Chiriath Mul

The Fortress of Chiriath Mul is the center of the Marovian Imperial Army. It is a great city-castle. The whole city was surrounded by a huge wall fifty feet high and ten feet thick. The walls were littered with ballistae and behind them were huge trebuchet catapults. There were scores of battle towers built into the walls filled with ballistae and slits for raining arrows and stones upon the enemy. Legend said that Chiriath Mul had only been captured once nearly 800 years before by a dwarf and elf army. But that could only have been legend. After all elves had never been seen and dwarfs were only fairytales to entertain children. So among men the Fortress was unconquerable. Sorcerors and Empires had fallen trying to capture it and it was considered one of the great cities of the age. This is where the Imperial Army trained it's recruits.

Nat and Dyl were immediately formed into companies with the other recruits. Each company had 100 men and was commanded by a sergeant. A tough beefy sergeant, named Bullion, marched up to our group. He was rather short barely above five feet but his arms were corded with muscle and his hands were big and calloused. Soon Nat learned to recognize the signs of men used to handling their weapons. The sergeant smiled toothily, well it would have been toothily had he many teeth left, and practically croaked, "Hey laddies! Les git ya some weapons! I'll teach ya ta 'andle a swoyd, speaya, an' a bow like men." From that point on Nat woke to a horn before dawn and was prepared for the day and inspection by dawn. They marched and the sergeant drilled them till they dropped each day. They shot at targets until they could not summon the strength to draw the bow string back. They practiced sword forms until they could not keep their sword upright. They learned to use a spear and quarter staff until they could not stand. Then they crawled into bed each night exhausted and eager to rest. Each day it was the same. Each day they got stronger and stronger until the drills no longer exhausted them, merely wearied them. After nearly three months they were starting to markedly improve. Soon they were promoted from recruits to soldiers. Soon they would be sent off to war.