Uwak

History
At the end of the Dragon War, most of the surviving prophets gladly accepted the responsibility of rebuilding civilization. Pityr Uwak, however, was far less concerned with matters of re-population, agriculture, or even evangelism. His main concern was that of lost knowledge - for countless years, the Wyrmlords wielded ignorance as a great weapon of oppression. Only at great personal risk did men such as Uwak learn anything of the gods, the arcane arts, and the secrets of the natural world.

When the civilized people gained their freedom, Uwak gathered those that his Queen directed, and welcomed the remaining followers of Dierdre Hollow, champion of Ioun. Together they built Ravenhold, a secluded fortress where they could study and reclaim the secrets of the world. Uwak mandated that all avenues of enlightenment be valued alongside one another. Ravenhold became a bastion of scholarship - historians, arcanists, priests, and psionsts pursued their sources of power without rivalry or prejudice.

Despite the most fastidious record keeping in all of Widmyr, historians are unclear about the death of Pityr Uwak. Some records suggest that Uwak lived for hundreds of years, though many insist that these must refer to successive Uwaks, and not the Prophet himself. All agree that the Uwak line is scarce with progeny, those that can claim inclusion in the Uwak line are few and far between in the pages of history. It is also commonly known that although Ravenhold was built on an unending pursuit of knowledge, there are more mysteries surrounding the fortress than solved within its walls.

Barony Seat
Ravenhold is a vast fortress off the northwest coast of Widmyr. Crossing its waters is notoriously treacherous, and only the foolish will cross in a vessel other than those manned by Ravenhold's trained boatmen. For this reason, it's not wise to leave Ravenhold on bad terms - those without sanctioned passage may not return.

The Ravenhold library is among the most storied places in Widmyr. While most of Widmyr's citizens were concerned with crops and castles, emissaries from Ravenhold scoured the wide world for tomes of knowledge. Pityr Uwak used the library to protect the library - he warded the collection with powerful magic. Those highly trusted by house Uwak are called Keepers, and enchanted with a secret ritual to be allowed to pass through the library wards. The Keeper Compendium is a fastidiously kept roster of every servant ever honored with the position of Keeper, and their discoveries and revelations.

The crag on which Ravenhold is built extends deep below the surface of the sea, and the caverns beneath the keep are said to be endless. There are many harrowing tales of beasts found in these caves, and legend has it that at one time, "beasts made of darkness itself" emerged from the cellars and sewers and attacked the keep. The legend says only that they were "driven back below", but rumors of shadow creatures haunting the halls of Ravenhold persist to this day.

Current Status
Only those inside Ravenhold can speak to its current status. Lord Batas Uwak accepted the role of High Magistrate at the end of the Bellum Omnium, and has served in that capacity since. Like the Uwak men before him, he was never terribly concerned with producing heirs, but unlike his predecessors, he had revolution to distract him further. It is said that he has a brother and a nephew who could make a valid claim to the lordship, but no one has come forward. Thus, Ravenhold sits without a lord, and those who remain have sealed themselves off entirely. No messengers, no birds, not a word of inquiry or reassurance has emerged from Ravenhold for thirty years. The boatsman remain docked, and the waters remain treacherous - so there is little effort made to send word, either.

Ravenhold is called "the Forfeit Fortress", and whispered rumors in the Halcyon Court are that Magistrate Uwak wishes to speak of nothing less.