Nuts Deep - Revision history

Wvaske: Current-truth cleanup (issue #2): convert ranged/annotated session citations to numbered references

2026-09-15T18:43:47Z

Current-truth cleanup (issue #2): convert ranged/annotated session citations to numbered references

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:43, 15 September 2026
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	The fort was the home of the '''Hellriders of Elturel'''. In 1354 DR, with devils "up to no good" in the region, the Hellriders opened a portal and rode ''into Hell'' to drive them back. '''Session 53 sharpened the history: the gate to Hell was opened near this very fort''' — this is where the Hellriders left the city, opened the gate, and rode through. It closed behind them; only a handful returned by various means. No infernal energy lingers today, but the party now garrisons the doorstep of a former hellmouth. Elturel's paladin corps still bears the Hellriders' name and keeps the pact to destroy any devil's influence on the city.		The fort was the home of the '''Hellriders of Elturel'''. In 1354 DR, with devils "up to no good" in the region, the Hellriders opened a portal and rode ''into Hell'' to drive them back. '''Session 53 sharpened the history: the gate to Hell was opened near this very fort''' — this is where the Hellriders left the city, opened the gate, and rode through. It closed behind them; only a handful returned by various means. No infernal energy lingers today, but the party now garrisons the doorstep of a former hellmouth. Elturel's paladin corps still bears the Hellriders' name and keeps the pact to destroy any devil's influence on the city.

	The fort has stood largely unused since, because [[Elturel]] has not needed it: '''the Companion''', the great floating orb of light above the city, pushes back darkness, undead and evil, and makes a direct assault on Elturel effectively impossible. '''Nuts Deep sits at roughly the edge of the Companion's reach''' — about the limit of where undead can survive near the city (~~S53;~~ the fleeing caravan was racing for the fort partly in hope the light alone would break the pursuit).		The fort has stood largely unused since, because [[Elturel]] has not needed it: '''the Companion''', the great floating orb of light above the city, pushes back darkness, undead and evil, and makes a direct assault on Elturel effectively impossible. '''Nuts Deep sits at roughly the edge of the Companion's reach''' — about the limit of where undead can survive near the city <ref>[[Session 53 - The Battle of Nuts Deep (2026-08-09)\|Session 53]] — the fleeing caravan was racing for the fort partly in hope the light alone would break the pursuit.</ref>.

	What has changed is the [[Cult of the Dragon]]. The threat is no longer a siege but infiltration and interdiction — hidden cultists, treasure caravans, movement on the eastern road — and this fort is the choke point. Ravengard's pitch, delivered to a party freshly returned from an infernal bargain, was pointed: '''"So if you've been to Hell and back, you're going to fit right in."''' [[Baelgrum]], after the S53 history lesson: "''So we have a mysterious glowing ball and a demonic incursion all in the same area. That's interesting.''"		What has changed is the [[Cult of the Dragon]]. The threat is no longer a siege but infiltration and interdiction — hidden cultists, treasure caravans, movement on the eastern road — and this fort is the choke point. Ravengard's pitch, delivered to a party freshly returned from an infernal bargain, was pointed: '''"So if you've been to Hell and back, you're going to fit right in."''' [[Baelgrum]], after the S53 history lesson: "''So we have a mysterious glowing ball and a demonic incursion all in the same area. That's interesting.''"
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	Confirmed by the DM: once restored, Nuts Deep '''is a bastion''' for the campaign's crafting system. Each PC may claim a '''facility'''; facilities are level-gated and grant a '''discount on both the cost and the time''' of crafting (and remove the need to find a crafter — you know one is here). Each character's squire is their starting helper; specialists are hired to run each facility. The DM pointed to the official faction-bastion facilities in the new rules (Forgotten Realms adventure guide) for the non-crafting slots.		Confirmed by the DM: once restored, Nuts Deep '''is a bastion''' for the campaign's crafting system. Each PC may claim a '''facility'''; facilities are level-gated and grant a '''discount on both the cost and the time''' of crafting (and remove the need to find a crafter — you know one is here). Each character's squire is their starting helper; specialists are hired to run each facility. The DM pointed to the official faction-bastion facilities in the new rules (Forgotten Realms adventure guide) for the non-crafting slots.

