*Ruined villa in the High Moor, infamous for black dragons and ancient Netherese magic.* ## Overview - Alt. spelling: Orzogoth - Type: Ruined villa - Region: High Moor, Western Heartlands - Ruler: Calathanorgoth - Races present: Black dragons, ophidians, humans, half-black dragons - Notable for: One of the most dangerous locations in the High Moor and known for the presence of black dragons. ## Description Orogoth was a large and sprawling ruined villa that belonged to House Orogoth. It once boasted great towers, but they had long since toppled over. Tunnels beneath the ruin connected it to the Serpent Tunnels of Najara. ## Geography The ruin was located in the heart of the eastern High Moor about 55 miles (89 kilometers) south of Hammer Hall. ## History ### Founding and Netherese Era - The villa was built in −2482 DR by the Netherese Orogoth family. - It served as their headquarters for their dark magical experiments and efforts to gain control over dragons and to assume dragon shape. - The villa was the site of the family's creation of the ophidians. - In −2211 DR, a titanic civil war took place during which the family seemingly wiped itself out. ### Early DR Events - In the Year of the Moor Birds, 90 DR, yuan-ti from Ss'thar'tiss'ssun raided the ruins and accidentally awoke a powerful black dragon known as "the Old One". - Despite repeated incursions by the yuan-ti, the ruin henceforth became the home and lair of this Old One and his descendants, who claimed to be the last scions of the ancient Orogoth family. ### Rise of the Old One’s Power - By the Year of Fallen Guards, 111 DR, the Old One had enslaved several tribes of ophidians and had recruited Netherese wizards fleeing the fall of Anauria, and the descendants of these groups would also come to populate the ruined villa. - Following another civil war within the family in the Year of the Dracorage, 1018 DR, the Old One became a dracolich in the Year of the Immortals, 1037 DR with the help of the Cult of the Dragon. - The family then expelled the Cult, earning themselves another longstanding enemy. ### 14th Century DR In the mid-to-late 14th century DR, the reputation and mystique of Orogoth suddenly exploded. The ruin became well-known among treasure seekers throughout the Sword Coast, with Amnian adventurers and merchants becoming particularly enamored with tales of hidden caches of gems collected by the powerful ancient family. This fame was such that the ruin was mentioned in every guide to the area, and even children heard tales of it. However, those who visited were killed, sent fleeing, or were transformed into beasts. ### 15th Century DR As of the late 15th century DR, the Old One and his descendants continued to lair in Orogoth. ## Inhabitants ### Dragons and Half-Dragons In the mid-to-late 14th century DR, the villa was home to the black dracolich Calathanorgoth—better known as The Old One—and his living great-grandson, Wastirek, along with Wastirek's mate Vilholin and their children, Awsidorg, Woklef, Cheleen, and Kasidikal. Additionally, it was home to a growing number of half-dragons who traced their ancestry to Calathanorgoth, thus calling themselves the Scions of the Old One. ### Human Wizards Non-dragon inhabitants included human wizards descended from the Netherese recruited by Calathanorgoth centuries prior, many of whom studied ancient magic and collaborated with Halruaas wizards. ### Ophidians In addition, the villa was the headquarters of the largest ophidian tribe in the High Moor, appropriately calling themselves the Tribe of the Old One. Owing to experiments with ophidian eggs, House Orogoth created a means to manufacture half-dragon versions of the creatures. As of the 1370s DR, the Tribe of the Old One was led by a half-black dragon ophidian named Abreauth. ## Connections - Serpent Tunnels of Najara - Ss'thar'tiss'ssun (yuan-ti) - Hammer Hall