Blingdenstone to Mithral Hall. Only the memory of their
valiant effort remains today-and even that is fading
due to the deep gnomes· penchant for forgetting their
own history.
In the last year. a handful of svirfneblin youths have
been training in secret under the rather terrifying care
of the veteran Burrow Wardenjadger, who lingers
on as a ghost. ln life,jadger was an expert in the
Undcrdark and its many denizens. as well as how to
fight them. He is grooming his brightest student, Trisk
Ada mantelpiece. to command the new burrow wardens.
who are preparing to announce their existence to the
Diggermauocks and demand recognition as the new
Burrow Wardens of BlingdenstOne.
GHOSTS OF BLINGDENSTONE
Although not truly organized, the ghosts of the
svirfncblin killed during the drow nttack are an
undeniable presence. The settlers have been wise
enough to mark haunted burrows off from their
reclamation plans. But as new svirfneblin arrive and
need accommodation. space is starting to become
a problem. There are far more ghosts in the ruined
settlement than anyone expected. and each ghost is
different. Some are harmless. appearing only as echoes
of the event that led to their deaths. Others are fully
aware- and often hostile and dangerous.OGREMOCH'S BANE
Ogremoch's Bane is a drifting cloud of transparent,
magical dust that first appeared in Blingdenstone over a
century ago. Believed to be sentient, it is found roaming
the Rockblight section of the settlement. Elemental
creatures touched by the cloud fall under its control.
The cloud's origin remains a mystery, but it is known
to have something to do with Ogremoch, Prince of Evil
Earth. A medusa named eheedra serves Ogremoch's
Bane and leads some of the elemental creatures
that have become enslaved by the evil cloud (sec the
-Rockblight" section and area 19 in particular).CLAN GOLDWHISKER
After Blingdenstone's fall. a gang of wererats tried
to make a home in the ruined city. The last handful
of svirfneblin hiding in Blingdenstone after the drow
armies abandoned the city managed to kill or drive off
the wererats, but many of the deep gnomes became
:nft-cted with lycanthropy.
Today. deep gnome wererats claims a large chunk of
the ruins under the name of Clan Gold whisker, holding
territory against new settlers and engaging in urban
warfare against them. The pack leader is the cunning
and charismatic Chipgrin, whose concern for his pack's
... afety has him hoping to negotiate a truce with the
Diggermattocks and stop his svirfneblin cousins from
... eeing his people as dangerous monsters fit only for
.. -:termination. Chipgrin is all too aware of the threat
posed by Ogremoch's Bane and the oozes plaguing the
-.ettlcmem, and he hopes that making common cause
against those threats will force the other svirfneblin
ro recognize Clan Goldwhisker's right to remain in
Blingdenstone.THE PUDDING KING's "COURT"
The so-called Pudding King holds court in the deepest
sections of Blingdenstone. He was part of the first
settler mission led by the Diggermattocks, but the other
svirfncblin soon shunned him for his many disturbing
habits, among them his preoccupation with capturing
and studying oozes, and his penchant for stealing and
hoarding food until it rotted ... and then talking to it.
The shunned deep gnome eventually struck out on
his own. He spent years living among the oozes of the
region, eventually subjugating a black pudding he calls
uPrincess Ebonmire-and a gray ooze he calls .. Prince
Livid." When the demon lords arrived in the Underdark,
he followed the oozes drawn by Juiblex's presence,
immediately throwing himself down before the Faceless
Lord and pledging his eternal loyalty. His previous name
and existence ended in that moment, and now there is
only the Pudding King.
Juiblex granted th e Pudding King the power to
summon and command oozes, then ordered him to
return to Blingdenstane and claim it as part of the
Faceless Lord's new domain. The Pudding King slipped
back into the closed-off areas of Blingdenstone and set
up court, summoning all manner of oozes along the way
and rendering portions of the ruined city uninhabitable
and dangerous to outsiders.
Utterly insane and channeling a terrible power, the
Pudding King sits upon his throne with his "children"
at his side. summoning ever more loyal subjects with
each passing day. When he is ready, he will send them
forth to cover and devour everything, transforming
Blingdenstone and its people into one giant mound of
slime and goo formed in the image of his master. the
Faceless Lord.BLINGDENSTONE
OUTSKIRTS
The quarries. mines, mushroom fields, and forges
of Blingdenstone are located outside the settlement,
accessible by tunnels and passages beyond the main
gate. Trade caravans headed toward Blingdenstone are
either re-routed to the outlying mines. farms. and forges,
or they arc stopped at the city gate, where their cargo
is searched, unloaded. and distributed by agents of
Quartermaster Senni. This keeps unwanted riffraff out
of the city proper and protects Blingdenstone's security_
The deep gnomes working in the mines, farms, and
forges outside the settlement spend less time enjoying
the leisure and company of their kin and friends
back home. The rising madness of the demon lords
affects these brave pioneers more than those who live
within the relative security of the reclaimed parts of
Blingdenstone.
Svirfneblin in the outskirts are more curt with
strangers, and a few might even try to steal from
them. Taskmasters at each location are now feeling
themselves driven to the poim of ncar tyranny.
demanding that their workers toil ever harder. Some
miners pocket gemstones they dig out. while others are
drawn to possess things the adventurers are carrying.C HAPl t II 6 Bll:-ICD'F.:\STO!' E
9 9