Khazad-Dum

The three mountains Dwarven mountains, where the Longbeards (Bragha Dunost) built their home, Khazad-dum. 

The carvings, steps, construction and so on will make it obvious that this is a dwarven city.

Caradhras: (The local name for the mountain is Silvertop.) The tallest and northernmost mountain, also known as Redhorn in Elvish. The Dwarves called it the Cruel because of its bad reputation.

Currently, it is uninhabited. It has eight disused mines were (3, one above the snow line) iron (one has residual ore left), (1) coal (above the snow line), (1) tin, and 3 other mundane items (copper, salt, and lead) were mined. The lower half of the mountain is covered in old growth forest, which the dwarves once harvested ages ago for lumber and firewood. The top of the mountain is snow covered, and the air is thin. The mines are mostly in the area below the snow line, but a few are above it.

Commune with nature reveals all of the mines, and some residual minerals.

1.     iron ore – has residual amounts left – completely collapsed about 40’ in of 170’ original. Carved inside the entrance in dwarven runes is ‘iron number one’, still readable. Residual amounts of iron still here.

2.     iron ore – completely collapsed about 170’ in of 210’ original. Carved inside the entrance in dwarven runes is ‘iron number two’ but it’s too badly worn and broken to read except for the ‘two’.  Two adult grizzlies and one young.

3.     iron ore – above snow line – collapsed about 20’ of 100’ original.  Carved inside the entrance in dwarven runes is ‘iron number three’, but it’s too badly worn and broken to read.

4.     coal – above snow line – collapsed about 10’ of 30’ original. Carved inside the entrance in dwarven runes is ‘iron number three’ but it’s too badly worn and broken to read. Some coal on the ground, especially inside.

5.     Tin – collapsed about 20’ of 120’ original. Carved inside the entrance in dwarven runes is ‘tin number one’; ‘tin’ and ‘one’ can be read. Raccoon family inhabits.

6.     copper - Hazor views the copper mine. Carved inside the entrance in dwarven runes is ‘copper number one’ but it’s too badly worn and broken to read. Barathorn says it says ‘metal’ but can’t read the other runes, too badly damaged. (Conner fixed it with Restore Earth.) Completely collapsed about 110’ in, which is about half of the original depth. Bends to the right about 50’ in.

7.     Salt – collapsed about 100’ of 150’ original. Carved inside the entrance in dwarven runes is ‘salt number one’ but it’s too badly worn and broken to read. Tunnel turns left 75’ in. Contains several hundred pounds of salt, and has been used as a bear den, currently no bears.

8.     Lead – collapsed about 150’ of 160’ original. Carved inside the entrance in dwarven runes is ‘lead number one’ but it’s too badly worn and broken to read. Yellow mold killed a bear cub from #2. It is orange, covers the floor about 20’ in, 40’ deep, up the walls and somewhat the ceiling. Not intelligent. Mold and bones are disintegrated by Paraswarm.

Fanuidhol: (The local name for the mountain is Greyflank.) The southern mountain, also known as Cloudyhead in Elvish. It had no ore or value or gems. The kings of the early ages planned to extend their delves into it for living space, but these plans never came to pass. There are a few exploratory tunnels, but little of significance is found there. The top of the mountain is snow covered, and the air is thin. The delves are mostly in the area below the snow line, but a one is above it. Construction of these tunnels is better than the mines.

1.     A starter tunnel, stone was bad and stopped 30’ in. 1 mile up, NW side. 10’ wide.

2.     A starter tunnel, stone was bad and stopped 60’ in. 1.25 miles up, W side. 10’ wide. No inhabitants.

3.     Good stone, stopped 240’ in with some branches. 1000’ up, W side. 81% intact. No inhabitants. 15’ wide. At 100’, 10’ wide tunnels going north (80’) and south (60’), both unfinished. At 200’, 10’ wide tunnels going north (90’) and south (100’), both unfinished.

4.     Good stone, stopped 300’ in with some branches. 1 mile up, E side. 20’ wide. 54% intact. No inhabitants. 15’ wide. At 100’, 10’ wide tunnels going north (50’) and south (100’), both unfinished. At 200’, 10’ wide tunnels going north (40’) and south (100’), both unfinished. At 300’, very minor signs of digs to north and south.

5.     Good stone, stopped 160’ in with some branches. 1.25 miles up W side. 20’ wide. 81% intact. 15’ wide. At 100’, 10’ wide tunnels going north (50’) and south (70’), both unfinished. Inhabited by six giant spiders (4+4 dice), and giant centipedes.

Commune with Nature: Small copper vein, very small platinum vein, several animal herds, hot springs, two streams, a smashed and melted battlement, some valuable trees (Purpleheart), some edible plants and tubers.

