Dral's Hold
Dral's Hold is the primary naval base of the Kingdom of Populres. Maintained by House Zherlius, it is perhaps the single largest dedicated fortification in all of Emicara. The size of a small city, there are drydocks, shipyards, and countless barracks stacked side by side, all surrounded by vast walls and structures acting as defenses. Populres' primary defense against the forces of Recfrere, it also acts as the center of Populresi naval raids and defense. Nearly every invasion campaign against the people of Recfrere was planned within the walls of Dral's Hold, and most of its wealth comes from raids against shipping in the Endless Ocean.
Purpose / Function
Dral's Hold was originally built as a mustering encampment and defensive citadel against invasions and attacks from the Kingdom of Recfrere. A large keep and walls were constructed with the architecture of a stoneworked orc encampment. The focus was upon the first lines of defense, with the walls built to keep enemies out in mind, and the size of the fort was not much greater than castles built elsewhere in Emicara. Towards the end of initial construction a palace was also built within the walls to act as the home of the Zherlius, one of the recently established aristocratic demonkin houses.
Alterations
Over the four and a half centuries since the completion of the initial castle, the purposes and structures of Dral's Hold have changed wildly. Multiple walls and lines of defense have been added, to the point where there are now no less than seven layers of defenses from the outermost to the inner keep. Within these walls are thousands of homes, stockpiles, slave and soldier barracks, and all of the other trappings of maintaining a facility of this size. These are accompanied by new shipyards and docks built along the coast to facilitate the recent growth of the Populresi fleet and power of House Zherlius.
The greatest accomplishment of construction in Dral's Hold is the Sea Wall. Created thanks to the sacrifice of hundreds of slaves and use of powerful magic, the Sea Wall turned the gentle beaches of the area into a manmade harbor, with the walls extending into the depths of the ocean itself, and enclosing a large area for shipping. The wall extends not only forty feet above the surface of the waves, but also up to depths of nearly two hundred feet below them. Thanks to magic, there are underwater hallways, completely airtight and allowing the rapid movement of soldiers to defend against seaborne attacks. A massive gate allows the controlling of entry of any ships into the harbor.
Founding Date
597
Type
Military base / complex
Parent Location
Owner
Related Ethnicities
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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