This freehold was built by the Cat Gang to serve as their capital and base of operations. It is located deep within the Ostkrag mountains in a fortified location on a mesa nestled between the mountains. The original builder of this natural fortification was the Lich named Xerpat the terrible, who had been imprisoned in the Pits of Damnation, until accidentally freed by the Cat Gang. The gang found a map that led to the fortress and destroyed Xerpat who had tried to rebuild his lair. Later the Mountain Lord Kragissimus had claimed it for the Neutral Gods, the Cat Gang destroyed him too. Now the freehold is ruled by Shump and his followers.

Lord Shump (aka King Shump the Lawful) spends his days ushering the growth of the new half-orc/human town of Shumphold that is growing at the base of the mesa whereupon Castle Shump overlooks the surrounding mountain areas. The castle itself is slowly being expanded to allow it to grow all its own supplies on the mesa. A temple to the Lord Protector (i.e., the great god Mithras) is also being erected on the mesa and will eventually rise above even castle Shump itself and provide a beacon in the darkness to mountain travelers in the area… think of a lighthouse for the mountains, not warning of danger but of offering solace. The town currently has only a small population (200-250 or so) but should grow to a couple of thousand over the next few years, with farming, mining and hunting/trapping providing jobs.

The dwarves completed the road connection in record time and Lord Shump rewarded them with an extra 1000 gold in which to celebrate the new connection. The dwarves then extended the road to their own dwellings to further trade within the region. Their trade in mining ore and the supplies going to them now travel thru Shumphold.

Red Jim grew bored with all the peace breaking out and headed back to the sea… his current whereabouts are unknown, although he promised Shump to return one day should he be needed.

Those who served as the silver guard all grew in levels that day and now serve as castle stewards and patrol leaders. Patrols are done weekly in the surrounding hexes, to keep the forces of chaos in the mountains at bey. Oh, and there's still a room for Giggles when he comes to visit. The castle's little ones love to chase after him (they call him 'Big Kitty')

(We'll need the Castle/town location, the road and the dwarven enclave all added to the map.)

Lord Shump originally assigned the larger rooms, T1g and T2g for Renly and Giggles, as they have henchmen. T2a would be for Zerkwad and T1a for any quests. T3a and T3g for Mrow as room (lower) and workshop (upper). Castle Shump and its caretakers.

There are several settlements adjacent to the hold's fortress.

• On a small plateau, about a mile and a half Northwest of the fortress there is a timber fortified tower with a collection of buildings, once occupied by the Hobgoblin warlord Gorrak, now empty.
• To the South, the Dwarf town of Dwergontia has around 500 heavily militarized dwarves living in it. The town is run by Father Chanceford, a dwarfish high priest of Mithras.
• A flock of large (horse-sized) birds live on a mountain to the Southwest. They are kept docile through an Animal Friendship on Ralph the bird as well as regular feedings (Zerkwad pays half upkeep on these 5HD birds).
• To the Southwest, the abandoned village of Goatburg was inhabited by about 100 human goat-herders with an immense number of goats. The village now stands empty, save for a monument to the slaying of the hero Machiste by a hellish hobgoblin warlock posing as a feline (N.B. that is nowhere near close to the real story).
• To the Northwest of the fortress, a band of powerful adventurers known as the Invincible Gob Squad had built a tower fortress and were thinking about setting up their own freehold, before the Cat Gang destroyed them. Mrow briefly was setting up the fortress as his magic school, before he was exiled from the kingdom at Shump's coronation.
• To the North set back from a well-travelled goat path, there is a large Roadhouse.