The World's Greatest Dungeons

Considered the greatest city of the First Age, the destruction of the city of Atlantis in the Great War marked the end of that era and nearly the end of civilization itself.  The majority of the island city sunk beneath the waves of the Aegean Sea, what little land remained was swept almost clean.  No attempt to reclaim or rebuild has ever been attempted, most navigators avoid it, and it remains a placed haunted by evil and fell magic.

    Adventurers, however, still retain an interest in Atlantis.  The city was fabulously rich in wealth and in magic, and even the colossal destruction did not erase everything.  Explorations over the centuries have confirmed that there are still underwater areas where such treasures unquestionably remain.  Artifacts known to have been brought forth by adventuring efforts here include the Shield of Ebor (a Blackmoor expedition from 1477), the Solaris Mace and the Helm of Divine Sight (both now in Rome), and the Knight's Grand Halberd (royal symbol of the King of the Combined Frankish Kingdoms).  What might still remain there is fuel for dreams. 

     The problem, of course, is that Atlantis is probably second only to Vecna’s Citadel in being all but impossible to reach, and even then only with massively financed and supplied expeditions.  The logistical difficulties of underwater adventuring are significant enough in a small lake.  In the depths of the ocean, these issues multiply exponentially.  Most of the site now lies under six hundred feet of water or more.  Temperature, darkness, water pressure, lack of air, and other issues all require magical enhancements to overcome just to make survival possible.  Further, these enhancements need to be maintained not just for minutes, but for hours.  Even if treasure was lying about on the sea floor, simply the environment itself would present difficulties enough to stop most expeditions in their tracks.

     There are also things living in that environment that can stop you in your tracks.  Reaching the site requires sailing in the kind of deeper water most mariners will avoid, and for good reason.  On land, we think of a Purple Worm as big because it can swallow a man whole.  At sea, its equivalent can swallow a ship whole.  Big ships.  All kinds of creatures can swallow swimmers.  There are a lot of things out there we don’t really know much about, except (as wryly put by one contributor) “they all have teeth and like to eat”. 

    Now to list the things we do know about.  While the entire Aegean Sea area is well known for its saghuagin population, they do not reside at the Atlantis site directly, although any activity there tends to rapidly attract their attention.  On the other hand, there are underwater creatures, including giant octopus, eels, and sharks, common to the site which seem to have developed magical abilities, and often high intelligence to go with them.  One dominates the entire site;  a gigantic magical crab, said to be big enough to build a mansion on its back.  Its claws are strong enough to sever a man’s body in half, and have given the beast its common name:  Dreadclaw.  Its armored carapace would apparently make Marston proud, and it is either highly magic resistant, or simply unaffected by a wide variety of magical spells and effects.  It may be an Immortal; it can, however, be at least injured and driven away, and those adventurers satisfied with that result survive. 

     As if this were not enough, undead still haunt the site, and have adapted to the underwater environment.  It is presumed they have spawned from those killed in the sinking of the city, as they stay within its boundaries as though bound to it.  There is a type of underwater ghoul which has actually evolved gills, and skeletal warriors that probably don’t breathe at all. The former fight like their surface cousins, while the skeletal warriors often carry decaying weapons that still strike with deadly force.  Ghosts have been reported as well, and are particularly difficult to see under water. 

    Most dangerous of all the undead are two separate liches*.  One resides in an underground complex, some of which is still dry.  The area is referred to as “the Arsenal” because of the number of magic weapons that seem to be found there, and the lich is known as the Guardian of the Arsenal, or sometimes just the Guardian.  The second lich, nicknamed “the Rover”, has been encountered in numerous locations, though all mostly in the southern half of the sunken city.  This creature appears able to raise and command nearby undead, and sudden attacks by large numbers of these creatures are often a sign of the Rover’s presence. 

     Sunken Atlantis will remain a mystery for a long time. The sheer size of the city ruins, scattered over twenty square miles of ocean floor, and the difficulties involved just being there hardly make it conducive to systematic exploration. Successful expeditions to Atlantis are once-in-a-lifetime events, and any adventurer could consider membership in one as the crowning glory of a successful career, and it is not hard to rank it as second only to Vecna’s Citadel as the Greatest Dungeon of the Western World. For centuries to come, wealth, knowledge, and the lure of glory will bring adventurers back to Sunken Atlantis. 

