Karsus's Keep

Karsus's Keep was a Netherese ruin near Westgate, northwest of Starmantle. It had once held the most powerful of Karsus's spells.
==Location==
It stood west of Starmantle, at the end of a turn in the road that had since been reclaimed by the woods, away from the coast road between Ripplestones and Starmantle. There was a deserted town at the end of that road, and a small clearing where the remains of coaches and wagons had become covered in creepers by spring of the , suggesting that caravans had once made stops there. The place was surrounded by shadowtop trees, and there was at least one hiexel. The keep itself stood at the top of a slope or hill.
==Interior==
One stone platform outside was engraved with a "K"; the stone was about one man-height by two man-heights in size.
Most of the structure had been rendered completely unusable, and all archways had lost their doors, but some of the ceilings survived. There was one bedroom that had walls with gaps through which the forest was visible, strongly implying it was on the outer edge of the structure; these gaps were large enough for a man to enter, if he clambered. A few pieces of furniture remained in approximate shape, including a rotting, gilt canopied bed, a lounge, a grand table and an oval mirror. More importantly, the rear of the bedroom opened into a ring-shaped parapet with knee-high walls over a dark pit; this part of the structure was still roofed solidly enough to remain dark until the Keep's ultimate destruction. There were two phandar trees, twisted and close by, near one of the rents in the bedroom's walls.
The well had handholds and footholds. Down the well there was a natural cavern, where a throne room held a wizened corpse; this was the body of a clone of Karsus, an infamous Netherese arcanist. There were seven rune circles before the throne, arranged in a semicircle like the prow of a boat. The area nearest the throne had stone slabs for a floor, rather than natural stone.
One room, accessible through a translocating stone platform, was a low-ceilinged room lit by red light, which held entirely too many enchanted devices, making it almost knee-deep to wade through. There was a platform with a "K" on its dimmest corner.
===Atmosphere===
The space down the well was damp and dusty, but trails of salt covered some stones, deposited by natural processes over the ages.
One particular room, used to hold enchanted objects, was lit only by a red radiance.
==Defenses==
Beyond the small town outside, there was a moat with a drawbridge and stone pillars within the ditch, which had once buttressed the walls. The bridge sagged, but remained usable until the keep was destroyed.
The bedroom had wards upon the well, which attacked those who descended. There was an illusion that would trigger when people approached the rune circles and throne, but it was only bluster and threats by Karsus, who had not added actual wards to the throne room.
One room was accessible through a stone platform outside the Keep which was engraved with a "K". It was enspelled to translocate those who stepped upon it and spoke aloud "Karsus". However, the platform did not register as magical to detection. The room could only be left in the same way; there was a floating sword as its only visible guardian.
==History==
The place was originally used by Karsus, who hid a clone in a secluded underground throne room and prepared rune circles describing the casting of several of his most powerful spells, including one to heal all ills, and most notably including one Azuth had personally described as expressly forbidden by Mystra herself, almost certainly implying it was Karsus's avatar.
At some point, Saeraede Lyonora, an undead Netherese sorceress, arrived at the Keep, finding Karsus's clone dead. Saeraede then began her depredations across the nearby area, rendering a swath of forest into the Dead Place. She also gathered gowns in a ruined wardrobe from the caravans she exterminated nearby. Over time, she made a decision to use the Keep as a lure for mages, whose lifeforce she had a craving for. She altered the rune circles so that they would only activate for her, and then settled on Elminster Aumar, a Chosen of Mystra, as the one she wanted to lure after overhearing a conversation about him in Westgate, where she'd ranged further. She later successfully lured him into the keep.
However, the ruins were also located by Sharran Dreadspells led by Elryn, who were out to slay Elminster; they accidentally revealed the location of the Keep to the elven mage Ilbryn Starym, who was also seeking to hunt down and slay Elminster; he hid himself in the throne room and waited for a chance to ambush the wizard, while the Dreadspells found an entrance into a cache of magical devices, which they promptly looted. After entering the throne room, Elminster was successfully deceived by Saeraede Lyonora into lowering his defenses, allowing her to nearly strike him down. Azuth appeared then, accompanied by three mages: Caladaster Daermree, Tabarast, and Beldrune. Azuth warned him that what he was doing was forbidden, and that he was doomed if he didn't break free of her. At that time, the Sharrans revealed themselves, and hurled an onslaught of destructive spells from a gap in the ceiling.
Though Saeraede was able to absorb most of the magic released, the cavern was riven, and the runes holding Karsus' greatest magics were shattered. In turn, Azuth protected the three wizards with him; after the Sharrans decided they'd hurled as many spells as could be useful, they fled, noticing Azuth was still standing. In turn, Saeraede returned herself to life after draining Elminster, only to be immediately struck down by Ilbryn Starym. She then exploded in the already precarious ruins of the keep, leaving the whole chamber open to the elements; Azuth disappeared with Elminster, leaving the place to the three mages that had accompanied him. These three mages, after a short talk, discovered Saeraede's gowns, which they took with themselves.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===Appearances===
===References===
Category:Netherese locations
Category:Ruins
Category:Keeps
Category:Locations on the Dragon Coast
Category:Locations on the Neck
Category:Locations in Interior Faerûn
Category:Locations in the Eastern Heartlands
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril