Tenser's Castle

Greyhawk Site

Tenser's Castle
General information
Type:	Wizard's tower (Fortification)
Location:	Domain of Greyhawk, Nyr Dyv
Demographics
Occupants:	Tenser

Description

The Fortress of Unknown Depths is a long-standing wizard's tower belonging to Tenser. There are incredible magical wards and a variety of security measures, not even including the monsters of the lake and air which live near the castle and have learned adventurers are a regular and hearty source of dinner.

"The Fortress of Unknown Depths seems almost a mirage. Half a mile into the dark blue waters of the Nyr Dyv is a low black rock some 130 feet across, crowned with a pale-blue structure At the heart of the castle is a single tower capped with a vast faceted dome that glitters like a blue jewel. Birds wheel around the fortress. They might be ospreys, diving for fish in the lake.

A narrow causeway of black stone stretches from a pretty shore-side village to the castle. The water on either side shows occasional eddies and whirlpools, as if great water creatures neared the surface before sinking again. Sometimes a glistening back or tail heaves clear of the water. On occasion the lake chums with some underwater battle between these titans.

Compared to such wonders, the village of Magepoint and the hills to the south seem almost overwhelmingly ordinary. The village is charming, a cluster of houses, stables and huts set among gardens and pastures. From the village, the terrain climbs toward the Cairn Hills a couple of miles away, blue-green during the humid days. Manors and farms dot the rolling grasslands."

History

After the incident on the Day of Great Signing at the end of the Greyhawk Wars in 584 CY, Tenser was left dead at the treacherous hands of Rary the Traitor. Robillar and his henchman (including the orc Quij) took part in the sacking of the castle.

However, by 585 CY, Tenser's clone was found on the moon, and he "regain[ed] his citadel and [brought] back most of his henchmen and hirelings", after it had been left nearly abandoned for nearly a year.

Jallarzi was tasked by Tenser to shutdown the Endless Well after his death (she was the executor of his will). The shutdown cycle is not a short process, and takes eight years for the full operation to run its course. Had Tenser's clone not been found, it would've taken until 593 CY to complete. However, Tenser had "recently" interrupted the shutdown process and reactivated the oerthblood mine beneath his castle by Coldeven 592 CY.

Geography

Environs, features, and defenses

The following features are found in Return of the Eight:

• Shore Pathway - A coastal pathway links Magepoint with Elmshire in the west and Goldplain in the Duchy of Urnst in the east. Another pathway—really little more than an earthen track—links Magepoint with Diamond Lake.
• Promontory Gatehouses - Two large, pale-blue stone, single-story buildings abut either side of the entry to the landbridge. It has a human-height parapet with arrow slits.
• Landbridge - A smooth-topped rocky causeway of dark gray-black stone which ends in a solid, unidentifiable, basalt-like, stone wall. Traversing it is made even more difficult by bloodhawks.
• Old Tunnel Entrance - A passageway large enough for wagons and troops which parallels the landbridge, ten feet below the surface walkway (within the stone spine of the landbridge).
• Shipwrecks - These make it exceedingly difficult to navigate to the main keep via boat, ship, or other water-borne vessel. A massive leviathan of a fish called a "verme" infests the surrounding waters.
• Teleportation Limit - Due to magical wards within a quarter mile of the main keep, all spells and magic items using a teleportation effect malfunction, redirecting the magic to deliver the user to the castle's gaol (jail). This same area prevents all inside from being affected by scrying, mind reading, or mental influence as if affected by a mind blank spell.
• Underwater Watchglobes - Eleven glassteel globes scattered throughout the surrounding waters within 120 feet of the keep, through which Tenser can scry on anything below the water's surface.
• Mist Dragon's Lair - though the original mist dragon who inhabited this cavern left after Tenser's murder, in later years (596 CY) it is again occupied by a mist dragon. It is unknown, however, whether this is the same mist dragon or not.

The main grounds

The following locations are found in Return of the Eight:

