Southern Shield Territory

Southern Shield Territory

Overview

The Southern Shield holds the hard south of Oblivion Vale. Rivers and lakes are gone, and the land no longer supports open water or easy travel. Control is not based on land ownership, but on roads, patrol reach, and enforced boundaries. Heat, wind, sickness, and exposure shape movement more than distance. Large areas are left empty, watched rather than settled.

The state governs through force, visibility, and fear. Roads matter more than villages. Any place without oversight is treated as a threat.

Terrain and Climate

Most of the territory is open flats, dry river cuts, and low stone ridges. The land offers little cover and long sightlines. Dust rises with every step and fouls food, eyes, and gear. Old river channels force travelers into exposed paths that are easy to predict and easy to attack.

In the southeast, ash blows in from the Ashcrown Ramparts. It coats skin, armor, and wagons in gray grit. Breathing worsens during heavy winds, and wounds rot faster. Travel slows, and patrol losses rise after long ash storms.

Nightfen Edge

Near the Nightfen, the ground turns unstable. Shallow bogs and soft peat shift without warning. Fog gathers low and hides movement until contact is close. Insects are constant during warm months and spread sickness between camps.

This edge is treated as a containment risk. Small failures can turn into fast outbreaks. Patrols move slowly and burn anything left unattended.

Roads and Fort Control

The Southern Shield holds power through roads, not fields. Travel is forced along controlled routes that follow old stone grades and dry channels. Forts and towers stand at regular intervals, linked by cleared lanes and watch lines.

Patrols deny cover near roads and force movement through narrow gates where the land cannot be cleared. Old ruins are reused until they fail, then replaced with timber towers and stone walls built from scavenged material. Travel outside these routes is treated as hostile intent.

Cordon Zones

Large tracts are kept empty on purpose. These zones are cleared, burned, and marked. Any camp found inside is assumed dangerous. The state treats unknown groups as raiders, plague carriers, or smugglers.

Cordon patrols act without delay. Abandoned wagons are burned. Shelters are torn down. Supplies are destroyed to deny reuse. Near the fen, ward lines are reinforced with smoke, salt, and insect barriers. Death priests oversee these actions to confirm burn and burial rites and give them legal and religious authority.

Power and Rule

The Southern Shield is a militarized human realm. Fort commanders control roads and patrol schedules. Movement is watched and restricted. Curfews are common near strategic sites. Inspections are frequent and harsh.

Law is simple and public. Punishment is meant to be seen. Order is maintained through fear, not trust. Leadership is judged by control, not comfort.

The southeast border faces constant pressure from the Ashcrown Dominion. Even in quiet seasons, the state plans for raids, sabotage, and supply disruption. Citizens are trained early for patrol duty and quarantine response.

Faith and Magic

Death faith holds strong influence because burial and containment are daily work. Life orders run heal houses and field care, but they answer to military authority. Fate orders witness oaths and judgments, but are kept away from sensitive records.

Magic is rare and watched. Licensed casters are used for sealing, inspection, and sabotage detection. Any power linked to sickness or corruption is treated as a hazard. Those touched by it are often pushed into border service or driven out.

Current Condition

The Southern Shield survives by spending lives to keep control. More land is managed rather than lived in each year. Cordon zones expand after sickness seasons. Fort rules tighten as supplies shrink and ash storms worsen.

The crown fears war, but it fears collapse more. When people stop believing the state can protect a road or hold a boundary, order breaks fast. When that happens, people run first and fight later.