Claw Gorge

This mile long rift in Furyondy’s normally even terrain descends almost 800 feet below surface level at its deepest points. Its overall shape vaguely resembles a claw, hence its name. Claw Gorge was once a premier limestone quarry, yielding much of what little of this valuable commodity Furyondy possessed. A community of 150 gnomes formed half the work force here. Mining operations being continued today operate on a much smaller scale.

After the outbreak of war, miners here found that pockets of poisonous gas, acidic and corrosive geysers, and even tunnel complexes with dangerous monsters were encountered with much greater frequency than previously. Some of the monsters encountered here included an aggressive horgar, a behir, cave fishers and other dangerous creatures. There were rumors that powerful curse magic, probably laid by agents of Iuz, now affected the mines. Magical divinations revealed the presence of alteration and conjuration/summoning magics which could only be dispelled with great difficulty. The nature and source of this malign magical effect are unknown. The productivity of Claw Gorge is now one third the pre-war level. The workers and militia garrison here are nervous and neurotic people. Anyone ascertaining and dealing with the magical problem here would gain good reward.