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IronTitheBirn Uluhm
GM MODULE · LEVELS 1–3 · IRONTITHE SYSTEM
LEVEL I
The Upper Dungeon
Hobgoblin garrison · 3 rooms · Alert chain flows Kitchen → Barracks → Crucible
The air is a thick, choking fog of rancid grease and the metallic tang of raw meat. You hear the rhythmic, wet thud of a butcher's cleaver hitting bone. Long, stained wooden tables are bolted to the floor, cluttered with dented pewter and bone-handled knives that look more like instruments of torture than cutlery.
What the players can investigate:
The tables bear deep gouges from years of cleaving — but beneath the grime on one, fresh scratch-marks form a crude map: a corridor, a shaft, and a symbol matching the Birn Uluhm crest. The pewter bowls are stamped with a supply-house mark from SunsReach — someone is provisioning this garrison commercially. A locked iron chest beneath the easternmost table holds three days of rations, 12 silver, and a folded letter in hobgoblin script ordering "double the salt allowance — the new intake cannot stop bleeding from the altitude." A hook on the north wall holds a ring of seven keys, one noticeably newer than the rest.
The Visuals
- The Great Cauldron: A massive iron pot bubbles over a central firepit, filled with a questionable, greyish stew. Topple it (1 AP, DV 8 Athletics): 2d10 fire, 10ft splash, DV 9 Agility or Prone.
- Butcher Block: A heavy stone slab stained dark with old blood near the back wall, surrounded by meat hooks. Cover: Stealth DV 7.
- The Service Hatch: A small window peers directly into the Main Barracks. Combat noise lasting past Turn 1 wakes the Barracks on Turn 2.
The Garrison — 4 Enemies
- Hobgoblin Warriors ×4 — currently unarmored, eating at the tables. Defense 5, WM 3. Grab weapons free if adjacent. First attack at Disadvantage.
⚠ Alert Chain: If combat noise carries through the hatch past Turn 1, the Barracks wakes on Turn 2. They arm up and are ready on Turn 3. Closing/blocking the hatch (1 AP, DV 7 Athletics) delays the alarm.
Connections
- North: Double doors → Main Barracks
- West: Iron-bound door → Slave Pens → The Great Lift
Stat Block
Hobgoblin Warrior
Standard Infantry
Wounds30
Defense8
W. Mit6
To-Hit+2
AP2
- Spear (1 AP): 1d10 + 8 Wounds. Reach (1 sq extra).
- Shield Wall (Passive): Adjacent allies gain +1 Defense.
- Javelin (1 AP): 1d10 + 6, range 30ft.
A wave of stagnant heat hits you, carrying the pungent odor of unwashed bodies and oiled leather. The room is filled with the low, grinding sound of sharpening stones against steel. Rows of rough cots stretch into the gloom, and the flickering lantern light catches the occasional glint of a watchful eye through a visor slit.
What the players can investigate:
The cots are numbered with burned-in numerals — sixteen occupied, four conspicuously stripped bare with bedrolls folded but gear missing. Players who search the stripped cots find scorch marks on the stone beneath, as if someone burned something quickly. A weapons rack holds spare spears and shields, but three slots are empty with dried blood on the pegs. A pinned notice above the rack lists duty rotations and names a "Krazak inspection" scheduled three days ago that has not been crossed off. Beneath one cot, wrapped in cloth, is a small carved wooden figure of an elf child — clearly contraband, clearly hidden.
The Visuals
- Sleeping Quarters: If the party arrives before Kitchen combat, all five are asleep — Advantage on attacks Turn 1, enemies act last unarmed.
- Weapon Rack: Back wall — shields, spears, hand weapons. Arming up is a free action if adjacent.
- Hidden Chest: Loose stone behind weapon racks. DV 8 Awareness or Thieving → 250 Gold Pieces.
The Garrison — 6 Enemies
- Hobgoblin Warriors ×6 — see stat block. Preparing for battle, locking shields, arming spears.
⚠ Alert to Crucible: Combat lasting more than 1 round signals the Champion's Quarters. Krazak and his 2 Elite Warriors appear at the door on Turn 2 of this combat.
⊙ Loot
250 Gold · 1× Potion of Rejuvenation · Warlord's Sigil (grants +1 Authority)
Connections
- South: Kitchen & Mess Hall
- North: Champion's Crucible
- East: Cold Storage Vault
GM Notes
If roused from Kitchen: already awake, formed line at the door. Two attempt to bar it.
Krazak showing up mid-barracks fight is the pressure moment. Players who move fast get the 1v1 window; slow players get flanked from both sides.
Silence reigns here, heavy and expectant. The hall smells of wet iron and ancient soot. At the far end, seated upon a throne constructed from the rusted breastplates of fallen foes, the Champion waits. His serrated cleaver rests across his knees, and the only movement is the slow, orange pulse of the braziers reflecting in his dark eyes.
