Bone

Category	Strongholds
Continent	Brucrumus
Region	Grashakh
Location	Collossapolos
Owner	Orchish Empire
Built	15 Artifice 1312

In the year 1312, the necromancer Defilnus arrived upon the southern coasts of Virgath. There, amidst a hilly prominence scattered with massive boulders and distant rapids, her lifelong ambition of establishing her own keep had commenced.

The foundation was dusted with the crushed remains of a thousand deceased individuals, and work commenced with mercenaries transformed into laborers. Those who resisted this new role became part of an undead labor force, with skeletons and zombies packed tightly like pack animals, moving earth and stone without objection. Possessing deep coffers, most adapted to the novel position, taking up blade and shield when faced with the threat of a raid. In subsequent years, some exploited Defilius's generosity, provoking attacks to benefit from the wording in their contract, which stipulated that "during periods of foreign assault, the Bone Workforce shall be remunerated as both soldier and laborer."

With coffers nearly drained, construction on Bone ground to a halt in 1322. The project had incurred a substantial expense, with the interior decorations alone costing five million gold pieces. Deprived of wages, the workers and mercenaries departed. Relieved to be free of their assistance, Defilnus resumed the tranquility of her scholarly pursuits.

The mere presence of Bone, its powerful Cambion owner rarely seen, brought a sense of security to the surrounding area. The lake's raiders no longer attacked the southern shores, and the Redfoots of Sagren gave the region a wide berth. This opened a land route between the rugged west and the open plains to the east. As the Orchish Empire expanded northward into Grashakh, along with those in their path, there arose a need for raw materials and finished goods. The area south of Bone, with a town at each river crossing, grew to be a hub of great commerce, with roads leading in all directions.

The ornate keep of Defilnus, never envisioned as a commercial hub, became a bastion of security in an otherwise unruly region. Her personal writings express an initial disdain for the constant activity within her domain, and in the formative years she steadfastly refused to lend aid to the rabble visible from her ramparts. However, the tenor of these journal entries later shifted, noting that "the swell in population has brought a steady influx of cadavers, patients, and potential test subjects."

The interior of Bone is ornate, with hallways embedded with leering skulls. Its six guest bridges resemble great rib-cages, and bone chandeliers feature candles of eternal flame. Each non-garrison room has a doorway decorated with bleached bone. As the area became prosperous with commerce, massive bones from mammoths, wyverns, dragons, and giants were shipped from across the land. Most of these were obtained from suitors in nearby towns or as gifts for assisting with significant issues.

In the year 1341, weary of governing a rapidly expanding territory, Defilnus elected to sell the land surrounding her keep to the Orchish Empire. This twenty-mile wide parcel, situated between Lake Boraresh in the south and Virgath in the north, encompassed two villages and a town, home to approximately 15,000 souls and 500 undead residing in the catacombs beneath Bone. This region was designated Collossapolos, which has since evolved into a thriving city.