Giants of the Star Forge

Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants offers a wealth of resources to help Dungeon Masters craft
their own adventures featuring some of D&D’s most enormous monsters. “Giants of the Star
Forge” draws on the ideas, maps, stat blocks, and other details in the pages of that book, standing
as an example of how to put all those pieces together.

You can use Glory of the Giants to help inspire alterations or expansions to this adventure, and
of course to help you create your own adventures and even whole campaigns with giants in
prominent roles.

Adventure Background
For pious giants, position in the ordning is everything. Brimskarda, a legendary fire giant smith,
is discovering what it means to fall in the ordning’s ranks. Various missteps in recent years have
imperiled her lofty station. To resecure her standing in the ordning and prove that she is still the
greatest smith among giants, Brimskarda has reclaimed the legendary Star Forge and set about
crafting her greatest creation yet: a titanic war machine called a runic colossus.

As proud as she is, Brimskarda knows that she lacks certain expertise necessary to complete her
work. To fill the gaps in her knowledge and learn the secrets of the Star Forge, Brimskarda has
kidnapped the renowned human smith Theldin and forced him to toil at the forge alongside her.
Complicating matters is the Star Forge’s most recent master, a red dragon named Akaanvaerd.
Brimskarda’s nephews have managed to draw Akaanvaerd away from his lair for now, but it’s
unclear how long they can keep the territorial dragon distracted.

Work on the runic colossus is almost complete. Unless capable heroes arrive to rescue Theldin or
defeat Brimskarda, it’s only a matter of time until the region is turned to ash by an angry red
dragon, a haughty fire giant, or a destructive war machine.

DESIGN NOTE

If you have Glory of the Giants, you can follow along with the process we used to create this
adventure. The basic adventure seed—“a fire giant captures a renowned Humanoid smith”—
comes from the Fire Giant Skill table (chapter 2), with additional inspiration from the “Magnum
Opus” adventure idea connected to the Star Forge (chapter 4). The name of the giant villain
comes from the Giant Names table (chapter 2), and the encounters within the Star Forge are
inspired by the Fire Giant Encounters table (chapter 3) and the Elemental Fire Encounters
table (chapter 3). The map of the Star Forge is in chapter 4. The giant wrestlers of Fireside
Monastery are firbolgs (chapter 6), and several other monsters in the adventure come from the
bestiary in chapter 6 (cinder hulk; fire giant forgecaller; fire giant of Evil Fire). Information
about fire giant bags (chapter 5) fills out the treasure characters might acquire along the way.

Running This Adventure

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This adventure is designed for 16th-level characters. It can be run in a single three- or four-hour
session.

The adventure begins when a noble emissary asks the characters to rescue the region’s greatest
smith. The emissary explains that a fire giant named Brimskarda kidnapped the smith and took
him to the Star Forge, a giant furnace built in the crater of a fallen star. The party can inquire at
the nearby Fireside Monastery for more details about their giant adversary and the Star Forge.
The monastery’s adherents offer the characters useful information, plus additional aid if the
characters compete in the monastery’s tests of strength.

To reach the Star Forge, the characters confront or circumvent fire giants battling a red dragon
atop the crater’s rim. Once in the crater, the characters might face Brimskarda’s minions around
the Star Forge. In the Star Forge itself, the characters meet Brimskarda, who is loath to give up
her prisoner without a fight. The adventure ends when the characters rescue the kidnapped smith.

Adventure Hooks
If the prospect of doing a good deed isn’t enough to entice the characters, you can further
motivate the party with either of the following hooks:

Acidic Lake. Water from the nearby mountain has become acidic, poisoning people, livestock,
and wildlife who drink from any of the nearby streams. Acid seeping from a fallen star into an
alpine lake is causing the pollution. Repairing the magical runestones at the lake’s center should
make the water safe again.

Legend of the Star Forge. The characters learn the location of the Star Forge, a furnace built by
giants eons ago at the spot where a star fell to the earth. A talented enough smith could use the
Star Forge to craft a legendary weapon or suit of armor. Word has it that one such smith has
recently been seen at the forge.

Getting Started
The adventure begins when the characters are approached by a knight named Evin Giltall (lawful
good, human knight). Evin beseeches the characters to rescue his uncle Theldin, who was
kidnapped by a fire giant named Brimskarda.

