Forshan’s Keep

Forshan’s Keep stands as a grim sentinel over the narrow, winding road that climbs from the Riverlands up into the forbidding Charred Hills of Mar Miskun. Perched on a high bluff, its imposing walls loom over the treacherous pass, casting long shadows across the road below. The keep serves as both a defensive bastion and a gateway between Barvon Bir to the west and Kunkana to the east, where the twisting path snakes through the steep, dark slopes of the Charred Hills.
The keep itself is a stark, utilitarian structure, built for strength and durability rather than beauty. Its walls are made from dark, rough-hewn stone quarried from the hills themselves, blending seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. Two massive gatehouses extend outward from the main keep, flanking the road as it ascends the slope. Travellers must pass through these fortified gates, each reinforced with thick wooden doors banded in iron, before reaching the central courtyard of Forshan’s Keep.
The lower gate, closest to the Riverlands, marks the start of the climb. From here, a steep path winds up to the second gate, known as the High Gate, which stands at the top of the bluff. Both gates are connected to the keep by stout curtain walls, and guard towers rise at intervals along their length, providing a commanding view of the road and the surrounding hills. Archers stationed within these towers can easily rain arrows down upon any would-be invaders, and narrow murder holes offer further means to repel attackers.
Within the keep’s high walls lies a compact courtyard, where a small but disciplined garrison of fifty soldiers is housed. The courtyard is functional, with space for drilling troops, a small forge, and a few storage buildings. The keep’s barracks and mess hall are built directly into the inner walls, providing shelter and safety for the garrison in times of siege. Narrow staircases lead to the ramparts above, and from these high walls, the garrison can see for miles across the craggy hills and rocky passes.
The central keep itself is a squat, square tower, its thick walls designed to withstand both siege and assault. The interior is a maze of small chambers and passageways, many of which lie underground, carved into the solid rock of the bluff. The upper levels serve as the command quarters and a place of refuge, while the lower levels house storerooms, an armoury, and even a small well that draws water from a spring deep beneath the hills. This ensures the keep’s defenders can hold out even if surrounded and cut off.
Forshan’s Keep is ruled by a local strongman named Varros Taneth, who governs the keep ostensibly on behalf of the League of Mar Miskun. In reality, Taneth uses his position to exploit the lucrative trade route for personal gain. Nominally charged with safeguarding the road and maintaining order in the region, Taneth’s primary concern is extracting as much wealth as possible from the merchants and traders who pass through the gates of Forshan’s Keep.
Under his rule, the keep has become infamous for the heavy tolls and arbitrary levies placed on goods, with Taneth and his men turning a blind eye to any who can afford to grease their palms. This has made Forshan’s Keep a place of resentment and grumbling among the traders, who begrudge the extortionate demands but have little choice but to comply, given the keep’s position as the only safe passage through the Charred Hills.
Varros Taneth, a hulking Makkun with a penchant for fine clothes and a heavy-handed manner, maintains his authority through fear and force. His guards, drawn from the most unscrupulous ranks of local mercenaries and former bandits, enforce his edicts with brutal efficiency. Any who resist are dealt with swiftly and harshly, and the dungeons beneath Forshan’s Keep have become a feared destination for those who cannot, or will not, pay the required tolls.
While the keep’s primary function is defence, it also serves as a vital communication point between the western Riverlands and the more isolated settlements in the east. Messengers frequently pass through its gates, carrying news and orders from one side of the island to the other. Taneth’s control over this route, however, means that messages can be intercepted or delayed at his whim, allowing him to manipulate events to his own advantage.

Type

Keep