Kaer Taek, also known as Taek Fortress, was a large fortress and military base on the shore of Lake Fork, 8 kilometers from Londerhome, on Balebu.

History

In the mid-500s, the Ochebana Empire built out its infrastructure, especially in the central reaches. As part of this project, the Nagaroute - a road that ran along the Nagaflow - was extended to Haven by shoring up footpaths and building bridges or plank roads along the moory areas. In 520 b. OW, Talmbrack Snaketeethed became Emperor, introducing a new church: the Imperial Church of Auril. To both strengthen the church and protect the capital, a series of military and clerical complexes were built in Londerhome's surroundings. This included the Taek Monastery, which was constructed in 501 b. OW. It was an isolated religious building which doubled as a military outpost: the monastery was located at a bottleneck point (the eastern Brinnmere) on a major road, allowing its garrison to control traffic and stop criminals or rebels.

Imperial Church Monastery, 457 - 407 b. OW

Religious tensions between the Imperial and New churches were high in 460 b. OW, there were shortages of metal, and war raged on the eastern front. In face of this unrest, the monastery on Taek Island was shored up at great expense, being expanded into a vast, blocky keep. Four hundred soldiers and monks of Auril could be stationed in the new Taek.

The new fortifications didn't change the monastery's use, however. Monks continued praying to their deity and learning the clerical arts in the dank walls, while soldiers continued their role as a road watch.

4th Footmen Garrison, 407 - 394 b. OW

The Imperial Church was weak; now that it received no money from the emperor, it no longer had the funds to maintain a huge isolated monastery. In exchange for hefty payment, it sold Taek to the Imperial Army. The 1st Legion's 4th Footmen, a Londer's Land reserve regiment, based half its force - 600 men - in Kaer Taek. Among the soldiers, this post was horrible. Swamps surrounded them, they regularly suffered from food shortages, received virtually no equipment, and either lounged around for days or went on grueling marches through the wetlands. Cases of pneumonia and undernourishment were common.

However, they were strategically positioned to protect the capital's flank and control traffic along the Nagaroute. Knowing the road's importance and fearing an uprising, Emperor Jonathan expanded the fortress, beginning the construction of an even larger keep next to the Taek. The footmen were also very important to maintain civil order: escaped slaves trying to follow the Nagaroute or flee through the moors were routinely arrested and kept in a prison tent camp until redeployment. They worked on the construction of the keep and suffered from even worse living conditions than the soldiers.

Republic of Ochebana

A revolution in Londerhome led to the death of the emperor, followed by chaotic fighting between numerous factions. The 4th Footmen were ordered to the capital by one involved general; some fought for him, others deserted and went home. Kaer Taek was left abandoned until the repanas rose to power. In order to secure their position and restore order, they dispatched a chapter of Southern Guard paladins, along with a loyalist unit of 100 soldiers, to garrison the fortress. They were both a preventive measure, in case some force tried to march on Londerhome, and a policing force on the Nagaroute.

Londerhome Guard, 392 - 296 b. OW

Under Emperor Brimstone, Kaer Taek's importance increased even further. The Londerhome Guard, an elite cavalry regiment responsible for policing the capital's surroundings, was based in the fortress. Construction work on the Keep, and on several unfortified buildings like stables and additional barracks, was performed.

Londerhome Guard riders made good use of the fortress's central location, using it not only as a checkpoint for Nagaroute traffic, but also using the good road to move around swiftly, and training specially to easily navigate and patrol the swamps.

Imperial Terror, 392 - 376 b. OW. Simultaneously, part of the new Keep was used by Brimstone's NASE as a base of operations and as a prison where prisoners could be questioned and tortured; Kaer Taek gained a scary reputation. Former slaves, traitors, or blasphemers rounded up by Londerhome Guard patrols were also often processed in the Keep. A strong stench emanated from the Meremoor due to the many bodies dumped there; with the correct wind, it could be smelled from the Nagaroute.

The Spring War, 376 b. OW. During the Spring War, the Guard's commanders helped Emperor Brimstone flee to the Londerwood. Kaer Taek was not involved in the civil war, as the battle played out in the Nagafield to the east, and the leaderless Guard did not pick a side. After Emperor Frederick rose to power, he appointed new Guard commanders, increased the regiment's active personnel to 3'800, and removed the NASE; instead, the cells were used for a few political prisoners. The Guard received additional training to serve as a regular cavalry regiment in a pitched battle.

