Part The Second
For Nearly three centuries the Fortress lay in ruins, occupided periodically by goblin chieftans or would-be robber barons. It would not be until the First Age of Enlightenment that the fortress would see its next great period.

Archduke Nicholas Steiner, Leader of the NWO and Lord Protector of Wyndsor had just defeated the Vampire Princes, gaining control of of rich forests of Sylvania. He knew that before he could invate the land of Kesslev, he would have to secure his flank from attack by his enemies to the South. Knowing that any attack from that direction would have to come through the Valley of Woe, he set his sights upon taking the old Fortress of Karak-Dar.

According to reports provided by the scouts of the Black Hand, the old fortress was currently inhabited by a large and rather nasty-tempered black dragon, which had been preying on merchant caravans moving through the valley between Kesslev and the cities in the South.

The task of taking Karak-Dar fell to Baron Vigo Stormjammer, Steiner's Second in Command. His force contained a legion of shock troops, special ballista designed to fight dragons and other large flying creatures, and most of the corp of engineers. The dragon was slightly larger than expected, but was eventually brought down by the ballista formations, but only after decimating half of them as well as two cohorts of shock troops. Sending word to his Liege that the fortress had been taken, he immediately begain clearing away rubble and rebuilding the defenses.

Part the Fourth
Marching his company up the Styrian Pass, Captain Teecho could not help but be awestruck by the imposing sight of the Fortress. A veteran of the Araby Campaign, he had participated in numerous sieges, giving him a deep appreciation for the value of a good engineer.

The walls stand 40' high and must be at least 15' thick. Two massive towers hold sentry on either side of the gate keep. As the column approaches the massive gate keep, a horn signals their arrival to the Gatekeeper, who begins to shout orders to the two ogres who operate the wench which raises and lowers the portculus.

Atop both towers are heavy ballista which have been specially designed to allow them to engage enemy forces coming up the pass, or be elevated to engage flying targets. The wall is manned by alert sentries armed with heavy crossbows. Massive red banners hang from the parapets, bearing the heraldry of the New World Order.

Marching through the portculus, they enter the courtyard, which is bustling with activity. Men are marching, supply wagons are being unloaded at the warehouse, and a troop of cavalry are mounting up at the stables in preparation for a patrol. Coming to a halt in front of the Northern of the two barracks buildings, Captain Teecho is met by another officer who gives him his new orders and billetting instructions for his men.

Part the Sixth
Kronos had arrived with the supply convoy. Never one for the company of other people, he felt as one with the hammer and anvil,, the primary tools of his trade. In his homeland he was considered a Master Blacksmith of some renown. Kronos had no care about politics and diplomacy. He looked at war as another business. He only met his new employer once before, when he had been commissioned to work on a special project. He must have impressed the Noble, because he was soon visited by an officer who came bearing a commission to take over the Royal Foundry at this fortress.
The Foundry of Akavashi waws larger than any he had seen before. This young Prince already had blood on his hands and by the looks of things, they were going to get bloodier. He would have five other Master Blacksmiths working under him, and an army of apprentices.
The massive foundtry was blackened by soot from the ten massive furnaces which fueled its heart, and sent massive plumes of black smoke into the air. Kronos closed his eyes and smiled, as the sound of the hammers striking metal rang in his ears like some sort of macabre symphony. The acrid smell of the furnaces as sweet as a noblewoman's perfume to his burning nostrils. Lord Dredd may have a vision of a new world order, but it would be Kronos' steel that makes that vision a reality.

Part the Eighth
Two great spirally towers stretched high above the courtyard. Anchored into the mountain, they reached towards the sky like twisted, morbid arms, each capped by a fist-like room.
As you ascend the stairs of the North tower, you come to a secluded alchemy lab. Several tables litter the room, filled with all manner of equipment and speciment jars. The air is thick with the scent of fumes coming from a boiling cauldron, and a young acolyte scurries around preparing for the arrival of her Mistress.

The roof of the South tower is domed, a sliding door present to accomodate the large telescope brought from Araby. This observatory is situated so that in addition to stargazing, it can be used to traverse the valley, spying for approaching enemy formations, giving the defenders days advanced notice to prepare the defenses.

Part the Tenth
The great audience hall is more or less for public edification. The real power lies ehind the throne; literally. A secret passage is hidden behind one of the tapestries which flank the Jade Throne. It leads down a winding corridor of sub-passages, each leading to a different level of an increasingly intricate underground network.

The first or highest level of this network contains officers and living quarters for the Sovereign, nobles, and other senior officials. There is a small guard post, kitchen, and a magnificant dining room with marble floors, cherry wood panneling, covered by rich tapestries, and a long dining table capable of seating a hundred guests.

The second level houses the offices of the various ministers and scribes who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the realm. The barracks for the 300 man cohort of the Crimson Guard can also be found on this level. When not on campaign, they maintain a rotating regimen of training & indoctrination, sentry duty, and rest & personal time. The members of the Crimson Guard can be identified by their red cloaks and red-plumed helmets; their officers also wearing red sashes around their waists.

The third level containts mostly warehouses for the food and other supplies of the Royal Household. There is also an armory and indoor training arena for the Crimson Guard, and at the end of a long passage, a set of ornately carved double doors, guarded by two men with shaved heads, ornate purple robes, and armed with jewelled swords that are as deadly as they are ornamental. Behind these doors is the sacred temple of Cyric, the dark god of treachery & deceit, one of the four deities worshipped by the Steiner Dynasty.

The fourth and lowest level is the most sinister and guarded. It is the dungeon level and few people who set eyes upon it ever leave. Walking down the spiral steps, you come to a chamber with four passages, each leading in a different direction.

To the North you come to the detention center. Numerous cell blocks, most empty, line both sides of the hall. Locked away in one of them is a young woman in tattered, white robes. Resigned to her fate, she simply prays to her deity to grant her strength in the trials to come.

The South passage leads you to another set of ornate doors. These are guarded by men in hooded red cloaks. Beyond them, the shrine of Symbul, the god of pain & death.

You can hear screams of pain and torment coming from the Western passage. Down this dark and dingy corridor are the various interrogation chambers of the Inquisition. Supervised by Priests of Symbul, the "interrogators" ply their trade in an attempt to extract information from their Master's enemies.

The passage to the East is strangely more illuminated than the rest of this level. The walls are painted in vibrant shades of red, and the air is thick not with the stench of decay, but the sweet smell of burning incense. At the end of the passageway stand yet two more ornate doors, these guarded by scantily clad females. They bear all manner of tattoos on their bodies, and are armed with razor-tipped flails. Around their necks they wear the unholy symbol of Rizza, goddess of pleasure & seduction.