Odrun Fell

The Dregvault is the Hilt's high-security containment archive for the most dangerous, unstable, or valuable insect species. Whether they are bred by the Barleys or unearthed in the depths of the Handle, or mutated by the magic of the greatclub in a unique way, these creatures and their spawn are housed in layered vaults beneath the surface. Aboveground, the structure looks modest, but it expends five levels downward, with each sublevel becoming colder, darker, and even more reinforced. Inside, creatures are kept in arcane stasis pods, insulated bio-boxes, or sealed hexrooms. There have been accidents in the past, but never more than once per level. The Dregvault is maintained by a combination of efforts from Cudgel mages, Ashcoat engineers, and Barely specialty breeders. Every specimen has different monitoring systems and the entire vault is tested weekly against breach scenarios.

From the street, the Dregvault squats like a fossilized cyst, its exterior grown from layers of fused beetle chitin and heat-scarred stone. A low perimeter of jagged fang-towers rises around it, each capped with rune-sealed glass domes that flicker faintly with containment glyphs. Smokeless lanterns line the walkway to the triple-sealed entry arch, illuminating a trio of posted warnings etched in six languages. Brass chiming rods hum gently from the roof, calibrated to frequencies that keep nearby fauna docile. A rotating guard of leather-clad specialists—each masked and gloved—man the side access gates, speaking in clicks and hand signals, always watching the vents.