Mount Hotenow
| “ | They call this place Hotenow. I call it mine. | „ |
| ~ Karrundax the Red about Mount Hotenow. |
Mount Hotenow is an active volcano presented in Dungeons & Dragons franchise. It is situated to the northeast of the city of Neverwinter on the Sword Coast North, deep in Neverwinter Wood. It is home to a large population of fire elementals, warming the Neverwinter River to the point where it never froze over, even in the heart of winter (hence the city's name). It is infamous for a massive eruption that destroyed the city of old Neverwinter.
History
Before its erpution, Mount Hotenow was once surrounded by a beautiful forest. The volcano that erupted is still flowing and does not allow for plant life to live long. Beneath the mountain, within its roots lies the fabled Gauntlgrym, ancestral home of the Delzoun Dwarves. It was within Gauntlgrym that the legendary Bruenor Battlehammer fell after defeating a Pit Fiend, all in an effort to trap once again the Primordial that destroyed the old Neverwinter in 1452 DR, a decade before the MMORPG's storyline.
The tragedy happened all of a sudden. In the Year of Knowledge Unearthed (1451 DR), a small adventuring party rediscovered the ancient dwarven city of Gauntlgrym beneath the volcano. The party, consisting of Dahlia Sin'felle, Korvin Dor'crae, Valindra Shadowmantle, Athrogate and Jarlaxle Baenre, made it all the way to the legendary forges. There, the latter two were betrayed by their Thayan allies, with Athrogate hypnotically forced to activate the forge. This briefly awoke the primordial Maegera, who, in a fit of rage, released a burst of energy so powerful that it forced the eruption of the volcano. The resultant earthquake and combination of smoke and lava destroyed much of Neverwinter, killing thousands. Fortunately, Bruenor Battlehammer defeated the Pit Fiend to put Maegra into slumber in time.
Even after the rebuild of Neverwinter, however, the volcano never stops its rage. Evil has never leave it along either. When Mount Hotenow erupted, an exiled fire giant, known as Gommoth the twisted, who dwelt on its slopes felt the power of the primordial Maegra. Dedicating himself to her, he formed a cult of fire-worshiping creatures, seeking to full reawaken her so that she might set all of Faerûn ablaze, causing chaos that is thousands of times worse that the destruction of the old Neverwinter. So great was Gommoth's might that he even gained an alliance with the red dragon, Karrundax the Red, who made Mount Hotenow its lair. Ultimately, the Heroes of Sleeping Dragon Bridge slew both Karrundax and Gommoth, preventing Maegra's return.
However, in Elemental Evil arc, where Hotenow is highly referenced though not appeared, the terror returned when Vanifer and her Cult of the Eternal Flame, worshipers of Imix, conquered Gauntylgrym and built Fiery Pit and the Fire Beacon to awake Magera. The remaining minions of Gommoth, alongside fiery creatures of Hotenow, joins the fire cult for destruction. However, the plan was foiled, thanks to the adventurers from the Sleeping Dragon Bridge, and Vanifer escaped with her remaining cultists.
In Underdark arc, Mount Hotenow returns once again as the lair of Candelaria, a red witch of Thay. As the adventurers tracking Candelaria after confronting her, Captain Belgold's scouts soon located Candelaria's lair within Mount Hotenow, and the heroes wasted no time traveling there. Within the depths of the volcano, they faced down and slew the red wizard, reclaiming Bruenor's helm.
Gallery
Trivia
- The volcan's name is a play on 2 words "hot" and "now".