* Blackmoor Editor’s note: In the years since the original publication of this work, it has been accepted that the lich Roswell describes as “the Guardian of the Arsenal” is in fact a Demi-Lich.

    The Sicilian Catacombs are probably the world's most extensive complex of underground tombs, in this case a full seven separate layers deep.  Each layer is a vast labyrinth of crypts, vaults, rooms and passageways that seem to continue forever;  some of them are even believed to be under continual modification by the residents within. Their full extent is unknown, most levels are still believed only partly explored, and no layer has ever been comprehensively mapped.  Each level has its own characteristic population of undead, who increase in power with each descending level. 

      We don’t know exactly who built the Catacombs;  in fact, the construction probably occurred in different stages at different times, undertaken by entirely different peoples of the pre-historic era.  Most of it appears to date from some time before the Phoenician Empire’s foundation;  there are persistent claims made that the lower levels are much, much older, perhaps a millennia or more, but most scholars reject this as it would pre-date even generous estimates of humanity’s origination.  The site was “discovered” by Phoenician colonists in the process of founding Syracuse, roughly a century before the Empire’s foundation, and it has remained one of the great adventuring destinations since. 

      The entry to the necropolis is found in a small valley deep in the mountains that form the center of the island.  Perhaps because of the inherent evil of the place (it is said you can hurt yourself casting “detect evil”), it is shunned by natural creatures.  It is not a place to be at night, when incorporeal undead are active.  An area roughly two or three miles around the entrance is known in a double pun as the “dead zone” -- nothing living inside it, but plenty of dead.  In daytime hours, however, the land is usually quiet.

     It appears the entry area to the crypts was probably once some kind of small temple complex, as there are still some minimal ruins suggesting the presence of other buildings.  Most of the site, however, is long since overgrown, and the only intact building is the one containing what has been labeled “The Grand Staircase” by explorers.  This wide stone stair descends into the earth to the first layer of crypts and tombs; while it once obviously went deeper, it is completely and utterly filled by earth and rock to a point just below this level.  There are, however, a number of secondary stairs connecting the levels within their structures, which allow progressive access to the lower areas. 

      The first level of the Catacombs is simple in structure, consisting of wide corridors lined with niches for individual remains, and periodic ossuary wells filled with bones.  These corridors link moderate-sized rooms typically containing a more elaborate individual tomb.  The whole forms a vast network, the absolute dimensions of which are not known.  Surprisingly, there is light present;  magical torches burn in wall sconces along most of the corridors and rooms.  There is also a fair amount of damage throughout this level, primarily caved-in areas that block passage and force detours.  The damage is the result of the island's occasional earthquakes, and does not represent imminent danger to explorers, but it makes a mess of attempts to systematically explore and map the place.   

       Danger there is, it just has other sources. Explorers on this level are regularly attacked by skeletal warriors, whose ancient and rust-damaged weapons are no less deadly for their state of decay.  Such attacks are disorganized and unpredictable, sometimes individual creatures and sometimes a mob.  The mobs appear to travel the corridors, and can often be heard approaching, but individual attackers can suddenly crawl out of a nearby niche without warning.  Larger rooms will frequently be defended by a small group of skeletal warriors, led by a skeletal knight-class individual. 

      The level as a whole is of little value to adventurers beyond the experience of being there;  no treasures have been found here in so long it isn’t even recorded, and beyond the incidental remains of those who enter and fail to come out, there is nothing left here to find.  While it can be an excellent learning ground for the less experienced, to veterans it is just a bothersome step. 

      In structure and general layout, the second level is generally similar to the first, including damage and occasional blockages, although there is evidence that the residents of this and lower levels may possibly be making repairs over time.  The undead encountered here are stronger and seem to react in a more organized manner to intrusion.  Most explorers encounter skeletal mages on this level, and report the skeletal warriors seem tougher than the norm.  Rooms on this level also occasionally feature two or even three individual tombs, with the danger level rising appropriately.  In rare cases, exceptionally powerful individuals have been encountered, probably revenants, but these reports have only come from groups that extensively explore the area. 

      Many groups don’t, as they regard the level as just another “experience builder”.  While the general belief is that the original treasures on this level are, like the first, long since plundered out, the dangers here continue to claim lives on a regular basis;  and so over time, new treasure hordes are accumulated. For willing groups capable of handling the relative dangers, explorations here are still capable of yielding rewards. 

