Drakeholt is an old settlement on the edge of the Burnt Lands. It was originally a large castle on the edge of the area dominated by the dragons. Now the castle remains, but a small settlement has grown up around it.

There is a large square in the centre of the town with an equestrian statue which the townsfolk believe to be the first Lord of Drakeholt. If the players spend some time investigating the statue they can try an Intelligence (Investigation) against DC20 to identify that it is in fact a member of the Order of Icaria. Existing members of the Order have advantage on this roll. Next the statue is a large grille in the cobbled floor. The townsfolk will explain this as leading to “the sewers” although in fact the town is too small to have an organised sewer system. In fact it leads to a network of subterranean tunnels that date back to the very earliest settlement of Drakeholt, built as protection from the dragons.

The castle is in fact a collection of buildings inside a curtain wall in the Military Ward of Drakeholt. The curtain wall is a high stone wall interspersed with towers. It looks ancient and is extremely well made, better made than it looks like the current town would be able to create. There is a large gate set in a square gate tower. The gate itself normally stands open with two guards in front. Within the gate tower is an 'office' room where one of Lord Hugon's reeves normally sits behind a desk taking handling transactions from local villagers and townsfolk, and adjudicating on requests to access the castle proper.

Inside the walls are an unusual jumble of buildings all facing an open square just inside the gateway. To the front as you come through the gate there is a large tower or keep, tall and made of well dressed stone it also looks like it was made in a different era, and that it was built before the walls. To the left as you face the tower is a basilica with a flat short end facing the square and long windows high on the longer walls running back towards the walls. This is the library. To the right is a temple with a colonnaded front and a recessed door. On either side right up against the walls themselves are stable blocks and the blacksmiths.

Located inside the castle outer wall, the library is larger than might be expected for a town of this size. It speaks of a time when holding onto knowledge was important.

• Gerd, who runs the bakery “The Dough Below”.
• Rufia, the librarian at the castle.
• Hugon, the lord .