Tomb of Damara

The Tomb of Damara was the name given to Damara's Castle long after its owner, wizard Lord Damara's, death.

Location
The Tomb of Damara was located several miles west from Freedale and southwest from Shadowdale, deep in the woods and forgotten by many.

Structure
The ruined castle was marked by dead trees that grew around it and was situated on a hill. In its glory, the castle had tall towers and thick walls, but most of them were collapsed or in a dire state of disrepair, surrounded by piles of garbage and rubble by the mid-14 century DR. The entrance was guarded by two stone gargoyle statues and a hefty portcullis gate; behind it was the castle's only entrance.

Interior
Past the main door laid the castle's central room with four doors that led to other rooms of the caste. To the left from the main entrance was a large room that once was guard barracks. And the door to the right from the gates led to a spacious shrine area with carved stone pillars. Due to the age and decay, it was not clear what deity the shrine was dedicated to originally. Although decaying, the altar still possessed some of its divine healing magic. The temple had one other door to the right from the entrance. It led to a cleric's quarters that was converted into a prison and a torture chamber in the mid-14 century DR.

Straight across the hall from the main gate was a door that led to the castle's small garden, with tiled ground, dead plants, and a fountain. The garden had only one more door which led to a storage area that held items such as rope, caskets of ale, and brandy.

The last door in the main hall led to the castle sub levels, dark veering tunnels that split into a shorter corridor to the left from the entrance that led to a valuables storage room. The tunnel continued forward and ended in another door. The treasure storage was a small long windowless room with lit torches on the walls. Across the hall from the storage room was a heavy metal door that led to a big room that in the 14 century was used as the ogre Bonegnasher's chambers.

The hallways in the sub-level continued until they reached a small but coy kitchen area with a door that led to an armory, a room with a deep water well, and the room with a forge. The kitchen had a large wooden table, a fireplace, and numerous shelves. The forge room was expanded in the 14 century by the servants of the ogre, mining the tunnels in search of the hidden vault. The vault was indeed in the excavated area and was locked behind a magic door and an illusory wall. The vault itself was a gray stone room, lit with torches enchanted by the continual flame spell. At the far wall of the vault stood a carved stone throne with the mummified Damara himself sitting in it, surrounded by his magical treasures.

History
Once, this castle was the home of a goodly wizard Damara who strived to protect innocents and hide evil items of strong magic away. One such artifact was the orb of dragonkind, or at least an object of a similar name that was rumored to hold secrets of transforming its user into a mighty dragon. Through the years, many sought the treasures of the dead wizard, but no-one was able to find the orb.

Sometime circa the mid-14 century DR the ambitious apprentice of the seer of Freedale, Taran Goldenstar discovered new information of the orb's whereabouts and delved into the dangerous dungeon. Subsequently, master Netheril had to hire a group of adventurers to rescue the missing elf and help him recover the orb. Approximately twenty years earlier, a fierce ogre Bonegnasher attacked the castle in search of the wizard's artifact and has been occupying the Tomb of Damara since then, tirelessly searching.

The adventurers who were sent to find the apprentice eventually discovered him being tortured by hobgoblins for the information about the orb. When rescued, Taran Goldenstar revealed to the adventurers that the orb was hidden behind an illusory wall somewhere in the caste and pleaded for the heroes to retrieve the dangerous artifact.

Delving deeper into the keep, toward's the castle's sub-levels, the heroes faced the ogre leader and his trained wolves. They slew the foul creature, liberating five human slaves in the process. The heroes discovered an enchanted golden key shaped like a flute and unlocked the illusory wall in the tunnels mined by Bonegnasher's orcs. Once the heroes defeated the undead guardians of the vault, Damara's shadows, the adventurers discovered the legendary orb.

Rumors & Legends
There were many rumors about who and what Damara was. Some said he was a king who ruled using the power of the orb of dragonkind, some said he was a goodly wizard. Some even said his reign ended only in the early years of the 14 century DR and only ended because the Bonegnasher attacked the keep.

Inhabitants
In the early to the mid-14 century DR, the ruined castle was a home of an ogre chieftain Bonegnasher. Among his marauders were gnolls, kobolds, hobgoblins , orcs , goblins , lizard man cleric of Semuanya , and two pet wolves, Predator and Crusher

During that time, the marauders kept slaves, mostly humans, snatched off the roads of Shadowdale.

The fountain in the keep's garden at one point became home for a giant toad, and its store room - for giant rats. A carrion crawler could be found in the tunnels under that castle, most often inside the treasure storeroom. The room with a well housed several giant bats. The armory held several bent pieces of armor and weapons all floating inside a hungry gelatinous cube.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Tomb of Damara