91 rooms · levels 40–47
Thick earthtone carpets cover the floor and walls, and deep-set windows with wide sills let in light from all directions. A maze of shelves create a 'kitty highway' from window to window, to floor, to chandelier, to curtains, and to high ledges near the ceiling. An ornate privacy screen shields off one corner where a huge, magically self-cleaning, litter box sits. Felines of all ages, sizes, colors, and breeds lounge or play as they like.
Huge slabs of stone intermixed with smaller boulders and scree lie mounded up against tall, jagged crags that are all that is left of the western part of this peak. One side of many of the slabs is smooth and has strange markings, as if they were once the interior wall of a very large cavern.
Pebbles and sand occasionally fall onto this ledge from above, but most has been cleared away. A mound of larger stones makes a fairly good stairway up to the peak.
Fresh air and clear skies make for an exhilarating view of this mountainous region. To the north, east, and south, wind swept peaks shoulder up through mantles of green forest. The ledge continues north, and to the west is an opening into the mountain.
A metal coffin with no lid sits in the center of the floor, but instead of holding a corpse it is filled with soil and holds a grotesque plant with black limbs supporting dark red flowers and white thorns. Tendrils from the plant snake across the floor and up the north wall, weaving themselves into a strange tapestry. An opening cut into the east wall leads to the outside, allowing in fresh air and the morning sun.
A thick carpet of overlapping animal furs completely covers the floor. The number and variety of pelts is astounding, it seems at least one of every known species gave up its life and skin to warm and soften this room.
Glowing globes hover over a shallow depression in the stone floor of this large cavern. From the look and smell, the liquid filling this 'bowl' could only be fresh blood.
This is more like a wide corner of a tunnel than an actual cavern. All loose stones and debris have been cleaned out and new mortar has been added where the original stonework was cracked or crumbled. A wooden table with five chairs sits off from the center.
Thick furs and drab tapestries have been used to soften the contours of this small rocky chamber. Pillows and cushions arranged on the floor indicate that this is a common bedchamber for several people.
From the regularity of the walls and floor of this tunnel, it could only have been cut and smoothed by hand. The stonework is marred by a network of small cracks, possibly a result of whatever cataclysm that destroyed the peak of this mountain.
The passage from the north ends here near the ceiling of the large chamber below. This narrow ledge serves as a landing for the descending stairway cut into the stone.
This passage is actually just a narrowing extension of the large chamber to the west. The walls and floor have been smoothed and polished, but the ceiling far above still shows signs of the mining tools used to cut out these rooms. A wooden door is set into the east wall next to a narrow staircase leading up to an over-looking ledge.
No effort was put into smoothing the stone in this small room. Three small cots line the walls and a shelf with cleaning supplies is mounted by the door.
A sturdy wooden banquet table surrounded by chairs has been set up at this end of a long mine chamber. Tall bronze stands set about the room hold glowing orbs that light up the place quite nicely. Wooden doors are set into the north and west walls, a hallway leads to the south, and the chamber extends to the east.
This chamber is a small, yet comfortable, bedroom. The bed is only slightly larger than a cot, but has been equipped with a feather mattress and warm linen.
This room could only belong to a military leader. Besides the well-made bed, there is a large desk in the corner, maps of the mountains and Cormyr on the stone wall, and a sand table of the type used for plotting strategy.
The passage here is more like a hallway than part of a mine. The floor, walls, and even the ceiling have been smoothed and polished. Voices can be heard in quiet conversation from the north.
The passage here is more like a hallway than part of a mine. The floor, walls, and even the ceiling have been smoothed and polished.
The hallway ends here at the foot of a stairway leading up. The pearly light from above looks the same as that in here and the mine shaft to the south.
The mine shaft is narrower here as it proceeds north to a dead end. This hallway is kept cleaned and is brightly lit. At the dead end, a steep stairway can be seen.
The east-west tunnel branches off into a narrower passage to the north. The stone under foot is free of debris and relatively smooth, where the walls show marks of the mining tools used. Pearly light from small globes can be seen north and east, but the western branch is lit by only a couple flickering torches.
The passage here has been cut through layers of sandstone and granite. A soft, pearly glow emanates from small orbs placed along the walls. A tar painted piece of canvas has been hung up on the south wall.
This small room off the mine shaft seems to have been purposely made dank and moldy. Large wet sponges have been arranged on and around smooth stones to create strange looking furniture. A stench reminiscent of spoiled fish permeates the moist air. A tar-coated piece of canvas covers the doorway to the north.
