⚔ Aᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇ ⚔

Hillfort Ishla, nestled in the eastern reaches of the Small Teeth mountains, serves as a southern bulwark for Amn’s Council Army—at least in name. Once a vital link in the defensive chain protecting the trade-rich lowlands between Gambiton and Esmeltaran, the fort now languishes under the apathetic and self-serving command of Captain Amlos Xomnag. Built from mud-sealed pine logs and situated on often waterlogged ground, the fort demands constant maintenance, which it rarely receives. Its outer palisades lean under the weight of rot and disrepair, while overgrown gardens and weed-choked paths speak to neglect. Though designed to support a sizable garrison with armory, stables, and blacksmith, its true function has shifted: a tool for the captain’s personal enrichment. Soldiers run errands for wealthy Esmeltaran merchants rather than patrols, and dissenters vanish or are quietly reassigned.

Sagging timber walls enclose muddy grounds cluttered with half-collapsed sheds and overgrown paths. The garden, once meant for sustenance, now chokes with wild herbs and vines. Smoke rises from a neglected forge, and a few weary guards linger near the leaning watchtower. Horses stand restless in unkempt stables. The surrounding hills loom, and the wind carries distant sounds—but within, all feels stagnant, a post built for war now festering in misuse.