Heart of the Earth

The Heart of the Earth is the legendary forge deep beneath the surface of Ardrana where many of the world's artifacts are said to have been created. The most important of these are Black Razor and the Sword of the Ancients, created by the Dwarven smith Torth and his son, Zedek. Torth is said to have been guided from his home in the Jhakad Mountains to the forge by The Great Hand, as it had been created by the gods themselves rather than any mortal.

There are said to be two ways to reach the Heart: from the Jhakad (holy place of Severn) and from the lost city of Dekh (holy place of Gazhon), located on opposite sides of the world. It is said that any artifact created in this forge can only be destroyed in it as well. It is also said that it will only be found again when the end of days grows close, as it has been prophesied that the two great swords must be destroyed before the world ends.

If the Heart of the Earth is indeed a real place, its location has been lost in the mists of time, despite millenia of searching by the many folk who wish to learn its secrets. However, the recent discovery of what may be the ruins of Dekh have raised the possibility that the time of its return may be near at hand.