The passage here has been cut through layers of sandstone and granite. A soft, pearly glow emanates from small orbs placed along the walls. Hefty wooden pilings shore up the tunnel walls and ceiling, some of which have been added recently to replace old ones that were no longer trustworthy.
This looks to have been the western side of a large mine chamber. The southwestern corner has collapsed and the debris cleared away, creating an exit to the outside. A tunnel westward seems to go toward the interior of the mountain and to the east is what was probably the original mine entrance.
A table and chairs have been set here in the north-western corner of this large mine chamber. A deck of cards and colored stone markers lie scattered around as if a friendly game was rudely interrupted.
A small part of the cliff has crumbled here, creating an opening into the mountain. This seems to be where the south-west corner of a large chamber used to be. From the way the stone has been cut and the tool marks that still show, this was obviously once part of a mine. Eastward into the chamber is blocked by the steel bars of a cage but northward leads further into the mine. South leads to the outside.
An archway cut into the eastern wall has been blocked by huge boulders that must have rained down around this mountain when the peak was shattered. This large cavern was the entry foyer to the mines dug westward into the heart of the mountain. Steel cage-like cells have been built in the northeast and southeast corners, and from the scratches in the stone floor, are a recent addition.
Steel bars on two sides and above, solid stone for the other two walls and floor make for a sturdy cage. There is no furniture or bedding, only a filthy wooden bucket for body wastes. This cell is definitely not set up for the comfort of any occupant.
Steel bars on two sides and above, solid stone for the other two walls and floor make for a sturdy cage. There is no furniture or bedding, only a filthy wooden bucket for body wastes. This cell is definitely not set up for the comfort of any occupant.
One small torch lights this part of the tunnel, enough to see by, but not real well. New timbers have been erected to shore up where part of the ceiling has fallen. Most of the debris seems to have been cleared out, but this area hasn't been kept nearly as clean as the passages to the east.
Many footprints can be seen in the dust and sand littering the tunnel floor. The prints made by bare feet all lead to the south, and those made by boots head north. The tunnel continues to the west, but very few tracks lead in that direction.
Sturdy wooden bunks with thin mattresses line the walls of this large, rectangular cavern. The furniture is precisely aligned and all beds have been made up tightly, giving the impression of a military barracks.
Heaps of straw and woolen blankets have been set up as makeshift beds in this room. Small leather tunics have been hung from a pole set across one corner, and below them on the floor is a large wooden tub full of sudsy water.
Cracks in the stone are more prevalent here, as if the mountain took a great shock and the eastern passages were sturdier than the western ones. This spot looks fairly stable, but small torches illuminate where the ceiling fell further west, and where the floor disappears into a dark hole to the south.
Due to the fact that parts of what once was the ceiling is now blocking the entire tunnel, movement to the west is entirely impossible. Thick wooden beams have been installed to support the ceiling on this side of the collapse.
The mine shaft floor has caved in here, falling down into the darkness below. Shuffling and muttering can be heard from the hole.
Rubble from the mine shaft above has been cleared to either side of this wide cave tunnel. A rivulet of foul water flows from east to west in a winding channel. A mage would have no problem flying workers from these lower caverns to the mines above, but why didn't they just build a ladder?
Trickles of water seep from the southern wall into a small pool, and then flows west as a small rivulet. The water is fresh as it emerges from the stone, but the pool has been fouled with urine and excrement, which makes the air here quite unpleasant.
Slabs of dark granite and chunks of broken stalactites make a treacherous but manageable floor here. Bales of straw and stinking animal pelts have been piled in the far corner, and bits of broken bone are strewn all over.
Water seeping through the south wall and leaving behind traces of minerals has created an elegant sculpture of smooth curves and glistening highlights in the reddish colored stone. If it weren't for the foulness of the tiny stream and the ominous sounds coming from all directions, this would be a nice place.
The water is cold enough to take breath away, but not too fouled as a slow current seems to move from north to south. Upon further inspection, tiny holes and cracks in the stone emit clean water from one side and drain from the other. A very faint green glow can be seen to the west and a larger darkness above.
The darkness crowds in close and the foul air clings in the nostrils like a burrowing parasite. Shuffling sounds can be heard from both east and west and from the west comes a strange gurgling. The passage to the north seems quiet.
The rivulet from the east flows quietly into a scum-covered pool. The gurgling sound comes from what looks like clean water bubbling up from below and stirring up the surface.
Shuffling sounds and their echoes bounce around this large cavern. Stalagmites dot the cold, wet floor and stalactites reach down from far above. Glowing eyes flash from behind some of the formations, then quickly disappear.
