Venta of the Legions

Not to be confused with the city of Venta Corum. This site located, at the junction of the Pinson and Tuntun rivers, east of the legendary Pidi forests, is a safe point for all the brave people that decide to cross these lands. It is the home of the remnants of the Third Cohort of the "Ripenses", an unit of Blatian Limitanei, whose main job is to protect the local population from whatever dangers might arose: bandits, barbarian raids, monsters..., they've created their own quasi independent realm inside the Kingdom of Drusentia.

Origins

The first fortress was probably built around 500s BP, as part of the Ikarian conquest and pacification of the Lower Kallian Plains. This primitive fortification was probably made of earth and timber, like all Ikarian Marching Camps . After the conquest of the entirety of the Kallian Plains, the fortress probably remained there for a century and a half, and after that it was raized to the ground. In its place, the Ikarians created a settlement, called Venta Osumi. Venta means "market" or "marketplace" in Ikarian, and Osumi was the name of the local Kallian tribe who lived in the region when the Ikarians arrived. So the name of the town would be translated as "The Market of the Osumi".
Despite being an indigenous settlement, many locals married the soldiers stationed thereas well as Ikarian inmigrants from other regions. As time passed by, the Osumi, as the rest of the Kallians became fully Ikarianized, virtually undistinguishable of their conquerors, and became proud citizens of the Empire. Venta Osumi prospered due to the trade going on across both rivers, thanks of its strategic location and especially after Blati became the summer residence of the Ikarian Emperors. The city was famous for its timber and also its livestock fairs.
By the 270s a new fortress was built near the place of the old one to protect the trade routes across the region, especially from incoming raids from the other side of the Albine Mountains that were already being a problem at that time. The fortress became the home of the 8th legion "Silvana" and later the 11th legion "Iulia", because of that, the site became known as Venta of the Legions.

Venta of the Legions Fortress by Grosvenor Museum

The city became an important military site, and most of the production of the settlement was adjusted to satisfy the needs of the military. An Imperial workshop was also built at the fort that provided shields and sandals from the army. Later in the 300s the site became the home of the Third Cohort of the "Ripenses" (The soldiers in charge of patrolling the rivers) and a small military port was built for military ships to patrol both rivers.

Venta after the fall of Ikaria

After 460s as many other parts of the former Empire, the region around Venta was plunged into absolute chaos. The settlement outside the fortress was abandoned and the population began to live inside the fortress alongside the soldiers, and some buildings were re-purposed as part of the fortifications. The valley alongside the rivers became the domain of this remnant unit of the Empire.
The Ripenses became sort of a mercenary/ highly militarized adventuring group, neighbouring rulers would pay them to patrol the river and, especially the nearby Pidi forests, that now were full of bandits and warrior bands. Since the Empire was no more, and no realm had laid claim to the land effectively, there was no donativon (the payment from the Ikarian government) and no Military Annona ( food supply from the state) so the soldiers and their families had to farm the nearby lands and also gain money selling their services to nearby powers. Despite being generations away from the fall of the Empire, the soldiers still serving there are proud of being part of the Third Cohort and the job of "River soldier" is inherited from fathers to sons, as it was done during the last two centuries of the Ikarian Empire.

by Callyxtus

The commander of the unit however in chosen in an assembly of both soldiers and civil population of the settlement, this is very different from imperial times. This unit commander is both the commander in chief of the regiment and the local town major (almost like a King like it happened in other regions of the former empire, but in name). Since the mid 500s the kingdom of Drusentia has laid claims on this land, but its control is mostly nominal, as the soldiers at the fort accept its rule, but payment arrives sporadically, so the way of living of the soldiers hasn't changed much.

Description of the settlement

The fort has a square shape like all Ikarian fortresses. It is made of stone and has four gates, one in the north, another in the south, and the other are located in the western and eastern sides respectively. In the axis of the main roads is located the old headquarters building of the unit, now turned into the "palace" of the commander in chief. The area that, in the early times of the fort were the stables for the cavalry, became the civil quarter of the settlement. A little chapel for worshiping the gods was built close to the western gate with the remains of part of the old forum of the city, while the rest of the Forum as well as the local amphitheatre were used to build a sort of primitive keep, as a last defense for the soldiers and the civilians of the fort. Other buildings were demolished and their stone used to create a wall that connected the fort with the port.
Most of the barracks where the soldiers live, as well as many civilian houses, are made of stone or brick and their roofs covered with tiles. Most of these houses are very humble (as well as the barracks of the soldiers), with only a kitchen and one or, at best, two beds. The area outside the camp that was used for drills became corrals where animals were kept.

by Insularis Draco

Yuya's party at Venta of the Legions

As part of one their missions, Yuya and his friends travelled to Blatian lands, in order to help some villages that had suffered from monster raids from a opened dungeon. They were crossing the Pidi forest when they were "captured" by soldiers from the fort believing they were brigands. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, the soldiers offered the adventurers shelter within the fortress walls.

Remember, it is not recommended to go outside the fortress at night, if for some reason you decide to do so and want to come back, go to the nearest gate and ask a soldier to give you the password before you go out, if you forget it you won't be able to enter again until sunrise, that's how things work here you know?.

— Adlectus, a soldier of the fort to Yuya and his friends

From there, Yuya and his group traveled across the region to discover the dungeon entrance and put an end, with the soldier's help, to the threat that had terrified the inhabitants.After their successful mission the grateful inhabitants and soldiers organized a banquet in honor of the heroes. And, in return for their help the soldiers escorted them across the Pidi forest to a safe place.

Symbol of the Third Cohort of the Ripenses on a shield by magister militum

Founding Date

-500 BP

Population

around 3000 (both military and civilians)

Show spoiler

The fortress after Yuya's adventure

After Yuya and his friend visited the fort, life continued peacefully pretty much the same way it has been for the last hundred and fifty years during aproximately another 20 years. In 634 AP, the King of Drusentia died without heir and and a succession war broke out between the Kingdom of Bovoria to the West, and the Blatian Empire to the south. The Blatians first objective was the fortress, who surrendered to the Imperial forces without a fight. The Blatian Emperor accepted their surrender and allowed the Third Cohort of the Ripenses to be incorporated as a unit of the Imperial Army. Once Blati unified all the former Ikarian territories, effectively restored the old Empire, the population of Venta of the Legions began to build their houses outside the fortress.

Related articles