90 rooms · levels 35–50
The dusty shelves contain books and scrolls that contain every possible thing imagined. Prophecies and notes have been carefully set aside. Books with passages underlined, it is obvious this is where a mage of many interests spends his time.
Castle Freitstein is a commanding residence, monstrous yet elegant. Enclosed by a series of crenellated, ivy-covered walls, the great edifice towers above the landscape, casting its long shadow across the hillside. The castle walls consist of mortared bricks of silvery-gray, each speckled in a way that deftly captures the sunlight (or moonlight). Capping the tallest tower is a crystalline spire of gleaming glass.
A rough carriageway leads uphill to the emerald-green lawn of the castle courtyard. The only apparent entrance to the castle grounds is an open archway joined to a pair of unguarded turrets. Both the archway and the turrets show signs of age and neglect, but the masonry is nonetheless impressive.
A heavy, wrought-iron gate bars your approach to Castle Freitstein. Flanking the gate are two ordinary stone gate-houses built into the adjoining walls.
This stone, flat-roofed structure is detached from the main castle. Housed within its hollow interior is an exquisitely adorned four passenger carriage of polished cedarwood. The sides of the coach are emblazoned with a stylized "F": the symbol of the Freitstein family.
These detached outbuildings actually consist of two buildings: a stone smithy and a wooden stable. Three blackened chimneys poke through the smithy roof. Just outside the stable is a 5 foot wide, stone-rimmed well.
The castle has two entrances. The ground floor entrance is preceded by a ramp and barred by a portcullis. The second entrance, no doubt the main entrance, can be reached by climbing the staircase to a balcony.
Entry to the castle is barred by a pair of 10 foot tall, iron-bound oak doors. Mounted on each door is a bronze mask resembling a human face, one male and one female. A brass knocker is attached to the chin of each scowling visage.
A red carpet stretches from one end of this hall to the other. Ten suits of armor stand silently against the walls of this dark corridor.
The passage shows recent use. The torches are still alight shadows dance along the walls as the flames sputter from a soft breeze.
Four bunk beds line the walls of this lamp-lit chamber. The floor is partially concealed beneath a large round carpet emblazoned with a shield, while a round wooden table surrounded by eight chairs dominates the middle of the floor.
Against the eastern wall of this room, underneath a banner depicting a massed army of horsemen bearing flags, is a large, comfortable-looking bed, draped in furs. At the foot of the bed sits a chest. Next to the door stands a two-door wardrobe.
A dozen beds occupy this corner chamber. Most of the beds are unmade, as if the occupants were suddenly aroused from their slumber. Hanging from hooks along the walls are several articles of clothing.
This vaulted chamber is radiantly lit. Light spills forth from the eyes and mouths of four masks mounted on the angular walls that flank the western doors. Several other masks, each unique, adorn the plastered wall. Six of them support a carefully sculpted bust of the same subject.
This passage seems peculiarly quiet. Nothing seems to be disturbed, only a haunting feeling that creeps up your spine.
Two exquisite statues of white marble stand in these alcoves. The statues depict twin nymphs, beautiful and scantily clad. Leafy wreaths adorn their brows and tilted goblets are held in their delicate, out-stretched hands.
This chamber is illuminated by four torches placed in sconces along the angled walls. Three tapestries depicting mountainous winter landscapes hang from iron rods along the north, west, and south walls.
This chamber is illuminated by a single, shimmering globe of light that hovers above a round, barren table in the middle of the floor. Hundreds of books are packed into 3 foot high bookcases along the walls. Hanging between the elaborate stained-glass windows are four black banners embroidered with gold thread and tracery. Several comfortably padded chairs are placed about the room in orderly fashion.
This chamber contains all the amenities of comfortable a silver filigree serving trolley loaded with fine crystal goblets and half-filled decanters. The walls are oak-panelled, and the windows are obscured by red satin drapes. A pair of polished marble panthers stand between the windows. Above the panthers hangs a portrait of an elderly, but distinguished, man with a gleam of mischief in his dark eyes.
