Dwarrow Henge is one of the few ruins in Endon that shows a combination of dwarven architecture and mysticism. The dwarves, always a secretive and reclusive race to outsiders, keep their ceremonies mainly to the deep halls of their stone-hewn cities, but the Henge is on a surface cavern, and for good reason. It honours the phases of the moon - which the dwarves believe affects the purity of metals. 

It consists mainly of one large chamber and several antechambers for priests and priestesses in times past, and is unusual in that it does not have any channels or passages to other dwarven colonies: all entry is via the surface world. 

History with the Dwarrow

The Henge near Endon's Pass has been there since long before the westward migration of the dwarves and their settlement in the Iron Mountains, but their people immediately recognised the power of this sacred site, and made efforts to protect and sanctify it. In the times before the Kingdom of Endon expanded its territory to the castle at Endon’s Pass, the Henge had a constant guard of dwarven cultists, though diplomatic relations have since caused that guard to dwindle and leave. 

There has been some discussion about the nature of the name of Dwarrow Henge: most modern scholars argue that the use of the word ‘dwarrow’ in the title simply refers to the dwarven population seen by the human explorers, that word being an archaic plural of ‘dwarf’. But there have been rumours of a sub-race of dwarves, the true Dwarrow, that might be the real originator of the name. 

Entrance to the Underdark

It has been long since the Henge was used for the purpose, and none alive today can know precisely why the Elder Giants who constructed the Henge would want a long-term gateway to the Underdark, but the Henge is still accessible to any who know its secrets. Every year, on the autumn equinox – one of two days of the year when the day and the night are of equal length – the area between the stones opens into a portal between the surface world and the Underdark, a series of massive underground caves. The gate may be entered from either side, so if you are nearby on the autumn equinox, be warned. 

Cult of the Dwarrow Henge

It is only a rumour on the wind to most, but the Cult of the Dwarrow Henge still has a following in modern Endon. These zealous fanatics believe that the Henges were left as a sign that there should be open passage between Endon and the worlds that they lead to continuously, and that the declining state of magic in the world is responsible for them being open only one day a year. Their aim is to open them continuously, but whatever means necessary.

The cultists of Dwarrow Henge are focussed on the creatures and threats beyond the portal, performing eldritch rituals and promising a future in which those beings from the Underdark may pass freely into Endon… 

Harvesting the Henge

The Henge, even when not an active and open portal to the Underdark, is still an area of massive magical activity. None alive know precisely what powers the stones – theories range from leylines to the primal energies of the world’s creator – but they can, if harnessed, increase the power of rituals, spells and magical experiments. 

In more recent times, a young wizard - recently expelled from the magical academy in Endon’s Pass - has made his lair at the Henge, leeching the power from the site. He is not aggressive, but his presence is an affront, as are the rituals that he has been performing.