The Mountain Dragon: Defenses of Hihhill

Part of Technology of Otheia
The defenses surrounding the city Hihhill are formidable. Over the centuries, enormous sums of money have been poured into the improvement of its defenses. The House of Roral, which keeps the city as its seat of power, have kept its defenses at the state of the art, to keep their rivals from the city. 
=== Natural Defenses ===
As the city is built on a mountainside on the edge of the Eastern Highlands, with the Great Mistwood to its east, the only viable approach is from the northwest. Here, the wide River Dasdrile provides a formidable natural defense, separating the city from the Aselad Plain to the northwest. There is only one bridge crossing the river for several dozen miles in either direction, which enters the city itself. 
=== Artificial Defenses ===
The city itself is constructed on the steep slope of a cliff. This is possible due to the great terraces dug out of the hillside. These terraces, rising dozens of meters above the level before are all fortified with large bastions. 
Below the terraces lay the lowest level of the defense before the river, which is a wall an average of 5 meters high, and over 10 meters thick. Also bastioned, this wall is comprised of thick packed earth and gravel, and provides a wide fighting platform for the defenders of the city. Facing the River Dasdrile, it prevents an enemy from using the river to infiltrate the city itself. 
In the river itself is the Castle Dasdrile. The oldest part of the city’s defenses, it is built upon a natural island where the river bends from north to west. While it is ancient, the superstructure has been demolished, and the space between the walls filled with earth, so as to improve its survivability under fire. It is through the Castle that the one bridge to the city passes, and so it is considered vital to the city’s defense.
On the banks Plains of Aselad, where the river bends, there is a great fortress built. This citadel, built in the shadow of the city, shields the riverine wall from direct fire, and commands the whole of the plain. A state-of-the-art fortress complex, it comprises bastions, ravelines, demilunes, all surrounded by a large most and glacies. The road from the city passes through the fortress, and is designed to allow the attackers minimum cover from the defender’s attacks. 
Throughout all the defenses of the cities are cavalier towers with the great furnaces common to the fortresses of the Otheiae, designed to allow the mages to throw stones with far greater force and range than they would otherwise be able. 
The defenses of the city have, time and time again throughout recent history, prevented the city from falling to enemy attacks. No enemy has breached the city’s defenses. For this reason it has gained the colloquial name of the Mountain Dragon among military planners and engineers. It’s reputation of an impregnable fortress is known far and wide, and it is studied across the land.
Category:Technology of Otheia