|||
0612 — Fort Cygne
The only permanent holding of the Merchant-Industrialists of Catage
outside of the wall, Fort Cygne is built on the foundations of an older
fort of forgotten origin. It is popularly held by the fort’s soldiers
that being stationed here is the result of pissing off a superior. Food,
small livestock, materials for building upkeep, and other supplies are
delivered once a month via the road by a contracted civilian workforce,
guarded by militiamen. The stone for the fort is of little interest to
bandits, but other goods (and livestock especially) are a high value
target: every delivery has a 2-in-6 chance of outlaws raiding it.
28 soldiers and 16 civilian workers are crammed uncomfortably into the
permanent dry spaces of the fort, and to 20 more of either group
routinely get sent to reinforce and assist the permanent force, having
to set up tents outside the safety of the building. Logging parties try
to collect timber to build more permanent cabins around the central
fort. Other duties are shirked for this: they know that in Catage, a
larger logging effort is being organized that will strip the most
desirable timber from the immediate surroundings.
Command of the fort falls to Evrart (he/him), a deeply superstitious man
who views the wilds with a suspicion fueled by a lifetime of stories of
trickster spirits and cruel witches lurking outside the Wall of Catage.
He does not trust the landscape, fears it cannot be conquered, and were
it up to him the whole venture would be called off. It is not up to him,
so he does what (legal) folk rituals he trusts in to appease the world
that menaces his dreams. His underlings are largely indifferent to him –
his eccentricities are not intrusive, and he is less strict than the
previous commander.
This settlement acts as a village by the economic standards of The
Nightmares Underneath, and is in Catage’s trade network. The soldiers
are happy to sell off excess military hardware, but will only part with
food and livestock if grossly overpayed. Specialized goods for
professions outside of military service are nearly impossible to come
by.
Some notable denizens and locations:
Morne (he/him) is a hulking soldier who maintains a personal vegetable
garden, growing turnips, carrots, cabbages, mint, and a scattering of
flowers he likes. He commands respect and fear alike from his peers: he
is a good cook and the garden is a boon, and everyone knows that if they
stole any of his vegetables he is willing and able to swear
unconditional revenge.
Helaine (she/her) is a civilian contracted to oversee the stables of the
fort. There are at present no horses and barely a standing stable.
Occasionally the monthly delivery of goods is horse drawn, or a
messenger from Catage comes on horseback, giving her a brief burst of
work. She stews in boredom.
In the cellar dug below the fort for food storage, an engraved stone has
been excavated. It depicts a series of concentric circles, pierced by a
stylized arrow or spear. Outside the circles, stylized suns or stars or
comets with crude faces appear to watch the circles. The stone remains
embedded in the ground. Evrart forbids bothering it lest a curse be put
upon the fort, and considers filling in that part of the cellar.
