Ghost Tower of Inverness
Know you that in the elder days before the Invoked Devastation and the Rain of Colorless Fire, when the ancient peaks of the Abbor-Alz still thrust skyward sharp and majestic and the Flan tribesmen were but newcomers to the land, there existed between the Bright Desert and the mouth of the river Selintan a great fortress called Inverness . . . Know you also that here was said to dwell the great wizard Galap-Dreidel at the height of his power and glory, and that he did lift the Castle Inverness from the very foundation of rock upon which it rested.
The Legend of Fortress Inverness and the Soul-Gem
High on a hilltop above the trees and mists that surround Woolly Bay, the ruined Keep Inverness stands as a grim reminder of power lost and horrors untold. Its four towers, each 150 feet tall, pierce the dark clouds above, and its 50-foot-high walls, though crumbling, remain anchored deep in the living rock. A large, rusty portcullis blocks the 15-foot-wide tunnel-like entrance, a testament to the ancient and potent forces that once held dominion here.
The Soul-Gem and Galap-Dreidel
Most grand and terrible of all Galap-Dreidel's works was the great inner tower of the keep, for it was there that he safeguarded his most prized possession—an eldritch jewel known only as the Soul-Gem. Described as a great white diamond glowing with the brilliance of the sun, legend tells that the gem fell from the sky, landing amid the fiery foothills of the Abbor-Alz , where Galap-Dreidel discovered it. Through magics most arcane and knowledge forbidden to mortal men, he bent its power to his will.
Stories say that the Soul-Gem’s light could drag the souls of men screaming from their mortal flesh, trapping them within its many facets. The wizard used its dark power to command the spirits of the dead, forcing them to do his bidding. Fearing intrusion, he raised the great central tower, filling his castle with horrific creatures and deadly traps, and through an incantation of immense power, tore the tower from the very fabric of time itself. Thus, neither his traps would falter nor would his guardians age or hunger.
It is whispered that Galap-Dreidel, in his cruelty, would set prisoners free within the keep merely to entertain his monstrous pets. His mastery over the gem was so absolute that some claim it even learned to protect itself from those who would dare steal it.
The Fall of Fortress Inverness
But despite his formidable power, there came a day when Galap-Dreidel departed, journeying northwest over the River Selintan, never to return. In his absence, a multitude of superstitious peoples from the surrounding lands laid siege to Fortress Inverness, eventually tearing down the great tower. Though victorious, they dared not linger, fearing the lingering sorcery of the place. Even now, on fog-shrouded nights, the great central tower is said to reappear, standing as if it had never fallen.
The Seer of Urnst and the Soul-Gem’s Mystery
For many years, legends of the Soul-Gem persisted, whispered among scholars and treasure-seekers alike. One day, a renowned sage known as the Seer of Urnst uncovered ancient tomes detailing the Soul-Gem's legend and its master. Recognizing the artifact’s immense power, he sought to reclaim it, believing he had unlocked its secrets. Venturing to the ruins of Fortress Inverness, the Seer encountered terrors beyond his reckoning. Even with all his knowledge and sorcery, he was driven back from the upper ruins, unable to complete his quest.
A Place of Dread and Wonder
Now, the shattered remnants of Fortress Inverness stand as a grim challenge to any who would dare plunder its depths. Crumbled walls, jagged holes, and forgotten halls hint at the power that once ruled here. Those who enter speak of whispering shadows, flickering lights, and a feeling of being watched by something ancient and hungry.
The legend endures: somewhere within the ruins, the Soul-Gem still lies, waiting for a new master—or a new victim.
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