Iron Fortress

The identity of the builder of the Iron Fortress of Zandikar is lost to time.  Whether this originally served as the stronghold of a hobgoblin warlord, the demesne of a mighty wizard, or the bolthole of an archdevil cast out from one of the Nine Hells is unknown, and ultimately unimportant.  Today the stronghold belongs to Queen Naresa, and whatever purpose it once served, it now serves as a mighty forge dedicated to the recreation of the Blade of Fiery Might...or at least it did until the Heroes of the North showed up (see "We Chose this Life").

The fortress itself appears as a ramshackle collection of metal plates bolted together at odd angles.  Despite this appearance, the fortress is far from flimsy.  Any given outer wall of the stronghold ranges from 2-8 inches in thickness, while inner walls are half that thick. The walls are thick enough to block most detect spells (and no gaps exist between the plates), though more powerful divinations function normally.  The average hardness is 12 (the iron is reinforced in places with mithral or even adamantine), and the average hit points are 30 per inch of thickness.

Inside the Iron Fortress of Zandikar, characters are assaulted by a trio of discomforts: warm temperatures, great noise, and negative energy—all generated by the work performed in the Pit of Toil. Also, certain spells cast by the inhabitants affect the PCs’ activities.

The powerful forge deep in the Pit of Toil heats the entire stronghold to about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Though slightly uncomfortable to those not used to such temperatures, this won’t cause the PCs any harm or fatigue (except within the Pit of Toil, which is much hotter).

In addition to the heat, the ringing sounds of forgework echo throughout the halls of the Iron Fortress. This noise causes a –4 circumstance penalty on all Listen checks made within the fortress (except within the Pit of Toil, where the penalty is greater). While this can help the PCs move about the stronghold without drawing attention, it also makes it easier for opponents to sneak up on them.

Also, while the unholy artifact was being crafted in the Pit of Toil, it had begun to radiate negative energy, with two effects. First, it acted as a desecrate spell throughout the entire stronghold (turning checks suffer a –3 profane penalty, which is superseded by the unhallow effect, and undead in the area gain a +1 profane bonus on attack and damage rolls, and on saving throws). Second, any spellcaster within the Pit of Toil who cast a spell with the good descriptor had to make a level check (DC 30) or the spell would have failed. Long-term exposure to the energy also caused Undead creatures to gain Hit Dice as through advancement, but that didn’t affect the events of this adventure any more than it already had.  This effect is no longer active since the Heroes of the North doused the Blade of Fiery Might in the depths of the Water Plane (see "We Chose this Life").

The pit fiend Lydzin has cast an unhallow spell that encompasses the entire fortress, and all non-lawful evil creatures are affected by an invisibility purge inside the fortress. For complete details, see the Unhallow Effects Highlights sidebar. If the PCs dispel this (caster level check [DC 28]), remember that the casting time for Lydzin to replace it is a full day. The Elementals and outsiders within the fortress aren’t summoned or conjured and are thus free to attack.   Unless otherwise noted, all ceilings are 15 feet high. Continual flame spells, cast at locations noted on the map, illuminate much of the fortress. These spells have been cast directly on the walls, and thus can’t be moved about.