• Gatehouse - The landbridge ends at a huge, solid, blue stone without doorways, though there are parapets and niches resembling windows. There is an archway in the middle restricted with a portcullis with 3" steel bars. It stands across the 30-foot channel from the Entry Hall.
• Entry Hall - Same light blue stone as the rest of the castle built into the raw black rock of the castle's base and landbridge.
• The Great Lift - Inside the castle courtyard, a horizontal wall of force, identical to the stone pavement of the courtyard. Used for quickly traversing from lower levels to the surface or vice versa.
• Parade Grounds and Courtyard - Paved with blue-gray stone, worn smooth in some places from centuries of use.
• Barracks and Heavy Infantry - Two-story timber-and-plaster on stone foundation, with a tile roof. Houses heavy infantry soldiers and castle guards.
• Smith's Hall - One-story building for forge, bellows, etc., as well as carpentry rooms; it is decorated with a holy symbol of Ulaa.
• Guest Tower - This tower is similar to other normal towers of the castle, but slightly larger; houses the castellan, the military commanders, and other prominent members of the castles staff, as well as guests.
• Chapel - Blue stained-glass windows decorate the chapel. There are several white marble statues of lawful good deities, including: Rao, Saint Cuthbert, Heironeous, Delleb, Mayaheine, Ulaa, Fortubo, and Moradin. A statue of Rao greets people using magic mouth.
• Hall of the Knights - Three -story building housing heavy and medium cavalry soldiers and horse archery. Various family coasts of arms are painted beneath each glasteel window. Inside is decorated with murals of hunting and farming.
• Garden - an almost-complete circle of rare flowers, ornamental plants, and shrubs surrounding the main keep.
• Great Keep - a magnificent, monolithic 170-foot pale-blue stone tower. There is no dining room or kitchen (because Tenser eats with his soldiers or guests, or alone). The great keep consists of a massive number of rooms of every shape and size possible. Some of them are:

Spellfire card #26 of 100. Runes and Ruins booster pack. (1996) Art by David Martin. Note that because lore specifies the bridge from Magepoint, only "flyers" and "Swimmers" can reach the castle.

• Entry Hall -
• Hall of Magic
• Chart Room
• Meeting Room
• Private Study
• Peerage & Genealogical Study
• Alchemical Study
• Alchemical Storeroom
• Hall of History
• Cloning Laboratory
• Library
• The Curio Hall
• Discussion Parlor
• Collections Storage
• Museum of Dwoemercraft
• The Gate Room
• The Cystal Dome

Sub-levels

• Lower Entry Hall
• Cistern Hall
• Food Storage and Cistern Pump Room
• The Starry Valve
• Great Keep's Basement
• The Unforgiving Vault
• Wine Cellar and Storage
• Gaol Hall (Jail Hall)
• Gaol (Jail)
• Great Cage
• Ancient Burial Chamber
• Lesser Catacombs of the Unknown Depths
• Greater Catacombs of the Unknown Depths
• The Endless Well
• Infantry Assembly Hall
• Infantry Preparation Room
• Cavalry Preparation Room
• Cavalry Supply and Hay Storage
• Stables and Feeding Area

See Also

See also: Magepoint

Gallery

• 
  The main grounds, Return of the Eight (1998), Art by Sam Wood.
• 
  Other levels of the castle, Return of the Eight (1998), Art by Sam Wood.
• 
  Depicted on the Lazzaretti map (2005).

External Links

• "Magepoint", Oerth Journal #37. GreyhawkOnline. Summer 2023

References

Bibliography

• Broadhurst, Creighton; Paul Looby. Tenser and the Fortress of Unknown Depths. Wizards.com. WotC, 17 October 2006. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved on 13 February 2024.
• Moore, Roger. Return of the Eight. Renton, WA: TSR, 1998. Item code TSR9576.

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic	Type	Description	Product	Page/Card/Image
Crystal Dome, Tensers Castle	Item	Artifact,	Return of the Eight	25, 28, 36, 38, 46
Great Keep, Tensers Castle	Place	Defensive Structure, Castle,	Return of the Eight	25, 26, 28-30, 33-35, 37, 38, 42, 53, 54,
Great Lift, Tensers Castle	Item	Artifact,	Return of the Eight	26, 28, 37, 39
Hall of Magic (Tensers Castle)	Place	Quarter,	Return of the Eight	25, 29, 31
Tenser's Castle (Fortress of Unknown Depths, Hidden Fortress)	Settlement	Defensive Structure,	The City of Greyhawk: Gem of the Flanaess	21
Tenser's Castle (Fortress of Unknown Depths, Hidden Fortress)	Settlement	Defensive Structure,	Dragon magazine #294	93
Tenser's Castle (Fortress of Unknown Depths, Hidden Fortress)	Settlement	Defensive Structure,	From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess	73
Tenser's Castle (Fortress of Unknown Depths, Hidden Fortress)	Settlement	Defensive Structure,	From the Ashes: Campaign Book	30
Tenser's Castle (Fortress of Unknown Depths, Hidden Fortress)	Settlement	Defensive Structure,	Ivid the Undying	84
Tenser's Castle (Fortress of Unknown Depths, Hidden Fortress)	Settlement	Defensive Structure,	Return of the Eight	2, 3, 18-21, 23-47, 53, 54
Tenser's Castle (Fortress of Unknown Depths, Hidden Fortress)	Settlement	Defensive Structure,	The Adventure Begins	3, 4, 98
Tenser's Castle (Fortress of Unknown Depths, Hidden Fortress)	Settlement	Defensive Structure,	The Adventure Begins: Adventure Maps	2
Tenser's Castle (Fortress of Unknown Depths, Hidden Fortress)	Settlement	Defensive Structure,	LT3 The Doomgrinder	IBC

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