The Long Night
A series of rooms and tunnels carved into the side of a mountain some centuries ago by a small clan of dwarves. Hired to do their best work, the dwarves excavated and mined into the mountain, their craftsmanship unparalleled by human hands. It was only as they finished their work and laid their pickaxes and chisels down for the last time that they truly saw the fruits of their hard work. The halls grew gloomy and dark, the torchlight dimmed and snuffed out. The huge stone door closed and the dwarves, hearty and brave, were shut inside their hand-made tomb.
Years would pass before any would even think of that cursed place. A small band of adventurers found a map that had been left behind by one of the dwarves in a nearby town. Cracked and wrinkled, the map seemed like a fabled treasure map. The halls of dwarves would hold gems and gold and wealth beyond measure. As the party deciphered the riddle of the door and entered, glory and gold on their minds, they did not notice the scrawled words on the walls. They could not see the faintest of stains on the stone warning them in foreign words to flee for life and soul. They did not know that, once the door shut, it would never open for them again.
Decades passed still faster and faster as all trace of the small keep was forgotten, lost. Neither adventurer, nor dwarf, nor wander-driven prospector would find that harrowing hall... until its hunger grew too strong.
Recently, rumors and whispers of a dwarven hold, long forgotten yet filled with riches, have begun to circulate. Eager youths have begun to search, historians peruse old texts looking for clues. Yet only one map exists, and only one person will get it. A hero? Or a morsel to be snatched from the realm of light forever?
Dungeon Outline : 9 rooms total. (Eight Combat Encounters, 1 Skill Challenge (Riddle), and a handful of clever, cunning traps)
Entrance : Keyword spoken at specific time on specific day (Riddle on Map to reveal)
General : Light - None. Must bring own light sources to navigate without darkvision.
Walls are natural stone worked with chisel and pick to a semblance of smooth, floors and ceiling the same. Halls are 2sq by 2sq, rooms have a 3 or 4sq ceiling.
Monsters : Undead or Demons fit with the background a little easier, though anything fully capable in pitch black can work just as well. Drow, Troglodytes, Grimlocks, Umber Hulks, etc. Monsters should fit the level of the party.
Goal : Retrieve the treasures of the dwarves, a sum not only comparable to the party level, but also including proof of hire that could tie into a cult in the region, an evil church or organization, or even, if high enough, a multi-planar slaver ring. Proof would lead into a secondary adventure.
Easy Outline, will begin to flesh it out over the next two days and hope to have something a bit more concrete by Tuesday.
Years would pass before any would even think of that cursed place. A small band of adventurers found a map that had been left behind by one of the dwarves in a nearby town. Cracked and wrinkled, the map seemed like a fabled treasure map. The halls of dwarves would hold gems and gold and wealth beyond measure. As the party deciphered the riddle of the door and entered, glory and gold on their minds, they did not notice the scrawled words on the walls. They could not see the faintest of stains on the stone warning them in foreign words to flee for life and soul. They did not know that, once the door shut, it would never open for them again.
Decades passed still faster and faster as all trace of the small keep was forgotten, lost. Neither adventurer, nor dwarf, nor wander-driven prospector would find that harrowing hall... until its hunger grew too strong.
Recently, rumors and whispers of a dwarven hold, long forgotten yet filled with riches, have begun to circulate. Eager youths have begun to search, historians peruse old texts looking for clues. Yet only one map exists, and only one person will get it. A hero? Or a morsel to be snatched from the realm of light forever?
Dungeon Outline : 9 rooms total. (Eight Combat Encounters, 1 Skill Challenge (Riddle), and a handful of clever, cunning traps)
Entrance : Keyword spoken at specific time on specific day (Riddle on Map to reveal)
General : Light - None. Must bring own light sources to navigate without darkvision.
Walls are natural stone worked with chisel and pick to a semblance of smooth, floors and ceiling the same. Halls are 2sq by 2sq, rooms have a 3 or 4sq ceiling.
Monsters : Undead or Demons fit with the background a little easier, though anything fully capable in pitch black can work just as well. Drow, Troglodytes, Grimlocks, Umber Hulks, etc. Monsters should fit the level of the party.
Goal : Retrieve the treasures of the dwarves, a sum not only comparable to the party level, but also including proof of hire that could tie into a cult in the region, an evil church or organization, or even, if high enough, a multi-planar slaver ring. Proof would lead into a secondary adventure.
Easy Outline, will begin to flesh it out over the next two days and hope to have something a bit more concrete by Tuesday.