Fort Tempest
Fort Tempest is smaller than Azlanti Keep and Starwatch Keep, but still of a considerable size compared to keeps in other cities. It protects Absalom’s western flank to prevent enemies from building siege towers there. It was expanded from the conquered siege castle of Kharnas the Angel-Binder after the Radiant Siege of 1619 AR. Evidence of its original purpose remains in the numerous magic circles inscribed upon the fort’s walls that prevent outsiders from entering or leaving on their own.
The fort is just as large underground as it is above ground. It features many ramps and few windows. The cliff it sits on is reinforced with dwarven stonework, a feature believed to be the only reason it didn’t fall onto the Puddles during the earthquake that began to sink that district. Several chambers run beneath the structure, originally created as barracks and workshops for dwarven engineers from the nearby enclave of Galizhur while they worked on the fort’s foundation. A collapsible tunnel allows access to the wilderness beyond Shoreline to flank invaders at the walls.
Fort Tempest is isolated from the rest of the city by the Puddles, which makes getting supplies an inconvenient trek across the walls or through the water. As a result, the few windows low on the tower often bristle with fishing poles, and the tunnel often sees guards go hunting for food. To avoid personnel shortages, the First Guard long ago opened shifts at Fort Tempest to members of the district guards as well as the Starwatch. Yet until recently, Fort Tempest was a throwaway post, one used as a minor punishment for soldiers and district guards alike. Oirel of House Uiry willingly took command in an effort to turn the city’s military laughingstock into a fierce fighting force. He didn’t managed to achieve his goal before dying valiantly fighting undead assassins in the Black Echelon Uprising of 4717 AR. A surprise attack managed to trap the survivors deep inside the tower, but Commander Oirel bought enough time for Sergeant Salif Deepkeg to pull down the fort’s flag as a signal that the fort had been compromised. After Lord Oirel’s sacrifice, Salif commanded the fort briefly until Oirel’s resurrection, and today the two work together assiduously to improve Fort Tempest’s reputation in the eyes of the First Guard and the general populace of Absalom.
Now that its strategic importance has been reaffirmed, Fort Tempest has become a coveted assignment for brave soldiers and district guards eager to play a crucial role in the city’s next great defense. Tempest soldiers have been assigned to secure a route through the Puddles to avoid Fort Tempest falling unceremoniously again. Since the Muckruckers and Pathfinders helped regain control of the fort three years ago, the Tempest officers have taken to sharing rations and newly plentiful supplies with the Muckruckers and any Pathfinders who happen by their corner of the city.
The fort is just as large underground as it is above ground. It features many ramps and few windows. The cliff it sits on is reinforced with dwarven stonework, a feature believed to be the only reason it didn’t fall onto the Puddles during the earthquake that began to sink that district. Several chambers run beneath the structure, originally created as barracks and workshops for dwarven engineers from the nearby enclave of Galizhur while they worked on the fort’s foundation. A collapsible tunnel allows access to the wilderness beyond Shoreline to flank invaders at the walls.
Fort Tempest is isolated from the rest of the city by the Puddles, which makes getting supplies an inconvenient trek across the walls or through the water. As a result, the few windows low on the tower often bristle with fishing poles, and the tunnel often sees guards go hunting for food. To avoid personnel shortages, the First Guard long ago opened shifts at Fort Tempest to members of the district guards as well as the Starwatch. Yet until recently, Fort Tempest was a throwaway post, one used as a minor punishment for soldiers and district guards alike. Oirel of House Uiry willingly took command in an effort to turn the city’s military laughingstock into a fierce fighting force. He didn’t managed to achieve his goal before dying valiantly fighting undead assassins in the Black Echelon Uprising of 4717 AR. A surprise attack managed to trap the survivors deep inside the tower, but Commander Oirel bought enough time for Sergeant Salif Deepkeg to pull down the fort’s flag as a signal that the fort had been compromised. After Lord Oirel’s sacrifice, Salif commanded the fort briefly until Oirel’s resurrection, and today the two work together assiduously to improve Fort Tempest’s reputation in the eyes of the First Guard and the general populace of Absalom.
Now that its strategic importance has been reaffirmed, Fort Tempest has become a coveted assignment for brave soldiers and district guards eager to play a crucial role in the city’s next great defense. Tempest soldiers have been assigned to secure a route through the Puddles to avoid Fort Tempest falling unceremoniously again. Since the Muckruckers and Pathfinders helped regain control of the fort three years ago, the Tempest officers have taken to sharing rations and newly plentiful supplies with the Muckruckers and any Pathfinders who happen by their corner of the city.
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