The Iron-Root Delve
Rust and ritual merge in the damp dark where light is a memory.
A former iron mine turned into a claustrophobic sanctum for the Cult of the Ebon Flame. The air is stagnant, tasting of copper and cold smoke, while the natural limestone walls are increasingly scarred by dark sigils.
Distant rhythmic hammering echoes from the depths. The lighting is dim, provided by sporadic braziers filled with slow-burning peat. A persistent chill clings to the damp floors, and the smell of sulfur is never far away.
☠ Threat
High Priestess Malakor, a fanatic obsessed with smelting living metal. She has corrupted the earth itself, causing a spreading 'Iron Plague' that turns flesh into brittle, obsidian-like rock. Her goal is to fully manifest the Slag-Titan to march upon the surface world and harvest its mineral wealth for her god.
History
Centuries ago, dwarves abandoned this mine when they struck a vein of black glass that induced madness in the workers. Recently, High Priestess Malakor led her followers into the depths, repurposing the hollows into a fortress to summon an entity known as the Slag-Titan. The cultists have reinforced the upper tunnels with timber and iron to hold back the subterranean horrors.
Encounter Table
CRCultists searching for 'raw material' to feed the Titan's furnace.
A creature attracted to the high iron content of the caves.
An iron chain infused with malevolent magic that attempts to grapple and choke.
Rumours & Whispers
The iron coming out of the hollow is lighter than usual and turns black in moonlight.
Travelers near the cave entrance have been found with patches of skin turned to solid gray rock.
A strange, rhythmic drumming can be felt in the floorboards of the nearby town's tavern.
High Priestess Malakor was once a respected dwarf smith before she discovered the Black Vein.
The vault key is hidden within the stomach of a beast that lives among the petrified.
Quest Hooks
Quest giver: Elias the Baker
A local villager's brother went to the mine to find work and hasn't returned. Reports say a man matching his description was seen being led into the deeper shrines.
100 gp and a lifetime supply of fresh bread.
Quest giver: Captain Halloway
The local Baron claims the cult is intercepting iron shipments meant for the royal armory and wants his iron back, or the heads of those stealing it.
250 gp per party member and a Letter of Recommendation.
Quest giver: Master Zarn
An eccentric alchemist needs a sample of the 'living iron' from the depths of the cave to finish his magnum opus.
Two Potions of Greater Healing and a Ring of Protection.
Corridor Notes
Condensation on the walls that tastes of iron and bitter salt.
Small piles of metallic dust that seem to move slightly when no one is looking.
A line of flickering blue flames that provides no heat but marks the path to the shrine.
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