	Facilities and staff named at the table (~~S52–S53~~):		Facilities and staff named at the table <ref name="s52-53">[[Session 52 - Nuts Deep and the Turnip Wagon Ambush (2026-07-12)\|Session 52]]–[[Session 53 - The Battle of Nuts Deep (2026-08-09)\|Session 53]].</ref>:
	* '''Forge / smithy''' — hire a smith		* '''Forge / smithy''' — hire a smith
	* '''Alchemy lab / potion master''' — potions and poisons		* '''Alchemy lab / potion master''' — potions and poisons

Wvaske: Current-truth cleanup (issue #2): convert short-form (S NN) session citations to numbered references

2026-09-15T18:42:20Z

Current-truth cleanup (issue #2): convert short-form (S NN) session citations to numbered references

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:42, 15 September 2026
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	=== The teleportation circle ===		=== The teleportation circle ===
	The mage tower holds a '''genuine, still-charged teleportation circle''' ~~(S53)~~. Lore established at the table: a ''Teleportation Circle'' must be cast in the same place every day for a year to become permanent — so new circles can't just be set up, but this one survives from the fort's garrison days. '''[[Shade]] can memorize it''', making Nuts Deep a standing '''one-way teleport home''': adventure out, teleport back. (No return trip to the adventure site unless a circle exists there.)		The mage tower holds a '''genuine, still-charged teleportation circle''' <ref name="s53" />. Lore established at the table: a ''Teleportation Circle'' must be cast in the same place every day for a year to become permanent — so new circles can't just be set up, but this one survives from the fort's garrison days. '''[[Shade]] can memorize it''', making Nuts Deep a standing '''one-way teleport home''': adventure out, teleport back. (No return trip to the adventure site unless a circle exists there.)

	=== Open work ===		=== Open work ===

Wvaske: Current-truth cleanup (issue #2): move change commentary to edit summaries/Talk; session citations become numbered references

2026-09-15T18:39:20Z

Current-truth cleanup (issue #2): move change commentary to edit summaries/Talk; session citations become numbered references

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:39, 15 September 2026
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	* '''Mage tower''' (north) — two levels above the walls; a mage was always posted here and arcane energies linger. '''S53 discovery: it holds a working [[#The teleportation circle\|teleportation circle]].'''		* '''Mage tower''' (north) — two levels above the walls; a mage was always posted here and arcane energies linger. '''S53 discovery: it holds a working [[#The teleportation circle\|teleportation circle]].'''

	=== The Battle of Nuts Deep (Session 53) ===		=== The Battle of Nuts Deep <ref name="s53">[[Session 53 - The Battle of Nuts Deep (2026-08-09)\|Session 53]].</ref> ===
	On the party's first day in residence, a [[Dawnbringers\|Dawnbringer]]-escorted caravan carrying secret anti-[[Tiamat]] supplies fled to the fort with a [[Cult of the Dragon]] force behind it — some fifteen-plus zombies and skeletons, a wight, a dragonborn cultist, a necromancer, and two [[Blue Dragon Wyrmling\|blue dragon wyrmlings]]. The party fought from the walls, [[Carl]] fired the catapult, and '''every attacker was destroyed''' with no losses beyond three downed squires (all recovered — see [[Squires of Deez Nuts]]). The fort worked exactly as designed. Full account: [[Session 53 - The Battle of Nuts Deep (2026-08-09)\|Session 53]].		On the party's first day in residence, a [[Dawnbringers\|Dawnbringer]]-escorted caravan carrying secret anti-[[Tiamat]] supplies fled to the fort with a [[Cult of the Dragon]] force behind it — some fifteen-plus zombies and skeletons, a wight, a dragonborn cultist, a necromancer, and two [[Blue Dragon Wyrmling\|blue dragon wyrmlings]]. The party fought from the walls, [[Carl]] fired the catapult, and '''every attacker was destroyed''' with no losses beyond three downed squires (all recovered — see [[Squires of Deez Nuts]]). The fort worked exactly as designed. Full account: [[Session 53 - The Battle of Nuts Deep (2026-08-09)\|Session 53]].

