Fort Morrine

Fort Morrine is a Iomedaean fortification in disputed territory of the Hold of Belkzen.

History

Battle of Last Hope

The fort was built on the south shores of the River Esk at the Rake Island Bridge in 4236 AR by General Istore Harchist, who named it after her late mother. It was a key installation in what would become known as Harchist's Blockade, which served as Lastwall's northern border with Belkzen until 4482 AR.

On 16 Rova 4237 AR, while still under construction during the command of Aberford Richter, the fort and a force of 500 light infantry held off more than 10,000 orcs pursuing fleeing refugees of Lastwall. After the invasion force breached the northern fortress with a ramming crew of ettins, Lastwall sappers destroyed the bridge, killing themselves and the ettins, and destroying Fort Morrine. The sacrifice blocked the invading force and forced it to retreat, and the siege was later known as the Battle of Last Hope.

Legacy

In the 46th century AR, an unknown orc warlord used debris from the destroyed fort and bridge to form a fording dam on the River Esk near Rake Island.

Holy site of Iomedae

Because of the Lastwall soldiers' sacrifices, Iomedae's herald, the Hand of the Inheritor, appeared weeks after the battle to the paladin Berbara of Skelt and declared the battle's site to be sacred ground to the goddess. Berbara took up defense of the crossing and remained in the position for the rest of her life, passing the charge on to a successor before dying soon after.

A paladin of Iomedae continued that vigil on their own until orcs overwhelmed Lastwall's defenses in 4482 AR and pushed their border further south, placing the site behind enemy lines. Surrounded, outmatched, and facing certain defeat in a nighttime raid, the fort's paladin during that orc-expansion campaign received sudden aid from a host of angels and archons who descended from the heavens and defended the shattered bridge. The phenomenon reoccurred during each subsequent raid until orcs stopped attempting to take the crossing.

As of 4715 AR, the current vigilant of Fort Morrine is Amahlia of Steyr, who has held the post since 4694 AR.