Arch of Goolgog The Arch of Goolgog was an orc - made monumental arch in the Vast . It held a " portal " to the Battle of Bones in the Western Heartlands . History . The arch was constructed on the orders of the orc leader Goolgog Elvenbane to celebrate his great victory against elves and human s in ancient times . To that end , it was fashioned from the bones of the defeated enemies on the battlefield . Goolgog marched his whole army under the arch to demonstrate his triumph , before he returned to his base . In the late 11th century DR ( shortly after " circa " 1072 DR ) , followers of the god of the dead , Myrkul , Lord of Bones , arrived at the Arch of Goolgog . They built a hidden temple close by , and desired a swift means of joining their brethren near the Well of Dragons in the Battle of Bones . One of their number was a sorcerer , and they worked together to create a " portal " within the arch and linked it to the center of the Battle of the Bones valley . The priests also animated the bones of the arch to defend it against the unfaithful . Eventually , however , the temple to Myrkul was destroyed ( well before 1358 DR ) , and the priesthood scattered and took up with other gods . The clergy as a whole forgot about the " portal " , as well as the passphrase for it . In addition , the Cult of the Dragon attacked and pillaged the Myrkulyte temple near the Well of Dragons too , around 1312 DR , so all knowledge of the portal there was also lost . From time to time , adventurers came to the Arch of Goolgog , only to fall afoul of the skeletal defenders . One told how she lost two of her group to the skeletons , and expected their bones had joined the arch . Occasionally , restless skeletons in the Battle of Bones wandered through the active " portal " there and emerged from the Arch to terrorize people in the surrounding lands . However , all on the Vast side assumed these skeletons had simply climbed down from the Arch . There were too few living beings or undead still possessed of their minds in the Battle of Bones for the portal to become known . Thus , the " portal " itself was still completely unknown by 1372 DR . Geography . The Arch of Goolgog stood on a hill amid a desolate landscape , close to where the River Vesper emerged from the Earthspur Mountains . Description . The arch had a height of 8 feet ( 2 . 4 meters ) and a width of 4 feet ( 1 . 2 meters ) , wide enough to accommodate an orc or human walking through . It was constructed entirely of the bones of humans and elves , and very thick . It was marked with runes in ancient Orc , declaring " In this place , Goolgog Elvenbane and his armies crushed the puny humans and elves , eradicating them from his lands . " The other side of the " portal " was an unremarkable bone circle , barely distinguishable from the other bones lying in the Battle of Bones . Only the Myrkulites of old knew where to look for it . Properties . On the Arch of Goolgog side , the " portal " was activated by a passphrase , " By Myrkul and Jergal , I ask passage from these bones . " These words also allowed a traveler safe passage past the skeletal guardians . On the Battle of Bones side , the " portal " was continuously active , allowing creatures to wander through . The skeletal guardians were animated by powerful necromancy and were commanded to attack anyone who ventured within 20 feet ( 6 . 1 meters ) without saying the passphrase . When activated , they assembled themselves and climbed down the arch in macabre scene , before forming ranks and attacking the trespassers . When the threat was ended , they climbed back into the arch and disassembled .