Slag Heap
Slag Heap sprawls over a wide area and is made up of small mines and barrows, a wood/shrine and a host of tangled, winding tracks. There is little left of the gnomish community. Most of it has been uprooted or buried. What is left is occupied by servants of the WITCH QUEEN. The SHRINE OF WATERS, a one time holy place, has been befouled by harpies. The DEEPENING WELL is an active mine filled with gnome slaves. BLACK HOLE is the pit within which SERONEOUS dwells. The COLLAPSING CAVERNS serve as a compound for the orcs and ungern and the MAZE serves as a house for prisoners.
The Slag Heap, or HAVENWALE as it was once known, sits in a remote vale deep in the BARREN WOOD. Steep hills, tangled forest and a mish mash of ravines, ridges and washes hide the vale from most interlopers. However, in recent years many of the trees have been cut down to feed the fires of Slag Heap, leaving a swath of destruction apparent to all a mile or so before arriving in the vale.
This once idyllic community of small colorful houses, deep comfortable barrows, dark green grass and many a spring flower, it is now a jumble of dark and dingy huts, churned earth, muddy pits, dark unforgiving barrows. Heaps and mounds of detritus from the diggings and tossings of the orcs and ensorceled gnomes lay all about. Fires are constantly burning, day or night, as the orcs and ungern enjoy the heat and ashen smoke the fresh wood renders. Within the vale, one can observe the movement
of orc and ungern alike as they make their way to and from barrows and shacks.
Much of the Slag Heap mines are in horrible condition and many portions have collapsed or are nearing collapse. The debris and wreckage offer a host of good and safe hiding places from watching eyes.
However, entering the vale can be very dangerous. Should the characters attempt to storm the complexes in the vale with no
thought to stealth, the entirety of the inhabitants will come out and work together in its defense. Only through stealth, wit and playing off one group against another will the characters manage to clear this place of its filthy inhabitants. Cautious characters will soon discover that entering local areas does not necessarily rise the ire of all the inhabitants as there are many conflicting loyalties. For instance both the ungern chief and drider would welcome the others death so that one or the other could take over the entire complex. So, if either knows that the other is in trouble, he will not respond.
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