Spellhold

Spellhold is an insane asylum located on the island of Brynnlaw, one of the Nelanther Isles, off the western coast of Amn, under the command of the Cowled Wizards of Amn. They use the asylum to house the 'deviants' they found in Amn, who were caught practicing magic without an official license. There is a portal to the Underdark in a secret room on the main floor of the building. The building itself is connected to a magical dungeon, which is used in exceedingly rare cases to test inmates to see if they are sane enough to leave.

The cursed elven mage, Jon Irenicus, was sentenced to Spellhold for casting illegal arcane magic within the confines of Athkatla. While being imprisoned, he was too powerful to contain and killed all of the Cowled Wizards who resided there, taking over the facility to perform his own experiments. Irenicus' vampire sister, Bodhi, used the dungeon as a hunting ground to toy with those who made it there.

It was eventually abandoned after a mass prisoner-escape in 1377 DR after an earthquake. During the Era of Upheaval several adventuring parties attempted to loot Spellhold of its valuables but were never heard from again. It has since become known as an anathema to the otherwise ordered nation of Amn.

Appearances

 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn