Valley Fort

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Valley Fort is the largest mining outpost in Roadheim. This towering fortress looms over the scarred, jagged quarries that surround its high walls in all directions. Dark smoke billows from its chimneys and the relentless clattering of chained, grinding machinery rattles from within. Every hour, on the hour, the unstable valley trembles, as massive carts from the steel underground rail tracks transport valuable minerals, gems and other resources from the fortress to the cities of Roadheim.
Upon entering the Valley Fort workforce, workers are forcibly fitted with clockwork-enhanced body parts, intended to amplify their productivity. When Valley Fort was first established, these clockwork improvements alongside the promises of a new life away from the squalor of city slums enticed workers to join voluntarily. However, once ensnared within the fortified walls of the fortress, the workers soon discovered the harsh conditions that awaited them.
The promises of improved circumstances rapidly faded away, replaced by meager meals, unrelenting labour, and treacherous caverns. Moreover, once they were actually put to work, access to proper maintanaince and care for their new clockwork appendages was almost nonexistent. The workers were left to endure the wear and tear of their mechanical enhancements without respite. Their discomfort at the rubbing and cutting of metal on flesh was met with callous disinterest by the overseers, and their new limbs and other enhanced body parts became a cruel reminder of their mechanical enslavement. Even the name the authorities had bestowed upon their new workers "Mine Mechanicals" morphed from a badge of pride into a dehuminaising taunt of oppression.
The steel rail tracks below ground are the only entrances and exits to Valley Fort. Although some have tried to escape through these dangerous passages, all attempts have so far been futile. Aside from the possibility of being crushed by one of the speeding mine carts, the clockwork enhancements that the Mine Mechanicals have been fitted with emit a distinct, ever-present ticking that attracts the attention of the fearsome wheelhounds that stalk the underground caverns. These nightmarish monsters, crafted from brass, combine the ferocity of wolves with the burrowing abilities of moles. With their gleaming fangs and relentless pursuit, these predators were designed for one purpose: to chase and attack anyone who dares to disturb the fragile equilibrium of their subterranean domain.
The majority of the Roadheim populace remains blissfully ignorant — or, more likely willfully blind — to the full extent of the conditions within Valley Fort. It is perhaps significant that no-one signs up to work at Valley Fort now. Only convicted criminals sometimes accept the offer to escape the hangman's noose by toiling within the unforgiving depths of the mines.
The fortress conceals its dark secrets, shielded from prying eyes and unexamined by the masses. As long as society continues to turn a blind eye to the suffering that occurs within its grim walls, Valley Fort remains a dark stronghold, where the pursuit of wealth and progress exacts a heavy toll on the souls trapped within its unyielding grasp.

Founding Date

1533

Type

Outpost / Base

Inhabitant Demonym

Mine Mechanicals