Blackstone Citadel

*You are right here in your story. Don't skip ahead.*
Massie Burnson, *The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner*, p. 32
**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR *THE ARCHER'S CUP* ARE AHEAD; CAUTION IS ADVISED.**

Blackstone Citadel, as pictured in the northeast corner of a map of western Natalia.

## Association information

### Crest

A letter b stylized in the shape of a key.

## Book information

### Mentioned

• *The Green Ember*
• *The Last Archer*
• *Ember Falls*
• *Ember Rising*
• *Ember's End*

**B****lackstone Citadel** is one of the secret citadels in northern Natalia. It is located south of Black Lake on the western fringes of East Wood.

## History

### Founding

Blackstone was established by rabbits from East Wood and the area of Black Lake. These included families that had lived in the region for several generations. It also continued the tradition of the Lord's Council, a trio of authority figures who had governed the area for some time. The members of this council became keymasters within Blackstone, each possessing a key needed to unlock several vital gates within the citadel.

Lokken was the first citadel lord or Blackstone, and was served by Ronan as Lead Captain. After helping establish the citadel, however, Lokken fell ill, and eventually passed away in circumstances some later deemed mysterious. Due to the youth of Lokson, Lokken's heir, Ronan was elevated to the rank of lord. Lokson was sent to Harbone Citadel to be educated, while Truff of the guard was appointed as the new Lead Captain.

Breelia Wilder, a member of one of the oldest families in the region, became matron of Blackstone Hospital in the ten years leading up to the War for All Natalia. Good relations also developed between Blackstone and Harbone, with the two citadels even exchanging personnel. These included several or Lord Ronan's children and three of the children of Hewson, lord of Harbone.

### *The Green Ember* / *The Last Archer*

Doctor Zeiger was sent to Blackstone to care for rabbits during a flu epidemic. Sometime later, soldiers from Blackstone accompanied Lord Ronan to Cloud Mountain for a Citadel Congress. This citadel was very against all Longtreaders, to the point that Lord Ronan expressed distaste at the idea of even being near them.

According to Jo Shanks, there was a close bond of friendship between the Blackstone and Halfwind Citadels, both holding the Longtreaders under suspicion. A soldier from Blackstone also identified Heather Longtreader after hearing Jo ask about her. Captain Brone of Blackstone also passed word of wolf patrols in the surrounding forest to Captain Frye. The forces from Blackstone were later caught up in the attack on Cloud Mountain, and subsequently helped pursue the retreating wolf invaders.

### *Ember Falls*

Blackstone Citadel was the most stubborn holdout against both accepting the Longtreader family as heroic members of the cause and recognizing prince Smalden Joveson as King Jupiter's heir. As a result, an invitation was sent to Lord Ronan to attend a conference at Kingston, though this meeting ultimately never occured. When Halfwind Citadel learned of the approaching Terralains, the leaders resolved to send a message to Blackstone as a sign of them regarding that citadel as an ally.

### *Ember Rising* / *The Archer's Cup*

As Emma, appointed Jupiter's heir in the wake of her brother Smalls' apparent death, made her tour of various citadels, Blackstone is among those she visited. On the advice of Heyna Blackstar, she adjusted her travel schedule in order to reach Blackstone much earlier than anticipated. This was designed to unsettle Lord Ronan, who remained suspicious of the Longtreaders and her own claim to the throne. She split her traveling party, and traveled to Blackstone accompanied only by Heyna, her brother Coleden Blackstar, and Jo Shanks.

Sneaking through the perimeter defenses, the four arrived at the citadel, but received a rather hostile welcome. They were warned of conditions at Blackstone by Gallipot Grenda but were interrupted by Lead Captain Truff. The four were later led to quarters, before being approached by Lokson. Having recently returned to Blackstone with his private army, he sought to reclaim the lordship of Blackstone once held by his father.

Emma's party was later led to the hospital on the pretext of a summons from Lord Ronan. Following a tense discussion with Matron Wilder, the four were locked in a room that was subsequently set on fire. Escaping, they made their way to the Lord's Quadrant, having previously been invited to join a council meeting. There they met again with the matron, Lokson, and Truff, as well as with Ronan.

Having determined that the three Keymasters, Lokson having replaced the recently deceased Stovall Ganes, had created rival factions among the inhabitants, Emma was informed that they had additional worries. A mysterious adversary, calling himself Bane Graveheart, had been leaving threatening messages in supposedly secure areas of the citadel. As the council and newcomers discussed these matters, they were interrupted by Lady Elisabeth, Ronan's wife, with yet another letter. This one prompted Truff, Lokson, and Jo to travel to Blackstone's water gate, where they found a barrel with a lit fuse that Lokson's follower Cheltham narrowly manages to extinguish.

Matron Wilder was subsequently arrested on suspicion of being Bane Graveheart. After being relocated to finer quarters, Emma and her companions were invited to dinner with Lokson. Their discussion ultimately led to the organization of the Ultimate Archer's Cup. This was due in part to Emma's group being joined by the Bracers from Halfwind.

The night before the cup, Matron Wilder escaped and fled the citadel, despite efforts of citadel personnel and visitors to recapture her. The archery tournament proceeded as planned but was disrupted by another letter from Bane Graveheart. He ultimately proved to be Grare, an old suitor of Lady Elisabeth's, and was halted in his murderous plans by Jo Shanks. As a result, Ronan at last joined the forces of Blackstone to the rest of the Cause.

