Mirewatch Citadel
Just South of the Wraith's Grasp Forest, located between the Antinia Wetlands and the Dragon's Tail Pass, sits the ever vigilant Mirewatch Citadel. Built from the ruins of an abandoned ancient fortress during the War of Winters, the citadel was designed to keep the invading Nelstrihmar army from ever entering the Dragon's Tail Pass. The citadel was designed to hold an entire half of the Thylosian army within its walls and is to this day still the most fortified location in all of the Thylosian Empire.
Defenses
The Mirewatch Citadel to this day is the pinnacle of defense for the Thylosian Empire, employing the newest and most advanced armaments the empire has to offer. The citadel itself is divided into the four areas; the Dragon's Gate, the Valley, the Winter Citadel, and the Eastern Gate. Each of these areas provide the Mirewatch Citadel with layers of defensive capabilities making the citadel all but impossible to breach or conquer. The first and possibly most important defense of the citadel however is not even part of it, the Dragons Breath Mountains and the Dragon's Tail Mountains. The Citadel is situated in between these two mountain ranges which separate Thylosia from the rest of Luxthile and make for a perfect natural blockade. The Dragon's Gate and Eastern Gate both span the pass that runs between these two mountain ranges and form the gateway between Thylosia and the rest of the continent.
The Dragon's Gate
The Dragon's Gate is the first of the Citadel's manmade defenses and is one of the most impressive feats of defense in the Thylosian Empire. The Dragon's Gate is a massive wall that runs nearly half a mile long and ten stories tall. Each end of the wall is built into the mountains forming a seamless connection between manmade and natural defense. The wall is nearly one hundred feet thick and made up of four combined twenty foot segments, with each segment being separated by a five foot wall of stone. The inner segments are used to house troops, store armaments, food, and medical supplies, while the outer segment is solely focused on providing cover for soldiers defending the wall and as a means of passage. The name Dragon's Gate refers to the five story tall metal and wooden gates which stand at the center of each segment wall and further block any would be invaders from reaching the Winter Citadel. The Dragon's wall consists of two battlements, the lower and upper battlements, the lower battlements standing at around five stories tall and located on the fourth segment of the wall which overlooks the Valley. The upper battlements stand atop the other three segments of the wall and are outfitted with numerous armories, medical areas, and siege weapons many of which were taken from the Nelstrihmar after the Battle of Winter's Bane.The Valley
The Valley is the second line of defense for the Winter Citadel and is a two hundred foot long empty stone courtyard which separates the Dragon's Gate from the citadel. The Valley has no cover or areas to hide, it is a boxed in area with the Dragon's Gate at one end and the Winter Citadel on the other and sheer mountain faces on either side. The Valley itself has no real defenses to speak of and instead is used a killing field where archers and siege weapons can fire from either end down into the valley upon enemies who try to cross it.The Winter Citadel
The Winter Citadel is the third line of defense, and is possibly the most fortified against any from of attack.History
The Mirewatch Citadel, originally known as Winter's Bane Citadel was designed for one task, to hold back the forces of the Nelstrihmar army and stop them from ever entering the Dragon's Tail Pass. During the War of Winters the citadel began its reconstruction from the former fortress ruins that stood at the entrance to the pass. While the citadel started construction in the 1st Era, Year 42 it did not finish until 1st Era, Year 63, during which time the citadel came under attack many times. The first of these attacks came during the 1st Era, Year 43 and was known as the First Winter Storm, in which a small detachment of the Nelstrihmar army was set to invade Thylosia in order to test the empires forces. Instead however the invaders were met at the entrance to the pass by the, still under construction, Winter's Bane Citadel which had just recently finished the preliminary Western walls which would later be dwarfed by the Dragon's Gate that replaced them. The Nelstrihmar detachment which had been prepared to fight an army in the open plains of Thylosia was instead now facing down three story tall stone walls and volleys of arrows and ballista fire. The assault lasted only a few short hours before the invaders retreated back to the main army.
The second attack on Winter's Bane Citadel came in the winter of the 1st Era, Year 45, and lasted until Year 47, this conflict was known as the Siege of Dragon's Tail Pass. The winter of the start of the siege was particularly cold for Thylosia and the citadels construction was still underway even though a considerable amount of progress had been made. Though the citadel itself was in excellent condition, the same could not be said for the army whose rations and morale were running low, due to a drought during the summer and now a bitterly cold winter. These conditions however favored the Nelstrihmar whose undead nature made them nearly impervious to the cold, and the weakened Thylosian soldiers would make taking the citadel easier. This time the Nelstrihmar army brought with it more soldiers better equipped for a long siege but also siege machines of devastating power the likes of which the Thylosians had never seen before. The Siege of Dragon's Tail Pass lasted for two years and claimed the lives of thousands of Thylosian and Nelstrihmar soldiers along with the Western walls and much of the inner citadel. The siege was finally broken, on the 6th of Aen, Year 47, by a group of adventurers who would later become known as the Five Wardens.
