Purity Keep

Purity Keep serves as the headquarters for the Knights of Dathrohan and is going under reconstruction work.

Before the Third War
Purity Keep, formerly Cullingsbrook Castle, was the seat of the Dukes of Cullingsbrook since the founding of the Kingdom of Lordaeron. Constructed several years after Lordaeron was formed by the, at the time, renowned mason Gregory Niels Aran. The castle took over two decades to build. The Duke at the time, Duke Edwin Cullingsbrook, was immensely wealthy and was reported to have spent over several thousand gold on the castle.

Built into a large mountain Cullingsbrook Castle lorded over the small towns of Cullingsbrook, Lungreid, and the harbor town of Amildana. The land, which would become known as the Duchy of Cullingsbrook, was ruled over by Duke Edwin for almost sixty years in relative peace. The title of Duke of Cullingsbrook was given to the late Duke Edwin's eldest son, Halford Cullingsbrook. The line of Cullingsbrook would lord over Purity Keep with a gentle and just hand for several centuries until the entire family of twelve was struck down mysteriously. During a cold night in the twelfth month of the year, eleven years before the First War, a team of assassins crept into the castle. The family and eight of it's twelve Household Knights were butchered. None of the assassins were captured.

Several days after the assassinations, the closest living relative of the late Duchess Evenson Cullingsbrook was placed into power as the new Duchess, Lady Jamine Silverblood. The new Duchess took hold of the castle and it's surrounding lands with an iron fist and declared marshal law. With a reinforced garrison from her close friend, Earl Yorven Hearthfire, the Duchess set about a witch hunt. She formed her own personal order of Inquisitors and set them loose on the land.

On specific orders from the Duchess the Inquisitors were leveled above the reach of the law in the Duchy. An ethnic cleansing was set forth by the Inquisitors. Any non-humans within the territory were run out or butchered along with any who did not believe in the Duchess' twisted version of the Holy Light. Crucifixions and hangings were commonplace as was horrendous torture to the souls unfortunate enough to be caught in the Inquisitor's grasp. Cullingsbrook Castle's shining stone walls were decorated with heads. It's towers were adorned with hanging corpses.

Within the first month and a half alone of the Duchess' reign it is estimated over two-thousand High Elves, Half Elves and Dwarfs were killed. It was reported that the Duchess herself took part in the torture of captured female High Elves and bathed in their blood, believing it would make her live forever and retain her beauty.

Due to the establishment of several border checkpoints it was almost impossible for anyone to escape the Duchy. Those that tried were often shot or hung. After several months of cruelty the Duchess' reign was ended by one of the most unlikely sources: her personal bodyguard. Deranor Raymore was the Head Knight of the Duchess' Household Knights and was suspected of being her lover. In the dark of night the Knight mounted his horse and rode hard for Lordaeron City. When the guards at a checkpoint attempted to stop him he cut them down. After several days of hard riding the knight appealed in the court of King Terenas Menethil II to stop the Duchess. His plea was successful. Late in the sixth month of the year a legion of the Lordaeron Army commanded by Marshal Lenidos marched into the Duchy. A vast majority of the Duchy's forces were killed or detained. Every Inquisitor was either jailed and later executed or killed on the spot. The Duchess herself was arrested and was later hanged, drawn and quartered and beheaded.

For his service to the crown Derenaor Raymore was elevated to the position of Knight in the Brotherhood of Lordain, and was placed in temporary command of the Duchy until a new governor was put in place, which happened three months after.

Third War and the Plague of Lordaeron
After the short reign of Duchess Silverblood, the Duchy of Cullingsbrook was heavily reinforced by the Lordaeron Army up until the Second War. Most of the garrison was called in to combat the Orcish Horde. For the most part the Duchy saw little activity besides rebuilding in the Second War.

At the dawn of the Plague of Lordaeron, however, the Duchy was hit hard. It was among one of the first locations outside Andorhal to receive the plagued grain. With the mountainous geography of the Duchy it was almost impossible to grow grain. The populace was afflicted within days and, after several weeks, was nothing but a den of Undead. Oddly enough the Undead moved out of the Duchy into Lordaeron proper, leaving the towns and castle completely abandoned.

The Truthful
Several weeks after the Battle for the Broken Shore Knight-Rangers from the Knights of Dathrohan found the abandoned castle again. Almost immediately, notice was sent to the Knight-Commander, Andric Raymore, the son of the Knight Deranor who had helped topple the reign of Duchess Silverblood. Commander Raymore began an inspection of the castle, finding it still structurally sound after all the years it had been left abandoned. Even more he found the keep's vaults within which were centuries worth of hoarded gold and jewels. He used a small chunk of this to pay workers to begin repairing the walls. He renamed it: "Purity Keep"

After a few weeks of work the castle was once again battle ready. After the Monastery fell however the keep was yet again abandoned in favor of the more readily established Pyrebane Keep for a holdout for the Truthful.