Koriszegy Keep is a ruined stronghold in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos, infamous for being haunted by a cursed vampire lord, Baron Balthazo Koriszegy. Approximately 200 years ago, the head of the Koriszegy family sought to forge a pact with dark forces, but for his hubris, he was transformed into a vampire and cursed to never be able to leave his castle for more than a day. In a rage, the newly-undead Baron went on a rampage, killing his family and servants. The keep was subsequently destroyed by a massive lightning storm, leaving it in ruins. The keep's history is one of tragedy and supernatural malevolence, a permanent scar on the landscape of Karameikos.
Koriszegy Keep is a ruin, a testament to the calamity that befell the Koriszegy family. The main keep, its outer walls, towers, turrets, and gatehouse have been shattered by a magical lightning storm and are in serious disrepair. The visible decay and destruction of the fortress create an imposing and menacing aesthetic, a physical manifestation of the curse that binds its lord. Beneath the keep lie dungeons that were excavated by animated undead after the Baron’s transformation.
The society of Koriszegy Keep is a twisted reflection of a feudal court, populated by the cursed undead remnants of the Baron's family and servants. Baron Balthazo Koriszegy himself is a mad and melancholic figure, plagued by self-loathing for what he did to his loved ones. He spends his nights wandering the dungeons and parapets, muttering and berating himself. His attitude towards visitors is generally paranoid and aggressive, though there are rare occasions when he is willing to talk to mortals for information. His family, whom he slew in his initial rampage, have become wraiths, haunting the keep and venting their despair on any who enter. His faithful servants have become ghouls, and his guards are now wights, all bound to the ruin.
Koriszegy Keep is a ruined site situated on the fringes of the Radlebb Woods in central Karameikos. Its location makes it a notorious landmark and a constant threat to nearby settlements such as Luln and Radlebb Keep, which are all within a night's travel for the cursed Baron. The surrounding area is a wild and dangerous landscape where adventurers and travelers often go missing.
The keep has no conventional economy or resources. The dungeons beneath the ruin were excavated by animated undead under the Baron's command. For sustenance, Baron Balthazo Koriszegy feeds on the blood of the living approximately once a month. He either visits nearby settlements to feed or snatches unfortunate travelers from the road. His resting place is a stone sarcophagus in the family crypt, which requires immense strength to open. The true "resource" of the keep is the unsuspecting and often-disappearing people who wander too close.
The military of Koriszegy Keep is comprised entirely of its undead inhabitants and its supernatural ruler. The Baron has not created other vampires, possibly due to a limitation of his curse or a desire to avoid rivals. His family members are wraiths, his servants are ghouls, and his guards are wights, all of whom seek to destroy any living person who enters their domain. In addition, the Baron has a loose alliance with a band of werewolves who live in the local woods and act as his agents. He also has a few human followers who serve as spies in living settlements such as Luln and Radlebb Keep, reporting to him on troop movements and other intelligence.
The keep's relations with other factions are openly hostile. It is a source of rumors of vampires and werewolves and a known threat to neighboring communities. The Baron’s agents include human followers and werewolves who act as spies. He also has connections to the Iron Ring, a powerful criminal organization that hires him to carry out various schemes, including assassination plots against Karameikan leaders and the kidnapping of important political figures. The Baron's perpetual dream is to conquer southern Karameikos, which he sees as reclaiming his original lands and adding to them by right of conquest, positioning him as a major antagonist to the entire Duchy.
Koriszegy Keep is known throughout Karameikos as a cursed and haunted ruin. Its reputation is that of a place where people who wander too close often disappear. The vampire Baron Balthazo Koriszegy is a legendary evil figure whose malevolent schemes, carried out by the Iron Ring and his werewolf allies, are a source of foreboding for the entire region. The keep is seen as a physical embodiment of a moral stain, a place of ancient evil and relentless supernatural terror that continues to plague the living and represents a constant threat to the peace and stability of the Duchy.