Re: Re: Sarotar Keep

From: John Hughes <nysalor_at_...>
Date: Mon, 12 May 2003 14:04:45 +1000


My vision of the usual Sartarite hill fonts is in keeping with Roderick's - a Celtic-type hill and ditch oppidae with an internal palisade and cattle corral. Clans don't usually need to worry about sustained sieges, just raids and chaos outbreaks, so a relatively simple redoubt and refuge will suffice.

I think I mentioned in TR somewhere that many of the hill fort sites are ancient, dating from before the Dawn, and the Sartarite resettlers simply appropriated them and redug the ditches. Note also that hill forts often appear in *pairs*, no doubt to split the enemy and allow for lightning counter raids against the attackers.

At the risk of opening an old can of wyrms, Sartarite defences are primarily about protecting cattle, women and children (probably in that order) - historical theories of fortification and defence fall to pieces when your enemy can fly upon the winds.

Sarotar's Keep of course, will not be of this type. (I'd love to hear some description or references for this - where is it located?) Saronill inherited the transforming wind of his father, and no doubt the mostali and human artisans that Sartar enlisted for his city building projects. I'd be thinking Mostali and Heortland/Holy Country architecture for the Keep. Sartar could feel the future winds, and new that the ancient enemy had awakened in a new form in the west. His dynasty built for the future.

John 

nysalor_at_...                              John Hughes
Questlines: http://home.iprimus.com.au/pipnjim/questlines/

Argrath, Iron-quester,

   First among heroes,
Slew with the sword edge,

         the spear point, the spell.
Vanquished the Red Ones, brake we their life-wall, Hacked through the crescent ring,
hewed through the shield.

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