      It seems universally agreed by those that have explored the Catacombs that their very nature seems to change as one reaches the third and deeper levels.  The presence of magic is more prevalent, and stronger, both in the form of ancient spells that are part of the very structure itself, and more recent spells and effects created by the residents themselves.  Magical wards, glyphs, and reactive spells are constantly being laid and renewed by the magically capable undead found here. 

      The physical layout of the third level also changes distinctly from those above it.  Instead of niche-lined passageways and rooms, this level consists of large vaults connected by otherwise plain corridors and passageways, occasionally lit by magical light as noted earlier.  The vault rooms vary somewhat in size and structure, but typically contain one to four main burials and any number of lesser ones (including wall niches and ossuaries0. Experience suggests most vault-groups will contain at least one magic-using individual and produce a sequence of coordinated attacks by successive waves against any disturbance.  The skeletal creatures of the higher levels are still found here, and explorers have further reported mummies (often several together) and wights (rare, but very strong).  There is a rumor, still unproven, of a barrow-wight guarding a particularly magnificent treasure; the wights are said to be its minions and where they are found, the barrow-wight is near. 

      A unique complication of this level is that, while there is relatively little of the physical damage of the type found at the higher levels, there is a somewhat unique issue caused by the years of exploration.  A great many rooms and vaults on this level have had their doors broken by adventurer groups and remain unrepaired by the occupants or anyone else.  The result could be called “leakage”.  While normally, closing a vault’s doors keeps its occupants at bay (even once disturbed), a broken door provides no such relief, and many such vaults tend to leak some of their occupants into nearby halls.  This can be a significant danger, as the occupants on this level are highly aggressive once engaged.  

      The third level of the Catacombs is also, in the eyes of many adventurers, the beginning of the “true” dungeon, and this is because it still appears to contain unexplored areas and original treasures.  Several times over history, it has been thought certain the level had been entirely explored, only for entire new wings or sections to be discovered.  In one case, this even led to a discovery of a staircase back up to a section of second level whose existence was previously unknown!  It is clear that even after centuries of exploration, there are many secrets yet to be answered here. 

      The fourth level of the Catacombs is reported as similar to the third, but with everything of grander scale – including the dangers.  Corridors become wide hallways, but they are filled with a magical hazy fog which cuts all forms of vision dramatically and cannot be dispelled.  Explorers invariably report that at first the halls are quiet, but as a group stays longer, patrols become increasingly frequent and dangerous.  Vault doors, thankfully, have been treated more sensibly, and still keep their occupants within.  The vaults themselves become multi-room complexes, each with progressive waves of opponents reacting in organized fashion, usually once the intruders are well within.  Revenant mages using up to sixth level spells are a fairly “standard” vault-boss, as are skeletal lords, many armed with the leftover magic of failed explorers, and others with unique artifacts of their own.  These encounters are highly dangerous, even to experienced groups, but they have also proved to produce spectacular treasures for those who can prevail.  Un-plundered vaults on this level consistently produce rich hauls of jewelry, art treasures, and common items made in precious metals or with valuable gems.

      For most adventurer groups, the third and fourth levels of the Catacombs are likely to represent either the apex of their careers (or the unfortunate end of same!).  Indeed, if the Catacombs ended here, their place on the list of Great Dungeons would probably be secure.  There are, however, at least  three more levels, each of which are legendary-class locations of their own.  Often referred to as "the Deep Levels". and only accessible to the most advanced and sophisticated adventurers, it is these areas that make the Catacombs truly unique.   

     The fifth level of the Catacombs is known as the Lair of the Cyclops Lich.  [STORY UNDER RECONSTRUCTION]

    Ur was one of the greatest cities of the First Age.  It was for centuries the capital of the Sumerian people and the center of their culture, and even to this day may have been one of the most magically intensive cities ever in human history.  The Sumerians were great magicians, and their cities were ruled by societies of mages and arch-mages, each city with its own exclusive specialized schools and dark practices.  Only in their capital of Ur was there a "neutral ground" where conflict between the schools was prohibited and from which ruled their Mage-King and council of advisors, each themselves representatives of the various magical schools and societies.  Due to this practice, Ur became a center for the learning and exchange of magical information, a commodity which brought it great wealth and power, and ensured its status as the greatest of all Sumerian cities. 

