Zaroth

Zaroth (Zaros' Strength in the extinct northern language) was a fortress in the Wilderness.

Building
Zaros ordered Zaroth to be built where today is the green dragon's den in the Wilderness do defend the northern cities, such as Ghorrock. Its foundations were dug in the first day of the Hundredth year of the Second Age, when the Wilderness was still green. Ten years later the flag was placed in the top of the sentry tower, and that meant it was finished.

Marveled with its beauty, Zaros ordered that a skillful artist made a painting of the fortress.

Second Age
Zaros lodged over a hundred men in it and filled it with supplies. But during the Second Age there wasn't much need for it, the only big incident happened twenty years after it was built, and involved trolls laying siege. Only ten men died (from boulders the trolls hurled into the walls) and the invasion was easily stopped.

Third Age
After the betrayal, many northern Zarosians fled to the fortress for a last stand, while the southerners created the Zaros Cult. In the first year of the God Wars, Zamorakians laid siege upon the fortress, but were driven out. They tried three more times before giving up, but some years later Saradominists laid siege on it too, only to fail like the Zamorakians. The enemies left the fortress alone for an year, but then a force of Zamorakians and Bandosians attempted siege again, but still failed. Later, when Bandos allied with Saradomin and Armadyl, their three armies laid siege at the same time at the fortress. They lost, but left it in ruins. Taking the chance, Zamorakians quickly went kill the rest of the Zarosians.

Aftermath
No one ever took the time to rebuild the fortress, and after the God Wars were over, green dragons and revenants invaded the site, making it almost impossible to attempt archaeological examination. However, and adventurer recently found the painting of Zaroth and a small book describing it in a pyramid in the Kharidian Desert. He took it to Reldo in Varrock who translated the book and fixed the painting.



Ramparts
Most fortress have their walls made of stone on the sides and the middle is filled with rubble, but Zaroth's are made purely of stone. The foundations go down ten meters to prevent undermining, or at least make it harder. The wall has crenelations on all sides to protect the warriors on top. To get into them, the warriors must climb some stairs behind the warehouse.

Moat
The moat is five meters deep, which can drown most soldiers. But if any of them are good swimmers, thousands of stakes were placed under the water to impale enemies.

Lodgings
These two buildings are where the soldiers sleep. After some years, they decided to build stairs from the windows into the ramparts to make it easier getting into them in emergencies.

Warehouse
This is were the supplies, such as food, weapons, armours and arrows, were stored. One of the crates doesn't have anything in it and is bolted to the ground, it is a secret passage into the tunnels under Zaroth.

Central Building
This is were the General lives and where the kitchen is. Here the soldiers meet and train. On top of it there is another building, but smaller. These both are used as the defensive position if the enemies get into the fortress.

Sentry Tower
The sentry tower is the highest place in Zaroth, it is used to know if anything is going on in the surroundings. During the time when the fortress was standing, there was always a man on top of the sentry tower. The only to access it is through a rope ladder which is kept on top.

Gate
The gate has three parts: The outermost drawbridge which is used to cross the moat. In the middle is a mithril portcullis, which blocks enemies but allows arrows to be shot through them. And the wooden gate itself, made of oak

Underground
In case of emergencies, there is a secret underground passage that can be entered through the warehouse. It goes down thirty meters and has a few supplies in it, and also has a tunnel to Paddewwa, another Zarosian settlement, where today is Edgeville.