-
- Hoel’s Downs, a once-mighty royal castle. A recent victim of siege, smoldering hoardings still adorn the main gates and doors of the 430′ main keep. The outer wall is 15′ thick and 30′ high, and has a walkway for defenders and 7 postern gates. The outer wall’s main gate is now only a makeshift barricade after long battering by siege weaponry, but the original towers flanking it still stand. The church here was where Saint Calder was originally anointed, making the entire site a hotly-contested holy ground.
- The Promontory at Bloomschapel, a forgotten royal palace. The castle’s 10-foot-thick walls, standing 30 feet tall, indicate its occupiers regularly saw heavy warfare. While the mighty walls and high turrets of the castle are alone enough to stagger a siege, its greatest defensive feature is a great round bastion with a still-functional mangonel. The outer wall is 14′ thick and 60′ high, and has a walkway for defenders and 3 postern gates. The moat has a great drawbridge to the front, and a smaller fixed bridge with a portcullis towards allied lands, meant to allow reinforcements in wartime, riders from the elite guard, or, if necessary, a final retreat. The once-time garrison here, the 8th Amphibious Assault Unit, was immortalized in song for their heroic defense throughout the years.
- The Postern at Hertspark, a strategically-placed chateau. The 300-foot-tall castle is well-prepared to withstand a siege, with machicolations and murderholes abounding. Its outer defenses include a simple 30′ stonework wall topped with a walkway. The moat’s gatehouse has a drawbridge to the front, and a heavy portcullis to seal off the inner courtyard in an emergency. The defensive ditches have great hidden spikes and spearheads in the soft ground to make their passage less pleasant. Many different construction layers indicate that the castle has been destroyed and rebuilt many times.
- Dragon’s Manor, a venerable royal palace. The castle’s 7-foot-thick walls, standing 50 feet tall, indicate its occupiers regularly saw heavy warfare. While the mighty walls and high turrets of the castle are alone enough to stagger a siege, its greatest defensive feature is a great round bastion with a still-functional ballista. Its hastily-made defenses include a simple earthwork berm designed to slow attackers and impede siege engines. Ancient stone obelisks stand silent along the main court path, but under a skilled mage, they can blast attackers with arcane attacks of fire, lightning and ice. For better or worse, the keep’s location proved pivotal in the Rebellion of the Pigeons.
- Denthane’s Watchtower, an old royal palace. The castle has 6 great towers, each with a ballista in various stages of functionality. The walls are lined with oil cauldrons and crested with crenellations and merlons, making it quite advantageous to the ranged defender. The great gatehouse on the outer wall has a tall portcullis in both front and rear, with arrow slits and murderholes defending the sallyport. Magical traps of fire and ice in the open field can be triggered by wizards from afar. Feldwebel Duffy is buried in the churchyard here, making it a popular pilgrimage spot.