In the early days of the
Dwarven Civil War and the ensuing conflict between
Skerritt and the
Toldrun See, Inquisition agents and soldiers from the See were pouring over the border searching for dwarven dissidents and exiles. The kingdom of Skerritt needed to protect these people and their own lands, so the monarch commissioned three new border forts to be built along the northern
Hiram River and its western branch. One of these forts was located at an existing small forest village, which was raised up and fortified over the course of a couple years.
The construction of these border forts was a massive undertaking for the historically small kingdom of Skerritt, which necessitated hiring workers from around the world to complete the forts in near-record time. The construction projects were plagued by raids from the See, and the battalions that would eventually be stationed there were sent early, forced to make camp in the surrounding forests, to protect the construction workers. These three sites are almost identical, with the few variations occurring in the small decorative accompaniments and flourishes on the interiors. Each of the sites is what most would consider a smaller traditional castle, comprised of a central walled keep surrounded by support buildings and small cleared tracts for game animals, all of which is encompassed by a thick perimeter wall with watchtowers at regular intervals and surrounded by a moat. Each of the sites holds a battalion of around 800-1000 troops, plus a few dozen support workers like smiths, animal tenders, cooks, etc.
Fort Becker
Fort Becker is the westernmost of the three forts and is built near the coastline. It is about half a day's march to the western coast, so forces from this fort are able to watch the sea cliffs for any invasion or threat. It is the most heavily forested of the three forts and relies more heavily on its ranger squads to hunt game for food than its other twins. Fort Becker also sits across the river from the See's largest fortified city and home of their navy, a city known as
Moradin's Watch. Scouts from Fort Becker regularly go to the river to observe any change in the city's skyline which may indicate a new building or any increase in naval presence or shipbuilding facilities. Fort Becker is reached by sea - though it is a treacherous approach skirting near the See's naval base - and by a single road through the forest from
Guywoode.
Fort Gunter
The central fort of the three, Fort Gunter sits right where the
Hiram River splits into its two southern arms and was built on top of a previous village. This is an advantageous position, as it allows monitoring - if not control - of ship traffic up and down the river. Fort Gunter sits on a few miles of fertile plain between the forest and the river, though the forest is still very close. For this reason, Fort Gunter was built slightly larger than its two twins, as it has more fertile soil for growing its own crops. Fort Gunter is located on a special fort supply road, between Guywoode and Fort Aline.
Fort Aline
The northeasternmost fort of the three, Fort Aline pulls double duty in its watch. It is responsible for protecting the border against incursions from the See, but it is also positioned in the foothills of the
Legobar Mountains and is responsible for scouting raiding parties coming down from the mountains - which mainly use the river as a navigation guide and freshwater source. Fort Aline coordinates its patrols on this latter mission very closely with
Fort Rohesia to its southeast.
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