The Great North Bastion

Situated on the and acting as the northern border of Sland, this vast edifice stands as both a physical and spiritual defence against the ever encroaching approach of the tide of the forces of death that linger from within the vicious landscape of the Dead Marches. Standing at well over a hundred feet at its shortest and well over five times that at its tallest point, this bastion wall is considered a wonder of engineering and a marvel of construction.

The wall itself is constructed of reinforced stone, each piece thrice consecrated and imbued with magical warding to ensure that it does not crumble from age or malicious influence. It is wide enough in places that a horse and carriage could pass side by side and well provisioned against a siege, though the idea that such a construction would be attacked from both sides is almost an absurdity. Every dozen feet or so a large ghostglass lantern stands, drawing in the energies given out from the great wormhole within the Dead Marches and syphoning them away to where they can do no more harm.

The Bastion is also responsible for a number of different wayforts and patrol forts on both the northern and southern side of the wall, though with a far greater emphasis on the north. These keeps and towers serve as early warning posts, expedition launch off points and patrol routes from where the defenders can not only keep a keen eye on the ever present danger posed by rogue undead or determined necromancers but also perform constant harassment against any number of the threats that might come lurching out from the wild north. The defenders of these walls learned long ago that having an active wormhole directly into the lands of death means that any manner of dark and exotic creature can come through. Many consider manning these external defences a mixture of a great honour and responsibility but also a great risk, for should disaster strike reinforcement can be hours or days away.

Control of the Bastion is too great a task for any one organisation to undertake alone, both in terms of sheer size of the defences but also the many layers of its defence. Necessity then commands that its defence be divided up between a number of different factions and organisations, with four major ones being the most prominent as they each command and maintain one of the four great citadels that allow for passage into the dangers of the north. That said, whilst these organisations work closely together they do not command each other, a unified force however a decentralised one allows for commands to be handled well together as well as preventing the dangers of the entire command structure being compromised by one rogue element.

#### Ivory Gate

The largest of the four citadels, the Ivory Gate is also generally seen as the central headquarters of most of the Bastions forces. Its walls glitter in the sunlight and many claim that in the lantern light that it seems almost as though the walls themselves are dancing as the light plays across the polished marble. Many people from all across the continents find themselves at home here, with people from their own homeland or with individuals from across the world or indeed even from other planes. The Ivory Gate welcomes all and accepts any who are willing to stand in defence of the world against the dangers posed by the Dead Marches.

Nominal command of the Ivory Gate is given over to the orders of the Knights Hesperath, an ancient and venerable organisation dating back from before the time of the First Lichelord. Some claim that the original Hesperath were members of the still living Lichelords bodyguard who turned against their liegelord when he began his fall into darkness, if that is true it would explain their dedication to the cause and explain their nobility in devotion. The Hesperath are led by Lord Warden Ser Bestian val Emyrs, who currently commands from within the Ivory Gate itself.

#### Onyx Gate

As its name would suggest, the fortress of the Onyx Gate is built of darkened granite and whilst no less lit up and colourful compared to its sister forts, it is still an imposing sight to behold. The Onyx Gate has enjoys a comfortable and easily defensible position bordering on the western mountains and as such much of the stone there was locally sourced. Even to this day much of the construction material used by the orders is quarried in the lands under the watch of the Onyx Gate before being sent off to construct a new bastion in the Marches.

Command of the Gate and its attendant lands currently divided between two organisations as a result of a major assault on the bastion nearly half a century ago by a combined force of monstrous undead. The original commanders were the Order of the Scarlet Rose, led by High Commander Gespard Pontifrac, though as a result of their lapse in judgement and inability to properly mount a major defensive effort before the attacks took place they have been recently overtaken in influence and command by the Sybaline Brotherhood, led by First Brother Monfort Tether. The Brotherhood were responsible for leading the reconstruction efforts and paid a great many farmers who had lost their livelihoods in the attacks, granting them a great deal of respect from the commonfolk both in and around the Gate.

#### Cobalt Gate

Perhaps the lightest manned of each of the four Gates, it is no less powerful for it. The Cobalt Gate shines brightly under a weave of magical wards and protections and contains some of the most extensive libraries and laboratories on different treaties of magic, certainly the largest of their kind in all of Sland. The Cobalt Gate is also notable for containing what is commonly referred to as the Angel Ward, or the Celestial Quarter. It is here that many of the Bastions celestial allies make their home, gathering together in familiarity before going onwards to serve in numerous places along the defences. As such many mortal defenders feel less inclined to man such an impressive fortress when it is already so well guarded by such powerful forces.

The most prominent order that commands the Cobalt Gate is the Knights of the Sacred Ring, a fiery and almost fanatically devoted order of paladins and clerics, they take their closeness to their celestial comrades to almost personal responsibility and duty to uphold. These individuals tend to be ruthless in their pursuit of greater undead and rarely back down from a challenge. They are led by Lord Commander Talbot Thorinson.

#### Viridian Gate

The smallest of the four Gates though no less impressive for it. The colourful banners and tapestries of the Viridian Gate contain the many histories and legends of great heroes and many notable tales that hang high in the constant wind. The Viridian Gate enjoys a place of relative peace compared to its sister bastions, for it is responsible for maintaining and commanding a far greater number of the external wayforts than the other three combined. Indeed the sheer number of horses needed to supply the patrols nearly exceeds the number of people actually manning the walls of the Viridian Gate.

The actual command of this fortress falls on the welcome shoulders of the Brotherhood of Noctic, an order that finds itself more at ease working alongside the people and serving as castle stewards rather than a warrior organisation. They are led by Lord Commander Dolaris val Enem.