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The Fang is a ruined castle situated on the larger mountain slopes of Trepus, Solyiat. The name itself is a colloquial abbreviation of its original title given by Sephi settlers, the direct translation of which is One Fang of the World Consuming Serpent Which Will Herald The Universe's Oblivion. The shortened Basic translation has become more commonly accepted even among Trepus' residents. With stonework which dates back to the earliest days of the Galactic Republic, the castle predates the earliest colonies of the Vatali Empire. Its exact origins or even the names of its builders have been lost to history, with only a small handful of theories offering any answers as to who this might have been. Due to its heavily dilapidated state, groups of Varritul nesting in its ruins, and remote location far inland, the castle was largely ignored by the coastal towns. It was only in early 38 ABY that the Fang underwent any reconstruction efforts, but any work to restore the building will likely take years if not decades to complete.
History
The exact origins of the Fang are unknown. The names of its creators, their allegiances, and even their species have been lost to time. All that can be certain is that the fortification is thousands of years old, constructed from stonework generations prior to the settlers of Solyiat arriving on the planet. Built into one of the central mountain ranges of Trepus, the castle had suffered in the centuries of disuse, with many internal tunnels and walls having collapsed in the years since its apparent abandonment. While a number of colonists made several efforts to construct a small outpost among the ruins, mysterious accidents and the wealth of predators that were drawn to its lower levels led to its abandonment. Establishing a far more successful township at one of the continent's larger river mouths - the town of Steepmouth - several hundred kilometers from the Fang, the colonists were able to prosper over the following several generations. Due to its unknown origins and unique design, the Fang remained a subject of interest among both the townsfolk and tourists. Other efforts were made to claim the structure for various purposes, but these repeatedly failed for a myriad of unfortunate mistakes and apparent accidents. After packs of Varritul began nesting among the ruins, any effort to turn the location into a tourist spot were quickly ended.
Structure
Built into the very mountain that it is set against, the Fang benefits from a unique structure that few castles of its apparent age lack. Entire areas of the castle were carved from the mountain, and tunnels formed leading further into the solid stone, all seemingly without the benefit of more advanced machinery or complex labour. The few efforts made to examine the structures found them to be an eclectic mix of crude and unknown means of construction. Large areas were built from standard brick and mortar designs, notably surrounding what was once the main gate, while others were formed by reshaping the very rock itself. The few intact tunnels leading into the mountain were described as being impossibly smooth, with no sign of tool-work or even more advanced plasma drills being used in their creation.
Exterior of the Fang
Outer Grounds
The mountain upon which the Fang has been built into is of a notably unusual structure. Tall, relatively thin and with a narrow peak, it lacks the more gradual incline expected of a mountain. Because of this, the surrounding grounds are relatively flat, only rising in a slight incline until it reaches a near-vertical cliff-face up the mountainside. Barren, featureless, and bereft of soil, the grounds themselves are a rising plane of rock. Rising in shallow spikes and broken by cracks, they offer little protection but make any effort to traverse the area on foot a treacherous endeavor. Even attempting to cross it via repulsorlift vehicles is a challenge thanks to the high numbers of Sarsirians which have developed among the rocks.
Lowermost Walls
Intended to guard against intruders and withstand sieges, the lowermost walls of the Fang are designed in a semi-circular manner which rings a substantial portion of the mountain's base. The walls themselves are estimated to be thirty feet high and thick enough that six men can walk abreast along its parapet. Much of the lowermost sections consist of solid Karnite layered over unknown substances. The exact means used to form the wall has remained a mystery for centuries, as it was seemingly carved from the very mountain itself despite karnite being foreign to Solyiat and rarely forming so close to the surface. Nevertheless, it has proven to be an effective substance in resisting the ravages of age and even advanced weaponry. The tip of these battlements rises upward by six-foot to defend those standing on its walls, before curving outward into broad spikes in place of the more typical glacis. These additions seemingly exist to prevent siege ladders or platforms easily resting against its walls. Even without this benefit, the formations have proven to be adaptable to use as modern weapon pintles and mounts. A few partings between these seemingly exist as arrow-slits or a means for defenders to attack those at the base of its walls, with some areas broadening out into larger turreted platforms ringed with machicolations.
The sole gatehouse for the castle sits at the centermost point of the wall, flanked by a pair of broad defensive towers. Corroding metal and the residue of wood indicates that ballistae or large siege weapons once stood at the peak of each tower, while the gate itself has since rotted away into nothingness. The design indicates that the main doors were intended to be placed on the very exterior of the walls and reinforced by several means, preventing attacking troops from taking shelter within the archway behind them. A second gate supported by a portcullis waits behind the primary doors, five meters from the outer gate. The ground in front of both gates is set at a thirty-degree slope, ensuring that those entering are having to walk uphill. The stonework in front of them is made of an unknown substance that can easily be heated when energized, allowing for it to reach blistering temperatures when exposed to the right energy.
Barbican Towers
Basilica
Situated between the lowermost walls and the primary castle itself, the basilica is a broad courtyard of paved stone slabs. Broken only by patches of soil where isolated trees once stood and angular menhirs of obsidian, the grounds are large enough to accommodate a Sentinel-class landing craft with room to spare for escorting fighters. The exact patterns of the stones are difficult to track, but the general shapes indicate a series of intricately detailed hieroglyphs shaped by varied shades and colours. As the courtyard is near-constantly covered with a light layer of snow, these are more often than not obscured from sight. This has led to a rumour that the exact details and shapes of these hieroglyphs change each morning.
The exact shape and spaces of the basilica have been noted to serve a defensive purpose. Behind the wider lowermost walls, it offers little in the way of shelter or cover from incoming projectiles. This allows the area to serve as a series of kill boxes which, combined with the natural chokepoint of the single main gate, would allow for a far smaller defensive force to more easily repel larger attacking groups. What remains perplexing to those who have investigated the area is that, unlike the walls beyond them, the battlements of the main castle lack the positions or remnants of larger siege weapons. This has led to those who have examined the Fang theorizing that there is an unseen element to the castle's defences which previous investigations have as of yet not been discovered.
The basilica is in a noted state of disrepair thanks to being situated between two towering defensive structures. Crumbling stonework and fragments of the mountain have landed amidst the courtyard, leaving craters and debris strewn over the surrounding area. One of the towers situated over the walls has collapsed entirely, blocking off the northeastern corner of the basilica and burying it entirely. Sensor readings indicate that a tunnel leading deeper into the mountain lies behind it, but it would take substantial work to shift the multiple tons of stonework.
Interior of the Fang