Eastwatch

There it was. Its shadow casted on them. A giant fortress in the middle of the pass. It blocked the evening sun from their eyes. It was wide enough to block the entire passing from anything moving past. Layer upon layer, the fortress got higher. A result of many alterations and expansions. So that was the reason Lycaron didn't want to come through here.

Talia in Chapter 34: A DIfferent Way - "Where Eagles Dare"

Eastwatch is a fortress built in 605 AD on the orders of Autesion I. It guards the passage in the Horizon Mountain Range.

Purpose / Function

This fortress was build during the rule of Autesion I in 605 AD. A few decades earlier, all the Ironwalkers were pushed back from the Ateodal Province. They fled east, through the Horizon Mountain Range. Their number was so great and their stampede so destructive, that it made a wide passage through the mountains. This passage was also found by the people of Melolan. They were a people that sometimes had to rely on raids to make their living. This passage offered them new grounds to devestate. They had been doing so for quite some time until Autesion came to power. He wanted it to stop and ordered a fortress to be built to stop the attacks. Melolan people were also mostly on horseback and not very experienced in taking down fortresses. The fortress was built very quickly, in under 3 years. Despite its state, it held of many attacks, untill they stopped coming. The fort was specifically built to hold of attackers from the eastside. The purpose changed over time. It was meant to be a defense against a foreign people, but when Nebion I conquered Melolan in 781 AD, its use was no more required. It became just an outpost and passage between the two provinces. But by then, it was so large and in a good state, that nobody thought it needed removal.

Alterations

The fortress had needed many reparations in its lifetime. Many of its lower tier towers have collapsed at least once. After every reparation, the fort became stronger and bigger, allowing it to be expanded. It got higher, to guard small sidepassages on the mountainsides, and wider, so nobody could get through without being checked.

Architecture

The first tier is mostly carved out of already present stones and rocks, the gaps were filled using mined stone from the mountains they were on. It was never meant to look beautiful, but to be strong and resilient. it was neither at the start. When the attacks grew less numerous, many Eagle Kings have expanded on it and repaired things that needed it. The fortress became stronger and larger on the eastside, while the westside was never heavily reinforced. The older the fortress got, the more attention it got from the architects. The higher tiers became better contstructed and had more detail in them.

History

The fortress has a very active military history. It held of dozens of attacks, large and small. But all of the major events it was part of, were not from foreign invaders. During the Second Vadaton Civil War (934-939), in the early days of the war, Lycaron withdrew his forces from Ateodal, to move east into Melolan and have his last stand there. While his troops were passing through the fortress, the traitor, Vance Viator, attacked his forces in the back. Lycaron ordered for a thousand volunteers to hold back their attackers, while the rest of the army moved on. Almost everyone that had not passed through, volunteered for this. After a quick debate, a thousand were chosen. Many still think that it were more than that. Those 1000 men held off Vance's forces for almost an entire day, allowing Lycaron to gain a headstart. All 1000 men were slaughtered and the fort fell into hostile hands. A few months later, Lycaron returned to do the same to Vance, when he organised his army to pass through. This battle became known as the 'Battle of Bleeding Teeth'. However, Lycaron lost the battle after a two day struggle. It wasn't until 10 years later, that the fortress saw action again. Lycaron returned in 944 with a 18.000 strong army. By some luck and secret information, they defeated the small defending force. Then, Lycaron's force was surprised by an attack from otherworldy beings, conjured by their enemy, Vance. They were going to lose, but turned the battle around and closed the portal that their foes used to surprise them, destroying most of the fortress in the process, rendering it useless.

RUINED STRUCTURE
944 AD

Type

Fortress

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Vadaton