Commune with Earth: tunnels carved with some branching; several deep fungi patches; a hot spring; ruins of some roads; a couple of monster lairs very deep; several underground streams and pools;

Celebdil: (The local name for the mountain is Auredian.) The center mountain, also known as Silvertine in Elvish. The Dwarves called this the main body of their city, which was later named Moria after the orcs conquered it. The top of the mountain is snow covered, and the air is thin. The mines are mostly in the area below the snow line, but a few are above it. The tunnels to the city are well below the snow line.

There are two crude tunnels, one from a little north of east, and one a little south of west.

Commune from Atty: stand of medium value lumber south side; common herbs; small stream; 5 lbs of silver ore near surface; 22 demihumans 5 miles away; a few weak monsters, moving away, south; small tunnel on west side of mountain; common herbs patch on west side of mountain; monster, stationary, NNE 2 miles; animal herd SSE 4 miles; tunnel, east side; very common herb patch WSW side;

Commune from Fertini: mithril vein, 11 pounds; tunnel, 1200 feet long and 1000 feet long, multiple rooms, a large group of ogres, 2000’ feet above ground level, near the heat of the mountain; silver vein, 102 pounds; small pool several miles underground; uncommon fungi patch 2 miles deep; several dozen enormous spiders; 10 pounds of copper ore, 4 miles deep; uncommon herbs, 7000 feet deep; underground monsters, very weak, 950 feet deep; tunnel, ENE side, 2000 feet above ground level; silver ore, 36 pounds, 11000 feet deep; platinum ore, 3 pounds, 21000 feet deep; tunnel, east side, 2000 feet above ground; copper vein, 80 pounds, 14000 feet deep; herbs, very common, 1100 feet deep; tunnel, WSW side, 2000 feet above ground level;

The city areas of Khazad-dûm were located in the east. Old Moria, the oldest mansions and passages, were located close to the Great Gates. The North end was the part of Moria that had been excavated north of the older halls and the Great Gates. They were structured into seven Levels and seven Deeps. The Levels stretched above the Great Gates with the First Level being on the same level as the Great Gates whilst the Deeps were set deeper within the mountain below the level of the Great Gates with the First Deep being immediately below the Great Gates. The First Deep included the Second Hall, which was no more than a quarter of a mile from the East-gate and a part of Old Moria. The eastern end was the part of Moria, which was just west of the East-gate. The First Hall was located on the same level as the East-gate and had high windows on its eastern side, which allowed bright daylight to illuminate the hall. Immediately to the east of the hall was the East-gate.

The eastern section of the city spaces had also been delved in such a manner as to have light shafts to illuminate their chambers. One example of this is the Chamber of Mazarbul which was located on the eastern edge of the Seventh Level.

Celebdil Details

The map made by the players shows what remains of the first level. If anything remains of any other levels, they are buried miles deep. The great hall, what remains of it, is hundreds of feet long. There is no light. There are numerous bridges across the middle, under which is a drop into darkness. There are signs of fire and destruction, melted and shattered stone. All decorations have been destroyed, statues shattered into bits. There are no bones or items of value to be found. Before the destruction, the city would have been at least two miles around the full circle.

Smelter – there are remains of shattered ore-smelters in this room, all broken up far past any repair or use. There are chimney holes in the ceiling, but all are blocked up from collapse.

Deeps – these are openings to the mines below. At the north and south ends, the collapsed stone can be seen near the level of the walkways. In the center, the bottom is 300 feet down, but an unnatural light prevents vision or light from penetrating more than a hundred feet. 

Tool Room – All that remains in this room are empty racks for hammers and pry bars and such, and some bits of wood and common iron from broken and long-rusted tools.

Smithy – There are remains of shattered furnaces and huge melted anvils in this room.

Shrine – This room can be identified as a shrine by the presence of mostly ruined carvings of gods and heroes on the walls. Nothing of value remains.

Gardens – There are enormous pots and wide trays for growing plants and mushrooms. There are hemispherical holes in the ceiling where continual light spells were cast, and vats for water. Dwarves know a variation of Continual Light that helps plants grow. The room has many scattered patches of fungus, mushrooms, slimes and the like, none mobile, and most edible.

Great Hall – The hall is suitable for announcements and meetings.

Barracks – This room can sleep about a hundred soldiers.

East Gate Hall – When the city was built, this was the main hall on the East side. It had a beautiful door and gates, strong enough to keep out powerful foes.

Food Storage – these rooms held different types of food – grains, dried fruits, mushrooms, bread, cheese, and so on.

Kitchen – This room contains shattered remains of ovens and stoves.

Ore and Coal Storage – The one room that still contains anything, there are large piles, partly buried from ceiling collapse, of iron ore and coal.

Smelter – an enchanted smelter sits in this room. It produced magical ore for dwarves, but is badly damaged and now only attacks anything that enters. It has grapples and cleavers, and will try to hack up victims that get within 10’. It cannot move, and would take 500 points of damage to destroy.

