The Treasure of Splendarrmorndin

Splendarrmorndin

Splendarrmorndin is the ancestral home of many dwarves. It sits in the Araumorndin range of Judera, and contains a vast network of mines and caverns which houses a city of dwarves. Splendarrmorndin exports great numbers of precious stones and metals. A legend speaks of a massive treasure cache buried somewhere deep in the heart of the mountain, worth several fortunes. Many explorers have tried to find it, only to become disoriented and lost. Most of these treasure hunters never return.

The Legend

Xitos, the great Smith, had spent many centuries amassing a pile of wealth - weapons and armor of his own creation; precious stones; gold, silver, and platinum in massive bars; so many treasures that his forge was constantly overrun by monsters and mortals foolish enough to think they could steal even a small ruby. After a week where he had found it necessary to smite or banish no less than two hundred treasure hunters, Xitos had had enough. Gathering the gargantuan pile together, he called upon his siblings, Metsli and Ydos. He sought to find a place to hide his treasure, and to hide it so well that only the most worthy adventurer could find it. First, Xitos asked Metsli to bring the treasure to the moon. Metsli refused, however. No adventurer could ever hope to actually reach the moon to retrieve it, but the gaudy brightness would be visible from Galactus. Next, Xitos turned to Ydos. Knowing the request that was coming, Ydos stopped Xitos before he could speak. The presence of the treasure in the home of Death would only tempt mortals to waste their lives uselessly entering the land of the death. Worse still, it would encourage more to attempt bringing their loved ones back from true death, upsetting the natural balance of the world.

Xitos could not trust any other deity with his treasure, so he turned to his faithful followers: the dwarves. Having no other hiding places, he asked the dwarves whether they knew of any secure places to keep the wealth. Countless ideas were put forward, but the one that caught the attention of Xitos the most was to hide the treasure deep in a maze of caverns.

The next challenge was to pick the exact location. Across the world Xitos and his followers went, following every cavern and tunnel to its end in search of the perfect hiding place. But nowhere was deep enough for the Smith. Eventually, ready to give up, Xitos threw his hammer in frustration. Away it flew, until it hit the side of the largest mountain in Judera. The hammer dug deep into the mountainside, carving away a vast stone hollow. As Xitos retrieved the hammer, he noticed that the hole had revealed a series of caverns, previously sealed off. With new hope in their step, the Smith and his dwarves descended into the mountain. There, they found a wondrous sight. Every cave was encrusted in gems, and nodes of precious ore shone from the walls and floor. Here was a place worthy of the treasure of a deity. Here was a place where the dwarves could make a home, blossoming in the blessing of their deity. The deeper they travelled, the more pleased Xitos was with their discovery. After journeying for seven days, going only downward, Xitos came to the final cavern. This was a cavern suited for the deity's vast wealth. Its ceiling reached high into the darkness, and even Xitos, with his sharp eyesight, could barely see the other end.

Into the cavern the treasure was moved, piece by piece. Xitos worked alongside the dwarves, promising them divine blessings for their assistance, and riches for their clans for millennia if the dwarves stayed to protect the treasure. When all had been packed into the gargantuan room, now heaped with all manner of bright, shining wealth, Xitos began to work alone, fashioning a set of thick titanium doors inscribed with protective runes. These he placed at the only entrance to the cavern, securing them with a complex locking mechanism. Xitos piled stones in front of these doors to hide them underneath several feet of rubble. The Smith now created a mechanical dragon, with barbed tail and sharp claws and a belly like a forge which could spew flame. He breathed life into the creature, which he named Splendarrsaman. Xitos left the dragon to patrol through the lowest caverns, guarding the hidden entrance to the treasure of Splendarrmorndin.