Category | Strongholds |
Continent | Karterus |
Region | Ma'Ohari |
Owner | Raxcvillibus Dumu-loc |
Built | 21 Lunar 1320 |
Map | Tha'lith |
Tas'dvr Mout is a massive, foreboding bastion with architecture like you would find in the Asmodean capital city on Nessus. It is built along the ridges and across the spires left when part of a mountain collapsed. It is overshadowed by the Zan Urk mountains and its southern walls loom over lake Urkell. When the mountain collapsed it left a steep slope of debris that goes all the way down into this lake.
In 1301, a Minâth without an empire, Raxcvillibus Dumu-loc, came to this area and explored a subterranean complex built during the time of Varelay. It revealed slave pens, or in case of those that lived here, places to come and feed. The former owner of this complex was a Drachlaz Lord named Rintasi Othralbuc. Raxcvillibus and his followers took over this ancient vampire lair and expanded upon it.
Tas'dvr Mout was built over Rintasi's lair. Raxcvillibus hired a labor force consisting of fire giants and Gol'hakh out of Goth-Dyvermoir and cambion dwarves out of Gulud-Burâg. Some areas of the place were built for occupation by giants and even bigger things like dragons.
The inspiration for Tas'dvr Mout's architecture was conceived during Raxcvillibus's sentence across the worlds of the Hells system. There are nine subterranean levels with the top two once having been home of Rintasi. On the surface, Tas'dvr Mout has dozens of towers and , even more blockhouses and structures built into the side of the collapsed mountain. Most of these area are reached by stone or rope bridges, while others can only be reached by teleporting into them from a keyed teleportation circle.
Many of the inner areas above ground, and most of those underground are decorated with or hewn out of Blood Marble; a stone common in the surrounding mountains. The defensive side of walls and towers were made with a seared black stone. In places, they are embedded with the bones and skulls of those that have assailed the place. The seared black stone comes from quarries in the canyon Toth Coeus. This stone is called Toth Rock. It periodically releases reddish hued smoke that quickly turns into a slick oil, making for very hard to climb walls.
There have been times when the paths leading to the fortress were lined with pikes holding those condemned to death. During the Terror March, they were adorned with the priests of Coeus, and above banners of flayed skin flapped in the wind.
In the Black Tide War (1465 - 1504), after Raxcvillibus was kicked off the First Dead Council (c.f. 1485), Tas'dver Mout became a target for acquisition. The place was besieged by Bloodtusk forces and other seeking a fortress that at times seemed empty of leadership. These times of less than optimal leadership occurred during the owner's away time; the Hells Tours that Raxcvillibus had to do as a result of Apoxlins Sentence (1485 - 1683).
Tas'dvr Mout is best known for being the headquarters of the Lix Tetrax.
Within this citadel is the Tas'dvr Mout Foundry. This area holds a godforge called the Maze Furnace. This magical forge was captured by Raxcvillibus on his third tour to the Hells system (1521 - 1530). At the time he was serving under Asmodeus. Together, they warred with the abyssal lord Baphomet. In the Battle of Kurdire, Rax's army of devils captured the enemy's castle and looted the Maze Furnance. This consisted of things like an anvil, slack tub, bellows, hammers, fullers, chisels, and an oven. All of this stuff was hauled back to Nessus and turned over to Asmodeus. When Apoxlins Sentence ended, Asmodeus found a way to get it to Tas'dvr Mout. It was a gift for Rax's services to him over a period of nearly two centuries.
Tas'dver Mout has a wide assortment of creatures guarding it - ju-ju zombies, deathbringers, crawling heads, constructs, blackstone gigant, a few fiendish creatures from faraway systems, and a host of other powerful minions. Most of the fortress's garrison consist of various forms of lesser undead like skeletons and zombies. All of them are enhanced with undead bolstering feats and magic making them much tougher than normal.
This castle overlooks a small walled town focused on mining, logging, and gathering ores out of Zan Urk.