THE KEEP

Founded by Lord Macsen approximately 150 years ago, the Keep is situated on a highly defensible mesa in the foothills along the old Eastern Trail. A hero of the Realm, Macsen created the Keep as a personal base, as well as an outpost to provide defense and respite for travelers along the old trade way, being the last outpost of the eastern Realm. Never one to sit still, Macsen ruled the Keep indirectly, leaving it in the care of a succession of leaders, chosen by him, and later by their predecessors, the castellans. Known officially by the name of the current castellan (such as Kendall's Keep, or Frandor's Keep), the Keep is usually labeled as 'Castellan Keep' on maps of the area, and is known to the populace as simply 'The Keep'.

For many years the Keep was successful, clearing out the area nearby, and allowing farmers and other settlers to build outside the walls and create communities. Macsen himself was lost to the Realm's Northern wars just 25 years after the founding of the Keep. But it survived him, and flourished under wise leadership, and the expansion of trade that followed years of peace.

But that was years ago, when the Realm still existed. Now, the trade wagons come less often from the west, perhaps once a month in the winter, and they have to travel almost a week from the nearest town. They don't come from the East at all, anymore, save for a few travelers every couple of years. The stray silks they bring can command high prices.

Bandits are a fact of life - though if you don't put up a struggle, they take a portion and send you on your way. More troubling have been the increasing number of humanoid raids over the years. The Keep is always an invulnerable refuge, but attacks have taken a toll on the outside communities, which have dwindled. Patrols from the Keep used to keep safe and clear all of the area up to a day's journey in either direction. Currently, the patrols stick to the clearings around the Keep, and generally ride home for sunset.

UPTOWN and PORTOWN

When the population around the Keep reached its height about a hundred years ago, two small settlements were to be found outside the Keep's walls. Uptown was composed mainly of farmers who nestled on the higher elevations to the west of the Keep road. This community exists to this day, since the road elevation provides some protection to raids from the east, and the Keep looms up immediately north. The majority of the influx of new settlers coming from abandoned villages stay here, unless they can afford rooms in the keep, or have the skills to help protect it.

In emergencies, the population retreats to the Keep via the 'Short Stair' that leads up to the Keep road near the cliffs.

Portown was the settlement near the river, and stretched out under the cliff on the east side of the Keep road. It was the more prosperous settlement, including brick and stone work buildings used by merchants, craftsmen and traders as well as simpler structures housing the fisher folk. At its height, boats full of goods would bring in staples and some luxuries, while furs, game, and other items were in turn traded back.

Unfortunately, Portown was much more open to attack, and after a series of humanoid raids, it was finally abandoned 50 years ago. Most of the wooden structures have long since burned or fallen to disrepair, though several of the stone structures remain. One in particular stands out - an old stone tower that is supposedly haunted. Though none have been able to enter it, more than one villager has sworn they saw lights in the tower's windows late at night.

Though the trade boats no longer come, the docks of Portown are still used by fishermen, who now make their homes in Uptown. It is from these fishermen that rumors of the lizardmen, and the tower lights come from.

Prehistory:

The Caves of Chaos

Originally the caves were just a natural underground stream, forming a few passages ( now Area G), which emptied into the canyon and eventually ran off down the slope towards the marsh. Glints of metal in the stream led the area to be mined for (???? gold/silver/mithral/all of the above?), leading to extensive passages (now Area I) being carved throughout the area. At some point a curse of misdirection was placed on the caves, perhaps because of something that was uncovered in the mines, or something that is hidden there (plot hook for further development), preventing further mining. It is this curse that eventually attracted the minotaur(s), who took up residence, and gave the area the name of the Caves of Chaos.

Rumors of remaining ore and/or a hidden artifact led various humanoids and adventurers to 'invade' the mines, most losing themselves underground due to the curse and dying from starvation. Some served as food to the minotaur(s), some dug their own tunnels and exhausted the few veins of ore, and some managed to claim a portion of the original tunnels for themselves, closing off sections from the main tunnel which safeguarded these new tunnels from the curse.

The Shrine of Chaos

Over two hundred years ago, the Caverns of Quasqueton were created nearby (see Cave of the Unknown). The powerful wizard who helped in its construction knew of the Caves of Chaos, and used the humanoid population to create a new mine to reach an undiscovered vein of ore. After exhausting that vein, the wizard had the new mine finished as a guard outpost. Later, when that same wizard fell prey to a Helm of Alignment Change, he refitted the outpost as a Shrine to the beings of Chaos he now worshiped. Both the wizard and his fighter companion disappeared years before the Keep was built, possibly being put at odds with one another after the change. The outpost was left disused until...

The Cult of Baphopmet

Originally the labyrinth is populated by a few savage minotaurs. Someone in the cult of Baphomet hears about the setup, and the misdirection spell (which is apparently not effective on minotaurs?), and decides that something important to Baphomet may be located there - maybe a Brazen Skull containing power of the Beast Lord from the time he was a primordial? perhaps an entrance to the Unending Maze in the Abyss. A minor cultist minotaur and his warrior bodyguard are sent to take the place over and find anything of interest. They take over the Shrine (if there was anyone there) and begin the search. This is interrupted when the warrior finds the old Helm of Alignment Change (see the prehistory of the Shrine above). Suddenly Lawful Good, the minotaur warrior turns against his leader, who traps him in the labyrinth with the savage minotaurs to prevent him from leaving and hopefully cause him to revert to his evil ways - having to kill for his meals. The good minotaur has stayed alive, gradually killing the savage minotaurs, until there is just enough left so that he and the party can take the rest if they work together.

In the meantime additional non-minotaur cultists have arrived and are left in charge of the Shrine while the minotaur goes back to his lands to get a new recruit (and may show up later if the party gets sufficiently leveled up to survive it).

More to come, such as rangers of the church of Redemption, the hidden cult to the Beastlord, taking over the bandits and causing an alliance with the new Temple. The resulting kidnappings are soon to draw the attention of the Keep. Also, the Fallen Captain of the Guard/Were-panther who was initiated into the temple of Redemption then balked when he discovered it's true leader, and was cursed into a werebeast as punishment.

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