Unapproachable East.pdf - The Forgotten Realms

Dungeons in the
Unapproachable
East
A “dungeon” is traditionally an underground chamber in
which prisoners are incarcerated, but adventurers in Faerûn
use the term more loosely. To them, just about anything underground
is a dungeon, preferably populated with monsters
rather than prisoners. Mines, ruins, caves, subterranean
homes, and passages all qualify.
By the adventurer’s definition, there are dozens of dungeons
across Faerûn, many of which have long ago been looted, while
others have lain undisturbed for centuries. When it comes to
dungeons, the Unapproachable East is no exception. The most
notorious of these are listed here.
Citadel Rashemar: Once the home of a large Rashemi army
charged with keeping watch over the Golden Way, this fortress
was destroyed by the Tuigan horde when it passed through in
1359 DR. It has since been taken over by the hag Chaur and
her partner in evil, the dreaded half-orc cleric Durakh. They
have moved a small army of goblins into the area, under the
charge of eight ogre barbarians. See Chapter 10: Rashemen.
City of Weeping Ghosts: North of Kront lie the ruins of a
great city along the shore of Lake Ashane. This was Shandaular,
capital of the realm of Ashanath, a petty Nar kingdom
destroyed by the Nentyarch of Tharos almost two thousand
years ago. Many powerful undead haunt the place, and few adventurers
care to remain in the ruins after the sun goes down.
Clymph Tower: These ruins were sealed off long ago. Today,
the only way into them is via the portal in Tower Threespires.
The tower, and especially the vaults beneath it, is infested with
evil creatures from other planes. Many adventurers have tried
to clear out this infestation of evil, only to be crucified by the
fiends they were arrogant enough to believe they could destroy.
Dun-Tharos: Formerly the capital of ancient Narfell, this
great ruin sits near the center of the Rawlinswood (see Chapter
9: The Great Dale). Great plazas and wrecked temples devoted
to demonic powers lie half-buried in the boggy forest,
and the treasures of Narfell’s sinister lords are said to lie in
buried storehouses and conjuring chambers beneath the old
ruins. Dun-Tharos is virtually unexplored by adventurers;
the powerful druid known as the Nentyarch raised his own
living fortress of magical trees over the evil ruins and for
centuries chased off explorers. The Nentyarch is gone now,
displaced by the Rotting Man and his blightlords. Impudent
adventurers hoping to plumb the royal vaults of Narfell
must contend with the Talontar and their army of blightspawned
creatures.
Fortress of the Half-Demon: This old Nar fortress lies in
Rashemen’s North Country, overlooking the northernmost
arm of Lake Ashane. It is named for its great brazen gate,
forged in the shape of a demonic face. Squat and strong, the
keep remains intact, and its surface levels have been taken
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over by a band of brigands led by Losk, a hagspawn warriormage.
The marauders harry travelers along the lonely,
windswept stretch of the Long Road that passes nearby. Deep
conjuring chambers lie beneath the keep, still haunted by
things summoned almost twenty centuries ago.
The Great Barrow: About seventy miles east of Uthmere
along the Great Road stands a mysterious barrow-field dominated
by the Great Barrow—an artificial mound the size of
a small hill, heaped up in three concentric steps. The barrow,
said to predate ancient Narfell, might be five thousand years
old or more. If anyone has found an entrance, it has not been
reported, but the whole area has a bad reputation as a place
where old and hateful undead lurk. See Chapter 12: Thesk.
Ring of Gray Flames: Three days’ ride east of Mulptan, hard
on the borders of the Endless Waste, stands this ancient Raumathari
ruin. Five broken towers stand in a ring, each crowned
by a flickering gray flame. Strange and perilous magic taints
the landscape surrounding them, including magical constructs
that seem to be spells given life, longevity, and dire purpose.
See Chapter 10: Rashemen.
The Sunglade: The Sunglade actually covers an incredible
dungeon that stretches for miles beneath the Yuirwood. The
only way to get into it, however, is by means of one of the
menhir circle portals. Only the masters of the Yuirwood can
activate them, and they rarely poke around in the environs
below. They know some things in this world are better left
undisturbed. Some scholars theorize that this complex is where
the ancient Yuir elves escaped to when they found humans encroaching
on their ancestral lands, but there has been no proof
of this as of yet. See Chapter 8: Aglarond.
Telflamm Harbor: What is now Telflamm harbor was
once a proud cliff face in ancient times, where the powers
of the region ruled. The cliff was destroyed in a massive
magical accident that hurled it almost intact into the sea.
Heroes who can breathe water might find all sorts of treasure
beneath the harbor’s waves, assuming they can pry it
out of the hands of the locathahs that have moved in. See
Chapter 12: Thesk.
Thaymount: The mountains that form the center of Thay
are riddled with all sorts of underground passages. Many of
these merely connect the homes and dungeons belonging to
the most powerful of the Red Wizards. Others sink deeper into
the earth, into regions best left alone. The zulkirs have been
beating back an incursion from below over the past few years,
another reason they don’t wish to be engaged in a battle along
their borders.
Umbergoth: This massive mountain on the border between
Aglarond and Thay is currently home to Nartheling, an ancient
fang dragon. The creature has welcomed all sorts of evil
creatures to the mountain under a loose alliance. None are individually
strong enough to challenge the mighty dragon, but
they should be sufficient to handle most intruders foolhardy
enough to brave the steep slopes of lonely Umbergoth.
Umlaor: This island was once the center of civilization
throughout the Wizards’ Reach and the Alamber Sea. It was
the most important shipping port in the region, and thousands
of people lived there—right up until the day the place’s rulers