      The Great War began in the Sumerian states, and despite their power they were successively overwhelmed by the fell armies that poured into them.  We know Ur was the last to fall; its refugee-swollen population slaughtered and the city destroyed. Yet it seems as though while destroyed, the city was not looted, or perhaps just not extensively.  Modern explorations, which have really only begun in the last few centuries, are bringing back evidence that much of the city’s legendary wealth may still lie buried in its wreckage.  Most spectacular has been the finding of the legendary magical pipe-organ known as Karashan (the Speaker) in the Sumerian language, as well as lesser artifacts, and yet only a small part of the vast city area has been explored.  Given the magical saturation of the Sumerian culture, and their predilection for creating both common and powerful magical items, the further possibilities of what this site may produce are making the Ruins of Ur the equal of any of the Great Dungeon sites.  

      The city once stood amidst populated and productive land, most of which was devastated in the War.  Some of it remains wasteland, some has been reclaimed by nature, but it is all now the realm of humanoids, predominantly the orc-tribes which regularly raid the modern Babylonian border.  Many of the wasteland zones have an unknown magic about them which spawns hostile elementals, mostly earth creatures.  The local orcs know and avoid these areas, but they are difficult to detect, and the magic causing this is not understood. 

      The orcs also avoid the Ruins, and it isn’t hard to see why.  Although devoid of any humanoid population, they are still active.  Magical creatures, many of an extra-planar nature, are found throughout the city site.  Most are small creatures, things like gremlins, imps, or quasits, that are believed to “leak through” summoning sites still partially or potentially active.  These include not just the temples to various lower Powers often worshipped by the Sumerians, but still-intact summoning chambers of private mages and demonic cults.  Rarely, something of real significance is encountered, often an Erinyes or Gargoyle devil, but potentially almost anything from the lower planes.  They are occasionally brought here by accidental adventurer activity;  in other cases intentionally by those have come here with that purpose in mind. 

      Odd magical creatures, probably mutated over the course of time by the residual magic, have become common to the Ruins, particularly a species of giant scorpion which has developed the ability to harness electrical magic in both attack and defense.  A rare form of stirge has also been reported which appears to drain strength as well as blood from its victims.  Most notorious of all, however, are the Bone Worms.  Although they appear to be undead, they are apparently purely magical in nature.  They are worm-like creatures consisting of a nine to ten-foot spine and an enormous set of fanged jaws in a lizard-like skull.  Bone Worms travel underground, and will burst up from below to attack, usually in groups of five to eight.  Their approach is almost impossible to detect, and they attack with tiger-like speed and ferocity.  

       At night, the Ruins are ruled by undead. As soon as the sun is low in the sky, the presence of mortals causes these creatures to manifest, and to stay in the city at night is to court a terrible death.  Ghouls appear first, often while the sun is still only low in the sky, and more powerful wights will appear once darkness sets in.  Incorporeal creatures will soon follow;  spectres, ghosts, and wraiths, and all will steadily swarm to the presence of any living mortal creature that stays within the immediate Ruins area.  The quickest way to die in the Ruins, it is commonly accepted, is to lose track of time and be caught there at night. 

      There may be a number of epic encounters in the barely explored Ruins of Ur, but there are three for certain that are building a true Legendary reputation.  Most notorious of them all is the Temple of Dispater.  The ancient Sumerians were known for their conjuration skills, and their interaction with creatures of the Lower Planes.  Devils were regularly courted, and while there appear to have been similar structures dedicated to a variety of Devil Lords, only this one remains fully intact amidst the wreckage around it.  It is a tall structure, rising over two hundred feet, consisting of a central large domed building and a series of towers around it. The magical aura around it is said to be tangible. 

      Powerful magical defenses protect the structure, but do not inhibit entry, or the use of its sacrificial altars and summoning chambers.  Many differing infernal powers can be invoked here, ranging from lesser devils to greater ones. In the highest room of the dome, there is a chamber dedicated to the Dispater, with an altar where, according to legend, prayers are heard directly by the Devil Lord himself.  Despite periodic efforts by great heroes to seal off this room, or ward it sufficiently to prevent violation, nothing seems to be able to permanently close it away. 

