Exemplars of Evil

CHAPTER 3
EDGAR & KATARIN
TOLSTOFF
Illus. by E. Deschamps
TOLSTOFF KEEP
At the edge of a large, stinking swamp rises a low hill, on
which huddles a mishmash of hovels, houses, and shops.
Thrusting up from the center is Tolstoff Keep, an old castle
stained dark from centuries of grime, rain, and choking vines.
The air is still and silent, except for the occasional screams of
swamp-dwelling terrors. A heavy mist swirls about the area,
contributing to the hacking cough that afflicts the locals who
call this wretched place home.
Few people live in the keep. Aside from Edgar and his sister,
the only residents are a handful of guards, all of whom wear
disturbing leather masks molded to look like idiotic smiling
faces. Villagers whisper that the soldiers are not human—or
at least not human any longer. They make no sounds and
interact only with one another. No one outside the keep has
seen their faces, but some claim that beneath the masks are
masses of undulating flesh, not unlike tangles of worms.
KEY FEATURES
The hovels and shacks crowd right up against the castle walls,
and the stench of the afflicted and the corrupt hangs like a pall
over the area. The castle walls are fashioned from dark stone.
Many of the stones have stains
that resemble faces
twisted with suffering
or hands
reaching out
for help. Indeed,
those
who brush
against the walls find their cloaks snagged by stones, caught
in improbable ways.
The keep—the structure within the walls—is two stories
tall, though only the main floor is shown on the map. The
labyrinthine upper level consists of bedrooms, meeting rooms,
and privies, none of which is especially noteworthy—though
there are a number of secret passages, isolated rooms, and odd
architectural features. Three turrets rise another 20 feet above
the second floor, overlooking the outer wall by at least 10 feet.
Structural Properties
The following general properties apply to all rooms unless
otherwise noted in the area descriptions.
Outer Wall: The keep is encircled by a wall (Climb DC 20)
that is 40 feet tall and that descends 10 feet below the ground
to thwart sappers. Near the base, the wall is about 5 feet thick,
gradually thinning to 2 feet at the top where crenellations rise
to protect the archers who patrol the perimeter. At its base, the
wall has a break DC of 50, hardness 8, and 900 hit points per
10-foot-square section. Toward the top, the wall has a break DC
of 50, hardness 8, and 360 hit points per section. The crenellations
provide cover to creatures standing behind them.
Keep Walls: The exterior walls (Climb DC 20) of the
keep are made of superior masonry and are
2 feet thick, with a break
DC of 35, hardness 8,
and 180 hit points
per 10-foot-square
section. The internal
walls
(Climb DC 15)
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Tolstoff Keep