Hillfort Ishla

Hillfort Ishla was one of the southern Council Army fortifications of Amn, part of a chain including Hillfort Keshla and Hillfort Torbold.
==Description==
The fort's structures were made of logs sealed with mud batting, and required constant maintenance. In addition to the lodgings for hundreds of troops, Ishla held an armory, blacksmith, stables, and a large garden that supplied food for the garrison.
During the corrupt command of Captain Amlos Xornnag in the 1350s–1360s DR, the fort was in a state of extreme disrepair and was barely habitable as the mud batting wasn't replaced and thus let in wind and rain. The gardens were near-abandoned and choked with weeds, meaning the fort was unable to supply its own crops.
==Geography==
The Hillfort of Ishla was the westernmost of the three Hillforts on the South Road and was located in the eastern Small Teeth, south of Gambiton and Esmeltaran. It lay not far from the School of Wonder, Lost Xandar, and the Vale of the Wailing Women to the west, and Zinner and the Citadel of the Banner Raised Anew down the road to the east.
==Defenses==
Hillfort Ishla had a more primitive and old-fashioned construction than the newer-built Cloud Peaks citadels, and had a near-identical design to the other forts in the region. The fort crowned a hill and had an outer palisade and ditch ringing it, with the main structure made of tall, thick log walls reinforced with earthworks, as well as towers and a central keep. During the tenure of Captain Amlos Xornnag, the defenses were severely degraded and threatened to collapse at the slightest provocation.
The Hillfort was garrisoned by the Council Army on behalf of the Council of Six. It had a normal garrison of 300 soldiers, 15 officers, and the commander, with enough room to host another 500 within its walls if needed. With the command of Captain Xornnag, the troops became extremely unhappy and ill-used.
==History==
Ishla was built on the foundations of an old pre-Shoon structure, with the fort itself having an unknown date of origin. Despite being an important garrison on Amn's southern border, the Council refused to pay to upgrade it, and so the troops there were left with an outdated structure that required constant maintenance to not fall apart.
Captain Amlos Xornnag came to the fort in 1355 DR, and set about turning the military outpost into a profitable venture for himself. He kept up a pretense of effective command thanks to his numerous political connections, but truly focused his efforts on renting out his soldiers to the wealthy patrons of Esmeltaran on demand. With the fort turned to a muddy hovel and their duties extended to performing demeaning errands, many soldiers objected only to be transferred away and ignored, and a few that objected too obnoxiously simply disappeared.
The long-prepared forces of Sothillis suddenly attacked in the while Amn was distracted with preparations to make war on Riatavin. The Sothillisian War began on Eleasis 7 when 12,000 Spearbiter goblins and 21 Skullgnasher hill giants fell upon Ishla like an avalanche, instantly overrunning it and slaughtering the entire garrison. Captain Xornnag proved the exception, as his self-preservation led him to surrender to the invaders and throw himself into making himself useful. The former commander of Hillfort Ishla went on to aid in the capture and defense of Esmeltaran as the war went on.
==Appendix==
===Appearances===
===Connections===
===References===
Category:Ruins
Category:Fortresses
Category:Locations
Category:Locations on the South Road (Amn)
Category:Locations in the Small Teeth
Category:Locations in Amn
Category:Locations in the Lands of Intrigue
Category:Locations in West Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril