The Black Keep
"Don't look at it, don't think about it, and if you go there... don't come back."Traveling south from Glistel along the trade routes leads through the eastern spur of the Broken Spine Mountains, and at rare times one can spot a feature of black stone on the slopes of the mountains. Most merchant caravans make it a point to travel past this segment of the road during daylight, never at night, and refuse to acknowledge the presence of the ruin. Expeditions run by the Allied Adventurers Guild have either come back with warnings not to disturb the site... or not at all. Freelancers have been known to disappear into the ruin, ignoring warnings, only to never resurface. Historically, it took a great deal of alcohol-assisted prying to get veteran adventurers to talk about what was found there.
According to records, the layout of the ruins resembled an old castle built directly into the side of the mountain. The stone walls appeared to be pulled directly from the mountain instead of cut and assembled, and were stained black by some intense heat - or magic. The front gate had been covered by a black metallic material, tentatively identified as adamantine, leaving no clear way of entering. This slab of metal had been etched with glowing script in elven language, which is a warning against trespassing. "By order of the Lady Amerastacia, this place has been sealed. Do not enter, and do not permit anything to leave this place. Lord Ivanir Holimion."
Contrasting this are four simple words in dwarf runes along the bottom edge, precisely chiseled into the metal. "Don't open, devils inside."
History
During the eras when legends and myths were being shaped, Dormandred the Black King ruled much of the territory which is now Helenic. His penchant for summoning entities from other realms had earned him a sinister reputation, and while his legacy is safe in key portions of conjuration magic today there are few history tomes which reference him as anything other than a myth. It is believed by scholars the Black Keep is what remains of one border fortress, created by shaping the stone out from the mountain through arcane magic and similarly reinforcing it. There are no records about why it was abandoned, which lends credence to theories it was one of Domandred's fortresses.
When Parseil was a major power in the region, the Black Keep went largely ignored. It was far too early for Glistel to exist, and thus there were no trade routes passing its location. Most travelers would move south to the Old Alishan Way or head north for other passages. Even when Glistel's founders found the Keep, it had apparently already been sealed. After scouts scaled the walls to enter the courtyard and did not return, it was determined the site was too dangerous to prod any further. Inquiries to elven enclaves were met with a simple response: "Everything of importance was written on the seal. Do not disturb it."
Recently the Allied Adventurers Guild has had some groups try to enter it as well and determine what was within which could be so dangerous. Of the groups who undertook the challenge, only the members who remained outside the walls returned and told their stories. There were said to be loud voices in an unknown language spoken inside, the sounds of a pitched battle, and then silence. Attempts to contact those who entered the Keep were unsuccessful, as was divination magic meant to see inside. Some posited the mention of "devils inside" referred to conjured forces which had not been dismissed by the previous owner, and these were strong enough to repel all curious intruders.
When Parseil was a major power in the region, the Black Keep went largely ignored. It was far too early for Glistel to exist, and thus there were no trade routes passing its location. Most travelers would move south to the Old Alishan Way or head north for other passages. Even when Glistel's founders found the Keep, it had apparently already been sealed. After scouts scaled the walls to enter the courtyard and did not return, it was determined the site was too dangerous to prod any further. Inquiries to elven enclaves were met with a simple response: "Everything of importance was written on the seal. Do not disturb it."
Recently the Allied Adventurers Guild has had some groups try to enter it as well and determine what was within which could be so dangerous. Of the groups who undertook the challenge, only the members who remained outside the walls returned and told their stories. There were said to be loud voices in an unknown language spoken inside, the sounds of a pitched battle, and then silence. Attempts to contact those who entered the Keep were unsuccessful, as was divination magic meant to see inside. Some posited the mention of "devils inside" referred to conjured forces which had not been dismissed by the previous owner, and these were strong enough to repel all curious intruders.
The Inhabitants
Regarding the Inhabitants
The Black King did indeed use the old structure for his purposes, but it was not originally a fortified location. Rather, it was a laboratory for summoning rituals. Dormandred used several of these for his experiments, and conjured a lesser fiend to Erisdaire with a binding circle to keep it from lashing out. Originally identifying itself as "Lord Varon", things quickly turned awry when it was determined Dormandred would not bargain in any fashion without more knowledge about the beings he was making a deal with. Rather than give things away for free, the fiend instead simply chose to wait out the terms of the summoning and be returned. When Dormandred died, some of his apprentices had tried to use the laboratories for their own purposes and attempted to bargain with the fiend. When this was discovered, the fortified laboratory was destroyed by a contingent of elven warcasters led by Lord Ivanir Holimion and the dwarf-lord Olgan Adamant.
Since being sealed, the fiend has been able to make use of his prison to have some comfort and entertainment. Adventurers and treasure-seekers get around the gate by many means, and almost all of them discover there are fiends and enthralled servitors keeping watch. These fiends are what remains of those who made a deal with Lord Varon, souls forfeit and bound to their new owner's will. Despite what many might say, Lord Varon is not seeking to do Erisdaire any harm - not intentionally. He desires protection for the short-term and escape in the long-term. The apprentice who created the Black Keep refined and remade the bindings so it takes arcane magic and a willing creation of a contract to shut down the protections and allow the fiend to leave. Thus far, the temptation of power and badly-bargained contracts have left Lord Varon frustrated by greedy mortals and imprisoned by their ineptitude.
A few token efforts were made by the Lord of Ashes to gain a partnership with Lord Varon, yet the fiend has little interest in what can be offered and contempt for attempts to threaten him with destruction. Doing so would allow him to escape, and if the Lord of Ashes does not know that... then he cannot be as godly as he claims.
Since being sealed, the fiend has been able to make use of his prison to have some comfort and entertainment. Adventurers and treasure-seekers get around the gate by many means, and almost all of them discover there are fiends and enthralled servitors keeping watch. These fiends are what remains of those who made a deal with Lord Varon, souls forfeit and bound to their new owner's will. Despite what many might say, Lord Varon is not seeking to do Erisdaire any harm - not intentionally. He desires protection for the short-term and escape in the long-term. The apprentice who created the Black Keep refined and remade the bindings so it takes arcane magic and a willing creation of a contract to shut down the protections and allow the fiend to leave. Thus far, the temptation of power and badly-bargained contracts have left Lord Varon frustrated by greedy mortals and imprisoned by their ineptitude.
A few token efforts were made by the Lord of Ashes to gain a partnership with Lord Varon, yet the fiend has little interest in what can be offered and contempt for attempts to threaten him with destruction. Doing so would allow him to escape, and if the Lord of Ashes does not know that... then he cannot be as godly as he claims.
Founding Date
"Age of Lost Legends"
Alternative Names
The Devils' House
Nameless Hold
Nameless Hold
Type
Fortress
Parent Location
Comments