Everstone Halls

In the western parts of the Stormlands a steep path leads from the east down to the city Riesbruck and to the north to the top of Bridgewatch Hill. At this level an open area, surrounded by steep cliffs, opens up leading to the entrance of a gigantic cave leading down into unknown darkness. The entrance is marked by a great stone structure made of black stone that does not resemble the rock surrounding it. Masterfully crafted Runes can be seen on the door that seem to be dwarfen in nature but don't make any sense to those who know the dwarfen language. They seem magical in nature for theiy seem to form words in the mind of the beholder, making everybody understand the message that was written here for everybody to understand: "Pass along, pass along, but friend and foe won't leave the Everstone forever more. Heed our warning!"

DM Information (1-4XP, rewarded after leaving)

Understand the writing: Dwarfish runes, giant language. The combination of the dwarfen and giant lenguage allows you to understand the text without the magical effect to trigger. (The giants used dwarfen "letters"(Runes) to write this message).

Entering the cave starts a Quest (See below) that needs to be finished or abandoned in most cases. It can be solved by overwhelming combat, smart social interactions or stealth. Just a person that is not a friend nor a foe can leave and reenter the cave. Foes be killed, friends will be imprisoned. Just a group that can position themselves as neither can revisit the cave without facing terrible consequences. The players can always try to fight their way out but become foes in the process. The Stone Giants stand for neutrality.

This cave is inhabited by many stone giants including their leaders called the Architect Collective. They are builders and they created the Bridge that know is used as a city called Riesbruck. They are neutral but suspicious of anyone who is not a giant for they have always been betrayed when they worked with other species before. Their leaders, the Architect Collective, are very smart and expert in architecture and construction when it comes to stone. They created the black stone and every structure that is made of it. Black stone can just be damaged or influenced by stone giants or adamant. The stone giants here hate Demons, Snake People, Dragons, Dwarfs, Elves, Leonin and Goliaths, because these are their Buildings, the Eternal Seven.

The following factors determine if the Heroes get XP or not:

- Find out that the "Eternal Seven" are a creation of Stone Giants. (1XP)

- Enter the City of Everstone Halls and meet/see the Architect Collective. (1XP)

- Figure out that the Stone giants did build the eternal Labyrinth, the home plane of Baphomet. (Part of Architects Collective History) (1XP)

- Leave without a fight (Nor friend, nor foe). (1XP)

Quest

Part 1

The heroes walk deep into the tunnel before they hear heavy steps and the crashing of stone. They will confront a group of stone giants working on the walls of the cave. They will be slightly hostile towards the players but can be convinced, since they are not very bright. After a while another intelligent stone giant will arrive to inspect the progress of the stone giant group.

Beat the Giants: A smarter giant will join the fight. If the players win continue to part two. Find a Blackstone Hammer, a Maul with 3d6 instead of 2d6 (A giant tool made of Blackstone).

Talk to them (DC13): The heroes learn, that stone giants are the real masterbuilders of the world an created the Eternal Seven, buildings made of black stone strong enough to survive eternity. When the inspecting stone giant arrives the other stone giants will hide the heroes to not seem suspicious. Continue to part two.

Part 2

The heroes will end up in an immensely huge cave made of black stone. dozens of stone giants and hundreds of earth elemental can be seen walking through the streets of an enormous city and in the distance working on the walls. The buildings are so high that at this level non of the heroes can even grasp the size of this place, but there is a tower near by, high enough to offer a view over this wast city. It has to be climbed though without being caught.

1. Climb a bulding to find a path DC 13: Athletics for climbing, Survival to find a route, Insight to spot suspicious giants, creative solution to make them ignore it. - In the distance there is a huge black building looking like a temple with unmoving stone giants guarding it.
2. Find your way through the city without being spotted or raise suspicion.
3. The heroes enter a room with many stone giant statues on both sides and a black stone floor in front of them (Magical trap, Arcana or something like that), while the walls and the roof seems to be of natural stone. It is impossible to see if the statues are real giants sleeping or just statues. In the distance there is a gate slightly opened. A slim shimmer of blue light shows that there is a powerfull light source behind it. It's a trap. The moment they set food on the black stone floor the surrounding giants come to life (Awake). Climb, fly or teleport into the next room. Distance 300 ft., every statue is 60 ft. apart from each other and at one point a noble looking stone giant is passing by to enter the lighted room (Hide).

Part 3

1. The players climb into the room. Three well dressed stone giants are standing in the middle before a blue glowing orb hovering in the center of the room. The walls are covered with dwarfen runes that can be just understood by somebody that can also speak giant (Or two players working together). The three Architects Collective Stone Giants are standing in the middle using magic to carve tiny signs into the hovering stone. They seem to write runes on to it even changing the inner parts of the stone. They write down the story and their finding. This is the eternal Blackstone, an Artifact of the Stone giants, telling the story of Stone giant kind for those who can read it (It needs tremor sense, Dwarfen language and giant language). If all these requirements are fulfilled the play gain all historic information of the Architects Collective. The players might also try a social encounter with the 3 members of the Architects Collective (DC 16). If the eternal Blackstone is broken or even damaged all Stone giants will attack the heroes trying to kill them.
2. Leave the temple stealthy or by convincing the giants that you are not a friend, nor a foe. In That case you might return to gather more information, otherwise the cave will be blocked forever and can't be revisited.