Rifter

Powerfully reinforced with 80-foot walls surrounding the keep, mighty ballista platforms atop it, and many magical defenses against intrusion and magical assault built into its walls, Rifter is a truly imposing structure. It was built by Ivid II at a time when he felt the need for an impregna ble "bunker" retreat if he was ever faced with the need to evacuate Rauxes. This was at a time when the overking was especially paranoid, even by Naelax standards. This keep is manned by 200 elite soldiers of Imperial Regulars and a detachment of 20 Companion Guard, with 15 fiend knights protecting the dungeons below the keep should Ivid ever have to retreat there. It is whispered that a sphere of annihilation controllable only by Ivid himself is kept as an ultimate weapon within these dungeons.

Rifter also houses the war apparatus known as the machine of Lum the Mad. This artifact appears as a siege tower of no great size, but has an extraordinary range of magical powers (including chain lightning, fire storm, meteor swarm, transmute rock to mud, etc.) It only can be operated by a mage of at least 16th level with an 18 or higher Intelligence. Unfortunately, the last wizard to know the full range of command words for activating the many levers, switches and dials within this construct was Xaene, and now only some half of the functions can be used. An expert (16th level) diviner, Anaranth is currently researching the artifact.

Finally, Rifter takes its name from its construction within a half-mile of a narrow (10' across, 25' long) rift in the earth which appears to descend for miles, although it is always smoke-filled and magical scrying does not reveal what lies below. A permanent prismatic sphere has been placed above it to prevent anything emerging. One might wonder why anyone should wish to build a keep so close to such a hazard. The answer is that with hallucinatory terrain to disguise it, and spells such as telekinesis to propel siege engines and people into it should Rifter be besieged, was deemed a very useful feature by the mage architect who advised Ivid III on the best site to construct this place.