In the course of their conversation, Evin conveys the following points to the characters:

Forced Labor. A week ago, Brimskarda and her nephews visited the city from which Evin and
Theldin hail and demanded to speak with Theldin, a legendary crafter whose blades have made
the city rich and famous. Though he answered Brimskarda’s call, Theldin rejected the giant’s
demands for him to come with her to the Star Forge. Last night, the giants returned to the city
and took Theldin by force.

Star Forge. Giants built the Star Forge eons ago in a crater up the mountain. The site is named
after the fallen star that formed the crater and that the founding giants harnessed to power a
massive furnace.

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Fireside Monastery. Evin suggests the characters visit the ancient monastery partway up the
mountain. “The students there have a long tradition of fighting giants,” he says. “They might
know more about Brimskarda and the Star Forge.”

If prompted for a reward, Evin says the city can afford to offer 5,000 gp for Theldin’s safe
return. A character who succeeds on a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check can get Evin to
increase the reward to 8,000 gp and secures Evin’s promise that Theldin will craft the characters
a magic item in exchange for the party’s effort. “I’m sure Theldin would be happy to craft you
anything you like,” Evin says, “as long as he can do so from the comfort of his own forge.”

Once the players are ready to continue, proceed to the “Fireside Monastery” section below.

Fireside Monastery
The Fireside Monastery is the name of an ancient stone cloister about ten miles up the mountain
from Evin and Theldin’s home city and five miles downslope from the Star Forge. Ascetics and
mystics from all walks of life seek enlightenment within the monastery’s halls, including a
significant number of firbolgs (Humanoids believed to be distantly related to giants). The
Fireside Monastery’s most famous aspirants are hardy firbolg martial artists who call themselves
giant wrestlers.

Fireside Giant Wrestlers

A Fireside giant wrestler uses the firbolg wanderer stat block (see the appendix).

Meeting Diasma
The most senior giant wrestler at the Fireside Monastery is a lawful good firbolg named Diasma.
She meets the characters at the stone archway marking the monastery’s entrance, then ushers
them to a sitting room to answer their questions about the Star Forge.

Diasma conveys the following information to the characters during their conversation:

Acidic Lake. One of the runestones stabilizing the star beneath the Star Forge has been
damaged, causing dangerous acid to seep into the surrounding lake. The acidic lake has attracted
evil creatures from the Elemental Planes and poses great danger to anyone who goes near the
water. Giant smiths at the Star Forge once used magical rings to protect themselves against
acidic compounds; the characters might be able to find such rings in one of the shelters around
the lake.

Disgraced Giant. Diasma knows Brimskarda by reputation. Once the fire giant was well
regarded among her kin, holding a position of great power in what giants call the ordning.
However, Brimskarda’s standing has waned in recent years. Brimskarda’s scheme to kidnap
Theldin and exploit his skill is no doubt part of a plan to increase her standing, likely by using
Theldin to craft something horrible and deadly that will set Brimskarda apart from giantkind.

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Lair of the Red Dragon. Before Brimskarda’s takeover, an evil red dragon named Akaanvaerd
controlled the Star Forge. Brimskarda’s minions lured Akaanvaerd to the crater’s outskirts, but
it’s only a matter of time before the enraged dragon overcomes the fire giants and lays waste to
everyone in his lair.

After Diasma shares what she knows, she issues the party a challenge in exchange for further
help from the monastery. Run the “Fireside Contests” section below.

Roleplaying Diasma
Diasma is a serene but playful adventurer whose primary interests are giantkind and the natural
world. A few years ago, she took up residence at the Fireside Monastery, where she quickly rose
through the ranks to become one of the monastery’s best giant wrestlers. She still considers
herself an adventurer, though, and has recently begun to feel the itch of wanderlust. The
characters’ quest to rid the Star Forge of evil giants might just be the impetus Diasma needs to
leave the monastery and continue her adventuring career.

Diasma’s Challenge
Diasma questions whether the characters have what it takes to compete with fire giants. She
offers to put their skills to the test by challenging them to the monastery’s three Fireside contests.
To make the challenge more enticing, Diasma says that for each contest the characters win, she
will award the party some additional aid in their quest.

These contests are optional; the characters can proceed to the Star Forge at any time.

Fireside Contests
The Fireside contests are described below. They can be run in any order. The rules of the
Fireside contests are as follows.

Competitors. Any number of characters can partake in each contest, but each contest is held only
once. After hearing a contest’s objective, all the characters who wish to compete in the contest
must do so at the same time.

Objective. To win a contest, a character must complete the contest’s objective before the other
competitors. The objective for each contest is included in the contest descriptions that follow.

