Camp Sonthill is a military encampment in the
Granite Scar region of the
Kingdom of Grasynnia. Founded during the
Zenith War as the main field headquarters of the Falchions' eastern offensives, it lies northwest of
Prinstead and due south of
Myrewatch Keep across the River Myre.
History
After the invasion of
Blackhollow started the
Zenith War,
Merxellis Dragonbane the Strategist King desired to conquer lands to the south and east, hoping to seal the
Kingdom of Dergeria behind natural borders: the
Rowrim Mountains and the Rivers Kosewick and Graithe. Recognizing that the supply lines would run too long were he to maintain the center of the armed forces at
Hartmere, he instead turned to his grandfather's native land, the Granite Scar, and ordered a major military camp to be constructed in a strategically defensible place in the region. Scouts found a location on a wide crag, only accessible from one direction. This was to be the site of the new camp, which was constructed in a few weeks. Initially known as Camp Eastward, it was renamed by Merxellis a day after his arrival for reasons unknown.
The campaigns launched from Camp Sonthill included the conquest of the
Gobnor Swamps, the invasion of
the Marrens, and most notably, the razing of the
Verdant Hills, which resulted in the complete expulsion of all native halflings from their homeland, an event which has become known to history as the
Halflings' Plight. Forces from the camp were also sent to provide support to the Samans of
Starn, fighting at the front on the River Myre. An attempt was made by Grasynnian and Starnish forces to break the line and pierce into the
Sovranty, and while the river was successfully crossed, the Battle of Myrewatch Keep proved to be one of the few major defeats the aggressors knew during the entire war, forcing all remaining forces to retreat to Camp Sonthill. It is rumored that whatever was used to execute the
Kamway Massacre was prepared at Camp Sonthill, yet this is unverified.
Since the end of the war, Camp Sonthill has been expanded, fortified, and repurposed for other military means. Patrols on the Prince's Path and the highroad along the River Myre start and end their shifts here, and the camp is also the main base for any missions and military operations to keep the goblins of Gobnor in check. For fifteen years, Camp Sonthill's expansion served as a training camp for new recruits, however it has since been converted into a prison camp for those deemed too dangerous to remain imprisoned within any city, or those captured by any of the patrols.
Politics and society
Camp Sonthill has no civilian population, and is under direct control of the military. The camp is governed under the authority of a major, who reports directly to one of the five generals of the Falchions, who in turn report only to the
Supreme General since the dissolution of the Strategic Committee. The major typically staffs the camp with three corporals: one managing the standing army, one the guard patrols, and one acting as the prison warden.
Due to the lack of any arable soil, and as a consequence, any farming in the Granite Scar, food and supplies for the camp are brought in from Hartmere or Prinstead,
or requisitioned from travelling merchants or hunters. Because of this, the roads surrounding the camp are among the most heavily-patrolled roads in the entire kingdom. However, some of the mining villages in the region do contribute to the encampment, supplying the military smiths and armorers with metal ores.
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