      For those not interested in negotiating with devils, an alternative complex of buildings known as “the Palace” is a more common destination.  This was clearly once a separately walled enclosure, possibly a palace or special estate for some particularly important individual or group.  Most of its surface buildings lie in ruins, but there is an extensive network of underground passages still intact.  Here, in a partially destroyed great hall, is found one of the greatest artifacts of the First Age, the legendary grand pipe-organ known to the Samarians as Karashan.  This magical musical instrument is an enormous, steam-operated pipe organ, with rows of keys, pedals, and more than four hundred pipes.  According to legend, there was a vast range of magical effects and powers that could be invoked by playing the Organ properly, including raising the dead, but the instrument today is in a bad state of damage, and most keys don’t work well or at all.  Exactly what it can still do is unclear, but stories about it report it can still boost an individual’s attributes, or give permanent magical casting abilities to those who can play it properly.  Legends further claim that playing it poorly can turn its magic against the user, invoking curses instead of boons. The truth of this is uncertain, but most experts accept it as factual. 

      Reaching the Organ is a complicated process.  The building itself is surrounded by some kind of magical force field impossible to penetrate, and the only means of access is a passageway up from the underground chambers below the Palace area.  A separate building holds the only stair descending to them that is not otherwise blocked or buried.  The chambers themselves are a maze-like arrangement of corridors and dead ends, empty save for a single guardian:  the Golden Golem. 

      Certainly the greatest treasure item no one will ever possess, the Golden Golem is a ten foot tall humanoid statue made of pure gold;  its value defies even estimation.  It isn’t affected by anything: weapons go clang, arcane and holy spells alike have no effect, even psionic attacks have been proven useless.  Its metal fists can deliver blows that will crumple even master warriors in a single blow.  It would certainly be on everyone’s Immortals list were it alive, but it is just a dumb, relentless machine.  Yet in this lies the creature's only weakness. The Golem cannot be physically beaten, but experienced groups have proven it can be out-thought and out-maneuvered in the halls of the maze. 

      There is also a full-blown lich to be found in Ur.  Evidence suggests it is not native to the city, but came here in relatively modern times.  Reports of this creature begin in the late years of the 17th century PC, and since that time, it has established itself as a permanent resident.  It appears to shift its location periodically; always residing underground, but this unpredictability adds substantially to its danger factor.  There are groups that believe they have been attacked by this creature while on the surface; the validity of this is not universally accepted, but the risk cannot be completely discounted. 

      The lich’s purpose and intent are unknown, but it is hard not to assume it seeks the same kind of knowledge and power that adventurers travel here for.  It is known to be strong in elemental magic, and has demonstrated a tendency to conjure powerful elementals for attack and defense.  It also appears to have a strong sense of self-preservation, and will retreat, even flee, when facing superior force.  In these rare circumstances, its lairs have proven valuable treasure finds.  It should not, however, be underestimated, as it is at least capable of 8th level spell magic. 

      Then there is the legendary Guardian of the City.  Every group that explores the Ruins encounters this individual, though it can come seemingly at any place and at any time.  The guardian will appear as an individual warrior, wearing an exquisite suit of purple and gold decorated plate armor. The Guardian will fight with a berserk fury, heedless of individual safety.  The armor makes him (possibly her) immune to magic and all sharp or edged weapons;  the only way to stop the wearer is to bludgeon them senseless.  The wearer cannot, however, be killed, and will rapidly regain consciousness and start all over again.  The only way to slay the wearer is for a mortal to remove any part of the armor and don it themselves.  This action removes the curse from the prior victim, and transfers it to the new wearer, who will promptly don the rest of the armor and take the previous wearer’s place in all ways.  The armor is cursed to remain forever in the city to defend it, and it will magically sustain an individual’s life whether they like it or not, until some new individual relieves them of the curse by taking it themselves.  Despite the now well-known nature of this curse, it still seems to periodically find someone who doesn’t know.  You have been warned! 

      What else may lie within the Ruins of Ur is anyone’s guess.  Undoubtedly, more great treasures will be discovered here over time, and even if nothing but the Organ remained, this site would still merit attention.  The ruins of Ur are likely to remain one of the Great Dungeon destinations for a long time to come. 

      Located south of the kingdom of Blackmoor, Frostcrag Peak (a.k.a. “Temple of the Frost Queen”) is considered by many to be the “perfect” Legendary-class dungeon.  It is relatively easy to reach, being only a few day’s travel time from the historically adventurer-friendly kingdom of Blackmoor.  Its hazards are well-documented, and remain consistent, allowing adventurers a relatively unique opportunity to anticipate and plan for dangers.  Its reward potential is high enough to meet almost any expectation, and in some ways, unique amongst all dungeons in the world.  

