The Outpost Forts

The Outpost Forts

Established by the combined forces of various Greenwold factions, these three outposts protect the region from invasion by periodic monster hordes from the Barrens - a wasteland dividing the Greenwold and the Old Empyrean. When roaming monsters venture too far into Greenwold territory, garrisons from the outposts ride out to hunt the beasts, or otherwise chase them off. In cases of extreme need, when the limited forces of the outposts (which number only a few hundred between them) cannot contain a threat, reinforcements can be quickly dispatched downstream from Thile on their swift boats. Evenly dispersed across the southern region, each fort spans a finger of the Greenwold Riverway, providing protection on either side 6 of the water. A road extending east from Slew passes through each fort before continuing on east, ending somewhere in the lands beyond. Depending on the patrol rotation, each fort holds a few dozen people at a time, most either soldiers in the service of a Greenwold nation, or trusted mercenaries on long-term contract. A number of skilled laborers traverse the three outposts, providing food and news to the soldiers, fresh horses and supplies for the garrisons, and maintenance for the road and watermills. Visitors in need of shelter are rarely turned away, but are pressured to leave the next day, as resources in this remote region are so limited.

**Fort Pratchett**

The western-most garrison was first established when lizardfolk barbarians from the Starless Mire rampaged north on a pillaging spree. Their forces besieged Slew and burned many farms across the Granges before a combined army of Grayhaven militias, Academy Wizards, and adventurers sent the cruel marauders back to their swamps. The temporary alliance raised Fort Pratchett shortly thereafter, which served as a foothold against the encroachment from the south. Commanded by the dragonborn paladin and Knight of the Spire, Kahratine Scargiver, Fort Pratchett plays the most active role in the defense of the Greenwold. From here, roaming patrols venture into the Barrens hunting any wandering threats from the south. Recently, the Merchant Princes of Slew received an urgent request from Scargiver - she seeks any knowledge or priests within druidic circles. Assorted beasts from the Starless Mire, including crocodiles, buzzards, and vermin, have recently “spoken in the common tongue, screaming dire prophecies from the shadows of the night.”

**Fort Prefect**

The second outpost serves as both a watchtower on the border, and a dungeon for captured interlopers. The leader, Marshall Jerrus Toley, still bears the scars of the Sorcerer’s Rebellion - an uprising of unlicensed mages against the Alabaster Academy. Though he commands the respect of his troops and has the ear of many councilors of various Greenwold cities, his stubborn nature and distrust of arcane magic has hindered relations with the Alabaster Academy and other spellcasters in the region. He regards any magic-users with suspicion, assuming them to be an agent or a spy. Recently, a series of unexplained killings within the soldiers' ranks have prompted Toley to launch an investigation that some regard as more of an inquisition.

**Fort Ohmu**

The third and smallest outpost, Fort Ohmu was built from hardened clay and dust fastened together by a powerful Transmuter from the Alabaster Academy. The fort suffers intense seasonal windstorms sweeping from the eastern dunes of the Asharu Desert, keeping soldiers inside for much of the year. Morale has sputtered in recent months, as the former commander, Utilus Graal, inexplicably took his own life by leaping from the top tower of the Fort. Now undermanned and helmed by a universally disliked replacement, the soldiers of Ohmu hunker down and rarely venture into the Barrens. Recently, nomad tribes reported sightings of small humanoid creatures with jackal-like faces traversing the desert from the east, harassing the few humans who call the region home. Unfortunately, the sandstorms keep the soldiers from mobilizing an effective response.