Skull Crag Keep

The Skull Crag Keep was a fort located atop an elevation by the Skull Crag town in The Storm Horns of Cormyr.

Structure

Beyond the keep's main gated laid an open courtyard surrounded by various structures. The far side of the courtyard had the Great Hall, across from the main gates, sandwiched between the Chapel of Sune and the keeps quarters, on the second floor of which stood the Roadwarden's quarters. Immediately to the east from the entrance were the keep's stables, and past them – were guest quarters across the courtyard from the chapel. To the west from the entrance, one could find a smithy, and past it, the Training Hall, then barracks, across the hall from the Roadwarden's private dining room.

The keep was an old structure built upon extensive underground tunnels. The top level of those tunnels was used as storage, provision cellars, wine cellar, armory, and prison. Further down, the keep stood on labyrinthine tunnels of what was used as a hunting ground where caged monsters were unleashed at fleeing prisoners. It was rumored that some of the ancient monsters still haunted these old halls. Even deeper down, one could find an elegant burial chamber, a square mausoleum permeated with a sense of ancient malevolence, with its vampiric inhabitants slumbering in the coffins.

Defenses

The keep was used as the base by the Roadwarden Guard of Cormyr's Purple Dragons. The order was tasked with trolling and keeping The High Road operational, keeping the trade flowing. The keep's leader was the Roadwarden, with the Chief of the Roadwarden Guard being second in command.

The entrance to the Skull Crag Keep was heavily guarded, and only those carrying a writ of passage were allowed entrance.

History

The Skull Crag Keep once belonged to a vampire couple, aged around 1200 by the 1360s DR. Khulzond and his consort Mordroka were forced out and the keep taken by the Purple Knights who later established the Roadwarden Guard. Both vampires survived and swore vengeance.

By the 1360s DR, the title of the Roadwarden was held by a local hero Arelin Starbrow. Her tenure ended with a monster horde attack while traveling outside of the keep with Chief Dutiocs. Her body was retrieved, but the Arms of the Roadwarden, a set of enchanted armor and a weapon that symbolized the office, were lost to the horde. A group of caravan guards who aided Sir Dutiocs against pursuing monsters was invited to the keep as the Roadwarden Guard would surely need manpower to stand giants the incoming horde.

After Arelin's death, her aging husband, Morudel of Marsember, arrived at the Skull Crag Keep being the next in the command line. Due to age, Morudel could not take the leadership position. The only hope was one of their children, fellow Roadwardens, would step up to the task. Vidruand, a local hero who campaigned along with his mother, was thought to had been killed after being missing for a long while, Yemandra was traveling and slaughtering monsters, being more interested in spilling blood than leading. But first, they needed to recover the lost Arms of the Roadwarden. Morudel tasked his children with the task and asked for the caravan guards' help. Kallithrea, Dazmilar, and Yemandra were to recover the sword, the shield, the lance, and the helm the Roadwarden.

During the items' retrieval, Morudel was mysteriously kidnapped by a vampire rogue named Keremish. It was later revealed that the crypt in the dungeons underneath the castle was a vampire layer, and its inhabitants still saved Khulzond and Mordroka. Even though Morudel was rescued and Keremish was defeated, it was not the end of the keep's vampire troubles. The last item, the Helm the Roadwarden, still was in the hands of Vidruand Starbrow, the missing and presumed dead heroic son of Arelin and Morudel. In fact, he was not dead but was captured and turned into a bloodsucking undead by the keep's ancient vampire masters.

To everyone's shock, Vidruand revealed himself to the siblings inside the Skull Crag Keep's Great Hall, hiding his pale dead face behind the horned Helm the Roadwarden. He claimed that the adventurers who were aiding the keep were the villains who slew his mother and kept him hostage. Vidruand demanded the rest of the Arms the Roadwarden so he could slay the evildoers. His siblings and Sir Dutiocs did not buy the story. Without losing a moment, Vidruand revealed his undead nature to the family and attacked them, controlling an army of giant rats and mobats. After a fierce battle between Vidruand and his still-living siblings, the true masterminds behind the Roadwarden and all the troubles that plagued Skull Crag revealed themselves. They declared that it was time to exact revenge on the Roadwarden Guard and take what was theirs by force. Another battle ranged. Khulzond, his consort Mordroka, a summoned swarm of monsters, vampires, and Vidruand, battled the heroes of Skull Crag, Sir Dutiocs, Dazmilar, Kallithrea, and Yemandra.

After the battle was over and the vampire menace repelled, the keep's cleric made sure no more lives were lost that day. As a result, Skull Craig was safe once again, and one of the adventurers was offered the position of the new Roadwarden. It was unknown if they agreed to take on the responsibility or if the search for a worthy leader continued.

Notable Inhabitants

• Lunit Bdufe, a healer of the Roadwarden Guard in the 14th century DR.
• Sir Ftucis, the Training Master of the Roadwarden Guard in the 14th century DR.