Bastion Arcane

• Size/Type: Village
• Population: 596
• Alignment: N
• Demographics: 90% human, 4% half-elf, 2% elf, 4% other
• Power Center: Magical (anonymous Council of Arcanists)
  
• Authority figures: Wyrmar Runebane, male human Sorcer 12 (head of the Arcanists Council)
• Important Non Player Characters: Annora, female half-elf Wizard 6 (librarian); Old Paraphas, male human (magical merchant); Nathalia, female human Fighter 3 (owner of the Drunken Familiar tavern); Narron, male half-elf Bard 4 (owner of Enchanted Tales Inn), Eddamir Moonsky, male half-elf Cleric 7 (traveling cleric).

History/Background: Many years ago, the land on which this mighty stone temple now stands were highly contested and fought over by many nations. Legend has it that as the fighting reached its peak, the codes of war were ignored and the warfare disintegrated into and all manner of blasphemy; churches were destroyed and false accusations made to sate the nobles bloodlust. Adding to the chaos, duplicitous mages, trained in the art of war, were frequently employed and switched sides multiple times.

One such temple that came under continuous attack was the Cathadrael Mysterium, a mighty stone temple to the god of magic and sorcery. Numerous times the structure and the nearby tradesmen village come under attack from one army or another, but each time the building remained standing. Finally, in the worst of the conflicts, the village was razed and the temple gutted with fire. After the smoke cleared, the temple remained and as conflicts waned and years passed it became a symbol of hope, determination and strength to local settlers. For an escaped mercenary war wizard, on the other hand, it became a fortress.

General Layout/First Impressions: The temple to the god of magic is now known as the Bastion Arcane and is an imposing, gothic stone structure. Its bizarre ground reinforcements and internal structural integrity lead philosophers (and more than a few bards) to conclude that elementals had a hand in its construction. Dwarves stop and shake their heads, but many more stroke their beards, pondering the design with interest.

It stands as a rectangular core building, with four battlement towers at each corner, and a bell tower over the main entrance. In the center of the structure is a courtyard now overgrown with a variety of bizarre vines, monstrous plants, and exotic herbs.  The external color isn’t inviting. While the inside has apparently undergone massive reworking over the years, the stone outside appears as a dark gray slate overwhelmed by blackened scars from fire both mundane and magical. No banners fly from its towers and no symbol stands at the threshold. An old road passes before the building and opposite it is a collection of wooden buildings, simple homes, and a medium-sized pillared stone structure, yet another collection of tradesmen, apprentices to be and those that would deal in sorcerous merchandise. For while the outside fails to reveal its current inhabitants, the locals all know a powerful circle of arcane experts dwell within, creating wondrous items and divining a future of prosperity.