       The Peak is a giant (literally) castle which sits high on a mountain spur jutting out from the great mountain range that borders Blackmoor.  “High” is too tame a word -- the cliff itself rises like a monolith close to seven thousand feet from the surrounding forest area, and the mountains behind it rise over two miles.  From the ground below, it is often entirely invisible on bad weather days.  The Castle itself appears to have been built by giants, and a large portion of the structure is built to their scale, including living and working quarters for its resident population of stone, frost, and fire giants.  Significant areas, however, are built to a relatively human-size scale, and this includes sections that access all the important encounters and (more importantly) significant treasure opportunities. 

      Reaching the Peak, meaning the bottom of the mountain, is not difficult.  Once there, however, the work begins.  There is only one viable path up the mountain, a physical climb.  Magical travel appears to be blocked, and flying is impossible due to the Castle’s resident population of aerial creatures.  Conveniently, there is a path up the mountain;  a rock stairway cut quite literally into the frequently vertical rock face.  It averages six to eight yards in width, and despite its great age, it shows very little wear. That’s a mercy, because there is neither guard rail or protective barrier of any kind at the stair’s outer edge, and it can be a very long way down. 

      The stair has hazards, the weather being foremost among them.  The mountain climate is changeable, and even on a summer’s day afternoon showers are a frequent presence.  When they become thunderstorms, a rock face stairway is a bad place to be, and even druids have difficulty predicting the weather here.  The last thousand or so vertical feet are above the snow line as well, meaning ice underfoot and possible snow-slides from above. 

      Then, too, there are the harpies.  And the griffons, and the manticores, oh, and did we remember chimeras?  All of these creatures, it appears, are bred at the Peak, and can be sent in either matched or mixed groups to harass those making the climb.  It seems they are sent quite deliberately, and are trained to attack, but they always seem sent in limited numbers, as there is a prevalent theory that these attacks are intended not to destroy groups, but simply cause some early deaths.  The Frost Queen, these theorists claim, needs her entertainment.

      As the stair debouches to the height of the castle, it opens onto a broad and open snowfield less than a mile from the castle.  Here, explorers not only continue to be exposed to attack from above, but now add danger from below.  Ice Worms live in the snowfield; how many is not known, but groups moving quickly enough are seldom attacked more than once or twice while crossing this area.  Within the last hundred yards or so before the castle, a slightly raised stone bridge forms a pathway to the gate.  Once reaching the bridge, the harassing attacks will stop; but to pass through the gate, adventurers will first have to defeat the Brass Bull. 

      The Brass Bull is a golem-like creature believed created by the Forgemaster, and the outer gate to Frostcrag will only open if it is slain.  The problem in doing that is the Bull will swallow one group member for roughly 30 seconds at a time, and any damage the Bull takes in that time passes to the person inside as well.  There is a short moment between the Bull spitting out one victim (a bit nasty, but otherwise ok) and swallowing the next, and in that time it can be attacked without collateral damage.  However, at the same time, elite Bugbear warriors are periodically teleported in groups into the battle area, and these creatures must be quickly cut down to allow damage to be focused on the Bull in its only vulnerable moments.  The bugbears know the score as well, and will attack the Bull if they know someone is inside it.  Intelligent target prioritization is critical for success in this fight. 

      If the encounter at the gate is survived, the group gains admittance into the outer keep of the castle.  From here, gateways in the three other walls lead into different sections of the castle, with one gateway in each of the other walls.  Each castle section can be thought of as a separate a dungeon in and of itself.  The outer keep itself is a refuge where no harm will come to adventurers.  For the next five days (120 hours exactly), it will serve as a sanctuary where the adventurers can retreat to and rest, study, pray, or conduct any other peaceful activity without interference.  Elsewhere in the citadel, however, the gloves are off.  

      From the outer keep, the left-side gateway leads to the nesting areas and the Harpy Queen.  This entire section of the castle is devoted to the flying creatures that are raised here and used in the castle’s defense.  The exterior walls are lined with numerous small platforms which serve as nesting sites;  these then connect by interior corridors to fodder rooms, harness and tack stores, and the many other needs of raising such creatures.  As it is bugbears that appear to do the manual labor here, most of this castle section is structurally friendly to normal-sized creatures.  They will quickly react to intruders, and once the alarm is raised, release Cerberus Hounds to help hunt down anything not native to the Peak.  Stone giants are occasionally encountered, but their presence on this side is more likely random castle business than a regular presence. 

