Inassailable Fortress

The Inassailable Fortress is a military fortress that is the crowning jewel of the Confederation of the Free. It is a jointly-funded, jointly-operated, massive and theoretically unsiegable fort built over the source of the Great River. While it was originally located more central to the Confederation, the loss of land to Giraguk thanks to the Inexplicable caused it to become a frontline fort that is constantly at risk of total isolation. While there is no active war between the Confederation and Giraguk, skirmishes and posturing continue, so many of the Confederation's military resources are directed towards this fortress.

Design

The Inassailable Fortress is located high in the Curtain Mountains with its back to the mountain range. Its walls follow the slope of the terrain, made of roughly hewn stone bricks fitted together sourced from the local land. The walls towards the rear have metal roofs fashioned from a strong, light and rust-proof iron-mythril alloy to protect from archer attacks from behind.
The structures of the fortress are primarily fashioned from stone as well, to minimize the potential damage from fire. One building is built to fully enclose the source of the Great River, with the water leaving the fort through fist-thick iron grates. The spring was originally a small pool that was dug during construction to serve as a small reservoir. A pulley system aids in drawing water.
The stores of the fort are in the center and are behind double-layer stone. The architects of the Inassailable Fortress thought that enemy spies or mage artillery destroying the supplies would be the only way to break the Fortress. While they couldn't design against spies, they could at least protect from bombardment.
The greenhouses provide a supplementary source of food. Some utilize precious glass, while others use alchemical sunlights to grow wheat and vegetables. There is always at least one druid garrisoned at the Fortress to supernaturally expedite crop growth.
Next to the stores is an expensive permanent teleportation circle, silver inlaid directly into the stone floor, intended solely to transport rations in the case of a prolonged siege that the greenhouses cannot sustain. It is, however, intended as a last resort — the silver will break down with sustained use and using it on a regular basis would certainly destroy the coffers of the Confederation.
A small shrine is dedicated to Bo, God of Protection. Prayers are held daily, and the resident priests participate in some of the patrols along the walls, laying the blessings of Bo into the very stone.

History

The Inassailable Fortress was originally named the Confederation South Fortress, and was constructed as part of the alliance-strengthening policies of the young Confederation, which included other fortresses as well as consolidated army training and increased internal trade.
Many of the Inassailable Fortress's more unique aspects were only added as the threat from Giraguk became imminent. The original design did not have a teleportation circle, and while the Great River spring was always incorporated into the design, the larger reservoir was added as part of the upgrades. The metal shields to protect from rear attacks were insisted upon by General Su of the city-state Greatfield; the greenhouses were originally simple fields, and the wooden construction belies the cost-cutting involved.
The Inassailable Fortress has never been besieged, though the Confederation maintains that the design of the fortress ensures that any such siege would be unsuccessful. It is a symbol of the Confederation's military might. Whether the Fortress is truly unassailable is as of yet undetermined, and detractors of the Confederation instead regard the Fortress as a sinkhole of paranoia and an apt summary of the insular mindset of the Confederation itself.

Type

Fortress