King Sean's Castle

Cordoire Castle (sometimes referred to as King Sean’s Castle) is a large complex located on the southern edge of the city of Cordoire, Duilintinn’s capital. It is both the home and seat of King Sean McLoughlin, the current leader of Duilintinn.

## History

Most scholars believe that the hill where the castle now sits was artificially constructed during the Feadhainn Era, most likely while building a fortress in the style of a Motte and Bailey castle. However, the hill is the only remaining evidence of previous development prior to Waldren’s construction of Cordoire.

During the Feadhainn Era, the Mondaidh Plains were much more forested, with its residents building their homes from the readily available lumber. Most of these structures would have rotted away long ago, or else lay buried deep beneath Cordoire’s heavy stone foundations, hence why no other evidence has been found. A shell keep was then built atop of the hill, likely a prototype structure built prior to Feadhainn’s golden age and the construction of cities such as Mulladún and Monacoil.

Records show that when the Waldren Trade Enterprise began occupying the Feadhainn Valley, the foundations of the Feadhainn Era shell keep still remained on the large hill where Cordoire now sits. Thanks to its strategic position at the top of the Beinnfaire Ridge, Waldren decided to construct a large fortress in this area, which would function as the launching point for all operations further west into the valley.

When rebuilding the shell keep, Waldren used the existing foundations to preserve resources and save time. As a result, much of the keep’s shape still resembles classic Feadhainn architecture, although the materials and design sensibilities come from Waldren’s architectural style. From there, the keep was expanded into a full castle with a fully populated bailey and its own outer walls.

From here, the history of Cordoire castle is identical to that of the city it overlooks. Several powerful groups fought over the power vacuum in the city until the future King Sean besieged the city and forced them out. Once Duilintinn was founded, Cordoire was named the kingdom’s capital and Cordoire Castle became both the home and seat of power for the new king, which it has remained to this day.

## Layout

Centered around the shell keep perched atop the artificially constructed hill on the southern edge of Cordoire, the castle’s rich history is visible in its Feadhainn and Occupation Era architectural sensibilities.  It consists of several sections: a Central Keep, an Inner Gate, a walled bailey, and an extensive yard used for both entertainment and defensive purposes.

### Central Keep:

The central keep of King Sean’s Castle was built on the foundations of an ancient Feadhainn Shell Keep, which in turn was probably built on the site of an old Motte and Bailey castle.

For context, a Motte and Bailey Castle consists of a fence-encircled keep built on a large, artificially constructed hill (the Motte) and a lower courtyard (the Bailey). These keeps were usually made from wood, which decomposes quickly, leaving only the hill behind as evidence of its location. A Shell Keep is an evolution of the Motte and Bailey model, featuring a circular stone structure on a hill instead of a wooden, fenced building. The term “shell” comes from the lack of a roof over the structure. Rather, the keep would be arranged like a donut, with buildings located along the inner edge of the stone “shell” and an open-air courtyard in the center.

Feadhainn architecture loves the concept of shell keeps, with cities such as Mulladún and Monacoil demonstrating how much they expanded upon the circular motif with feats of architecture so advanced, they may as well not be called shell keeps anymore. By contrast, the central keep of King Sean’s castle is a relatively simple and straightforward example of a shell keep, likely built prior to Feadhainn’s Golden Age.

The buildings located within the central keep of King Sean’s castle are two stories high, built from both wood and stone with flat roofs that allow for a balcony-esque view over the top of the shell wall.

The first floor of these buildings would be used for important political matters, with arguably the most important room being the throne room. From here, King Sean holds court and gives daily proclamations if he decides to do so indoors. This would be where the paintings that were destroyed hung, before their destruction in late September 1614 (Ref: 1 2). During these indoor proclamations, important members of King Sean’s court would have the privilege of observing the proceedings from within the throne room. People outside the government who are lucky enough to get a front-row seat for the proclamation stand in the inner courtyard, while the remaining crowd overflow will gather outside the keep, in the castle bailey. However, such indoor proclamations are rare. When he can, King Sean prefers to climb the stairs to the top of the keep and give his speech from the parapets, where everyone in both the inner and outer courtyard would be able to see him.

   The second floor of King Sean’s castle is reserved for the King and his household. No one is allowed in this part of the castle without the express permission of the king and is heavily protected with both magical and mundane defenses. In all of Duilintinn, this part of the castle is  one of the few places that The Watch has never had access too. If any of the Missing Lords were located in Cordoire, this is certainly where they’d be hidden.

