An imposing castle on the Sultan’s personal estate, two days from the capital — and where Hazad keeps the last two Owl knights in the world.
Overview
- Built in the era right after Hakim the Great conquered Hazad (so ~1430s). (S6)
- Within the Sultan’s personal estate — not a march fortress or a house holding. Royal ground.
- Room for a permanent garrison of at least 100, more in wartime. (S6)
- Two days’ travel from Isbi’liyyah. (S6)
Who Is Here
- Captain Faqir — commander and jailor.
- Visenne de Tarrand and Isabel d’Allais — Owl knights taken in the Fall 1734 Halwa fight with the Eagle. Held as noble hostages on parole, behaving honorably. Ismad has authorized their release into the party’s custody on request. (S6)
- Sister Alia — Eastern Church spiritual advisor assigned to the two; quietly divined the party on arrival.
Why It Matters
For four sessions the wiki has asked where the Halwa captives went. Here — on the Sultan’s own land, under a royal officer, with a churchwoman minding them, for five years. That is not how you warehouse inconvenient foreigners; it is how you keep assets.
Note also what it says about the crown’s posture: the Order of the Phoenix questioned and executed every Owl knight it could reach in Spring 1736. Hazad had two, and kept them alive and comfortable on royal ground throughout.
Speculation
Who decided to put them here, and does the West know? Charles de Tarrand, Visenne’s father, commands the Order of the Swan. Nobody has ransomed her in five years. Either Hazad never offered, or the West never asked, and both readings are interesting.
Events Here
- Session 6 — the party presents Ismad’s letter of introduction, meets Faqir, Sister Alia, Visenne and Isabel; two nights of conversation, riding, and sparring. They leave without the two knights.