Castles
Castles are fortified complexes designed to protect their inhabitants and/or lay claim and secure a territory. They may be adjacent to or located within towns, villages, or cities. They may be located near borders, in borderlands, or along frontiers. Often castles are situated atop a hill or mountain, near a river, canyon, or chasm, or be situated on an island, sea stack, or peninsula to provide additional protection from invasion. Castles may contain castle walls, gatehouses, throne rooms, great halls, towers, granaries, and stables. They may be home to lords, knights, peasants, and amateur historians.
| Synonyms: fortresses, keeps, bastions |
| Example Mythonyms: Castle Sterling, Greenmott Keep |
Designing Fictional Castles
Archetypes
Overview
Castles are constructed over time, so worldbuilders should consider how they developed in their own worlds. With European castles, construction typically began as a fort positioned atop a flat hill or mound (called a mott). Over time a surrounding wall or palisade may be added creating a space inside (called a bailey or ward). Over the generations the walls may be strengthened to stone, and/or additional walls added forming new baileys and wards.
Castle Interiors
Fictional castles often include narratively interesting elements such as extensive dungeons, traps (oubliettes for instance), secret chambers, crawlspaces, and high towers. They may also have throne rooms and great halls where diplomacy is conducted.
People
Castles, unless in ruins, are not empty structures (and even if in ruins they may be home to ghosts, goblins, or bandits). Designing the inhabitants of your fictional castles may include developing fictional flags or house crests. It may also entail generating elaborate family trees.
Who is the lord or king of this castle and to what kingdom, clan, or house to they owe their allegiance?
Miscellaneous
Castles need food and water to sustain their populations. This often came in the form of farms on the surrounding countryside. Castles also needed a way of storing this food – for winter and in case of famine or siege. Castles may have had granaries or extensive cellars. To secure their water they may have relied on wells.
Reference Image Gallery
