Fort World

*> When the world was set alight, to be extinguished by floods, that will be the hardship. Their baptism of fire.
>
>*

 After nuclear infernos made the world inhospitable, the last survivors left for space to escape the rising sea levels. In their absence other species were able to take a hold on the world. Extreme environmental pressures forced remaining creatures to evolve and adapt rapidly. Very quickly they learnt to manipulate their surroundings in ways similar to the worlds previous inhabitants.

Centuries passed as the IBM orbited the far outer edges of the solar system, travelling far too quickly for more than a few years to pass on board. Despite approximate preparations and asteroid mining some resources quickly depleted. Wood soon went entirely extinct. Fortunately Raz and Scruby had spent five minutes considering this possibility and had pre-emptively designed the Mining Craft with atmospheric re-entry capabilities. After moments of careful consideration it was decided that the pair would temporarily return to the world, yank some saplings, then quickly leave. Assuming he possessed a basic level of competence, Scruby allowed Raz to pilot manned Mining Craft for this operation.

> **This was the worst decision.**
>
>

### Dark Age

The world was hostile. Intensely hostile. Immediately requests were made for emergency extraction. However, with the arms race generating no revenue, and the IBM space program costing such an exorbitant debt, funding the extraction would never be possible. Little information was recorded during that time, but by analysing structures and ruins some understanding of this period can be gained.

Geography likely aided the survival of Scruby and Raz. At the time of re-entry the world was still flooded. The only land masses above sea level were archipelagos formed of mountain ranges and the occasional plateau. Small peaks surrounded by ocean are easily defensible with minimal need for fortification.
 Evidence of activity can be found on such a peak just south of the major fortification. Primitive cobblestone construction date this to the earliest days of their survival. Beneath the remains is a network of tunnels that plunge deep into the earth - possibly from early attempts at mining. Given its state of disrepair, its easy to assume that the marooned pair were pushed out of the structure by hostile fauna, however all other nearby structure are much larger in size and would be more challenging to secure; more likely is that the pair left the structure as their needs outgrew its size.
 The final noteworthy feature of this island is a pair of rings inscribed into the floor. Their purpose is unclear however they are thought to be decorative artwork depicting the orbits of the world and IBM around the sun to preserve the legacy of their past lifestyle and culture.

North of the early ruins is a secondary larger landmass. Here stands the best preserved and most heavily fortified structure in the region. Walls surrounding the perimeter of the fort appear to have been expanded multiple times throughout the fort's occupation.
 The innermost walls housed the forts keep, this was the oldest structure on the island and was used to store all possessions and resources of its occupants. Its thought that the first perimeter expansion was built to secure land that could be used for agriculture. Protected by these walls is evidence of early re-mechanisation, to the north is a windmill, while a small farm space west of the keep contains a small waterwheel. Primitive machinery such as this likely developed the groundwork for later industrialisation that would come to define the following age. Also within the boundaries of the first outer walls is a pair of inscribed rings, identical to that fund in the earlier ruins, this shared artwork that confirms both structures hare the same inhabitants.

 While scholars and historians share a widely accepted understanding of the two fortified structures, there is little agreement on surrounding ruins. Without any artistic inscriptions characteristic of the major fortifications, its hard to tell whether this was part of the defended settlement, a structure built by intelligent fauna, or a remnant of previous inhabitants. Differing materials and construction techniques make it difficult to see a connection with Raz and Scruby's fortifications. Fauna of the time may have been intelligent enough to build encampments, but settling such a close proximity to the fort would never have been possible and there is little other evidence of similar collaboration between fauna.