Krak al-Niraan

Krak al-Niraan, or the Castle of Flame, was an important military stronghold of the Brotherhood of the True Flame in Zakhara in 1367 DR. Though not the main seat of power for the Brotherhood, Krak al-Niraan served as the hub of the Brotherhood's sinister influence among Al-Badia and the Free Cities of Zakhara.

Location
The keep's stark towers rose from the broken hill country along the very edge of the Weeping Desert in the Haunted Lands.

Defenses
The skilled wizards of the Brotherhood wove special spirit wards into the stones of the fortress, preventing any undead from approaching within of the perimeter.

A large mercenary force was maintained to aid in the keep's defenses. These mercenaries were extremely well paid, to the tune of several hundred gold pieces per month depending on the skill of the mercenary, so finding replacements was never an issue. These soldiers were battle-hardened after countless raids against neighboring tribes of al-Badia. Roughly one quarter of the soldiers were found at the keep at any given time, unless an attack was expected. The remaining force constantly patrolled the surrounding country.

Each new mercenary hired at Krak al-Niraan was subjected to a special security check involving an oath of loyalty enforced by a geas. Recruits possessing above-average skills could also be expected to participate in an oathbinding.

The inner portion of the keep was guarded by 50 wicked nasnas produced from Jamal al-Yindannim's harem. This force grew in number as quickly as Jamal could "impregnate" the unfortunate inhabitants of the harem. A cadre of 50 fanatical holy slayers, or fedayeen of the Flamedeath Fellowship also guarded this area of the keep. Each one of these fidai was specifically trained in the use of liquid star as a weapon. A group of roughly 20 shig'harakhi learned to master the art of flame magic here as well.

History
Krak al-Niraan was constructed centuries in the past to protect a vital trade route passing through the Weeping Desert which during that time was actually a fertile land. The flame mages of the Brotherhood claimed the abandoned fortress for their own during the 1350s DR. The Brotherhood quickly added their own imposing fortifications to the solid foundations of the ancient ruins.