Dreadhold

Two thousand years ago, Karrn the Conqueror founded a prison colony on an island he called Blackrock. He used it as a place of exile but did not build a true prison. The dissidents and criminals stranded on the island lived in a small thorp that has since evolved into the village of Gaolgate. Over the years, a few of the later kings of Karrnath made use of the island, but it was largely ignored. As the Lhazaar Princes spread out across the region, the people of Blackrock were either taken as slaves or became subjects of the princes, and eventually the island fell empty again.

Centuries passed before Blackrock came back into the public eye. King Galifar I was more of a diplomat than his ancestor, Karrn the Conqueror, and even as he fought his war of conquest he realized he would need a place to hold hostages and political prisoners-people too important to kill but too dangerous to be kept close at hand. During his wars in the Ironroot Mountains, Galifar encountered the dwarves of Clan Kundarak and saw their skills with traps and fortifications. Soon after, he recruited a band of Kundarak dwarves to build his prison and assist in securing it. Within a century, Clan Kundarak had become House Kundarak Backed by the power of the other dragonmarked houses, the Kundarak barons convinced Galifar I's weaker-willed grandson to cede the fortress to the dwarves who built it. The renamed island of Dreadhold became part of the territory of House Kundarak, for as long as they continued to serve the Kingdom of Galifar.

This arrangement continued for almost eight hundred years. With each passing century, the dwarves expanded the prison, adding new levels and new warding spells. Architects added vaults to the fortress and magical workshops where artificers and wizards could work on secretive projects of the house. Today, Dreadhold is an important enclave of House Kundarak, second only to the capital city of Korunda Gate. In 896 YK, the Kingdom of Galifar collapsed into civil war. It soon became clear there would be no swift end to this conflict.

In 896 YK, the Lord Warden of Dreadhold, Zaxon d'Kundarak, contacted the leaders of the land. The rules under which the prison had run were a contract between Galifar and House Kundarak, but Galifar was no more. Dreadhold would continue to serve as a prison, but it would thereafter be an independent operation. Any legitimate authority could send criminals to Dreadhold, provided they paid for the stay.

Today, the present prisoners of Dreadhold include deposed Lhazaar princes, heirs who betrayed the dragonmarked houses, war criminals, and insurgents from across the Five Nations. Some say Zaxon has made mysterious and unknowable arrangements with the High King of Valenar and has had dark dealings with the Inspired lords of Sarlona.

The island of Dreadhold is an outcropping of rock covered by a thin layer of dirt. Sheer cliffs form an inhospitable coastline, ranging from 40 to 60 feet in height. THe black stone is slick and smooth, and scaling it requires a DC 25 Climb check. A Kundarak Warship circles the island at night, and two manticores with dwarf riders watch the island from the air. Any ship that weighs anchor off the coast is swiftly spotted unless it employs magical camouflage. Four patrols wander the island at all times. 

The Harbor: There is only one safe harbor on the island and there lies the village of Gaolgate. The wall between the harbor and the village is 20 feet tall, 5 feet thick, and is penetrated by a strong wooden gate. The harbor is protected with numerous magical wards. Normally these are left inactive, but a sentry can activate them using an amulet of the silent word.

Gaolgate: Gaolgate is a garrison town. Every building supports the prison in some way, from the massive smithy to the small brewery. A feet of fishing boats brings in food for the villagers and the prison, as the waters around the island teem with fish. Gaolgate is not designed with the comfort of travelers in mind, but there is one large inn - The Gallows - which caters to the crews of support ships and prison transports. Most of the inhabitants of the island are Kundarak dwarves, but the are a few gnomes from House Sivis who manage the message stations of the island. There are also a handful of others, mostly being former prisoners who chose to remain on the island after serving their sentences.

Residents of Gaolgate: While most of the guards of the prison live in the garrison town of Gaolgate, other island residents spend most of their time in town and are only called to the prison when their skills are needed or when working on a specific project. THe inhabitants of Gaolgate have two things in common: Most are highly skilled in a specific trade or craf,t assuring everyone has something to contribute to the community, and the vast majority are trained for combat, ready to grab a waraxe and join the fray should the island fall under attack or a prison break occur.

The Trench: A winding, 10 foot wide and 15 foot deep trench leads up from the village. Three gate stations stand along the way, each manned by two wand guards and a scout. While there are curves in the path, the final 400 feet of the trench is a straight line to the prison, ending smoothly in a path that winds around the main gate.

