Fallout:Blood and the Bull

honest reviews would be greatly appreciated

Any opinion and comments are welcome

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I gathered all available troops under my command. Among well-trained legionaries and the forces of nobles who had joined my banner, we managed to form an army of over twelve thousand men. However, only a third of them were true legionaries. The rest were second-rate soldiers, armed peasants, and mercenaries, but their numbers and willingness to march east were sufficient for now.

Over the following days, we advanced along dirt roads used by the local tribes. These routes bore clear signs of migration: footprints, abandoned campsites, and traces of beastman caravans moving east. We encountered no resistance. It was as if the enemy had vanished. Yet I knew this was no coincidence; it was all orchestrated by Arla. She was giving orders, and the tribes obeyed without question.

This region of valleys had once been vital to the empire. It was said that an enormous quantity of grain was cultivated here to supply the central lands. A great river was also supposed to run through the area, but its flow had disappeared centuries ago. According to legend, the river's disappearance coincided with the fall of the great fortress that guarded this passage. Now, all that remained were dense, desolate forests, filled with shadows and memories of a more prosperous past.

During our march, we came across several dungeons scattered throughout the forest. These ancient structures, emanating an eerie energy, seemed to beckon exploration, but we couldn't afford to waste time. We had a clear objective: the mountains to the east and the fortress that had been the pinnacle of the empire's glory.

After days of exhausting travel, we finally arrived. The fortress. Even in its ruined state, it was an impressive sight. Centuries had passed since its fall, yet it still stood. Its crumbling walls and partially destroyed towers couldn't hide the grandeur of its design. The western side of the fortress was less defensible, with a double wall protecting the entrance to the citadel. But facing east were the most formidable and complex defensive systems ever constructed: ramps, wall upon wall, dozens of towers, and systems designed to turn any siege into a nightmare. This fortress had been an unassailable bastion in its time.

And yet, it fell.

According to my family's stories, it wasn't an external enemy that caused its downfall but internal betrayal. Political infighting and ambition among the commanders weakened the garrison. At their moment of greatest need, much of the troops had marched into the valley to quell internal disputes, leaving the fortress vulnerable. That was when a powerful warlord, leading a formidable army, seized the opportunity and crushed what remained of the resistance.

As I gazed at the ruins from a distance, I considered the possibility of rebuilding this fortress and controlling the only pass to the east. We could turn it into an impenetrable barrier, a shield against any future threat. That would be a plan—but I didn't have the men to take the fortress. Though only two walls stood between us and the citadel, lacking siege weapons and numerical superiority made it impossible. Building smaller castles to control attacks would be ideal, but...

The gates were open.

I ordered the scouts to advance. Their reports soon returned with unsettling news: the fortress had been abandoned recently. There were clear signs it had been occupied until recently—still-warm campfires, fresh footprints in the corridors, and provisions left behind. It seemed the occupants had left in a hurry, as if they'd received orders to depart just days before our arrival.

I decided to advance with a detachment to inspect it personally. The atmosphere was eerie, as if the fortress itself was watching us. As my men searched the ruins for traps or hidden enemies, I entered the main hall, the former command center. There, on a broken table, I found something that seemed to have been left deliberately: a letter.

I took it carefully, breaking the simple seal. As I read it, I immediately recognized the author.

It was from Arla. Her words, echoed in my mind:

"You were better... or perhaps just more timely. You took advantage of my desire to end the empire quickly. Had I devoted more time to rallying all the tribes, instead of just a small fraction, humanity would already be under a just rule.

But do not mistake this retreat for a definitive defeat. I will return soon. My battle does not end until the empire and all races stand under a single banner."

I read the letter several times, letting the weight of her words sink in. Arla hadn't abandoned this fortress because she was defeated. This move was part of a larger plan. She had chosen to retreat, giving us control of this place, but making it clear this was only one step in a war she considered inevitable. This withdrawal was not a sign of weakness but a calculated strategy to unite the remaining beast tribes. If this was just a small part of her forces, I didn't want to imagine what would happen when she gathered them all—or rallied other races. She only needed to march north to recruit orcs and goblins or head south to enlist centaurs.

I carefully stored the letter and turned to my officers waiting at the hall's entrance.

"Fortify the defenses immediately," I ordered. "This fortress will be our base in the east. If Arla believes she can return, she'll find a wall she cannot breach."

As we explored further, we discovered something that completely changed our understanding of the fortress: the river running through the citadel's center. This river, which once fueled the fortress's forges and industries, wasn't an ordinary natural resource but a masterpiece of engineering. Most astonishingly, the water could flow in two directions—east or west—depending on a complex control system.

Following the ancient channels and studying the remnants of the machinery, we found the core of this system: an ingenious mechanism designed to redirect the water's flow. This system, hidden in an underground chamber beneath the citadel, was composed of massive gears and iron counterweights now corroded by time. According to our engineers' deductions, this mechanism allowed precise control over the river's direction, ensuring the water flowed where it was needed.

