Continent of Rage

demon lord strongholds;;

DEATH CASTLE:

APPEARANCE: Standing alone in the desert, the great white mountain of a castle sends terror in those that live near by. It stands out in great contrast against the dark world around it. It has five main towers that go around the main building. The first floor contains the throne room and the floors above are housing and resources for the royal demons. The castle has a basement that is used for prisoners under the throne room itself and behind the bone chair of the reigning Lord hangs the skull of the first death hellwolf alpha. The very top floor of the castle holds a shrine room to Lethias herself where she is both honored and brought gifts from the royal family. The castle is adorned in red and gray which are the colors of the royal house. The castle holds a lot of treasure from days of old and legend has it that anyone that steals from this home will be cursed by castle which is in fact believed to be alive itself. Whether any of this is true or not, none truly know.

CULTURE: There are no customs held by the demons within the castle itself, as it is home to the Royalbloods who live there. Very few live within the bone-white structure that houses the legendary royals. Those that do are typically only visiting Clan leaders from across the Realm, guests, or the hellwolves. No one but the Royalbloods and hellwolves stay here predominately. The only custom that lives within these walls that can barely even be considered as such is the training and raising the next line of royals for their chance at the throne.

FAMINE FORTRESS:

APPEARANCE: Standing alone and forlorn overlooking the great N'ghissar River, the Fortress of Famine is a testament to the kingdom's solid strength. Built much like the castles of Millirand and Felnova, the Fortress is surrounded by a towering curtain wall of large grey brickstone, four corners tipped with towers. These turrets are covered with demon-style wood-and-tile roofs, each housing a statue of a snarling Zailen. Painted white, with teal tile, they match the intricately carved wooden gates and the dark turquoise inlaid into the many carvings that adorn them. Inside, a grand keep rises, similarly built - a statue of Zailen flanks the Great Hall's entrance, leading into an arched room large enough for Kazule to stand tall within. Above, a large room with a curving balcony rises, known as the Lord's Chambers, overlooking the vast courtyard. Behind the white marble throne, carved in the likeness of a snarling lion's skeletal jaws, lay open two arched doorways that lead into a labyrinth of tunnels and rooms. These rooms fill the rest of the keep and descend into the darkness of the earth, some leading to underground pools and mystical libraries.

CULTURE: Few customs are held by the demons that serve the Royalbloods who live there. Very few servants, all n'vaen, live within the vast walls. They are part of an elite guard who serve the royal family, and live there along with their own pairbonds and children, sworn to protect all no matter the cost to themselves. Hellwolves are the other guardians that are permitted behind the walls; the royal pack, known as the Kuhtals, roam the rocky wastes around, guarding the castle's outermost defenses.

PESTILENCE CASTLE:

APPEARANCE: A massive, towering, dark stone bulwark surrounds this grim fortress, which stands atop a stony hill. A solitary path leads up a ramp to an external, fortified gatehouse, corners turned upwards towards the sky, like horns. A mighty, wooden drawbridge bound with iron bands allows access to the castle proper when lowered, which is rare. Behind the drawbridge, two massive doors etched with gold-inlaid runes and flying hawks provide yet another layer of defense. Within the great wall of stone, the Pestilence Keep rises, a black, stone spire trimmed in burnished gold around its sparse windows, and outer gate. At regular intervals, walkways extend from the outer wall to the great spire, each warded by a heavy iron gate, inlaid with golden runes. Within the throne-room, at the heart of the great spire, a gilded throne sits, faced by the statues of past Lords who stand as if in judgment in shadowed alcoves, while above the throne a golden statue of Orphethas perches, great wings extended as if to gather the entire room into his grasp, fixing any intruders with a fierce scowl. Upper levels of the spire serve as quarters for Pestilence Family Demons, and their closest retainers. Lower, subterranean levels serve as quarters for more menial demons, as well as cells for any prisoners awaiting judgment.

CULTURE: Twice every year, the gates of the castle open to allow Pestilence demons access to the throne room. Once, during a ceremony to honor Orphethas and make sacrifices to him, and the other, to allow Pestilence demons to submit petitions directly to their Lord. The rest of the year, the gates remain shut. The castle is a hotbed of intrigue as family members and high-ranking retainers plot and scheme to gain or keep the Lord's favor, while the Scourge, the elite Pestilence Guard, train daily to hone their skills.

WAR FORTRESS:

APPEARANCE: Between the two branches of the N'ghissar, the Fortress of War stands as the Kingdom's looming reminder of proud tradition. Built out of wood and brick, it is clearly designed more for aesthetics than defense, though still appearing quite sturdy. It has four tall-walled buildings for the exterior, forming a square around the main keep. It features a blue-grey tile roof with upturned corners, carved into horns, with intricately carved doors depicting the the dragonform of Neiren, the War Goddess. The first floor of the main keep contains the throne room and the floors above are housing and resources for the royal demons. The outer towers contain the living quarters of the guards and servants. Statues honoring the past Lords and Neiren are set about the outside. There are a set of dungeons buried under the hill the Fortress sits on, keeping it separate from the workings of the royal court. Behind the main keep sits a large shrine, erected to honor the War Goddess.

CULTURE: Customs and culture had been restricted in the Fortress of War for many years; until recently, the demons lived in fear of their Lords, stifling growth. What little tradition occurred within the walls was based around the military life. Recently, a Lord worked to change that, reviving ancient cultural ideas and adding a spiritual focus to complement the military one. Rituals honoring Neiren are common, with demons from all over the Kingdom being allowed to attend. In addition, demons within the fortress, and throughout the Kingdom, are encouraged to advance down artistic and spiritual advances in addition to combat.