What the players can investigate:
The throne is built from at least a dozen different sets of armour spanning multiple races and eras — some pieces predate the current garrison by centuries. The flagstones before it are worn smooth in a semicircle: Krazak paces the same path obsessively. On the wall behind the throne, scratched directly into the rock, is a tally — hundreds of marks in groups of five. Players who count them reach 340. A second tally, in a different hand, stops at 7. An iron candle-stand near the east wall holds a wax-sealed scroll tube bearing an intact Kel Thurum command insignia.
The Visuals
- The Blood-Slick: 20ft radius of polished stone covered in fresh viscera at room center. Moving through: DV 10 Agility or Prone.
- Iron Braziers: Four heavy fire-pits. Topple (1 AP, DV 8 Athletics): 2d10 fire AoE 10ft + difficult terrain.
- The Throne: Hidden lever behind it — DV 10 Perception. Triggers floor steam vents: 1d10 wounds 15ft, DV 9 Agility or Blinded 1 turn.
The Garrison — 3 Enemies
- Krazak the Black ×1 — seated on the throne. Full stat block right column.
- Elite Hobgoblin Warriors ×2 — shield-walled 10ft in front of the throne.
Turn 1 — Blood Rally (2 AP): Krazak rallies first. Elites gain 4 AP. Each uses Trip (1 AP) + Barbed Pike strike (1 AP). Krazak attacks with remaining 2 AP.
The Wall: Elites 2 squares ahead using Reach. Krazak behind — Phalanx Lead active (+2 Defense). Hold until an Elite dies.
Target priority: Krazak targets Wizards and low-WM characters. Expose Armor (ignore 3 WM) + Skewer (nat 10 = Bleeding 3) = Wizards in serious danger.
If Elite falls: Krazak loses Phalanx Lead → goes aggressive, Shield Rush on the offending player.
⊙ Loot
Krazak's Iron Signet (Blood Rally once/day, requires Command) · 2× Potions of Fortitude (+10 Wounds, +2 WM for 3 turns) · Fine Hobgoblin Plate (+4 Defense)
Connections
- South: Main Barracks
- Down (west): Slave Pens → Great Lift
Krazak the Black
Krazak the Black
Hobgoblin Champion — 4 AP
"Form the wall. Bleed the weak. Claim the mountain."
Wounds65
Defense11*
W. Mit12
To-Hit+4
Move16sq
Agl3
Awa2
Cha4
Int2
Phy6
Wil5
- Blacktooth Greatsword (2 AP): 2d10+18. Two-Handed.
- Skewer (Passive): Nat 10 on either die → Bleeding (3).
- Blood Rally (2 AP): All Hobgoblin allies within 10sq gain +1 AP next turn.
- Expose Armor (Passive): Melee attacks ignore 3 WM.
- Phalanx Lead (Reaction): Adjacent to 1+ Elite → Defense +2. *Base 11 without Phalanx.
- Iron Will (Passive): At 0 Wounds, survives 1 extra turn before falling.
Elite Hobgoblin Warrior
Guard — 3 AP
Wounds45
Defense10
W. Mit8
To-Hit+3
Move14sq
- Barbed Pike (1 AP): 1d10+19. Reach (2sq). Trip: 1 AP, DV 8 Agility or Prone.
- Shield Wall (Passive): Adjacent ally: +1 Defense.
The temperature drops sharply as you cross the threshold, turning your breath into ragged plumes of white mist. The smell of dry grain is overshadowed by the rancid scent of tallow. Grey webbing, thick as wool, blankets the ceiling rafters, shivered occasionally by a draft that shouldn't exist this deep in the mountain.
What the players can investigate:
Several grain sacks have been gnawed open at the base — but the tooth marks are too large for rats, the edges too deliberate. The north-east corner sounds hollow when struck; a rotted sacking panel conceals a crawl-space containing a leather satchel with a cracked lens, three vials of amber liquid, and a journal written in mixed Common and cipher. The tallow barrels share the same SunsReach supply-house mark as the kitchen. One barrel has a false base — inside: rolled parchment maps of the mountain's exterior approaches, annotated with patrol schedules.
The Visuals
- The Rafters: Low wooden beams thick with dust and cobwebs. Ssikra brood cling up here.
- Supply Crates: Salted meat, bundles of arrows, barrels of cheap ale.
- The Back Wall: Empty crates conceal slightly irregular stone — the hidden door.
The Garrison — 2 Enemies
- Ssikra Brood Scavenger ×2 — clinging to the ceiling rafters, waiting to drop.
Initial Move: Scavengers use Latch On as a Held Action from the rafters — they drop the moment a player steps under them.
Cluttered Floor: Moving more than 15ft requires DV 8 Agility or Prone.
Secret
- Hidden Door: Behind back-wall crates. DV 10 Thievery or Awareness → reveals mechanism opening narrow passage to the Secret Mountain Overlook.
Connections
- West: Main Barracks / Great Hub
- Secret: Hidden passage → Mountain Overlook
Ssikra Brood Scavenger
Ssikra Brood Scavenger
Ambush Predator — 3 AP
Wounds25
Defense9
W. Mit3
To-Hit+3
Move18sq
- Claws (1 AP): 1d10+5. On nat 9-10: Bleeding (1).
