Ruined Keep
Ninety years ago, the wizard Eralion used his burgeoning magical powers derived from newly acquired scrolls to conjure a stone keep into existence in the shadow of neighboring Fairhill. As he grew older, the good and righteous man let the fear of death seep into his soul. Mortality terrified him and, in his desperation, he beseeched Orcus to grant him a profane existence as an undying lich. The cruel demon prince knew the wizard lacked the mystical power to successfully complete the ritual, yet he deceived him into attempting it. In his final moments, Eralion realized Orcus had betrayed him, but it was too late. His life essence faded from him, resigning him to languish in the depths beneath his keep as a lowly shadow of his former self.
Upon his earthly demise, the magic holding the keep together slowly and steadily crumbled. Bandits inhabited the deteriorating stronghold for several years until a small unit of Waymarch soldiers expelled them from the keep. In the process, they dealt significant damage to the already decrepit structure. After their removal, the crumbling edifice remained abandoned save for its lone occupant holed up deep beneath its foundation. However, fresh tracks and other signs of activity confirm that the keep is no longer empty. Local rumors in Fairhill suggest a vampire dwells within the keep, though more reliable witnesses assert a band of orcs terrifying the area now take refuge in Eralion’s former abode. It remains uncertain whether they are aware of the keep’s past history or whether its undead host knows of the trespassers within his midst.
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