I am looking for a cartographer to map Blackhold...I will be happy to pay for the services so if you are interested, please contact me: Fenway5(at) frontier(dot)com
Below is a history of Blackhold...
Below is a history of Blackhold...
Over 500 years ago, this area was explored by storied
dwarven miner Herrmund Blackhammer and a team of dwarven explorers hailing from
both mountains and hills. Legend has it that Blackhammer found a vein of mithral
in the stony mountain above the glade of Keru and his team set to work
following the vein into the mountain.
As the Blackhammer’s crew delved deeper, rumors spread of
not only mithral but gems being discovered as well and a small camp grew in the
glade of Keru to support and trade with the Blackhammer’s dwarves. As the stories of silver to be made and trade
grew so did the camp into a small village.
Years passed and others began to seek the same riches the dwarves were
mining. A skirmish with another group of
prospectors led Blackhammer to declare the mountain off limits to others. Crows were sent with messages to other
dwarves. Miners and Shield brothers
arrived from the mountain clans while rangers arrived from the hill clans. The Blackhold tower was built and carved out
of the mountain at the mouth of the mine to defend the dwarven claim and to
deter further intrusions. Tales of trader’s
wagons being sniped from archers they never saw on the road to the mine
eventually eliminated all travel to the Blackhold. Eventually the dwarves themselves ceased all
trade and contact with the village of Keru.
First one year passed, then two…crows could be seen leaving
or returning to Blackhold, but never the dwarves themselves. Eventually even the crows ceased to be
seen. Then a small delegation from Keru bearing
a white flag and on foot slowly made their way up the overgrown trail to the Blackhold.
They attempted to hail the dwarves on the way up the trail but received no
reply nor were they impeded in their ascent.
Eventually they reached the main gate and tower guarding the
Blackhold. No dwarves could be seen and
no sound could be heard. With trepidation
they knocked on the gate and received neither warning nor reply. The delegation left and hiked back down the
trail to discuss their options. A week later another delegation with a blacksmith
hammered at the door and despite a hollow ringing sound on the gate, no other
noise was heard. A locksmith could find
no lock or way of gaining entry to the gate, and even a dwarf hired to try and
communicate by horn and crow could raise no response—and the crow did not
return from the Blackhold.
Then rumors spread. First there were suppositions and
suspicions by the folk of Keru. These were expanded and spread by traders who visited
Keru. For a time there were nearly
weekly visits by the brave and fool hardy to the Blackhold. Some say a thief managed to sneak in into the
Blackhold and never returned. Others say a pair of wizards managed to magically
enter the Blackhold, but they too were never heard from again. Whatever the truth may be, this is all that
is known for sure: the Blackhold stands silently above Keru, weather worn and
grim, guarding the secrets of whatever lies undisturbed and unknown behind its
black gate.
