As they advanced, Colin looked toward a fortress in the distance.
These fortresses were built of either brick or stone. Most had only a single wall and a main keep, making them very small strongholds.
A small village lay just outside each of these strongholds.
The villages were surrounded by small fields, and you could faintly make out shepherds tending their flocks.
Colin asked curiously, "Given how few villages there are around here, why are there so many castles? Who built all these fortresses, anyway?"
Albert, clanking forward in his armor, explained, "These fortresses were part of a defensive strategy devised by the first Adventurers who came to settle this land.
They hoped to use these countless small strongholds to slow the Orcs' advance, wear down their numbers and supplies, and trade space for time, forcing the Orcs to retreat on their own.
