The Holy Fortress of Beltetar-Nierh, often called Beltetar Bastion, was a vast celestial fortress on the southern coast of the Abyss.

History

During the Celestial Wars, the legion of Archangel Anahel went on a great crusade through the known world, going as far as to build a great fortress in the Abyss, where Anahel intended to "forever obstruct the cesspit of demons". She was not that successful, however: soon her legion was beaten back and had to retreat within the walls of the fortress, which had to be swiftly expanded with whatever materials were available. For five centuries, Anahel's forces withstood a demonic siege.

Finally, when the Celestial Wars were drawing to a close, a legion of Antedeus' Infernal Army had sought refuge in the Abyss. In a final act of bravery, Anahel led her loyal forces against the devils; she would have won, if hosts of demons had not appeared out of nowhere and forced the remains of both sides to retreat. Anahel, mortally wounded, made her lieutenant Vis Aenar promise that her fortress should remain standing as a bastion against the demonic chaos until the last demon had been expunged from the Abyss.

Vis Aenar called the fortress Beltetar, or "beautiful rock", and Anahel's remaining troops - as well as many fresh faces, who had decided to join the cause after the archangel's heroic death - swore to fulfill as penitence the oath that Vis Aenar had made.

In the ensuing Planar War, Beltetar became an invaluable asset for the celestials: an impregnable bastion on Ochebana's southern coast, offering easy access to invade the Abyss. Thus, Primarch Vis Aenar and his Penitents constantly received supplies and troops from without, thanks to which the fortress could continuously be shored up and expanded to resist huge demonic efforts to wipe it out. Despite their great efforts, and regular sorties into enemy strongholds, the Penitents only rarely made serious attempts at conquering the Abyss; they barely had the strength to hold Beltetar. In fact, on several occasions, demonic hosts managed to pierce deep into the fortress, so far that Vis Aenar himself had to fight them back.

Layout

Beltetar was a massive port-fortress that stood for many millennia. It did not have a consistent architectural style; near its core lied the ancient stones of the original fortress, and above and around it had spread a vast agglomeration of walls and spires, often constructed in the most quick and effective way possible. As such, the fortress did not look very celestial; many outsiders went so far as to compare it to demonic constructions. The most outlying parts of the fortress consisted of crumbling walls and abandoned rooms which had been built and lost many times, which served as a skirmishing ground for Penitents and demons.

The fortress's most important aspects were its vast port, where celestial fleets regularly docked, and a large complex built into a mountain near the center, called the Atrium. It was the fortress's last defensive position and also the residence of Primarch Vis Aenar; he rarely left his golden throne after the early years. As ancient as most of the gods, Vis Aenar's rule in Beltetar was uncontested, and even archangels using the fortress as a base from which to invade the Abyss bowed to his word. His prerogatives were simple: hold Beltetar, at any cost.

Beltetar's Defenders

The Penitents. The defenders of Beltetar belonged to a single army led by the Primarch which called itself the Penitents. Outsiders could only become Penitents after they had defended Beltetar for a decade and sworn the Oath of Vis Aenar before the golden throne.

Though they came in many different types and colors, all Penitents were hardened and fully dedicated warriors. They spent all of their waking days fighting demons and knew that they would one day die, becoming another part of the rubble on which Beltetar was built.

Outsiders. Beltetar's status among celestials was very prestigious. For their warrior skills to be recognized, celestials had to have fought in the fortress. Thus, in addition to supplies, many gods sent their most loyal followers, champions, and angels to fight the endless waves of demons for some amount of time. Thus, Beltetar's defensive force consisted to about four-fifths out of outsiders.