The Forge of the Maker adventure 1

1. THE STEPS TO THE FORGE
As your party descends deeper into the underground labyrinth of the Blackwood Forest, you find yourselves in a dimly lit, foreboding entrance hall. The air is thick with the musty scent of decay, and ancient cobwebs drape from the rough hewn stone walls and ceiling like tattered banners of a long-forgotten kingdom. In this eerie gloom, you can hear faint skittering noises echoing through the corridor, adding to the unsettling atmosphere.
Carved into the rock are three ascending, winding staircases, each leading upward to the next. These staircases appear ancient and worn, as if they have witnessed countless centuries of eerie silence. As you proceed cautiously up the steps, you begin to notice something unusual about the stone walls on either side.
You also spot small, dark openings in the walls—murder holes, from which something could potentially attack or observe intruders. The idea that eyes might be watching you from these holes sends a shiver down your spine.
Your attention is drawn to the top of the staircases as you climb, where a massive iron double door stands imposingly. The door is intricately decorated with depictions of hammers, anvils, and other smithing tools. It seems to be the entrance to a place of great significance.
However, as you approach the door, you can see movement at the top of the stairs. Human sized, grotesque undead spiders with hollow, lifeless eyes emerge from the shadows of the cielings and walls, their spindly legs skittering ominously on the stone floor. They block your path and appear ready to defend their territory with deadly intent. (MONSTERS:UNDEAD SPIDERS x6, LOOT: SPIDER SILK x6)


2. THE ENTRANCE ROOM
As you push open the massive iron double door, you find yourselves in a large chamber that has collapsed in the middle. The air here is heavy with dampness and the unsettling scent of decay. The dim, flickering light reveals the eerie features of this place. Towards the center of the chamber, your eyes are drawn to a wide chasm that stretches 30 feet across. A precarious web bridge, woven by the nightmarish inhabitants of this forsaken place, spans the gap, leading to a rough-hewn alcove on the other side with stalactites hanging menacingly from above and a stone door on the far side.
High above you, hanging from the ceiling like grotesque ornaments, are multiple cat-sized spiders. They dangle menacingly from thick, sticky webs, their countless beady eyes glistening in the faint light. These arachnids appear to be guardians of this treacherous passage, they remain immobile at your approach and watch your every move.
Web cocoons dangle from the ceiling among the spiders. These grisly bundles of silk and despair hang precariously, swaying gently at the end of their threads. Some are small and tightly wound, while others are larger and more grotesque, hinting at the grisly fate that has befallen those who ventured here before you. The thought of what might lie within these cocoons makes goosebumps prickle your skin.
Beyond the chasm, you can see a stone door on the other side of the rough-hewn room, its surface covered in an eerie, web-like pattern. The way forward appears to be across the perilous web bridge, but the presence of the spiders and the unsettling cocooned remains give you pause.
You stand at the precipice of a harrowing journey through this sinister underground domain, where the boundaries between life and death blur into a chilling nightmare. Your choices weigh heavily as you contemplate your next move in this foreboding chamber. (MONSTERS: albino cave spider x10, skeleton ogre x2 ON THE OTHER SIDE. LOOT: SPIDER SILK X10. SECRET DOORS PERCEPTION DC:22)


3. THE CHASM
(AT THE BOTTOM OF THE 100' FALL IS THE THE LAST AREA, WHERE LYRINTHEA IS)

4. SECRET DEFENSE TUNNEL
Upon further investigation, you uncover secret doors concealed within the chamber's walls. As you open them, you find narrow corridors lined with murder holes. These openings provide a view of the winding staircases, shrouded in eerie darkness. The walls of these secret passages are coated with thick spider webs, adding to the sense of foreboding. The murder holes, now partially obscured by webbing, suggest that this chamber was once heavily fortified and designed for surveillance and defense.
As you peer through the murder holes, you can see the chamber beyond, including the massive iron double door you entered through. The presence of spider webs hints at the spiders' influence in this hidden part of the underground keep.
It becomes evident that this place served as both a threshold and a well-guarded stronghold. The combination of secret passages, murder holes, and spider webs leaves you with an unsettling feeling, raising questions about the sinister purpose this chamber once held. (SECRET DOOR: PERCEPTION DC:22 LEADS TO 14)

