Bastion Alpha
General
Bastion Alpha is a militaristic settlement at the northeastern end of the Morpheum, centered around the intersection of the old 678 and 619. The 678 trail runs the entire length of the Morpheum and connects Bastions Alpha and Omega. "Connects," as used here, is a technicality; the act of traveling directly from one Bastion to the other directly using the 678 is very dangerous and ill-advised. Bastion Omega controls the egress point to the north of the Morpheum and sorties patrols to monitor Otshee Manitou movements and provide containment.
The settlement consists of several hundred people, with almost half of them being members of the Valley Guard. The remainder are various support personnel keeping the Guardsmen fed, clothed and equipped. There are no true "residents" in Bastion Alpha. No one lives there by choice. It is purely a duty station, staffed by volunteers from all over the Valley in a seasonal recruitment drive known as "the Tithe." Soldiers from the Bastions will travel to various settlements all across the region and ask for volunteers. These people will then travel back to the Bastions in a "pilgrimage" that may last up to a month. Once they arrive, the recruits are run through training, and asked to serve for two years, after which they are free to leave. Many who follow the pilgrimage back to the Bastions never leave, though. Many die while fighting the Otshee Manitou, and others cannot bear the thought of stepping off the line to leave their new friends without back-up.
Pilgrims sent to Bastion Alpha are drawn from the northern and western regions of the Shadow-Over Valley.
