Northern Norgantho Defences
Lauded as being the greatest defensive structure built and commissioned by any Emperor of Turelion and Kelbonnar, the North Norgantho Defences are a network of curtain walls that separate provinces of Norgantho, Greltor and Langstrom from the rebel nation of Nova Norgantho.
Purpose / Function
The North Norgantho Defences have been built specifically for the purpose of fortifying all land borders, not within the region of the Spiny Mountains against incursions from the Rebel Nation, Nova Norgantho. To this end, sections of the defences stretch across Nova Norgantho’s border with the Empire of Turelion at the northern edge of the Yalthar Jungle, the western edge of the Grunwald Forest and the northern border of the Destra Wetlands. Even though where the Rebel Nation’s territory borders the Spiny Mountains has not been fortified, the Empire of Turelion is certain enough that its friendship with the Vampiresof Ymeris, along with the generally difficult nature of the terrain, will naturally stop incursions through the mountains.
With the construction of the North Norgantho Defences, the Empire of Turelion is not only hoping to restrict the military options open to Nova Norgantho, but is also hoping to economically strangle them, by restricting their access to the black markets that are prevalent across the Empire and Kelbonnar. Though the presence of the defences have certainly made life more difficult for the people of Nova Norgantho, it has by no means cowed or economically crushed them as the Empire had hoped they would.
Alterations
After the initial completion of most of the walls themselves, an almost constantly rolling process of alterations has begun across the enormous distance that the defences span. Some of these alterations have revolved around augmenting the defences, including the construction of platforms that are strong enough and large enough to enable the installation of canons, along with additional defensive structures being erected at various points, with numerous watchtowers in particular being constructed to increase the line of sight of the defenders.
However, the majority of the alterations that have taken place along the defences are aimed at increasing the comfort of the Provincial Troops and Mercenaries that are stationed there. Initially, and in many places along the defences width it is still the case, the garrisons were billeted in little more than tented villages, which almost universally proved to be unfit for purpose, especially in the damp surroundings of the Destra Wetlands. Now, many garrison billets have had purpose built barracks, smithies and other pieces of infrastructure built as permanent structures, with many of these billets having been turned into miniature forts in their own right, thanks to the addition of curtain walls around their western, eastern and southern sides.
In addition, wooden shelters and even whole sections of wooden roofing have appeared all along the length of the walls, to provide shelter for the guards when the weather turns bad, as it is wont to do in the north of the continent of Hunar especially in the winter months.
Architecture
At its root, the North Norgantho Defences are three separate sections of wall which lie along the border of Nova Norgantho with Norgantho, Greltor and Langstrom provinces. These sections are not contiguous, with the defences in Norgantho Province being separated from the two in the east by the bulk of the Spiny Mountains , and with the defensive structures in Greltor and Langstrom being separated from each other by the Instol River.
In form the majority of the defences are vast expanses of crenelated curtain wall, about 20ft in height stretching from horizon to horizon. In order to facilitate the faster erection of the structure, the wall sections are not built solidly out of stone blocks, but are instead built with skins of mortared stone, which have then been filled with compacted rubble, sand and other hardy building materials that were at hand.
There are few gates leading from Imperial territory into Nova Norgantho, with the section in Norgantho Province having only three, despite the hundreds of miles that it stretches across, whilst the Langstrom Province section has only one gate and the Greltor Province section has no land access, but instead has a water gate that stretches across the breadth of the Instol River.
Founding Date
Construction commenced in 555AIF
Alternative Names
Belliotrix’s Chain
Type
Fortress
Parent Location
Owning Organization
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