Darkhold

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Darkhold, with The Pereghost in the foreground

Darkhold

Aliases

The Keep of the Fallen Hills

Size

Large castle

Area

Western Heartlands

Government

Dictatorship

Ruler

The Pereghost and Dhamir Ercals

Races

Humans, some hill giants and goblinoids

Religions

Cyric, Bane

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Darkhold, originally called The Keep of the Fallen Hills, is the western stronghold of the Zhentarim, located near the Sunset Mountains in the Western Heartlands.

Darkhold is currently led by The Pereghost, who commands its 800 warriors, and Dhamir Ercals, who leads the resident clerics of Cyric. Though both leaders are servants of Cyric and are preparing for the inevitable holy war against the Banites, the hatred between them is such that more time is spent on assassination plots than their Zhentarim duties.

[edit] History

[edit] A variety of owners

Giants: Darkhold is built to suit giant sized humaniods^[1]. Some say The looming castle was built a millennium ago by giants as a summer capitol for the Giant Empires.
Empty: Empty the Keep was abandoned and looted.^[1]
Othlong Blackhelm: Also know as the Robber Lord, make the keep his home.^[1]
Angarn Surfyst: Slaying Othlong Blackhelm via tretchery, Angarn uses the keep as a base for his brigands.^[1]
Wolf Knight: Known only to history via his self proclaimed title, the Wolf Knight was a follower of Angarn Surfyst until he slew him and took his place.^[1]
Sarunn Thoon: Best desribed in the ballad The Witch of the Far Cold Hill she was originally a captive of the Wolf Knight until she slew him in his bedchanber and took over the helm of the brigands.^[2]
Mind flayers: Killing Sarunn Thoon, the mind flayers held the brigands in service until they died.^[2]
Cryomantipelica: Crushing the Mind Flayers, the white dragon laired here until killed by Harristor Thunderswing.^[2]
Empty: History records a variety of monsters lairing in the keep for short periods of time. These include a beholder, Leucrotta and more brigands.^[2]
Brundar Tigerbane: Slaying the monsters inside, the adventuring company Wildmen of the North renamed the keep Wild Hold and refortified the keep. Alas, Brundar and his followers fell in battle.^[2]
Petty Rulers: Over the next 200 years, the keep was held by a succession of petty rulers Know via a varity of self-titled names, including Lord Knight of the Far Hills and Duke of Sunset Vale these contoled variing parts of Sunset Vale.^[2]
Varalla: The castle finally became Darkhold when it was conquered and settled by the lich-queen Varalla.^[2]
1312 DR: The Zhentarim invaded and destroyed Varalla, gaining a base to expand their organization westward. Darkhold was ruled by the wizard Sememmon until recently, when he and his consort Ashemmi vanished in response to the consolidation of Zhentarim power in the east by rival Fzoul Chembryl.