Conqueror's Forge is a massive mobile space station and shipyard, one of the Veskarium's most important military installations and a full core world with its own high despot. Originally constructed in 47 AG and placed into orbit around Vesk Prime, the station was named in honor of Damoritosh, the vesk patron god of war and conquest. The Council of Despots ordered its construction to address a perceived technological gap after the Veskarium missed Triune's Signal that broadcast the secret of Drift travel. Thanks to developments from the Forge, the Veskarium's military technology reached previously unseen heights during the Silent War. A surprise Swarm attack destroyed the original station in 291 AG, but the Veskarium rebuilt it with powerful engines enabling it to travel throughout Veskarium space rather than remaining locked in orbit. Today, Conqueror's Forge travels the empire collecting resources for research and production and selling weapons and starships, never staying in one place too long to decrease the risk of another attack. The station is essentially a large cylinder approximately 2½ miles in length. Huge solar arrays and three long auxiliary modules extend from the forward end, giving it the distinct silhouette of a doshko when viewed from the correct angle. An inner core houses the command center, while an outer shell contains the shipyard and modular research sections. The station constantly rotates using centrifugal force to create pseudogravity equal to Vesk Prime's, as the delicate nature of its R&D work requires minimizing interfering forces. Population 82,000 (94% vesk, 4% skittermander, 2% other). High Despot Dantromal Kominar commands the station with a generally hands-off leadership style, allowing research teams to self-manage but coming down hard on any he sees as wasteful. The station's skittermanders have organized into club-like groups called Forge Crews with nicknames like the Gun Kids and the Star Chompers. The majority of threats come from within — dangerous experimental projects — but the station's formidable defenses include massive weapon emplacements, a defensive flotilla deployable in minutes, and the fact that nearly every vesk aboard is combat-trained and equipped with experimental weapons.