Devil's Castle



, historically called Kozlovo Castle, is a large, imposing castle in South Zagoria. Located south-west of Severograd, it is one of the largest castles in the region.

General
Perched atop a prominent hill and enclosed by the thick pine, bear-infested forest of Bogat,  is one of the largest castles in South Zagoria, second only to Krona. The castle contains a tower, two castle gates, and is surrounded by a large stone wall. A small pub can be found a short distance to the south-east, most likely to cater for tourists visiting the area.

In more modern times, the castle is visited mostly by sightseers, although it is not unheard of to find it inhabited by other survivors.

History
The castle was constructed sometime around the 1000s/1100s by Duke Ivan Kozlov as part of a network of fortresses designed to protect important roads from northern raiders; during this time, the castle bore the Duke's name - Kozlovo Castle. The castle was one of the few in the network to survive after the fall of the Kozlov Principate at the begining of the 1200s. Some point after, the yeoman Jakub Čert (Jacob Devil) from Gorka conducted a campaign of banditry from the remnants of the still relatively intact castle, with some his spoils being used to further expand the keep of the castle. Events during the latter half of the 1200s lent the castle its modern name; legend has it that, during the Zagorian Karzeg Rebellion, Čert refused to surrender to a force under the command Ataman Simurg - in response, the Karzegs razed the castle, with Čert being burned alive inside the main tower. It is said that the spirit of the old Duke can be seen wandering the remnants of his masterwork, now charred by fire.