Opponent and Conduct. One Fireside giant wrestler competes in each contest against any
characters who take part. Purposefully dealing damage to another competitor immediately
disqualifies the attacker. Other forms of interference—such as tripping or distracting—are
permitted but are considered poor play. Using magic and supernatural abilities is not only
allowed but expected.

Prizes. As long as at least one character wins a contest, the party earns that contest’s prize. Each
contest’s prize is indicated in the contest’s description below. Regardless of how many
characters win a particular contest, only one prize is awarded per contest.

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Fire Giant’s Spirit
Diasma leads the party to the base of a 100-foot-tall cliff. A series of hempen ropes dangle from
the clifftop. Each competitor must climb one of these ropes. The first competitor to reach the
clifftop wins the contest. A competitor who stops touching one of the ropes at any point is
disqualified.

At the start of the contest’s second round, wrestlers atop the cliff dribble boiling oil down each
rope. A creature that starts its turn holding onto the oily rope takes 5 (2d4) fire damage, or half as
much damage with a successful DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. A creature must succeed on a DC
15 Strength (Athletics) check to climb an oily rope. Failing this check by 5 or more causes the
creature to fall.

Prize. If a character wins the contest of fire giant’s spirit, Diasma awards the party a potion of
fire giant strength.

Cloud Giant’s Grace

Each competitor must carry a 200-pound boulder across a 150-foot-wide lava field. If the
boulder touches the ground, the competitor is disqualified. The first competitor to reach the other
end of the lava field without dropping the boulder wins the contest.

The lava field is a smooth tract of hardened lava that still smolders with intense heat. A creature
that ends its turn touching the ground of the lava field takes 21 (6d6) fire damage.

At the start of the contest’s second round, a volcano erupts, sending large boulders crashing
down the mountainside. At the start of each competitor’s turn, the competitor must succeed on a
DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or have the prone condition. The boulders settle across the lava
field at the end of the second round, creating potential safe spots for competitors to jump
between to avoid touching the lava field.

Prize. If a character wins the contest of cloud giant’s grace, Diasma awards the party a potion of
flying.

Stone Giant’s Resolve

Each competitor must sit or stand atop a wooden post beneath a roaring waterfall. If a
competitor’s body ceases to be in contact with the wooden post, the competitor is disqualified.
The last competitor touching their wooden post wins the contest.

Each competitor is coated in a magical mud paste. After 1 minute, the paste hardens into a
protective barrier as hard as stone. However, a single movement causes the mud barrier to crack,
ruining its protection. After the paste is applied but before it hardens, each competitor can take a
place on a wooden post beneath a waterfall whose river has been temporarily dammed. The
contest begins when each competitor’s mud paste has hardened and the dam is removed.

This is a contest of willpower, not fortitude. The crashing waterfall is almost deafening, and the
sensation of being encased in mud is unpleasant. At the end of a mud-encased competitor’s turn,

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that competitor must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the competitor
flinches, causing the mud barrier to crack. If the barrier cracks, at the start of each of the
competitor’s turns, the competitor must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be pushed
15 feet from the waterfall and have the prone condition.

Prize. If a character wins the contest of stone giant’s resolve, Diasma awards the party a Quaal’s
feather token (tree).

Concluding the Contests

If the party wins two or more of the contests, Diasma is thoroughly impressed. She and three of
her fellow giant wrestlers offer to accompany the party to the Star Forge. Diasma explains that
while the giant wrestlers are convinced the characters can accomplish their goal, they want to
help, and they will relish the chance to practice their training against some fire giants.

Star Forge
The Star Forge is located in a large crater near the top of the mountain where a falling star struck
a ridge and displaced millions of tons of rock. The displaced rock formed a 150-foot-tall rim
around the crater’s basin. Snowmelt and precipitation gradually smoothed out the crater floor and
filled it with water. A mound of rubble forms an island in the crater’s center around the fallen
star, atop which ancient giants constructed the Star Forge.

From the Fireside Monastery, it’s a three-hour hike to the crater’s rim.

Battle on the Crater Rim

On the rim of the Star Forge’s crater, four fire giants harry the adult red dragon Akaanvaerd.
The five combatants move around the crater’s rim while fighting, effectively patrolling the
perimeter. If the characters don’t want to alert these enemies to their presence at the Star Forge,
they need to sneak toward the crater’s floor.

