Houska Pass/Castle
Houska Castle sits up on a outcrop in a high mountain valley in the high peaks of the Tolkisson Mountain Range, overlooking a high mountain Houska Pass only survivable as a crossing point by the living in one of the peak summer months. It is one of the more famous though inaccessible Notable Places and Geographical Features in Rhyl. The “Castle” is empty, and certainly seems to have not been designed in any traditional manner. It is one of the key places where a battle took place to stop the Lich Lords in their initial advance, stopped by the druids and forces of the Wylde and army of Rhyl. They used its hostility to the living to try and break through undetected. Several times it has been the site of clashes between the armies of the Lich Lords and Duke of Rhyl, proving to be a place of death and failure for living and undead alike. It is hostile to all, and now it is Just mostly ignored (although scouts for both sides keep sporadic watch to ensure the opposition does not use it either).
Rulership/Governance: {Integrity ?} NO FORMAL AUTHORITY CLAIMS IT
Population: None
This place is a Safe Haven for members of the Rhylander Green Conjurists.
Primary Habitat:
Encounters
Only the World Watchers keep track of it now, and only infrequently – never being nearby for long. They are on good terms somehow with the omnivorous Houska Mountain Goats of the region.
- In the “winter months” (all but the three warmest), several weather and terrain effects will be experienced.
- Reflective Ice:
- Blinding Diffusion:
i20™ Houska Spirit Details
Push 5’ (random; no opportunity attacks), DC 16 Sanity vs. Frighten 5 rounds 1/short rest
If the defender is shoved into an attack, the attacker gets an opportunity attack; Otherwise defender gets +1 AC
iCore™ Houska Spirit Details
Pages on the web site lean towards i20™ text flavor, discrepancies will be noted in the iCore™ tab.
Houska From a Distance
Way up on a wide ledge that juts into the air from one of the peaks as an obvious constructed edifice. Whatever it is, some of its surface glints even in the sleet and clouds high up, thousands of feet. It must be easily a 80 meters long and roughly rectangular, with a height of about half that. You can swear that there might be some source of lights flickering on it in addition to the reflection.
Chronicle of the Locale
Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/availability & Meticulous Record Keeping may improve usability; Any attempt to know more than what's Pervasive will require a reference, source, knowledge, check, or access to someone who can get or provide either of these. Specific Lores may increase the chance of knowing specific elements.
Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
It has many rumors surrounding it. It is said to be cursed, haunted, a pit to hell, and a home to all manner of cults… but it stands alone and crumbling, empty now and avoided by all – even the undead – for dozens of kilometers in every direction.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
The Order of the Black Gorgons is known to watch over what transpires at this locale.
There are many runes of Occulash inscribed (and flickering) over it – inside and out – part of the strange Defenses of Houska Castle. The defenses are often seen as the flashes of light and heat, explosions, and cracking of the ground.
Uncommon Knowledge / Average Difficulty
The World watchers are believed to keep a small stock pile of Honeystone Pollen hidden for emergency defenses.
Deep in all Elven Wealds of Rhyl, the locations of Tell Cunetha & Houska Castle, and the Three Blades of Ceith Grebatain have a Call Stone as well for the Har Cunetha.
Houska Castle is a spirit tether. If a character dies within the active vicinity of the Spirit Tether, a spirit of the character becomes bound to the locale. It will linger in misery, making those of the living miserable unless they can find a way to sever the binding. While tethered, like most spiritus, they cannot affect the living much other than to make their frustration and anger manifest.
The Caverns Under Houska, while known to exist, are not known to be mapped or documented in any meaningful way either on their own or as accessed from Houska Castle. Those who have some out from them have hazy memories and a beguiled sense for direction and distance. It is thought that it is perhaps the effects of The Deeping of the Steel Realms – but nothing has been confirmed and no Orrish have ever been noted to emerge from them or use them to retreat to. The only persistent denizen noted here are the “ice spiders” or “crystal spiders” as they are sometimes known.
Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty
The arch magus Morkoth was one of the primary magic to aid in drawing forth the structure of Houska Castle out of the stone.
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
It was recorded that, at least initially, the creation of Houska Castle included a Naga summoned by the priests of Ikribu.
Related Adventures Materials
Player Character Spirits: If a PC dies, they can try and help their friends.
Creatures in the area: Ghosts, Will-O-Wisps, Elementals