Stone’s Hold
| Stone’s Hold | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Kar-Thal |
| Realm | Terasil |
| Function | Defensive Stronghold and Logistics Hub |
| Notable Locations | Lithic Gate • Bastion of Weight • Hall of Muster |
Stone’s Hold is the fortified threshold of Kar-Thal, a defensive and logistical district constructed around the massive Lithic Gate. As both the martial heart and shield-wall of the city, it serves as the primary base of operations for the Stonewardens and the central node for material coordination, structural reinforcement, and civic defense.
Function
The district’s role is twofold: to protect the entrance to Kar-Thal from physical and spiritual destabilization, and to serve as a strategic center for resource storage, emergency routing, and civic mobilization.
Its structures are built for permanence—wide corridors, chiseled vaults, pressure-displaced ceilings, and layered weight-bearing design. Stonewardens train, rest, and organize here, and civic defenders rotate through its muster halls regularly.
History
Stone’s Hold was built during the mid Era of Isolation, shortly after the Lithic Gate was sealed as Kar-Thal’s primary outer defense. Following early incidents of structural strain and deepshift instability, the district was established to provide both martial containment and memory-anchored protection of the city’s threshold.
It was also the site of the First Sealing—the moment when the Council of Stone and senior Stonewardens inscribed a stillstone lock upon the gate’s inner layers. This act bound Stone’s Hold to the city’s structural memory and elevated its function beyond mere fortification.
Notable Locations
- Lithic Gate – The interlocking stone threshold guarding Kar-Thal’s exterior entrance. Moves subtly with seismic shifts and remains sealed during threat intervals.
- Bastion of Weight – The core stronghold and resting quarters for Stonewardens. Walls are layered with pressure-dispersing strata and engraved stability markers.
- Hall of Muster – A barracks and assembly vault where tactical plans are etched into slate and deployment axes are assigned with station-marks.
Cultural Practices
Life in Stone’s Hold is defined by discipline and grounded silence. Drills are conducted without vocal command, with movement dictated by gesture, timed step, and structural signal. Stonewardens observe the Weight Rite upon deployment—a silent ritual in which they place both hands to the stone floor, grounding their focus to the tension beneath.
Each defender wears an unadorned stone band carved with their station-mark. The Chisel-Hall maintains a memory tablet where the names of fallen wardens are inscribed without embellishment.
The district also hosts the Stillstone Watch, a quiet vigil performed during seismic lulls, when defenders gather in stillness to sense tremors through bodily contact and positional awareness alone.