Barrowhold

Known as Dùn Barpa in Fey Sylvan, Barrowhold is a small town located within Tìr nan Dubhar that sits at the edge of a prominent Shadow Fey burial site. The town is a key location within the Shadow Realms with a morbid purpose: to guard the burial sites of the cursed dead. It is part of the Raven Queen's domain.

The town is located at the western edge of a cliff that surrounds a large chasm in the ground, at the bottom of which lies the Barrow of the Cursed.

Government

The Knight Council of the Barrow is in charge of running Barrowhold on behalf of the Raven Queen, with seven Knights making up the "Table" led by the High Table Knight. These roles are voted in amongst the Knights every seven years.

Defences

Barrowhold is protected by rings of thick walls that separate the district circles from each other, as well from the outside lands. These walls allow for archers, crossbowmen, and ballistae to fire from the top, as well as the dropping of objects and burning pitch. Additionally, the town is primarily a military location, with three full contingents of Knights within the town at any one time and every member of the town being trained in combat.

The town is also protected by magical seals which repel certain types of creature, and stores a variety of magical tools for the defence of the town.

Districts

There are seven districts in Barrowhold, being arranged into three circles with three districts in the first and second, and one in the centre. The outer circle of districts are known as "The First Line", while the second circle are called "The Second Line". The Districts are numbered one through seven, with the centremost District being issued the number seven. This is the only district to have a nickname, and is often called "The Table District", as this is where the main fort of the town is located and governance takes place.

History

Barrowhold started out as a simple guard post called Taigh-freiceadain Barpa, or simply the Barrow Watch, which held vigil over the Barrow of the Cursed, where the corpses of entities that could not be cremated were interred and forcibly kept buried to prevent them from reanimating. This was not just the corpses of the living; this was also the corpses of creatures and monsters that had once been living; entities that had become twisted and dangerous within the Realm of Shadow. Thus, it was considered a dangerous posting, but one that came with a wide range of benefits, such as full provision of housing, food, clothing, and access to education.

Over the centuries, the Barrow became too large for a single guardhouse to maintain, and others were built around the edges of the cliffside grounds to compensate. The original Barrow Watch grew to become a fully fledged fort, developing into a central hub that each of these new watch posts reported to.

Alternative Name(s)

Dùn Barpa; Fort Barrow

Type

Town

Population

1200

Inhabitant Demonym

Barpans

Location under

Tìr nan Dubhar

Owner/Ruler

The Raven Queen

Owning Organization

An Cearcall Sgàil