The Study of Lamli and the Tomb

The Rosen Empire lives in the shadow of two of the most dangerous places on Grayhawk; the Forlorn Hills and the Olshay Range. These two mountainous regions have spawned races and tempered their people throughout the ages. Hardy men, tenacious dwarves and all manner of cruel humanoids dwell within the desolate lands. Of all of the races the most ingenious were the dwarves. Of their number the one who was above all the driving force behind the major construction of the region was Lamli.

Lamli was – like most dwarves – an engineer and a brilliant stoneworker. But his skill seemed to border on genius. He had a way with stone that would have confounded the brightest of Elementalists of the day. Some said he had mystical powers but the facts speak for themselves. He constructed many mines, citadels and tombs over the years. Soon the races of man heard of his skill and he was brought in by kings and wizards to build great structures, arguably the best of these was the Old City of Rosengrad, which hides beneath the seat of King Archibald’s power. Lamli was destined for greatness and soon the dwarves of the Forlorn Hills made him king.

The art of statecraft was not as simple as the art of his beloved stone. Lamli struggled with power…he was no natural leader and soon the dwarves became fractious and deep divisions emerged. These divisions effectively ended the power of the dwarves in the region – they were divided into smaller factions and therefore easy prey for the larger bands of humanoids or the aggressive Rosens who wanted ownership of every single rock in their lands. Lamli’s slender grip on power finally gave way when a far superior force of orcs and hobgoblins ambushed his small band.

Legend has it that with all his companions dead Lamli was set upon by eight orcs and their cruel blades opened savage wounds that did not bleed. The story goes that the dwarf king’s innards were not flesh but granite. As he fell the orcs watched in disbelief as the very rock on which they fought swallowed him up. Although orcish accounts are not generally regarded as reliable the fear generated by the event has been past on and survived a century of re-telling.

Lamli was carried off by the earth to a cave where his wounds were tended by a striking woman in a long flowing silken gown made of pure white. The mysterious woman is alleged to have closed all of the dwarf’s wounds with just a gentle caress and when he asked her why she had done this she replied: “I have a task of thee, noble dwarf, and I will prolong your life until it is done. I want you to build your own tomb, Lamli son of Imlarn. This tomb shall be your greatest creation and a legacy to the achievements of your race.”

            “But to what purpose?” Lamli asked.

            “The purpose is shrouded from all living things but there will come a time when the tomb of Lamli will decide the nature of things. Construct a cache for yourself, a place where treasures untold can be stored in safety.”

            “But I have no gold to store, no gems to hoard.”

            “There is a treasure you possess, Lamli son of Imlarn…and in time it will be regarded as the most valuable commodity there is. Build this tomb, Lamli…build it and await your fate.”

The genius of the dwarf knew no bounds. He gave the construction two entrances. The first he made obvious, carved into the side of a small hill overlooking Rosengrad. This entrance took the unfortunate traveller deep into the ground and provided traps that would become a testimony to his cleverness and cruel nature. No individual could ever navigate the catacombs without falling foul to the dangerous pitfalls he laid out before him. Many hundreds of tomb robbers, thieves and cutthroats tried to outwit the dwarf’s traps…their skeletons lie about even now.

The second entrance is the real point of entry. No traps bar the way of the traveller here, but Lamli had to ensure that no one could stumble randomly upon the door. To that end he built the portal somewhere that no ordinary individual could reach. A threshold that few men or elves could ever see he made the secret entrance in the palace of the Rosen King. In fact legend has it that Archibald sleeps over the entrance every night without even knowing! Such was the dwarf’s skill it is impossible to detect the portal by sorcery, no thief could ever see the join. Lamli constructed the door in such a way that a series of taps and knocks strategically placed create a rhythm that will cause the door to swing open. A sprung loaded hinge will close the door behind you allowing five full seconds to enter. Once inside there is no way to open the door from the other side.

To open the portal: firstly identify the door. No easy task as there are no seams visible. Then tap twice from the top left to the bottom right, then from the top right to bottom left until finally a hefty kick in the dead centre.

The tunnel descends down into the Old Citadel via thick walls, natural caves and hidden recesses. It is not possible to identify the tunnel from outside as it is not linear and forms a greater network of disused catacombs. Upon opening the portal in Archibald’s bedroom the rock at your feet is arranged in such a way as to guide you through to the tomb itself…without opening the door there is no way of determining what the formation is. Lamli has created many blind tracks in the hidden citadel to fool those who think they have stumbled upon it.

Rumour has it that King Archibald (or more likely his predecessors) came to an agreement with Lamli and were allowed to store the more valuable treasures of Rosengrad in safety. This stash of wealth is a red herring. Though it is loosely connected with the tomb itself the real legacy can only be accessed via the secret passage situated somewhere in the bedchamber of the Rosen King.

To this day scholars believe that Lamli exists, his life extended by the mysterious woman in white. Much speculation as to what lies at the tomb has been given. Whole academies spend much time debating, theorising and pondering on the subject of Lamli and his tomb. Many disagree with each other, some even come to blows, but the most telling research on the dwarf comes from another work. A part of a text on Rosen construction gives some indication as to the nature of the tomb. A Rosen worker that worked closely with Lamli centuries ago wrote it as an account. An excerpt is below:

            “…the dwarf is the strangest creature I have ever seen. True enough I have met many of the little folk but Lamli is different. It is though the rock actually loves him, and he it. The hardest granite bends to his will as though it was nothing more than a piece of parchment. But this is not sorcery for I am versed in such things. The dwarf king is from stone, I swear it. No cuts or grazes adorn his body…the very earth itself will not dare to mark his skin, not dare to spoil his complexion.

            “Yesterday he created a door that when closed showed no seam. It was astonishing! Even the most experienced of our gang could not discover the location. But it was the woman who astonished us most…and the deep adoration that she had for the dwarf. It was if she could not see his ugly face or stunted appearance - as though she was seeing beauty that was well hidden. I went perhaps closer than I should and saw her hand the dwarf a dagger…a seemingly ordinary gift until I got closer…where I could see the leather on the hilt. Only it was not leather, it was the folded wings of a small creature…and it stirred as though it had life!

            “She turned and smiled at me…it was as if she knew I would see the gift…as if she wanted me to be there. I never went back after that…instead I learnt to read, and then to write, and my life suddenly became more fruitful…”