- Latch On (1 AP): Grapple attempt. DV 9 Athletics to escape. While grappled: target has Disadvantage on all actions.
- Drop Attack (Held Action): Falls from above onto target within 2sq. On hit: 1d10+8 + target Prone, DV 9 Agility.
- Skitter (Passive): Can move on ceilings and walls. Ignores difficult terrain.
The claustrophobia of the dungeon suddenly vanishes. You emerge onto a jagged stone ledge where the air is crisp, thin, and tastes of winter. Below, the valley floor is a map of shadows, and the wind howls through the crags like a dying titan.
What the players can investigate:
The ledge is intentionally worked — footholds carved into the rock lead to a wider shelf above. On that shelf, under an oil-cloth, players find a signal mirror and six coloured glass panels for signalling the valley below. A small cairn, when dismantled, reveals dried meat, a fire-starter kit, and a note in Common: "If you are reading this, the run went wrong. Wait three sunsets. Then go north." The handwriting matches the journal in Room 4.
- Mounted Brass Spyglass: Trained on the dungeon's main gates. Advantage on Awareness/Perception for incoming threats in the valley.
- Superior Vantage: Ranged characters here gain +1 To-Hit against valley targets.
- Secret Escape Path: Narrow cliff trail winds down and exits the mountain entirely. DV 9 Athletics to descend without injury.
Connections
- Back inside: Narrow passage → Cold Storage Vault
No enemies. Let players breathe and scout. If they use the spyglass, they can see whether external reinforcements are mobilizing — shapes their urgency for Level 2.
LEVEL II
The Excavation
Industrial core · Great Hub chokepoint · Thrunn + 4 Juggernauts guard the center
A colossal vertical shaft plunges into the depths of the mountain. Thick, tar-slicked chains groan as they support a massive stone platform, held in place by the straining muscles of a bound elemental. The floor beneath your boots vibrates with a low-frequency hum from the brass runes binding a mountain-born elemental to the winch mechanism.
What the players can investigate:
The runes run in three bands — binding seal, amplifier, pain-circuit. Players with any magical tradition recognise the innermost band has a hairline crack through two symbols: the pain-circuit is failing. A maintenance log shows six consecutive blank weekly inspections. Loose bolts at the chain housing suggest vibration stress. Carved into the shaft wall at platform level, someone has scratched a small arrow pointing upward with the words "she knows" beneath it in Common.
- The Platform: 20×20ft reinforced granite. Carries party between all three levels.
- The Bindings: Brass runes tether the Earth Elemental Juggernaut to the winch. Damage the runes → elemental berserk, attacks nearest creature.
- The Void: Fall = 1d10 wounds per 10ft (max 10d10).
Unstable Mechanism: Elemental takes 10+ wounds in one hit → platform jolts. Everyone: DV 10 Agility or Prone.
Free the Elemental: Dispel binding runes (DV 12 Wizardry/Runes) = powerful uncontrolled ally. High risk, high reward.
Connections
- Up: Slave Pens → Level I
- Level II: The Great Hub
- Level III: Abyssal Pits
The intersection of four massive corridors forms a perfect circle, dominated by a Lithomancy Circle etched into the stone. It pulses with a harsh, rhythmic blue light that makes the air taste of ozone and copper. Four stone forms stand motionless in the corners. At the western tunnel entrance, a towering figure in masterwork plate leans on a soul-bound maul.
What the players can investigate:
Three trigger-runes at the circle's perimeter activate the stone forms when crossed — players with Druidism or Wizardry recognise them on sight. Each form radiates faint heat: dormant, not dead. A deep gouge crosses one section of the circle where something heavy was dragged through recently; those runes are dark and inactive. At knee height on the eastern wall, a child's drawing scratched into the stone shows a small figure escaping through a vent shaft. That vent — a brass grille in the north wall, large enough for a small person — is bolted from this side.
The Visuals
- Lithomancy Circle: Complex glowing blue web carved into the floor. Juggernauts standing on it heal 5 Wounds per turn.
- Dormant Juggernauts ×4: Activate the moment any creature steps onto the Circle. They attack anyone — including Thrunn if he steps on it.
- Thrunn, The Iron Root: Western entrance. Does not engage unless party moves toward the Dig Sites.
⚠ The Circle Trap: First player to step onto the glowing floor activates all four Juggernauts simultaneously. Walking around the room edge (off the circle) + DV 10 Stealth = can bypass without triggering.
Juggernaut Healing: Pulling them off the circle is essential. On it they regenerate faster than most parties can deal damage. Use ranged bait or area denial.
Thrunn's Tactic: In combat, he uses Shield Rush to push targets onto the Lithomancy Circle.
Connections
- West (Thrunn): The Dig Sites
- Southeast: Overseer's Forge
- East: Armory corridor
- Down: The Great Lift → Level III
Thrunn, The Iron Root
Thrunn, The Iron Root
Birn Dwarven Warden — 5 AP
"The mountain does not flinch. Neither do I."