A fine webbing of cracks mar the smooth stone here, and the floor is littered with sand. A thick iron door blocks the way northward. Some faint scratchings can be seen under the dust that coats the door.
A fine webbing of cracks mar the smooth stone here, and the floor is littered with sand. A thick iron door has been placed across the tunnel to the south.
The cracks in the tunnel are wider here than they are to the east. Some are a handspan wide and fairly deep, judging by the skittering sounds that can be heard within.
A baby bat struggles in a huge spider web strung across the upper corners of the tunnel. A grey lizard flicks its tongue then disappears into a narrow fissure.
The entire tunnel seems to have cracked and pulled apart a few handspans. The fissures cut deeply into the mountain but none are wide enough to be explored further. A fist-sized glob of excrement falls from the dark rift above and splatters on the stone floor.
What was once the southern end of a large cavern is now a rubble floored tunnel. Huge slabs of sandstone and mounds of scree block the path north and east, with only the lucky placing of larger boulders keeping the way west open.
The south and west walls of this tunnel are smooth, water-cut stone, but the northeast corner is a huge mound of rubble held in place by its own weight. This corner was once a part of a large cavern before its roof collapsed.
This rubble floored tunnel is walled on the east by a tremendous, vertical slab of sandstone that was once part of the ceiling. To the west is a smaller cavern from which a nasty stench seems to emanate. Northward, the tunnel end can be seen and the ceiling in that direction is broken up and sagging, needing very little influence to continue its fall.
This cavern is not as large as the one to the east that collapsed, and seems fairly intact. Stalactites reach down from the ceiling far above and small, smooth cave formations dot the floor. In the center of the cavern, one stalagmite rises up from the floor to the height of a tall man. This one formation is covered with a vile smelling substance reminiscent of bird droppings or bat guano.
This was once part of a large cavern that is now under tons of stone. From the way the ceiling sags, this corner will very soon be buried also.
A small vibration in the stone has loosened the ceiling and started it falling. As the first slab of stone crashes down, the floor disintegrates under your feet. A rain of smaller stones tumble down to the bottom of this hole while the larger boulders jam up and block the way out.
The jagged remains of the western face of this mountain loom overhead. To the north and south, large slabs of stone poke through great mounds of blasted rock. One large, wedge shaped boulder seems to balance precariously and could fall at any time.
Large chunks of stone lean together and support each other, creating a small chamber inside the mound of rubble. Bones the size of timbers rest among the boulders making up the back wall, as if a massive creature was crushed here when the peak shattered.
This is a tunnel just for flying mobs to hang out until ready to swoop down for a PC snack.
This is a tunnel just for flying mobs to hang out until ready to swoop down for a PC snack.
The mound of loose stones that usually border a cliff is much greater here, and the reason can be seen to the north where a part of the mountainside has crumbled away. Someone has moved the larger boulders off to the side and formed a ramp of the smaller stuff up to a porch-like opening into a cavern.
The east-west trail winds between a forest of pine trees and the steep-cliffed mountainside. Northward is an ascending path up a hill of stone rubble.
As the mountainside curves east to south, so does the path. Lots of loose stone has accumulated at the base and huge boulders can be seen nestled among the pines. The trees have grown back from being mown over by an avalanche, so it must have happened a very long time ago.
The trail descends sharply to the south towards a valley set at the southern base of Shatter Peak. The pine forest extends east and southeast, but to the southwest the trees have been cut and cleared around a small village.
This trail winds between a pine forested valley to the south and a steep cliffed mountain shoulder rising above it. Northwest, a mountain smaller than most in this range climbs upward to a craggy peak. Parts of the highest summit seem to have been blown apart or shattered.
This trail winds between a pine forested valley to the south and a large mound of loose rock rising above it. Northwest, a mountain smaller than most in this range climbs upward to a craggy peak. Parts of the highest summit seem to have been blown apart or shattered.
Standing on the west brink of a gulley dug under the spreading limbs of a huge pine tree, one can see the small mountain now called Shatter Peak. It springs up in steep cliffs to the northwest and is surrounded by the rubble of ancient avalanches. Its peak is craggy and lopsided, as if blown apart by some terrible force.
This deep gulley has been dug beside a huge pine tree, its branches spreading low and wide to form a screen all around. It wouldn't be hard to climb up out of here.
This deep gulley has been dug beside a huge pine tree, its branches spreading low and wide to form a screen all around. It wouldn't be hard to climb up out of here.
The path from the east turns sharply here at a huge, ancient pine. Its supple limbs grow thick with clusters of needles and the lower ones sag right to the ground. A small clearing completely covered with a carpet of dead pine needles and cones lies just to the north. It's amazing how the dead foliage lies so evenly there while everywhere else it's in clumps and drifts like normal.
