Forts
Forts are fortified structures built for defensive purposes. They have been constructed throughout history by various civilizations for a multitude of reasons, including protection from enemies, strategic control of territory, and as a base of operations for military forces. Fictional forts vary widely depending on the era of a fictional world. They may be depicted as an ancient fortified watchtower, a sprawling modern military base, or a futuristic outpost on an alien planet, as examples. They are often found in borderlands, frontiers, the wilds, or other remote locations. They may be along trade routes to help protect a trading post. Forts may contain defensive walls or stockades, watchtowers, keeps, and barracks. There may be hidden passageways or underground tunnels that allow people to enter or exit unseen. Forts may be under siege.
| Synonyms: garrisons, keeps, fortresses |
| Example Mythonyms: Fort Albert, the Winterhold |
Designing Fictional Forts
Archetypes
Overview
When designing forts for your fictional worlds, consider what defenses are present and what forces those defenses are meant to protect against. Forts may be in remote locations, and reinforcement may take some time to arrive. If the fort is along a border, enemies may wish to prevent the fort from signaling a larger attack is occurring.
While fictional forts are often based on real-world examples, they often have unique features and characteristics that are specific to the fictional world in which they are found. For example, a fictional fort might be built using materials that do not exist in the real world, or it might be inhabited by creatures that are not found in nature.
World Location
Forts may be located in the wilderness, on the frontier, on borders, or along important trade routes where they act to defend both people and territory.
Faction Identity
Fictional forts often represent the faction that built them. This manifests in unique architectures, colors, and flags prominently displayed. In cartography and game worlds, establishing differences in the styles of forts can be important, as easily distinguishing faction ownership, friend, or foe, can be critical.
Reference Image Gallery
