Burle: A Borderland Stronghold in Greyhawk

Legends of Saltmarsh – Greyhawk, 576 CY

In the Legends of Saltmarsh project, an expanded setting for Ghosts of Saltmarsh set in the World of Greyhawk (576 CY), the Burle is a small fortified outpost and farming community located just north of Saltmarsh. It appears briefly in Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Chapter 1: Points of Interest, where it receives a short description and a placement on the regional map.

Though its mention is brief, Burle is rich with narrative potential. Its position along the borderlands makes it an ideal base of operations for adventurers, a crossroads for merchants and scouts, and a natural link between Saltmarsh, the Silverstand Forest, the Dreadwood, and the Hool Marsh. With a few carefully placed threads, Burle can anchor entire campaigns.

Recently, I commissioned Moreno to create a hand-drawn ink and watercolor regional map of Burle and the surrounding area. This map is available free to supporters as a holiday gift and will be integrated into the ongoing Legends of Saltmarsh project. Supporters can download free versions here: The Burle Map

The Burle and its Surroundings by Moreno

In this post, we’ll explore Burle’s expanded history, its role in the borderlands, and how it connects to an older and darker legend, the events surrounding The Sunless Citadel.

Burle and the Borderlands

Burle is one of the oldest fortified sites in the region, standing watch over the southern edge of the Dreadwood and serving as a vital stopover for travelers moving inland from the southern coast. Long before the current stone keep was raised, the hill upon which Burle stands was already considered a place of significance.

The earliest fortifications on the hill are believed to date back nearly one thousand years, originally established by elves of the Silverstand Forest around an ancient grove of trees. According to elven tradition, this grove was a holy site, a place where the gods once spoke through the forest itself. Whether this belief is myth or truth remains debated, but if any living being knows the answer, it is Wander Root.

Wander Root, the Last of the Ancients

Wander Root, the ancient treant who still dwells within Burle’s courtyard, is the oldest known sentient being in the region. His roots sink deep into the hilltop, and his shadow has fallen across Burle for as long as any memory.

Today, Wander Root serves as an informal ambassador between the humans of Keoland, the wood elves, and the good-aligned fey. His presence maintains a fragile balance between civilization and the wild, and his memory stretches back to ages long before the rise of modern Keoland.

The Silverstand Rangers

The Silverstand Rangers are an ancient and secretive order of wood elves of the Silverstand Forest, with a small but respected minority of forest gnomes among their ranks.

They are recognized by their green cloaks patterned with brown leaf motifs, designed to break up their outlines amid forest light and shadow. The elves are excellent archers, while the gnomes are famed for their deadly accuracy with slings and darts. They are known to move silently through the forest.

The rangers come to the outpost for news, limited trade, and mutual aid, especially when threats emerge from the Dreadwood or the Hool Marsh. Their visits are brief, deliberate, and quiet.

The rangers rarely speak with strangers. Among themselves, a slow blink, held just a moment longer than natural, serves as a sign of acknowledgment or understanding.

Whenever the Silverstand Rangers visit Burle, each approaches Wander Root, placing a hand upon his trunk or resting their forehead against his bark to whisper a brief blessing. They believe him to be the last of the Ancients, a living remnant of an age when the forest spoke directly with the gods. This reverence binds the rangers to Burle more strongly than any written treaty.

The Burle and Early Conflicts

Construction of the Keep (240–260 CY)

The stone keep that dominates Burle today was constructed between 240–260 CY, built atop the ancient elven foundations. From its earliest days, it served as a frontier bastion guarding the southern approaches to the Dreadwood.

Defense Against the Lizard King (326–365 CY)

Between 326–365 CY, Burle played a critical role in resisting the expansion of the Lizard King Sakatha’s empire (Tomb of the Lizard King). It was the only fortified position that successfully prevented Sakatha’s forces from breaching east of the Kingfisher River.

The Azure’s Tide (434–464 CY)

Following the outbreak of the Azure’s Tide in 434 CY (war between the Sea Princes and the Kingdom of Keoland), the Burle became the only walled fortification south of the Dreadwood. During this period, the keep was significantly expanded and reinforced, transforming it into a hardened stronghold capable of housing a permanent royal garrison.

