Odrun Fell

The Gate of Tines is Odrun Fell’s southern gate, where the Road to Odrun meets the city’s outer wall. Unlike the opulence of the Sprigs or the chaos of the Spindle, this gate is functional, fortified, and fiercely watched. It's the main checkpoint for caravans, pilgrims, and would-be delvers hoping to prove themselves worthy of entry. Managed jointly by the Cudgel and Promissory, the gate balances vigilance with commerce—no shipment enters without scrutiny, and no smuggler lasts long unless they're useful. Cudgel officers vet delving hopefuls while Promissory scribes log taxes and trade manifests. Those familiar with its rhythm call it the “First Weight,” where the tone of a venture is set by how you're greeted: with a nod, a ledger, or a blade.

The Gate of Tines is broad and low-slung, framed by reinforced stonework and plates of amber-stained chitin arranged like overlapping beetle shells. It squats at the base of a sloped bluff, flanked by guard towers woven with silk cordage and copper reinforcements. Bone-banners flutter from iron spikes atop each tower, each painted with the seal of the Council—four interlocking sigils on a background of soot-black cloth. Along the outer wall, dozens of chisel-gouged names mark fallen defenders, etched by their comrades in quiet defiance. At the gate’s center, a wide portcullis of fused mandibles creaks as it rises, revealing a checkpoint courtyard where caravans queue between iron braziers and ash-marked posts. Stained canvas awnings stretch between vendor stalls and guard booths, catching dust and sunlight in equal measure. Lanterns of bioluminescent silk sway gently over the entry path, casting an amber glow that welcomes and warns in equal parts.