The Brass Keep

Perhaps the most infamous fortress in all of history, the Brass Keep was commissioned personally by the Golden Dragon as a way to keep an eye on the chromatic draken population to the south in the event they decide to attack the north. At one point there were a long line of multiple keeps that were used in conjunction by the border, but since the fall of the empire, most have fallen to disrepair and are no longer in use, with the Brass Keep being the only fully functional outpost left. The keep saw much battle and conflict since the wars with the chromatic people, many an ambitious warlord dared to attack it and later found their head stuck onto its south gate, but since the dissolution of the empire there has been little worry for the south.   The Brass Keep, in terms of geography, is at a very strategic position thats easy to defend and hard to attack. It finds itself in the very heart of the red hills range, called that for much of its color being red and its rough terrain, with a long river flowing through it from the east. The keep is positioned on the north side of the river, at the most easily traversed area as the rest of the range further west is swampy and difficult to travel through due to how muddy it is along with dangerous plants and animals. Due to it being on the one maintained bridge that connects Lelum and the chromatic south, with the only other path being across the treacherous mountains to the east, it is a focal point for travellers.   The keep itself is very famous for its overall design and appearance, with towers protruding from its front wall aiming south. The name of the keep actually comes from the color of that the masons used to construct it, as much of the stone found in the red hills have a darker brown color, leading to the keeps color. The design is simple yet brutal, it has but one simple wall that reaches far from the central bridge, but has many openings and holes within it along with sharp spikes at its base that the attackers must face after crossing the violent river. Past the wall you find many buildings for barracks, armories, kitchens, and other such things, all with a dark and drab appearance to them.   Since its tough to take care of the fortress, the soldiers living within the keep manage themselves, with their only one true goal being to maintain the keep and protect it against any attack. It is not uncommon for criminals or other misfits be sent down to the keep, the criminal punishment of this called "down into the brass", leading the commanders to be very harsh and brutal in their control of the people there, with the criminals commonly working jobs like cooks or miners or apprentices to blacksmiths.