The Anvil

The Anvil is an imposing fortress built into the western walls of Torrune's Low City. It is a major component of the city's defenses, but even more vitally, the trade road from Sillport enters the city via the Anvil's primary gate: The aptly named Portage Gate, through which all river trade being moved around the Helvander cataracts must pass. Thus its primary purpose is as commercial chokepoint where all goods going in or out are inspected, assessed, and taxed by the agents of the Archon's Portreeve. The courtyards enclosed between the Anvil's high walls are perpetually crowded with oxwains, mule-carts, wagon-trains, masses of pack animals, and all their assorted drovers and teamsters and porters, milling about loudly as the merchants argue with the levy-men over the value of their goods. As a result, traffic usually backs up far out onto the Portage Road to the west, and along the major boulevards converging on the Anvil from the east in the Low City's Millstone Quarter. 
The Anvil is large, formidable, and well-designed, but is no dwarf-built engineering marvel like Beklagard. It is of much more recent construction, having been built as part of the enlargement of the city walls in the 1000s CV (at which time the city was still under the rule of the Dukes of Charagma). Its name is a reference to its massive, squat appearance, the square-topped shape of its towers and keep, and the very dark brownish-gray stone from which it is built. Its proper name is Magdan's Fort or Magdagard, but this is almost never used. However, it is sometimes called the Toll Fort or the Toll Gate Fort.
The Anvil also houses a garrison of the Archon's soldiery, and it serves as a barracks and armory for the city guard. Part of it is used as a prison as well, especially for the accused waiting their turn at trial in the Portreeve's court.