Badass Bookworm
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a cool location inspired by a real place I visited.
- Image Credit: Photos and map by me! Location is marked with a red X on the map. Photos are of a real hidden cave settlement in Cappadocia, Turkey. Second photo is a similar hill to where the real one was located. Final photo is of one of the stone doors underground used for defence.
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Dominion of Light, Disciples of the Vader, Republican Guard, Tephrike, Lands and Features of Tephrike, Gran,
- Military Base Name: Refuge of the Triankol, "Refuge of the Triankol Beyond Imperial Reach", or more grandly "The Refuge of the Triankol, Bastion of the Forgotten and Haven of the Unbowed". More commonly "The Refuge". The Tephrike desire to give florid names to everything extends even to hidden rebel bases. In the local Tephrike dialect it is called Kryfofolia or 'Hidden Nest', but that was probably not grand enough so it rarely used.
- Classification: Hidden refuge/fortress.
- Location: Tephrike, specifically the region of Tarazona near the northern tropic.
- Affiliation: "Defenders of the Three Noble Goals" or Triankol, a rebel group of Gran.
- Population: Varies from Sparse to Crowded depending on situation, but usually sits around Heavy, relative for the size of the base and constraints of size.
- Demographics: Entirely Gran. Occasionally a trusted emissary will be brought down blindfolded for a meeting, but this is exceedingly rare.
- Accessibility: Incredibly isolated. Tephrike is a backward, outer rim world. Tarazona is a war-torn border zone. The Refuge is deliberately hidden from all outsiders, and even from those who are deemed trustworthy allies.
- Description: The Refuge is carefully concealed within a large volcanic hill designated as Aetofolia or Eagle's Nest due to it serving as a roost to nesting birds of prey. It is completely invisible from the outside, and is immune to even the most powerful sensor suites due to the porous nature of the volcanic rock.
If one were to enter a large cave situated between Aetofolia and the nearby hill they would find it empty except for some animals. However, behind two right angle bends at the back of the cave is a steep path leading downwards. It is here the Refuge actually starts.
A maze and warren of chambers branch off, deliberately confusing so an attacker cannot easily find their way. In total there are seven levels, with the upper levels being the public areas, and the lower the living quarters.
In total, the Refuge can hold a staggering 5,000 people at maximum capacity. Usually, it houses 3,000 people for periods of time when Imperial activity intensified. A garrison of 400 fighters and specialists are always present.
- Stable. The very top level of the Refuge features a deep cave. Inside there is an area where the animals needed for transport and food are kept since they will not willingly go into the tunnels. The hope is that an enemy force which were to find the base they would take the animals and not explore further.
- Hidden Entry. Behind the animal stalls, carefully concealed behind two right angle turns and a painted screen is the entrance to the tunnels. The heaviest of the doors blocks this entrance.
- Doors. The doors of the refuge are a genius and low tech means of security. The doors are simply very large round stones in deep grooves which can be rolled into position to block a door. Once in place due to the grooves, they are impossible to push or pull out of position. These doors can weigh easily half a ton or more. To open a hole in the centre, which is usually plugged from the inside, has a wooden or metal pole thrust in and it is rolled out of the way and then chocked open with heavy wedges.
- Passages. The passages throughout the refuge are universally narrow, low and steep. This is deliberate as it means only one person at a time can pass through them, and they will have to do so squatting and slowly moving to prevent themselves slipping. This makes any attacker easy prey as they emerge singly from the passage.
- Great Gallery. The largest chamber of the Refuge is a large and low room off to the side of level 1. Almost 500 people can cram into the room at once. As this is only part of the population, groups will take it in turns to hear speeches or orders. There are no seats in this room, and the close confines make it difficult to be heard or seen, so the far end has a movable podium for someone to stand on.
- Living Quarters. The entire fourth to seventh levels are given over to living quarters which stretch well into the mountain. Clans are allocated a carved room with only a curtain or blanket hiding it from the view of others. It is not comfortable; with often a dozen people packed into a space usually made for half that. Electric lights are rare and usually battery operated.
- Food Storage. The third floor is taken up by a great larder and several canteens for families to rotate through. Food service is almost non-stop, with only an hour each day given for cleaning and restocking. Fortunately, Gran are vegetarians, and digest their food slowly so require less sustenance than other sentient species. Still, the sheer number of people means that families are rotated through at all hours of the day and night.
- Armoury. The second floor contains an armoury for the garrison and the people. Firearms, explosives and melee weapons are stored here, ready for use. A special cache is additionally stored in the only traditional locking door on level 7 as a last ditch use for the regular people.
- Shrine. On the first floor there is a shrine to the Goddess Doellin, along with remembrances of the fallen. A cult statue of the Goddess along with traditional crafts are placed here. It is common practice for new residents the first time they enter to pay respects at the shrine before heading below.
- Powerplant. Power is difficult to generate for the Refuge as it would produce emissions or other noticeable signs which could be tracked. Instead, large batteries charged by solar or other power sources elsewhere. This means that power is reserved for the most important needs such as the cameras, communication gear, and limited lighting. Most inhabitants get no power except the dim lights and the canteens cook when needed in special chambers which vents the smoke away.
