Ravaer's Stronghold

Ravaer's Stronghold was a simple earthworks fort east of Thunderstone in Cormyr.

Location
The fort lay in the rolling plains east of Thunderstone, just below the foothills of the Thunder Peaks near High Dale. It was surrounded by open grasslands used by ranchers for grazing cattle.

Structure
The fort was made from a simple earthen ring wall surrounded by a ditch. An elevated earth causeway just wide enough to fit two riders or a small wagon approached it from the west with ditches on either side, with a sharp dogleg turn to make approaching the entry even more complicated.

A stone-built chamber beneath the earthworks provided a final holdout and shelter for the garrison. It was about square, with niches in the walls for sleeping benches. Three stone caskets resembling sarcophagi sat in the middle of the room, that the garrison used as tables, as well as securely storing skins of water, raw cabbages, clay-sealed sausages, and firewood. If necessary, they could also be used as coffins.

The refuge chamber was accessed by a long, narrow ramp that was normally sealed by a stone slab on the surface. The slab lay in the floor of a small earthwork cave on the surface of the fort that had hitching rings for sheltering horses.

History
The fort was named for a Purple Dragon commander called Ravaer, who died on the spot fighting off a raiding force sponsored by Sembia. The fort was later built to repel small invasions coming from the Thunder Peaks to the west.