This small circular clearing is thickly and evenly carpeted with pine needles, cones, and small branches that have fallen from the trees. Only right here does the ground layer seem placed by design. The tops of the surrounding pines lean inward in a strange sort of way, as if peering down into the corral they form.
The forested pass levels out here and the trail widens greatly. On the ground, a broken arrow lies in a puddle of blood and two short parallel lines have been made through the pine needles, as if someone was shot then dragged a few feet before being picked up. Not much can be seen to the west due to a thicker stand of trees, the trail east seems to descend down the pass.
The forest gets thicker as the trail works its way northwesterly. In some spots, towering mountain peaks can be seen through the treetops. West further ascends into the pass, while east seems to be the way back to the main trails.
The forest gets thicker as the trail works its way northwesterly. In some spots, towering mountain peaks can be seen through the treetops. North further ascends into the pass, while east seems to be the way back to the main trails.
The mountain pass widens and a thick forest grows tall in the cool air. The ground is soft, covered with centuries of dead foliage. To the east, a small clearing is almost hidden from view. The pine forested path leads west and south leads back down to the main mountain trails.
Tall pines and an occasional blue spruce make up this forest in the mountain pass. An old, dry-rotted log lies to one side and the remains of a small campfire can be seen a few feet from it. The only exit is west, back to the path.
A switchback trail through this narrow valley leads northward toward a pass between peaks of the mountains. The ground here is rocky with just some scrub and stunted trees around, but up north, towards the pass, a treeline of pines and other conifers can be seen.
The leaning pines all spring upward as a tightly woven mesh erupts from under the ground cover. Previously invisible ropes criss-crossing above the clearing snap the outer edges of the mesh together, effectively bagging anyone or anything that was in the clearing.
A small band of tough looking humans, aided by a few blank-eyed halflings, appear out of the woods. Glowing red ropes are tossed into the net bag and proceed to wrap around and immobilize all within. After a minute or two, the net is opened and the trussed up prey are blindfolded and roughly dragged away.
What was once a serene and beautiful valley clearing has been abused and neglected. Small flower beds planted on mounds and surrounded by white stones have been overgrown with weeds. A ring of small huts sits to the southwest and a sickly garden plot is to the south.
Rows of vegetables have been planted here just outside of the shade of the pine forest. Although many still seem to be thriving, most are weed choked, diseased, or just eaten up by bugs. The onions, okra, and tomatoes have fared pretty well, but the beans and peas are pretty much goners. A ring of small huts sits to the west and a carpeting of pine needles broken up by tree stumps is south. Northward, the clearing meets with a path down from a small mountain.
Jagged stumps, weeds, and refuse clutter this area where once the pine forest bordered the clearing. Sad looking halflings go about the tasks given them by cruel guards.
Jagged stumps, weeds, and refuse clutter this area where once the pine forest bordered the clearing. Sad looking halflings go about the tasks given them by cruel guards.
Jagged stumps, weeds, and refuse clutter this area where once the pine forest bordered the clearing. Sad looking halflings go about the tasks given them by cruel guards.
Swings, slides, and teeter-totters stand as lonely monuments to the absent laughter of children. Faded paint peels from the once gaily colored playground equipment, as there is no one left to play here. A small village sits to the east.
Littered and befouled by uncaring oppressors, the valley clearing here at the foot of Shatter Peak has become nothing but a trash heap. A small village sits to the southeast.
Littered and befouled by uncaring oppressors, the valley clearing here at the foot of Shatter Peak has become nothing but a trash heap. A small village sits to the south.
Small huts made of wood have been built in a circle around a central fire pit. The place seems somber and gloomy, with no decorations or even attempts at repairing broken doors or roofs. Some halflings can be seen wandering around, but they seem to be totally despaired or are glassy eyed with no thoughts of their own. The cleared valley extends in all directions.
The cold water leeches away any warmth and causes muscles and bones to ache painfully. No outside light reaches into this tunnel but a very faint green glow emanates from the living slime covering the stone walls. A dark hole in the ceiling has been blocked by a steel grate. East seems to be the only easy exit out.
Dark, wet, and cold, the floor of this small chamber lies barely above the waterline. The weight of the mountain seems to press in from all sides, for there are no other exits besides through the steel grate and down into the water.
A dark, dry pit in the heart of the mountain is all this is. Probably just an air bubble during the mountain's formation, it is now a sealed tomb. Only with magical help could anyone be rescued from a slow death.