Blackwall Keep

**Blackwall Keep** is a fortress situated in Mokeria on the very cusp of the Cairn Hills, atop a high ridge overlooking the fetid mires of the Mistmarsh. From here, infrequent mounted patrols of Mokerian Militia ride out to keep vigil over the scrub grasslands bordering the northern verges of the marshes. However, the militia’s presence here has dwindled over the last few years as men have been drawn off by Wyrmissa and her Wild Mages.

## History

The fortress is centuries old, dating back too the time of the Orspederian Crusades. It was built and maintained by the Knights of the Crux Caruillin, but after their decline it came under the influence of Mokerius City and became controlled the various lords and despots who laid claim to that metropolis.

In recent years, a small village has sprung up around the keep, populated by refugees fleeing the unrest that consumed Orspederia in the early years of the Fourth Epoch, as Wyrmissa and her cadre of Wild Mages took control. As their land was consumed by war, the inhabitants of the more badly-affected regions fled their homes for the comparative safety of the Mokerian plateau. Faced with this tide of miserable humanity, the Wild Mages of Mokerius City began moving cartloads of homeless refugees to outlying settlements. As a result, the village of Blackwall Keep suddenly increased by nearly a third in the last year. The influx created some hardship among the inhabitants, with both food and shelter in short supply. However, with the aid of the garrison in the keep, the majority of the villagers survived the lean winter months. The experience has forged a strong bond between the villagers and the men of the garrison.

## The Keep

Blackwall Keep is a strong four-storied tower keep protected by a stout wooden palisade and a wide, but shallow refuse-filled ditch. The keep is named for a pernicious local lichen that shrouds the tower’s granite walls, giving it a somewhat sinister appearance. Though a strong fortification, the keep has an air of neglect about it. With the departure of the last stonemason, minor maintenance is no longer carried out effectively and in several places, the tower’s parapets have begun to crumble. Nonetheless, the defences here are still sound and a determined, well-motivated force could easily hold this place against attack.

As well as the tower house, several outbuildings stand within the palisade – stables for the garrison’s mounts and storage sheds (now mostly empty) – set around a muddy courtyard.
Access to the keep is through a single ironbound door. The ground floor is given over to defence, comprising a guardroom that is manned around the clock by shifts of militiamen. Under the guardroom lies the cellar, which contains a few cells, further storerooms and a well. A spiral staircase ascends from the guardroom to the upper floors. The first floor is given over to quartering the rank and file militiamen. Here, a single large chamber serves as a barracks, mess hall, and kitchen. The floors above contain private quarters for the officers, a single guest room and an armoury.

Atop the keep, two light catapults and two ballistae command the approaches to the keep and village. The ballistae protect the keep itself, while the catapults are arrayed to provide maximum protection to the village. From the roof, the garrison maintains a desultory watch over the surrounding area. On the lower levels, arrow slits pierce the thick granite walls, providing fields of fire on all sides. The two upper floors benefit from stoutly-shuttered windows, from which boiling oil and water can be rained down upon anyone assaulting the base of the tower.

## The Garrison

The competent, but often drunk, Ranald Haradrith commands the 30 militiamen still garrisoning Blackwall. Two sergeants-at-arms aid Ranald: the corrupt and avaricious Remiel and Scherrin a cheerless, self-obsessed bore. Morale here is low. The troops have been neither properly supplied nor paid for several months. As a consequence, they have taken to supplementing their meagre rations with extended hunting trips, often in conjunction with huntsmen from the village.

Several stable hands under the expert direction of the stablemaster, Gerandin, supplement the garrison. A few of the villagers also occasionally work at the keep in a variety of menial roles. Strong bonds have been formed between the villagers and the militiamen and several of the men have found wives (and mistresses) among the refugees.