Orthax’s Peak
The town and Firewing port Orthax’s Peak is a community that clings to existence on a rock shelf high up amongst the Heavenspire Mountains. Most of the people who visit it do so only in passing, stopping there to rest whilst whichever Firewing craft that brought them there is refuelled, repaired and resupplied.
Demographics
Because of its remote, almost inaccessible location, and the fact that almost all of the supplies that the town needs have to be shipped in, Orthax’s Peak has an unusual population demographic. Around 70% of the population are employed directly by the Colonial Governor, with most working to ensure the Firewing port is constantly operational, maintaining the vehicles that land there, manning the town’s defences and working in the Colony’s administration. The remaining 25% of the population work in occupations linked to the Firewing port, such as working in the taverns and guest houses that cater to passengers who have to make stop overs in the town, or work in the garrison of the The Drake-Wing Corps. Because supplies of food are so precious in the town, many of these people are actually paid in supplies rather than in coin. This means that for those who come to Orthax’s Peak looking for work and are lucky enough to get it, frequently find that they are never able to leave, as they receive hardly any coin as part of their wages.
The last 5% of the population are people who have no job within the town, and who are classed as vagrants. Most of this subsection of the population represent crew members of Firewings who have been discharged from service, usually for disreputable behaviour. With nowhere being prepared to take them on, these people must live a precarious life in the town’s back alleys, trying to find enough food and survive the bitter cold and snow.
Government
Orthax’s Peak is administered as an Imperial Colony, which means that the town and its port is governed by a Colonial Governor. The Governor retains a staff of administrators who help them with all aspects of local management, from the importation of supplies, the maintenance of the perimeter wall and the administration of the Firewing port.
Defences
Whilst technically Orthax’s Peaks’ status as one of the Imperial Colonies should mean that its residents are responsible for their own defences, the ports strategic positioning right in the heart of the Heavenspire Mountains, along with its ample, well designed facilities for Firewings means that it is also defended by a garrison of crack troops from the Emperor's own force, the The Imperial Drakes, known as the The Drake-Wing Corps. Though the Drake-Wing Corps are not located in Orthax’s Peak specifically for its defence, but rather to use it as a base of operations throughout Kelbonnar, their presence in the town does mean that should it be threatened, they would certainly act in its defence.
Physically, Orthax’s Peak is defended by a curtain wall that stretches across its northern perimeter, to protect from incursions of creatures and unwelcome humanoids coming down from the surrounding mountains. The town’s situation on a large mountain shelf, surrounded by a steep drop of hundreds of metres means that the eastern, western and southern perimeters are deemed to be safe enough without additional defences.
Infrastructure
As the lynch pin of all of the Firewing routes that crisscross across the continent of Euristan, Orthax’s Peak is actually quit well connected to the rest of the Empire, despite its remote location. In order to facilitate this connectivity however, just over half of the space available on the rock shelf on which the town is based, is given over to the runways, hangers and repair facilities needed to maintain, fix and service the craft that arrive in the town to refuel and so their passengers and crew can rest.
Within the town itself a well maintained road network has been constructed, to try and provide as much stable surface to walk upon as possible, to counteract the fact that Orthax’s Peak is regularly covered in ice and snow. Temporary work gangs of the poorest subsection of the town’s society are forever being thrown together to clear the roads and port facilities of snow, with the workers being paid a meagre ration of food in return.
There are no roads that lead to the town, with any who wish to venture by land from Orthax’s Peak having to undergo an arduous journey by foot through the Heavenspire Mountains.
Tourism
Occasionally people will specifically travel to Orthax's Peak so that they can travel to the Valley of Bones that lies bellow it and the old capital of Sparos, Penelionar that lies at the far western end of the valley.
Most people who travel to Orthax's Peak to visit the surrounding locations of interest usually do so because they have an academic interest in the ruined city of Penelionar, but a fair number of treasure seekers also seek it out, hoping to find undiscovered caches of treasure there.
Architecture
The bitter, wintry conditions of the town along with the lack of building materials means that most of the structures in Orthax’s Peak, are only built one story tall above the ground, with any additional stories being quarried into the thick rock shelf on which the town stands. Not only does this save on building materials, but it also makes the structures easier to heat and keep warm, as well as minimising external damage from bad weather.
The only exception to this, is the building in which the The Drake-Wing Corps are garrisoned, which has been built as a castle with extensive above and underground areas in the town’s western section.
Geography
Orthax’s Peak is situated high up on large rocky shelf that protrudes from the side of one of the Heavenspire Mountains' innumerable peaks. The fact that the rock shelf is so large and that it is the largest area of flat land for many miles around has made it the perfect location for Orthax’s Peak and its associated Firewing port. However, as the town is built on essentially solid rock, not to mention the fact that it is regularly inundated with snow, means that it is almost impossible to grow anything and all of the food consumed by the town is brought in by Merchant Class Firewing.
Many hundreds of metres below the ledge on which Orthax’s Peak stands is the large barren valley known as the Valley of Bones an area that has been decimated of the majority of its plant life for many hundreds of years, and which is littered with the bones of thousands of Elven soldiers who died fighting trying to stop the army of Machestaro I from reaching capital of the old Kingdom of Sparos, Penelionar.
Alternative Name(s)
The Frozen Ledge
Type
Outpost / Base
Population
C.1,000 (not including the garrison of the Drake Wing Corps)
Inhabitant Demonym
Orthaxians
Location under
Owning Organization
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