The Dreadfort

The Dreadfort

The Dreadfort

“The only thing heavier than the mountain... was the cost to lift it.”

Overview

The Dreadfort is a colossal floating fortress—the only one of its kind in the world—born from an unprecedented act of magical engineering. Raised in 1501 A.M. through the combined efforts of a powerful corporate alliance, the Dreadfort is built atop Mauna Loa, a once-mighty volcano torn from the surface of the Earth and suspended high in the sky through the use of enormous quantities of raw Shardisite.

Its primary purpose: to protect the monopoly on a vital magical airship fuel known as Hydrogas.

Construction and Purpose

In the aftermath of the Meteor Strike, shardisite rapidly became the foundation of technological and magical innovation. Among its many uses, it was discovered that under the right conditions, shardisite could be used to refine Hydrogas—a potent, lighter-than-air magical fuel that revolutionized airship travel and sky-based industries.

To secure absolute control over Hydrogas production, a coalition of industrial powers conspired to build the Dreadfort. Rather than defend a vulnerable refinery on the ground, they lifted Mauna Loa itself into the sky, embedding production facilities directly into the floating mountain.

The Dreadfort remains a symbol of ambition without parallel: a fortress, a factory, and a city in the clouds.

Structure

The surface of the Dreadfort hosts:

• Massive shardisite refineries, refining Hydrogas at industrial scales.
• Defensive battlements, including anti-airship cannons and magical wards.
• Worker settlements, corporate headquarters, and military garrisons.
• Research complexes experimenting with shard-based technologies.

Vast caverns honeycomb the interior of Mauna Loa, housing fuel reserves, war factories, and hidden vaults.

Modern Status

In the modern era (circa 2100 A.M.), the Dreadfort still floats high above the world. It remains a heavily fortified corporate stronghold, jealously guarding Hydrogas production and shardisite secrets. Access to the Dreadfort is strictly controlled, and unauthorized airships are fired upon without warning.

The Dreadfort’s existence is both awe-inspiring and controversial—an enduring reminder that those who command shardisite command the skies.

The Raid of Hale Damien

In 2092 A.M., the notorious airship pirate Hale Damien achieved the unthinkable: he raided the Dreadfort itself and successfully severed a fragment of Mauna Loa from the floating fortress.

The stolen piece—roughly the size of a small city block—remained aloft due to its embedded shardisite veins. Although incapable of independent flight, the fragment was adapted into a mobile pirate base, permanently tethered and towed by a fleet of captured airships.

Despite its reduced scale, the chunk continues to produce small quantities of shardisite, making it both a symbolic prize and a functional stronghold. Hale Damien’s heist catapulted him to legendary status among pirate circles, and his mobile fortress—sometimes called the Little Dreadfort—became a feared sight across the Oceanic trade routes.

The exact details of the raid remain shrouded in myth. Many believe the accounts of Damien’s assault are wildly exaggerated—embellished with each retelling by those who dream of freedom from the corporate empires that rule the skies.

Legacy

No other floating mountain exists. The Dreadfort stands alone: a relic of unchecked industrial ambition, and a fortress upon which the future of air travel, commerce, and magical supremacy still depends.