The Gwathburg
The Gwathburg was built by slaves of the drow brought to the surface in the Year of the Scarlet Sash (679 DR). It was completed in the Year of the Lost Lance (712 DR), the year when the Army of Darkness began its assault on Myth Drannor. In the same year, Gwath came from her drow homeland and took up residence in the castle. The construction of the castle leaves little doubt that it was built largely by slaves of the dwarven race. Gwath used the castle as the base from which she summoned the 15 vampire lords to Merrydale in the Year of the Grey Mists (796 DR).
Long after priests of and paladins of Lathander had destroyed the vampire lords and all of their newly created followers, in the Year of the Plough (906 DR), and after the drow were driven from the Twisted Tower in Shadowdale and Gwath had ascended to lichdom, the Gwathburg lay abandoned, except for the undead who lay waiting in the inner chambers.
Outside of these two sealed chambers and in the treasury within the dungeon, there is nothing left of the old outfittings within the castle. Its walls still stand strong, a testimony to the outstanding work of the dwarves, but all windows have gaped open upon the countryside for centuries, and whatever furnishings were in the castle were looted ages earlier. In the outer rooms one finds only bare stone walls, dust, dirt and weeds growing in those corners where the sunlight is adequate. In some rooms one can find inanimate, ancient skeletons of men, orcs and bugbears, all long dead.
When Gwath abandoned the castle in the Year of the Plough, she also bound the undead beholder Garnath to guard it eternally. Garnath's command is to demand that allegiance be sworn to the lady of the house or to be destroyed immediately. The lady of the house, whose name is never mentioned, is Gwath. She modified Garnath's charming eye so that it can detect all false oaths.
Until recently, no one has sworn allegiance to the lady, so the effects of such an oath had not been tested. The oath, once truly sworn, prevents those who have taken the oath from ever leaving the castle. They undergo a slow transformation - one that can take up to 10 years - to undead. Particularly evil oathtakers become ghosts, others skeleton warriors or wights.
Two years ago, after Randal Morn's conquest of Dagger Falls, a group of six Zhentish soldiers, headed by a Zhentarim mage named Brentar, sought refuge in the Gwathburg, encountered Garnath and swore allegiance to the lady.
These seven already have undergone two years of transformation into undead. Brentar was a 7th level necromancer, but his abilities already have been reduced to those of a 5th level necromancer with the gain of powers as a 2nd level fighter. Brentar and the six Zhentilar already have lost all interest in all personal matters and are 100% dedicated to guarding the house of the lady.
They have not eaten or had anything to drink for two years, and have become quite pale and gaunt, but they are still years away from the genuine transformation into undead. They have no need for food or drink. They are nourished by the dark twisting powers of the negative plane. They also have become immune to normal heat or cold and are protected from weather extremes through the energies of the negative plain. Garnath's primary duty is to prevent anyone from entering the inner chambers or Gwath's tower. He fights mindlessly to his own destruction to achieve this.