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	* [[Session 52 - Nuts Deep and the Turnip Wagon Ambush (2026-07-12)]] — granted, toured, and named		* [[Session 52 - Nuts Deep and the Turnip Wagon Ambush (2026-07-12)]] — granted, toured, and named
	* [[Session 53 - The Battle of Nuts Deep (2026-08-09)]] — defended; the Battle of Nuts Deep; teleportation circle found; Elturel's support secured		* [[Session 53 - The Battle of Nuts Deep (2026-08-09)]] — defended; the Battle of Nuts Deep; teleportation circle found; Elturel's support secured

			== References ==
			<references />

	[[Category:Locations]] [[Category:Rise of Tiamat]]		[[Category:Locations]] [[Category:Rise of Tiamat]]

Wvaske: Canonical date for the Hellriders' ride: 1354 DR (see The Ride of the Hellriders)

2026-08-18T21:35:29Z

Canonical date for the Hellriders' ride: 1354 DR (see The Ride of the Hellriders)

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:35, 18 August 2026
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	=== The Hellriders' fort ===		=== The Hellriders' fort ===
	The fort was the home of the '''Hellriders of Elturel'''. ~~Roughly 500 years ago~~, with devils "up to no good" in the region, the Hellriders opened a portal and rode ''into Hell'' to drive them back. '''Session 53 sharpened the history: the gate to Hell was opened near this very fort''' — this is where the Hellriders left the city, opened the gate, and rode through. It closed behind them; only a handful returned by various means. No infernal energy lingers today, but the party now garrisons the doorstep of a former hellmouth. Elturel's paladin corps still bears the Hellriders' name and keeps the pact to destroy any devil's influence on the city.		The fort was the home of the '''Hellriders of Elturel'''. In 1354 DR, with devils "up to no good" in the region, the Hellriders opened a portal and rode ''into Hell'' to drive them back. '''Session 53 sharpened the history: the gate to Hell was opened near this very fort''' — this is where the Hellriders left the city, opened the gate, and rode through. It closed behind them; only a handful returned by various means. No infernal energy lingers today, but the party now garrisons the doorstep of a former hellmouth. Elturel's paladin corps still bears the Hellriders' name and keeps the pact to destroy any devil's influence on the city.

	The fort has stood largely unused since, because [[Elturel]] has not needed it: '''the Companion''', the great floating orb of light above the city, pushes back darkness, undead and evil, and makes a direct assault on Elturel effectively impossible. '''Nuts Deep sits at roughly the edge of the Companion's reach''' — about the limit of where undead can survive near the city (S53; the fleeing caravan was racing for the fort partly in hope the light alone would break the pursuit).		The fort has stood largely unused since, because [[Elturel]] has not needed it: '''the Companion''', the great floating orb of light above the city, pushes back darkness, undead and evil, and makes a direct assault on Elturel effectively impossible. '''Nuts Deep sits at roughly the edge of the Companion's reach''' — about the limit of where undead can survive near the city (S53; the fleeing caravan was racing for the fort partly in hope the light alone would break the pursuit).

Wvaske: Remove out-of-universe editorial note; the fort history reads canonically without it (kept garrisoned after the ride, unused only in recent centuries)

2026-08-18T21:19:01Z

Remove out-of-universe editorial note; the fort history reads canonically without it (kept garrisoned after the ride, unused only in recent centuries)

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:19, 18 August 2026
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	What has changed is the [[Cult of the Dragon]]. The threat is no longer a siege but infiltration and interdiction — hidden cultists, treasure caravans, movement on the eastern road — and this fort is the choke point. Ravengard's pitch, delivered to a party freshly returned from an infernal bargain, was pointed: '''"So if you've been to Hell and back, you're going to fit right in."''' [[Baelgrum]], after the S53 history lesson: "''So we have a mysterious glowing ball and a demonic incursion all in the same area. That's interesting.''"		What has changed is the [[Cult of the Dragon]]. The threat is no longer a siege but infiltration and interdiction — hidden cultists, treasure caravans, movement on the eastern road — and this fort is the choke point. Ravengard's pitch, delivered to a party freshly returned from an infernal bargain, was pointed: '''"So if you've been to Hell and back, you're going to fit right in."''' [[Baelgrum]], after the S53 history lesson: "''So we have a mysterious glowing ball and a demonic incursion all in the same area. That's interesting.''"

