|
A day after searching, Alzar finds an entrance to the lost land of Isar, where the Isarite Dwarves are found. The Isarites were a favorite branch of dwarves of Morena from above that were threatened with extinction around 1300 years ago. She moved a group of them to the Hollow World to keep them alive, and the last Isarites died around 1250 years ago, leaving just the tribe here, under the world.
There is a single village of Isar people, here in the peak of the Thunderdelve Mountain. Alzar passes by some entrances, and arrives into a corridor carved by the dwarves. There are no dwarves to greet him here, however.
Alzar presses on, and after a half hour, finally finds the city of Isar, a dwarfhold of around 2000 dwarves. It has been largely destroyed very recently. The temple to Morena was leveled, and there are numerous buildings, homes, and more destroyed. There is a great cavern here that stretches up, and an underground lake next to the homes that was used in part for food and in part for drink. Alzar begins to investigate. There are a few bodies of dwarves here, but not more than 20 or 30. As he does, he comes across some wounded and battle tested Isarite dwarves.
He speaks their language via the axe that other dwarves once made for him in Mystara’s past. They were recently attacked by undead and forces of chaos that hit the city hard. Most of the dwarves made it out alive, and are hiding in some tunnels nearby. But they have been driven out for now. Alzar connects with them and tells them about Morena sending him, and the three of them begin to tear up at Morena continued loyalty.
They show Alzar where it all started. In the center of the lake is an old shrine that rose from the waters around 2 weeks ago, and from which the undead and chaotic forces came. That shrine is an old shrine of chaos. Long ago, about 75 years before the Isarites arrived, Thunderdelve Mountain was the site of a pivotal battle between a group of seven powerful creatures that called themselves the Lords of Chaos. The local powers of law fought against them, and eventually they won. The temple of chaos’s foundation was destroyed and it was driven underwater. The Isarites were here in part to keep an eye on things to make sure that chaos would never again get a handle on the Mountain that shrine or the area. Clearly, that did not happen.
Alzar tells the dwarves to head back to the others, and heads away himself to prepare to investigate the once-hidden shrine of chaos…
|