To sneak into the crater unseen, the party must make a group Dexterity (Stealth) check. The DC
is 23 to avoid the notice of Akaanvaerd. On a failed check, Akaanvaerd spots the characters, but
he doesn’t pursue them immediately. At your discretion, the dragon might arrive at the Star
Forge just in time to complicate (or simplify, depending on how things go) the party’s encounter
with Brimskarda.

To avoid only the fire giants’ notice, the DC of the group Dexterity (Stealth) check is 16. If the
characters fail this check, two fire giants break off and attack the party on the crater’s rim.

Wrestlers’ Aid. If any Fireside giant wrestlers are with the party, the wrestlers rush off to distract
the giants, and the characters automatically succeed on their group Dexterity (Stealth) check.
“We’ll hold them off,” one wrestler yells back excitedly. “Go to the Star Forge. We can take care
of a few runts!” In this case, Akaanvaerd and the fire giants are too confounded by the pesky
wrestlers to notice the characters.

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Beseeching Akaanvaerd
Parleying with a red dragon is a perilous feat, but a feat that bold characters might nonetheless
attempt.

If the characters defeat the four fire giants on the crater rim and supplicate themselves to the
dragon, Akaanvaerd swoops down to inspect the interlopers. He has no interest in the characters’
quest but considers whether he can use these little ones to further his own aims. Namely,
Akaanvaerd wants to seize his lair—the Star Forge—from the fire giants who invaded it.

A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check convinces

Akaanvaerd to refrain from attacking the characters as long as the fire giants remain at the Star
Forge. In this case, Akaanvaerd might fly ahead to soften up the fire giants before the characters
arrive, or he might retreat for a few hours to lick his wounds before returning to incinerate
anyone still in his lair.

Akaanvaerd is supremely proud and frames any alliance brokered with the characters as strictly a
favor on his part. Any insinuation to the contrary garners his scorn and foils any attempts at
negotiation.

Entering the Crater

Read aloud the following to describe what the characters see in the crater:

You stand atop a roughly circular ridge nestled into the mountainside. The ridge overlooks a
massive crater, in the center of which is a stone structure that glows brightly from within. A
shallow lake surrounds the island on which the stone structure stands. Similar, smaller structures
dot the lake’s shore. The way into the crater’s basin is a hazardous slope of loose scree.

From the crater’s rim, it’s a 150-foot descent to the lake’s edge. The safest path to the lake is a
series of switchbacks along the crater’s southern slope; a character can spot these switchbacks
with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check. Characters who take this path arrive at the
crater floor just south of area 1 (see the “Star Forge Locations” section). A creature that travels
by foot along any other part of the slope must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check
to maintain its balance on the hazardous scree. On a failed check, the creature tumbles down the
steep slope; the creature takes 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage and has the prone condition when it
reaches the crater floor.

Star Forge Features

Areas around the Star Forge share the following features:

Ceilings. The ceiling inside the Star Forge is 100 feet high. Ceilings in any of the shelters around
the lake are 50 feet high.

Light. The forge itself is a great housing of iron. Pipes extend from a central vessel, channeling
the radiance of the forge into a vent so bright it’s painful to look at. Giant runes etched on the

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iron flare with white light. The Star Forge sheds bright light for 100 feet and dim light for
another 100 feet. An Undead that starts its turn in the bright light takes 3 (1d6) radiant damage.
On a clear night, the light is visible for 300 miles.

Walls. The walls of the Star Forge and the shelters around the lake are made from stone
reinforced with iron. A 5-foot section of wall has AC 18, 20 hit points, and immunity to poison
and psychic damage.

Star Forge Locations

These locations are keyed to the map.

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DYSON LOGOS

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MAP: STAR FORGEVIEW PLAYER VERSION

1: Broken Bridge
Crumbling piers and shattered bits of arches are all that remain of this broken stone bridge.

When the characters reach the bridge, three apparitions of acidic mist float up from the lake
below to meet the party. The apparitions are vaguely human-shaped and are hostile toward the
characters. Each apparition uses the air elemental stat block with the following changes:

 The apparition has immunity to acid damage.

 The apparition’s Slam attack deals acid damage instead of bludgeoning damage.

2: Acidic Lake
A lake of bubbling water rings the island at the center of this crater. The water is violently
turquoise and radiates acrid vapors.

The lake is 10 feet deep along the shores and 30 feet deep at its deepest.

The compromised runestone in area 5 has enabled some of the fallen star beneath the Star Forge
to seep acid into the lake’s water. As long as the runestone is cracked, the water remains unsafe
to drink, touch, or even go near.