At the end of a long path stands a massive fortress shrouded in shadow. This shadow has the effect of a permanent Mordenkainen's private sanctum; people within can see out, but even darkvision cannot penetrate it. This effect also makes it difficult to scry into Dreadhold.

Dreadhold has only one gate. A few barred windows and narrow arrow slits break the smooth surface of the upper towers. People who pass through the front gate must walk down a hallway to the inner gate, where three elite and six regular guards keep the area under constnat observation. A permanent antimagic field covers the central 20 feet of the hallway. This field serves to reveal the presence of invisible intruders or disrupt magical disguises, resulting in immediate action on the part of the guards.

The interior of Dreadhold is as desolate as the island itself. It is built using the smooth dark stone of the cliffs, and the design is grim and functional. The only decorations are the seals of House Kundarak and the Kingdom of Galifar. The upper levels are illuminated by everbright lanterns, but there are no lights beneath the surface. The guards rely on darkvision, and the prisoners in the deep cells are left in the darkness.

All the walls, floors, ceilings, and doors of Dreadhold are strengthened by the manifest zone. In most cases, the doors are simply strong wood, and an arcane seal enhances those of any consequence. Truly important doors, such as those in the Deep Ward and those separating the prison wards are instead made of adamantine.

The dwarves of Dreadhold are not interested in the legal proceedings of the out-side world and don't care if a prisoner is innocent or guilty. They only deal with those they recognize as legitimate authorities, generally the appointed officials of a nation. House Kundarak also recognizes the right of dragonmarked houses to determine the fate of their members and for the Keeper of the Flame to condemn a fallen priest—or, for that matter, a demon. As such, it is whispered there are a few fiends bound in Dreadhold's lowest cells.

Initial arrangements are made via speaking stone. First, the warden establishes the length of the sentence, level of maintenance, and other details, such as whether the prisoner is allowed to receive visitors or have contact with the outside world. These details determine the price of imprisonment. Typically, the warden expects full payment up front. In a few cases—especially life sentences for extremely long-lived criminals—the prison accepts payment over time. If a client defaults on payment, a short grace period is usually given to make amends, but if the situation isn't resolved swiftly, the prisoner is released. Nations have their own laws, and the Kundarak dwarves aren't concerned with these. They abide by their contracts.

Under normal circumstances, the only person who can secure the release of a prisoner is the one who paid for his incarceration. There is one exception: if two people are within the same chain of command, the higher-ranking member can override the lower.Thus if a Brelish count imprisons a thief. King Boranel can order the thief's release, as the count is his subject. In this case, the house returns one half of the fee paid for the remaining period of the sentence.

On Dreadhold itself, the High Warden holds the full force of law. Prisoners have no rights beyond those negotiated in their contracts. House Kundarak takes pride in the integrity of its guards and outright brutality is rare. The guards have the authority, however, to take whatever actions they deem necessary to maintain order—and a wise prisoner keeps this in mind.

The island of Dreadhold lies within a manifest zone tied to Lammania, a plane of primal nature and elemental forces. This planar connection extends for zoo feet from the rock of the island and has a number of important effects.

Any liquids, fruits, or vegetables brought onto the island are affected by purify food and drink. This effect is continuous—meat does not decay, stored vegetables never rot, and salt water brought in from the sea becomes pure and fresh. This also means that poisoned food and drink are automatically neutralized when they are brought onto the island—although someone who has already been poisoned is not cured by this effect.

In addition, items of wood and stone are strengthened. The hardness of these substances is increased by to, and the number of hit points per inch are doubled. The break DC of an object made from wood or stone is increased by 5. This effect is more than just physical. Any attempt to directly harm a wood or stone object through use of magic—be it a fireball or stone to mud—must overcome a spell resistance of 35. Anyone who tries to pass through wood or stone using teleport, phase door, pontoon. or similar effects must also overcome this resistance. While this helps prevent break-ins or escapes, it also restricts most of the spellcasters of the prison from using teleportation magic themselves. These bonuses only apply to materials while they are on the island. Once removed from the zone, stone and wood items revert to their normal statistics.

There are five observation posts in Dreadhold. These are circular barricades that provide guards with partial cover. The posts possess various magic items allowing those stationed within to keep a watch on their assigned section of the prison. Observation posts also double as guard stations. A group of soldiers remain at teach post, where they can be swiftly dispatched to problem areas.

