Fort Relian
A military fort built to defend the old colonies, Fort Relian has stood on the steppes since the first wave of the Great Colonization. When the Shadow Horde came rampaging out of the north, destroying colonies and slaughtering their fleeing inhabitants, Fort Relian became the base of the Caleen Legion, a scratch force made up of Foerdewaith regulars and colonist militia. As the horde advanced, the fortress swelled with desperate refugees and came under siege by humanoids as the main body of the horde moved south to invade the Northmarches. Fort Relian’s walls shook and some buildings tumbled as the Wizard’s Wall was raised, but the citadel survived and kept countless refugees safe. Desultory attacks by the humanoids continued, but with the banishment of the Scaedugenga, these fled to the north and left the fortress battered but intact.
The fortress became the center of a new settlement, and today is the second most populous town in the Caleen region. Inhabitants are amused at apocryphal stories of how the Conroi Expedition “saved” the fortress and are somewhat annoyed at being referred to as one of the “Conroi Settlements,” but they remain open to visitors and are interested in learning more about the world outside the steppes. Like the other former colonies, Relians are very independent. The current inhabitants are of mixed heritage, with Foerdewaith and Shattered Folk ancestry.
Fort Relian remains home to what is still called the Caleen Legion, a small contingent of about 150 veteran warriors, and the garrison commander, officially called the “marshal,” is also the town’s ruler. The current leader, Marshal Nadea Charan, is a tough, no-nonsense woman who lost an eye in a centaur raid several years ago. She rules with stern but fair hand.
The town itself is made up primarily of a stone keep surrounded by wood and stone buildings, and boasts a temple to all of the local gods (including Thaka and several other Ethtuwate deities), as well as a number of inns and general merchandise stores, a farmer’s market, and a livestock yard where horses, sheep, and goats can be bought and sold.
Settlement
Fort Relian, Settlement of
Type
Village
Owning Organization
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