      The Harpy Queen is found on her own exterior platform which is surrounded by a magical power field.  Once a mortal passes within this barrier, they can only leave on the death of the Queen.  She is protected by waves of special minions which she summons in numbers equal to her intruders; either harpies or bugbears, and each  with magically augmented abilities requiring different tactics to defend against.   While they are present, the Queen is invulnerable to attack.  Once they are destroyed, she will engage in melee combat, but after taking limited damage she summons new minions again.  The cycle repeats until either the Queen or the adventurers are slain.  It is an exceptionally long and exhausting encounter, requiring a group to plan and manage its resources carefully. 

      The right side of the castle is the area where the giants largely reside, and most of it is built on an appropriate scale.  While this makes exploration difficult and stairways a distinct problem, neither issue is really important.  The main passageways lead directly to the Sky Forge, and nothing else here is of any real value.  Considered a legitimate world wonder, the Sky Forge is an open-air forging hearth which, sages believe, is built in a position where certain magical forces and elemental powers coincide in a unique and particular manner.  Any weapon, armor, or item created here takes on epic to legendary-class capabilities.  Depending on the skills of the masters and the quality of materials, artifact-class items can and have been forged here.  First, however, a group must meet the Forgemaster’s challenge. 

       The Forgemaster is a powerful Fire Giant, skilled in both magical and combat arts, and considered by some experts to be one of the Immortals.  He works his slaves both night and day in constant torment, keeping the Forge in constant operation.  Those who would challenge him must first deal with successive and increasingly dangerous groups of minions, in a race against time to prevent an overload of the furnaces and a catastrophic (for the mortals, anyway) explosion.  These minons include the famous Dwarf Giants, said to be half the height, twice the width, and maybe even stronger than normal giants.  After surviving either the minions or the explosion, the group must then engage the Forgemaster himself. 

      The Forgemaster cannot be killed (at least by any known means), but after sustaining damage estimated by one expert as equal to several cave trolls, he can be forced to concede defeat.  Combat with this being is a sobering proposition. He carries a giant-sized greatsword named Oblivion which is thought to be the second weapon ever forged here, although some legends say it was the first.  Oblivion can wound but it cannot kill.  Any blow that would be fatal heals the target instead, but curses the victim to join the ranks of the Forgemaster’s slaves for 600 years.  Although aging effects are suspended over that time, they instantly occur upon release, which in most cases at last delivers the oblivion that the weapon’s name promised.

      Opposite the entry gate to the outer keep stands the gateway leading to the Palace of the Castle and the Frost Queen.  The path here is guarded at multiple stages by bugbear warriors, Cerberus hounds, golems of multiple types, and stone giants.  A pair of elite frost giant warriors guard the final doorway to her palace chamber. 

      The Frost Queen herself is a confirmed Immortal.  She can be slain, but she rises again almost immediately, presumably through some powerful Resurrection enchantment.  She can also be bargained with, but her price is the sacrifice of souls, a price most are unwilling to offer.  Combat against her involves both a magical combat phase and a physical combat phase.  The former requires adventurers to neutralize or otherwise handle a complicated series of potentially catastrophic magical attacks cast while the Queen sits on her throne and cannot be attacked.  If intruders survive this sequence, the Queen will leave her throne and engage in physical combat.  The axe she carries is said to be the first weapon ever forged at the Sky Forge (some say second, see above), and it is a powerful artifact famously capable of severing limbs and heads with a single blow.  Very, very few groups in recorded history who have overcome her have done so without at least one casualty. 

      There is very little treasure found in Frostcrag, except at the Harpy Queen, Forgemaster, and Frost Queen encounters;  but what is lacked in quantity is made up in quality.  The Harpy Queen may or may not have ordinary treasure, depending on whether her last visitors failed or succeeded, but her feathers remain magical even after death.  Each intact feather plucked from a wing is worth up to a thousand gold pieces on the right market, each wing can yield 30 to 50.  The Sky Forge, or to be more precise, the chance to use it, represents a treasure opportunity potentially unmatched anywhere in the West.  Finally, the Frost Queen herself is known to guard one of the great treasure hordes in the adventuring world, filled by both by items and wealth lost by those who failed Frostcrag’s challenges, and epic new creations produced by the continuous work of the Forgemaster. 

