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Ang'arta, the Iron Fortress

Realm: Sovereign
Population: 5000
Language: Common

Overview

A grim fortress that can be seen for twenty miles, and felt for many more, Ang'arta is Baoz's greatest stronghold in Western Meditra. It sits embedded in the face of a lone, rocky hill, overlooking the town of Uveselde and the surrounding farmlands. All the works of these lands -- fruit, metal, or flesh -- are consumed by the Moloch of Ang'arta, save what is necessary to sustain their chattel.

Ang'arta lies on the northeastern slope of Baldor's Claw, a porphyritic monolith that rises over 600 feet into the air. The southwestern slope has completely eroded away, leaving only a sheer crag that shields the fortress from view. At least one of Ang'arta's halls runs to the top of this cliff face, for a ring of fire is visible from the southwest in times of war.

The fortress itself is a Gothic mass of iron and stone. The base of the keep lies 200 feet above the surrounding countryside, and the tallest of its five towers nearly reaches the top of the Claw. Three semi-circular walls, each twenty feet high and adorned with five bastions, are staggered before the keep. The fortress's ample orcish population dwells within these baileys, and their drums and ghastly cries echo throughout the countryside in the night.

Their primary audience is the town of Uveselde, which lies not half a mile to the east. Several centuries ago, before the Baozites came, Uveselde was a growing city. Now its defensive walls imprison the 17,000 souls unfortunate enough to remain. Much of the time, the quality of life is comparable to that of other cities, and for a few enterprising citizens it surpasses that by far. But all that they possess and enjoy, they do so only at the whim of the Baozites -- and that is a dreadful burden to bear. Even those that are spared their whole lives suffer a particular sort of madness.

The lands about Ang'arta are only sparsely guarded, though that is enough to deter most travelers. Orcish wolf-riders and small, temporary outposts range as far as 100 miles from the fortress, and the roads that run between Ang'arta and the Center Seas are always well-secured. The Baozites are not quite as witless as one might think, however. A traveling party can typically secure safe passage at a rate of 50 ducal crowns per person, plus 10% of the value of any goods being carried. Of course, the wolf-riders are notoriously accident-prone.

Governance

As one might expect, Ang'arta is completely lawless, lacking even a basic social contract. In the rare instances that justice is served, it is served by the wronged. It is only by the sheer brutality of its leaders that Ang'arta is able to function at all.

Ultimately, the fortress is governed by Baoz himself; none in Ang'arta are so feared as his priestesses. Through them he relays his will to the two men responsible for enforcing it: Idriel and Maedhros. Generally speaking, Idriel is responsible for Ang'arta's considerable resources, while Maedhros is responsible for its army and its politics. Their hatred for one another has proved quite profitable thus far; under their rule, Ang'arta's domain has expanded significantly, and has enjoyed several successes against the Maolites, most notably at Pafund Mal.

Economy

Ang'arta operates under an extremely primitive palace-economy. All the wealth that its soldiers seize and produce is given up to the immense vaults beneath the fortress; this wealth is then used to feed and outfit the soldiers. Naturally, Uveselde plays an integral part. Though the Baozites prefer to use their swords as currency when dealing with Uveselde, the town does receive a steady flow of investment from the fortress. The Baozite lifestyle does not leave much time for farming and cobbling.

Military

The fear and envy of other nations, Ang'arta's army is among the finest in the world. Though it is only in pitched battles that their true strength shows, they excel in all forms of warfare, and are rarely challenged by any conventional force.

Ang'arta's infantry is the core of her strength. The Baozite footman is a brutal sociopath forged in the pits of Baldor's Claw, stripped of fear and a host of other moderating influences. He is also a skilled warrior, having been trained to the same degree as a man-at-arms. He thus quite overmatches the conscripts who constitute most of his opponents. The orcish infantry is rather less sterling, but is still a force to be reckoned with.