5. THE EXCAVATED CHAMBER
Beyond the stone door, you find yourself in a natural cavern, its walls roughly hewn at places. The uneven surfaces bear the scars of excavation, a testament to the treasure hunters who once carved these tunnels centuries ago. The air here is damp and heavy with the scent of earth and stale air.
Scattered about the cavern's floor are remnants of those long-forgotten mining expeditions. Rusty pickaxes, worn shovels, and splintered wooden beams lie abandoned, their owners' aspirations unfulfilled. It's as if time itself has frozen the moment these treasure hunters abandoned their quest.
Four dessicated man-sized spider husks lay curled up on the ground before you, partially buried and unmoving. It does not appear to be some sort of ploy on the spider's part, they are neither alive nor undead. Their deaths do not seem to be a natural event, you suspect there was some dark magic at work here.
Three passages extend from the cavern, each leading in a different direction. To the south, you notice an alcove that has been barricaded with sturdy timbers, forming a makeshift cage-like structure. It gives the impression of a prison, the reason for its construction shrouded in mystery. Cobwebs cling to the wooden bars, adding an eerie touch to this unsettling discovery.
As you stand amidst the remnants of past excavations, you can't help but wonder about the treasure hunters who once toiled here in pursuit of the Forge of the Maker. The paths that lay before you beckon, each offering the promise of secrets and perhaps even the answers you seek in this forsaken underground realm. (LOOT: SPIDER SILK x4)


6. THE WALLED-OFF ALCOVE
Inside the cage-like structure, you see a small chamber, measuring just 10 feet in width and 15 feet in depth. It becomes evident that the treasure hunters who excavated these tunnels had extended their efforts to this spot but ultimately chose to halt their progress. Sturdy timbers, now covered in dust and cobwebs, form a makeshift barrier sealing off the chamber. (ESCAPE ARTIST DC:18 TO SQUEEZE THRU THE TIMBER BARRIER)
As you venture further into this confined space, you notice a small bend in the room. (PERCEPTION DC:15 TO NOTICE FAKE ROCK IN LIGHT, DC:20 WITH DARKVISION) Nestled within this nook is a curious feature—a fake rock carefully placed to blend with the natural surroundings. With a sense of intrigue, you lift the rock and discover a hidden compartment beneath.
Inside this secret cache, you find a small chest filled with valuables. Old minted coins, jewelry, and precious gems glint in the dim light, their luster undiminished by the passage of time. It seems that the treasure hunters, for reasons unknown, decided to safeguard their newfound wealth here, hidden away from prying eyes. (LOOT: 6 GOLD, NO ONE RECOGNIZES THE MINT, RINGS, BANGLES AND EARINGS WORTH: 90 GP, SMALL STAR SAPHIRES AND RUBIES WORTH: 80 GP)


7. TEMPORARY KITCHEN
At the end of the south-east corridor, you come upon a cul-de-sac alcove that seems to have served as a temporary kitchen for the treasure hunters who once roamed these tunnels. The air here carries a faint, lingering scent of decay and burnt wood, a ghostly remnant of past activities.
Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that time has not been kind to this makeshift kitchen. Everything within it has succumbed to the relentless march of the years. Pots and pans, once used to prepare hearty meals, now sit charred and rusted. The remnants of long-forgotten dishes have rotted away to nothing more than a foul, indistinct sludge.
The shelves that once held ingredients are now barren, their wooden surfaces warped and brittle. A thick layer of dust coats every surface, veiling the remains of this forgotten kitchen in an eerie shroud. It's as if the very essence of life that once inhabited this alcove has been replaced by a solemn silence.
As you stand in this desolate space, the ghostly echoes of past conversations and laughter seem to hang in the air, whispering of a time when these treasure hunters gathered here to share meals and stories. Now, the only remnants of their presence are the decaying relics of their daily life, a poignant reminder of the passage of time and the transitory nature of man's endeavors.


8. THE GALLERY
As you explore further into the underground labyrinth, you find that both the eastern and northern passages converge into the same vast gallery. This chamber is the largest excavated area you've encountered thus far, and it's filled with an eerie tap-taping, rhythmically like the distant sound of pick struck against stone, again and again.
Large rock piles and timbers are scattered haphazardly across the gallery's floor, remnants of multiple cave-ins that have occurred over the centuries. The ceiling, covered in stalactites, looks precarious, and the very air seems heavy with the potential for danger.
Amidst this desolate expanse, your attention is drawn to a peculiar figure. This dwarven-shaped entity stands motionless in front of one of the fallen rock piles, its presence unsettling. Instead of eyes, it possesses two impossibly deep pits, like endless voids, where its ocular organs should be. Its long, gnarled claws stretch toward the ground, giving it an eerie and menacing appearance. It sports a shovel and pickaxe crossed behind its back.
Suddenly, as you watch the undead thing it begins to move. With an eerie, unearthly grace, it starts to burrow into the ground, its form disappearing beneath the earth's surface. The ground quivers and shifts, the unstable cavern groans and threatens to collapse as dust and small rocks fall upon you after the abomination vanishes from view. Behind where it stood, a skeletal hand jutts out from under one of the stone piles. (HAZARD: DIFFICULT TERRAIN MONSTER: Gravebound LOOT: Utilitarian RodON THE CADAVER OF THE DWARF, NOT UNDEAD)


