Overview
The canyon’s rocky walls here rise to a height of eighty feet. At the end of the canyon, a twenty-foot-high wall of black stone has a broken gate carved into it, with one stone door hanging precariously by a hinge and the other door missing. Beyond this open gate, in the shadow of a great mountain to the east, lies a ruined settlement.
Dazlyn Grayshard and Norbus Ironrune are
shield dwarf prospectors and business partners. While looking for gold in the mountains southwest of
Phandalin, they decided to explore a nearby canyon and found evidence of an ancient
dwarven settlement buried by an avalanche. They’ve spent the past several months clearing the rubble and scouring the ruins for treasure, but have found nothing of value so far.
Behind the settlement, carved into the back wall of the canyon, is an old temple of
Abbathor, the evil dwarven god of greed. During solar eclipses, Abbathor is appeased with sacrifices of blood and gemstones. On one occasion, the god found the sacrifices of this temple’s priests lacking, so he caused an earthquake and avalanche that collapsed parts of the temple and buried the settlement. The priests in the temple who were not killed outright were transformed into
ochre jellies - debased reflections of Abbathor’s hunger and greed.
Temple Features
The temple (areas E4 through E11) is smoothly hewn from solid rock. The following features are common throughout.
Ceilings
Ceilings throughout are 10 feet high and flat.
Doors
All doors are made of carved stone with stone pins for hinges. Secret doors blend in with the surrounding stonework. Finding a secret door requires a search of the wall and a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. Dazlyn and Norbus have found one secret door thus far, in area E4. The others have yet to be discovered.
Dust and Debris
The temple is choked with dusty rubble. Rubble-filled squares are difficult terrain.
Light
There are no light sources in the temple, since the
dwarf priests of
Abbathor relied on darkvision to see.
Excavation Locations
E1. Canyon
The canyon floor is strewn with rubble and bereft of vegetation except for a few tough, scraggly weeds.
E2. Ruined Settlement
All knowledge of this settlement, including its name, vanished along with its original inhabitants, who were killed by an avalanche. The rubble that once buried the settlement has been hauled away, leaving the outlines of stone buildings visible as collapsed walls. A stone well on the far side of the ruins is filled with rubble.
The settlement has been thoroughly ransacked. Anyone who searches the ruins finds a few crushed
dwarf bones and signs of recent campfires, but nothing of value.
E3. Courtyard and Temple Exterior
A partially collapsed, ten-foot-high wall separates this courtyard from the settlement west of it. Three heaps of rubble are piled high in this area. Hewn from the canyon’s back wall, a thirty-foot-high temple features steps rising to a stone platform. Cut into the face of the canyon is a ten-foot-high open doorway flanked by crumbling, life-sized granite statues of cloaked
dwarves. Evil grins can be seen on their weatherworn faces.
Dazlyn Grayshard (NG male
shield dwarf commoner) and Norbus Ironrune (N male
shield dwarf commoner) usually eat
rations here behind the easternmost rubble pile while keeping an eye on the temple entrance (area E4). Dazlyn is forthright and honest to a fault. Norbus is gruff and excessively cautious. They banter like an old married couple.
Each dwarf has ten days of rations, a
waterskin, a
pickaxe, and one of two matching
sending stones. The dwarves offer these magic items to anyone willing to kill the
ochre jellies in area E5, search the temple for other obvious threats, and make it safe.
E4. Dusty Foyer
Iron spikes hammered into the floor hold open two sets of double doors. A once-secret door to the north stands open, with a room beyond it holding nothing but rubble.
E5. Temple
This area contains five secret doors, including one that opens up into one of the stone pillars holding up the ceiling. A bloodstained limestone altar stands at the far end of the room. Dazlyn and Norbus got this far into the temple before an
ochre jelly scared them off. It clings to the ceiling above the altar. A second
ochre jelly clings to the south wall.
The secret door in the pillar conceals a cavity packed with
dwarf skulls that tumble out when the door is opened. At the bottom of the cavity is an unlocked stone coffer containing 15
hematites.
E6. Partially Collapsed Room
An earthquake collapsed part of this room, which holds nothing of value.
E7. Secret Tunnel
Trapped behind the secret doors, an
ochre jelly lurks in the rubble at the south end of this hall.
E8. Priests' Bedchamber
Three stone bed frames stand against the east wall.
E9. Vestry
An empty stone tub juts out of the southwest wall. A stone wardrobe against the east wall holds the rotted remains of two suits of red
leather armor (vestments worn by priests of
Abbathor, now ruined and worthless).
E10. Partially Collapsed Room
Half-buried in the rubble here is the skeleton of a
dwarf priest wearing rotted red
leather armor. The dwarf was killed when part of the room collapsed.
Around the skeleton’s neck hangs a
holy symbol of
Abbathor.
E11. Hall of Greed
To reach this room, creatures must clear away the rubble that seals it off, which takes a single creature 40 hours. Multiple creatures working together can reduce the time proportionately.
An alcove in the south wall holds the rubble of a shattered statue. An alcove to the north holds a statue of a
dwarf with horns, which stares greedily at a glowing green gem in its hands. If the gem is taken, it turns to dust and the statue explodes. Any creature within 10 feet of the exploding statue must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 4d10 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
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