The Winter's Bane Citadel came under attack many more times but never to the extent of the Siege of Dragon's Pass, until the 1st Era, Year 60, when the whole of the Nelstrihmar army came to bare against the now finished citadel. This battle, which came to be known as the Battle of Winter's Bane, was the final push by the Lich King and his army to take the citadel and cripple the Thylosian army. Though the battle lasted but a mere four days, it was the most devastating battle of the War of Winters, accounting for the lose of nearly three-fourths of the Nelstrihmar army and nearly half of the Thylosian army. The Nelstrihmar army brought against the Thylosians and the citadel some ten thousand soldiers along with Frost Drakes, Ice-Risen Dragons, and the elite warriors of the Lich King, The Winter Court. The first day of the battle the Thylosian army held fast against the invaders, raining arrows, artillery, and spells down upon the Nelstrihmar soldiers, who suffered few casualties due to their war machines and superior armaments'. The second day however saw much more lose when the drakes, dragons and The Winter Court made their way into the Winter's Bane Citadel through gaps in the structures defense which had been discovered during the small attacks prior to the battle. When the second day came to an end the Dragon's Gate had been flung open and the Nelstrihmar army had begun to invade the citadel. The third day of the battle was the longest and the most decisive with skirmishes happening all throughout the citadel and the deaths of not only all of The Winter Court but also three of the Five Wardens. The fourth and last day of the battle came to an end when reinforcements arrived from Thylosia and drove the Nelstrihmar army from the Winter's Bane Citadel and resealed the Dragon's Gate.
This seemingly insignificant victory had all but decided not only the Battle of Winter's Bane but also was a major turning point in the War of Winters. With the lose of not only The Winter Court, but also a significant amount of the Nelstrihmar army including their war machines, drakes and dragons, the army was forced to retreat back to Nelstrihm and rebuild its army. After the Battle of Winter's Bane the citadel saw little conflict over the next one hundred and seventy six years as most of the war took place far to the North in the frozen continent of Völligar and the home of Nelstrihm. During the years that proceeded the battle repairs and alterations were made to the citadel until its completion in the 1st Era, Year 63. After the end of the War of Winters the Winter's Bane Citadel was renamed Mirewatch Citadel and assumed it new and current role of being the gateway to the Thylosian Plains and the deterrent to any that would try to invade the empire.
The second attack on Winter's Bane Citadel came in the winter of the 1st Era, Year 45, and lasted until Year 47, this conflict was known as the Siege of Dragon's Tail Pass. The winter of the start of the siege was particularly cold for Thylosia and the citadels construction was still underway even though a considerable amount of progress had been made. Though the citadel itself was in excellent condition, the same could not be said for the army whose rations and morale were running low, due to a drought during the summer and now a bitterly cold winter. These conditions however favored the Nelstrihmar whose undead nature made them nearly impervious to the cold, and the weakened Thylosian soldiers would make taking the citadel easier. This time the Nelstrihmar army brought with it more soldiers better equipped for a long siege but also siege machines of devastating power the likes of which the Thylosians had never seen before. The Siege of Dragon's Tail Pass lasted for two years and claimed the lives of thousands of Thylosian and Nelstrihmar soldiers along with the Western walls and much of the inner citadel. The siege was finally broken, on the 6th of Aen, Year 47, by a group of adventurers who would later become known as the Five Wardens.
The Winter's Bane Citadel came under attack many more times but never to the extent of the Siege of Dragon's Pass, until the 1st Era, Year 60, when the whole of the Nelstrihmar army came to bare against the now finished citadel. This battle, which came to be known as the Battle of Winter's Bane, was the final push by the Lich King and his army to take the citadel and cripple the Thylosian army. Though the battle lasted but a mere four days, it was the most devastating battle of the War of Winters, accounting for the lose of nearly three-fourths of the Nelstrihmar army and nearly half of the Thylosian army. The Nelstrihmar army brought against the Thylosians and the citadel some ten thousand soldiers along with Frost Drakes, Ice-Risen Dragons, and the elite warriors of the Lich King, The Winter Court. The first day of the battle the Thylosian army held fast against the invaders, raining arrows, artillery, and spells down upon the Nelstrihmar soldiers, who suffered few casualties due to their war machines and superior armaments'. The second day however saw much more lose when the drakes, dragons and The Winter Court made their way into the Winter's Bane Citadel through gaps in the structures defense which had been discovered during the small attacks prior to the battle. When the second day came to an end the Dragon's Gate had been flung open and the Nelstrihmar army had begun to invade the citadel. The third day of the battle was the longest and the most decisive with skirmishes happening all throughout the citadel and the deaths of not only all of The Winter Court but also three of the Five Wardens. The fourth and last day of the battle came to an end when reinforcements arrived from Thylosia and drove the Nelstrihmar army from the Winter's Bane Citadel and resealed the Dragon's Gate.
This seemingly insignificant victory had all but decided not only the Battle of Winter's Bane but also was a major turning point in the War of Winters. With the lose of not only The Winter Court, but also a significant amount of the Nelstrihmar army including their war machines, drakes and dragons, the army was forced to retreat back to Nelstrihm and rebuild its army. After the Battle of Winter's Bane the citadel saw little conflict over the next one hundred and seventy six years as most of the war took place far to the North in the frozen continent of Völligar and the home of Nelstrihm. During the years that proceeded the battle repairs and alterations were made to the citadel until its completion in the 1st Era, Year 63. After the end of the War of Winters the Winter's Bane Citadel was renamed Mirewatch Citadel and assumed it new and current role of being the gateway to the Thylosian Plains and the deterrent to any that would try to invade the empire.
Founding Date
1st Era, Year 42
Alternative Names
Winter's Bane Citadel
Type
Fortress
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