9. LYRINTHEA'S LAST CAMP
You enter a small chamber hewn from the surrounding stone, and it becomes apparent that someone has claimed it as their own. There is an abundance of cobwebs in this chamber. The space is clearly intended for a single inhabitant, as there is no sign of a bed or bedroll. Instead, at the center of the chamber, a firepit has been carefully constructed, its blackened stones suggesting recent use.
A rickety wooden chair stands near the firepit, its surface marred with scratches and signs of wear. Across from the chair is a makeshift desk, fashioned from an old stone slab. Upon the desk rests an open diary, its pages filled with meticulous, spidery handwriting. The diary bears the name "The Night Weaver" on its cover, and it's clear that its owner has been using this chamber as a temporary retreat.
As you glance around, you notice that this camp has seen little use. There are no personal effects or belongings scattered about, and the firepit shows minimal signs of having been lit. It seems that Lyrinthea set up this camp hastily and hasn't been in this chamber for long.
The diary on the desk beckons, its pages possibly holding valuable information or insights. Diary of Lyrinthea field scrivener's desk THAT USED TO BELONG THE TO THE SCRIVENER JUDGE)


10. THE DESCENT
You step into the largest room of the complex, and your surroundings leave you in awe. This chamber is immense, measuring a staggering 100 feet across and 35 feet in width. The architecture here is a blend of natural rock formations and worked stone, indicating that it is part of the original construction.
The most striking feature in the room is the massive, semi-natural staircase at its center. It stretches an impressive 20 feet in width, dominating the chamber's focal point. This grand staircase descends into the depths below, the darkness beyond its reach obscuring any indication of its true depth. It's as if it leads to an abyss waiting to be explored.
To the far north and south of the chamber, you spot stone doors. These ancient barriers appear to be the original entrances to this room, suggesting that it served a significant purpose in the past. Time and neglect have taken their toll on these doors, and they remain sealed shut, their secrets locked away.
On the western wall, you notice thick metal bars obstructing a partially collapsed corridor. This once-accessible route seems to have suffered structural damage over the centuries, making it impossible to traverse without some form of intervention.
As you stand in the colossal chamber, your blood runs cold as you realize that the descending staircase of this place holds the promise of your confrontation with the Night Weaver, your ultimate goal, the one responsible for the deaths of the Scrivener and Houndmaster Judges.


11. THE MUSHROOM GROVE
You push open a heavy, creaking door and enter a room that is part of the original construction and has remained sealed for millennia. The air is damp, and the scent of earth and moisture fills your nostrils. As you step inside, you find yourself in a small chamber that was once a storeroom. Crates and containers, now long decayed, are scattered around the room.
What captures your attention, however, is the incredible sight that has evolved in this untouched chamber over the centuries. Water has seeped in from the ceiling, creating a perpetually damp environment. In response, a vibrant and thriving ecosystem of mushrooms has taken root here, untouched by the passage of time.
The room is illuminated by a soft, eerie glow emanating from the various species of mushrooms that have colonized every available surface. Among them, you recognize the cloudpuffs, their ethereal caps releasing tiny droplets of moisture into the air. Nearby, the fairy caps create an otherworldly atmosphere with their delicate, bioluminescent glow. Its spores fill the air, creating a surreal ambiance within the chamber.
As you explore further, you come across patches of dream lichen, a rare and elusive fungus known for its restorative properties. Nearby, a patch of seeing slime grows, its translucent surface shifting and pulsating with a hypnotic rhythm, as if it's trying to reveal hidden secrets to those who dare to look.
This small room, preserved in isolation for millennia, is a testament to the resilience of life and nature's ability to adapt and flourish even in the most unexpected of places. The mycological wonderland before you holds both beauty and mystery, a hidden treasure buried beneath the earth's surface for countless ages. (LOOT: 1d2 YIELD OF EACH HERB)

Spider Silk is a unique material to this dungeon, it can be gathered from dead spiders with a Survival check DC: 15

With 5 spider silks players can make a Craft (alchemy) check DC:15 to make a 50ft spidersilk rope, Silk kimono

With 10 spider silks players can make a Craft (alchemy) check DC: 20 to make a Spidersilk Armor