Temple Trails
The Temple Stairs are the most direct route to the top of Mount Klodor, but the stairs are not practical moving supplies and are difficult to ascend while carrying full military gear.
Most stair climbers only take a little food and water with them. If you are carrying full military gear or a bunch of supplies to restock the guard center, the switch back trails are generally more practical than the stairs.
The west side of the mountain is crisscrossed by switch back trails nicknamed "the Temple Trail". Rather than going straight up the mountain, the switch backs go up the mountain diagonally to make the climb a lot less steep but a lot longer. It’s not as fast, but it’s less physically taxing to climb than the stairs.
The switch back trails are wide enough that a unit of Saurus Warriors (or more likely Temple Guard) can easily traverse it in full formation deployed five wide the entire way up with only very occasional bottle necks. It’s wide enough (barely) to accommodate a fully loaded Stegadon with supplies, but generally bulk supply deliveries are handled by Kroxigor porters.
If a Slann is unwilling or unable to activate his magical floating palanquin, the switchback is plenty wide enough to allow Temple Guard to carry their lord’s palanquin (and the Slann of course) up and down the mountain if need be using the switchbacks.
If any invading force wanted to ascend the mountain by brute force, the switchbacks are a better route than taking Temple Stairs or simply ascending the mountain unaided. Especially if the invading army includes monsters, cavalry, war machines, or other non-infantry elements that would be hard to lug up stairs or a rocky mountain side.
Stealth would be hard here because the paths are kept well clear of vegetation and Terradon riders regularly keep close watch on this path. The switchbacks are normally only lightly patrolled, generally with fly-bys by the aforementioned Terradon patrols.
If Klodorex is on high alert, the switchbacks are heavily patrolled. The switchbacks has buildings along the trail both to allow Lizardmen to make pit stops, but also to provide points of defense. Most of these locations are where the switchback trails intersect with the Temple Stairs, but not all of them. There are a few watchtowers to give skinks a good vantage and shooting point and to give Terradon riders a good perch.
If an enemy army is ascending Mount Klodor, this probably means the army has already beaten Klodorex's army in the open field some time agao. This usually means Klodorex is now limited to guerilla warfare.
Most if not all of Klodorex's full time soldiers regularly march up and down the temple trails as part of their basic training and are expected to know the terrain very well, not just on the trails, but near them. The Skink Skirmishers know all the best locations to carry out hit and run ambushes along the switch back trails.
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