The most distant garrison of the Mayshard

When one is travelling alone in this day and age, as I so often do, one might learn to steer clear of military encampments. While to the uninitiated they might seem like a veritable safe haven from the wilds, you might quickly learn that bored soldiers can sometimes be even more dangerous than what one might face on the open road.
Glintsheild would be no different, and while normally I would go out of my way to take a longer route to my destination I was unfortunately low on supplies and the next trading town was two days away on foot. So I would find myself hiking up towards the larger of the two sections that make up the outpost. The buildings seemingly balanced almost precariously atop the precipice, it made for quite the interesting sight but I had to keep my wits about me and thus couldn't spend much time getting distracted. Making my way through the front gates wasn't too much of a hassle, my bag was given a quick search and I was asked some simple questions... but they soon realised by my various belongings and currently well travelled and disheveled state that I wasn't much of a threat. They let me pass and I made my way to the closest place that looked like it might sell supplies. It was late afternoon by this point but already I could smell the booze on the breath of some of the guardsmen as I passed them. I had considered the possibility that I might stay in one of the taverns that evening, the allure of a proper bed was strong after some time on the road. But I soon came to the conclusion that I was carrying far to much valuable work and research to risk having some drunken brutes tear it all up trying to find my meager bit of coin.
I bought my hearty bread, dried meats and some fresh fruit from a general goods trader who had set up not too far from the main gate. He further confirmed my suspicions and told me that he too rarely stayed the night here if he could avoid it and even invited me to join him on the road north. Well I wasn't about to pass up the chance at some company and a relatively gentle wagon ride. As I was helping him pack up shop a group of six or seven guardsmen sauntered over, making a bit of a racket and laughing between them. They were in various states of undress, with their dirty uniforms obviously not cared for and some even missing buttons or not even bothering to wear their coats to begin with. One of them grabbed an apple from a crate and began loudly eating it while another started going through a couple of the bags that had not yet been loaded. A third man loudly proclaimed that he was hungry for some meat and that if a man of the kingsguard desired meat it should be the duty of the people he protects to give it to him. The others laughed and began egging him on, he got more and more boorish and eventually the trader gave in and threw him some of his goods from the back of his wagon. Well of course there was no correct path here, to not give them what they wanted would lead to more hostilities but to just give in made them more confident that they could get more. Soon they spied me off to the side and one of them came over and asked if I had anything to donate to help the cause... I said nothing and gripped my staff a little tighter. If possible I would prefer to avoid using any trickery around these parts but I could see no other option and I took the risk. With my right hand inside my large sleeve they couldn't see my movements and so I quietly asked the soldier in front of me to approach so I could give him something. He gleefully agreed and moved forward expecting me to give him some coin perhaps, I began a motion to seem like I was handing him something but instead when our hands touched I attempted to alter his state of mind... just a little. It wasn't hard, the already inebriated are usually a pretty safe bet with this sort of thing and when I knew that it had taken effect I simply suggested that we weren't worth their time and we had nothing more of value to give. Well sure enough this particular guardsman turned to his mates and proclaimed that they had gotten everything they were going to get, and they might have better luck in one of the taverns. They all seemed disappointed that the fun was over for now but they soon agreed to go find something else to do and were soon laughing and hollering as they made their way to the closest Inn.
The trader thanked me for my help, although he assumed that I had perhaps paid them off; an incorrect assumption but I was glad that's what he believed. We were soon finished packing up and as the sun was setting and the sky turning a lovely shade of pink, we made our way back out the main gate and onto the open road to find somewhere to camp for the evening. While the trader had not seen me use that minor trick on the guardsman there were no doubt others that might have the skill to notice such a thing. I would have to be a little weary for the next few days, at least until I could get further away from that damnable outpost.

Glintshield is commanded by the 3rd captain of the Granite army. As it is an outlier outpost it can be quite a lawless place at times, but the military attempts to keep things as in control as possible. However most of the time it isn't the bandits nor enemy armies that create this state of unrest; but the soldiers themselves. Their commander attempts to keep control, as best he can, but to take away from his men the luxurays that they are now afforded, would probably cause him more unrest than already exists.