Wounds105
Defense12
W. Mit14
To-Hit+5
Move10sq
Agl2
Awa5
Cha4
Int3
Phy9
Wil7
- Soul-Binding Maul (2 AP): 1d10+21. Shatter: -2 Defense on hit (stacks ×3).
- Shield Rush (2 AP): Full move charge. 1d10+18. DV 9 Physique or Prone.
- Bulwark (Passive): Cannot be moved or knocked back by anything smaller than Titanic size.
- Lithomancy Affinity: While on the Circle, +2 Defense and heals 3 Wounds/turn.
- Indomitable (Passive): Immune to Dismayed and Fear conditions.
Earth Elemental Juggernaut
Construct — 2 AP
Wounds75
Defense8
W. Mit10
To-Hit+3
Move12sq
- Pulverizing Slam (1 AP): 1d10+20. Double damage to shields.
- Seismic Slam (2 AP): 3sq radius — DV 10 Agility or Prone + 1d10+6.
- Living Mountain (Passive): Immune to Bleeding, Stunned, poison.
- Ley-Line Siphon: On Lithomancy Circle: heals 5 Wounds/turn.
The rhythmic clink-clink-clink of pickaxes echoes through cramped tunnels — a heartbeat of forced labor. Dust chokes the air, fine as flour and tasting of flint. Flickering caged lanterns cast long, distorted shadows of exhausted laborers against the jagged rock face, making them look like ghosts of the mountain.
What the players can investigate:
Workers of mixed races wear iron cuffs chained to a central anchor-rail. The dwarf's cuffs are fractionally too large and have been shimmed with cloth — they could be slipped if the shim were removed. The rock face exposes a diagonal vein of black mineral the workers are mining around, not through it. Players with Knowledge or Evaluate recognise it as Nullstone — a rare substance that suppresses magic within ten feet. A foreman's clipboard lists daily quotas and punishment records; three workers are marked "removed — Level III" with no date. The foreman wears a merchant's medallion, not a garrison insignia.
- Three Excavation Tunnels: Each with 2 Hobgoblin Warriors + 1 Birn Dwarven Slaver. Fresh bite-marks from mining tools on the rock face.
- Iron Rails: Ore cart tracks running back to the Great Hub.
- The Slaves: Human and Dwarven prisoners. Won't fight. Will scatter during combat — chaotic terrain.
Slavers use slaves as shields: Disadvantage on ranged attacks targeting Slavers while they have a slave adjacent.
Dust Cloud: Any explosion or heavy impact = area Obscured for 1d10 turns. All physical actions at Disadvantage.
Freeing the slaves: One prisoner knows a maintenance tunnel bypassing Thrunn. Requires Charm or Authority DV 8 to earn trust.
Connections
- East: The Great Hub
- Deep West: Unmapped Veins
Birn Dwarven Slaver
Birn Dwarven Slaver
Overseer — 3 AP
Wounds40
Defense8
W. Mit5
To-Hit+1
Move13sq
- Heat-Whip (1 AP): 1d10+6. Reach (3sq). DV 10 Physique or pulled 2sq toward Slaver.
- "Back to Work!" (2 AP): All Birn Dwarves within 5sq gain +1 AP next turn.
- Heavy Instruction (Passive): Enemies within 2sq suffer -1 to Int/Wil tests.
In a mountain of fire and noise, this room is unnervingly clinical. It smells of fresh ink and old vellum. The sound of hammering is replaced by the dry scratch of charcoal on parchment. Shelves groan under brass drafting tools, and the maps pinned to the walls look less like geography and more like an anatomy of the mountain's veins.
What the players can investigate:
The maps chart geothermal pressure points, stress fractures, and mana-flow lines — the entire garrison sits at the intersection of three ley lines, deliberate by design. A calculation sheet shows load-bearing projections for Level III with a red-ink annotation: "insufficient — recommend evacuation of non-essential personnel before activation." Dated six weeks ago. Ignored. A locked map-tube on the head drafter's desk holds a single document: a site survey north of the Rysahm Ashlands marked "Phase Two" in Kel Thurum script.
- Drafting Tables: Blueprints for underground structures. DV 8 Knowledge (Engineering) → reveals Grand Vault location and volatile powder hazard near its entrance.
- Wall Maps: Mountain topology. "Unmapped Veins" in red. DV 9 Knowledge to interpret.
Fragile Intel: Fire spell here: 50% chance blueprints ignite. Party loses map data. Warn players before they AoE in this room.
Stealth approach: Sentries are outside the door. DV 9 Stealth to enter unseen. Overseer focused on work — surprise round available.
Grand Storage Vault (North)
Beyond the Overseer's Forge, north passage leads to the Vault.
⚠ EXTREME — Fire Risk: Blasting powder kegs + oil drums near the entrance. Any fire damage or failed area spell triggers: 6d10 fire wounds all within 30ft. DV 12 Agility or Prone. Room on fire 3 turns.
