Stonecross
The Bastion of Broken Banners
Nestled deep within the narrowest gorge of the Azure Fold lies Stonecross, an ancient fortress carved directly into the living stone of the mountains. Part fortress, part city, and part graveyard, Stonecross has stood for centuries as the keystone to the easternmost pass between the Federated Suns and the Draconis Combine.
The pass itself is perilous—a winding, switchbacked trail flanked by sheer cliffs and prone to avalanches in winter—but for armies and merchants alike, there is no better route through the Fold. Control of Stonecross means control of the eastern frontier, and for this prize, blood has been spilled across generations.
The walls of Stonecross are as much a part of the mountains as the cliffs themselves, hewn from cold blue-grey granite that seems to resist the passage of time. Great statues of forgotten warriors line the approach to its gates, their faces worn smooth by centuries of snow and wind. Beneath the fortress, ancient cisterns and supply vaults run deep into the rock, allowing Stonecross to withstand sieges for years if needed.
Today, Stonecross is nominally neutral—a fortress held by an independent mercenary company, the Iron Oath, who maintain a fragile balance of power between the Suns and the Combine. Merchants pay steep tolls to pass safely. Nobles plot to sway or sabotage the Iron Oath’s loyalties. Agents of House Davion and House Kurita trade bribes and secrets like blades in the dark.
The garrison is proud but stretched thin, and whispers abound of hidden passages, forgotten armories, and relics of the League of Stars buried deep beneath the fortress foundations. Magic lingers subtly at Stonecross as the fortress is said to be warded by ancient oaths written in blood and runes, confounding attempts to breach it by sorcery or siege. Some travelers sometimes speak of phantoms on the battlements, knights in ghostly armor who watch over the fortress in storms and mist. And some claim the stones themselves are awake, shifting imperceptibly to confound intruders. Yet Stonecross endures, as it always has—a monument to endurance, ambition, and the bitter cost of dominion.
“Gold may open a gate. Steel may force it. But at Stonecross, only patience rules.” — Marshal Odira Veran, Commander of the Iron Oath