	~~''(Note: the DM described the fort as unused for "a couple hundred years" while dating the Hell portal to ~500 years ago — a minor inconsistency, recorded here rather than silently reconciled.)''~~

	=== Layout and defenses ===		=== Layout and defenses ===

Wvaske: S53: the Battle of Nuts Deep, fort layout canon (hollow walls, murder room, catapult, teleportation circle), Companion edge, staffing plans

2026-08-09T19:20:50Z

S53: the Battle of Nuts Deep, fort layout canon (hollow walls, murder room, catapult, teleportation circle), Companion edge, staffing plans

Show changes

Wvaske: Session 52 ingest: correct — the party did reach and tour the fort (the Gray Watch) at session's end; add the walk-through detail and the facility rules

2026-07-13T19:17:10Z

Session 52 ingest: correct — the party did reach and tour the fort (the Gray Watch) at session's end; add the walk-through detail and the facility rules

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:17, 13 July 2026
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	== Nuts Deep ==		== Nuts Deep ==
	'''Nuts Deep''' is a fortified outpost about a mile northeast of [[Elturel]], granted to [[Deez Nuts]] in [[Session 52 - Nuts Deep and the Turnip Wagon Ambush (2026-07-12)\|Session 52]] by Marshal [[Ulder Ravengard]] on behalf of High Overseer [[Thavius Kreeg]]. It is the company's first stronghold and their crafting '''bastion'''.		'''Nuts Deep''' — formerly '''the Gray Watch''' — is a fortified outpost about a mile northeast of [[Elturel]], up on a rise overlooking the main road from the east. It was granted to [[Deez Nuts]] in [[Session 52 - Nuts Deep and the Turnip Wagon Ambush (2026-07-12)\|Session 52]] by Marshal [[Ulder Ravengard]] on behalf of High Overseer [[Thavius Kreeg]]. It is the company's first stronghold and their crafting '''bastion'''.

	It was named by [[Keyleth]], who worked through "Fort Nottingham" and "Nuts Keep" before arriving at '''Nuts Deep''', detonating the table and earning '''super inspiration''' on the spot. The DM renamed it on the map ~~immediately~~: "Welcome to Nuts Deep." [[Baelgrum]]'s first ~~act as co-lord~~: "We have to brainstorm the flag situation for that."		It was named by [[Keyleth]], who worked through "Fort Nottingham" and "Nuts Keep" before arriving at '''Nuts Deep''', detonating the table and earning '''super inspiration''' on the spot. The DM renamed it on the map: "Welcome to Nuts Deep." [[Baelgrum]], on first sight of the place: "Oh, f*** yeah." And immediately after: "We have to brainstorm the flag situation for that."

	=== The Hellriders' fort ===		=== The Hellriders' fort ===
	The fort was the home of the '''Hellriders of Elturel'''. Roughly 500 years ago, with devils "up to no good" in the region, the Hellriders opened a portal and rode ''into Hell'' to drive them back. The gate was closed soon after, but its residue left energies that made the fort hard to inhabit for long stretches — long since dispersed. It has stood largely unused since, because [[Elturel]] has not needed it: '''the Companion''', the great floating orb of light above the city, pushes back darkness, undead and evil and makes a direct assault on Elturel effectively impossible.		The fort was the home of the '''Hellriders of Elturel'''. Roughly 500 years ago, with devils "up to no good" in the region, the Hellriders opened a portal and rode ''into Hell'' to drive them back. The gate was closed soon after, but its residue left energies that made the fort hard to inhabit for long stretches — long since dispersed. It has stood largely unused since, because [[Elturel]] has not needed it: '''the Companion''', the great floating orb of light above the city, pushes back darkness, undead and evil, and makes a direct assault on Elturel effectively impossible.

	What has changed is the [[Cult of the Dragon]]. The threat is no longer a siege but infiltration — hidden cultists, treasure caravans, movement on the eastern road — and this fort is the choke point. Ravengard's pitch, delivered to a party freshly returned from an infernal bargain, was pointed: '''"So if you've been to Hell and back, you're going to fit right in."'''		What has changed is the [[Cult of the Dragon]]. The threat is no longer a siege but infiltration — hidden cultists, treasure caravans, movement on the eastern road — and this fort is the choke point. Ravengard's pitch, delivered to a party freshly returned from an infernal bargain, was pointed: '''"So if you've been to Hell and back, you're going to fit right in."'''
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	''(Note: the DM described the fort as unused for "a couple hundred years" while dating the Hell portal to ~500 years ago — a minor inconsistency, recorded here rather than silently reconciled.)''		''(Note: the DM described the fort as unused for "a couple hundred years" while dating the Hell portal to ~500 years ago — a minor inconsistency, recorded here rather than silently reconciled.)''

