First appearance: S5E6 — American Amphibian — King Man Frog Bofus v Richard Knottley · watch it on YouTube
The Crimson Keep is a crumbling crimson castle in the Void, crawling with bats and haunted by the ghosts of many of the people who have died there, most of them friendly. It is officially a wedding venue, and Thea got it for the arena at a bargain price precisely because “people keep dying here.” It twice hosted Deathmatches on its windswept rooftop. The first ended with nobody left standing, and the second ended with Ragu alone under the moon.
Description
The Deathmatches at the Crimson Keep were fought on the very top of the castle, a dark and eerie perch with a cold, furious wind and, by all accounts, a beautiful view. Bats creep along its silhouettes waiting for sundown. During its second Deathmatch, the moon glowed overhead and served as a spotlight. The whole place is dilapidated, a vampire castle long past its best days, though apparently still good enough for weddings.
The keep is haunted by many ghosts, most of them friendly. Not all of them are. Among the white wisps of the dead is at least one that has been described as “quite the bully,” and it is not shy about joining a fight.
History
American Amphibian
The keep’s first Deathmatch pitted King Man Frog Bofus against Richard Knottley. The champions left behind “the disgusting smell of old Oreos, burritos, and nacho cheese” and arrived on top of the crimson keep. Thea proudly explained the venue’s appeal:
Thea: “I got it really cheap because apparently other people keep dying here.”
The Lord of Fate, as the Arbiter was known in the Season of Fate, was charmed enough to suggest, “Maybe we should vacation here.”
The resident dead soon made themselves known. While Richard was busy tightening his American flag pants (“I can see everything,” Bofus observed), the bully wisp grabbed an appendage on each champion and made them beat themselves up: “Stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself.” Neither could shake it off, and both came away battered and worn down. Thea asked which appendage, “for record-keeping purposes.” Richard left that “up to the imagination of the Acolytes.” Thea replied, “Is that what she had to tell you last night?” That drew a wounded “It’s a bit, you assholes!” from Richard and a plea from the Lord of Fate: “You can be people for five minutes.”
The keep lived up to its reputation. The match ended with no winner: Richard died of a coronary, and Bofus succumbed to exhaustion. Both joined the long list of people who have died at the Crimson Keep.
Imitation Game
The keep returned as the arena for Kopy Katt’s fight against Ragu. Thea clapped the champions through to what she called “the Crimson Cave,” though they arrived at the top of the same dark castle, with the moon glowing and bats ruffling through the air.
This time the rooftop had a winner. Ragu stood alone atop the crimson keep, the moon as his spotlight, while the Acolytes chanted his name. He used the moment to gloat:
Ragu: “I told you that AI was an idiot… Ragu wins again… Maybe next time you send me a human with skill and not a copycat, you can never be the real thing.”
Notable Figures
- Thea: booked the keep cheaply on account of all the dying.
- The Arbiter: as the Lord of Fate, he floated the idea of vacationing there.
- King Man Frog Bofus: fought and fell on its rooftop.
- Richard Knottley: fought and fell on its rooftop, flag pants and all.
- Ragu: the only champion to walk away from the keep victorious.