Ruins of Tolan’s Keep

In the southeast of the Eastern Vales, on the edge of the Shadowfens, along the northern bank of the Second Sister Lake, lies the great ruins of Tolan’s Keep. Not long after the fall of the Arcane Empire, Tolan’s Keep stood as the largest castle in the whole East and was, for a time, the seat of a former king who ruled the Vales. However, John Tolan waged a foolish war against Amarodial the Bitterheart, an old and powerful black dragon. Tolan lost his kingdom to the dragon and eventually, his life.

The Ruins of Tolan’s Keep still remain today as a large blackened keep with three standing towers and two shattered towers that have been reduced mostly to rubble. The western side of the keep has collapsed and crumbled, and the surrounding area is now a wet marshland overgrown with sawgrass, vines, and other wetland flora. The surrounding area that was once a small kingdom is nothing more than some scattered stone walls overtaken by vines, fractured statues caked in moss, ruins of buildings sinking into the muck, and inhabited by a wealth of crocodiles, giant frogs, and giant dragonflies.

The black dragon Amarodial has claimed the ruins, and the former wealth of John Tolan as his own. Most do not venture too close to the ruins anymore, fearing the dragon’s ire. Locals speculate that the Tolan family treasure is still mostly intact, including their crown, which was said to hold great magical properties. Tales of other unique and incredible items still echo through the Vales, but no one can prove these claims, and few dare to explore Amarodial’s lair