Today, ruins of Fort Giard have become a house for hyenas and wandering Skrags. Forest bandits stash their loot amongst piles of debris while smugglers and slavers from Minoton ships set camps here. Locals avoid this wretched place at all costs. However, it wasn't always like this. Some twenty years ago, things were very different.
Fort Giard was a coastal fortress built to protect the seaboard from insular pirates when the Empire of Sadar was still young. It served its purpose for nearly two centuries, providing support to Sadarian naval patrols with its powerful cannons and ballistae. On two occasions, defenders of the fort had to get their hands bloody when pirates incursions landed on mainland.
By royal decree of King-Emperor Bor IV, the Scarlet Dragon banner was bestowed upon the Fort's garrison to honor their outstanding courage. The banner was hung on the Fort's main tower and remained there for almost a hundred years.
Fort's main tower was destroyed along with the entire fortress during an invasion of Vaalorian troops. The enemy fleet, supported by three squadrons of Moon Elves, attacked Sadar's coast. Patrol galeors delayed the enemy for but a few moments and soon, Vaalorian assault parties landed on the shore.
Soldiers garrisoned in Fort Giard showed heroic courage repelling attack upon attack of Vaalor's elite navy for two days. Fierce cannon fire of Fort's guns destroyed over two dozen small and medium-sized enemy ships and severely crippled several leviatons and dragon frigates. Among other casualties was the Elven flagship Kavessar that had its sails destroyed and was set ablaze. On the third day of the invasion, Vaalorians had to change their strategy, raining fire down upon the Fort with long-range weapons of their mightiest dreadnought, the dragon frigate Eldior the Furious.
Khorr's Hammers, devastating howitzers of Dedaire make that used runic magic and enchanted crystals to spit out deadly cannonballs, brought down the Fort's keep and towers. Iron Orcas, Vaalor's elite navy, poured into the openings, but met fierce resistance from Giard's protectors. For several hours, Sadarian soldiers fought for every inch of their homeland, giving no quarter and asking for no mercy.
When the sun set on the fourth day of the invasion, the last defender of the Fort fell. All of them chose death over surrender. Vaalorians, exhausted and decimated in the assault, had to cancel their plans of invading deep into Sadar's territory as Sadarian reinforcements arrived to avenge their fallen brothers-in-arms. Unable to withstand the onslaught of vengeful Dragon Knights, elite guard, and artillery, Vaalorians were forced to retreat to their ships and leave Sadar's waters for good.
Thus ended the heroic story of Fort Giard. The crimson banner was taken to the capital and to this day flutters proudly in the Alley of Glory in the royal garden.
Alas, restoration of the fortress was impaired by lack of building materials. The gray granite, extremely durable rock used to build the Fort's walls, was only mined in one place, and that place was in the lands of Minotons. At the same time when Giard fell, the dreadful Dragon H'uzur-Tash, dubbed Insatiable by the Minotons, made his lair in the only quarry that could provide the gray granite.
Eventually the construction ground to a halt. Instead of rebuilding the Fort, Sadarians strengthened their patrol fleet with additional squadrons. As for Giard, once a place of glory and legend, it turned into a desolate and dangerous area where crumbled stones are the only surviving witnesses of the courage, honor and sacrifice of the sturdy warriors of great Sadar.