As Blackstone's forces mobilized to take part in the Battle for First Warren, Grare was sentenced to accompany Lokson and his army, along with several votaries, to Halfwind. Having forsaken his efforts to supplant Ronan, Lokson offered his position as Keymaster to Jo. Upon Jo's refusal, Lokson determined to pass the key to Captain Truff, while Grenda replaced Matron Wilder. The forces of Blackstone later took part in the Battle for First Warren, with their valor being praised by Emma following the victory.

### *Ember's End*

The forces of Blackstone, led by Lord Ronan, fought in the Siege of First Warren, their elite guard having been particularly helpful in fortifying the city. Blackstone rabbits notably fought alongside the Terralain army after the Terralains joined the Cause.

## Inhabitants

Personnel

* Ronan (citadel lord, Keymaster)
* Elisabeth (citadel lady)
* Lokken (citadel lord; formerly, deceased)
* Truff (Lead Captain; Keymaster)
* Breelia Wilder (matron, Keymaster; formerly, deserted)
* Lokson (Keymaster; formerly)
* Brone (captain)
* Buster Harvey
* Cleeve Hapson
* Devert (Captain)
* Doosan
* Gallipot Grenda (matron, Keymaster)
* Rangers
	+ Glen Harty

Civillians

* Amber Hewson
* Grare
* Jervie
* Mona
* Smoot
* Stovall Ganes (Keymaster; formerly, deceased)

## Locations

### Common

Blackstone common was described as being a wide area with a large, open middle and booths scattered around the outside. It was home to stalls hosting rabbits of all different professions, including, but not limited to, apothecaries, barbers, binders, blacksmiths, bowyers, brewers, chandlers, coopers, fletchers, and scriveners. Two apothecary shops in particular were noted by Jo Shanks as being brightly colored and flaunting large signs and bold advertisements, the owners of both being in constant competition with one another.

### Hospital

Blackstone hospital was the medical facility for the citadel, presided over for a number of years by Matron Breelia Wilder. Emma Joveson and her companions were lured there under false pretenses by Wilder, who brought them into an office to speak with them. This office had a wall that could be moved to reveal a concealed room, where Wilder was in the habit of stationing soldiers loyal to her. The secret room also contained an exit from the office, which Wilder used to leave while Emma's retinue was left locked in the room.

A fire was subsequently started in the hospital outside the office, and Emma and the others narrowly escaped. Once Wilder was arrested on suspicion of being Bane Graveheart, her followers seem to have remained in the vicinity of the hospital, as Captain Truff anticipated that they would resist parties searching for her after she made her escape. Eventually the hospital came under the care of a new matron, Gallipot Grenda.

### Lord's Quadrant

The Lord's Quadrant was an area of Blackstone most notable for being home to the citadel lord and his family as well as the meeting place for the Lord's Council. Entrance to the quadrant was regulated by a gate that could only be unlocked by a keymaster's key. However, Bane Graveheart was able to access it using a network of tunnels that connected the citadel to Black Lake. He used this means to enter the quadrant on several occasions, leaving threatening notes in various locations that were thought to be inaccessible, such as the lord and lady's bedroom and the playroom of their younger children.

Emma Joveson and her escorts later entered the Lord's Quadrant at the invitation of Ronan in order to attend a meeting of the Lord's Council. During the meeting yet another note from Bane Graveheart was discovered, and several of the council attendees departed to investigate the matter. Upon their return, Breelia Wilder was accused of being Graveheart and arrested. Prior to this, she had noted that the Lord's Quadrant was one of several areas in the citadel that included hidden areas where residents might take shelter in the event of a flood or other disaster. The Lord's Quadrant later served as the site of a showdown between Graveheart and Jo Shanks, the archer having discovered the villain's true identity and arrived to find that he had sedated several rabbits and was preparing to kill Ronan.

### Mess Hall

Blackstone's mess hall was a central area of the Blackstone Citadel community where many of the inhabitants took meals prepared by Slimmo and his staff. Jo Shanks and Heyna Blackstar joined Lokson and his army in taking breakfast here shortly after their arrival at the citadel, and were introduced to Slimmo. They were then approached by Cleeve Hapson with a message supposedly from Lord Ronan, asking that Princess Emma attend him. Emma and her party were later escorted back to the mess hall by Amber Hewson, who joined Emma and Cole in taking breakfast. Jo stood sentry for the group, but was distracted at a crucial moment and crashed into his friends' table.

Slimmo later hosted a private meal for Jo and Amber in a secluded corner of the mess hall, which proved enjoyable to the pair but culminated sadly when Amber revealed that she was engaged to Lokson. The mess hall would later serve as a gathering point for the searchers called upon to locate the escaped Breelia Wilder. Much to the astonishment of the Blackstone natives, Lady Elisabeth put in an appearance during this meeting, despite her family not having taken meals in the mess hall in years. Jo and his friends later visited the mess hall twice on the day of the Ultimate Archer's Cup, and it was here that Jo had the realization that Slimmo was in fact Bane Graveheart.

### Water gate

The water gate was one of three gates in Blackstone that could only be opened using one of the Keymasters' keys. It led to the dam that regulated the flow of water from Black Lake into the citadel, which was Blackstone's sole water source when they were forced to stop visiting the lake. Slimmo, in his capacity as Bane Graveheart, was able to circumvent the water gate using his knowledge of the tunnel network surrounding Black Lake and plant a blastpowder barrel at the dam. Fortunately, Cheltham arrived on the scene and was able to extinguish the fuse before an explosion could occur. Captain Truff, who was among those to investigate the threat, feared the possibility of the water supply being poisoned.

## Trivia

* The name "Blackstone" is of English and American origin.

## References

1. ↑ [1]

*This article has received The Green Ember of excellence.*