Each post contains an orb of observation, a minor artifact similar to a crystal ball with a few exceptions. Most importantly, the orbs are designed to work within Dreadhold, making them the only form of scrying that functions within the prison. The visions seen through the orbs also provide the benefits of see invisibility and arcane sight. All alarms, including the arcane seals, are routed to the observation posts, and any orb can be used to activate or deactivate the walls of force scattered throughout the prison.

The orbs of observation have a few limitations. They can only be used by someone who possesses the Mark of Making or the Mark of Wharding. In addition, the scrying effect has a maximum range of 10 miles.

There are three speaking stone stations on Dreadhold: one in the observation tower, one just inside the front gate of the prison, and one in Gaolgate. Sixteen House Sivis gnoems reside on Dreadhold, charged with operating the speaking stones. The leader of this stonespeaker corps is Lady Tyrin Torralyn d'Sivis, a member of the inner circle of her house. In addition to a telepathic bond with warden Zaxon, Tyrin has paermanent telapthic bonds with her aide Sarya and with Baron Odian Torralyn d'Sivis, an influential member of the house council in Zilargo. Thanks to her dragonmark she can use sending once per day.

Within the prison, communication is equally important. All of the wardens, captains, lawkeepers, wand guards, and elite guards wear modified circles of sound, allowing them to communicate freely with one another. Unlike normal circles of sound, these rings generally require their users to visualize who they wish to speak instead of sending the message to everyone wearing a ring. Only the wardens and captains are capable of sending messaegs to all of the rings. THese rings also have an enhanced range, allowing them to communicate with any other ring wearer in the prison.

Dreadhold is divided into a number of wards for the incarceration of prisoners with differing security levels and social status.

The Red Ward: As the primary prison complex. this is where most prisoners are held. The Red Ward is designed to hold up to three hundred prisoners, and currently averages two hundred. Prisoners are kept two to a cell. They spend most of their time there but are usually brought out in 4-hour shifts for work duty and recreation. Work typically involves small groups, chained together, mining below Dreadhold, from where Khyber dragonshards are erratically produced. Depending on their talents, prisoners might perform other forms of menial or even skilled labor. A work-shop in the ward allows trusted prisoners to practice their trades. Any large work detail is accompanied by a wand guard, an elite guard, two guards, a scout, and a slaughterstone eviscerator.

The Golden Ward: The Golden Ward is designed for the comfort of its inmates. This is the usual destination for exiled nobles or powerful people imprisoned for political reasons as opposed to criminal actions. It is designed to hold eighty prisoners, and currently holds forty-three. Cells are designed for single occupancy and include well-appointed furnishings. such as a feather beds, finished tables, and comfortable chairs. Trusted prisoners are allowed to spend up to 12 hours per day out of their cells, and can take advantage of a library, luxurious bath house, and other assorted recreational facilities. Security, however, remains tight. Dwarf guards and slaughterstone eviscerators patrol the ward. Disruptions are dealt with swiftly, and trouble-some prisoners might lose their privileges or be reassigned to another ward.

The Stone Ward: Some prisoners are too dangerous to allow any sort of freedom—yet for some reason, execu-tion is not an option. These prison-ers are kept in the Stone Ward. Flesh to stone transforms the malefactor into a statue. after which he is taken to one of the seventeen vaults of the ward.

In addition to criminals, there are a few people who have voluntarily chosen to become inmates of the Stone Ward. Some are afflicted with strange curses that cannot be cured in the present age. Others merely want to outlive certain problems. Most notably, a number of people went into "stone sleep" during the Last War, with orders that they be resuscitated once the conflict came to an end (the warden is still deciding whether or not it has ended or merely taken a pause). While this could be done anywhere, by engaging the services of Kundarak a client knows her body is safe during her "sleep." A petrified character receives all of the benefits the manifest zone provides to stone objects; the effects of the zone do not block stone to flesh.

Currently, one hundred and seventy-five prisoners and thirty-two voluntary sleepers reside in the Stone Ward. A single slaughterstone eviscerator patrols the area, along with a minimal force of guards.

The Deep Ward: The most dangerous inmates in Dreadhold are held in the cells that lie beneath the prison. 'Mere is only one path to this lower level: a shaft that extends loo feet into the earth. Its smooth walls are coated with grease, but a levitating metal cage allows travelers to move between the two levels. The controls for the cage reside in the observation post at the top of the shaft, and the magewright on duty does not allow the cage to return to the surface if there are any signs of trouble in the lower staging area.

