Adamant Great Hall

"Adamant Hall? Yes, I know of it. Our greatest creation as a people, but now that place is lost to us. Possibly forever. Do not speak of it again to me."

— Thalamar Stonefist, Priest of Pendelholm

  There are many things from the distant past which have been lost over the centuries, and among them is the greatest clan hall the dwarves ever built. Constructed at what is said to be the dawn of time for the dwarven people, the walls were made of granite taken from deep quarries and decorated with polished wood grown above ground. It was quite large, both in verticality and sprawling outwards, serving as the seat of power for the Adamant Clan in their role as rulers of dwarvenkind. Some dwarves still speak of the Adamant Great Hall with a quiet reverence, admiration for what once was and the height of dwarven power in Erisdaire.

There are only stories which speak of what happened to Adamant Hall, as the ruins have been lost for eras. From those stories, it is said there was an army gathered under the king of the fire giants laid siege to the hall for two decades and slowly claimed more and more of the outer parts of the settlement. When they at last breached the heart of the city, Cyril Adamant led a contingent of the royal guard in a counterattack to tie up the enemy. In doing so, the rest of the clan and other civilians could escape through tunnels which had not yet been sealed off. Ever since that day, the Adamant Great Hall has been lost. The next generation built Adamant Keep, a surface dwelling which was far enough away to avoid being immediately found and crushed. Over the centuries, all knowledge of where the Adamant Great Hall was has been lost, and it has passed into legend.

Only a few things about the hall itself remain consistent through every story, one of which is a source of great pride among dwarves. The Adamant Great Hall was built to showcase the skill of the dwarves who made it. This was done through complex and advanced techniques for building with stone, creating vast open areas through vaulted supports which should not have been possible. Decorative elements were ornate without being ostentatious, with gold leaf applied on top of magically-reinforced wood. Everything about the lost hall, from the royal home to modest farms, was to be a statement about showing what the dwarves had without succumbing to decadence. Being able to sustain large farms below through magical assistance has been a struggle even in modern dwarven halls, but the Adamant Great Hall never needed access to the surface after it had been finished. This self-sustainability, above all else, was what was the pride of dwarvenkind even long after its fall. It was lost to siege not from a lack of food or water, but through the slow wearing on the defenders' spirits.

Adventurers have long been searching for the lost hall, for a host of reasons. Some seek the glory of bringing the dwarven hall back to the world, and proving it is not merely a myth. Others are after the fortunes said to have been lost when the hall fell, having listened to tales of what wealth was there. These tales are told more often among non-dwarves, suggesting the halls are lined in gold and brilliant gemstones can be found paving the streets. Most dwarves don't bother correcting these stories anymore, either trying to change the subject or "leaving fools to their idiocy". So far, any adventurers who leave to seek the Adamant Great Hall have returned empty-handed or not at all.

Over the last century, scholars have attempted to collect information and pinpoint where the Adamant Great Hall could possibly be located. However, their sources are not able to give precise information and divination spells have not been able to help. After a number of failed expeditions, the matter was considered closed and its existence classified as a myth. Recent discoveries by members of the Allied Adventurers' Guild in Helenic have reopened the idea it was a real place, however.

Does It Exist?

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