Emperor Dumbler Darndick, 330 - 296 b. OW. The regime was secure in its power, and the military's role was now focused on the empire's land borders. As nobles preferred private militias over the Imperial Army, most units had grown smaller; but the Londerhome Guard's mobility and unique terrain affinity were very useful for rounding up escaped slaves and beating down uprisings. The regiment's size remained as it was, the fortress's infrastructure was expanded and modernized, and small units from several noble militias were additionally stationed in the Keep to both guard nobles' prisoners and represent the interests of the nobility to the regiment.

Freemen's Revolution, 296 b. OW

During the first months of the revolution, and in the year before that, the Londerhome Guard was very active, rounding up numerous revolting slaves and beating down smaller revolts. Captured slaves were now either immediately executed or transported elsewhere, not imprisoned in the Keep. In early winter, a force of 7'000 insurgents and traitor soldiers attempted marching down the Nagaroute to Londerhome; however, they were disorganized and bunched up on the road, being repeatedly pushed off Taek Island by cavalry charges.

In mid-296, a huge army of 100'000 insurgents marched on Londerhome, and the emperor ordered the Guard to fall back to the capital. It did so, abandoning Kaer Island.

Soon after, the fortress fell into the hands of the rebels; however, it did not receive a permanent garrison. The freegirl government was disorganized. However, a group of extremists who called themselves the Blood-Grin-Girls took matters in their own hands, turning the Taek into cultist headquarters and assaulting whoever was unlucky enough to be traveling the Nagaroute, often executing travelers on charges of oppression and blasphemy.

Three days after the cult's arrival, General Threevalley's army followed the Nagaroute to Londerhome. Its forerunners made quick work of the cult, and a skeleton garrison was stationed in the fortress until Londerhome was reclaimed.

When the provisional military government was established in Londerhome, Threevalley's 7th Derluskian Cavalry Regiment was stationed in the fortress. It had suffered heavy losses during the fighting.

4th Londerhome Regiment Garrison, 295 - 195 b. OW

Threevalley was murdered, and Emperor Sean Rumbler finally became the new emperor. He relied on martial law to quickly restore order: suppressing endemic crime and rounding up the rebels. To this end, he put a unit he trusted - the Londerhome Division's 4th Infantry Regiment, with 1'600 troops - in the all-important Kaer Taek. The fortress was used solely for its location on the Nagaroute: it was easy to erect roadblocks and round up people here.

The fortress received a second use in 294 b. OW, when a Sunnyvale elf was secretly imprisoned in the Taek. Six of these sorceresses had been captured by the emperor, and - instead of beheading them, as he had officially ordered all insurgents should be - were to be kept separate in secret locations, so they could not escape, but still be questioned. A fanatic unit of Imperial Guard and priests of Tempus had the responsibility of guarding the sorceress. Over twenty years, she was repeatedly questioned by torture.

Under Emperor Racketeer, a ring of fortifications around Londerhome was constructed. Fort Londer, a huge fortress, was built on the Nagaroute halfway between Londerhome and Kaer Taek.

Karloian Uprising, 198 b. OW

Racial and cultural tensions led to the Karloian Uprising.

First Uprising. At Karloian's call, large groups of rebels rose up at various points across the empire. A group of 12'000 such rebels, mostly peasants, marched down the Nagaroute towards Londerhome. The defenders were taken by surprise, but managed to repel the initial assault; after three days of fighting, however, with light units attacking the island from all sides, the garrison had to retreat completely into the fortress proper. The rebels left a small force on the island to maintain the siege, and marched on down the road. They were however stopped at Fort Londer, and a relief army arrived at Taek 22 days later. The besiegers had already fled the day before.

Guerilla War. Splinter groups of capable insurgents remained scattered across the empire; several of these were hidden in the Brinnmoor and repeatedly attacked the Nagaroute and other vulnerable locations. The 4th Regiment, bolstered by the 900 men of the 27th Londerhome City Guard Reserves, was tasked with hunting down these guerillas. The task proved impossible, however, and many more soldiers died trekking through the unfamiliar swamps or because of diseases than from fighting. In total, 34 rebels could be captured, while 300 soldiers were lost.