Until the completion of the Keep on the Old Road (Keep on the Borderlands) in 452 CY, Burle served as the primary military outpost protecting merchants and travelers moving on the old road between Kimberton and Seaton.

The Incursion (521–523 CY )

In 521 CY, strange signs began to manifest along the southern edge of the Dreadwood, in a region known as the Eastern Tooth. Forest fires burned without spreading, warped beasts appeared bearing scorched sigils, and unsettling whispers spoke of ritual sacrifice carried out deep beneath the canopy.

These disturbances were the work of the Cult of the Withered Flame, devotees of Ashardalon, a legendary red dragon who fell more than 1,500–2,000 years ago. The cult believed Ashardalon’s resurrection could be achieved through elemental fire rites, drawing upon ancient power sources long thought dormant.

In pursuit of this goal, the cult sought to rediscover the lost Sunless Citadel, once devoted to Ashardalon’s worship. They believed the Dreadwood’s ancient ley lines, which cross in the Burle’s sacred grove, formed a critical nexus for their ritual.

To the cult, the ultimate offering was Wander Root himself, the oldest of the Ancients. They held that the treant’s vast roots and primordial magic, if consumed in ritual fire, could reignite the divine flame of Ashardalon and herald his return.

Their assault on Burle was fierce but ultimately repelled. Denied access to the grove and driven back into the Dreadwood, the cult retreated, setting the stage for the War of Cinders.

War of Cinders (523 CY)

Battle of the Eastern Tooth

The cult’s actions along the Dreadwood frontier finally provoked a unified response in 523 CY.

Forces were drawn from across the region:

Keoish soldiers from Seaton and Saltmarsh
Wood elves of the Silverstand Forest
Wander Root, who called upon ancient fey magic long dormant within the forest

What followed was a months-long campaign fought along the Eastern Tooth of the Dreadwood and within the half-burned groves at the Silverstand’s eastern edge. Patrols and warbands faced waves of foul creatures and warped monsters spilling from the Dreadwood, many believed to have been drawn forth or twisted by the cult’s rites.

In a final and deadly assault into the Eastern Tooth, led by the Silverstand Rangers, the cult was at last broken. Its leaders were slain, its ritual sites destroyed, and its surviving followers scattered deeper into the Dreadwood.

Despite extensive searches in the aftermath, no trace of the The Sunless Citadel was ever found. Many believe its ruins lie buried somewhere beneath the Eastern Tooth itself. In recent years, rumors of its possible rediscovery have begun to circulate in the village of Nine Oaks, north of Burle, whispers that suggest the War of Cinders may not have been the end of Ashardalon’s legacy after all.

The Wild Flame Pact (524 CY )

In the aftermath, recognizing how close the region had come to catastrophe, Keoland, Silverstand Rangers, and the treants, formalized their alliance in 524 CY.

The Wild Flame Pact established:

Mutual defense against elemental corruption and threats from the Dreadwood
Shared vigilance over ancient sites
A standing accord between Keoland’s garrison at Burle, the Silverstand elves, and the treants.

The commander of Burle’s outpost is selected with the consent of the treants, and Wander Root serves as the pact’s living witness and its guarantor.

The Burle Today (576 CY)

Burle is currently commanded by its castellan, Kiara Shadowbreaker (LG female half-elf knight), a grim and vigilant leader who has led numerous successful raids into the Dreadwood. Ever wary, Kiara sees danger in every report and keeps the warriors and rangers stationed at Burle ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

Today, Burle serves as both fortress and refuge, a place of safety for travelers and adventurers preparing for expeditions into the Hool Marshes or the depths of the Dreadwood. A bounty board just outside the gates offers rewards for the slaying of aberrations, elementals, and outlaws in the region, and higher bounties posted for particularly dangerous foes.

Scarlet Brotherhood

Some years ago, Kiara Shadowbreaker uncovered a troubling lead while overseeing patrols near Burle. Her rangers captured a wandering monk observed practicing signs of dark magic. He was arrested and interrogated.

During questioning, Kiara noticed an unusual tattoo on the monk, an unfamiliar symbol that did not match any known order or faith. Through quiet inquiries, she later learned the mark was associated with the Scarlet Brotherhood, a shadowy cult believed by many to be little more than rumor.

The prisoner were transferred under guard to Seaton for further questioning by the Keoish authorities. Since then, Kiara has made multiple inquiries regarding the monk's fate, only to be firmly rebuffed. Each request has been dismissed as unimportant, the matter officially closed.

