PLACEHOLDER — rocky sentinel heights overlooking the Kyzylkum dune fringe north of the Samarqandh-Bukhara road. Prose pass pending.
Real-world basis: Nurata, a town at the western tip of the Nuratau range (Navoi Region, Uzbekistan), historically a frontier watch-point between the settled Zarafshan valley and the Kyzylkum steppe/dune sea — hilltop fortress locally attributed to Alexander the Great. Rocky outcrop terrain, elevated over the dune fringe.
The signal post at the parapet's highest corner is built to matter: an iron bracket deep enough to hold a serious fire, positioned to throw light across the whole gorge system on a dark night. Old char marks the stones around it, laid down over seasons of use. Whether it's been lit recently, nobody at the foot of the range can say for certain.
Below the fortress, the terrain drops into a gorge that splits — one approach climbs correctly toward the ruins, the other only looks like it does. Snowmelt from higher in the range fills both when the season turns.
See: narrative/sessions/00_session0/Session_0_Sentinel_Awakening (Actual)