### Inner Gate (and other defenses)

When facing the keep from within the bailey, an inner gate can be seen to its left. The gate is flanked by two asymmetrical towers; one larger that is part of the outer wall, and one smaller that juts into the bailey itself.

At the base of the motte where the central keep stands is an additional wall and a small moat. The wall stands around fifteen feet high and wraps around the entire motte, including the half that protrudes beyond the castle’s outer walls. Similarly, the moat circles the entire motte, ducking under the outer walls of the castle through sturdy grates. Unlike the moat around the city proper, the castle moat is small enough to be filled by simply pumping water into and out of the trench using the city’s waterworks, making it more akin to a small river than a true stationary moat. As a result, the moat around the central keep of the castle is far more efficient and functional than its larger counterpart. Taken together, both the walls and moat around the motte ensure that the inner gate is the only way to enter the central keep.

Once one passes through the inner gate, visitors must pass through a stone complex with a large square tower looming overhead. This barracks houses the guards who protect the castle and would respond to any attempts to breach the motte or inner gate. Beyond this complex is a walled path that leads over the moat’s bridge and up several flights of stairs up the hill and to the central keep.

### Outer Wall

The wall surrounds the entire castle, with the central keep at one corner, effectively cutting the motte in half. Only half of the wall surrounding the motte is located inside the bailey itself, with the rest jutting out beyond the larger walled area.

In addition to the guard tower within the inner gate, eight large circular towers are spread at intervals along the wall surrounding the bailey. One of these towers is incorporated in the Inner Gate, while another is directly adjacent to the central keep. The gate into this walled area is also flanked by two smaller towers. Totalled together, this means the castle has a total of 12 towers: eight large circular towers, three smaller towers, and one large square tower.

Like the central keep, significant magical and mundane defenses line the outer walls. Heavy wards and enchantments nullify almost every sort of magic that might allow someone to enter the castle unnoticed or cause harm to its occupants, although doing so without interfering with the magic used within the castle itself is an inexact science at best. Guards and Watchers patrol the outer wall, armed with every defensive tool at their disposal.

### Lower Bailey

The lower bailey is the area within the outer wall that extends north from the base of the motte. This area makes up the majority of the castle complex and consists of a large courtyard and several buildings in the Occupation Era architectural style.

The courtyard is a large semicircle pointed in the direction of the center keep. Covering nearly nine thousand square feet, this is where the large crowds gather for the king’s public proclamations.

The buildings in this area fulfill most of the functions expected of a more modern castle that wouldn’t fit in the central keep. For example, one such building is a large great hall, used for events such as feasts and dances. Other buildings include guest and staff housing, stables, kitchens, and other such facilities. Some gardens and green spaces can also be found between these structures.

There are several occasions in which the general public can enter the lower bailey of the castle. For example, people can view public proclamations from the courtyard on a first-come, first-serve basis. Additionally, the bailey is often opened for holiday celebrations, with festivities in both the courtyard and some of the other buildings. However, the doors aren’t simply open for anyone to wander in or out; all visitors to the bailey are checked in and out by guards at the gate and a strict capacity limit is usually observed. This somewhat mitigates the massive security risk these events bring to the castle; if an agent of The Enemy were to enter with the crowds, at least they’d be unable to do so anonymously, and guards would know if someone had never left after the celebrations were concluded.

### Outer Yard

Between the outer wall of Cordoire Castle and the walls of the city itself is a large, green space.

Close to the castle itself, this space is very similar to the grounds of most castles, with gardens, groves, and various buildings for both recreational and upkeep purposes. This area spreads out approximately a quarter mile out from the castle itself.

Beyond this area, the yard is mostly empty space with absolutely no buildings or dense plantlife. This area primarily serves a defensive purpose; anyone attempting to rush the castle would have to run a significant distance without any hiding spots, in clear sight of the guards on the castle walls. This additional precaution is especially important since Cordoire castle is located on the southern edge of the city, allowing attackers to target it without having to wade through the rest of the city proper.

While defense is the primary purpose of this area, the space is not put to waste. Several walking and riding paths meander across the flat grasses and streams that fill this area, occasionally passing by fields of low-lying crops (such as root vegetables) that supplement the castle’s food supplies. It’s rather humble in comparison to the castle grounds of other lands, but what it lacks in aesthetics it makes up for in practicality.

## Trivia

Many features and details of Cordoire Castle are inspired by parts of the UK’s Windsor Castle, chosen because of similarities between its Round Tower and Cordoire Castle’s central keep.

References

1 Painted Regicide

2 Painted Rebellion