Mozavalnoye

Mozavalnoye, literally Mozaval Fortress in Mirselec, is a fortress near the city of Mozaval in Inezama Province. It is one of the Four Famous Castles of Risevne, and of the four it is the one most fought over in the history of the kingdom.

Situated as it is on the frontline of the three-century conflict between the kingdoms of Masal and Rarena, just around 31 kilometres south of the border, it was besieged five times without ever being taken between 1072 and 1203 DN. for this the castle was known in the southern provinces, as it still is today, as Naino su Izakarte Noye, or the "First City in the World" (First here denoting it as the strongest).

Cultural Impact

The Mozavalnoye is often said to be the spiritual symbol of the southern provinces, which even today are culturally distinct from the more populated areas in the north; for its historical role during the time of the Committee of the Guardians, also, it has gained a lasting place in the Risevan psyche.

A famous Mirselec saying, "To Stand like the East Wall" (meaning to hold out against overwhelming odds), refers to this fort. During the Fourth Siege of Mozavalnoye in 1186-1188, the Masal general Barin ke Bisore successfully undermined the east wall of the fortress in three places during the winter of 1187, and positioned 20,000 of his troops ready to strike there; the defenders of the castle, however, quickly rallied, and their general Nemus ke Duvansiye refused a surrender offer saying that "If the stones should fall, then my flesh will make the wall". The 7,500 defenders mounted a desperate defence against the attacking Masalan forces that lasted 19 days until, deterred by a blizzard, Barin ke Bisore withdrew his troops, allowing precious time for the damage to be repaired. This statement was in turn used extensively during the Third and Fourth Global Wars to reflect the determination of the Risevani to defend their nation.