	=== ~~Location & condition~~ ===		=== The walk-through ===
	~~Nuts Deep sits on a rise directly on the main road from~~ the ~~east, within sight~~ of ~~Elturel's walls (and~~ of the ~~Companion)~~. The walls are sound and the ~~surrounding ground has been kept clear, but the buildings are empty and long-neglected —~~ "~~there's mice, tons of spider webs, it obviously has not been used for a couple hundred years… But~~ the bones of the building — bones are still strong."		At the end of Session 52 an administrator of Thavius Kreeg escorted the party out to the fort. It is utterly run-down — bare, empty rooms, mice, spiderwebs, nothing left behind by its last occupants — but structurally intact. '''The walls are sound and need no repair.''' As the DM put it: "the bones of the building — bones are still strong."

	~~Existing structures~~:		The layout as described:
	* '''Barracks'''~~, with space~~ for a ~~substantial~~ garrison ~~and~~ stores enough to outlast a siege of months		* '''Barracks''' (right-hand building) — housing for a garrison, with stores enough to outlast a siege of months
	* '''Stables'''		* '''Stables''' — built for cavalry
	* '''~~Forge~~ / ~~armory~~'''		* '''Armory / forge''' — for repairing weapons and armor
	* An '''~~administrative / war-council~~ building'''		* '''Administrative building''' (top) — purpose-built for war-strategy meetings
	* A '''mage ~~tower~~''', ~~with residual~~ arcane energies still ~~present~~		* '''Mage tower''' (top) — a mage was ''always'' assigned to this fort, and '''arcane energies still linger''' in the tower
	* A '''siege ~~tower~~''' ~~with a legacy signal-flag apparatus~~ for communicating with Elturel ~~— usable "~~even if magic is blocked ~~for some reason"~~		* '''Siege tower''' (bottom left) — raised against siege engines; still holds the old '''signalling equipment''' for communicating with Elturel (visible from the walls) even if magic is somehow blocked

	=== Terms of the grant ===		=== Terms of the grant ===
	[[Deez Nuts]] hold '''ownership or lordship''' of the fort. They are explicitly '''not''' expected to garrison it — Elturel will ~~assign~~ soldiers ~~once the barracks are restored~~. Ravengard: "I don't expect y'all to be manning the towers and running the catapults. What we need is leadership and the ability to think strategically… You're much more useful as sort of the mobile strike force that you have shown yourselves to be."		[[Deez Nuts]] hold '''ownership or lordship''' of the fort. They are explicitly '''not''' expected to garrison it — clean up the barracks and Elturel will send soldiers to man it. Ravengard: "I don't expect y'all to be manning the towers and running the catapults. What we need is leadership and the ability to think strategically… You're much more useful as sort of the mobile strike force that you have shown yourselves to be."

	Staff can be hired from the population between [[Baldur's Gate]] and Elturel, or recruited '''through a character's faction''', which yields people aligned with that faction's ethos~~. The party is advised to speak with Thavius Kreeg's representative about specific expectations~~.		Staff can be hired from the population between [[Baldur's Gate]] and Elturel, or recruited '''through a character's faction''', which yields people aligned with that faction's ethos.

	=== The bastion (crafting) ===		=== The bastion (crafting) ===
	Confirmed by the DM at Baelgrum's direct question: once restored, Nuts Deep '''is a bastion''' for the campaign's ~~[[Dragon Harvest & Crafting\|~~crafting system]]. Each PC may claim a '''facility'''; facilities are level-gated, and grant a '''discount on both the cost and the time''' of crafting. ~~Options raised at the table:~~		Confirmed by the DM at Baelgrum's direct question: once restored, Nuts Deep '''is a bastion''' for the campaign's crafting system. Each PC may claim a '''facility'''; facilities are level-gated and grant a '''discount on both the cost and the time''' of crafting. Each character's squire is their one starting helper; as facilities are built, '''specialists are hired''' to run them.

