The legend of the smith Durgeddin the Black is well known in this region. In each of the smaller, scattered towns you've passed through you'd heard stories wonderous treasures hidden in long-lost dwarven vaults and a pitiless war of vengeance between dwarf and orc a hundred years past.

Durgeddin was a master smith who forged blades of surpassing quality and power. Centuries ago, Durgeddin's home was sacked by orcs. Durgeddin led the remenets of his clan to a new stronghold in the mountains north of the town of Blasingdell and establish a small, secret stronghold somewhere in the trackless wilderness.

From his hidden redoubt, he waged a decades long vendetta again all orc-kind until one day his enemies discovered his fortress and attacked it. Durgeddin and his followers perished, and as much wealth was carried away by the conquring hordes. But its said that the deepest and best hidden vaults and armories escaped the looting and that some of Durgeddin's extraordinay blades still wait in the darkness for a hand bold enough to claim one.

You've come to Blasingdell a small mining town on the northern frontier (its COLD!) to see if anything to this stories. You rmap shows that the old dwarf-hold lies about three days march to the north of the town. Dark, deeply forested hills rise beyond the town's outshirts.