No light sources exist in the Deep Ward. and inhabitants without darkvision are forced to wander blindly. There are one hundred cells, and prisoners are generally held one to a cell Over the centuries, a number of the cells have been imbued with magic to counter abilities prisoners might possess. Spellcasters might be bound in heavy hand manacles and placed in silent cells, chambers bathed in magi-cal silence. Creatures with dangerous innate magical abilities can be incarcerated in one of the dead cells, which lie within the radius of an antimagic field. There are only six dead cells, and currently no artificers or wizards in House Kundarak can reproduce this effect. These special cells are reserved for magical beings that cannot be bound any other way.

There is no recreation or work for those in the Deep Ward. They remain in their cells for the duration of their sentences. Food and water are passed into the chambers through narrow passages with two locked doors so the prisoner never has direct access to the outside. Even if an inmate does escape from his cell, a number of physical doors and walls of force divide the halls. Currently, forty living prisoners reside in the Deep Ward. There are also six petrified prisoners—people too dangerous to be trusted to the Stone Ward.

The Vaults: Although not a ward for holding prisoners, the vaults are secured like any other. As a stronghold of House Kundarak, the western side of Dreadhold is devoted to house operations. This includes mystical workshops, luxurious living quarters for visiting nobles, and massive vaults for storing treasures of the house, its clients. and the personal belongings of inmates. These treasure vaults have many of the same protections as the deep cells. In addition to ordinary defenses, the vaults are shielded with forbiddance attuned to creatures of lawful neutral alignment. There is no password to bypass this protection, but the house possesses a supply of twenty silver amulets. Anyone wearing one of these amulets can avoid taking damage from the spell, regardless of alignment. These amulets are stored in the protected area and brought out when they are needed.

The ward also contains a nexus with three extradimensional vaults. These can be attuned to the Kundarak vault system. Many of the supplies of the prison are delivered through these vaults. if the prison comes under attack the dwarves start passing the most valuable treasures to other Kundarak facilities through these special vaults.

A single dark tower rises up out of the black mists that shroud the prison. This is the watchtower. It protrudes out of the Mordenkainen's private sanctum effect, allowing those stationed within to use teleportation, scrying, and similar effects, as well as making it the destination of anyone hoping to teleport to the island. The tower contains an observation post with a speaking stone. An adjoining portal chamber contains alarms, a permanent symbol of death, and a symbol of stunning, along with a slaughterstone eviscerator. Those hoping to arrive at the prison via teleportation are expected to message ahead of time, to ensure that the symbols are deactivated.

The commander of Dreadhold is Lord Warden Zaxon d'Kundarak, who has held this post for over a hundred years. Many of his subordinates refer to him as "the Old Rock," saying he is as cold and hard as the people he transforms into statues. While he rarely lets his emotions slip. he is a good judge of character and little escapes his notice. Over the course of his long life he has imbued himself with a number of permanent spells. These include arcane sight, resistance, see invisibility, tongues, and a permanent Rary's telepathic bonds connecting him with the two wardens, Lady Tyrin, the guard captains, and Baron Morrikan d'Kundarak, the current patriarch of the house. Zaxon's immediate subordinates are the two wardens, Oralys and Darunthar. Warden Oralys d'Kundarak served as a lawkeeper for decades before rising to her current post; she is as icy and determined as Zaxon. Warden Darunthar d'Kundarak is in charge of maintaining and improving the island's magical security systems. Darunthar is remarkably hyperactive for a dwarf. He remains in constant motion, fidgeting if he has to stay in one place for more than a minute.

All of the guards of Dreadhold are fanatically loyal to the warden and their house. These dwarves have been selected for their skill, courage, and integrity, and are ready to lay down their lives if need be. As exceptional people, all of the guards of Dreadhold use the elite array for ability scores. Because of the resources House Kundarak has placed on the island, guards' equipment can exceed the usual gp limit, although these items are the property of the house. While on duty, guards, elite guards, and guard captains typically carry magical weapons with a base price modifier of +2: merciful weapons are most common, but the armories include a few flaming, ghost touch, and bane weapons that can be distributed to deal with equipment.

Prisons are rife with rumor and speculation from both the prisoners and their guards. Here are just a few currently making the rounds or scrawled on the walls of some cells.