	* '''Forge''' — hire a smith from the city		Facilities named at the table:
			* '''Forge / smithy''' — hire a smith from the city
	* '''Alchemy lab''' — potions		* '''Alchemy lab''' — potions
	* '''Arcane study''' ~~— magic items~~		* '''Arcane study / magic-item workshop'''
	* '''Research facility''' — a scholar with connections to the libraries of the Sword Coast, who ~~researches~~ and sends findings back		* '''Research facility''' — a scholar with connections to the libraries of the Sword Coast, who chases lore and sends findings back
	* '''Teleportation room''' — ~~becomes~~ a destination for [[Shade]]'s ~~Teleport~~		* '''Armory'''
			* '''Teleportation room''' — would make Nuts Deep a Teleport destination for [[Shade]], alongside [[Neverwinter]], [[Waterdeep]] and [[Baldur's Gate]]
	* '''Barracks'''		* '''Barracks'''

	'''House rule — no Bastion turns.''' The 5e bastion economy is not used: "~~We're not really going to~~ do ~~Bastion turns~~, and ~~we've got~~ the ~~crafting system, so any of those facilities that say you can do this or that, don't worry about that. It~~'s ~~going to be the~~ crafting ~~thing that's on the wiki~~." (See [[House Rules]].)		'''House rule — no Bastion turns.''' The 5e bastion economy is not used: anything a facility says you "can do on a bastion turn" is ignored, and all making and crafting runs through the campaign's crafting system. (See [[House Rules]].)

	Squires are, by default, '''parked at Nuts Deep''' rather than travelling with the party — "we're not just going to have a party of 12 or 13 characters. That'll be ridiculous."		Squires are, by default, '''parked at Nuts Deep''' rather than travelling with the party — "we're not just going to have a party of 12 or 13 characters. That'll be ridiculous."

	=== Open work ===		=== Open work ===
	* Restore the buildings; stand up the forge, and ~~the facilities~~ each PC ~~chooses~~		* Restore the buildings; stand up the forge and each PC's chosen facility
	* Hire staff and ~~a garrison~~; Elturel ~~will man~~ it ~~once the barracks are fit~~		* Hire staff and specialists; clean the barracks so Elturel garrisons it
	* Settle the flag		* Settle the flag
	* [[Keyleth]] proposed recruiting labor from the burned-out homesteads north of Neverwinter — a village of people with nothing left and nowhere to be		* [[Keyleth]] proposed recruiting labor from the burned-out homesteads north of Neverwinter — a village of people with nothing left and nowhere to be

	=== Appearances ===		=== Appearances ===
	* [[Session 52 - Nuts Deep and the Turnip Wagon Ambush (2026-07-12)]] — granted and named ~~''(the party had not yet reached it when the session ended)''~~		* [[Session 52 - Nuts Deep and the Turnip Wagon Ambush (2026-07-12)]] — granted, toured, and named

	[[Category:Locations]] [[Category:Rise of Tiamat]]		[[Category:Locations]] [[Category:Rise of Tiamat]]

Wvaske: Session 52 ingest: create Nuts Deep — the Hellriders' fort outside Elturel, granted to Deez Nuts by Marshal Ulder Ravengard and serving as their crafting bastion

2026-07-13T19:15:30Z

Session 52 ingest: create Nuts Deep — the Hellriders' fort outside Elturel, granted to Deez Nuts by Marshal Ulder Ravengard and serving as their crafting bastion

New page

== Nuts Deep ==
'''Nuts Deep''' is a fortified outpost about a mile northeast of [[Elturel]], granted to [[Deez Nuts]] in [[Session 52 - Nuts Deep and the Turnip Wagon Ambush (2026-07-12)|Session 52]] by Marshal [[Ulder Ravengard]] on behalf of High Overseer [[Thavius Kreeg]]. It is the company's first stronghold and their crafting '''bastion'''.

It was named by [[Keyleth]], who worked through "Fort Nottingham" and "Nuts Keep" before arriving at '''Nuts Deep''', detonating the table and earning '''super inspiration''' on the spot. The DM renamed it on the map immediately: "Welcome to Nuts Deep." [[Baelgrum]]'s first act as co-lord: "We have to brainstorm the flag situation for that."

