Fortification

Overview

The world of Empire is littered with walled settlements, fortresses, keeps, castles and fortified bridges. These lesser structures may be the target of a quest or skirmish but they are not important for the calculate of army strength present in a territory. Only mighty fortifications are tracked; sturdy castles, networks of carefully positioned forts; great stone walls with sentinel towers.

Fortification Strength

A campaign fortification is stationary and attached to a specific region. That region gains the fortification keyword. Fortifications have a strength, based on the same scale used for Imperial armies. A small campaign fortification has a strength of 3,000 - equivalent to fighting strength 3,000 raw recruits.

The strength of any fortifications in a territory are added to the strength of the armies present, but only for purposes of determining which side is victorious. Fortifications do not inflict or take casualties unless the orders issued by the generals for the campaign indicate that they are attacking the fortification or the region it defends.

For example, if the campaign is focused on capturing a forest region in Karsk then the presence of a fortification in a nearby region will be important for determining which side is winning, but will not directly affect casualties. If the orders for the campaign involve trying to assault the fortification, then it inflicts and takes casualties just like a campaign army.

Capturing and destroying a fortification

An enemy fortification is captured when it's strength is reduced to 1,000 or lower. A fortification that is reduced below 250 strength is destroyed, rather than captured.

Creating a fortification

A rank one fortification usually requires 100 wains of white granite and takes a year to complete. It can only be built in a region controlled by the Empire. Each season 25 wains of white granite are needed to move the project forward. At the end of the year. the fortification is completed and has a strength equivalent to 3,000 fighting soldiers.

Improving a fortification

The Imperial senate can pass a motion to improve the quality of an existing fortification. Improving a fortification takes a whole year to complete. The fortification must be controlled by the Empire throughout.

• Increasing a fortification to rank two costs another 120 wains of white granite, and gives the fortification a maximum strength of 6,000.
• Increasing a fortification to rank three costs a further 140 white granite, and gives the fortification a maximum strength of 9,000.
• Increasing a fortification to rank four costs another 160 white granite and gives the fortification a maximum strength of 12,000.

Repairing a fortification

A damaged fortification in a controlled territory regains a tenth of it's maximum strength every season that there are no enemy forces in the territory. Additional repairs can be effected by a motion in the Imperial senate and the expenditure of wains of either white granite or weirwood.
Repair costs might be 25 white granite or weirwood for an extra tenth of maximum strength, 75 white granite or weirwood for another increment, and 150 white granite or weirwood for a third increment in a single season.