The outpost is settled upon two high hills, giving them a natural overview of the surrounding region and a strong defence against any besieging army. While it's not the biggest military encampment, far from it in fact, it's use of the areas terrain gives it a large advantage against anyone who would wish to do harm upon it. The encampment has wooden walls, nothing too fancy but it gets the job done and as far as the men who reside within are concerned; it'll just have to do.

The outpost has an industry, like most towns of its size. However this industry is more focused on entertainment than manufacturing or producing. The fighting men of the area tend to drive business here, and other than honing a blade or bashing some armor, all that's really left are ways for soldiers to waste their hard earned pay. And so you would find a smattering of taverns, no better than a local dive, filled to the brim with drunken warriors trying to get the attention of the barmaids.
While the men are off duty and have found themselves in a state of inebriation, they will often make their way over to another local hotspot. The gambling den. This small but well established business has been around for almost as long as Glintshield itself. In its early days there were many attempts by the higher ranking officers and officials to shut it down but to their dismay it always found a way to fight back and survive. To this day it reaps in almost a small fortune from the soldiers trying to blow off some steam, try their luck or just kill some time. There have also been more than a few rumors spreading around as of late that the gambling den is actually a front for a thieves guild, but the army has yet to find any evidence of such claims.

There are no cobblestone roads here, not this far from the capital. Glintstone gets by with the bare minimum, as it always has. Tracks of dirt and mud make their winding way through the outpost, not planned nor designed in any particular way. While the outpost might have great military significance and advantage, it does however put it in a position to get easily surrounded and besieged. To rectify this situation the military has created a small but well supported tunnel system that leads between the two large grassy knolls. The system also leads outside the encampment so that in the event of a drawn out engagement, messengers can be sent away to call for reinforcements.
While the tunnel system might be a closely guarded strategic secret and resource, it is a well known fact about the town. Perhaps most might not know where to look for such entrances and exits, but for a sneaky few it can be a wonderful and quite way in and out of town. While I cannot prove it I suspect that the rumored thieves guild uses the very same tunnel system the military do in order to avoid pesky gate guards and goods inspections.

The granite army consists of twelve regiments, each sent to various fronts of the region in order to hold borders or enforce law in places of unrest. While the army holds most of the influence in these areas the guilds themselves still have quite a bit of sway in the day to day proceedings. The army has its own supply lines but if they are to fail, run short or run late; the army needs to have quick access to a large source of supplies. The guilds know this and use that fact for leverage when they find it useful to do so.
The thieves guild, while I have not met them personally, must exist. There is a definite flow of goods, substances and illegal products that could not get their way past the various gate guards and inspections usually subjected to various importing traders. I think the rumors about them being based out of the gambling den may be a ruse to throw off the military, that's what I would do anyway and I think the thieves guild cleaver enough to do the same. Perhaps they are hidden beneath one of the local taverns, or somewhere else entirely; I do not know for sure.

Most of the buildings that make up Glintshield are produced and continue to be created from the wood harvested from the surrounding forests. The natural pillars that the outpost resides upon has the unfortunate effect of leaving most of the buildings exposed to the elements. Therefore it is reasonably unsuitable to use thatch for roofing, leaving most of the structures with both wooden walls and ceilings. Quite a few of the structures have stone foundations that they are built upon, with the earth itself too unstable to support a building without such a base.

Glintsheild resides on the border of the ENTRY MISSING wildlands. It is a small strategic stronghold that allows it's garrison to keep Mayshards influence felt in this part of the region; even so far from home. The immediate area around the garrison town has been clear cut to enable ease of travel and vision for those above. It is very windy here and being thrust up above the forests puts the town in the unfortunate path of the full force of these weather events. The forest would normally provide good shelter and protection against such things but the area around the garrison town has been clearcut and the town itself elevated for strategic reasons.

Being a small outpost Glintsheild doesn't have much to offer in either natural or produced resources. What they do have however is manpower and arms. If the garrisons captain chooses to flex his rank and influence, their is no shortage of muscle to aid, assist or deter whatever the captain see's fit for such an application of strength.

Glintshields Theme

Type

Outpost / Base

Population

347

"... bloody Glintshield? I thought the sarge was making one of his usual jokes ya know, all the lads did! Sending one of the best units this side of the shard to the edge of nowhere?! There we were hollering and carrying on and he's got this damn real stern look on his face, I tell you what that shut us lot right up a hellova lot quicker than any officers order ever could..." - a rather talkative lineman I met at the main gates 929YR