Olomandran Watchtower

At its peak, the Morhekan Empire spanned half the Kaaran continent, its military might subjugating virtually all the land east of the Tarandara River and north of Mopada. During its history, the state of Morhekan-Mopadan relations has been pretty constant in the mutual animosity towards each other, and in the many minor and major conflicts between the two nations has seen land traded back and forth, sometimes conquered militarily, but usually ceded as part of the terms of peace treaties.

Built at the height of Morhekan military prowess, the Olomandran Watchtower was erected upon what was, at the time, the southern border of the Morhekan Empire to protect the nearby trading route, and as an early waring against aggression from Mopada - built on land ceded from the War of 521 AD, the land was the closest to Mopada in Morhekan territory, and the Watchtower allowed its inhabitants an excellent view of the Warrum plains, where the campfire smoke of camping soldiers or dust clouds from supply caravans could be easily seen, allowing Morheka unprecedented warning of impeding attack. While it lay in Morhekan hands, it was one of the major reasons for the decrease in hostilities, though the bitter hatred between the two nations remained.

Surrounded by a thick stone wall, and kept manned at all times by members of the Oloqu Legion, Olomandra was roiginally purely a military outpost, but its close proximity to the Mopadan-Morhekan border region soon made it a stop-off point for traders from upriver. Over time, the city of Olomandra was founded slightly to the south, becoming a prominent trade route, and the towers focus shifted from early warning to actively enforcing Imperial law in the region. The buildup of infrastructure was an advantage to Mopada - the city's close proximity to a prominent military base made espionage all too easy, and by 649, Mopada had all that it needed. It had covertly smuggled in assassins and mercenaries disguised as traders into Olomandra - striking quickly, they captured the tower after a hard-fought battle with its occupants, managing to take it and hold it while Mopada sent troops. Word didn't reach the Morhekan capital until it was too late - Olomandra was declared a territory of the Mopadan Confederacy, and the Watchtower was staffed by Mopadan troops to perform the task it had been constructed for in reverse - watching for Morhekan aggression.

Since then, the tower has changed hands numerous times - the Wars of 729 and 1021 saw it recaptured by Morheka, while the Wars of 800 and 1132 resulted in its recapture by Mopada. After the establishment of the Kaaranese League, the tower was ceded back to Morheka as part of a peace agreement, in exchange for which Morheka was obliged to recognise the sovereignty of Tlatom and Warrum as independant, thopugh Mopada-allied, states. Now on the Morheka-Warrum border, the tower was again manned by Morhekan troops, but never again saw action. It was used by the Covenant Loyalists as a staging ground, but was destroyed when the Cruiser Unremitting Wrath crashed. After the schism, Mopada and Morheka jointly agreed to convert the area to a monument to the victims of all war seen by Ketesh - and especially those slaughtered by the Jiralhanae during the schism.

Quotes

 * "It was quite a site. The Morhekans used to run up flags to display their mood - a blue one if a soldier had recieved ill news, a yellow one if there had been a birth, and a green one if there had been a promotion. A red one was rare - hostility, or the preparation for war. I never saw the red flag. The older members of my Legion would swear they had seen the red flag fly on the day the Covenant declared war on humanity."
 * "It was quite well situated. No gates to speak of - just a tunnel, through which it allowed the Olos River to pass. From it, they got all the supplies they needed from the traders upstream in neutral Fuqum. It was also the point where assassins from both sides could enter to slaughter whoever was defending it at the time. One would think that they would guard it more carefully!"
 * "The stones that once made up the tower were used to construct the Schism Monument. Ironic that a symbol of the mutual shared hatred between Mopada and Morheka should form such a bond, is it not?"
 * "The garrison commander, Ulneq 'Morhekee, wouldn't allow any of the lesser races to set foot beyond the docks. Only the Lekgolo were permitted entrance, and even then their movements were restricted. Jiralhanae weren't allowed to set foot within the wall at all. Old Ulneq was the first to die when the Jiralhanae took the tower, beheaded by a Brute Shot. Such an ignominous end to such a glorious commander."