The passage is well lit, and the area is well kept. A tapestry of fine craftsmanship adorns this hallway.
Five cozy beds and two cedar dressers are arranged along the walls of this unlit chamber. The room appears unoccupied.
Two dragon statues chiselled from black stone guard these shadowy alcoves. The necks of these reptilian rock-sculptures extend well out into the corridor, and their heads are tilted toward the hallway.
A spiral staircase climbs to the third floor and descends to the first. Colorful tapestries depicting summer landscapes decorate the walls.
The hallway is well lit, and the area well kept. Muffled noises come from behind closed doors.
The room is handsomely appointed with a canopied bed against one wall and a tall wardrobe against another. Rugs cover the tiled floor, and ceramic masks hang from the otherwise barren walls. Several other pieces of furniture, including two leather armchairs and a dresser, occupy this regal chamber.
This hallway is furnished with a table against one wall, and a mirror that makes it feel much larger than what it is.
A large canopied bed stands at the far end of this room, enclosed on all sides by panes of frosted glass. Lush green carpets cover the floor and lanterns hang from the ceiling by steel chains. A large trunk and cedar dresser stand against the south wall. Mounted on the wall next to the dresser is a full-length, oak-framed mirror.
Lanterns suspended from the ceiling illuminate this windowless chamber. A hexagonal, wooden table stands in one corner, surrounded by six tall chairs, three of them knocked over. A pair of padded sofas and a 10 foot tall stuffed bear (with a sword sticking out of it) stand in the northeast corner. The walls are decorated with trophies of the hunt, including antlers, mounted boars' heads, and hunting spears.
A spiral staircase with no bannister curls up and down the stairway's central pillar. Unlit torches rest in brackets along the way.
This passage is dark. The torches haven't been used in some time, and the musky smell of the crates and furniture fills the air.
The dark passage has torches lining the walls at regular intervals. One torch is lying on the floor, knocked out of place quite recently.
Four tables stand side by side in the middle of this room. Draped over each table is a red sheet, its edges touching the cold stone floor. Resting on the first table are some peculiar metal instruments. The three remaining tables have cadavers on them. The corpses are dressed in simple attire.
Six iron doors line the walls of this dark corridor. Built into each door is a narrow window slit.
This dark and dreary area is unguarded. The only adornments are two unlit torches placed in brackets on the walls.
This empty chamber is unlit and unoccupied. Four sets of bunks have been pushed against the walls, but the bunks are currently not in use.
Eight large tapestries hang from the walls of this dark, 20 foot wide corridor. The tapestries along the north wall depict a sylvan glade, a trickling brook, a white stag, and a satyr playing wooden pipes. The southern tapestries depict scenes of battle, some too bloody to describe in detail.
The floor of this chamber is tiled in black marble. Lit torches are placed in sconces along each wall, while part of the ceiling has been cut away to reveal another chamber directly overhead.
Thick curtains are drawn over the alcoves in this unlit corridor.
This passage is dark. The torches haven't been used in some time, and the musky smell of the crates and furniture permeates the air.
A spiral staircase with no bannister curls up and down the stairway's central pillar. Unlit torches rest in brackets along the way.
A musky odor fills this unlit chamber, almost like the scent of blood. Sinister shapes clutching long swords stand in the darkness, their faces sallow and white. Double doors loom ominously to the east. A red carpet covers the floor, adorned with various nonmagical designs.
Two unlit lanterns hang from the ceiling of this dark chamber, and red curtains are drawn over the windows. The floor is covered with triangular shards of broken glass. In the center of the room are two large tables, one badly scarred by fire and littered with broken beakers and other shattered apparatus. The other table and its contents appear jostled but intact.
The winch mounted on the wall has been sabotaged, the chain has been melted making the portcullis inoperable.
This poorly lit chamber is replete with crates and pieces of furniture, many of them half-assembled or covered with faded dustcloths.
