The fortress proper is constructed of thick black stone. Its walls appear to be carved from the rock itself, not a seam or a strip of mortar in sight. Every surface, every edge is carefully cut and smoothed, crafted with such intricacy that it seems to radiate power all on its own.
Few people ever enter Cerak At'Thul, even those who frequently visit the Black Bay. Those who have wandered within its halls describe its facade as a horrifying collage of mangled statues and broken mosaics. The Black Fortress is a remnant, a leftover relic from a more glorious age. Its walls still stand, but they are a mere shadow of what they once were.
The town of Cerak itself is an entirely different story. Not technically large enough to be considered a city, Cerak is a shambles of stone, driftwood, and whatever else can be found lying around. Wooden boardwalks serve as a way of traversing the town, with dozens of piers jutting out into the Black Bay. If Cerak has ever heard of urban planning, it was likely considered an insult to shout at the people below as they emptied their pots into the street.
Everything seems to be cluttered together, with many buildings simply shoehorned wherever there was still space. Inns, brothels, and warehouses dominate most of Cerak, with actual houses being almost non-existent. Filth permeates the air, and even wandering around the winding alleys takes a certain amount of willpower.
Cerak At'Thul - No one is entirely sure who first built the Black Fortress, but most believe that it was a race of Elves that had parted from their woodland kin.
Whether or not this is true will likely remain a mystery for
the ages, but it's clear that the keep was abandoned some millennia ago. Only the last few decades have seen a local rise in population again as its drafty halls were reclaimed by an intrepid band of pirates. Despite the centuries of oblivion, the magic that was used to create it still lingers in its walls.
Many folk – hardened, obdurate criminals – find it difficult to gaze at Cerak At'Thul for any length of time. It fills people with an insidious, creeping dread. The shadows cast by its walls seem to stretch further than they ought to, and constant black clouds hang above the jagged fingers of its towers. Though no-one can put a finger on it, everyone who has ever seen it agrees there is something off about the Black Fortress. Those who live within it often find themselves growing more irritable, angry, and impulsive.
Many would think this precludes the occupation of the fortress, those who now dwell there don't seem to care. Cerak At'Thul is the key to Black Bay; a defensive bulwark that keeps its residents safe and allows the slave trade to prosper. Everyone who does business in the Bay pays a cut to the Fortress, no matter who they are.
Cerak - The town of Cerak is the token living area for those who have chosen to settle in Black Bay but cannot, or will not, live in the Fortress itself.
Calling this place a town is incredibly generous, and more aptly the settlement can be described as a 'collection of scum that somehow managed to build a few houses'. Cerak came into being out of necessity and was built by slavers, pirates, and whoever else would deal with such people.
There is no rhyme or reason to Cerak. Streets and alleyways go everywhere and nowhere; inns and brothels sit on every corner; docks randomly veer out into the bay in a desperate attempt to moor ships. Cerak feels like complete chaos.
Despite this, Cerak has survived and even thrived. The town has expanded ten-fold since the first few huts, and it's showing no signs of stopping. At this rate, all of Black Bay may disappear under its cancerous growth.
The Black Bay - There would be no Cerak or Cerak At'Thul without the convenient crescent of dark rock that forms a peaceful anchorage for several scores of ships. Whatever the original inhabitants called it, that name has long been lost to time. The new wave of criminals and marauders dubbed it Black Bay, and the term simply stuck.
Derived from the black facade of Cerak At'Thul and the knot of clouds that hangs over the fortress, the name seemed apt, if a bit on the nose. It is also a reflection of the black rock on the island that surrounds the bay itself, casting dark reflections onto the water on the few sunny days that can be found here.
Oddly enough despite this rather dark appearance, Black Bay is a surprisingly vibrant place. The tropical weather has nurtured a sprawling rainforest across much of Crescent island. Brightly colored fish zoom through the water, huge trees and vines encroach on the streets of Cerak, and many animals still roam the land at dusk and dawn.