The Fortress of Mad King Bitterstone

Long ago, Seamus Bitterstone was a proud and just dwarven king. He was well-loved by his clan, and artisans from across the land came to have their wares displayed in his Hall of Excellence. The Bitterstone fortress was located under a great hill, and boasted a network of mines which tunneled deep into the earth. It was in these mines that King Bitterstone's madness began.

After receiving a beautiful onyx and ruby statue into the Hall of Excellence, King Bitterstone's temperament began to change. At first he began wandering the halls, then demanding to lead the mining expeditions. His clan was joyous at first – the greatest dwarven kings always led from the front, whether in battle or mining. But soon the King started claiming the most precious metals and gemstones for himself, instead for for the clan as was traditional. Where were some murmurs of dissent, but no dwarf is short of a lust for wealth.

Then, the King laid claim to all the crafted works in the Hall of Excellence. This had long been a place for the crafters to display their works for a time, before selling them or putting them to work. It was a great honor to be accepted into the Hall, and guaranteed a craftsman's recognition by his peers. The King betrayed this reputation and denied all requests to return his newly acquired treasures. Several mages had created massive Golems to be displayed, and Bitterstone activated these machines and set them upon any who attempted to enter the Hall.

Over the years, he grew paranoid and convinced that everyone was jealous of his wealth. He closed the fortress to all those outside his clan, though by this point few wanted to visit. Eventually, he killed or exiled all the members of his clan as well. With his final breath, it is said, Mad King Bitterstone collapsed the entrance to his great Fortress, forever ensuring the sanctity of his treasures.

In time, the Mad King faded from the memories of the people, and the location of his great fortress was lost. Many explorers and treasure hunters search the wind-swept hills and rocky crags to the north, where the fortress is believed to exist. If one found even a fragment of the hoard gathered by King Bitterstone, it would make them rich beyond imagination.

(I'm going to be designing The Fortress of Mad King Bitterstone as a low level dungeon for Castles and Crusades, using the Engineering Dungeons book I just got. Stay tuned for the layout and description!)