Kaldezeit 21, 2522 I.C.
Khazid Grimaz has faced tough challenges in the last year. Depopulated and under pressure from several quarters, the city has seen better days. Even the Imperials are starting to filter out, due to the invasion from the north. Still, there are a few grizzled thanes and esteemed runelords whose tenacious grip on the old ways guides the Khazid on, and the hold continues to persevere despite the many setbacks.
Fighting broke out in the Delve months ago over the warpstone vein, and it hasn't been empty since. Despite the best efforts of the Shieldbreakers, monsters, lunatics and adventurers run rampant throughout the hold. Though significant headway for the Khazid was made during the exploration of these "Alderhalls", a good portion of the hold is considered dangerous wilderness. Almost all military units belonging to the thanes are being consolidated with the express aim of taking the upper portion of the ancient city.
There are other issues emerging. Though they have been steadfast allies in the recent conflicts, the men of Wissenland must attend to other problems. The largest Chaos armies seen since the time of Magnus the Pious are making their way into the Empire from the north. Though Praag is far away, there is talk that the army is larger than imagining - and is encroaching from many directions. In Wissenland, many, many beastmen have been pouring out of the forests in small warbands, and on occasion have banded together to form large armies. The Empire must guard itself now, and it may need allies in the near future. This is a bad omen for the Khazid, whose list of allies is few.
Of those allies, the Deathmaw ogre tribe camped nearby will most likely fight on the side of both the men of the Empire and the dwarfs of the Khazid. They are unsteady allies at best, and if the war in the north gets any worse they will most likely head north with the Wissenland regiments. The high elves of the Dawn Brigade have simply melted away, leaving only a few adventuring elves near the Khazid. The dwarfs do not allow them into the Delve, but many have reported seeing elves in the dungeons below...
In the forests, the beastmen still stir. As if they can feel the storm coming...they bristle and surge forward with regularity. Soon they will not be able to be ignored, and no one will be able to travel safely twixt Khazid Grimaz and Nuln. As bad as this is, there are other whispers - tales of the walking dead, and monstrous lizard beasts that walk like men.
It is a time of glory in Khazid Grimaz.
The Runelords of Khazid Grimaz are the preeminent authority on the Delve, and their agenda is the most important, as it is the agenda of the Khazid as a whole. They will reclaim the entire Alderhalls, by military force. Ten levels have already been scouted - these are the "Upper Delve" the Runelords mean to secure and restore by the end of the year. There are a few issues, however.
Even though the war in the north is becoming serious, there is a more eminent threat to the safety of the Khazid. The Blood Moonz orc tribe has not been idle during all this - they have amassed a huge army near Greystone Pass, a way through the Grey Mountains into Wissenland. However, if they take that pass they will have clear acess to the Khazid's roads and towers - disaster would follow. The operation to secure the Alderhalls must succeed, but the cost must not be so high that the Khazid cannot afford the coming war for this critical mountain path.
The Deeping Well Mercenary Company
Veterans
- Crumpwit Tumblewine (Cat Burglar) - The Guildmaster of the Deeping Well.
- Damgrunt Heaganinson (Shieldbreaker) - 1st Commander of the Deeping Well.
- Fiach Fiachnasson (Demonslayer) - Great Slayer of Karak Azgal and the Khazid!
- Maneaus of the Hold (Journeyman Wizard) - Elf and Wizard of Fire.
- Dr. Jean-Marc Lecroix (Physician) - Company Chirurgeon.
- Heinz Dieter (Veteran) - Newcomer to the Company who saw action with the Deathmaw.
- Olo Buttercreme - Halfling brain surgeon. Specializes in "psychotherapy" - practiced with a circular bonesaw and steel probe.
- Jacques Cherez - A soldier from the Empire who's come to ply his halberd through enemies.
- Skinner III - Asur White Lion who accompanied the Dawn Brigade, he's taken to the wilderness around the Khazid with casual ease.
- Ferim Stout - A skilled miner, this warrior has his own grudges against those who would defile his ancestor's resting places.
