Dungeon ‘23 - Week 9

With March comes Zone B - The Furnace. The initial idea of having a level dedicated to the Great Demon Haborym was a no-brainer. Figuring out what to put into the dungeon level turned out to be an entirely different story. While talking to my good friend T. Thomas Giant I was able to determine the overall themes and ideas for rooms in this level. While strictly speaking it goes against the spirit of Dungeon ‘23 to draw out the entire level right away, I went ahead and at least mapped things out and made sure there were 31 rooms. Filling those rooms in with details will still be a day-by-day affair.

What really excites me about getting further along with this project is that soon I’ll be able to run it for one of my home groups! Unfortunately because of the Star Wars-release-order-esque manner in which I wrote the levels I can’t quite do that yet unless I have a really slow and/or deliberate group of adventurers in my stable, but by the end of March or maybe mid-April I can still figuring out if the ideas that were fun in my head translate to fun at the table!

The first few rooms of Zone B - The Furnace. A major character and faction gets introduced in this level!

B1 - Furnace Entrance

• Circular chamber with fitted stone block walls, no mortar.

• Seven braziers fill the room with heat and incense-laden smoke - uncomfortable.

• Two Forge Knights guard the only way out - a stone corridor leading west.

• The knights will question interlopers and attack those who give unsatisfactory answers.

• Will escort “worthy” candidates to B2 - Haborym’s Chamber to speak with the boss.

Furnace Knight - STR 14, DEX 9, WIL 12 - HP 5

Hammer (d6+1), Mail & Shield (2)

A headless knight in armor seemingly made from miscellaneous metal scrap. A random object (often a bell, pot, lockbox, or cooking pan) serves as its “head.”

Physically powerful, but their attacks are exaggerated and amateurish.

When “killed” an imp crawls out of the armor, seemingly unharmed but rarely willing to continue the fight.

B2 - Haborym’s Audience Chamber

• A massive chamber dominated by a furnace in which the Great Demon Haborym is imprisoned.

• Giant stairs on the western side of the room lead up to Zone C - The Dungeons, guarded by four Forge Guardians that refuse entry without Haborym’s approval.

• Brass-colored pipes spiderweb away from the furnace, disappearing into the walls and ceilings.

• The pipes are forged from orichalcum and send magical energy throughout the castle.

• Haborym is looking to escape his prison and is willing to make a deal with the PCs, offering them great rewards for their assistance (see “The Great Demon Haborym” below).

• If the PCs try to attack Haborym while he’s imprisoned, the demon will laugh as he cannot be destroyed while he powers the castle. If the PCs insist on trying to harm him, he can and will defend himself.

• Alternatively if Haborym is freed and he believes he can defeat the PCs, he will attack them.

• The demon also has a more pressing concern that needs to be dealt with - one of his imps, named Ember, has rebelled against him and Haborym wants the creature destroyed. He believes Ember can be found in the caves to the north of B29 - The Chasm.

• If they will destroy Ember for him, Haborym will reward them with a treasure he keeps in the northern “room” flanking his furnace.

• A pair of locked doors flank Haboyrm’s furnace. 

• The southern “room” contains a bound and gagged raven-headed beastfolk named Munin, one of Taragon’s lieutenants. Haborym has grown suspicious of the beastfolk, believing them to be plotting against him.  Munin’s sister Hugin is, in fact, working alongside Ember.

• The northern “room” contains a chest filled to the brim with diamonds worth 5,000 gp. It also contains the Demon’s Mask.

The Demon’s Mask

Seemingly forged from silver, this helm was modeled after Haborym’s own skull. While worn, the wearer is immune to fire and heat and can understand and speak the languages of demons, devil, and fire elementals.

The Great Demon Haborym - STR 18, DEX 16, WIL 18 - HP 30

Flames (d8+1), Fiery Flesh (5)

- Impervious to non-magical weapons and attacks.

- Can summon 1d4+1 Forge Guardians or 1d6+2 Forge Knights to aid him in battle. Recharges on a 3+ (d6 roll).