Tool Room – This entire room is a spirit that the dwarves made. Its function was to carefully store and shelve tools; the dwarves would just pile them up and the spirit would clean and rack them. Anyone who enters will feel magical hands of force trying to take all their weapons.  In the room are two dozen assorted dwarven tools, with only the metal parts remaining.

Smithy – This room was the camp of a tribe of ogres, sixty of them. All were slain, either by the adventurers, or the dwarves. 

Shrine – this room contains some sort of faded spirit. The decorations on the walls are faded, but they seem to bear some resemblance to Clangeddin, but there are significant differences. There is a spirit in the room who died in this room and never left it. It can communicate, haltingly and slowly, with someone who can speak with dead. He says ‘he who wields the hammer can free me.’

Gardens – this room is about half full with growing funguses, molds and slimes. About half are edible, only two are dangerous. 

NE Corner:

Red mushrooms – Fertini knows all; conner 2; Bar 2;

Fire Mushrooms: If these are damaged in any way, they will first explode, releasing a cloud of spores that fills the room. A segment later, the room will explode into flames, and the entire room will burn, shooting fire into the hall in a 20’ long jet. Damage is 10d6 in the first segment, and one less die each segment until the fire burns out. Note this is not magical fire, and cannot be resisted. This will destroy all the plants in the room.

North center wall:

Black slime – fertini knows all; jazdan confirms

Some sort of black slime, harmless. Tentacles of various lengths, up to 2’ tall, wave slowly in the air. It is acidous, with -2 on the save if eaten.

NW corner:

Green slime – deimos knows all; barathorn confirms

Some sort of green slime, harmless. Bubbles rise to the surface and pop in the air every few seconds. It is not nutritious and tastes bad.

West center wall:

Violet mushrooms – Paraswarm – not harmful? – browyn, edible; deimos same

The wall and floor are covered under small violet mushrooms. The are covered in a fine dust. They are harmless, and edible.

Center of room:

Pink mold

A pink, moist mold of some sort covers the floor and planters. Small orifices make a sound like a snoring man. It is delicious and nutritious. It glitters with a salty encrustation that it extracts from the stone.

Moss – fertini knows all; Browyn confirms; jaz confirms ; hazor knows ; Delhawk confirms

There is also a patch of Star Moss, a very rare and valuable herb for alchemy. A base amount of ten ‘doses’ of moss could be harvested here. It is kept wet and salty by the adjacent pink mold.

East center wall:

Red mold – iro thinks maybe edible?; browyn knows all; hazor confirms

A very slimy patch of red mold. Spore sacks hang from thorny vines. These are edible, but not very tasty.

SW Corner:

Metallic slime – jazdan knows all; Barathorn confirms

Magnetic slime: If any creature carrying anything metal comes within 10’ of this slime, it will fly though the air and splatter on the creature, with -5 to save. A failed save indicates a direct hit; a save made within 4 or less indicates only 20% to 80% of the creature hit, and the rest is dissipated. Any metal hit will begin to dissolve, requiring a save versus acid each segment for 1 segment per 20% of effectiveness. A failed save indicates item is destroyed. Only one item can be destroyed from such an attack. A piece of the creature will die if separated; the full sized creature weighs about 200 pounds.

South center wall:

Multicolor slime – fertini knows all; conner 2; browyn 3; Barathorn confirms;

A multicolor slime bubbles and writhes slowly, seemingly trying to climb the wall. It is not edible, but not deadly, just disgusting in taste.

SE corner:

Transparent slime – paraswarm 2, Jaz confirms

A transparent slime, rising up and moving slowly about the corner of the room. It is lightly acidous if eaten.

Great Hall – The great hall is burned, and stone melted, and little remains to show what it once was. There was a great slaughter of dwarves here, and many of their spirits remain, nearly faded and gone. Those who enter can hear whispers of pain, of dying, and terror. Everyone will feel the edges of fear creeping in after the first round.

Barracks – this room is blasted and melted, with great pits in the floors, walls and ceiling, and a piles of shattered stone here and there. 

Careful detection revealed a hidden door on the east wall, where there are racks of glass bottles, about 4” in diameter. These are Dwarven Grenades. All were taken. 

East Gate Hall – This hall contains no living creatures, but it is on the edge of collapse. Merely walking more than a couple of steps into this hall will result in creaking and cracking from above. There are a few ogre skeletons.

Food Storage – all of these rooms are empty, except for empty stone jars in the last room, which used to contain cooking oil but are long dry.

Kitchen – the dwarves used controlled fire elementals for their stoves and ovens, and they are all still in the kitchen, which they cannot leave due to enchantments put on them. They are small but very powerful, and will attack if anyone enters the room. If not disturbed, they will sit in their ovens and stoves at a very low temperature. 

Ore and Coal Storage – Nothing dangerous lives here. There is a smell of coal dust in the air. There is an enormous amount of coal in this room, fifteen tons, and about thirty tons of iron ore. There is nothing of greater value in the room.