Oldstand
The Last Bastion of the Free
Far to the east of Wurgar, beyond the ashen waves that carry whispers of doom, lies a small but unyielding island, a fortress of defiance in a world consumed by Chaos. Known as Oldstand, it is the last free city of the old kingdoms, a citadel of stone and iron, weathered by time, yet standing unbroken.
This island stronghold, a mere 10km offshore from the eastern coast of Herja, is home to the mariners of old—seasoned sailors, warriors, and survivors who refuse to kneel. Their fleet is meager, their numbers few, yet their will is iron. They know the Disciples will come, that their city will one day burn—but not without a price. The waters around Oldstand will run red with the blood of Chaos before the city falls.
A Fortress Against the End
Oldstand was once a naval stronghold of the Kingdom of Gandoa, a jewel of the old world, supplying its fleets and standing guard against raiders from the sea. When Gandoa fell to the Disciples, its coastal cities were razed, its fleets shattered, and its people enslaved or slaughtered. Yet, Oldstand, built upon its impenetrable cliffs, held firm.
The island was too far, too fortified, too stubborn to be taken in those first waves of destruction. The Disciples, focused on claiming Herja’s vast inland cities, ignored the fortress, dismissing it as an irrelevance. That was their mistake.
The survivors of the old world flocked to Oldstand, bringing with them forgotten knowledge, stolen heirlooms, and bitter memories of the lands they had lost. Now, Oldstand is all that remains—the last thread of a world that was.
The Ocean’s Keepers
The people of Oldstand are not farmers nor merchants—they are sailors, hunters of the deep, masters of the storm. They live by the tide, fishing the cold waters, diving into the ruins of sunken cities, trading with secretive merchants who dare approach their shores. Their ships are swift, their harpoons as deadly as any sword, and though they are few, they are fighters to the bone.
The Disciples laugh at them, calling them "drowned men waiting for the tide", but the mariners of Oldstand care not. They sharpen their blades, they reinforce their walls, and they prepare—for when the black sails of Chaos come, they will not go quietly.
The Siege That Has Yet to Come
Oldstand does not believe in victory—only in vengeance. The city’s leaders know that when Grimrise and Wurgar finally turn their full attention to them, Oldstand will burn. No aid will come from the shattered lands of Herja, no armies will rise to relieve them.
But they are not afraid.
They do not plan to withstand the storm—they plan to break its teeth. The waters around Oldstand are treacherous, its hidden reefs and razor-sharp shoals have already claimed more than one Disciples warship. The city’s defenders have spent years preparing traps, forging weapons that can punch through Chaos-forged hulls, and training warriors who will fight to the last breath.
A Reckoning on the Horizon
The Disciples may consider Oldstand an afterthought, but one day, they will come. When that day arrives, the sea will churn with fire and wreckage, and the mariners of Oldstand will make their stand—for the past, for the fallen, and for the world that was.
And if they fall?
Then they shall become a legend sung in defiance.
"A rock against the tide, a flame against the storm, a wound Chaos has yet to close. Oldstand endures not because it believes in victory, but because surrender is a fate worse than death."
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