Acidic Fumes. A creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the water’s edge or anywhere in the
air within 100 feet above the water must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 21
(6d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that
starts its turn submerged in the water takes 42 (12d6) acid damage.

3: Iron Shelter
This massive iron dwelling sports large doors, furniture, and fixtures. The building is divided
into two chambers: a long bedchamber to the north and a workshop to the south. A simple
furnace—its light and heat humble compared to the Star Forge—fills one wall of the southern
chamber. Heaped in a pile near the furnace are metal building materials, gigantic pieces of rusty
armor, and a variety of oversized trinkets clearly made for giants. Two massive figures toil at the
furnace.

Two cinder hulks (see the appendix) loyal to Brimskarda stoke the forge in this shelter’s
southern room. They’ve been ordered to collect metal scraps from around the lake, melt them
down into ingots, and transfer the ingots to the Star Forge. The cinder hulks are hostile toward
the characters and attack them immediately.

Treasure. A character who searches the pile of trinkets finds two rings of resistance (acid) sized
for fire giants. A Medium or Small Humanoid can wear one of these rings like a bangle.

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Also within the pile is a stone medallion the size of a dinner plate, inscribed with the fire rune. A
character can repair the cracked runestone in area 5 by removing the runestone and replacing it
with this medallion.

Other Shelters. The other shelters around the lake have similar features and lie in different states
of disrepair, but none contain any items or creatures of interest.

4: Island Path
A wide dirt path slopes up the craggy island, connecting the shore to the south to a towering
stone structure at the isle’s northern tip. Standing in the middle of the road is a broad-shouldered
giant with dusky skin and flaming red hair. She wears intimidating armor made of jagged lava
rock and wields a searing scepter.

“None shall pass,” the giant intones. At these words, two serpentine creatures of living flame
slither to join her side.

Brimskarda’s most trusted companion, her sister Zohelm, guards the path to the Star Forge.
Zohelm is a fire giant of evil fire (see the appendix), and she is accompanied by
two salamanders she summoned from the Elemental Plane of Fire. The three guard the area of
the island south of the Star Forge and stamp out any intruders they find. They particularly enjoy
driving enemies toward the nearby lake and throwing them into its acidic waters.

Treasure. Zohelm carries the following items in a velvet-lined bag at her hip: six giant-sized iron
ingots and a diagram showing how to make a spiked tower shield. The bag also contains 110 sp,
90 ep, 100 gp, and 9 pp.

5: Cracked Runestone
Four fifty-foot-tall pillars of red stone stand before the wide archways on the Star Forge’s south
wall. Runestones embedded in the pillars radiate white light, giving the impression that the
pillars are streaked with glowing veins of magma. One pillar glows notably brighter than the
others. A runestone halfway up the brightly glowing pillar is cracked.

The runestones embedded in these pillars form a magical ward. This ward contains the power of
the fallen star beneath the Star Forge. Brimskarda’s thunderous hammering on the Star Forge’s
anvil has caused a runestone on one of the pillars to crack.

Each pillar has AC 16, 30 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

Repairing the Runestone. A character who knows the Giant language can repair the cracked
runestone with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using either mason’s tools or the Sleight of
Hand skill. Failing the check causes the runestone to break. Alternatively, any character can
remove the cracked runestone and replace it with the stone medallion in area 3 (see “Treasure”).

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If the runestone is repaired, the light seeping from the pillar dims, and the wards containing the
fallen star restabilize. Any acid damage dealt by the acidic lake water (see area 2) is halved.
After 1d10 days, the lake’s water becomes safe to drink.

If the runestone breaks, the light of the fallen star beneath the Star Forge shines even more
intensely, and more acid seeps from the star into the surrounding lake. The Star Forge sheds
bright light for 200 feet and dim light for another 200 feet. Any acid damage dealt by the acidic
lake water (see area 2) is doubled.

6: Star Forge
Archways on the south, east, and west walls vent scorching heat from this high-ceilinged forge
chamber. The heat comes from a blazing furnace set into the north wall. An enormous anvil—
thirty feet wide and ten feet tall—dominates the chamber’s center. Kneeling atop the anvil is a
begoggled, middle-aged human hammering together pieces of metal. The human wears a
glowing shackle around one ankle; the shackle is attached to a long metal chain wrapped around
the anvil’s base. Looming in the chamber’s corner is a partially constructed war machine of stone
and steel shaped like a giant warrior.

