Finding the Molokite
c. 100 ADW
With Holt missing and Sage Elbera dead, Guildmaster Thalin Fernstride sends adventurers to the dwarven mountains to learn what Holt's notes mean by "Molokite." They travel by carriage—teleportation circles remain unreliable—and meet Durven MeadAnvil, who knows of no such ore but points them to an ancient sealed forge deep below the mountain, guarded by a demonic Armanite. After slaying the beast, they find no Molokite metal, only records of elves who sought ever-greater power, were corrupted, and were driven underground by the dwarves and other mortal races.
Referenced In
This module is referenced by the following lore entries:
Factions and Organizations
- Adventurer's GuildAlso known as Spear of Elina or Spear of the Goddess. A hundred years after the Dead Wars, the Guild has grown into a global hub for missions, with adventurers flocking to it from all over the world. It is currently led by Guild Master Master Thalin Fernstride in Kingdom Grand, with branches overseen by Guildmaster Teyla Coalmaker in Kdor, Elrin Veymar in Evenfell, and Alyndor "Aly" Marvale in New Arcanum. The Guild uses a ranking system, with new recruits earning a rank of Tin, Copper, or Brass; higher known ranks include Colbot, Steel, and Diamond. When Holt threatens to awaken He Who Slumbers, the four guilds unite their forces beneath Kingdom Grand.
- MolokiteAn ancient elven people—not a metal—known for pale skin, ethereal green veins, large black eyes, and regal bearing. They once traded with the dwarves of the Dwarven Mountains until they sought power from a demigod, attacked mortal races, and were driven underground. There they found a shrine to The Evil One and later worshipped He Who Slumbers, a biomantic horror bred from a tarrasque corpse. Holt was raised among them and led them alongside the Slumber Cult to awaken their god. After Holt's defeat, the few Molokite who survived—including the medicine woman Raphira—helped the guilds re-bind the Beast and rearm the freed Cinder Guard with sunsteel.
Legendary Characters
- Durven MeadAnvilA dwarf forge master and old friend of Master Thalin Fernstride in the Dwarven Mountains. Broad-shouldered, with a braided silver beard threaded with mithril rings, he carries a massive hammer on his back. Proud but hospitable, he speaks in slow, weighted sentences and respects bravery. He directs adventurers to the sealed Forge of Ash when they seek answers about the Molokite.
- HoltA Firbolg who rose to Adamantine rank in the Adventurer's Guild and wore fine orange silk with red trim while posing as a monster expert and mentor. He is dismissive, arrogant, and blunt, and shared running commentary via a magical resonator while hiding years of kidnappings and cult work. After betraying and murdering Sage Elbera at the dungeon mosaic—unleashing his paper dragon Jeffery to cover his escape—he vanished to lead the Molokite and Slumber Cult in awakening He Who Slumbers. He was raised among the Molokite as a child, learned The Evil One's biomantic secrets, and believes Lullwater will let him control the sleeping god. He owns a monkey with neon green hair named Elanor.
- Master Thalin FernstrideA towering Firbolg who serves as the Guild Master of the Adventurer's Guild in the century following the Dead Wars. He has long black hair braided down his back, piercing blue eyes, and dark green fur, and wears a forest green and white Gi. His personality is calm and measured, and he is known for giving inspiring speeches that relate adventuring to baking. He expects discipline and creativity from his guild members. As Holt's treachery unfolds, Thalin grows weary but resolute, coordinating the four great guilds against the threat beneath Kingdom Grand. After the tremors from the Elderdungeon crack the city's streets, he opens a fresh recruitment drive to replace the guild members lost in the fighting, and later leads the hunt for a saboteur hiding inside his own guild. Troubled by a caravan of strangely well-guarded stolen keepsakes bound west, he hand-picks a party and dispatches them across the Western Wastes to New Arcanum to work with his counterpart Alyndor "Aly" Marvale, convinced the thefts are somehow tied to Biscuit's fate.
- The Evil OneDeath: ADW 0. A powerful necromancer and the primary antagonist in Dead Wars I. Tried to ascend to godhood. Holt's journal beneath Kingdom Grand reveals that the Molokite's god, He Who Slumbers, was one of his biomantic experiments—a beast grown from a tarrasque corpse and meant to be unleashed if he ever failed to dominate the mortal world.
Locations
- Dwarven MountainsAlso known as the Dwarven Peaks. These are a few days' travel to the east of Kingdom Grand. Mountains of varied heights, these peaks are home to many creatures and secrets, including the stronghold of Granith and the sealed Forge of Ash.
- Forge of AshAn ancient sealed forge deep below the Dwarven Mountains, guarded by a demonic Armanite. Carvings within record how the Molokite elves were corrupted and driven underground after turning on the dwarves and other mortal races.
- GranithA dwarven mountain stronghold where Durven MeadAnvil and his kin welcome travelers with mead, songs, and firelight in the halls of stone.
- Kingdom GrandAlso known as First City, New Kingdom Grand, or New Grand. Formerly the only major civilized city in the region as of ADW 0, it is now the bustling heart of a more interconnected world, linked to other nations via teleportation gates. Holds an annual Festival of Peace to celebrate Elina's sacrifice in Dead Wars I. The tremors from the battle beneath the city cracked streets and toppled buildings across Kingdom Grand, scattering loose magic and prompting a fresh wave of Adventurers Guild recruitment.
Military Units and Creatures
- ArmaniteA large fiend (demon) with hooves, claws, and a serrated tail, born of fire. It has magic resistance, lightning-infused attacks, and a Lightning Lance breath. One guarded the entrance to the Forge of Ash in the Dwarven Mountains.
- He Who SlumbersAlso called the One Who Sleeps, or simply the Beast by the Molokite who once served it. A primordial horror created by The Evil One from a tarrasque corpse through biomancy, grown stronger with each life sacrificed to its bio-vats—the younger the victim, the greater the offering. The Molokite worship it in the dungeon beyond the Great Dungeon Gate, and Holt believed Lullwater would let him control it upon awakening. After the guilds forced it back into slumber, it could no longer be held by the failing rites of the last Molokite survivors alone, and a living soul had to be bound into the Sealing Chasm to anchor it once more.