The grounds of Hax Axebane, occupying nearly a third of all of Ratwater, is situated on the western edge of the town. It serves as the operational heart of the town's military presence, as well as the newly formed town guard. Built under the direction of Hax himself within the last decade, the compound functions less as a traditional keep and more as a sprawling fortified military district designed for rapid deployment, logistical support, and prolonged frontier defense. Though it is modest in comparison to the great fortresses of southern Westreach, its scale still dominates Ratwater itself, rivaled only by the nearby arena in stature.
Unlike many other military strongholds, the compound possess no great outer walls or towering battlements. Rather instead the compound is composed of several heavily fortified independent structures separated by broad open spaces, roads, training areas, and logistical corridors designed to allow rapid movement of troops and supplies during emergencies. Each building designed and built according to the strictest of dwarven defensive principles, meaning; squat, heavily reinforced, and built to endure direct siege assaults. Although intimidating in appearance, that was not by design rather just the truth of how it was built.
Hax's personal keep, a broad stone structure plated in reinforced iron and dwarven alloys, is situated noticeably within the compound to be either the first thing you see, or the last. Though imposing by Ratwater standards visually, it is entirely practical in design, lacking any kind of noble ornamentation, banners, or decorative flourishes. Nearby structures in the compound include barracks capable of housing thousands of soldiers, an extensive armory and military forge, supply warehouses, stables, training grounds, and a large jousting field used both for martial training and the occasional bout of entertainment. The warehouse complexes are especially important to Ratwater, as they contain reserve food stores, trade goods, military supplies, and equipment secured under constant guard, not just for use by the compound but also dedicated to protecting the goods of the populace.
Security throughout the compound is notoriously strict, every movement within the grounds operates according to rigid schedules and military precision. To the point where locals joke that one could set a clock by watching the troop rotations and supply drills, and frankly many have. Soldiers are always equipped and combat ready allowing the entire district to mobilize within minutes should there be an alarm. Even the doors of the various buildings have become a source of rumor and amusement, with many reinforced entrances containing absurd numbers of complex locks designed specifically to frustrate would be thieves, infiltrators, and saboteurs.
The troops stationed within the compound are overwhelmingly dwarven and heavily armored, many being hardened veterans gathered from across Westreach. Though some locals have enlisted, so not all are dwarven. Any new recruits however, are subjected to relentless training before ever seeing active combat, reflecting Hax's belief that the frontier punishes weakness quickly and mercilessly. Though they have a stables, and mounted units exist, the main force relies primarily upon disciplined infantry capable of enduring siege conditions and direct battlefield engagements against overwhelming odds.
Under official capacity, Hax's forces exist solely to slow or delay major threats advancing from the Empire through the Shield Mountains to the east. In practice, however, the soldiers there contend just as often, if not more so, with northern raiders, monsters, frontier disasters, and the endless number of smaller crises that accompany life near the fringes of civilization.
When first established, the local populace of Ratwater feared such a large armed force would eventually dominate the town outright. Pleasantly opposite to their concerns happened instead. The soldiers brought stability, commerce, structure, and reliable security to a settlement that had long survived through little more than stubbornness, much like Hax himself. While tensions still exist between the military presence and the local crime syndicate, most locals view the compound not as an occupation, but as one of the primary reasons the town continues to thrive so far detached from the safer regions of Westreach.