⊙ Grand Vault Loot
5,000 Gold in cut gems · 150 lbs raw Mithril ore (value 20,000 Gold — note: 50 lbs max per Physique 5 character)
Connections
- West: The Great Hub
- North: Grand Storage Vault
Birn Overseer
Birn Overseer
Commander — 3 AP
Wounds58
Defense11
W. Mit9
To-Hit+3
Move12sq
- Brass Calipers (1 AP): 1d10+6. Nat 9-10: pin limb, Disadvantage next physical action.
- Blueprints of Offense (1 AP): All allied guards within 10sq get Advantage on next attack roll.
- Blunderbuss (2 AP): 3×3sq AoE, 1d10+15 wounds, -5 WM.
- Architect's Eye (Passive): Immune to Stealth advantage. Auto-detects hidden characters within 5sq.
Birn Sentry Guard
Elite Infantry — 2 AP
Wounds50
Defense8
W. Mit8
To-Hit+2
Move13sq
- Hooked Poleaxe (1 AP): 1d10+18. Reach. Hit: pull 5ft or DV 10 Agility or Prone.
- Bodyguard (Reaction): Swap places with Overseer when he is targeted.
- Hold the Line: Enemies leaving adjacent square: DV 11 Physique or movement ends.
The cavern is a hellscape of blinding magma veins that cast dancing, jagged orange shadows across a soot-stained ceiling. The roar of the liquid fire is punctuated only by the sharp, echoing crack of whips and the shimmering heat haze that distorts your very vision.
What the players can investigate:
Brass sluice-gates control the magma flow, feeding the forge below — someone engineered this entire system. The overseer's whip-hand wears a medallion: not a garrison insignia but the seal of the Varkhas Metal Syndicate. This is a commercial operation. Near the eastern wall, half-obscured by heat shimmer, a dwarf lies dead from heat exhaustion, still cuffed. Inside his boot: a vial of liquid metal, still warm, and a note carrying a single address in SunsReach's docks district.
- Magma Veins: Within 10ft: -3 WM without magical fire protection.
- The Central Abyss: Fall in = 10d10 fire wounds, no save.
- Iron Walkways: Prone on walkway → DV 10 Agility or slide 10ft toward abyss. Grab rail (reaction): DV 8 Athletics.
The Garrison — 6 Enemies
- Birn Dwarven Slaver ×6 — patrolling iron walkways with jagged whips.
Slaver whip pull: Hit → DV 11 Physique or pulled 5ft toward nearest heat source. Then -3 WM kicks in. Prioritize against tanks.
"Back to Work!" chain: 3+ Slavers alive → one uses this every other turn, keeping others at 4 AP.
Connections
- West: The Great Hub platform area
- East corridor: The Armory → The Cursed Forge → Elite Garrisons → Vault
East corridor after the Geothermal Forge: Armory (safe/loot) → Cursed Forge (corruption risk) → Elite Garrisons (extreme) → Bouncer's Gauntlet → Vault of Birn Uluhm.
This is the dungeon's endgame corridor. Players should feel the escalation room by room.
Armory: Marked by iron doors embossed with crossed battle axes — a silent forest of steel. Rows of heavy hammers and axes lined up with military precision, blades untainted by soot.
Cursed Forge: The same arcane runes as the armory, but the air is different — a faint metallic sweetness that makes your teeth ache. Runed anvils glow dull red. Half-formed weapons hang on hooks, pulsing like wounds waiting to close.
What the players can investigate:
Armory — Every weapon bears a different maker's mark from smiths across the continent: purchased or stolen, not made here. One rack holds lighter, more ornate weapons wrapped in oiled cloth — clearly not for garrison use. A shipment manifest lists outgoing deliveries; the most recent, four days ago, has a redacted destination but a visible Kel Thurum logistics code. Cursed Forge — Players within five feet of the hanging weapons feel a faint magnetic pull; those with active magic notice a low-grade drain. One partially complete sword has something moving slowly beneath the surface of the metal. The forge master's slate reads: "Subject 7 — integration stable. Subject 8 — screaming stopped on day 3. Proceeding."
Armory — No Enemies
⊙ Pre-Ritual Gear (Safe to Use)
| Qty | Item | Bonus |
|---|
| 2 sets | Dwarven Plate Armor | +1 Defense |
| 2 | Great Hammers | +1 To-Hit |
| 1 | Great Axe | +2 Wounds |
| 2 | Heater Shields | +2 Defense |
Cursed Forge — No Enemies
Corruption Test: 3+ rounds in this room → DV 8 Willpower or gain 1 Corruption.
Intel: Documents explain soul-binding process. DV 9 Knowledge (Arcane) → understand how to break the Juggernaut bindings in the Hub.
Connections
- West: Geothermal Forge
- East (across hall): Cursed Forge
- North: Elite Garrisons
The silence of the hall is shattered by the industrial roar of steam pipes pulsing overhead. Two reinforced iron doors stand like silent sentinels, vibrating with the force of the high-pressure conduits behind them. You get the distinct impression that you aren't just standing in a hallway, but inside the throat of a massive, breathing machine.
