The Shadow Keep is the great fortress at the centre of Scadu Altus, the plateau Messmer's army occupied for the duration of the campaign against the Hornsent. The Map: Scadu Altus description names what it was for : 'The plateau occupied by Messmer's army that peers towards the Scadutree to the northeast, named after its counterpart in the realm of the Erdtree. At its center lies the shadow keep.' From the keep's parapets, the Black Knights and Fire Knights could see what they were defending : the Scadutree, the dark twin of the Erdtree, whose grace flows backwards into shadow.

Inside the keep, the Tarnished moves through three layers : the church district, where the prayer room (Prayer Room Key) holds Messmer's personal devotions ; the western great gate, opened by the Keep Wall Key, which guards the path up to the Specimen Storehouse ; and the storehouse itself, where the Hornsent who survived the burning were preserved in jars by the Erdtree's natural philosophers. The keep is a working fortress and a working museum, Messmer's army on the upper floors, his prisoners on the lower. Within its halls, even his most loyal Fire Knights split over whether the storehouse should burn.

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Key ItemMap: Scadu Altus

Map of Scadu Altus. The plateau occupied by Messmer's army that peers towards the Scadutree to the northeast. At its center lies the shadow keep.

Key ItemKeep Wall Key

Iron key with an engraved crest. Opens the wooden door beside the great gate on the shadow keep's west wall.

Key ItemPrayer Room Key

Iron key with an engraved crest. Opens the door to the prayer room in the house of worship found in the church district of the shadow keep.