Blackwall Keep

Blackwall Keep is centered around a tall, square stone tower of three stories, with narrow arrow slits and crenellated battlements. Its gray-black stone—quarried from nearby hills—gives it its name. The tower houses barracks, an armory, a map room, and a command chamber at the top, offering a clear view of the surrounding land and the edge of the marsh.

Surrounding the tower is a wooden stockade, reinforced with spiked palisades and a small moat fed by runoff. Inside the enclosure are:

• A corral and stables, housing a dozen light cavalry horses and mules.
• Supply sheds, a smithy, and a well.
• A small shrine to Heironeous, maintained by a single devout soldier-priest.
• Tents and lean-tos for marsh scouts and irregular militia when stationed here.

Though spartan, Blackwall is well-fortified and efficiently run, prioritizing readiness over comfort.

Blackwall Keep is situated several miles south of the Cairn Hills, on the edge where the open plains dissolve into the fetid, fog-shrouded reaches of the Mistmarsh. It overlooks a narrow causeway—once an old trade path—now repurposed as a military road leading into the marshy frontier.

Its twin to the west, Eastwatch Tower, sits near the banks of the Selintan River, forming a rudimentary perimeter meant to monitor the movements of lizardfolk tribes, monstrous beasts, and darker forces rumored to stir within the Mistmarsh's depths.

Blackwall serves as:

• A military garrison and supply point.
• A mustering site for marsh patrols.
• A refuge for travelers unlucky enough to wander near the swamp.
• An observation and signal post, with beacon fires and messenger hawks for emergencies.

The keep typically houses a complement of 30–40 soldiers, including light infantry, scouts, archers, and a small cavalry unit trained for quick skirmishes and marshland pursuit.

• Commander Althis Deran, a grizzled veteran and former explorer of the Mistmarsh, leads the garrison. Though rough in demeanor, he is highly respected for his tactical mind and unshakable nerves.
• Corporal Renna Tosk, a half-elf scout with keen senses and a sharp tongue, leads many of the reconnaissance missions into the swamp.
• A handful of spellcasters and alchemists from the Free City rotate through the keep to aid with magical detection, healing, and marsh hazard analysis.

Blackwall Keep is seen by many in the Free City as a hard posting—isolated, uncomfortable, and plagued by eerie silences and damp winds. Yet for adventurers, explorers, and soldiers seeking purpose or penance, it is a proving ground.

The men and women who serve at Blackwall are known as “The Mired”, a nickname they wear with grim pride. Superstitions abound—no one enters the marsh alone after sunset, and all who do are named in quiet prayers at the shrine.

Despite its size, Blackwall Keep is a linchpin of frontier defense—a place where bravery must stand firm against the creeping dread of the unknown.

The Mistmarsh is alive with danger, and Blackwall Keep is often the first line of defense against:

• Lizardfolk warbands, some hostile and well-organized, others more tribal and territorial.
• Giant insects, will-o’-wisps, and marsh spirits that lure or ambush patrols.
• Rumors of dragonspawn, dark cults, and sunken ruins teeming with forgotten magic.

Scouts have reported unusual activity deep in the marsh, including coordinated movements among lizardfolk clans and sightings of a massive, serpentine shape gliding beneath the mist.