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Growall Keep

Also known as Feat, "the wall keeps growing" (from Fe, wall, and Aet, grow, in Memni, the Empire Language).

Profile

  • Kind: Fortress, a stone riverside box keep
  • Founded: Ancient; origin unknown
  • Size: Medium, about 15m by 15m, three floors
  • Environment: River and forest, north Algeron
  • Government: Held by a newer noble line, the family that rebuilt it; tenure contested
  • Military: Large garrison, decently armed and trained
  • Overall condition: Poor, damaged and only partly restored
  • Known for: The prophecy that a family of great future would rebuild it, and the magical growth that keeps tearing at its walls

Geography

River and forest surround the keep, in the north of Algeron. It stands on the edge of a neighbouring settlement, a liminal, half-accepted place.

Layout

  • Fortification: A box keep, roughly 15m by 15m, three floors, with a ground-level entrance across a drawbridge.
  • Exterior Walls: Very small and repeatedly destroyed, likely by the creeping magical growth.
  • Underground: Very ancient, forgotten tunnels.

Interior

Primary rooms:

  • Bedroom: the nobles' private quarters, good furnishings.
  • Kitchen: a well-appointed preparation area, good furnishings.
  • Dining Room: an austere eating space, basic furnishings; this is the room that holds the magical coin.
  • Receiving Room: formal guest reception, good furnishings.

Further rooms:

  • Guest Bedroom: a luxury visiting suite, incredibly good furnishings.
  • Guest Bedroom: a comfortable visitor chamber, decent furnishings.
  • Guest Bedroom: a bare-bones sleeping space, basic furnishings.
  • Guest Bedroom: a ruined former suite, destroyed.
  • General Storage: supplies and sundries, decent furnishings.
  • Servant Quarters: the staff living area, decent furnishings.
  • Chapel: a quiet place of worship, good furnishings.
  • Equipment Storage: the arms and gear cache, incredibly good furnishings.
  • Stable: mounts and animals, basic furnishings.
  • Guard Bunk: an overcrowded guard sleep-space, poor furnishings.
  • Guard Bunk: elite guard quarters, good furnishings.
  • Solar (recreational room): a daylit leisure chamber, basic furnishings.
  • Closet: a small storage space, decent furnishings.

Government & Power

Leadership:

  • The noble family that rebuilt the keep. Tenure is contested: it was House Hunding's in the Third Age (Jorgen's line), but the Hundings are no longer here, and the family holding it now is a newer line.

Military:

  • A large garrison, a good number of guards, with decent equipment, armour, weapons, and standard training materials.
  • A dedicated training area, with specific drills and techniques for various situations.
  • Entry defence is the drawbridge.

Household:

  • A common-born guard is favoured by both the people and the national aristocracy; all the people favour him, and he receives preferential treatment.

Society

  • Local impact: The locals resented the rebuild and were forced to labour on it. A small issue at first, it is getting worse.
  • The household: The resident nobles enjoy reading and storytelling, especially stories of princesses and unicorns, and greatly enjoy tales and talk of the prophecy. They are currently angry, hating that the magic of the place keeps destroying their rebuilding efforts, and feeling they were tricked.

History

Origins are unknown: no one knows why the keep was first built, or by whom, and no records or clues survive. It once stood on the edge of a long wall built by the Aelves to stop the Keeper. It was ancient and once far grander, but has long deteriorated. It was rebuilt to fulfil a prophecy that a family with an important future would restore it.

Legend & Lore

  • The three-eyed tiger: A very powerful being lived here long ago, a species of tiger with three eyes, summoned by the Keeper to fight the Aelves.
  • The magical coin: A coin that comes from an old city and is a key to a magic portal. No one can move it from the floor. It rests in the dining room.
  • The creeping growth: Spines and creepers keep growing from the ground just outside the walls, from very old magic.
  • The stone: The keep is made from strange stone that stays magical only while it is here; the original magical stone is old, with regular stone and wood added later.
  • The uneasy presence: Something has been here since the keep was built and remains; its nearness makes people uneasy, but no one wants to be rid of it.

Currents

  • Workers have fallen ill from changes in the swamp; the issue is manageable for the moment.
  • Tension with the locals is increasing.