Fengaard

Fengaard is a mobile military settlement operated by the Cythrian Empire, located in the volatile frontier region of Bariatok , approximately two days' march northeast of Tycho . More than a town and less than a fortress, Fengaard is a manifestation of the Empire’s relentless expansionist philosophy, an ever-moving bastion that advances with the Empire’s grip on the wildlands.   Purpose and Design   Unlike permanent imperial cities, Fengaard is designed to be entirely modular and mobile. Constructed from prefabricated materials and reinforced timber harvested from the surrounding lands, the settlement is erected and dismantled with practiced efficiency. Once the surrounding area has been deemed secure, typically through a combination of scouting missions, road construction, and the erection of watchtowers and stone keeps, Fengaard is deconstructed, packed, and marched further into the Bariatoki wilderness.   This unique design allows Fengaard to act as the spearpoint of imperial infrastructure, providing staging grounds for construction crews, engineers, and military patrols. Roads, bastions, and signal towers radiate outward from Fengaard’s current position like a spider’s web, stitching the wilderness into the Empire’s growing network of dominion.   Layout and Function   Fengaard is laid out with brutal practicality. At its center stands the Field Command Pavilion, a heavily guarded tent-fort where senior officers coordinate operations, monitor troop movements, and relay orders from Marshal Crowhel in Tycho. Surrounding it are various zones: a soldiers’ camp, a medicae ward, crafting stations, and supply depots, each encircled by portable palisades and rudimentary watchtowers. A small chapel tent to Ius travels with the camp and is erected beside the command tent at each new location.   The outer perimeter is secured by wooden stakes, spiked trenches, and regularly rotated patrols. Imperial engineers also deploy temporary light beacons and sigil wards, which provide protection against wandering beasts and opportunistic raiders. Barracks tents are kept tight and orderly, reflecting the Empire’s demand for discipline even in the frontier wilds.   Strategic Role   Fengaard serves as the primary bridgehead for the Cythrian Empire’s northern expansion into Bariatok. From here, supply routes are carved toward deeper objectives, and forward scouts launch expeditions into uncharted or hostile territory. While technically subordinate to Tycho, Fengaard operates with a high degree of autonomy, often responding to threats and opportunities without waiting for orders from the rear.   Its existence is part of Marshal Remus Crowhel’s broader strategy: to maintain unrelenting pressure on the native peoples of Bariatok, to establish imperial roads and bastions faster than resistance can gather, and to make retreat impossible by turning each step forward into firm ground.   Life in Fengaard   Life in Fengaard is grueling. Soldiers endure long hours of labor in addition to watch shifts and drills. Rain, frost, heat, and mud are daily companions. Morale is sustained through a mix of strict regimentation, imperial propaganda, and the promise of land grants or promotion for those who distinguish themselves. Small contingents of imperial scribes and quartermasters maintain records of every movement, casualty, and claim of valor.   Despite its hardships, Fengaard draws ambitious officers and adventurers eager to earn imperial favor. It also hosts a contingent of Venators, elite hunters and scouts drawn from Tycho, tasked with eliminating dangerous wildlife or uncovering ruins before native factions can exploit them.   Surroundings and Threats   The terrain surrounding Fengaard varies with its position. Sometimes it is deep forest choked with mist and predator-song; other times it lies upon rocky highlands or frostbitten moors. Regardless of location, threats remain constant: orc raiders from the Kargathian Wetlands , nomadic resistance bands, ancient curses stirred by excavation, and monstrous wildlife displaced by imperial sprawl.   To the Cythrian Empire, these threats are both hazard and opportunity, challenges to be overcome, and enemies to be crushed, in the name of civilizing the frontier.