Loche Castle

Loche Castle & the City of Loche

Once the southernmost bastion of Loudwater’s reach, Loche Castle stood as a lonely sentinel, its black-stone walls rising from the rugged cliffs overlooking the misty lowlands. Built centuries ago by the kings of the Reunian line, its towering keep and curtain walls bristled with ballistae, a symbol of defiance against the lawless wilds beyond. The castle's strategic position allowed it to protect trade routes, repel incursions, and maintain order in the untamed south.
However, as Loudwater expanded, the lands around Loche Castle were settled, cultivated, and industrialized. What was once a remote military outpost gradually grew into a city of its own, fed by a booming mercenary trade, thriving markets, and a steady influx of artisans and merchants drawn to its protection. The barracks of old are now guild halls, and the castle’s vast outer courtyard has transformed into a bustling trade square, where smiths forge weapons, scribes draft contracts, and alchemists peddle exotic wares.

Modern Loche – A City of Blades and Banners

Now simply called Loche, the city has become a melting pot of warriors, wanderers, and wealth-seekers. It is known for:
The Old Keep: Still occupied by the city’s ruling governor—a Loudwater-appointed Warden—but its once-military halls now serve as a political and mercantile stronghold, with merchant-lords and military officers scheming over its grand war table. The Crimson Market: A massive, open-air mercenary and arms market, where sellswords, bounty hunters, and free companies gather to find contracts or sell their blades. Black-market dealings and smuggled pneumatic weapons are whispered of in the darker corners. The Bannered District: A sprawling quarter where many former barracks have been converted into fighter’s guilds, training grounds, and gladiatorial pits. Aspiring warriors, knights-for-hire, and dueling academies thrive here, making Loche the place to find seasoned mercenaries or learn the art of war. The Shadowed Alleys: A network of old hidden tunnels, dungeons, and ruined barracks beneath the city. Some say these depths are now the domain of clandestine guilds, Pneumoclast informants, and heretical researchers hiding from Loudwater’s iron grip.