Argynvostholt

Searching for vestiges of the Azure Paragon, the Silver Dragon Argynvost found that the Zarovich Valley was under threat from the warlord Strahd von Zarovich. To protect the valley from the threat, charged his Captain Vladimir Horngaard to build a fortified mansion as a base with which to drive away Strahd's forces. Named Argynvostholt, the mansion was linked to the Silver Dragon's Hideout via a Teleportation Circle, and protected by a variety of magical wards of Argynvost's design, including a draconic statue that would blast a cone of cold magic towards any evil souls who would approach its front gate.

The mansion was designed to host the Order of the Silver Dragon and a small serving staff, possessing many bedrooms, two dining halls, and a well-stocked kitchen. It had a chapel dedicated to Thestus, known locally as the "Morninglord," outlined with large windows of stained glass, and a small cemetery and mausoleum behind it. Galleries with paintings and murals of the saints Lugdana Andral and Alizandra Markovia were built, and dozens of busts of Argynvost's Human appearance could be found in its halls. High above the sixty-foot mansion was a tower that extended further into the sky, intended by Argynvost to be a beacon of hope for any seeking refuge from Strahd. 

Argynovst's knights found themselves fighting Strahd's armies time and time again as they swept across the valley,  with their greatest victory being the Rout Of Barovia. After years, they forced Strahd's armies eastward, as the warlord became focused on building the impregnable Castle Ravenloft. Strahd himself had learned that the Order was secretly commanded by an ancient dragon; rather than attack the manse and invoke the dragon's wrath, he instead focused inward. This culminated in the Wedding That Never Was, and Strahd became a Vampire Darklord, tapping into a Dark Power that could destroy even Argynvost himself.

When it became clear that Strahd could not be stopped, the knights of the Order led hundreds of refugees to Argynovst's valley, but Strahd tracked them to their sanctuary and overwhelmed them in the Attack On Argynvostholt. Strahd surrounded the mansion, and his forces eventually overwhelmed the knights; rather than cower in his lair, Argynvost emerged and battled Strahd's armies to the bitter end. His head was severed from his body, and taken as a trophy to his castle.

After this battle, Argynvostholt became a haunted place. The Captain of the Order, Vladimir Horngaard, possessed such hatred for Strahd that he became a Revenant unable to pass on, as did all the knights who had vowed their lives to him. Argynvost's headless body and possessions were taken to the mansion's mausoleum, and the bodies of the knights were put in their graves, but continually awoke. The fractured Ghost of Argynvost could also be seen throughout the manor, desperate to allow his Order to pass on, but Vladimir's will kept them in place. It became a frequent target of pillaging by thieves and adventurers, and was mostly stripped barren of its valuables.

At some point, Argynvostholt was targeted by Baba Lysaga and her coven of witches and Scarecrows, as the old woman thought that its standing was an insult to Strahd. An overwhelming number of her Constructs began disassembling the mansion's southern wall, but she and her forces were eventually beaten back by the revenant knights. Over time, the mansion became affected by a strange connection to the Ethereal Border, and its energy began affecting local flora and fauna. With the stables and southern wall destroyed, Spiders began to occupy its ballroom, but were transformed into Phase Spiders over time by the ghostly magic within.