Tag: fortress al-mir

Chapter

Holding Steady

by Tower Curator — What was one to do while being sieged? Especially when the enemy was only sieging one side of the burg. It was entirely possible to evacuate the citizens out toward the east. But to the east was Evastani’s goal. Anyone fleeing toward Cliff would just have to face them again down the road. Some had gone on their own. Others stayed behind. Perhaps they could have headed north or south once they cleared the valley. Those weren’t safe either. This army of Evestani’s wasn’t their only force in the…
1. Fortress Al-Mir
  
  772.5 K Words • Completed
3.5 K Jun 6, '25 1

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Chapter

Blackout

by Tower Curator — “Places, places everyone!” Arkk and Vezta stood at the very center of the ritual circle. Arkk took the anchor position, the point where the most magic would flow, while Vezta stood in a symbolic spot. She existed less as an active participant in the ritual and more as a simple connection to the beings that brought her to this world as well as the idea from ages past that people could traverse planes as easily as Arkk could hop on a horse-drawn carriage and travel the Duchy. There was a large altar…
1. Fortress Al-Mir
  
  772.5 K Words • Completed
3.7 K Jun 17, '25 1

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Chapter

Wasteland

by Tower Curator — There were a few things about the other side of the portal that stuck out as just being off. The sun didn’t seem to set. If whatever was up in those orange clouds was a sun at all. Since the portal opened, round-the-clock guards stationed at the entrance had kept an eye on the situation. None of them could recall any darkening of the other side. Even after spending three hours on the other side of the portal, waiting for Zullie to give her assessment of its stability, the dark orange light in the sky…
1. Fortress Al-Mir
  
  772.5 K Words • Completed
3.4 K Jun 17, '25 1

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Chapter

Interrogation

by Tower Curator — Savren stood alone in a dark room with a large yet simple ritual array scribed out across the floor. Every species had variances in their minds, how they thought, and even what, exactly, constituted as thought versus reflexes or instinct. Among circles he frequented, among the libraries he had plundered for texts on the mind and clues that would lead to him curing his curse, he had found ancient analysis, documentation, and even dissection of humans, demihumans, and a large number of beastmen. They…
1. Fortress Al-Mir
  
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3.2 K Jun 6, '25 1

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Chapter

Resolutions

by Tower Curator — Arkk stared at the burning wreckage, searching for any sign of movement among the myriad bodies strewn about. Decades of travel carved out a small road between the trees, leaving a relatively clear, if narrow, pathway between Elmshadow Burg and Harmony Burg. Trees loomed large, hanging over the path, providing some shelter from falling snow leaving the trail useable in the winter. Evestani had been using it to resupply their army. The Evestani soldiers in charge of guarding the transport hadn’t…
1. Fortress Al-Mir
  
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3.6 K Jun 17, '25 1

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Chapter

Something Burning

by Tower Curator — “Gleeful Burg has four primary storehouses and several smaller, secondary storehouses. Two of the main storehouses are within the inner keep walls. Evestani has set up anti-scrying warding within the walls of the keep.” Arkk took a breath, looking around at his assembled team. “Unfortunately, that means it is too risky to teleport inside.” Arkk had yet to see evidence but Vezta was quite confident that teleportation rituals could be warded against. Generally in such a way that the one trying to…
1. Fortress Al-Mir
  
  772.5 K Words • Completed
3.6 K Jun 17, '25 1

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Chapter

Under New Management

by Tower Curator — Arkk strode through the halls of the former Duke’s manor. Everywhere he stepped, it looked like a war had been fought. Blood stained the floor, discarded weapons and armor sat in corners of rooms, and every now and again, he passed by a body that had yet to be dragged out with the others. All in all, a war hadn’t been fought. Most of the casualties of the operation were confined to the manor since it had been staffed with those most loyal to the Duke. Between some carefully targeted personnel at the…
1. Fortress Al-Mir
  
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Chapter

Underworld Exploration

by Tower Curator — Ever since Walking Fortress Istanur arrived at the portal, the Protectors watching the activities of Fortress Al-Mir vanished. Nobody had seen one sitting out and observing. None had tried to attack. They just left. Given the tower’s shadowy nature and their professed loyalty toward the Cloak of Shadows, or The Lady Shadow as they called her, Arkk had to wonder if something about the tower convinced them that he was genuine in desiring a peaceful cohabitation with the denizens of the Underworld. Or…
1. Fortress Al-Mir
  
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Chapter

Research and Development

by Tower Curator — The war was still active and ongoing, but it changed in the last few weeks. Rather than marching a large army across the entirety of the Duchy, Evestani had taken to subtler tactics. Smaller cells had orders to accomplish specific objectives. Since capturing the leader of the Thyne River group, Arkk had come across three other cells in the vicinity of Elmshadow. The Thyne River group had orders to detonate alchemical explosives inside the Thyne Burg, specifically any building that sat on the river…
1. Fortress Al-Mir
  
  772.5 K Words • Completed
3.0 K Jun 19, '25 1

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Chapter

Silence

by Tower Curator — Arkk had missed the opening of the Underworld portal. It was understandable, really, on account of having an audience with a god at the time. He had seen the after-effects, of course. The shimmering, almost water-like membrane that separated the two worlds and the lit runes embedded in the portal’s crystalline archway were certainly a sight to behold. Arkk wasn’t sure that he had much of a reaction after seeing the other portal. But, again, he had just met a god. It was hard to be impressed by much…
1. Fortress Al-Mir
  
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