Smoke still lingered in the air above Hollowpeak Pass, a grim reminder of the battle that had secured Gorak's first fortress. The Ashfang banner fluttered proudly from the tallest watchtower, but Gorak's mind was already elsewhere—deep in the heart of the mountains, where legends spoke of a metal forged in the blood of the earth: Stoneblood Steel.
Within the newly claimed war room, maps and fragments of forgotten texts were spread across a makeshift stone table. Drask leaned in, his brow furrowed.
"Stoneblood?" he muttered. "Sounds like another fairy tale. The kind old war-gnashers tell pups to keep them from wandering too deep."
Gorak traced a path along a faded map. "It's real. The Flamehide Warlords used it to craft weapons that never dulled and armor that turned aside dragonfire. If we're to build a kingdom, we need more than numbers. We need steel that can outlast an empire."
Drask gave a grunt, both skeptical and intrigued. "And where do you think this magical metal sleeps?"
Gorak pointed to the jagged ravines east of Hollowpeak, beyond the spider-choked woods. "The Blackvein Crevice. Old miners used to dig there, before the quakes swallowed their tunnels. Some never came back. But the ore they brought out—dark, heavy, almost humming with energy—matches the old records."
They would not go alone.
Gorak assembled a scouting force: six warriors, including two Beastborn Ironshields newly outfitted from Hollowpeak's forge. Supplies were packed, maps folded, and Flamefang sheathed in leather wrappings to hide its glow. They departed at dawn, the wilderness thick with mist and silence.
The path grew treacherous within hours. Thick woods gave way to uneven terrain, and strange claw marks scored trees at odd intervals.
"Smells wrong here," one of the scouts muttered, fingers twitching near his blade.
They made camp near dusk, half a league from the entrance to Blackvein Crevice. A cold wind blew through the canyon's mouth like a whisper from the dead. Gorak stood watch that night, staring into the darkness where the stars didn't shine.
At dawn, they descended.
The entrance was half-collapsed, but still passable. Inside, the tunnels sloped downward at a steady angle. The deeper they went, the warmer it grew. Black stone glittered faintly under torchlight, and strange humming vibrations resonated beneath their boots.
"What is this place?" one of the warriors asked, voice hushed.
Gorak stopped. "A graveyard. And a forge."
They passed rusted mining carts, shattered pickaxes, and dried blood trails that led nowhere. Something had gone terribly wrong here long ago. Still, Gorak pushed forward, following a pulse he felt more than heard.
Hours passed. They reached a chamber wider than any before—domed and echoing, with a collapsed forge at its center. But more important was the ore embedded in the walls: black as night, veined with red. It pulsed faintly.
"Stoneblood Steel," Gorak whispered.
Before they could begin mining, a screech rang through the tunnel behind them.
From the shadows came creatures—twisted, eyeless, all teeth and claws. Cave-ghouls.
"Form up!" Drask roared.
The creatures attacked in waves. Claws scraped against shields. Fangs snapped at exposed limbs. Flamefang cleaved through two at once, and the chamber lit with Ember Slash's fire. But more kept coming.
"Fall back to the chokepoint!" Gorak ordered. "We hold there!"
They retreated into a narrow corridor where only two ghouls could pass at a time. Drask and the Ironshields formed a wall, while Gorak struck from behind.
Minutes passed like hours. Then, silence. The last ghoul fell, twitching.
Gorak stood over it, chest heaving. "We'll come again. With miners. Guards. This place... it's ours now."
[Quest Progress: Forge of Flamehide – Step 2 Complete]
Stoneblood Steel Vein Discovered: Blackvein Crevice SecuredSpecial Resource Unlocked: Stoneblood Ore (x400 – Initial Extraction)
Back at Hollowpeak, the forge's fires burned anew. The first weapons forged from the ore glimmered with dark promise.
The war for the wilds had only just begun.