Kiara does not believe this response is accidental.

Though she lacks concrete proof, she has grown convinced that the Scarlet Brotherhood’s influence reaches deeper into regional politics than anyone is willing to admit. In particular, she suspects that Duke Feldren himself may have been compromised.

Unable to pursue the matter openly without risking her command, Kiara now quietly seeks trustworthy operatives willing to investigate Seaton, the vanished prisoner, and any ties between the Brotherhood and the region’s leadership.

What began as a routine arrest may be the first visible thread of a far more dangerous web.

Locations of the Burle

The Kingfisher Stables

Just outside Burle’s walls stands the largest stable and horse yard south of the Dreadwood. Expanded during the War of Cinders to support cavalry patrols, the Kingfisher Stables have since earned a reputation across the borderlands for producing exceptional mounts.

The stables are run by Victor Martikov and his family, experienced horse breeders and handlers. Victor regularly travels to Saltmarsh, often visiting the Green Market to sell select horses and mules to merchants, caravans, and trusted buyers.

The horses bred and trained at Kingfisher are highly prized; sure-footed, calm under pressure, and accustomed to the sounds and dangers of the wild frontier. Many are deliberately trained to tolerate the presence of fey magic, forest creatures, and unfamiliar terrain, making them especially valuable for patrols along the edge of the Dreadwood and edges of the Hool Marsh.

To many in the region, a horse bearing the Kingfisher mark is more than a means of travel; it is a sign of trust, reliability, and quiet strength on the frontier.

The Silverstand Watchtower

At the edge of the Silverstand Forest, stands a lone stone tower known simply as the Watchtower.

Manned at all times, the tower serves as Burle’s far-seeing eye, keeping watch over:

the southern reaches of the Dreadwood's Eastern Tooth.
the edge of the Hool Marsh to the west.
and the forest paths of the Silverstand.

At its peak is a fire beacon, a signal system dating back to the Azure’s Tide and later reinforced during the War of Cinders. When lit, the beacon can be seen as far as Saltmarsh and the Keep on the Borderlands, a single, unmistakable warning that danger is moving.

The beacon has only been lit a handful of times in living memory and never without consequence.

The Wayfarer’s Rest

Near the stables and just outside Burle’s gates stands The Wayfarer’s Rest, an inn and tavern catering to travelers, merchants, scouts, and the occasional adventuring company.

Run by Gerber Stoutbelly, a shrewd and good-natured halfling, the Wayfarer’s Rest is known for:

strong ale
reliable meals
warm beds
and excellent gossip

Gerber has a remarkable memory for faces and names and keeps careful track of who comes and goes along the frontier roads. News from Saltmarsh, Seaton, and inland caravans often passes through his common room before it reaches the keep itself.

While officially neutral, Gerber has quietly provided information to Burle’s garrison more than once, always for the good of the region, and always with plausible deniability.

Legends of Saltmarsh - Content & Resources

Adventures (Official Modules)

Ghosts of Saltmarsh (5e)
Contains information on Burle and the surrounding region.
Available on D&D Beyond.
The Sunless Citadel (3e)
Available on DMs Guild.
The Sunless Citadel (5e)
Included in Tales from the Yawning Portal.
Available on D&D Beyond.

Maps

I’ve created a growing set of regional maps covering the Hool Marsh and surrounding areas. These are all available as a free download in the Regional Map Pack.

Borderlands – Covers the region beneath the Dreadwood and the northern Hool Marsh, including Waycombe and the northern Dunwater.
Saltmarsh Coast – Includes the Dunwater River, Black Drain, and the Drowned Forest.
Dreadwood – A regional map of the Dreadwood and the northern Hool Marsh.
Javan Bay – Focuses on the Javan Bay coastline and surrounding settlements.

Burle Regional Map (by Moreno)
An exclusive hand-drawn ink & watercolor map, available only to supporters.

Legends of Saltmarsh

I’ve created a growing collection of locations, adventures, side quests, NPCs, maps, and lore expanding the Saltmarsh region.

All content is available:

Free online
And for supporting members, with access to:
- Foundry VTT
- LegendKeeper files
- Markdown (MD) files for Obsidian, Notion, and other MD-compatible tools