Horukzul Caverns
The Horukzul Caverns are an array of interconnected caverns and small tunnels formed by rainwater from the Iron Range watershed and the Immrinni Stream. The cave system is located in the foothills of the Iron Range between twenty to thirty miles southwest of Endor, the First Mountain.
The cave system is dangerous due to the high volume of water, the numerous rock falls, and the presence of monster warrens. It was believed to have little to no valuable natural resources and was considered largely unremarkable, until the discoveries of the Fane of the Fire Egg and the Fane of Black Hematite by Luyos in 5A 178.
Description
The name Horukzul is dwarvish for "drowning rain". The cavern system appears on old topography maps of the region, originally found by expeditions following the Immrinni Stream. The caverns are highly susceptible to flooding from the rain common in the area, the flow of the Immrinni, and the larger watershed of the Iron Range mountains. The Horukzul Caverns are a series of interconnected underground caverns and tunnels,spanning several miles across in total. Most have been formed from heavy water erosion, though some appear to have been formed by sinkholes or burrowing creatures. The cavern doesn't appear to be a major source of precious metals or ores. As such, it has mostly been left alone by local mining operations. The caverns do not connect to any dwarven mine shafts. The full extent of the caverns have not been mapped, so any deeper connections to larger cavern systems or the Underdark are not known. There are multiple entrances into the caverns. The most well-known entrance is in a gully formed by the Immrinni Stream, where behind a waterfall is a cave opening. However, access to the cave is often blocked when the stream is swollen with spring melt or heavy rainfall. The caverns are dangerous and several natural hazards make exploration perilous. Rain and water filter in often, which pool in large quantities throughout the caves. This causes increased erosion, which makes sections of the rocks unstable and prone to collapse. There is at least one source of natural gas inside, which can be poisonous when the fumes build up. Starting in the fifth age, sections of the caves began filling with large amounts of warm air. Many small cave-dwelling creatures can be found here, including cave bats, rodents, and insects. In addition, monsters have been seen in the caves, including giant rats and spiders, stirges, and small elementals. In the fifth age, a group of kruthiks started to make warrens in the cave system as well. In 5A 178, the kruthiks began blocking and sealing many of the entrances into the cavern system.Fane of the Fire Egg
Within the cavern system is a large chamber over one hundred feet across. On the cavern floor was an array of eight grouping of small stones that spelled out runes. The runes were enchanted with a divine aburation magic, and held within these stones was the Fane of the Fire Egg. A sinkhole caused by Daelee would relocate the fane deeper into the caverns, into the center of an active kruthik warren.Fane of Black Hematite
Deeper into the Iron Range, there is an entrance to the caverns marked by a painted "STOP" in red text. This entrance leads to a deeper chamber that houses the Fane of Black Hematite. The large hematite stone at the fane's center previously held a karakura. It was imprisoned there until the stone was broken and the karakura was killed in 5A 178.History
The Fifth Age: The Age of Beginnings
In the early Fifth Age, the Fane of the Fire Egg and the Fane of Black Hematite were constructed in the caverns. As part of this process, protective enchantments were placed by Leo, Captain of the Black Barrow. At the fanes' completion, the Rage Drake egg Brigitte, the Grayguard, had taken from Birdsong Tower was placed at the center of the Fane of the Fire Egg. At some point, a karakura attempted to claim the drake egg at the Fane of the Fire Egg but was abjured and captured within the Fane of Black Hematite. At some point before 5A 178, a hive of kruthiks began infesting the Iron Range, including the Horukzul Caverns. Several warrens and burrows were dug. For an unknown reason, the kruthiks began to abandon these new warrens. A group of The Copper Dozen hunters confronted the kruthiks in the warrens. Daelee became possessed by the karakura trapped in the Fane of Black Hematite, and at a battle in the warrens, The Copper Dozen's force were slain, leaving the area stained with blood and discarded, degraded weapons. At some point, a sinkhole formed beneath the Fane of the Fire Egg, causing the shrine to sink underground. The cirlce of runic stones around the fane would be damaged as the sinkhole continued to grow in size. On 20 Sedaena 5A 178, Krummer and The Copper Dozen set a baited trap outside the waterfall gulley entrance to the caverns. The battle with a pair of adult kruthiks was interrupted by Luyos, which allowed the kruthiks to retreat to the warrens. On 21 Sedaena 5A 178, Luyos and Krummer attacked a kruthik outside another hidden entrance and entered the warrens. Krummer forced Luyos forward to scout, and he made a break for it by collapsing a tunnel between them. As Luyos explored deeper, he encountered a stirge, giant rats, and a large spider. He reached the large sinkhole and destroyed the remaining runic stones. This revealed the Fane of the FIre Egg, which rose out of the sinkhole into the cavern. Luyos touched the floating drake egg, and a red drake hatched from it. On 22 Sedaena 5A 178, the sinkhole reformed beneath the fane. Without the protection of the runes, the sinkhole collapsed the fane, Luyos, and Tha'theo into an active kruthik warren in a deeper cavern of the cave system. After an agreement was made, Daelee, leading several kruthiks, brought Luyos and Tha'theo out of the caverns at an entrance high in the Iron Range. On 23 Sedaena 5A 178, Luyos and Krummer chased Daelee as she fled to the Fane of Black Hematite. The karakura trapped them with shadow flames and compelled Daelee to attack. The group rescued Dalee and Krummer from possession and defeated the fiend. At Daelee's plan, she shattered the central hematite stone, which released the karakura. They killed it, and the residual divine energies carried the banished fiend to Stygia, the Plane of Death.
Type
Cave System
Included Locations
Related Reports (Primary)
Related Reports (Secondary)
Iron Range Continent
West of Gimora Mountains Plane
Material Plane