What the players can investigate:
Three parallel pipe lines run overhead — two feed the forge, but the third runs south toward Level III. Its pressure gauge reads dangerously above normal and the needle is vibrating. A red-painted valve on the west wall is chained shut with a padlock noticeably newer than everything else. A maintenance access panel on the east pipe system, when opened, reveals a folded cloth wedged against the inner housing — a signal rag in the same colour combination as the glass panels from the Level I secret ledge. Someone has been leaving a trail.
Left Door — Command
- Birn Elite Champion ×1
- Formidable Guard ×2
⚠ Critical Rule: Any intrusion into either room immediately alerts the other. 9 enemies total if both triggered.
Stealth: DV 9 to listen through door cracks — learn count and positions before committing.
Champion's Tactical Breach (2 AP): Triggers flanking maneuver from adjacent room at the START of next turn. Kill the Champion Turn 1 or face a flanked fight Round 2.
Elite Guards — Pack Tactics: +2 To-Hit when 3+ adjacent to same target. Keep the party spread.
Connections
- South: Cursed Forge corridor
- North: Bouncer's Gauntlet → Vault
Birn Elite Champion
Veteran — 4 AP
Wounds80
Defense11
W. Mit12
To-Hit+4
Move12sq
- Soul-Forged Greataxe (2 AP): 1d10+25. Ignores 3 WM. Nat 10: Stunned.
- Tactical Breach (2 AP): Triggers flanking from adjacent room next turn start.
- Indomitable (Passive): Once/round: ignore one Prone or Dismayed.
- Vengeful Strike (Reaction): Ally reduced to 0 → free attack on attacker.
Formidable Guard
Heavy Infantry — 3 AP
Wounds55
Defense9
W. Mit10
To-Hit+3
Move12sq
- Soul-Bound Mace (1 AP): 1d10+12. Ignores 2 WM.
- Shield-Wall (Passive): Adjacent to Champion/Guard: +1 Defense.
- Intervene (Reaction): Force attacker to target Guard instead of ally.
- Iron Grit: Immune to Prone while shield equipped.
Elite Guard
Fast Infantry — 3 AP
Wounds42
Defense10
W. Mit8
To-Hit+3
Move12sq
- Soul-Bound Halberd (2 AP): 1d10+18. Reach (2sq).
- Pack Tactics (Passive): 2+ other Elites adjacent to target: +2 To-Hit.
- Harrying Strike: Hit → DV 9 Agility or -5ft move next turn.
- Opportunist (Reaction): Enemy moves away or stands from Prone: free attack.
The corridor narrows into a claustrophobic kill-zone. Hissing brass pipes overhead pulse with the mountain's geothermal breath, occasionally venting plumes of scalding steam. Standing at the far end, blocking the only path to the Vault, is a figure of such immense, armored bulk that he seems more like a structural pillar than a man.
What the players can investigate:
The floor is scored with two deep parallel grooves running its full length — drag marks worn smooth over time. Manual vent levers on the overhead pipes are spaced every ten feet; players who realise this can vent scalding steam deliberately as a tactical option. Thrunn stands on a raised stone above flood level — the floor has a drain-slope and a brass grate at the lowest point, suggesting the corridor can be flooded with scalding water from the pipes. Behind Thrunn, barely visible, is a door of older stone with different mason marks and no brass fittings. It has been plastered and repainted to match the surrounding wall and does not appear on any map in Room 8.
- The Steam Vents: Pipes prone to bursting — obscuring vision, scalding the unwary.
- The Kill-Zone: Only 2 squares wide. Impossible to slip past the Warden without a fight.
- The Geode Door: Visible just behind the Warden, glowing with the faint red light of three concentric rings.
⚠ Bursting Pipes: Start of every odd round (1, 3, 5…): DV 9 Agility or 1d10 fire damage + Disadvantage on next action.
Connections
- South: Elite Garrisons
- North (behind Warden): Vault of Birn Uluhm
Warden Korgath
The Bouncer — 4 AP
Wounds90
Defense13
W. Mit13
To-Hit+5
Move8sq
- Ironclad Fist (1 AP): 1d10+15. If target is adjacent to a wall, +5 bonus wounds.
- Corridor Control (Passive): Cannot be flanked in a corridor of 2sq width or less.
- Steam Immunity (Passive): Immune to fire damage and the Blinded condition from steam vents.
- Immovable Object (Passive): Cannot be moved, pushed, or knocked Prone by any means.
- Suppress all Lithomancy (Passive): All enemies within 4sq have Disadvantage on Lithomancy cast tests.
At the dead end of the thermal corridors stands a monolithic geode of black stone. Three concentric brass rings bisect its surface, spinning with a low, predatory vibration that you feel in your marrow. The stone itself seems to bleed a dark, oily residue, and the air around the vault is impossibly, terrifyingly alive.
