Lord of the Iron Fortress
[Warning: Spoilers for the D&D adventure Lord of the Iron Fortress below.]
After their defeat of Laveth, daughter of the Demon-Queen of Spiders Lolth, Alarion and his comrades returned home for some well-deserved rest. Over the next few months they relaxed, but they also researched their next goal. The steel predator's murder of Dietric, blacksmith of Great Rock and former mentor of Jarvis Osburn, remained a mystery. Why had this creature targeted Dietric, and why were similar assaults being reported in other parts of the kingdom? Was the smith's death simply part of a larger plan?
In thanks for their rescue of his beloved, the elven loremaster Iovan assisted the heroes (Stannis, Jarvis, Quinborough, and Alarion) in their research. Divinations provided an enigmatic clue: "Slaves toil at the fires of creation deep in the solitary fortress, hidden on a clashing cube." That suggested that the heroes' path might point to the Infernal Battlefield of Acheron, an otherdimensional place composed entirely of enormous metal cubes, occupied by warring armies and occasionally crashing into one another.
Another cryptic omen, this one found in a crumbling tome, described a day when "the Elder Scions" would walk the earth, at which time the "scion of fire" would assemble a mighty army and sweep across the land. The heroes reasoned that, with their unusual bloodlines hearkening back to ancient races of the world, they might themselves be the "Elder Scions." But who was this "scion of fire," and what strange powers might he possess?
Iovan recommended beginning the search in Rigus, a town that lay on the interplanar "border" of Acheron itself. This gate-town provided an easy (and relatively safe) method of traveling to the Infernal Battlefield, and might also provide additional clues to the mystery before the heroes. This proved prophetic, as not long after the heroes arrived in Rigus they encountered a pair of steel predators who had recently dispatched yet another weaponsmith. They also confirmed that a number of shipments of ore to or from Rigus had gone missing in recent months, suggesting that someone was gathering raw materials for a lot of weapons and armor.
From Rigus, Acheron was only a portal-hop away. The heroes got a shock, however, when the first sight that greeted them in Acheron was a spider elf riding an enormous fiendish spider! Knowing that a fight wasn't likely to get them any information, the heroes showed no signs of aggression. They learned that the spider elf was not one of Laveth's minions (and in fact seemed rather pleased at the fall of the demon-princess). With a little monetary convincing, she even shared her reasons for being on Acheron, confirming that the warlord Imperagon (who claimed to be a direct descendant of the dragon Ashardalon) aimed to build a powerful army, which he would lead while wielding a powerful weapon that his enslaved forgemasters even now worked day and night to craft. Apparently, Imperagon had sought to solicit the spider elves' assistance in his venture, but the elves were uninterested in participating.
With the spider elf's help, the heroes used their magic to travel between the great floating cubes of Acheron, eventually arriving on the cube occupied by Imperagon's iron fortress. From there, they wind-walked "cross-country" in search of the fortress itself, along the way encountering a pack of deadly spectres and a trio of blue dragons. While resting after their encounter with the dragons, the heroes were surprised by the sudden appearance of an ebony-winged celestial figure. For a moment, the heroes thought that they had a new ally, but this hope was dashed when the archon attacked them with single-minded brutality! Identifying himself as Zalatian, the archon revealed that he served Imperagon himself, and that the heroes' interference in the warlord's plans marked them for death.
Luckily, the four heroes managed to overcome the archon, who fled the field of battle. But they knew that if they met again, the heroes would need more help. So Quin and Jarvis made a quick trip back to Helmsport to pick up their allies Beran and Caedrus, then returned for the first assault on the iron fortress itself. Within its walls, the heroes' senses were assaulted by the ringing of many forges, coming from somewhere beneath their feet. After defeating a few of the fortress's guardians and inhabitants, the heroes fell back to safety, or so they thought.
That night, the heroes' dreams were filled with the ringing of hammers upon anvils. The next day, they were attacked by Zalatian the fallen archon, then later by a pack of giants and a small, winged assassin. Once again the heroes proved tougher than their ambushers, though both Zalatian and the assassin escaped.
Over the next few days, the heroes repeatedly assaulted the fortress, each time falling back to safety. Caedrus' theft of Zalatian's powerful sword helped turn the tables against the archon, who fell before the strikes of the powerful dragon disciple Alarion. The assassin was slain while torturing a helpless celestial being, who gave the heroes still more useful information about the inhabitants of the fortress. In a dramatic battle, the heroes faced Imperagon, his consort Devastra, and the pit fiend Lydzin. Though the pit fiend escaped, and the heroes suffered severe losses, they managed to destroy Imperagon himself, ending the warlord's threat of conquest. As the half-dragon Imperagon fell, the heroes felt a wave of power pass through them, much as had occurred when the demon princess Laveth was slain.
But even with this victory, the ringing of forgework continued ceaselessly. Discovering a staircase leading beneath the fortress, the heroes discovered an enormous smithy, occupied by dozens of ephemeral forgeworkers. Despite powerful wards and guardians protecting this pit of toil, the heroes proved triumphant one last time. Questioning the forge-slaves, the heroes found that these were not simply enslaved beings, but the captured spirits of esteemed forgemasters from the ages!
Jarvis quickly located the spirit of his former master Dietric, who introduced him to someone far more experienced even than he: Durgeddin the Black, legendary dwarven forgemaster of the ancient dwarven city of Khundrukar and the smith responsible for creating the blade that Jarvis had found in the bowels of the frost giant stronghold and that he wore even today. Awed in the presence of this great craftsman, Jarvis offered to return the sword to Durgeddin. But the dwarf simply shook his head. "You have earned the right to wield Grimblade, young man. And if you have the commitment and dedication, you might unlock still more powers within the sword."
The spirits confirmed that they were hard at work building weapons and armor for Imperagon's yet-to-be-assembled army. More than that, their very creative force was being siphoned to aid in the recreation of a horrible weapon. This mighty blade, once wielded by the sultan of the efreet, was shattered long ago. Today, however, the rebuilding of the weapon neared completion. If Imperagon (or any other powerful being) could wield this sword, he would certain be able to draw other evil creatures to his side.
Putting all their talents tot he task, the heroes managed to destroy the partially completed weapon, removing any risk that it might be used again in service of evil. With that, the journey was complete. The deaths of the forgemasters had been avenged, and Imperagon, would-be warlord and scion of fire, was no more.
The heroes returned again to Helmsport. There, they checked in on Duran, Adarrial, and their other allies to update them on their activities in Acheron and to see if anything interested had occurred during their absence.
What they learned chilled their very souls.
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