Blackfang Maw
The shadows here have teeth and a hunger that never ends.
A sprawling subterranean complex carved into the jagged roots of a dormant volcano, now serving as a fortified stronghold. The walls are coated in a slick, oily residue that seems to pulse with a faint, rhythmic heartbeat.
The air is heavy with the scent of ozone and rotting meat. Thick, unnatural shadows cling to the corners, and the faint sound of rhythmic scraping against stone echoes throughout the halls. The temperature fluctuates between a freezing chill and a humid, stifling heat.
☠ Threat
Vaxir the Night-Stalker, an Adult Shadow Dragon, rules the depths. Her presence corrupts the very stone, causing the dungeon layout to subtly shift and bleeding necrotic energy into the air. This corruption manifests as a persistent gloom that resists all but the most powerful magical light sources.
History
Originally a dwarven mining outpost named Iron-Gate, it was overrun centuries ago by a Great Wyrm. After the dragon's death, its descendants and shadow-touched cultists transformed the tunnels into a fortified lair to protect a growing clutch of corrupted eggs. The dwarves were never driven out completely; their remains were simply repurposed into the architecture.
Encounter Table
CRA spindly, many-limbed horror that climbs on ceilings.
A standard security detail checking on the perimeter.
The restless spirit of a previous victim, seeking fresh life.
Rumours & Whispers
The dragon Vaxir was once a silver dragon before being corrupted by an artifact found in the mines.
A secret tunnel in the forest leads directly to the hatchery, bypassing the front gate.
The cult is planning to hatch a shadow-god using the energy of the volcano.
Many who enter the Blackfang Maw don't die, but are turned into shadow-creatures themselves.
Quest Hooks
Quest giver: Baron Valerius
The local Baron's son was taken by cultists to be used as a vessel for a shadow-egg.
A title and 5,000 gp.
Quest giver: High Priestess Lyra
A temple of the Sun God requires a team to go into the Maw and destroy the shadow-eggs.
Holy weapons and a favor from the temple.
Corridor Notes
The walls are inscribed with thousands of tiny, scratching runes that seem to move when not looked at directly.
A heavy iron grate in the floor reveals a stream of molten rock flowing hundreds of feet below.
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