Battlemap
Reefwatch Castle
Salt wind, broken stone, and an orphaned beacon wait behind the castle gate.
This Mediterranean coastal castle and lighthouse once guarded a sheltered harbor, guiding ships safely through reefs and night fog. After an orc raid, much of the outer garrison was shattered, and the last servant fled for help, leaving behind smoke-stained halls, half-burned shrines, and looters inside the broken keep.
Salt wind hisses through broken arrow slits, carrying the stink of old smoke, seaweed, and orcish oil. The halls are dim with wavering lamplight from a few surviving sconces, and every footstep echoes off wet stone and cracked tile. Somewhere above, the lighthouse lens creaks in the wind like a restless eye.
☠ Threat
An orc raiding band has occupied the lower castle and is using the lighthouse as a signal post for more attacks along the coast. Their hulking chief, Gharzul One-Eye, waits in the sealed beacon chamber above, while lesser orcs patrol the halls, set crude traps, and strip the keep for anything of value. If the party delays, the raiders may summon reinforcements or use the lighthouse to lure ships onto the rocks.
History
The castle was built by a coastal lord to guard a trade harbor and host a lighthouse that guided vessels through the reefs. Its attached chapel was dedicated to a sea saint, and the lower rooms served sailors, watchmen, and pilgrims. When orcs came by night, they burned the outer works and scattered the defenders, but the keep never fully fell because the lighthouse's heart chamber remained sealed.
Encounter Table
CRLean scavengers from the raid, looking for unguarded supplies
A nervous goblin carrying stolen lamp oil and a shard of mirror
A restless hound with a burnt collar, abandoned by the raiders
An armored orc patrol checking traps and counting prisoners
Rumours & Whispers
The lighthouse has been dark for three nights, and ships are refusing to come near the harbor.
The last servant escaped barefoot, carrying a kitchen knife and shouting that the orcs had found the inner stairs.
Some say the shrine is cursed because the chapel bells rang after the raid, though no one was inside.
Fishermen claim they saw a one-eyed orc chief signaling to a ship beyond the rocks.
Quest Hooks
Quest giver: Harbor Master Eleni
The harbor master begs the party to recover the missing last servant, who fled the castle with news of the raid and may know where the survivors hid supplies.
50 gp and free lodging in port
Quest giver: Captain Ivar of the Gullwake
A merchant ship will not enter the harbor until the lighthouse is relit or the signal fire is restored, and the captain offers payment for safe passage.
A chest of trade goods worth 75 gp
Quest giver: Sister Maris
Local fishers claim the orcs carry off strange bronze fittings from the keep, and a priest suspects the old sea shrine has been defiled.
Blessed charms and 25 gp
Corridor Notes
Chipped mosaic floors show dolphins, tridents, and a crowned lighthouse motif, but many tiles are blackened by fire.
Broken shield racks line the walls, with a few rusted spearheads still mounted as improvised warnings.
Saltwater seeps through mortar cracks in the lower halls, leaving slick patches and pale mineral crusts.
Distant grinding from the lighthouse machinery carries down the stairwells, mixed with occasional orcish laughter.
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