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Earthwell
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Type
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Hill, Lake
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Region
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The land called West-march was dotted with solitary flat-topped hills that were the last evidence of the volcanic activity which birthed this land. One of these hills set in the middle of West-march was known to the locals as Picnic Hill (Du. Bronn Buit). On maps of the area the hill’s name was I Caecelu (S. "the Earthwell"). It was called this because of the deep pool that occupied the center of the volcanic depression that was the top of the hill. It had been given its new name many years ago, when the locals began using the bowl of this old volcano with its crystal clear pool and cool breezes as a place for family outings. Little did they know that beneath the surface of that hill lay a complex which housed minions of the Dark Lord himself.
The Earthwell, or Picnic Hill as it was known by the locals, was located in the heart of West-march some 40 miles from Derwhad, about 60 miles from Belidin, and about 5 miles from the nearest road. It was the furthest volcanic hill from the White Mountains, and its flat top allowed it to stand out on the flat horizon as a local landmark. The Hill itself rose some 400’ above the plain on which it sat, and was roughly 2000’ in diameter at its widest point. On the south side of the hill, a breach had been cut through the bowl of the hill by lava many centuries ago, which allowed for an easy 300’ gradual climb to the lowest point on the rim of the hill. The lowest point of the bowl of the Earthwell was some 150’ from its highest point and only 50’ down from the entrance-way through the breach. A small trail has been cut through the breach over the years and led down into the basin to the edge of the pool at the center. It was this pool after which the hill was named. Its waters were still, clear, and reflective. The depth of the pool had never been determined. Aside from the pool, there were also a number of flat rocks that had been stacked upon each other to allow visitors to have a place to sit or eat. Overlooking both of these features was a cluster of three oak trees by the pool.
A nearby farm was set up, with a family loyal to the Earthwell's masters, to divert suspicion and to insulate it from the indigenous population.
The Earthwell in T.A. 1640[]
The Earthwell in T.A. 1640 (refer to floor-plan at left):
- Connecting tunnel. This tunnel was one of the few places in the Earthwell where the natural rock formations had been significantly altered to suit the inhabitants. This tunnel led to the farmhouse dwelling some 5 miles away. The tunnel was guarded with significant safeguards to keep intruders out, should they ever find the tunnel.
- Guard-room.
- Command Room. This was the hub of the Earthwell. Here the Web coordinated the information-collecting and spying efforts of the station.
- Seeing room. Here the Seeker spent the majority of his time in observation of western Middle-earth. The octagonal chamber was bare except for a circular couch in the center of the room where the Seeker sat. In the center of that circular seat was the Seeing Eye.
- The Beast’s Room. The highest room of the complex, this room was furnished in a very spartan fashion.
- Web’s Room. Unlike the Beast’s room, the Web’s room was fabulously decorative. Even at that, there was little that showed her origins. The room was decorated in a style that would indicate a slight influence of Umbar, if the observer was knowledgeable of such things.
- Underwater Entrance. This room led to a tunnel that ended in an airlock of sorts that allowed for entrance or exit through the pool. The entrance in the pool was 20’ down from the surface.
- Guardroom. The door led to a series of passages that dived down into the bowls of the earth, and connected with tunnels from the White Mountains which only the orcs knew.
- Armory.
- Guest-room.
- Guard’s Quarters.
- Exercise and Recreation Room.
- Earthwell Abyss. The volcano that once was this hill was no more, but this chimney where ash and smoke once spewed forth was intact, except for the last 40’ to the surface. An opening in one wall led out onto a ledge that jutted out 5’ into the top dome of this (for all practical purposes) bottomless pit.
- Prison. These cells had been designed to hold particularly valuable prisoners.
- Bear Cave. The designer of the Earthwell took into consideration the natural curiosity that might lead adventurers to investigate the caves of the Earthwell. To stem this curiosity, these caves were designed to look like the den of a cave bear. It worked very well, and the den was occupied by a family of black bears.
Later times[]
In the late Third Age, the former dark hold had long been forsaken and the former nearby farmstead, originally just a trap and disguise, had long been replaced by a respectable small hamlet called Stócham (Éo. "Staff-home"). The locals knew the place as the Reordan hyll (Éo. "Picnic hill"), and used it as a nice place for a hike on a sunny day. Old tales however still told of unnamed horror buried beneath the hill, and the place was shunned after sundown.
Inhabitants[]
References[]
- Randell Doty: Tales of the Westmarch