Innkeeper Frida
Greeting
"Come in, come in! I'm Frida. The mine dust is in everything, but the ale is clean. Sit, eat -- you look like you've been in the tunnels. What brings you to Ironhold?"
Dialogue Topics
Underground Worms
The deepest mines have always had worms -- small ones, nuisance really. But the corruption has changed them. The new ones are massive, with acid that melts through iron picks. Foreman Grom lost three miners to a worm last week. The guild is offering double wages for the deep shifts. Nobody's volunteering.
The Mire Golems
When the corruption seeped into the lower excavations, the mud itself started moving. Mire golems -- constructs of earth and dark energy. They're slow, but they hit like cave-ins. The Earth Elemental Lord's influence, the dwarves say. He's shaping the earth to his will.
Corrupted Knights Below
The Forge of Binding was used to create weapons and armor of great power. When it was corrupted, the gear it produced was... changed. Guardians who wore the corrupted armor were twisted -- body and soul. They wander the deep mines now, attacking any who approach the forge. They were our brothers once.
Spectral Watchers in the Mines
Miners who die in the deep excavations don't always rest. The spectral watchers -- ghosts of fallen miners, their faces still twisted in their final terror. They guard the deepest shafts. The guild says they're protecting the remaining ore. I think they're warning us to stay away.
The Corrupted Behemoth
Something enormous has been seen in the deepest level -- a corrupted behemoth, the survivors call it. Bigger than anything that should fit in the tunnels. The earth shakes when it walks. Foreman Grom says it's the Earth Elemental Lord's lieutenant. I say it's a good reason to stay in the upper mines.
rumors
The miners say the Forge of Binding whispers when the corruption stirs -- and Forge Master Durgrim hasn't slept in a week. If your steel sings at night, take it to him, not me.