Second Uprising. Tactical rebel units launched a surprise attack against the capital while most of the army was occupied elsewhere. 1'400 such insurgents came down the Nagaroute. They took Kaer Taek by surprise at night, slaughtering the garrison and taking all but the Taek, where a few survivors locked themselves in. This did not stop the force, which swiftly continued along the road, circumventing Fort Londer and joining Karloian's attack.

After Karloian's defeat, the unrest died down. A mere 300 infantrymen of the 4th remained to garrison the fortress.

31st City Guard Reserves Garrison, 195 - 110 b. OW

Kaer Taek was no longer of much importance. It had proven largely ineffective at blocking the Nagaroute, was of an outdated single-keep rather than walled-compound design, and was outclassed by nearby fortresses and guard stations in all its uses. Thus, it was turned over to the 31st City Guard Reserves Regiment, which stationed 50 soldiers in the compound's outer barracks and let the rest go to ruin.

Civil War, 110 b. OW. During the war for Deltree's succession, several units passed by Kaer Taek, though the garrison always either let them pass, or had to fall back into the keep and let the units pass anyway. Londerhome dispatched the entire 31st, 3'000 men, to protect the fortress; however, due to riots going out of hand and dragons threatening the city, these troops were called back a few days later.

Ruins

After that, Kaer Taek was not used again. Its strategic value had disappeared, and Emperor Jeff Musket preferred to use his resources on other things.

The fortress was built to last, however, and the Taek and Keep's walls remained standing for centuries. Occasionally, parts of the compound found uses - for example, several church ranger camps were held in the outer buildings, and the Kaerbay and abandoned Taek were used by smugglers.

In the initial days of orcish occupation during the Orc Wars, the ruins were used by scattered tribes as lodgings and as holding cells.

Orcish Guard Garrison, 3 - 61 OW

When the region came under Boen rule, the fortress's ruins were put to use as an Orcish Guard outpost and prison.

6th Londer's Land Wyvern Wing Garrison, - 160 OW

During the Sun Empire, the Taek was refurbished into wyvern stables, while some outer buildings were rebuilt as barracks for humans. The 6th Londer's Land Wyvern Wing, consisting of 6 wyverns and tasked with patrolling the skies around Londerhome, was stationed there.

The Taek was intentionally damaged and abandoned in 160 OW. The Keep continued to be used as a prison for a few years, and was then abandoned as well.

A demonic cult took up residence in 218 OW, but was removed in 224 OW.

Layout

Virtually the only direct road from Londerhome to Haven was the Nagaroute, which crossed the large Brinnmere. Taek Island was a large piece of dry land along this road, complete with a large cave-riddled porous rock formation - the Dolmen and Mereview. Due to this position, all traffic between Londerhome and the east had to pass by the fortress. It was also very isolated.

Additionally, Taek Island was very easily defensible. It was relatively hard to reach, especially for armies, who could only follow the road or sail in via the lake. The island was surrounded mostly by moors, along with deeper water to the south and west from Fork Lake, and the Dalewater to the east.

Kaer. The Kaer was constructed by the Imperial Church in 457 b. OW and served as the centerpiece of the fortress. It was a large, blocky, self-contained structure designed to withstand sieges. It had one thick-walled ground floor, and five floors above this. As the fortress grew around it, a small bridge to the Keep was added. Under the Sun Empire, the ruined Kaer was rebuilt with similar dimensions into wyvern stables. Floors 2-4 became two wyvern kennels, while the top floor became a granary.

Keep. The vast Keep was repeatedly expanded over time. Just like the Kaer, it was self-contained and designed to withstand sieges. At its largest, it featured 6 floors, a cellar, and a small tunnel and cell complex built into the caves under the Dolmen. Some cells had barred view holes overlooking the Brinnmere to the east.

Outer Buildings and Docks. Various buildings were built and destroyed outside of the keep. Most notable were the vast stables of the Londerhome Guard, and sizeable stone barracks. Wooden piers extended into the deep water on the island's western shore, allowing small row boats and sail ships to dock there. The docks were mostly used by patrol ships, to transport supplies, to bring in relief or worker forces when the road was blocked or damaged, and to bring in stone and other supplies for construction work.