If directed east, the water fed the agricultural valleys and fertile lands that had once sustained the empire during its golden age. But if it flowed west, the river irrigated lands now occupied by the beastmen—the same lands that had once been productive fields. Most intriguingly, the westward flow could also be used as a weapon: the few access points from the west could be deliberately flooded, turning those routes into treacherous swamps, impassable unless advanced irrigation techniques were used. Considering that the fortress was filled with soldiers during its heyday, these routes had likely been transformed into death traps.

This fortress, with its ancient systems and defensive potential, would become the cornerstone of my strategy to control the east.

I ordered the engineers to prioritize restoring the system. This task was as critical as reinforcing the walls. Controlling the water meant controlling the region. I knew Arla had abandoned this fortress, but I couldn't understand why she had ceded such a valuable resource. Perhaps she knew repairing it would take us time, or perhaps she simply lacked the means to do so.

With the fortress secured, our strategic position transformed completely. Kilometers of border, once vast and unprotected terrain of plains and forests, were drastically reduced thanks to the region's natural features. The mountains surrounding the valley on both sides were nearly impassable for large armies. Only a few narrow passes connected the east to the lands beyond, and now all were under our control.

This meant that any attempt at invasion from the east would have to pass through this fortress, facing our reinforced defenses. While it was possible that small tribes, adapted to mountain life, might traverse those secondary routes, they did not pose a significant threat. No force capable of challenging the empire could move through such rugged and treacherous terrain.

From atop the walls, I gazed at the mountains rising like colossal guardians of the valley. This place was more than a fortress; it was a key that locked the east and protected the heart of our lands. Arla's decision to abandon this bastion continued to puzzle me. Perhaps she saw something I did not, or perhaps she was overly confident in her future plans. But what was clear was that this place would become the center of our power in the region.

I ordered our forces to begin fortifying the structure even further. This fortress, combined with the natural barriers of the mountains, turned the valley into a bottleneck. We could channel any incursion towards our walls, wearing down the enemy before they had a chance to confront us directly. Moreover, with the river under our control, we had a tool that could flood the few access points to the west if any force tried to move against us from that direction.

It took a week, but the grueling effort finally paid off. The engineers and artisans worked tirelessly, crafting replacements and repairing the river control system. It was a monumental challenge. The gears corroded by centuries of neglect needed replacing, the counterweights adjusted, and the gates controlling the water flow had to be rebuilt almost from scratch. Every step required extreme precision, and the danger of a complete collapse was ever-present.

While overseeing the work from the control chamber, I couldn't help but admire the skill and vision of the engineers who had designed this system in the days of the ancient empire. It was a masterpiece of engineering, a reminder of what humanity had been capable of achieving at its peak. Now, under my command, this marvel was coming back to life.

Finally, after days of exhausting labor, the gears aligned, and the mechanism was activated. With a deep rumble and an echo that resonated throughout the fortress, the water began to flow again. For the first time in centuries, the river changed its course. We watched it run eastward, reviving what had once been a vital artery for the region.

The effect was immediate. The ancient channels, now cleared, began to fill, and the water spread across the valleys that had once been fertile. The river, long dead, was coming back to life, bringing with it the promise of renewal and sustenance. My men watched in silence, some in awe and others with pride, as the waters filled the dry riverbed. This was not just a technical achievement; it was a symbol of our ability to recover and rebuild what time and decay had stolen.

Now it was just a matter of waiting. The river, revived after centuries of silence, began to transform the region. We could see the water slowly extending across the valley, revitalizing the dry, cracked land that had once been fertile. The air felt different, fresher, as though nature itself recognized that something had changed. This valley, abandoned for generations, would soon be ready to be reclaimed.

Repopulating it with farmers and acquiring large quantities of slave labor was imperative. This valley had the potential to become the agricultural heart of the east, feeding not only our troops but also the cities that depended on these lands for sustenance. The plantations we could establish here would not only restore the region's former glory but also solidify our position as the true rulers of these lands.

"Prepare the reports," I ordered my officers. "We need to identify the farmers who fled this region and begin working on their resettlement. Families capable of working the land immediately will take priority. But we will not rely on them alone. Send emissaries to neighboring regions and to the south, where we can acquire slaves. We will need thousands to transform this valley into what it must become."

The frumentarii already had orders to assess the slave markets in nearby regions. A massive purchase of slave labor was a necessary investment. These slaves would work the land, build the required infrastructure, and ensure that the plantations flourished quickly and efficiently. The plantations would stretch from the nearby hills to the riverbanks, reclaiming every inch of this now-revived valley.

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honest reviews would be greatly appreciated

Any opinion and comments are welcome