House of Stone

The House of Stone, also known as Stoneturn, was an immense square tower on the eastern edge of the Ardeep Forest. "An elf calls the deepest wood his own,

A human everywhere may roam,

But a dwarf just wants a house of stone."

Location
The House of Stone was approximately one hundred miles (one hundred sixty kilometers) east-northeast of Waterdeep, south of the River Dessarin, and not far from the eastern edge of Ardeep Forest, circa the.

Structure
The exterior and main structure of the fortress were built with huge blocks of brownish gray stone. The walls were 25 ft (7.6 m) thick, or more, but the roof and some ceilings were much less robust. The squat tower was square with a flat roof.

Interior
The interior of the keep was best described by the late adventurer, Raethrus of Myratma, who characterized it as "disordered", meaning that all the rooms were of different sizes, shapes, architectural styles, and decorations. It was impossible to determine how many floors the tower had because the rooms, halls, temples, towers, and atriums had varying ceiling heights and connected in a three-dimensional maze of stairs, ramps, lifts, secret doors, and hidden passages. In addition, some walls were movable, so portions of the floor plan were not static. Time and conflict also took their toll on the structure—sections of the roof were broken, crumbling, or completely collapsed, and some rooms were pillaged and looted.

Despite the depredations of orcs and treasure hunters, the House of Stone contained many decorative fixtures that were either too large to remove or were part of the supporting structure, primarily pillars and statues carved in the likeness of heroes and foes, including non-dwarven races such as elves, humans, minotaurs, and orcs. Reports spoke of secret storage compartments hidden in the decoration, some even big enough to hold or hide a medium-sized creature. Many of the walls once held carved murals and bas-relief sculptures of battle scenes depicting dwarven knights vanquishing various monsters. Most of the accessible ones were appropriated by adventuring bands hired by Waterdhavian nobles and became decorations on the outside of their villas and townhomes.

Inhabitants
The ruins were overrun with undead including a great many ghouls and shadows. More than one entrance to the Underdark could be found within and its denizens frequently wandered up into the building.

History
The House of Stone began construction in the Year of Cantobele Stalking, 342 DR, by the dwarves of Dardath under the leadership of Turgo Ironfist. Originally Stoneturn was built to protect Stoneturn Well located in the heart of the area. In the time of Phalorm, the House was expanded and set up as a massive trap to be used against marauding orcs. Mounted elves would provoke orcs to chase them back to the House, whereupon the orcs would be killed in great numbers as they blundered into a seemingly endless series of traps. The elves of Ardeep Forest kept watch after Phalorm's fall, turning back all comers but giving no reason for doing so until their population dwindled to the point that it became infeasible to guard it any longer. After the House was abandoned, it became a beacon to countless adventuring bands chasing tales of treasures that remained unlooted. So deadly was the place however, that carrion birds roosted nearby almost year-round, never going hungry for long.