- Cameras. The sole concession to modern technology is a series of cameras on nearby hills concealed amongst rocks. There is no link to the Refuge however, which makes them inefficient, but safer. There are just two cameras which are live, and that is hosted outside the main cave entrance and the sally port to warn of danger.
- Ventilation Shafts. Breathable air is naturally a concern in underground tunnels with thousands of people. Therefore two deep shafts 50 metres deep have been cut into the stone. Every level is connected to these shafts and the convection draws out and cycles air. It also allows rain and snow melt to drip down into the main cistern. The top of these shafts are not open to the sky but sloped so someone on the top of the mountain cannot easily see into these seemingly natural holes.
- Cistern. The deepest part of the Refuge is the deepest hole where groundwater can be found. Water from the shafts also leads into here, providing a vital replenishment of water and storage during the dry summer months.
- Sally Port. On the seventh level there is a small exit with two rolling doors camouflaged to look like part of the hill. This narrow exit is heavily guarded and acts as an emergency exit for the lower levels, and also a sally port in case the Refuge is discovered.
SECURITY
HIGH. As noted in description, even finding the entrance is extremely difficult. If one does manage to find the entrance the steep, narrow and low tunnels within afford the defenders excellent opportunities to ambush. A couple of emplaced rotary cannons are available near the main entrance to cut down any invader. Finally, the rolling stone doors can be used to seal off and trap intruders, allowing murder holes cut in passages to fire on the trapped enemy.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Tephrike has a long and tragic history of isolation, war and atrocity. However, it was not always so. Tephike was in many ways a conventional planet in the galaxy for centuries before its fall. As a colonial society, colonists spread out, seeking the best places to live, with certain species choosing specific areas which worked for them. Gungans and Mon Calamari naturally favoured waterside locales, while humans tended to prefer locations with access to water, open land and resources. A sizeable population of Gran meanwhile settled in the region of Tarazona, enjoying the grassy plains stretching down to savanna and jungles.
The Gran discovered in the foothills of the Pyrorachi (Fire Spine) Mountains where soft volcanic rock had been left behind by ancient eruptions millions of years before made perfect places to tunnel. The rock was soft enough to be easily tunnelled, but strong enough to not crumble. The Gran used these upland locations for storage and semi-nomadic living as they followed the grass through the seasons. Overall though it was not seen as permanent, and whilst the Old Republic lasted, they were barely used. During the reign of the Galactic Empire some dissidents took shelter in the hills, but when the Empire fell, they were all but forgotten.
The plateau and foothills of the mountains were challenging; a dry mild summer and cold wet winter made living there difficult. Ordinarily, the Gran would living in the grasslands from autumn to spring and then retreat to the cool uplands in summer before returning.
When the planet became isolated some four centuries ago, it rapidly fell to warfare between factions. Out of this has emerged the three major factions who control most of the planet's surface; The Dominion of Light, The Disciples of the Vader, and the Republican Guard. Tarazona's position was now strategically vital as it found itself guarding the southern end of a peninsula between the great lakes. When the Vaderites, also called the Imperium, occupied Tarazona they fortified this peninsula and occupied the region.
The Vaderites; human-centric Dark-Side xenophobes, subjugated the locals as best they could. However, Tarazona is remote from their centres of power and they required local xenos allies to help maintain the swamps, mountains and jungles.
The Gran as a species are culturally broadly pacifist, community orientated, and focused on harmony. The humans who invaded their lands believed this made the Gran easy to control; they were wrong. When negotiation and trust failed, the Gran were pushed to fight, and formed the 'Triankol', or "Defenders of the Three Noble Goals". These goals were simple; autonomy for their people, land to dwell in, and freedom from persecution.
Driven from the lowlands, many Gran relocated to the Pyrorachi and foothill, and made use of the unique geography of the region. Dozens of settlements were carved into the volcanic stone, and the remoteness and lack of supplies made it hard for the Imperium to move into the hills in numbers without risk. An effective guerilla campaign was and is waged by the Gran to defend their home.
However, during a particularly heavy offensive by the humans, a band of Gran fleeing pursuit came upon the Refuge's basic original setup. Once the Vaderites withdrew, the Gran set about expanding and strengthening the refuge until it became able to house hundreds, and later thousands of people. Secrecy was vital, so those who came to live there were essentially treated as a military force and not allowed to leave without special permission. Only those capable and willing to fight were allowed to stay with their families. No non-Gran were allowed to enter, and any movement to and from the Refuge was strictly done at night.
In recent times war between the Dominion and Imperium has further ravaged Tarazona. Neither are friendly to the Gran's independent ways, so the Refuge had to defend against both sets of enemies. After the Dominion was finally evicted from Tarazona, the Vaderites instituted an occupation force. This force though was sparse in numbers and usually restricted to forts and outposts in the lowlands and hills. What human settlement there is have been tightly around these defences due to the endemic partisans. However, recent moves by the Imperium speaks to an increase in human presence coming, so the Gran prepare themselves for battle and ensure the Refuge is constantly ready to defend itself.
The Refuge is a stronghold whose greatest weapon is secrecy. Imperial rumours of a 'hidden base' have swirled, but they have never detected it. Instead, the Refuge continues to direct lightning raids against the Vaderites, ambushing columns and then melting back into the rocky hills.