If the characters haven’t yet faced Brimskarda, add the following when you describe the room to
your players:

A heavily armored giant with iron-gray skin and brassy hair hammers a piece of red-hot metal at
the anvil. Like the human, she wears dark-tinted goggles to protect her eyes from the blinding
light of the furnace.

The giant smith is Brimskarda, a lawful evil fire giant forgecaller (see the appendix). Theldin
(neutral good, human commoner) toils alongside his kidnapper, performing the work that
requires finer movements.

Brimskarda has no interest in negotiating with the characters or bartering for Theldin’s freedom.
All she wants is to reaffirm her lofty position in the ordning. To achieve her goal, she requires
Theldin’s expert, nimble hands. Together the smiths will soon complete what Brimskarda is sure
will be her magnum opus: a titanic war machine called a runic colossus. Theldin fears for his life
and therefore does whatever Brimskarda demands.

Brimskarda stays close to the furnace, knowing that her immunity to its intense heat and blinding
radiance gives her an edge in case of combat. If attacked, she fights to the bitter end, knowing
that to surrender to mere humans would heap the worst kind of shame on her name.

Blinding Furnace. A creature that starts its turn within 60 feet of the furnace must succeed on a
DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 22 (4d10) fire damage and have the blinded condition
until the start of the creature’s next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much
damage only.

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Brimskarda and Theldin wear protective goggles that make them immune to the furnace’s
blinding light. Brimskarda is immune to fire damage. The shackle Theldin wears is magical; as
long as the shackle is within 120 feet of the Star Forge, its wearer is immune to fire damage.

Giant Anvil. The anvil has AC 18; 250 hit points; and immunity to fire, poison, and psychic
damage. The anvil has immunity to all other damage unless it takes 25 or more damage from a
single attack or effect, in which case it takes damage as normal.

Freeing Theldin. Theldin is secured to the anvil by a 100-foot-long adamantine chain attached to
a locked shackle around his left ankle. A character can pick the lock with a successful DC 20
Dexterity check using thieves’ tools or the Sleight of Hand skill. Brimskarda carries the
manacle’s key in a pouch on her belt.

Treasure. Brimskarda carries everything she owns in a leather bag on her belt. The sack contains
three boulders (minus any she’s already thrown), a giant-sized leather apron stained with soot,
fragments of a fire opal (worth 60 gp), and a 3-foot-tall ceramic mug decorated with golden
paint. It also contains 270 sp, 60 ep, 90 gp, and 14 pp.

Destroying the Colossus. If the characters free Theldin, he insists they help him destroy the runic
colossus Brimskarda was building. He explains that the half-finished Construct is a weapon of
war capable of cataclysmic destruction, and the possibility that some other giant might find and
complete their work fills him with dread. The half-built colossus is a Huge object that has AC
20, 150 hp, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. To destroy it, the characters must
reduce it to 0 hit points and then feed the broken pieces into the furnace. If Brimskarda, her
nephews, Akaanvaerd, or any of the other residents of the crater remain alive, they might appear
(at your discretion) and interrupt this task. Otherwise, it’s safe to assume Theldin and the
characters can complete the task with about a half hour of work.

Conclusion
Once the characters free Theldin and return the smith to his home, they’ve completed their quest
and earned their reward. If the characters didn’t already coax such a promise from Evin at the
adventure’s outset, Theldin offers to craft a magic weapon or suit of armor for his saviors. This
could be a +2 weapon, a suit of +1 armor, or some other rare magic item of your choice.

If Theldin doesn’t return home safely, Evin and other members of the city’s royalty build a
funerary pyre to honor the smith and mourn his loss. Evin thanks the characters for their efforts
but cannot give them a reward; the city must preserve all the wealth it can now that its prized
smith is gone.

The fate of Brimskarda has a ripple effect on the region. Should the fire giant survive and retain
control of the Star Forge, it’s only a matter of time before she either completes her runic colossus
alone or kidnaps another capable smith to help her finish the job. Once her war machine is
complete, Brimskarda’s first order of business is to lay waste to the city that hired the
adventurers who nearly foiled her plot.

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In the event of Brimskarda’s death, the dragon Akaanvaerd once again claims the Star Forge as
his lair. It will likely be some time before another giant capable of challenging the dragon rises to
the occasion.

Appendix
Cinder Hulk
Cinder hulks are distant descendants of fire giants who isolated themselves from the world and
steeped themselves in the energy of the Elemental Planes. Over the course of centuries, these
giants were transformed into Elementals made of smoke and cinders. Half the size of their giant
ancestors, cinder hulks maintain the basic physical shape of fire giants, but ash and embers
billow around their barely cohesive physical forms.