Other Deeping Well Characters
- Grudal Skorgrimsson (Journeyman Runesmith) - Runesmith of the Khazid.
- Ilsa Gustav (Mercenary) - Loyal veteran of the Alderhalls.
- Martin Mueller (Sergeant) - Company Quartermaster
- Matron Thurid (Burgher) - Guildhouse matron.
- Ulbrecht (Soldier) - An enigmatic warrior from Middenland.
- Pazho (Soldier) - A Thunderer in the army of the Khazid Grimaz.
- Amendil (Beast Wizard) - An elf from Athel Loren who has become concerned about the magic at the Khazid.
Adventure Log
- The Varghestwald Stone - The players encounter Imperial Magisters each bent on the same goal. Our heroes attempted to aid both, and in the end journeyed to the heart of the dark forest at the base of the mountain and destroyed a filthy Fekul-Stone.
- A Sword For Your Trouble - A band of rogue adventurers enter the Khazid against the will of the Council of Thanes, and the Deeping Well is dispatched to, well...dispatch them. The players have a time in the lower parts of the Khazid, harangued at all times by skilled and intelligent opponents. In the end, the players find Von Kalde the Alchemist and encounter the Dead King, but they are left in a tight spot and with the soulless body of their captain, Damgrunt Heaganinson.
- The Death of Crumpwit Tumblewine - The party gathers at the Deeping Well Guildhouse after many perilous adventures, and a huge hobbit fight breaks out! Olo Buttercreme accidentally killed Crumpwit, and the entire company buried their former guildmaster near the Khazid with the honors required a halfling of his station. Damgrunt takes control of the company, and a new charter is drawn - no more senseless killing of helpless prisoners nor allowing obviously insane halflings to give orders.
- From the Sands - The party encounters multiple supernatural evils searching for the Runewell, which they eventually stumble upon. After encountering a terrible, nameless cult deep below the Khazid and doing battle with a monstrous mutant, there was a reckoning with Fate. The nasty encounter ended in a bloody mess, and only Olo remained standing (barely) to help everyone else back to consciousness. The Deeping Well very nearly found itself dead to a man, but survived to (not quite) remember a hard lesson of battle.
- Sorcerous Oaths - The Deeping Well faces trouble from the council of thanes, and several wizards appear out of the woodwork to demand various things from the mercenaries. Notable among them are the Magisters Eldebrandt and Von Kalde, who have been working in the area for some time. Now, the players are contracted to Von Kalde, and will re-enter the Delve under his command to reveal the secret of the Doomforge once and for all.
- The Tome of Red Steel - The party returns to the Delve with Von Kalde, and make significant headway. They find the shattered gromril anvil and the Tome of Red Steel, but after a confrontation with a wicked necromancer and the ghost of Fireblood, the upheaval in the mountain finally makes itself known as a serious problem. The earth cracks open and the players find themselves in a volcanic vent, without help or a way out.
- The Doomforge Alight - Underneath the Khazid Grimaz, the party finds an active flow of magma. More puzzling encounters follow, including finding a way out from under the mountain. Following mysterious corpses back into the depths,they find lizardmen and dark elves, along with more questions. However, their delving is cut short by the sorcerous plans of a dark elf witch. Time simply runs out, for everyone in the party, the Khazid, and everyone from Le Long du Riviere to Nuln itself. Rocks fall, everyone dies.
Thus, the epic struggle concludes. It is a sad day in Khazid Grimaz.
The impossible has happened...a volcano exploding from the mountain, freed from it's sorcerous restraints beneath the earth.
All of the Deeping Well are presumed dead. It would be almost impossible for anyone to survive that blast, and the resulting catastrophic reshaping of the mountain.
Most of the dwarven city has collapsed and slid down the mountain. Lava chokes the underground passages of this ancient home of the dwarfs, sealing them forever.
What will become of our lands? We'll see later the impact this has on everyone during the coming war for Greystone Pass, when we examine the aftermath of this horrible calamity.
Until then, fair travels.