      Frostcrag Peak is another of the dungeon destinations that every expert included in their top ten somewhere.  Thanks to the relative level of knowledge about it, Frostcrag is probably the dungeon on our top ten list most often successfully negotiated, either in whole or part.  Yet it still claims its share of victims, year after year.  No one ever said adventuring was easy. 

     Including the Forgotten City on the list of the Ten Greatest Dungeons of the West is something of an editor’s privilege.  Properly speaking, the City is a legend, not a real destination.  There is no solid proof of its existence;  it has been sought for centuries but no definitive evidence of a location has yet been found.  Most of the clues about it are hints at best, and subject to multiple interpretations.  Despite the lack of proof, it remains an unquenchable legend, periodically rekindled by claims of a new-found location, but remaining ever elusive.  Certainly, IF it were to be found, it would deserve inclusion in our list, so it’s certainly among the hypothetical ten greatest dungeons, right?  With this minor discretion, the Lost City is included as our tenth Greatest Dungeon of the Western World. 

      Legends say the Forgotten City is an incredibly ancient place, older than mankind itself.  It may have been created by the gods, maybe by an ancient super-race, maybe by creatures of a different realm.  Once a beautiful city in a rich land, it was destroyed in a catastrophic event, and the land around it reduced to desert wastes.  Over eons of time, it has become buried under sand, lost to sight and knowledge.   

       The City can, however, be found, if one can find its guardian.  Legend claims a great blue dragon is ever-present at the site, either to protect the City with powerful illusions, or to blow clean the sands with its mighty breath.  Variations credit this creatures as being an Immortal, one of the Legendary Dragons, or the last remaining dragon from the First Era.  Whatever it is, most tales suggest that the dragon’s purpose is to turn away those it deems unworthy, or admit those who pass whatever test it might have. 

      One thing all the legends agree upon is that the City is still populated -- by the dead.  In some versions of the story, they await the chance to be released into the world;  in others, they remain here to guard their city and its treasures.  In some tales there are thousands, in others only a relative few, but all the more powerful for it.  The most powerful amongst them are usually described as arcane casters capable of summoning demons or devils, and often commanding squads of lesser undead as bodyguards.  But these are only the “minor” guardians of the City and its riches.  

      The Forgotten City is said to contain several mighty artifacts, and each is guarded by a unique and special creature of evil.  Every story varies as to what or how many, but the most common total is three.  The artifacts are usually weapons, and often include a ranged weapon, a warrior’s melee weapon, and a caster’s staff, wand, or similar item.  Occasionally one is a shield instead. However they are portrayed, all are said to be needed to defeat a last guardian who will bar final exit from the City. 

      As might be expected, the guardians of each weapon vary considerably in these legends.  No two legends agree, but of all the guardians described, two are noticeably common:  a mummy-lich and a scorpion-man. The mummy-lich is an undead creature with the magic skills of a high lich, and a touch that inflicts rot not just on flesh, but on fabrics and metals, even magical ones.  The scorpion man is something like a Drider, with a man’s head, arms, and torso fused to a giant scorpion body.  The creature is strong as a giant, with huge claws that can snap bone and a poison in its tail is said to be so virulent that merely a splash of it on flesh is almost instantly lethal.  Not every variation of the legend includes both, or even one of them, but they are probably still the most frequently cited guardians.  Others include powerful demons, greater devils, legendary magical creatures like the beholder, elemental lords, a sleeping elder vampire, and an almost limitless list of special creatures or monsters “never before seen on the earth”.

      As noted, once all three (etc.) weapons/items have been gained, their possessors are not yet free to leave, and must confront one last opponent.  Most stories say that defeating the three guardians gives access to a special chamber which will summon forth a great and terrible opponent, usually a Demon Prince or a Duke of the Nine Hells.  If conquered, these legends claim, the being will be barred from the Prime Material plane for the next thousand centuries; if not, it will begin a great cataclysm where Evil will come to dominate the world. 

      It is all marvelous legend, but whether there is any truth to it, this author cannot say.  Many legends, even if time warps them out of proportion, start with some kind of truth.  The search for the Forgotten City has been the passion of many great adventurers through history, and it remains a passion unsatisfied.  To prove it true, in whole or in part, would be a legendary accomplishment not unlike conquering Vecna’s Citadel. For this reason, the Forgotten City takes the final place as one of the Great Dungeon destinations of the Western World.