Cinder hulks live in isolated enclaves in fiery locations on the Material Plane, in the Elemental
Planes of Air and Fire, and especially in the Great Conflagration, the border region between
those two planes. They retain none of the skills and motivation of their giant ancestors; they
simply want to burn as much as they can until their own flames are extinguished. When a cinder
hulk dies, it collapses into a billowing cloud of searing smoke.

CINDER HULK
Large Elemental, Typically Chaotic Evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points 84 (8d10 + 40)

Speed 40 ft.

STR
20 (+5)
DEX
12 (+1)
CON
20 (+5)
INT
9 (−1)
WIS
14 (+2)
CHA
10 (+0)
Saving Throws Dex +4, Con +8, Wis +5

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Skills Perception +5

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned

Senses passive Perception 15

Languages Giant, Ignan

Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3

Death Burst. When the cinder hulk dies, it leaves behind a cloud of cinders and smoke that fills a 10-foot-
radius sphere centered on its space. The sphere is heavily obscured. Any creature that moves into the area for
the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or take 10
(3d6) fire damage. The cloud lasts for 1 minute or until it is dispersed by strong wind.

Actions

Multiattack. The cinder hulk makes two Slam attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 10
(3d6) fire damage.

Wave of Cinders (Recharge 5–6). The cinder hulk emits a wave of smoldering ash from its face, hands, or
chest in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed
save, a creature takes 31 (7d8) fire damage and has the blinded condition until the end of its next turn. On a
successful save, a creature takes half as much damage only.

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RICCARDO MOSCATELLO

Firbolg Wanderer
Distant cousins of giants, the first firbolgs wandered the primeval forests of the multiverse, and
the magic of those forests entwined itself with the firbolgs’ souls. Ages later, that magic still
thrums inside firbolgs.

Firbolgs inspired by the saga of the giant god Diancastra embark on adventures to create their
own legends. These wanderers use their magic for trickery and disguise to emulate Diancastra.

FIRBOLG WANDERER
Medium Humanoid (Cleric), Any Alignment

Armor Class 16 (breastplate)

Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36)

Speed 30 ft.

STR

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 16 (+3)
DEX
14 (+2)
CON
16 (+3)
INT
14 (+2)
WIS
17 (+3)
CHA
16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Cha +6

Skills Perception +6, Persuasion +6, Stealth +5

Senses passive Perception 16

Languages Common, Giant

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3

Actions

Multiattack. The firbolg makes two attacks using Longsword, Bewitching Bolt, or a combination of them.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 8
(1d10 + 3) slashing damage if used with two hands, plus 9 (2d8) psychic damage.

Bewitching Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) psychic damage,
and the target must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or have the charmed condition until the start
of the target’s next turn.

Spellcasting. The firbolg casts one of the following spells, using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability (spell save
DC 14):

At will: mage hand, minor illusion, Tasha’s hideous laughter

1/day each: detect magic, disguise self, dispel magic, polymorph

Bonus Actions

Duplicitous Movement (1/Day). The firbolg projects an illusory duplicate of itself in an unoccupied space it
can see within 30 feet of itself. The firbolg can then swap places with the illusion. The illusion vanishes after 1
minute, if the firbolg is incapacitated, or if the illusion is more than 120 feet from the firbolg.

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As a bonus action on later turns, the firbolg can move the illusion up to 30 feet and can then swap places with
it.

DAWN CARLOS

Fire Giant Forgecaller

A fire giant who masters traditional rune magic can control the heat of a volcanic environment
and conjure raw elemental energy of fire and magma. In a fire giant community, these
forgecallers oversee both forges and the community’s defense, often in Surtur’s name. Some
forgecallers prefer to live and work in isolation, seeking the hottest fires in volcanoes’ hearts or
the Elemental Plane of Fire to pursue their own crafts and studies.

A forgecaller is a walking furnace, clad head to toe in plate armor that seems to barely contain
intense heat and billowing smoke. They conjure waves of magma and can fly by jetting magical
fire from their legs and body.

