Candlestone Caverns

The Candlestone Caverns are a vast labyrinth of living limestone tunnels and caves located in the northeastern Aspodell Mountains of Andoran near the border with Cheliax. They were exposed only two centuries ago in an earthquake.¹ Deep below the Candlestone Caverns is the Endless Gulf, a rift in Golarion's crust that connects to the Darklands realms of Nar-Voth, Sekamina, and Orv.²

History

The Candlestone Caverns have a history that predates their more recent discovery. They once served as a back door of sorts from the Darklands to the dwarven kingdom of Tar Taargadth in the Five Kings Mountains. Orcs surged up from the Darklands through the Caverns in 1551 AR, tearing through a number of undermanned garrisons that sat at its entrances. After Tar Taargadth fell, the dwarves sealed the surface entrances to the caverns. The caverns lay hidden for centuries, home to kobolds, gremlins, duergar, dark fey and other creatures from below. When the dwarven state of Tar Khadurrm rose in the early 3200s, its rulers kept watch over the sealed entrances. When Tar Khadurrm collapsed, the caverns faded from memory entirely. The great earthquake of 4510 AR exposed new openings to the caverns, unleashing tides of subterranean raiders upon the human settlements in rural Andoran.³

Inhabitants

The caverns themselves are inhabited by dangerous vermin,⁴ kobolds of the Black Claw tribe,⁵ duergar, and undead, although the main denizens are numerous tribes of gremlins and other subterranean fey. The Caverns provide the most direct route from the surface to the Nar-Voth settlement of the fey known as the Court of Ether.⁴

Dangerous creatures from deeper in the Darklands find their way up through the caverns as well, and pose a threat to the local denizens as well as the nearby surface-dwellers. The clever kobolds of the Black Claw tribe have responded to this by creating a series of one-directional tunnels bypassing their territory and leading directly to the surface. In this way, many of the abominations which might never see the light of day are provided with a direct and unobstructed route to Andoran, much to the consternation of the local humans. The kobolds have thus unintentionally given those able to track the Darkland creature's tracks an easy, trap-free path from the surface into the Darklands.⁵

Places of Interest

The Gallery of Wonders⁶⁷
Mushroom Caves⁷
Black Claws' Caves: a series of well-defended caves which serve as the home of the Black Claws⁷
The Vault: a series of caves used as a prison by the Black Claws⁷
The Maze: a labyrinth of tunnels rumored to hide great treasures⁷
Troglodyte Burrows: a cave complex claimed by a clan of troglodytes⁷
Ruins of Fort Durak: a dwarven fortress ruined after the fall of Tar Khadurrm⁸
Black Siren Citadel: a fortress of the drow⁸
Ghelib's Fissure⁸
Tenebros River⁸
The Thundering Gates⁸
Ether Outpost⁸
Tar Vermilon: caves expanded into a fortress by a group of duergar⁸
Cavern Dragon's Tomb⁹
Kaldrifjaur Lake: a vast subterranean lake formed by the Tenebros River⁹
Nightclaw Caves⁹
The Shining Grotto⁹
Route to the Midnight Mountains⁹

References

Paizo published a major article about the Candlestone Caverns in Chapter 1 of Dungeons of Golarion.

For additional resources, see the Meta page.

↑ James Jacobs et al. (2011). "The Inner Sea". The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 45. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
↑ Robert Brookes, Eleanor Ferron, Michelle Jones, Alex Riggs, and Nicholas Wasko. (2017). Heroes of the Darklands, p. 18. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-936-3
↑ Anthony Pryor. (2011). Candlestone Caverns. Dungeons of Golarion, p. 5. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-304-0
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 James Jacobs and Greg A. Vaughan. (2008). Into the Darklands, p. 4. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-140-4
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Hal Maclean, Colin Moulder-McComb, Jason Nelson, Jonathan Keith, and Hank Woon. (2010). Andoran, Spirit of Liberty, p. 8. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-205-0
↑ James MacKenzie. (2009). The Beggar's Pearl, p. 7. Paizo Publishing, LLC.
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 ^7.4 ^7.5 Anthony Pryor. (2011). Candlestone Caverns. Dungeons of Golarion, p. 5. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-304-0
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 ^8.3 ^8.4 ^8.5 ^8.6 Anthony Pryor. (2011). Candlestone Caverns. Dungeons of Golarion, p. 6. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-304-0
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 ^9.3 ^9.4 Anthony Pryor. (2011). Candlestone Caverns. Dungeons of Golarion, p. 7. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-304-0

[ISWG-45-1] James Jacobs et al. (2011). "The Inner Sea". The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 45. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2

[2] Robert Brookes, Eleanor Ferron, Michelle Jones, Alex Riggs, and Nicholas Wasko. (2017). Heroes of the Darklands, p. 18. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-936-3

[3] Anthony Pryor. (2011). Candlestone Caverns. Dungeons of Golarion, p. 5. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-304-0

[ID4-4] 4.0 ^4.1 James Jacobs and Greg A. Vaughan. (2008). Into the Darklands, p. 4. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-140-4

[ASL8-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Hal Maclean, Colin Moulder-McComb, Jason Nelson, Jonathan Keith, and Hank Woon. (2010). Andoran, Spirit of Liberty, p. 8. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-205-0

[6] James MacKenzie. (2009). The Beggar's Pearl, p. 7. Paizo Publishing, LLC.

[DoG5-7] 7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 ^7.4 ^7.5 Anthony Pryor. (2011). Candlestone Caverns. Dungeons of Golarion, p. 5. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-304-0

[DoG6-8] 8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 ^8.3 ^8.4 ^8.5 ^8.6 Anthony Pryor. (2011). Candlestone Caverns. Dungeons of Golarion, p. 6. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-304-0

[DoG7-9] 9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 ^9.3 ^9.4 Anthony Pryor. (2011). Candlestone Caverns. Dungeons of Golarion, p. 7. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-304-0

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