Darkhold Castle

Darkhold, originally called the Keep of the Far Hills, was the westernmost of three strongholds within which the Zhentarim consolidated their power.

Purpose / Function

Darkhold served as the center for Zhentarim-led slave trade in the west, as well as the staging point from which they led repeated assaults against the forces of the Heartlands.

Publicly, Zhent representatives of Darkhold claimed that their fortress remained a stalwart defender of trade and commerce passing through the Far Hills.

Combat and Arcana

Zhent patrols from the fortress extended well beyond the Far Hills, as far away as Yellow Snake Pass, Skull Gorge, and the nearby settlement of Asbravn. They often released terrible monsters along nearby trade routs, or aligned themselves with local tribes of goblins and orcs, along trade routes, to ravage passing caravans and sabotage their economica rivals. The Darkhold Zhentarim even went so far as to forge agreements with powerful beholders and terrifying dragons—such as Harondalbar—for their mutual benefit.

Within the deepest chambers of Darkhold, Zhentarim agents conducted horrific arcane research and experimentation. They used the fortress to house, and even breed, terrible creatures, such as groundlings renders, deepspawn, and banelar nagas.

Accessibility

Darkhold was linked to the Zhentarim's other two strongholds—Zhentil Keep and the Citadel of the Raven—by powerful portals that were only accessible to the Black Network's Inner Circle.

Architecture

The fortress of Darkhold was an imposing keep, that jutted out of the Gray Watcher, with tall spires that ascended into the sky.[13] The structure itself was made of a black stone, not native to the local lands, that had been fused together into a single, unified piece by some unknown means.

Interior

Darkhold was huge and could house over a thousand men, and was built to such a scale, that it could have been occupied by giants. It was said that its halls and central courtyard were each large enough to host grand battles.

Tunnels and rooms were bored into the side of the mountain to serve as escape routes and storage chambers. It was speculated that some of the secret tunnels were the home of the ancient sorcerer-turned-lich who claimed Darkhold as her lair.

Defenses

Forces

As of the 1360s DR, Darkhold boasted a force of 1,000 trained defenders, along with a cadre of skilled rogues, fearsome warriors, malign clerics, and Zhentarim wizards. By the 1370s, this number had dropped to approximately 800. As the late 15th century, Darkhold maintained two war units: the heavy infantry Storm Watch, and Grey Feathers archers.

Among the other military groups known to fight under Darkhold's banner were the Blood Axe Smashers.

The Zhentarim employed wyvern-mounted riders that would lead ambushes on caravans traveling through the nearby trade routes. For a time, an additional pair of wyverns that laired in the nearby mountains served as scouts for Darkhold. They forged an agreement with Semmemon to defend Darkhold should it come under attack.

Other Defenses

Beyond its unique structure and ample military forces, Darkhold was protected by myriad deadly traps, both magical and mechanical in their creation.

History

Early History

According to legend, Darkhold castle was constructed as a summer home for a group of giants of the North, that were members of a "Giant Empire". There was some debate whether or not these giants were actually slaves to Netherese mages. Regardless of the truth, when the Netheril empire fell, the giants continued to occupy Darkhold.

The Giant-Emperors raided the surrounded lands including the Tunlands and the halfling lands of Sunset Vale. They did so until they fell to in-fighting among themselves. It was thought that two rival giant-princes vied for the throne and slew their father, all of the other giant occupants, and eventually each other. Rumors persisted that the princes haunted the castle, whispering conspiracies into any current occupants' ears and setting them against each other.

Darkhold remained empty until Othlong Blackhelm, also known as the "Robber Lord", made the keep his home. Angarn Surfyst slew Othlong via treachery and used the keep as a base for his brigands. Known only to history via his self-proclaimed title, the Wolf Knight was a follower of Angarn until he slew him and took his place.

Sarunn Thoon, who was best described in the ballad The Witch of the Far Cold Hill, was originally a captive of the Wolf Knight until she slew him in his bedchamber and took over the helm of the brigands. Mind flayers killed Sarunn and held the brigands in service until they died, but the white dragon Cryomantipelica crushed the mind flayers and laired there until killed by Harristor Thunderswing. Harristor did not occupy the castle and it fell to a roaming beholder and a leucrotta at various times.

Brigands once again took over the castle at some point after that, but they were slain by an adventuring company called the Wildmen of the North and Brundar Tigerbane renamed the keep Wild Hold and refortified it. Brundar and his followers later fell in battle.

Over the next 200 years, the keep was held by a succession of petty rulers known by a variety of names, including the "Lord Knight of the Far Hills" and the "Duke of Sunset Vale". The Keep of the Far Hills eventually became Darkhold when it was conquered and settled by the lich-queen Varalla.

Zhentarim Occupation

In the Year of the Griffon, 1312 DR, the Zhentarim invaded and seized control of Darkhold. The mage Manshoon and Banite cleric Fzoul Chembryl combined their forces to destroy Varalla, and gained a new stronghold from which to expand their organization westward. It also allowed the mage to keep check on the power of nearby Cormyr, preventing them from taking lands further west.[6] Rulership over Darkhold was granted to Manshoon's apprentice Sememmon, a move that kept the young mage away from the politics of Zhentil Keep.

After the Zhentarim temporarily allied with the armies of Cormyr to turn aside the invading Grand Army of the Tuigan, in the Year of the Turret, 1360 DR, King Azoun IV decreed that the Purple Dragons would abstain from engaging in any conflicts with the forces of Darkhold for one year.

Darkhold was among the Zhent power centers targeted by the Church of Cyric during the Second Banedeath.[28] Followers of the Mad God successfully drove out, or otherwise convert, all the followers of Bane in Darkhold.

After Zhentil Keep fell in the Year of the Gauntlet, 1369 DR, Semmemon attempted to maintain order in Darkhold. He began to negotiate a treaty with the drow of Sshamath, an nearby city in the Underdark.

Sememmon proved unsuccessful however. After Bane was resurrected within the Faerûnian pantheon in the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, Darkhold was thrown into chaos. Banes followers, along with those of Cyric, vyed for dominance within the Zhentarim.[30] That same year, Sememmon and his consort Ashemmi vanished from Darkhold completely, largely in response to the consolidation of Zhentarim power in the east by rival Fzoul Chembryl. Sememmon was believed to have left some valued items hidden away in Darkhold upon his departure.

Darkhold's leadership was taken over by the Pereghost, who commanded its 800 warriors, and Dhamir Ercals, who led the resident clerics of Cyric. Both leaders were servants of Cyric and began preparing for the inevitable holy war against the Banite. Despite their shared faith, the hatred between them was so intense, they spent more time forming assassination plots, rather than fulfilling their duties as Zhentarim leaders.

On Kythorn 7 in the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR, Zhentilar troops from Darkhold ambushed the caravan of Dabron Sashenstar, but the famed adventurer was able to retreat to Hluthvar.

15th Century

Following a series of disasters for the Zhentarim that left both Zhentil Keep and the Citadel of the Raven destroyed, Darkhold emerged as the only major stronghold of the Black Network still standing. It continued to operate as a Zhent stronghold throughout the 15th century DR, serving as a barracks and fortress for their mercenary army.

As of the Year of the Warrior Princess, 1489 DR, Darkhold was the primary headquarters of the reformed Zhentarim. The Pereghost was publicly acknowledged as the sole master of Darkhold, though the Beholder Manxam also appeared to be a member of the stronghold's senior leadership. The Pereghost sought to restore the Zhentarim as a military force to be reckoned with in the west.

Type

Castle

Other Sources:
Fandom