What the players can investigate:
The dark residue, if touched, is warm and adhesive — players with Faith or Druidism sense corrupted life-force, not conventional magic. The three brass rings are engraved in different scripts: outermost in Kel Thurum cipher, middle in pre-Awakening Vraxxal, innermost in a living script that slowly rearranges itself as players watch. The locking mechanism requires three simultaneous actions — one per ring. On the floor, the stone is worn away in three spots at identical distances from the vault face, where the operator stands. The worn spots are too small for hobgoblin feet. They fit a human, or a large halfling.
The Triple-Locked Gate
Three mechanisms must be disengaged simultaneously in a single turn, one character per lock.
I. Lock of the Body (Blood Valve): Impale hand on central spike. Sacrifice 1 AP, take 1d10 Wounds (WM ignored).
II. Lock of the Mind (Pneumatic Tumblers): Balance volatile steam-pressure valves. DV 9 Intellect or Thievery. Failure: valve blows, 2d10 fire/steam damage within 2sq, sequence resets.
III. Lock of the Spirit (Resonance Rune): Hold the outer ring against the Titan's psychic rage. DV 10 Willpower. Failure: character suffers Dismayed (2 turns), sequence resets.
⚠ Opening Corruption Burst: When the third lock clicks, corrupted air vents from the cylinder. Everyone within 2sq: DV 8 Willpower or gain 1 Corruption (Dark Mark) + lose 1 Spirit Point.
Removing an artifact: The vault trembles. The city's guard is signaled. Starts the clock on Level 3 exploration.
The Three Artifacts
Blood-Iron Decapitator
Two-handed greataxe of black iron that "bleeds" dull red heat from its edge. Requires Physique 6 to wield without Disadvantage.
Boon — Titan's Thirst: On hit, spend 1 AP → target gains Bleeding (2). If Bleeding target is killed by this weapon: heal 1d10 Wounds.
Curse — Blood Drunk: End turn in melee without attacking → DV 10 Willpower or Frenzy (2): attack nearest creature (friend or foe) next turn.
Vein-Stone Grimoire
Heavy gold-bound ledger, petrified wood pages, pulsing crimson runes. Off-Hand / Magic Focus.
Boon — Leyline Tap: Once per encounter, declare Intensify cast for free — doubles Cast Wounds output without Advanced Skill or AP premium.
Curse — Severed Fortune: While equipped, permanently Cursed. Cannot use the 30 XP Reroll mechanic.
Gauntlets of the Faultline
Heavily plated gauntlets with pneumatic steam-valves and glowing red Titan's Blood vials. Armor (Hands).
Boon — Seismic Impact: +2 Defense. Unarmed strikes: 1d10 + Physique. Spend 2 AP on unarmed strike → DV 9 Agility or target thrown 2sq backward + Prone.
Curse — Lithic Anchor: Base Movement -5. If knocked Prone, gauntlets lock — standing costs 2 Actions.
Connections
- South: Bouncer's Gauntlet
- The Portal: Shimmering (1 hour) → Titan's Cyst, Level III
Don't rush this room. Let players read each pedestal inscription before touching anything. These are decisions, not loot. Each curse is specific enough to matter to a particular build.
The Titan's Cyst portal glows faintly in the back wall. It wasn't there before they opened the vault. The mountain knows.
LEVEL III
The Deep
Inside the living Titan · Corruption builds · The city beyond the ribs
As the platform groans to a halt, the industrial heat of the forge is replaced by an unnatural, bone-chilling cold. A thick, waist-high red mist rolls off the platform, and the very stone beneath your feet seems to thrum with a slow, rhythmic heartbeat — not mechanical, not elemental. Biological.
What the players can investigate:
The red mist has the faint iron-sweet smell of very diluted blood. It is not dangerous but clings to boots and clothing for hours. The walls at this level are different geology from above — this chamber was revealed, not built, with tool marks unlike any known dwarf or human technique. A single set of bootprints leads away from the platform and does not return; they are fresh, made within the last several hours. The chain mechanism has been sabotaged — three links filed nearly through. The platform will make one more round trip before the chain fails.
- The Red Mist: Obscures floor entirely. Disadvantage on all Awareness checks involving the ground. Spotting traps: Disadvantage.
- The Heartbeat: Spellcasting requires DV 9 Willpower or spell is lost to the psychic noise.
- Flesh-Woven Stone: Rock merged with organic vein-like structures in corners. Touch: 1d10 Wounds.
- Shadows of the Cyst: Formless shapes retreat when approached — the Titan's immune response. If party lingers without moving, they begin to close in.
⚠ Abyssal Corruption: Every hour on this level: DV 10 Willpower or suffer 1 Corruption.
Connections
- The Lift: Level II — The Great Hub
- The Vein-Path: Organic stone corridor → Titan's Cyst
The industrial horror of Level 2 gives way to something older. The Titan is alive down here. Let the players feel the mountain is aware of them.
The heartbeat is regular. Whoever has the highest Awareness eventually realizes it's slightly faster than when they arrived.
You cross the threshold and the mountain falls away. The walls are not stone — they are layered, laminar tissue, warm to the touch and faintly translucent. Pulsing red light cycles through them like a slow, enormous heartbeat. The ceiling vaults upward beyond sight. In the distance, impossibly, you see the dark silhouette of a city built between ribcage bones that stretch for miles.
