History and Decline
Bastion was formerly a rather pleasant place to live, their now arid dry landscape of plateaus and canyons used to be populated by verdant plant groves of local fruit, and wide lush areas of agriculture. There isn't much to say about Bastion's past other than it was a peaceful place of cooperation and quiet stillness. They declined to do much trading or seafaring as they had what they required, and what they didn't they received from their closest neighbour of Estrua. But as the years dragged on into generations, and generations into centuries, their population grew and their resources began to dwindle.
Sadly nothing was done in these years of steady decline to bolster their reserves or to take after their friends in Estrua and follow a strict path of sustainability practices. Instead, no plans were made, no stores kept, and as their resources dropped all that was held was an ill-advised hope that things would improve on their own after a few good years of weather and trade from the south. Much of this ill-management has been levelled at the decision-making of the current rule of Bastion, Sovereign Ressyk Cace.
Despite the ill decisions of a dim king, hope held out that improvement and growth would begin anew. But sadly it was not to be. Over six years Bastion was struck by a near-constant deluge of extreme and strange weather. A nearly ever-present storm of purple lightning and cackling thunder roamed the entire nation, non-stop, never ceasing, just moving back and forth across the landscape stripping it of all health and use. Some say the rain tasted like the sea, a salty brine that would suck the moisture from nearly anything it touched.
The storm was not alone, as numerous earthquakes rocked the land as well, quaking it apart and changing it irrevocably. Many settlements and lives were lost or severely changed during this time, which only exacerbated an ongoing crisis. Many believe that the storm is somehow related to Anak'jo Buri or the Cackling Thunder storm that still occasionally roams
The Badru'ta 'Junk' Desert. Which itself has mysterious origins that are rumoured to be associated with
The Ioria Portal and the realm of noise and madness called the Cacophany.
All of this left Bastion as a husk of its former self, and it is now left as a near-barren landscape of rock and brutality. Over the coming years, a desperate government would continue to make bad decisions. Selling their own land to greedy landowners to fund their own schemes and eventually to fund a war of desperation. Monsters, gangs, and cults would flood the area, taking advantage of the weak and growing lawlessness of the land. Bastion now feels like the wild west of Fyria, a sad and strange place to be.
And those hopeful good years certainly did not come, and while Estrua gave what they could for years, they only had so much to they could do for their friends in Bastion. Soon Estrua began to ration their trade in the fear that Bastion would begin to take too much and affect their own. Due to their geographic location, no other trade was possible outside of the small Central Trade Corridor, which was only accessible by travelling through Estrua lands. Tension was soon to grow between the two, which would soon break the relationship and spin both of them into a war no citizen of either nation approves of.
Modern Geography
Bastion is now a dry and humid place, populated by dust and dry dirt ill-suited for all but the hardiest of vegetables. The land is now one long stretch of arid landscape full of empty canyons and gorges, plateaus, and jagged mountains with little freshwater rivers or lakes.
The remaining settlements are often situated atop underground freshwater caverns with a well or two for ease of access.
Though mainly of these are in peril as well as they can be easily contaminated or run dry within a few years or decades depending on their size.
The most common plant is a dry shrub that offers no sustenance and can be commonly found breaking away from the dry dirt and tumbling across the cracked ground in between settlements. Giving most of Bastion a Wild West sort of feel.
The two largest geographical locations of note are the northern mountains that stretch across Bastion's entire northern and western borders, with very few safe passages in between. These mountains have become a bigger curse than protection, as they block access to trade routes and make sea access difficult.
The other location is the Amber Stone Canyon to the south, which acts as a natural border with their former friends turned bitter enemy of Estrua.
These canyons were once rife with important minerals used in smithing, but have been mined clean of most of these resources. Though miners still plumb the depths of these caverns in the hopes of finding a new vein of ore or mineral deposit. Sadly most delve too deep and are are lost in the twisting tunnels, or buried under debris after a cave in or blast gone wrong.
Neighbours
Bastion's closest neighbours are Shikyuo to the northwest, Baizair to the east, and Bastion to the south. Their relationship with Shikyuo is practically non-existent despite their want to open trade routes. They are blocked off from trade with them due to various geographical hurdles including a long stretch of mountain ranges and canyons, and a rather dangerous stretch of arid badlands inhabited by numerous monstrous creatures. And even if they could make the trip, Shikyuo has a rather distinct and strong disdain for other nations and refuses to open their borders for most travellers on foot and only occasionally takes in trade via sea route via the Northern Stonecrash Ocean. Bastion has little proper sea access and few sea-faring ships able to make the trip across one of the most dangerous stretches of ocean known in Fyria.
Their relationship with Baizair is also unfortunately underdeveloped due to geographical difficulties once again. While Baizair would likely welcome Bastion trade with open arms as they do with most nations the travel between Bastion's eastern settlements and Baizair's closest trade point of
Povari Trade Outpost pose significant dangers. As Bastion would have to travel through its own eastern wastelands, and then across a significant stretch of the vast
Badru'ta 'Junk' Desert to reach this nearest trade outpost. And even if they were to make it, the more fruitful trade and markets lie many more kilometres into Baizair's eastern coastal regions.
