Charred Fortress

Charred Fortresses are points of interest in Ashlands. They are marked by a beam of green light shooting straight up into the sky, visible from a distance.

Location[]

Each world has 20 Charred Fortresses. They are always located away from the coasts between the inland lava fields, usually inside the central islands of the Ashlands.

Layout[]

The fortress consists of a tall, rectangular outer wall with many pillars and spiked bronze defenses. Two opposing outer walls have closed gates in them, leading to the interior area.

The interior contains an expanse of ground littered with gravestones, with two Effigies of Malice in the corners and two stone ramps leading up to the parapets atop the exterior walls.

In the very center of the fortress interior is a tall tower, capped with more spiked defenses, which has one gate leading inside.

The walls (of the exterior and of the interior tower), the pillars, gates and spiked defenses can all be destroyed, but only by Pickaxe damage of tool tier 5 or higher - i.e. a Battering ram or a Catapult with Explosive payloads. The pillars have negligible (1) health but the walls (1500), spikes (1500) and especially the gates (6000) have much higher health. The exterior walls are three layers thick, whereas the interior tower walls are only one layer thick.

The fortress initially spawns some creatures, independently to the Effigies of Malice, they do not respawn if killed:

• Up to 3 Charred Warlocks (100% chance for the one on top of the tower and 60% chance to spawn for the other).
• Up to 5 Charred Marksmans (100% chance for the one on top of the tower and 60% chance to spawn for the other).
• Up to 4 Skuggs (80% chance for each corner of the fortress to have one).

Loot[]

Skugg drop Charred cogwheels which allow the player to make a Catapult.

The walls themselves drop no loot, but the bronze spike strips can be destroyed with a siege engine and drop 2-5 Scrap bronze each. As each Charred Fortress contains exactly 78 spike strips, one fortress will yield an average of 273 scrap bronze.

Molten cores can spawn inside the Charred Fortress. A total of 10 can spawn per fortress: 2 are guaranteed to spawn inside the tower, and up to 8 more can spawn elsewhere throughout the fortress (with a 5% chance each).

The internal tower of a Charred Fortress contains a Bell Altar (drops 2 to 4 Bell fragment when destroyed), a Charred chest (see Loot chest for content), and a Fader Vegvisir with a 50% chance. Along the solid walls of the tower, one to three more Charred chests will spawn (clockwise from the tower entrance: 100%, 13% and 50% chances).

Notes[]

• The exterior walls (3 layers x 1500 health = 4500 total) are easier to break through than the gates (6000 health). The tower walls (1500 health) are easier still, but be careful not to accidentally destroy any loot (see below).
• The Charred chests and the Bell fragment altar are destroyable; while the chests have 200 health and are resistant to most types of damage (except for Lightning, Poison and Spirit), the altar is extremely fragile - having only 10 health and no damage resistances.
• The presence of the Bell fragment altar is indicated by a huge vertical beacon of light, which can be seen at a distance. This beacon can help identify the location of intact fortresses from afar.
• The eastern and western smaller islands usually generate with no fortress, thus it is best to first land directly south of spawn.
  • Destroying the altar also removes the beacon.
• Some segments of the walls can be mined with any pickaxe. This might be due to a bug.

Gallery[]

The inside of a Charred Fortress tower. At front are two Molten cores; at back are the Bell fragment altar and a Charred chest. The Vegvisir would be at the back left, if it were present.

Inside of Fortress

Warlock in the top of fortress

Charred chest