Cindermane Bastion

South of Mornage, at the base of the Femarwick Mountains that divide the Heartlands from the Primordial Shore, lies a fort of gray stone with spiraling towers.

Purpose / Function

Cindermane Bastion was originally designed as a staging ground for assaults over the Femarwick Mountains in the Primordial Shore, as well as to act as a first line of defense in case any of the elementals there attempted to get into the Heartland. Now, it serves as a retreat for the Emperor and his invited guests, sometimes used for diplomatic meetings and other times for vacation.

Architecture

The architecture of the Cindermane Bastion is largely Gothic, with pointed arches framing windows and doorways. Many of the larger rooms' ceilings are tall and vaulted, with ribs and buttresses supporting the weight. Columns are commonplace, acting as a base for the vaults.
The Bastion features both rounded and rectangular tower, most topped with a conical roof that came to a point with a small pole for a flag bearing the Hyperion Crest.
Overall, the compound and castle look new, and any who know its long storied past would instantly realize how well kept it is. However, there are some patches where it looks as if stones had either come loose or been damaged, as these spots are a slightly different color.

Defenses

Cindermane Bastion has multiple towers along its thick exterior wall, each armed with a magical ballista. Arrow slits run up and down the tower, allowiong the archers inside to rain barrages down on any would be intruders.
At the back and near the center of the compound is a sort of panic room made of Fecrium, a dense, durable stone from the Kingdom of Treifenburn that is known for being nearly indestructible. In the case of an attack, the Emperor and any dignitaries are brought to this room to withstand the assault. In this panic room, there are three separate chambers that each have their own teleportation circle. One goes to Mornage, one to another fortress on Sharktooth Island, and the third allows travel to the Bastion. These are used in case defeat against attackers is imminent, and they can be deactivated from the other side with a pendant of the Sovereign's Council.

History

Cindermane Bastion was constructed in the late Primal Age, just a couple hundred years after the Hyperion Empire was founded. Elementals, some of them still corrupted by the Drog'nuuth, frequently came over the Femarwick Mountains, attacking the countryside, burning acres of crops, and slaying hundreds of farmers. Emperor Uriel Hyperia was able to track down where the elementals were coming through, a narrow pass in the mountains, and ordered a battalion of troops to stand guard there, stopping anything that attempted to come through. As such, they constructed a fortress that, over time, grew as the overall population of the Hyperion Empire did. Eventually, they were able to slow--though not completely stop--the flow of elementals out of their planes and across the Empire. As a result, Cindermane Bastion lost its usefulness as a fortress to defend the pass. However, in this lapse, it was able to find a new one.
Due to its relatively remote location, it served as the perfect spot for a remote retreat and hideout for the Emperor. It is manned year round, partly to destroy any elementals that make their way through and partly to maintain a presence in case the Emperor decides to make a visit.