Illmaster's Keep

Deep in the overgrown forests of Hellia lies night soaked ruins crawling with detestable vines. In irreverent timelessness the granite walls climb to smoothed turrets, painted black with mold and decay. The scent of blood never leaves this place. Under the 100ft tall trees no light reaches the swollen, damp ground. A supernatural humidity chokes the lungs and the reach of gods. Once-glistening marble pillars support a roof of darkness and unlearning. They once guided passage into the masterful college of necromancy.   Illmaker Morden had had his share of controversy. The surrounding towns with names long forgotten objected, but he persisted in erecting the college. It held barracks for college-guards, dormitories for the students of all races, greenhouses for certain material components, and even a mine shaft for the various gems and components necessary for the learning.   The grandest feature, however, was the library. The heavy, crimson curtains hung down in front of 40ft tall windows. A unique domed glass covered the ceiling, the first glass dome of its kind. Bookshelves held knowledge on all things arcane, especially necrotic. These books spoke of theories, spells themselves, even pitfalls.   But the sun would no longer shine favorably upon the college. First, the trees swelled. Many students wrote home about the weird occurrence, but staff assured the students all was well. Eventually the students stopped caring, and everyone smiled more. The last letter to leave until postal services refused to pick up or drop off mail stated that, "Everyone is too smiley. No one is happy, but everyone smiles." After several attempts to speak with the headmaster Morden failed or resulted in circular logic, the rest of Hellia petitioned the college have its status revoked. In the ensuing months, the populace fully supported the college.   The tipping point came when the old elven king Fellian visited in attempt to quell his subjects doubts and hysterics concerning phenomena appropriating at the woodline of Hellia. After a month, he returned saying that Hellia and the town of Illwarren was to be off limits to all except the invited. He had a different demeanor, and smiled more often than he had.   Soon, travelers to Illwarren detected something off about everyone there. The atmosphere became thick with tension whenever a traveler walked through the town. The gates to Illmaster's Keep were always sealed fast with no one allowed in. Travel ceased entirely a few years later.   At the beginning of the Fourth Era, the Era of Humanity, the clouds grew dark over Hellia. Thunder rolled in. Storms not seen in decades devastated the forest and the lands between it and the rest of Rerya. For two solid months storms ravaged Hellia's forests, knocking trees scores of miles away. Some unfortunate souls checked on the populace, but were never seen again.   One brave group of adventurers dared the forests, keen warriors hired by the king who refused to send his army. Inside they found the ruins as described but with normal and not normal looking people. The "others" as they were referred to, wore loincloths, were hairless, pale, and had curiously shaped teeth with the top by the gums being small than the ends of the teeth. They defended themselves against these when provoked. It became clear this was an evil place, needing cleansing.   They made their way to Illwarren and found it crawling like wasps crawling on their hives. If Illwarren was a hive, then Illmaster's Keep was the queen's lair. Inside this place they found it home to these devils, who called themselves "skinwalkers." As well as students. But the students turned out to be the skinwalkers and attacked on the party. The party cut their way to the main chamber to find Illmaker Morden covered in pale skin that we wore like a cloak and declared himself "master of the dead and damned" before hurling them out of Hellia. Illmaster's Keep had fallen.