Manor House
The village fortification is a two storied stone tower. It is surrounded by a wooden palisade and a moat with a drawbridge. The construction of the palisade has greatly lessened the peasant's fear of an attack. While it would not withstand a siege for long, the manor fortification is a tough nut to crack for any gang of brigands or Pagaelin raiders.
Ground Floor
The ground near the Shena Creek is rocky and provides a firm foundation. Another advantage is the abundance of water which greatly lessens the danger from fire and thirst.
The cellar is actually on the ground level, but since the entrance is on the first floor, it is used like a cellar. The stored food is enough to keep the villagers alive for a month. A cistern provides another water reserve. The secret compartment under the stairway was built by the Gwantir clan and is unknown to the Ceselryds.The wall has to be broken to reach the hidden chest. It contains much of the treasure that the Gwantirs obtained by plundering during the war.
The courtyard tends to be a busy place during the day. The ostler and his grooms work with the horses. Patrols arrive and depart two or three times a day. Most combat training also takes place here. The well provides most of the drinking water. It is closely watched, to prevent outsiders from poisoning it. The lavatory is only used by clan members. Household servants use a dunghill outside of the palisade. The stable has a narrow and low hayloft (not shown) that is used as sleeping place by the grooms. Most other servants sleep in the lord's barn outside of the compound.
The great hall does not really deserve its name - as it is far from great. The dark and smoky hall serves as kitchen, eating hall and sleeping place. Meals are prepared here and cooked on the large fireplace. Sir Lardis plans to demolish the building and replace it with a more suitable structure.
The gatehouse is a wooden structure with a drawbridge and heavy oak doors. Any intruder inside the gatehouse can be attacked via a murder hole in the ceiling. A wooden ladder leads to the upper floor.
Other Floors
The outer palisade is fourteen feet high, giving defenders a reasonable protection on the battlements. The gatehouse has a winch on this level to raise the drawbridge at night or under attack. Two arrowslits and the murder hole in the floor can be used to defend the gatehouse. The roofs are made of wooden shingles. They are covered with sand, if an attack is expected, to reduce the danger from fire.
A stone stairway leads to the only entrance the tower which is protected by a stout oaken door. The man-at-arms, Stelhard, sleeps on this level, guarding the door. The other bed is for the manor chaplain. The manor's armory contains 9 lances, 13 javelins, 36 roundshields and 34 spears, 28 shortbows and quivers and approximately 600 arrows. The men-atarms and nobles do not leave their weapons in the armory but keep them in flat chests under their beds to make sure that they can arm themselves quickly should an alarm be raised during the night.
The lavatory is only used during the night, to avoid opening the tower's door after dark.
The upper floor of the great hall has one bed for the cook and another for the chamberlain. This is not a bad place to sleep in winter, as the kitchen fire keeps the place warm.
The second floor is a cold and drafty place. Most of the arrow slits are stuffed with daub and wattle to prevent the worst draft. The largest room available contains private quarters for Sir Lardis. The chest contains most of the manor's cash. The second room is occupied by Lardis' mother, Lady Mildred. Crammed into the remaining room are four beds. Two are used by Sir Lardis' cousins Torald and Hrothgeir. Torald is a knight bachelor in his own right. Hrothgeir is the clan's herald. The other two beds are used by Adalbrath, the lord's squire and a page named Folcbert.
The battlement is offers a superb view on the surrounding area and is always manned by a sentry, often a younger son of one of the yeomen. This is not a popular duty, but the fear of a possible barbarian attack and Stelhard's vigorous discipline makes sure that it is rarely neglected. Anyone caught sleeping on this post can expect a severe flogging. A large bell allows raising the alarm quickly if attackers approach.