Bast Castle

File:Bast Castle WAYN.jpg
**Bast Castle** is an abandoned castle used by the Apostles and inhabited by the Elite NoHeads in *S.M.S.B.: Where Are You Now?* and *S.M.S.B.: The Return of the Verasect*. The Umbralord intended it to serve as the seat of his new order.

## Description

### The Castle

Located both underground and above ground, Bast Castle is an old, rotting castle that has been abandoned for several centuries. After the Revolutionary War, the manor was dark, unused and undisturbed. The back door, which connects to the gardens, which are now dried and sickly, led to the massive kitchen that opened up to the foyer. When Jonathan entered the castle, thinking that there were intruders, he went up the stone steps and turned to the corridor, and there would be a door at the end of the passageway, which would be the drawing room. Despite the castle being greatly in need of renovation, it was described as “moderately comfortable” by Hell Burnbottom during his stay in the early 2040s.

### The Throne Room

The amphitheater of Bast Castle was the infamous chamber in which Jonathan was found dead. When Hell Burnbottom’s ghost is taken inside the castle, undetected by Fobbles or mutants, he stays inside the throne room. When Jonathan entered the manor in 2041, he also saw that the drawing room contained a magnificent fireplace, a bearskin rug and the elaborate chair that Burnbottom’s ghost sits on located opposite the Dark Throne itself.

### Tri-battlements

There were battlements all around the top of The Tri. They were used by the Bast Castle defense during the Battle of Bast Castle. They were heavily damaged during the course of the battle, with parts of the floor falling in, revealing the corridors below.

 File:FrontofCastle beforeBOBC.png
### Catwalks by the Tri-battlements

There was a set of catwalks close to the rafters of a high-ceilinged hall by The Tri battlements. The Umbralord and Sebiscuits Cardarphen had a confrontation here, by which time the Umbralord had gained the upper hand. Cardarphen had no way of defending himself when the Umbralord struck him with a laser blast, he was temperately in Oblivion but, woke up on one of the catwalks.
File:12 tsb-set-design lg.jpg

### Cellar

The prisoners of the Elite NoHeads had all been held in the secret room below the drawing room. George Thames, Amelia Fiennes, and Robbie Evans were all held here. This room is completely escape-proof and has no light; only the three Arts can bypass the room’s securities. It had nothing in it except a water jug, a food bowl and a few nails.

## History

### Early history

 File:Lord Tempest.jpg
Bast Castle originally belonged to several lines of Venusian royalty, back when Kings and Queens were still in charge. Several Knights resided here, including the Makkan who would eventually become Lord Tempest. A formidable warrior who craved battle, the Master studied Mettan teachings and fell to the Darkness, which led to his expulsion from Bast Castle. After the Revolutionary War saw the founding of the government, however, the castle was deserted. It would remain this way for centuries, until it was reoccupied in 2040.

### Use by the Elite NoHeads

"*My Lord, may I ask how long are we going to stay here?"
"A week. Perhaps longer. This place is moderately comfortable, and the plan cannot proceed yet. It would be foolish to act before the ancient weapon is procured.*"
―Whammo Fireball and the ghost of Hell Burnbottom in Bast Castle, discussing their plans[src]
After the Umbralord broke free of the Lumiking following the Melanization, his cultists chose Bast Castle to be their new fortress, as they believed densely populating the Tower of Reincarnation would render it too likely to be discovered. The demonic entity subsequently came to reside at the castle and he prepared the throne there to become his permanent seat of power.

In January 2040, a mass breakout from Beta Prison set three long-imprisoned NoHeads — Whammo Fireball, Darren Slade, and the Lunch Money Bandit — loose. These three were considered to be some of the most dangerous and highly guarded convicts due to their crimes being legendary. The other two escapees returned to service to Hell Burnbottom. Together, they planned to make a complicated ritual in the Tower of Reincarnation to return Hell Burnbottom to a body. Later, an orphan named Jonathan destroyed the soul of Mr. Stupid NoHead, prompting Hell Burnbottom’s soul to return to Bast Castle with Cygnus and Whammo, unaware the Umbralord was manipulating them.

Jonathan saw a light coming from within the castle late one night. Knowing of the castle's origins, Jonathan headed inside the castle. Climbing to its fourth level, he overheard Burnbottom’s conspiracy. He was soon discovered by Nagatha and subsequently was “invited” into the throne room by the Lunch Money Bandit on the orders of Hell Burnbottom, where Jonathan demanded that Burnbottom turn around from the fireplace and face him “like a man”. Jonathan let out a horrified scream when he saw Burnbottom’s evil spirit, perishing thereafter from a burst of malevolent spiritual energy.

In May of 2041, Fireball later plucked a bone from a vulture’s corpse, took it to Lioness graveyard, and buried it away, while Cygnus trapped a mother crow for its egg. Whammo proceeded to the Tower of Reincarnation and prepared a red network of dark energy. At the same time, the Lunch Money Bandit turned Lindsay’s homemade plate into a transport. Hell Burnbottom proceeded to trap Lindsay Kellerman, since she was needed to bring him back. After Kellerman escaped their duel and returned to the MBH, the Apostles returned to Bast Castle.

### Third NoHead War

Hell Burnbottom now had some of his followers, but he still needed to mobilize the army promised to him by the Umbralord. The Umbralord promised Burnbottom authority over the Ring of Negation, a massive fleet of destroyers with the destructive capacity to force the entire universe into eternal submission. The Umbralord had two datapads created to guide the way to the castle on Venus. One was made for himself and stored in an undisclosed location, while the other was given to his charge, Hell Burnbottom, who stored the cosmic navigator within his throne room. Initially able to grow in power in secret, the Apostles eventually initiated numerous war casualties in 2042, continuing to use Bast Castle as their base of operations.

Later, the Umbralord implanted a vision into Sebiscuits Cardarphen’s head that only he could destroy the NoHeads. Convinced of his power, Cardarphen traveled to the castle and engaged the Umbralord in a vicious duel of dark power that led to the slaying of the serpent Nagatha. The Umbralord furiously knocked Cardarphen off the ramp and pursued him, eventually snaring and incinerating him. Upon the S.M.S.B.'s arrival through the thick of the wrath of the Umbralord's navy, the demon proclaimed the death of Cardarphen and his victory until Cardarphen was suddenly resurrected through the Verasect. This led to a second battle resulting in the Apostles' ultimate defeat. The Umbralord and Lindsay Kellerman had a confrontation in the upper levels, finishing with them pushing off from a balcony into the ravine below. It is unknown what happened to Bast Castle after the Umbralord's fall, but it is likely that it remained abandoned for a long time.

## References

1. ↑ *Before The SMSB: Who Will Hold Dominion?*
2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `SMSB2`
3. ↑ *S.M.S.B.: Where Are You Now?*
4. ↑ *S.M.S.B.: The Return of the Verasect*