And likely the saddest relationship is the one held between Bastion and Estrua, the two nations were once close allies sharing much with each other including their own capitals. Old Darwyn on the Bastion side of the border, and Baile on the Estruan side. Which were connected via the Siblings Bridge across the Amber Stone Canyon near Bastion's southern border and Estrua's northern border. Once Bastion's difficulties began the relationship soured as Bastion began to demand more and more of Estrua's vast resources of wood, food, and trade route access. Estrua tried to keep relationships positive but Bastion soon became desperate and aggressive, which eventually led to open war and the ongoing Trade Route War of the Central Corridor conflict.
Dangerous Factions
Ever since the decline, many dangerous factions have begun to establish themselves within Bastion, for a variety of nefarious deeds. Some seek power, taking advantage of the weak government of the area. While others seek more mysterious goals.
In the former category is the Fire Powder Gang, who have taken advantage of the near lawlessness of the area, especially between settlements to rob and kill many of the remaining citizens of Bastion. The gang is comprised of a variety of people, the desperate who have turned to crime as a necessity, outcasts from afar, and those who just wish to be free to do what they wish. There are no restrictions to who can join the gang as long as they remain loyal.
They are called the Fire Powder Gang due to their use of a volatile gunpowder-like substance that allows them to fashion primitive fire weapons like seen in early western pistols and rifles. Though they are fraught with defects and often explode randomly.
This fire powder recipe is a mystery to most, however, and only a few outside of the Fire Powder Gang know its formulation. It is a strange thing that the remaining government hasn't sought out the recipe for fire powder more fervently as it may give them an advantage in their ill-conceive trade route war with Estrua.
In the latter category is the Fleud Cult, a bizarre sect of spiritual fanatics and witches led by William Flued who wish to summon the storm back to the continent in the hopes that it will sweep across the rest of Fyria leaving it in a state where all can begin anew and follow a more spiritual path.
It is rumoured that the Fleud Cult has been intentionally using chaotic and unstable spells and rituals in an effort to tear holes in the fabric of reality and gain access to the Cacophany. It is also further rumoured that they have been intentionally inducing lycanthropy upon some of their followers to build a small army for their efforts.
Collapsing Government
Very few people in power have stayed to govern, instead using their waning wealth to flee the country and relocate elsewhere or to take advantage of the situation and become patroons and take personal control over vast stretches of land.
The remaining royal family and governors are but distant cousins and charlatans hanging on in the hopes that a victory is won amongst the
The Trade Route War of the Central Corridor and that they can be at the helm of a flourishing nation once more. But as it stands now, those that remain in power lack the resources and focus to govern or assist their nation, instead focusing almost solely on the trade route conflict and on protecting their borders with Estrua.
The only true noble that remains, is the ruler of the Bastion, the Sovereign Ressyk Cace, who has governed Bastion for decades. Though his rule has never been a popular one, as much of the country's resource management issues stem from his spur-of-the-moment decisions.
With most of their nations, armies and rulers focused on that most settlements have fallen to various self-proclaimed lords, mayors, and the like. In an attempt to gain resources and funds, the remaining government has even sold off large stretches of land rights to the wealthy
patroons, in the hopes that the sold-off land will help fund their expansion and trade goals long enough to see success. Many of these patroons have established new and old settlements under their own rule. Sadly most do not have the wisdom or power necessary to rule effectively. Which has left the vast majority of Bastion as a lawless and rowdy place.
Former Capital - Old Darwyn
Old Darwyn is located on the northern edge of the Amber Stone Canyon, along Bastion's southern border. The capital is connected via the
Siblings Bridge to Estrua's former capital of Baile. Though these two cities are now barely inhabited and are instead patrolled by soldiers due to the ongoing conflict in the central corridor between the two nations. Bastion's capital has been moved farther into its interior and was christened New Darwyn upon its founding just a few years ago.
However, before it was abandoned Old Darwyn, or simply Darwyn back then, was a quant city made of squat stone buildings of at most three or four floors at most, though single-story dwellings were most common. All of which were interconnected by cobblestone pathways.
Both of which were made from the same stone of the Amber Stone Canyon, giving the city an amber hue that glistens in the morning light. In the centre of town lies the former royal castle, built upon the arrival of the Bastion royalty and founders several generations ago. It is a humble castle by royal standards and only stands a few stories taller than most of the residential neighbourhoods of the city.
Instead, the tallest points in Old Darwyn are four stone pillars, each of which is placed at equal distances at NE, SE, SW, and NW respectively. These pillars were formed directly from the stone itself by Bastion's once-famous stone engineers who shaped the pillars through special rock-shaping magic long ago while the city was still being constructed.
The purpose of these pillars was twofold, one so that travellers could see it from afar and use the city as a waypoint, and the other for guards to keep an eye on the entire city and abroad from atop of them. In the latter case, small guard houses were built atop these pillars, also of stone formed from the rock itself which grants the guard some small comfort from the weather and strong winds. The rooms themselves were lightly furnished for comfort. The pillars were semi-hollow allowing for stairs to be crafted so that access to the top was available, the climb is arduous though and can take up to forty minutes to complete.
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