Castle of Illusion

The Castle of Illusion was a remote keep in the Frost Hills in the Silver Marches.

Geography
The castle was located near the eastern side of the Fell Pass in the Frost Hills.

History
Centuries before the 14 century DR, when Ascalhorn was in its prime, the castle was the home of the mighty gnome illusionist Fitzmilliyun Sparkledrim. He erected the keep and defended it with illusions, traps, and puzzles.

A century after Fitzmilliyun's death, a tribe of orcs living nearby overwhelmed the castle and slew his servants before they settled in the ruined castle. They sought treasure, but found none. However, Fitzmilliyun's lethal magical defenses lingered long after his passing, killing a lot of the orcs, maddening many more, and driving them away. Thereafter, the castle stood abandoned for centuries, still protected by its illusions.

By 1358 DR, the evil wizard MacBec Maclyon, a.k.a. Malcyon, and his orc minion had claimed the castle. Maclyon meticulously unveiled the secrets of the Castle of Illusion and became its master.

He was still in control by 1372 DR, but had begun summoning fiends to serve him and defend the Castle of Illusion. The wizard was not aware he was on his way to creating a second Hellgate Keep.

Activities
By 1372 DR, Malcyon frequently summoned dangerous fiends and made deals with dark powers to gain ever-greater magical knowledge. He had devils teach him their dark arts.

Defenses
Fitzmilliyun placed illusions and glamers, wards, traps, and subtle yet deadly puzzles all through the castle, below it, and outside it. These combined mechanical tricks and magical illusions, so even the most perceptive would be deceived. His treasures were all concealed by the puzzles and traps. Some of the grandest puzzles were:
 * Milliyun's Mirror Maze: A hall of mirrors, perhaps with a mirror of lifetrapping and a mirror of opposition built in.
 * The Crystal Cube: A cube of seemingly indestructible crystal, 10 feet (3 meters) to a side, containing valuable treasure and at least three skeletons.
 * Ten Doors, No-Way-Out: A room with ten doors; when a door was opened, the whole room seemed to spin around. Only one door was an exit, while the rest unleashed traps or magical guardians.

Malcyon had devils protecting his castle and patrolling the surrounding lands. He had the lower mines sealed off.

Inhabitants
In addition to MacBec Maclyon himself, around 1358 DR, the castle was occupied by his natural minions. There were thirty of them, including a magic-user, a fighter as his bodyguard, and a orcish witch-doctor.