Hearthforge

Hearthforge is the dwarven name for the former cave-hall that the goblin, orc, and giant horde seized before Fires at the Fjordgate. Grimnar's people speak of it as their old stone home, with Hearthforge Hall as the great central hall where the ritual to wake Thullgrim was stopped. The entrance sits in a mountain pass between a tall northern mountain and a larger southern mountain. The cave entrance is on the northern face of the southern mountain. The area in front of the cave was used by the horde as a headquarters, war-wagon yard, and main camp. By the time the the adventuring party arrived, most of the army had already marched away and been defeated at Niðaróss, leaving the site mostly empty except for a small remnant watch and deeper occupants. Later records extend Hearthforge beyond the entrance fight. The horde remnants ringed the mountain saddle with signal watchtowers and used the deeper dwarven halls for rituals intended to wake Thullgrim, the troll mountain.

• Type: Former dwarven hall / cave system / dungeon.
• Region: Mountain pass; entrance on the northern face of the southern mountain.
• First known appearance: Dwarven reclamation material after Fires at the Fjordgate.

• Hearthforge formerly housed a large dwarven clan.
• The horde drove the dwarves out and occupied only the parts of the cave system it needed, because dwarven traps made deeper areas dangerous.
• Grimnar Ironvein asked the the adventuring party in Niðaróss to scout the halls and judge whether they could be reclaimed, promising riches and magic if they succeeded. He stayed in Niðaróss rather than traveling with the party.
• The party reached Hearthforge by Flying Karve after stopping at Selbu and encountering hill giants.
• Kris scouted the entrance invisibly and found goblin watchers, screaming devilkin, and an Ogre Chain Brute inside the cave.
• The party later returned by Flying Karve, burned a watchtower, triggered a four-tower signal chain, fought through the palisade and entrance hall, and felt tremors from the mountain during a short rest.
• As the party entered the long hallway, Leif noticed that Thorgall's Necklace of Troll Detection was glowing red, with brighter flashes on the ritual drumbeats. The party later understood those beats as bringing Thullgrim closer to waking, as if the drums were making the troll mountain's heart beat.
• The party reached the ritual-room fight against enemies trying to wake Thullgrim. Caleb's Wand of Wonder produced Fireball and Lightning Bolt during that fight, both crucial to victory.
• The party won that fight and killed all enemies in the room, but the rest of the cave system still needs to be cleared.

• Grimnar Ironvein, displaced dwarf and Niðaróss-based mission sponsor.
• Thordak Faerdhal.
• Kris Stormblade.
• Netheril Faerdhal.
• Shadow Animus.
• Caleb Gandalfson.
• Thorgall Giron.
• Leif Arrowsong.

• Displaced dwarves of Hearthforge.
• Goblin, orc, and giant horde remnants.
• Screaming devilkin.

• Hearthforge Dwarven Halls.
• The Drums Beneath Hearthforge.

• Thullgrim.
• Aetherstone.
• Necklace of Troll Detection.