What the players can investigate:
The tissue walls respond to touch — pressure causes a slow ripple outward and a low sub-vocal resonance felt in the chest. Players with Druidism or Awareness above 7 sense the organism is aware of their presence but not alarmed, as though they are too small to register as a threat. Sections of the calcified floor membrane are translucent enough to show vast, slow organs working beneath. Near the entrance, someone has built a small camp: a bedroll, an extinguished lantern, three empty provision tins, and an open journal. The last entry is dated eleven days ago: "The city is real. I have seen lights moving in it. They move like people. I do not think they are people. I am going in tomorrow." The handwriting matches the journal from Room 4 and the note from the secret ledge.
Environmental Effects
- Zero-G Maneuver: +10ft Base Move but DV 9 Agility when stopping or fall Prone.
- The Titan's Call: Spellcasting requires DV 10 Willpower or spell lost.
- DV 9 Willpower on entry: Or suffer Dismayed — the mind reels from the impossible scale.
The Heart-Cyst
The three artifacts from the Vault are fused into the "valves" of the heart if not already retrieved. Removing one causes the entire realm to tremble and signals the city guard.
This is the end of the dungeon arc. Everything from Room 1 was moving toward this moment — standing inside the living Titan, understanding what Birn Uluhm actually is.
The distant city: DV 12 Awareness to identify landmarks. City "breathes" — steam rises from distant rib-spires on success. First glimpse of the true scale of the operation.
The Rib-Bridge journey: Multi-session overland through three Rib-Spire Waystations to the High Gates of Birn Uluhm. Future arc — not resolved today.
Portal timing: Open 1 hour from the Vault. If time running out, the heartbeat accelerates slightly — subtle urgency cue.
Connections
- The Portal: Back to Vault of Birn Uluhm (1 hour)
- The Rib-Bridge: Multi-session journey → High Gates of Birn Uluhm
Sentinel of the Void
Titan's Defence — 3 AP
"It does not see you with eyes. It perceives you as an infection."
Wounds60
Defense10
W. Mit8
To-Hit+4
Move15sq
- Void Touch (1 AP): 1d10+10. Target: DV 10 Willpower or gain 1 Corruption.
- Phase Shift (1 AP): Teleports to any unoccupied sq within 8sq. Ignores terrain and walls.
- Psychic Shriek (2 AP): All targets within 4sq: DV 11 Willpower or Dismayed (2 turns).
- Immune to Physical (Passive): Weapon attacks deal half wounds unless the weapon is magical or soul-bound.
- The Shattering: When reduced to 0 Wounds, everyone within 3sq must pass DV 12 Willpower or be hurled into the Shatter Realm next turn.
APPENDIX
Quick Reference
Overcast menu · AP cost table · Remaining stat blocks
AP Cost & Dice
| AP Cost | TN Range | Max d10s |
|---|
| 1 AP | TN 1–3 | 1d10 |
| 1 AP | TN 4–6 | 1d10 |
| 2 AP | TN 7–9 | 2d10 |
| 3 AP | TN 10–12 | 3d10 |
| 4 AP | TN 13–15 | 4d10 |
| 5 AP | TN 16–18 | 5d10 |
| 6 AP | TN 19+ | 6d10 |
Overcast Menu (+1 AP each)
- ᛭ Empower: +1d10 + Primary Stat (Wounds/Heal)
- ◎ Precision: +2 Bonus to the roll
- ⛨ Piercing: Ignore 3 points of Mitigation
- ⊞ Enlarge: +10ft AoE or +1 Size
- ◎ Extend: +1 Turn duration
- ↟ Vantage: +50ft range
- ⌁ Echo: Buff applies to +1 additional target
Arcane Mastery (Passive): At 15 Points in a magic skill, add Spirit points to all wounds/healing.
Remaining Stat Blocks
Birn Dwarven Guard
Standard Infantry — 2 AP
Wounds45
Defense9
W. Mit8
To-Hit+2
Move12sq
- Broad-Headed Spear (1 AP): 1d10+10. If not moved this turn: +2 damage.
- Stone-Solid (Passive): Cannot be moved or Prone'd by lower Physique.
- Shielded Advance (1 AP): Half move, +2 Defense vs ranged.
- Crossbow (2 AP): +2 To-Hit, 1d10+16, -3 WM.
Birn Elite Champion
Level II Commander — 4 AP
Wounds80
Defense11
W. Mit12
To-Hit+4
Move12sq
- Soul-Forged Greataxe (2 AP): 1d10+25. Ignore 3 WM. Nat 10: Stunned.
- Tactical Breach (2 AP): Triggers flanking from adjacent garrison next turn.
- Indomitable (Passive): 1/round: ignore one Prone or Dismayed.
- Vengeful Strike (Reaction): Ally 0 Wounds → free attack on attacker.
- Crossbow (2 AP): +3 To-Hit, 1d10+16, -3 WM.