Ghosts in the Deep: There was a prisoner kept in one of the deep cells for so long that even the guards forgot who he was. Eventually, he took his own life after he himself forgot his name. Now his vengeful spirit wanders the Deep Ward and the only chance to put the ghost to rest is to call out his name.

The Tunnel: One of the cells in Dreadhold contains a tunnel that leads down into Khyber. No one, not even the guards, know which cell it is, but anyone lucky enough to find it could escape easily (if a journey through Khyber could ever be considered easy)

Stone Wizard: One of the statues in the Stone Ward is actually a wizard under the effects of a permanent statue spell. Using abilities to change his shape before reverting to a statue, the cunning mage has managed to elude detection for some time now. Rumors say he searches for either his imprisoned brother or seeks revenge against one of the voluntary sleepers who fled here to escape his wrath.

The Prison Master: Nothing at Dreadhold is as it appears. A secretive cabal, lead by a powerful rakshasa, actually controls the prison, and they are looking for a prisoner who has yet to arrive known only as the "dark baron." When he does, all will be released so long as they swear allegiance to the cabal and its new leader.

Although Dreadhold's security systems are vast and varied, here is a breakdown of the most common defenses. Anything over CL 13 is a long-term protection created over the course of centuries, possibly with the help of House Cannith. The lesser defenses are the work of lawekeepers and the wardens. A typical lawkeeper can set a glyph of warding every day. As a result, the island is filled with hidden glyphs. 

In addition to these broad defenses, dangerous prisoners might be bound through magical means. Blindness and bestow curse might be used to handicap a prisoner considered a threat. A mark of justice might be used if the wardens distrust a prisoner but wish to give them the benefit of the doubt.

These are just a few examples of Dreadhold's protections. House Kundarak has had hundreds of years to develop its defenses. Golems, bound efreet, illusion tricks - a DM should add whatever seems necessary to challenge the party.

Cell Wards: There are generally two levels of wards placed on the doors of cells: those placed on Deep Ward doors and those upon all other cell doors. General cell doors are warded with an arcane seal and a fire trap. Deep ward cell doors add glyphs of warding of two energy types and one charged with hold person. All of these wards can be temporarily disabled with the proper command word.

Hall Wards: The hallways are generally free of wards, with the exception of occasional permanent alarm spells and glyphs of warding (hold person). These protections are moved frequently to prevent prisoners from mapping their locations.

Intersection Wards: Major intersections in the prison, including the area around the observation posts, are warded with powerful spells and magic traps. These traps generally consist of permanent alarm, two glyphs of warding per entry way into the intersection, and up to three symbols. The forcecage effect is triggered through the use of passwords and requires 1d4 hours to recharge once used. The symbols are trigger activated through the use of passwords as well.

These wards are also placed in the shaft leading up from the Deep Ward, at the main entrance to the prison, in the shaft of the watchtower, and at the dock wall separating the docs from Gaolgate.

Visitors are rarely welcome at Dreadhold. To gain access to a prisoner, a visitor must have an influential friend in House Kundarak or the support of the government or individual responsible for the prisoner's incarceration. The guards at the front observation post examine all visitors with arcane sight, and any weapons or suspicious magic items are confiscated for the dura-tion of the visit. Changelings are required to strip and don bright, distinctive outfits provided by the prison. limiting the effectiveness of their shapeshifting powers. A spellbinder uses detect thoughts to study visitors while a stonespeaker questions them about the purpose of their visit and their race (to detect changelings} Visitors are not allowed to enter the prison until the spellbinder is satisfied. If the guards have any concerns, a visitor might be forced to submit to bestow curse (-4 penalty on attack rolls, saves, and checks) for the duration of the visit. A lawkeeper places the curse and removes it at the conclusion of the visit.

Visitors are accompanied by a guard detachment at all times, the size of which depends on the reputation of the party and the nature of the prisoner in question. Prisoners in the Gold, STone, or Red Wards are brought out to the visitor's gallery. Only the Lord Warden can perform stone to flesh to release a petrified prisoner, and he might require a day to prepare the spells he needs. A party must have considerable influence to get this request granted. As for prisoners in the Deep Ward, visitors are escorted to the appropriate cell and allowed to talk to the prisoner through his cell door. This is a serious risk, and the guard detail for such a visit might include a lawkeeper, a spellbinder, a slaughterstone eviscerator, one of the guard captains or even one of the wardens.