Stacked along the walls of this unlit room are several cords of chopped wood used for fires. The piles are draped with cloth to protect them from dampness. Also stored here are several planks of timber and three spare carriage wheels.
A pair of wooden weapon racks stand against the far wall of this unlit chamber. Beneath the racks is a chest filled with crossbow quarrels.
An iron ladder descends to this dark, twenty foot corridor. The muffled sound of voices fills the passage. A haunting echo lingers in the air.
Uncovered windows allow only thin rays of light to enter this dark, octagonal chamber, just enough light to see magical symbols traced in gold on the floor. In the middle of the floor is a magical circle nearly 9' in diameter, its circumference inscribed with runes. Other ornate symbols are etched in the surrounding stone.
The pungent odor of fermented wine lingers in the darkness of this room. Standing upright against the far wall are four, seven foot tall, wine racks. The racks are about half-filled with bottles, many of them shrouded with dust.
This unlit chamber has barren shelves lining the walls.
Avacia stores old furnishings here. Chairs, tables, faded carpets, free-standing suits of armor, gaudy cloak racks, iron candelabra, and other such items fill the room. Nothing in the room is of any value.
The walls of this unlit room are lined with shelves, and stacked neatly upon the shelves are hundreds of glass containers. Vials, jars, and beakers of all shapes and sizes occupy this otherwise empty chamber.
This torchlit area is scarcely furnished. Lying in a heap on the staircase landing are the bloodied remains of Loren, one of Avacia's manservants.
Muffled whispers can be heard in the neighboring rooms of this blood-stained passage.
Beyond the locked door is a bedchamber with a large four-poster bed, a tall wardrobe and a writing desk. The contents of the room show signs of disturbance, as if someone was searching for something.
The bodies of two dozen castle guards are slumped against the walls of this vaulted, torchlit hall. A terrible stench pervades the corridor, nearly overwhelming you with nausea.
Two large dining tables and a slew of wooden chairs clutter this chamber. Lanterns dangle from the ceiling by iron chains, but they are unlit. Against the south wall stand two glass-door cabinets full of tableware.
The main feature of this room is a massive dining table of varnished oak, surrounded by eight tall chairs of equally impressive craftsmanship. The chamber is illuminated by a dazzling array of colors--the result of light entering through two exquisite stained-glass windows. A crystal chandelier, unlit but magnificent, dangles majestically above the table.
This kitchen is equipped with all the standard items. The walls are lined with cupboards and shelves, a preparation table stands in the middle of the room, and a soup kettle hangs in the fireplace.
Muffled whispers can be heard coming from the neighboring rooms of this blood-stained passage.
A spiral staircase rises to the fourth floor and descends to the second. The room is empty and unguarded.
The bodies of two dozen castle guards are slumped against the walls of this vaulted, torchlit hall. A terrible stench pervades the corridor, nearly overwhelming you with nausea.
This chamber is elegantly furnished. A canopied bed stands between the two windows along the north wall, while a large writing desk rests against the south wall. On each side of the fireplace stands a tall bookshelf, while opposite the fireplace (near the door) is a mahogany wardrobe.
Tall bookcases stand against the eastern and western walls, and a hulking desk has been shoved under a stained glass window on the far wall. Resting atop the desk is a lit oil lamp, which is partially obscured behind a tall, gaunt chair that has been turned away from the desk to face only the door.
This once-lavish bedchamber has been reduced to utter disarray. A canopied bed, its veils torn and tattered, rests against the north wall. Tapestries have been ripped free from their hanging rods and thrown to the floor. Two padded chairs lie overturned in the middle of the room near the carcasses of two half-orcs and an owlbear. A wardrobe stands against the south wall, its doors agape. Between the wardrobe and the fireplace are the remains of a free-standing, full-length mirror, itself reduced to thousands of glassy fragments scattered on the floor.
