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Dragonspear Castle was a fortress built across three low hills[3] on the southwestern edge of the High Moor, east of Trollbark Forest and just north of where the Coast Way joined the Trade Way.[4]

Extensive tunnels were dug under the keep, connecting with an underground river,[5][6] the already-abandoned city of Kanaglym, and hence the larger Underdark.[7] The Castle became most notable for its interplanar portals, through which came baatezu and other fiends.[8]

History

1255 DR
Daeros Dragonspear emerged from Kanaglym, bearing a fortune in gems. He built Dragonspear Castle around the lair of Halatathlaer.[3][9][1]
1290 DR
Ithtaerus Casalia created the first portal to Avernus in Dragonspear Castle,[10] bound Halatathlaer, tricked Daeros Dragonspear into entering the portal (and effectively killing himself), and lured other dragons to the castle with vision of a free dragon hoard. Three hopeful dragons arrived and battled each other, slaying Halatathlaer and demolishing most of the fortress. The surviving dragon, Sharndrel, was incensed by the deception and slayed Ithtaerus.[9][2] The ruins are soon claimed by bandits and humanoids.[3][11]
1305 DR
Hobgoblins seized Dragonspear Castle and raided the Trade Way and surrounding lands.[12][13]
1315 DR
Armed expeditions from Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate finally swept through Dragonspear Castle. Unable to destroy the portal they established the Hold of Battle Lions, a fortified temple of Tempus.[3][11][12][14][13]
1354 DR
Devils took Dragonspear Castle, arriving through new portals.[3][11][15][6][16]
1356 DR
The Dragonspear War. A strange mist cloaked the ruins of Dragonspear Castle, said to resist even the dispelling efforts of Khelben.[17] The forces of Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate once more converged on Dragonspear Castle, setting fire to the structures there and defeating the devils.[3][11][18]
1363 DR
The Second Dragonspear War. Devils retook Dragonspear Castle and built an army of humanoids, plus a dominated dragon. This fiend-led army destroyed The Way Inn and attacked Daggerford before being defeated by a motley force led by adventurers.[19][20]
1479 DR
The persistent mists remained. The castle was now controlled by undead led by Born.[21][note 1]

Appendix

Notes

  1. The 4e Campaign Guide omits all mention of fiends; it maintains that the shrine of Tempus was overwhelmed by undead arising from the Nepenthe River, despite Volo's Guide specifically saying (a) it was a temple and (b) it was destroyed by baatezu.

Appearances

Adventures
Fiction
Video games

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 127. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 132. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb (August 1987). “Cyclopedia of the Realms”. In Karen S. Martin ed. Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (TSR, Inc.), p. 39. ISBN 0-88038-472-7.
  4. Karen Wynn Fonstad (August 1990). The Forgotten Realms Atlas. (TSR, Inc), p. 5. ISBN 978-0880388573.
  5. Tim Beach (October 1995). “The High Moor”. In Julia Martin ed. Elminster's Ecologies Appendix II (TSR, Inc), p. 7. ISBN 0786901713.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Ed Greenwood (1994). Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. (TSR, Inc), p. 75. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
  7. Karen Wynn Fonstad (August 1990). The Forgotten Realms Atlas. (TSR, Inc), p. 148. ISBN 978-0880388573.
  8. Tim Beach (October 1995). “The High Moor”. In Julia Martin ed. Elminster's Ecologies Appendix II (TSR, Inc), p. 9. ISBN 0786901713.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Ed Greenwood (1994). Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. (TSR, Inc), p. 73. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "VGSC-p73" defined multiple times with different content
  10. Tim Beach (October 1995). “The High Moor”. In Julia Martin ed. Elminster's Ecologies Appendix II (TSR, Inc), p. 10. ISBN 0786901713.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), A Grand Tour of the Realms. (TSR, Inc), p. 91. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Ed Greenwood (1994). Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. (TSR, Inc), p. 74. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
  13. 13.0 13.1 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 134. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  14. Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 294. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  15. Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 124. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
  16. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 140. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  17. Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb (August 1987). “DM's Sourcebook of the Realms”. In Karen S. Martin ed. Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (TSR, Inc.), p. 37. ISBN 0-88038-472-7.
  18. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 142. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  19. William W. Connors (October 1992). Hordes of Dragonspear. Edited by C. Terry Phillips. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 1-56076-333-7.
  20. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 146. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  21. Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 36. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
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