The southern beacon
The southern beacon was a huge endeavor undertaken by the city of Skarm , before The Trade War
Located on the southern-most cape of the peninsula, it sparked immediate controversy with Fiorlas, over territorial claims.
Many later viewed it as the very excuse that ignited open war between the two rival cities.
Purpose / Function
The official purpose of the beacon was to safeguard naval trade routes and offer visibility for night travel. It was designed to glow with magic during moonless nights, guiding ships away from the jagged coast.
Alterations
During the Trade War, the building was repurposed by the Fiorlasean army as a defensive and scouting tower against naval threats from Skarm. Later, during the First Invasion, these added fortifications were destroyed by retreating Dorian forces to prevent the Army of Father War from using the site. The main structure barely survived.
Architecture
Its design is distinctly Skarmian, marked by angular forms and the use of bright orange tiles for decorative accents.
History
The tower's construction began around 300 BK. Official records allocating city funds for a "southern beacon" date back to 320 BK. Over the next twenty years, Skarm and Fiorlas became entangled in an escalating dispute over the project.
Before The Alliance of the Forts, territory borders were not defined by treaty. Cities claimed the land around their settlements and assumed the right to travel, trade, and extract resources from unoccupied regions. Constructing a structure miles away from any known settlement was unprecedented—and to Fiorlas, deeply concerning.
Initial attempts to resolve the issue through mutual talks led to a pause in construction. But when negotiations failed, Skarm resumed the project unilaterally. The outbreak of war halted progress once more, and following the conflict, more urgent infrastructure needs took precedence.
The terms of the Alliance of the Forts limited Skarm’s territorial influence, placing the southern cape outside its jurisdiction. When Fiorlas later attempted to revive the project, Skarmite protests forced the plan’s withdrawal.
Under the unified Kingdom, all unoccupied lands belong to the Crown. Yet no monarch has dared raise the issue—unity came at too high a cost to reignite dormant rivalries.
The Southern Beacon still stands, half-built, weathered by time. A monument not only to maritime ambition, but to the fragility of peace.
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