Lurking twixt the crag-jagged hills south of Dunstone sit the ruined remains of an old dwarven fortress-temple. Rusted helms and broken blades jut from the surrounding soil like cast-off husks of iron grain, betraying the area’s violent history. Over the centuries, thousands have fought and died to possess this land, staining the earth with the blood of the slain. Three centuries ago, it took the very sky to fall to put an end to this ceaseless bloodshed. Today, however, the scars left by that same cataclysm may be enough to rekindle the old flames of war.

Dungeon Background

The history of the Carmine Hills south and west of Dunstone is long, bloody and steeped in violence. The banded red rocks which lend the craggy hills their name are rich in iron and copper, marking the area as especially valuable to the nearby town. Unfortunately, the orc tribes dwelling therein consider these hills the sacred hunting grounds of Nargen Blood-Fist, greater orcish goddess of strength, cunning and fecundity. Orc legends say that when Nargen was wounded by Thanarlun (the orcs’ name for Thanarii Caelvanas, elven god of archery and hunting), she pressed her bloody fist upon these very hills, whereupon great wolves sprang from the reddened rocks to chase Thanarlun away. As a result, the Carmine Hills have been disputed territory for as long as the Nenonens have ruled Ashlar.

Half a century ago, Dunstone’s ruler allied with the dwarves of Don Galir, offering them mining rights in exchange for military aid in the re-conquest of the Carmine Hills. The surprise attack drove the orcs west, whereafter the alliance went on to establish mining enclaves in the hills. To honour their gods for granting them victory over the orcs, the dwarves raised a fortress-temple to Duregal the Highlord, father of the dwarves. The alliance held their ground for four years, fighting off every savage orc attack that followed. Until the sky fell…

In the year 207 NR, a blazing comet cleaved the night sky, exactly as it did every 370 years. This itinerant star has many names. Human astronomers call it “Morden’s Dagger”. To the dwarves, it is “Thaun’s Ember”. In orc legends, the comet is called “Gal-do-Narga”: Nargen’s Claw.

When fragments of the star fell to earth, one such blazing shard crashed in the Carmine Hills, destroying the dwarven fortress-temple and sending the panicked miners running for their lives. The orcs took the destruction wrought by Nargen’s Claw as a divine omen to drive the enemy from the goddess’ sacred lands. As such, the fallen star achieved what no orc chieftain had ever done: uniting the scattered tribes into a horde. In the face of such an overwhelming force, the alliance was forced to retreat to Dunstone. Victorious orcs collapsed each mine and razed every mining camp. Only a single fragment of the alliance survived: the ruined fortress-temple, smitten by Nargen’s hand. It was the one place the orcs dared not destroy for fear of offending their goddess.

In the summer of last year, the dwarves of Don Galir approached Aavo Oksanen of Dunstone in a bid to explore the area and recover the meteorite that had destroyed their fortress-temple, now known as the Starfall Chantry. When the old lord refused to offer aid, the dwarves set up an expedition of their own. These dwarves, however, fell prey to an orc war party and never returned. Nevertheless, the actions of the doomed expedition have rekindled old feuds and interest in recovering the fallen star.

Notable Locations at a Glance

The dungeon has several notable locations:

1. Sundered Belfry: The falling star utterly destroyed the chantry's belfry.

2. East Tower: The tower’s upper floors have collapsed over time.

3. Riven Nave: The chantry’s nave is the site of the fallen star’s impact crater.

4. Defiled Chancel: Orcs thoroughly sacked and defiled the dwarven altar, but some magic yet lingers therein.

5. Rectory: The rectory hides a ladder to the undercroft.

6. Crypt: A shroud of icy mist fills this dismal crypt.

7. Frozen Corridor: The butchered body here is a testament to orcish cruelty.

8. Impact Crater: This frozen pit is the fallen star’s grave.

9. Hero’s Sepulchre: A dwarven fighter made a valiant last stand, here.

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