Dwarven Excavation - Essentials Kit: Dragon of Icespire Peak

Dwarven Excavation. "Dwarven Excavation" is balanced for characters of 1st level, though even characters of 2nd level will find certain elements of the quest challenging. Characters of 3rd level or higher should have an easy time clearing out the ruins and defeating the orcs that arrive later. Location Overview Dazlyn Grayshard and Norbus Ironrune are shield dwarf prospectors and business partners. While looking for gold in the mountains southwest of Phandalin, they decided to explore a nearby canyon and found evidence of an ancient dwarven settlement buried by an avalanche. They've spent the past several months clearing the rubble and scouring the ruins for treasure, but have found nothing of value so far. Behind the settlement, carved into the back wall of the canyon, is an old temple of Abbathor, the evil dwarven god of greed. During solar eclipses, Abbathor is appeased with sacrifices of blood and gemstones. On one occasion, the god found the sacrifices of this temple's priests lacking, so he caused an earthquake and avalanche that collapsed parts of the temple and buried the settlement. The priests in the temple who were not killed outright were transformed into ochre jellies-debased reflections of Abbathor's hunger and greed. Quest Goals To complete the Dwarven Excavation Quest, the adventurers need only to warn Dazlyn and Norbus of the white dragon. The grateful dwarves then tempt the adventurers with a quest of their own, offering their pair of sending stones as a reward if the characters rid the temple of the monsters within. If they stay long enough to help Dazlyn and Norbus, the characters encounter orcs before they leave (see "When Orcs Attack"). Arrival The dwarven excavation lies due east of Leilon, 15 miles southwest of Phandalin, at the eastern end of a canyon (area E1). When the characters reach area E1 on the map, read the following boxed text aloud: The canyon's rocky walls rise to a height of eighty feet. At the end of the canyon, a twenty-foo...