=== The Hellriders' fort ===
The fort was the home of the '''Hellriders of Elturel'''. Roughly 500 years ago, with devils "up to no good" in the region, the Hellriders opened a portal and rode ''into Hell'' to drive them back. The gate was closed soon after, but its residue left energies that made the fort hard to inhabit for long stretches — long since dispersed. It has stood largely unused since, because [[Elturel]] has not needed it: '''the Companion''', the great floating orb of light above the city, pushes back darkness, undead and evil and makes a direct assault on Elturel effectively impossible.

What has changed is the [[Cult of the Dragon]]. The threat is no longer a siege but infiltration — hidden cultists, treasure caravans, movement on the eastern road — and this fort is the choke point. Ravengard's pitch, delivered to a party freshly returned from an infernal bargain, was pointed: '''"So if you've been to Hell and back, you're going to fit right in."'''

''(Note: the DM described the fort as unused for "a couple hundred years" while dating the Hell portal to ~500 years ago — a minor inconsistency, recorded here rather than silently reconciled.)''

=== Location & condition ===
Nuts Deep sits on a rise directly on the main road from the east, within sight of Elturel's walls (and of the Companion). The walls are sound and the surrounding ground has been kept clear, but the buildings are empty and long-neglected — "there's mice, tons of spider webs, it obviously has not been used for a couple hundred years… But the bones of the building — bones are still strong."

Existing structures:
* '''Barracks''', with space for a substantial garrison and stores enough to outlast a siege of months
* '''Stables'''
* '''Forge / armory'''
* An '''administrative / war-council building'''
* A '''mage tower''', with residual arcane energies still present
* A '''siege tower''' with a legacy signal-flag apparatus for communicating with Elturel — usable "even if magic is blocked for some reason"

=== Terms of the grant ===
[[Deez Nuts]] hold '''ownership or lordship''' of the fort. They are explicitly '''not''' expected to garrison it — Elturel will assign soldiers once the barracks are restored. Ravengard: "I don't expect y'all to be manning the towers and running the catapults. What we need is leadership and the ability to think strategically… You're much more useful as sort of the mobile strike force that you have shown yourselves to be."

Staff can be hired from the population between [[Baldur's Gate]] and Elturel, or recruited '''through a character's faction''', which yields people aligned with that faction's ethos. The party is advised to speak with Thavius Kreeg's representative about specific expectations.

=== The bastion (crafting) ===
Confirmed by the DM at Baelgrum's direct question: once restored, Nuts Deep '''is a bastion''' for the campaign's [[Dragon Harvest & Crafting|crafting system]]. Each PC may claim a '''facility'''; facilities are level-gated, and grant a '''discount on both the cost and the time''' of crafting. Options raised at the table:

* '''Forge''' — hire a smith from the city
* '''Alchemy lab''' — potions
* '''Arcane study''' — magic items
* '''Research facility''' — a scholar with connections to the libraries of the Sword Coast, who researches and sends findings back
* '''Teleportation room''' — becomes a destination for [[Shade]]'s Teleport
* '''Barracks'''

'''House rule — no Bastion turns.''' The 5e bastion economy is not used: "We're not really going to do Bastion turns, and we've got the crafting system, so any of those facilities that say you can do this or that, don't worry about that. It's going to be the crafting thing that's on the wiki." (See [[House Rules]].)

Squires are, by default, '''parked at Nuts Deep''' rather than travelling with the party — "we're not just going to have a party of 12 or 13 characters. That'll be ridiculous."

=== Open work ===
* Restore the buildings; stand up the forge, and the facilities each PC chooses
* Hire staff and a garrison; Elturel will man it once the barracks are fit
* Settle the flag
* [[Keyleth]] proposed recruiting labor from the burned-out homesteads north of Neverwinter — a village of people with nothing left and nowhere to be

=== Appearances ===
* [[Session 52 - Nuts Deep and the Turnip Wagon Ambush (2026-07-12)]] — granted and named ''(the party had not yet reached it when the session ended)''

[[Category:Locations]] [[Category:Rise of Tiamat]]