Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Re-working of Walker's Hold

So I really enjoy looking at archaeology reports and sketches...just one of my "things" I guess. I just love history. I happened on this picture though:


It made me realize that Walker's Hold might look something like this. Multiple layers of earthwork defenses atop a hill with the village scattered within the rings. Then, that made me think of this awesome piece from the World of Greyhawk:


I think I'm going to re-work the wording of how I describe Walker's Hold and put a little more emphasis on making it similar to what you see above.

My reasoning is that brick (white washed, for which there is plenty white wash to be had in the area of Walker's Hold due to the prevalence of lead from galena in the area) would be a sound item to build with. Large earthwork walls surmounted by white stone towers and brick walls topped by timber watch towers seems more to the "tech level" of what I'm trying to portray.

So instead of the old description of Walker's Hold, we now get:

"Walker’s Hold

Today, Walker’s Hold is a large village that would be called a town if it were more organized. Several “neighborhoods” within it are instead groups of homes owned by the same extended family groups and these radiate out from a central area where a large market and trade buildings are located. Around this entire affair is an extensive earthwork wall topped by a white washed rampart of brick with several towers of square stone, also white washed. A dry moat also surrounds this wall, and outside it is another raised earthen wall intended to impede the progress of siege towers; but laid at such an angle as to allow no cover from archers firing from the main wall. A narrow gap exists between the wall and moat of about three paces and this is fifteen feet below the top of the wall while the depth of the dry moat is on average another five feet below. At the north gate (there is a gate at each cardinal direction on the wall) rests the only fortification in the place if not counting watch towers that ring the wall. Built of dolomite stone brought from the depths of South Gate, this high towered keep is dwarven made; but of newer design than that of Bastian. Built less than fifty years ago by dwarven engineers hired from Clan Birnir, it is a strong round keep with two tall round towers on the wall facing north. In the eastern tower resides the Warden of Walker’s Hold who is elected “Lord” of the land; while upon the top of the western tower rests a great bronze cauldron filled with oil which is to be lit if word comes that Bastian has fallen…which is supposed to bring the aid of the Clan Birnir to Walker’s Hold..."

Well, back to our regular plan of "...the Bad..."



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