- Will flare up, increasing the heat of his chambers until they become unlivable for mortal creatures.

The Great Demon Haborym

The Great Demon Haborym battled against the Sorcerer Ossifrage centuries ago, suffering a humiliating defeat. As punishment, the demon’s heart was removed from his chest and split into four pieces, never to be reformed. Under threat of his heart being utterly destroyed, Haborym began serving Ossifrage, providing power for the castle, which the sorcerer had claimed for his own.

Almost immediately after being enslaved by Ossifrage, Haborym began plotting his retribution. He slowly replaced the furnace workers provided by Ossifrage with his own imps. He began arming and armoring them, creating an order of so-called “Furnace Knights.” Not satisfied with their power, Haborym began improving on his Knights, creating Guardians before seemingly stopping his work altogether. In reality he began building an army of iron golems loyal to himself alone.

Now the demon must wait for the final key to unlock his prison - a willing (or easily tricked) servant. The imps are too weak (and stupid) to help free Haborym and the beastfolk on the upper levels have been conditioned by Ossifrage to never trust Haborym, nor even enter his furnace. So the demon waits for an adventuring hero (or heroes) to arrive so he may strike a bargain: recover Haborym’s hearts and in return the demon will grant them a wish, if it is within his power. Once freed, Haborym will then be able to take the fight to Ossifrage once more, and this time prove victorious.

If the PCs agree and return Haborym’s hearts he seemingly consumes them before burning all the brighter. When the final heart is returned, Haborym bursts free from his prison in a great conflagration before assuming a relatively humanoid form, albeit one still covered in burning flames.

The Great Demon Haborym is a treacherous beast, as all demons are, but he’s also not a complete fool. If the PCs have proven themselves more than capable of handling the dangers of the dungeon Haborym will honor his oath, grant the wish (if it is within his power and doesn’t negatively affect him) and be on his way. However, if he believes the PCs can be defeated, Haborym will break his oath and use his powers - and those of his imps and golems - to destroy the PCs before moving on to his sorcerous warden.

B3 - Repurposed Shrine

• Dozens of empty niches in the walls - no doubt effigies and statues to long forgotten gods once housed here.

• Northern wall is dominated by an orchalcum brazier, allowing Haborym to travel to this room for private audiences.

• Two columns of stone pews face north - intricate details carved on the sides and backs.

B4 - Chasm Overlook

• A simple room with an old ladder leading to a platform.

• A pair of beastfolk (one rat, one sparrow) are playing cards at a table while they “fish.”

• Claim to work for Haborym as spies. True in a manner of speaking - they are directly serving Taragon.

• Friendly enough, but get aggressive if PCs snoop around too long.

• Large armoire with a secret compartment contains a rolled up painting worth 500 gp to a collector.

• While in the castle, the painting is actually alive and depicts a beastfolk knight named Syr Jakke Whitefoot, a dog-headed knight. He wants to be returned to the feasting hall in the Keep, from where he was stolen.

• Promises a reward (“You’ll be knighted!”) but he has no power to deliver.

• Mentions that he died in battle serving the Master.

• Outside of the castle the painting becomes inert.

• A locked chest contains the spies’ pay and ill-gotten gains: 1,000 gp in assorted coinage from all ages.

Beastfolk Thief - STR 9, DEX 14, WIL 10 - HP 4

Dagger (d6), No Armor

- Swarm at opportune moments, never fight fair.

- Able to squeeze into tight spaces to escape or ambush.

- Always looking to strike a deal.

B5 - The Forges

• Dozens of imps work the forest and anvils crafting weapons, armor, and tools.

• Some tools get up and start moving around of their volition.

• Shelves and racks lining the walls are packed with various worked items.

• A lift in the northwest corner takes crates of finished items up to Zone C - The Dungeons for distribution throughout the castle.

• The lift is guarded by two Forge Guardians who won’t let anyone pass.

• Furnace in the southwest corner allows Haborym to keep an eye on his subjects. 1-in-6 chance he does a random “spot check.”

• Orichalcum pipes connecting to the blast furnaces dump slag into B29 - The Chasm.