FIRE GIANT FORGECALLER

Huge Giant (Cleric), Any Alignment

Armor Class 18 (plate)

Hit Points 312 (25d12 + 150)

Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

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 STR
25 (+7)
DEX
11 (+0)
CON
23 (+6)
INT
16 (+3)
WIS
21 (+5)
CHA
18 (+4)
Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +9, Wis +11

Skills Athletics +13, Perception +11

Damage Immunities fire

Senses passive Perception 21

Languages Common, Giant

Challenge 18 (20,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +6

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the giant fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Fire Rune. The giant has a fire rune inscribed on a medallion or some other object in its possession. While
holding or wearing the object bearing the rune, the giant can use its Magma Wave action and Furnace Armor
bonus action.

The object bearing the rune has AC 15; 40 hit points; and immunity to necrotic, poison, and psychic damage.
The object regains all its hit points at the end of every turn, but it turns to dust if reduced to 0 hit points or
when the giant dies. If the rune is destroyed, the giant can inscribe a fire rune on an object in its possession
when it finishes a short or long rest.

Actions

Multiattack. The giant makes three Forge Hammer attacks or two Heated Rock attacks.

Forge Hammer. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (5d6 + 7) bludgeoning
damage. Hit or Miss: The giant can cause the hammer to emit a burst of heat in a 30-foot-radius sphere
centered on the target. Metal objects in that area glow red-hot until the start of the giant’s next turn. Any
creature in physical contact with a heated object at the start of its turn must make a DC 19 Constitution saving
throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 10 (3d6) fire damage and has disadvantage on attack rolls until the

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start of its next turn unless it has immunity to fire damage. The hammer can emit heat in this way only once
per turn.

Heated Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d10 + 7) bludgeoning
damage plus 19 (3d12) fire damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 21
Strength saving throw or have the prone condition. After the giant throws the rock, roll a d6; on a roll of 3 or
lower, the giant has no more rocks to throw.

Magma Wave (Requires Fire Rune). The giant emits a wave of magma from its fire rune in a 30-foot cone.
Each creature in that area must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 36
(8d8) fire damage and has the restrained condition. As an action, a creature can make a DC 19 Strength
(Athletics) check, freeing itself or a creature within its reach from the rock on a success. The rock restraining
each creature has AC 17; 20 hit points; and immunity to fire, poison, and psychic damage. On a successful
save, a creature takes half as much damage only.

Bonus Actions

Furnace Armor (Requires Fire Rune). The giant causes smoke and cinders to billow from its armor, filling a
30-foot-radius sphere centered on the giant. While the armor is billowing smoke, the giant has half cover. The
armor stops billowing smoke after 1 minute, when the giant dies, when the giant uses a bonus action to end the
effect, or when the giant’s fire rune is destroyed.

Fire Giant of Evil Fire

A fire giant is born around flame, works with flame, and lives among flames, but a fire giant who
gazes into flames too deeply may see the Prince of Evil Fire, Imix, gazing back. Giants who fall
to Imix’s corruption might leave their homes to join with like-minded cultists, but others remain
within their communities to pursue Imix’s destructive agenda.

A fire giant of Evil Fire forges a set of armor and weapons in flames blessed by Imix. The giant
can then call on these magical flames to strike the foes of the Eternal Flame. The armor forged in
these flames welds to the flesh, so while the giant isn’t burned, the armor can’t be removed once
donned. When the giant dies, the armor explodes as a final gift from the All-Consuming Fire.

FIRE GIANT OF EVIL FIRE

Huge Giant, Typically Lawful Evil

Armor Class 18 (plate)

Hit Points 150 (12d12 + 72)

Speed 30 ft.

STR
25 (+7)
DEX

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 9 (−1)
CON
23 (+6)
INT
10 (+0)
WIS
19 (+4)
CHA
14 (+2)
Saving Throws Con +10, Wis +8, Cha +6

Skills Athletics +11, Perception +8

Damage Immunities fire

Senses passive Perception 18

Languages Common, Giant, Ignan

Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +4

Shrapnel Explosion. When the giant drops to 0 hit points, its armor explodes, destroying the giant’s body and
scattering the armor as shrapnel. Creatures within 10 feet of the giant when its armor explodes must make a
DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
successful one.

Actions

Multiattack. The giant makes two Searing Scepter attacks or two Bolt of Imix attacks.

Searing Scepter. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d6 + 7) bludgeoning
damage plus 9 (2d8) fire damage, and the target is magically branded. While branded in this way, the target
becomes visible if it’s invisible, can't become invisible, and sheds dim light in a 5-foot radius. The brand
disappears after 24 hours, or it can be removed from a creature or an object by any spell that ends a curse.

Bolt of Imix. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d10 + 4) fire damage, and the
target must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or have the frightened condition until the end of the
target’s next turn.

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