Fort Fair Maiden

## History

Fort Fair Maiden has existed since before the Verk Empire began its mass expansionism. Back in the day, it was simply known as Port Fair Maiden, and was a prosperous trading port that traded with the other parts of the continent from its far away isolated corner of the world; separated from the rest of the nations by extensive unconquered wildlands and only able to succeed at trade via water routes. While it struggled to stay stable, it became a very solidly built city state within the continent, though not nearly so much so as the capitals of other countries capitals that were ransacked by the Verk Empire.

When the Empire Invaded the other countries, Port Fair Maiden lost many ships to the aggressive Empire, but held fast and made use of its naval expertise to maintain its independence, though this was in no small part to the fact that it was the furthest independent state from the Empire.

As the Verk Empire fully militarized and better equipped their ships with the latest in magitech weapons, Port Fair Maiden lost naval encounter after naval encounter and most of its navy was entirely decimated. Due to fighting on every front, the Verk Empire didn't expand fast enough to fully knock on Fair Maiden's door step, but all its trade routes were cut and almost all its ships lost to conflict. All that was left for it was a slow decline and eventual destruction as it could no longer support itself.

Many refugees that barely survived the wildlands made it to Fair Maiden and began rebuilding the crumbling isolated city, working hard to tame the lands that were harsh with monsters. With the resources gained from conquering the lands to the west, they were able to fortify and establish Fair Maiden as a military stronghold city, and its population began to slowly recover with the immigrant refugees. They elected a council of 10, each representing a wing of the new industry the city relied on, with Gabriel Sunshine as the representative of the Rebellion that had begun forming in the north against the Verk Empire. All would not remain even slightly peaceful as soon the Verk Empire finally cleared enough of the savage areas to start pushing on Fort Fair Maiden directly. The constant sieges and battles around the area have turned the once serene port city, into a war zone.

With Cragscar liberated from Imperial Control, the sieges on Fair Maiden were lifted and the City now turned to working towards offensive war efforts such as building a Rebel Navy. Fort Maddox still stands across from them as a major opposition though, and the rebels continue to attempt to push into Imperial territory to liberate more towns and eventually defeat the Tyrannical Empire.

With Fort Maddox liberated, the city becomes more at peace as it focuses on naval efforts, the land efforts being moved more to get ready to siege the capital of the Empire. A feeling of anxiety lingers in the air though as the various forces under each of the council members begin to prepare for the eventual fallout that the city will go through when this temporary alliance ends with the fall of the empire.

With the Verk Empire fallen, the temporary alliance is broken with the assassination of Gabriel Sunshine, who was later revived by some Heroes. This broke the city down into gang violence and various groups forming and taking power of sections of the city. Laws vary, if there are any at all, between the different rival group leaders. Each Council member heads their own group trying to claim influence in the city to take full control of it while also stifling their rival's moves. One thing is quietly agreed upon. This war will remain in the shadows, out of the major public eye. Otherwise, the city would burn and break down into massive death. Several men have been hired to enforce this single rule. They are the Judges, and they employ means to keep people down when they are killed.

Helping this is the spread of refugees out from the town, reducing the total population in the city with the fall of the empire. With well over half the refugees leaving the city to find new homes (or reclaim old ones), the city isn't squeezed nearly as tightly on food. Of course, this has also given opportunities for the participants of the shadow war to pluck off enemies and claim they left...

The City was reduced to near ruins after a massive disaster caused by powerful entities, some sort of alliance of villains that have dangerous plans for the future potentially. They left the heroes battered and wounded with the ruins of the city they were trying to protect around them. The participants of the shadow war agreed on a truce to focus on rebuilding the city. For now, anyone attempting to build and create a new home there rather than focus on rebuilding the old homes, are looked on with scorn and hate.

The ground it had been resting on was not done with the ruined town. The fires that burned Fair Maiden has crawled deep into the earth and began eating away at the ground itself. After a massive earthquake, the land and town collapsed into the sea. The Aquatic Races who made their home in the area managed to save those who were caught in the catastrophe, but the town and land were forever lost. The name Fair Maiden has spread across the land as a cursed name that will bring ill tidings and misfortune.