Maure Castle

A ruin of obsidian towers and ancient horrors, Maure Castle is a treacherous stronghold filled with forgotten magic, fiendish cults, and warring undead, standing on the edge of the Cairn Hills in the Duchy of Urnst. Its dungeons, sealed for centuries, are rumored to contain unimaginable riches and arcane secrets—but those who enter rarely return.

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Location and Description

Maure Castle is a massive and enigmatic stronghold, situated in the Duchy of Urnst on the western edge of the Cairn Hills , near the town of Pontyrel. Rising ominously above a boggy valley, its tall obsidian keep and circular outer wall once housed the powerful Maure family. Today, the above-ground levels of the castle are largely in ruins, with carrion birds, fierce tyrgs, and even a nesting pair of rocs deterring most intruders. The castle's outer defenses include numerous large stone buildings, a sprawling keep, and remnants of ancient cottages, all shrouded in an aura of decay and mystery.

A Legacy of Suel Magic

The Maure family established this fortress over a thousand years ago, following the escape of the last refugees of the Suel Imperium under Slerotin. Their goal was to recreate the arcane prowess of the legendary Suel Mages of Power. A gathering of these mages met for a final time at an eight-pointed star outside the entrance to the dungeons. They disappeared beyond a set of Unopenable Doors, taking their secrets with them. Generations of Maure magi continued their research in the castle’s depths, with the most notorious of them, a figure known only as "Uncle," leading the family to ruin through his dark pursuits.

The Dungeons of Maure Castle

The castle’s true horrors lie beneath. Hidden dungeon entrances—slime-coated chutes filled with traps, nesting otyughs, and acid pools—plunge deep into the earth. Rumors persist of humanoids lurking in the depths, avoiding the golems, undead, and fiendish entities that now infest the lower halls. At least one greater fiend is believed to dwell in the lowest levels.

Among the notorious dungeon levels are:

• The Great Hall – Once a site of debauched religious ceremonies, it became a Seeker stronghold under Eli Tomorast in the 550s CY. It features a gladiatorial arena with a massive stone golem.
• Tomorast’s Hold – Formerly a center for esoteric Suel cults, including one dedicated to Malcanthet. The area now serves as Tomorast’s personal domain, where he continues his dark research.
• Kerzit's Fane – A level not built by House Maure, instead carved by Tomorast to summon and worship the demon Kerzit. It also houses a clan of gnolls devoted to Yeenoghu.
• The Statuary – A shrine filled with statues of Maure ancestors and a manifestation known as the "Id Core." It is now ruled by Aeltoqq, a powerful lich.
• The Chambers of Antiquities – A perilous research level where "Uncle" stored powerful magical artifacts. An immense construct hydra prowls its corridors.
• The Greater Halls – A mix of alchemical laboratories and undead barracks, now overrun by warring factions of the undead. The halls feature mystical portraits of gods and demons, including "Y", a being of great and mysterious power.

Adventurers and Rumors

Despite its dangers, Maure Castle continues to lure explorers, drawn by legends of untold riches. Artifacts from the dungeons occasionally surface in Greyhawk and Hardby , from golden statuettes to cryptic grimoires. But for every treasure retrieved, many adventurers meet their doom.

Recent whispers tell of two previously undiscovered underground complexes, their locations fiercely guarded by those who found them. In the past two years, multiple expeditions from Greyhawk and the Duchy of Urnst have vanished, leading many to believe that a new power has risen within the ruins. Those who dare enter Maure Castle do so at their own peril, for the darkness within its depths is ever-hungry for the souls of the reckless and the bold.