Perched on ledges in the corners of this tower chamber are four leering gargoyles with folded wings. However, the grim decor cannot compete with the ghastly sight of what the occupants of the castle have done.
From this area you can see Daleville in all its splendor. The causeway runs east to west and sports a great view of the surrounding area.
This spacious area contains four padded chairs and a cracked leather sofa. In one corner sits an iron bathtub and a wooden washtub with a scrub-board. Lanterns hang from the chamber's rafters, while two windows provide a view of the land beyond the castle.
Three beds stand along the west wall of this plainly furnished room. At the foot of each bed is an opened trunk. Worn bearskins cover the cold stone floor.
Three beds stand along the west wall of this plainly furnished room. At the foot of each bed is an opened trunk. Worn bearskins cover the cold stone floor.
A pair of arched, stained-glass windows flood this chamber with dazzling light. Unlit torches wait in sconces along the walls, and a tapestry depicting an autumn vale hangs on the eastern wall.
A four foot high stone wall encloses this overlook of the splendors of the lands.
One of the windows of this chamber has been shattered inward, and shards of glass lie strewn on the floor. A large tapestry depicting Castle Freitstein spans the north wall.
Lurid, multicolored light enters this room through seven stained-glass windows.
The view from the top of this tower is spectacular. From this godlike vantage point, you behold mile after mile of distant, rolling countryside. Even the tallest trees are reduced to mere shrubs, and the clouds overhead seem near enough to climb upon.
The ceiling of this tower chamber is at least 40 foot high. The walls slant inward, becoming narrower as they near the roof. The spiral staircase continues up as well as down, and several lit candelabra placed around the perimeter of the stair-case brighten the room. Natural light streams through four slender windows set into the walls six feet off the floor.
Four narrow windows set into the walls allow light to enter this confined area.
This staircase finally winds its way up the tower's peak. The cone of the tower is made of smooth transparent crystal, and beyond its surface you see the vast, unending sky. An elaborate platform has been erected in this self-contained observatory, and atop the platform you see a cylindrical scrying device one might guess, allows one to view the very heavens themselves!
Six wood-framed beds rest against the walls of this chamber. A wooden ladder leads up to the trap door in the ceiling.
Cobwebs stretch from wall to wall, as a thick curtain parts before you. Rats scurry and hide between the stones of the floor and ceiling watching you with sinister eyes.
This is nothing but a wide, long hallway. The eastern wall contains twelve curtained alcoves that once housed statues of sylvan creatures.
The entire eastern end of this long dusty corridor is blocked by rubble where the roof has collapsed. This was once the main hallway that led to the center of the complex, but most of the hallway's ceiling collapsed long ago.
This hallway is littered with dust and debris that has gathered upon the floor. Time has not been kind to this once lavish hall.
This was once a well-appointed meeting and council chamber. It now contains the rotting remnants of silk and satin sofas and chairs. The eastern wall of the room is covered by a large, heavy tapestry.
The hallway continues, as you go deeper into the time-ravaged remains of this hidden establishment.
This was once a storage room for a laboratory. It contains shelves and cabinets filled with all sorts of pots, vials, and containers. Many of the containers are either empty or have been rendered inert and harmless by time and long exposure to the stale air of the room.
This large room is filled with all manner of laboratory equipment. Beakers, funnels, hammers, kettles, mortar and pestle, scales, test tubes, tongs, tweezers, vials, and other alchemical devices of arcane usage are spread out among several tables and workshop benches that are rather old and rickety.
This was once the lair's armory, but now holds little more than dust. There are several wooden racks, used for neatly stacking spears and swords, but these hold only three wooden spear shafts, without spear heads.
The once, rich furnishings in this large chamber are now crumbling slowly to dust. Rotting tapestries hang on all four walls. A rickety wooden throne rests on a dais of rough-hewn granite.
This small, bare room is at the end of a winding maze of corridors. A sturdy, wooden chest, with its hinges rusted from the damp conditions, is resting here.