, those bonds reflect the pattern of tight control that the leaders of the Zhentarim hope to one day see imposed across the North and beyond. The organization is thus willing to commit to stop the demon lords from breaching the surface-knowing that such a fate would destroy the Zhentarim’s plans for control of Faerûn.
Davra Jassur
Lawful evil human assassin
Ideals: Order, discipline, ambition
Personality: Driven, focused, ruthless
Potential Resources: Zhentarim thugs
Graceful and elegant as a blade, Davra Jassur ostensibly recruits promising new talent for the Zhentarim. But she also deals with internal problems, ensuring those problems are nipped in the bud before they can reveal any weakness within the organization. The pragmatic Davra values order and discipline as well as drive and ambition, and she embodies all those traits.
The Zhentarim’s intelligence-gathering resources and access to an established Underdark outpost give the organization the strongest hand of any of the factions, and Davra knows it. Access to Mantol-Derith is key to the plan, and though she ultimately won’t withhold that access from the adventurers, she intends to make sure it’s not given away for free. Davra deals with the adventurers directly-and privately, if possible-asking for a full share of any treasure the characters claim during their next incursion into the Underdark, and a full reporting to her of all information given to Bruenor or the other faction leaders. If one of the characters is a member of the Zhentarim, Davra tries to make the deal for information with that character alone.
In addition to access to the hidden trading post of Mantol-Derith, Davra Jassur can provide Zhentarim mercenaries to fill out the expedition. These eight human thugs proudly wear the crest of the Black Network on their armor. If these NPCs join the party, use the Zhentarim Thug stats. If you don’t want to control these NPCs yourself, you can share their stats with the players and let them run the NPCs. The thugs' names are Nero Kelvane, Lenora Haskur, Aligor Moonwhisper, Gorath Torn, Saliyra Dalnor, Primwin Halk, Iandro Alathar, and Lhytris Ilgarn. All of them know the route to Mantol-Derith.
Davra is an assassin. In addition to her weapons, she carries
The Way Ahead
Depending on how negotiations go, the characters are either an advance force to scout and soften up opposition in the Underdark while looking for valuable strategic information, or a diversionary expedition meant to buy time for the surface world to organize a stronger response. Faction representatives not impressed by the adventurers' cause might return to their factions convinced that the characters have little chance of succeeding-or surviving. The others are confident that the characters can live up to the promise they demonstrated in escaping from the drow and the Underdark.
King Bruenor convenes a final gathering of his inner circle of advisors and the adventurers, giving the characters his thanks for their commitment to the fight against the demon lords.
“Ye all know the dangers and threats of the world below, and have bought that knowledge with bravery and guile. Even more, in diplomacy have ye forged the first of the connections that will see the North prepared for what might come. If we survive the coming onslaught, we’ll have ye to thank, and no dwarf of Gauntlgrym will soon forget it. Ye all have the courage and conviction of heroes. Aye, I’ll even say ye remind me of other heroes I’ve known. From a previous life….”
The characters have at least a few days before they must venture into the Underdark again-time they can spend to shape their plans, gather resources, and prepare for the threats that stand ahead of them. When they are ready to brave the Underdark once again, they can start the long and dangerous journey to Mantol-Derith (see chapter 9).