Castle Ambolt

While technically in Bearlands, the once-great Castle Ambolt now lies far outside the control of men. Over the many years since the Brightsword’s death, giants and giant-folk have chipped away at the fortifications and resolve that men put in their way, until eventually the last heirs of the Brightsword were forced to abandon the citadel entirely. A new Castle Ambolt and a new Northwall was built in the decades following, but it is a pale shadow of the original.

The Legend of Castle Ambolt

The anvil on which the destiny of the Sjonderwold was forged, the original Castle Ambolt (once the Rock of Ambolt) weathered giant attacks since the Age of Heroes. Less a single fortress than a line of fortifications, the bulk of structure recognizable as a citadel seemed to be carved out of the unyielding granite of the Stonewing Mountains to the west.

The great Northwall ran almost exactly due east, all the way to the rocky shore over fifty miles distant. To help keep watch over this gap, towers were constructed every three miles and stocked with horns, drums, and signal flags and fires. Each signal tower was a fortress in its own right, with battlements, gates, and barracks for soldiers.

To say the Northwall was massive is to say the waters of the Serpentsea are chilly. The stones of the Northwall reach over the height of ten men before they reach the first battlements, and the width of the wall is such that even at its narrowest, four horsemen can ride abreast with no discomfort. The Northwall would have been a crowning achievement all by itself for the Brightsword, had they not also lived their already-extraordinary life.

Current Use of the Northwall

While not as tremendous as the original creation of the Brightsword, the current Northwall is still an imposing fortification. However, it is not a permanent impediment to giants attacks. The Northwall only cuts off the easiest path for giants into the Sjonderwold; a particularly determined or crazed giant will occasionally make its way over the Stormwing Mountains, and it is up to the patrol captains of Ulfden to bring it to a speedy end before it can cause too much destruction. To help cut off this menace, Castle Ambolt serves as the main base for a string of signal towers all along the Stormwing Mountains. If any sentry spots a giant, the signal fires are lit, and the patrol captains of Ulfden rally their charges to go giant-hunting.