The Buried Fortress

The Buried Fortress is a refuge deep underground, in an massive cavern large enough to have its own unique ecosystem. The cavern is filled with dense jungle vegetation, some of which are bioluminescent. The inhabitants of the fortress are careful to preserve their surroundings as much as possible, using the jungle cover as an additional layer of protection. The fortress keep was built inside of a great tree and contains 4 levels. The defensive walls surrounding the great tree were grown and woven from the local vegetation and over time, they will continue to grow taller and thicker.

Defences

The narrow path leading to the cavern that houses the fortress forces attackers to become bottlenecked as they approach the walls. There are two 40 feet high, 35 feet thick walls encircling the keep, each with a 35 feet wide moat in front of them that require drawbridges to get across. The moats' waters are filled with traps and native creatures that inhabit the cavern. The drawbridges lead to 60 feet tall gateways, each with a portcullis. The walls are grown from the sturdiest plants found in the cavern with some flowering plants woven in that will release noxious pollen when disturbed. The walls have battrices and a total of 14 towers where guards can defend the fortress from. The space between the outer and inner walls is a labyrinth where invaders would get lost as they try to find their way from the first gateway to the next, making them easier targets for the archers from atop the walls.

History

Those who use the fortress nowadays were not the ones who originally built it. Little is known about the original inhabitants, but there were mentions of a prophesy and a curse from the things they left behind. The current residents come from a nearby mining town after some children playing in the outskirts stumbled across the entrance to the cavern. The town will periodically get attacked by raiders who are after the precious metals extracted from the mines. Since the discovery of the fortress, the townsfolk started storing a portion of the metals within the fortress, minimizing loss, and using it to shelter those who are unable to fight during the attacks.

Architecture

This refuge is a living fortress. Though the keep is built inside of a great tree, the tree still lives. Each floor inside the tree is 55 feet in diameter with walls 20 feet thick. Both of the walls that surround the keep are densely grown and woven together to form thick, sturdy walls with poisonous flower vines crawling all over them.

Geography

Most of the ground is filled with water as an underground river runs through the cavern, with some parts measuring several feet deep. The ground where the fortress is built upon is soft and boggy. Though the soil is not the easiest to traverse across, it is ideal for the plants that grow in the area, many of which are poisonous. Some of the most poisonous plants growing here are the most vibrant. The colorful foliage plus the bioluminesence makes the place look almost psychedelic.

Climate

The environment is always dark, cool and wet. Even though there is only one narrow entrance to the cavern, a strange, gentle breeze stirs the leaves of the plants throughout, even in the back where it's furthest from the entrance.

Natural Resources

The cavern is filled with flora and fauna adapted to the wet, underground environment. The vegetation is lush, and though most of the plants are not edible, some of them can be used to make poisons, and the bioluminesent ones can be used for lighting. The wood from the trees are strong yet flexible, and they do not burn easily due to the moisture, making them sturdy and versitile building material. The animals are fairly small, so they do not provide much food and are fairly difficult to catch. Though if there is ever a shortage of food, the fish are easier to catch and most of them are edible.

Type

Military, Base