Salkire Castle
An old, abandoned and once forgotten castle deep within the Ancense Mountains, Salkire Castle has been once again occupied. Only now the occupants are among the undead and those that hold the curse (or blessing) of the wolf. It is a refuge for those that have no home to turn to due to their plights and it is a stronghold against those that would seek to hunt their kind down. That was the purpose that the ex-vampire hunter Lenora and the toxicologist Phyxica had sought when they came across this majestic place.
The Castle is partially built directly into the side of the mountain itself. With roughly a third of the complex resting outside exposed to the sun, the last two thirds are deep within the mountain face. The original architects of the Castle are unknown, however they put much care into the creation of this place, as the stone on the outside of the Castle is still strong to this day. Three lookout towers line the outer wall of the Castle, allowing for a great view of the river below and making it difficult to take the Castle by surprise. The main gate is a two-stage system, thankfully the old mechanisms just needed oiling to work. When the outer gate is open the inner is closed and vise versa, there is only one way to bypass this security measure but only the leaders of the Fangs and a select few that control the gate. It took much work to figure out how to make things work again, and they do not want the secrets getting out if they can help it.
Before you can pass through the main gates you will be questioned as your intentions of your visit if you are not a Fang. You will also be required to remove anything silver or garlic from your person. Your garlic will be burned in a constantly burning fire pit and your silver will be stored until you leave. Silver coins, however, are allowed to remain on you but they must not be removed from your coin pouch or purse.
Inner Courtyard
When you pass through the main gates and have access to the first part of the Castle that is outside of the mountain you will see stables and animal pens scattered around. The occupants are hungry and need to eat a lot so there are chickens, sheep, and pigs aplenty, while outside the walls of the Castle there are cows that graze within large, fenced areas. Fire pits are scattered about but during the day there is not generally a lot of activity as the lycanthropic and any light resistant residences are taking their turns at guard duty. During the night those that are only able to walk under the moon take their turns as guards.
From within this open area there is yet another gate that leads into the rest of the Castle’s grounds within the mountain. This gate works exactly the same as the first gate, but the mechanisms to work it are that much harder to get to because they are built into the rock around them.
Interior of the Castle
When you pass through the gates and into the main part of the Castle to enter into a surprisingly small room, it would be hard to have more than twenty people in here at one time. However, upon further inspection there are holes in the walls and even the ceiling, this is a killing room, archers can shoot into the room from the walls and boiling oil can be poured from the ceiling and even lit on fire as there are holes in the floor for easy cleaning.
At the end of the room are a set of iron doors with view ports that can be opened from the inside. Once you have passed through this final portal you will find yourself in the Castle proper. This first main area is a large entrance hall with additional hallways leading off from it to the different parts of the Castle. A grand chandelier hangs from the ceiling lit with dull magical torches, and this is about the only source of light within the Castle as a vast majority of the residences are capable of seeing in the dark. The few that cannot see in darkness respect the sensitivity of those around them and light their way with candles to get around.
Off to one side is the feasting hall, where all the livestock from before can be found slaughtered and ready for eating, cooking it, however, it up to the individuals tastes. However, because of the vampiric nature of some of the denizens, it is not uncommon to find decanters of fresh blood scattered about, held within magical decanters to keep it fresh for a long period of time. Also, in some cases, a whole living being will be found strapped to a table, gagged to keep them quiet, so that they can be fed upon by anyone that choses. These unfortunate souls are usually enemies of the Fangs that have been captured and are slated for a long and painful death by becoming food. This hall is the largest of the rooms in the whole of the Castle, and it would appear to be also used for full gatherings of all of the Fangs.
For those Fangs that are handy with crafts and creation a smithing and armoury is available to use, capable of providing weapons, armour and tools for the Fangs. It is nothing overly elaborate, and old chimneys funnel the smog and smoke up and away. Where it goes no one really knows, but it is assumed the chimney is so long that by the time it reaches fresh air it is so dissipated as to be nearly invisible. A full alchemy lab is also located here, stocked up with the best available ingredients, with new stock arriving almost daily.
A large war room is within the walls, complete with a large table for laying out maps. The main armoury is located next door to the war room, fully stocked with weapons of all kinds and armour for anyone to use. The library is close to the war room too, it’s not the most extensive library, but some of the old books are in decent condition and can be handy resources. If you have the patience to look through everything. There are some Fangs that have decided to dedicate themselves to going through all of the old tomes and start on organizing the library once more.
Another extravagant room within the castle had been converted into a barroom. Large shelves stand up against the leftmost wall with collections of wines, ales, whiskeys and more. Certain ones are marked with a crimson teardrop shape to inform the drinker that blood has been mixed into its concoctions. Typically there is a person taking the role of barkeep nearly all hours; for the hours of light and one for the hours of dusk. But many take it upon themselves to self-serve, which by all means is fine. Several tables are also scattered about for casual talking and drinking or to play a variety of games.
Below resides the catacombs, where only a portion has been looked into. It is currently unknown as to how deep it goes, and those highest among the Fangs give caution to those seeking to take a seemingly endless journey down there. Among what has been explored, prisoners are commonly put down there and left to wander in the darkness, never to be seen again. Had they eventually found a way to escape, or had they perished. As far as most are concerned, the latter is more likely probable.
There are plenty of bed chambers and bunk rooms, and the higher ups get their own chambers. The larger bunk rooms can hold about a dozen people comfortably and with some janky made barriers some kind of privacy can be maintained for everyone. They are comfortable for what they are and offer everyone a private stash to use that they can lock. The full bed chambers are a good size but obviously created for use and not splendor. Each of the chambers comes with a large king sized, a private study area with a desk, bookshelves and a private bath.
