High in the great range of peaks that divides the lands, the stout folk known as the Stone-Delvers of the Silver Stream established a formidable, albeit small, stronghold they named Baraz-dûm (The Stone Watch). They hailed from the Grey Peaks region far to the north, a hardy clan known for their resilience and mining expertise. Their leader was the wise and determined lord Hargan, distant cousin of Thrain, who oversaw the meticulous carving of the fortress into the mountain's core. For decades, the builders mined veins of precious silver and glimmering treasure, their hammers echoing through the cold mountain air.
The stronghold was a testament to their resilience, a place where craftsmanship and defense were paramount. Its magnificent entrance was a massive, imposing stone gateway carved directly into the snowy mountain face, flanked by two colossal statues of seated ancient kings that have weathered countless storms. This grand archway, now half-buried in snowdrifts, promised prosperity and safety in the harsh wilderness.
However, the mountain folk delved too deep and drew too much attention. Their mining operations and the growing wealth within the mountain became a beacon for malevolent forces. The peace was shattered not by fire, but by ice. A formidable Cold-drake, a great, wingless "long-worm" from the icy Northern Wastes, migrated south, drawn by the builders' activity. This creature launched a brutal siege. The drake's icy breath froze warriors solid on the ramparts and even around the great entrance statues, and its immense physical power crushed the great stone halls. Lord Hargan was among the first casualties, slain at the great door of the stronghold, leaving the defenders leaderless and in disarray. The invasion was relentless, and the stronghold soon became a frozen tomb.
After nearly a century had passed since the clan was destroyed, the great Cold-drake eventually died within the hall, its life ended perhaps by old age or a lingering wound from the siege. The treasure remained, but the power vacuum left by its death didn't last long. The shadows of the great peaks are always long and quick to fill empty spaces with malice. It wasn't long before the mountain fell under the control of a new host of inhabitants, creatures that thrive in the dark and cold. The ruins are now a den of iniquity, far more dangerous in their chaotic occupation.
Heroes will find the ruins now swarming with the "foes who hate the sun". The primary occupants are mountain goblins and twisted humanoids, who use the stronghold as a base for raiding the nearby passes. They are organized under a new chieftain named Grondak the Frost-Hand. Legend says Grondak is a distant, dishonored descendant of a legitimate line of the ancient orc lords, a twisted and bitter soul who now leads the dark folk with a cunning born of spite. He wields a cold-iron axe taken from the fallen dwarves. The upper, more habitable levels are said to be filled with their patrols and crude camps. Deeper within, in the frozen mine shafts and the damp lower chambers, are said to lurk powerful great stone creatures, serving as brute-force muscle and guardians for the inner sanctum. These creatures are a constant, immediate threat any explorers of these ruins must navigate.
But the true danger doesn't end there. The dark halls also contain the subtle terrors of the wild. Giant Spiders, drawn from the edge of the great forest by the lingering dark, have spun webs in the forgotten upper towers and along the exterior walls, catching the unwary. In the deepest, coldest parts of the mine, where the drake's lingering magic has infused the very stone with death, animated frozen undead and spectral wights still wander, their cold touch a mirror of the original invasion that sealed the builders' fate. Entering into Baraz-dûm will not just be about wealth; it will be a test of courage against the multitude of evils that have claimed this once-proud hall.
