Dragon Keep - Realm of Baerdal Dragonsbane
Jun 1, 2020 17:57:51 GMT -5
Post by Krim on Jun 1, 2020 17:57:51 GMT -5
The mountains on either side of the passes leading to Dragon Keep are difficult to navigate even on foot. Fissures and cliffs block the way and landslides are common. The Dwarves know this and to block both the north and west passes they carefully constructed a gatehouse flanked with high towers. Dwarf warriors garrison the gatehouse to collect the entry toll for each person and wagon requesting entry into the fortress. All those refusing to pay are turned away. There are no exceptions.
Dragon Keep is a walled fortress built on a bluff overlooking two mountain passes. To the north lies the winding path toward King's Watch. To the west is the bustling settlement of Acton and the road towards Yarlic's Woods. The fortress itself is accounted in a mixture of history and ale blurred myth. Baerdal's ancestor, Thorgrim, built this fortress using the treasures he found in a lair after slaying the dragon that dwelt there. Posthumously named Dragonsbane the clan would forever be identified by the symbol of a rearing dragon. To honor him, his descendants incorporated that symbol into the very structure of the fortress itself. Dwarf craftsmanship is renowned throughout Baden, especially when it comes to stone working. With the dragon’s treasure at his disposal, Thorgrim was able to summon the best builders to the task.
A high wall of stone surrounds the fortress, with only one gate, in the north west. A parapet and walkway connects towers along the wall, providing excellent defensive positions. The towers each have a stone carving of a rearing dragon at the top, facing outward and hovering over the ground below. Descending from the enormous gate is a switchback stair carved from the face of the cliff, passing three turns until it ends at the pass below. The steps were constructed to appear from afar as the winding tail of a dragon, replete with spikes and scales, while the gate itself resembles a dragon’s mouth, the flanking towers serving as its wings. Though an amazing feat of architecture in its own right, beyond the decorative facade, the gate and steps are very practical. The switchback stair is the only way to enter the fortress.
All of the streets are paved with smooth, tight-fitting stones. The buildings of Dragon Keep are constructed of grey or white stones quarried from the mountains nearby. Most of them only reach a height of one or two storeys at the most. The exterior doors are all made of stone and are perfectly balanced to open with the touch of a hand. Many are decorated with sculptures and fine carvings in the stone, and it is not uncommon to see visitors staring slackjawed at these works of art when seeing them for the first time. All written signs are in Dawi with runic characters, but a common translation is often written in smaller text underneath.
Thorgrim built a keep on the very spot where he emerged victorious following the slaying of the dragon. It remains there to this day, directly east of Dragon Gate. Major noble families have their clan strongholds in this quarter while 'Infernal Guard' heavily patrol the streets. The rest of the buildings are expensive homes of the lesser nobility. The tallest building in the fortress, Dragon Keep rises above the fortress. The top of the keep has a peaked roof with a large golden statue of a winged dragon. The building serves as the home to Baerdal's clan and his direct descendants live in the upper floors of the building.
Dragon Keep is a walled fortress built on a bluff overlooking two mountain passes. To the north lies the winding path toward King's Watch. To the west is the bustling settlement of Acton and the road towards Yarlic's Woods. The fortress itself is accounted in a mixture of history and ale blurred myth. Baerdal's ancestor, Thorgrim, built this fortress using the treasures he found in a lair after slaying the dragon that dwelt there. Posthumously named Dragonsbane the clan would forever be identified by the symbol of a rearing dragon. To honor him, his descendants incorporated that symbol into the very structure of the fortress itself. Dwarf craftsmanship is renowned throughout Baden, especially when it comes to stone working. With the dragon’s treasure at his disposal, Thorgrim was able to summon the best builders to the task.
A high wall of stone surrounds the fortress, with only one gate, in the north west. A parapet and walkway connects towers along the wall, providing excellent defensive positions. The towers each have a stone carving of a rearing dragon at the top, facing outward and hovering over the ground below. Descending from the enormous gate is a switchback stair carved from the face of the cliff, passing three turns until it ends at the pass below. The steps were constructed to appear from afar as the winding tail of a dragon, replete with spikes and scales, while the gate itself resembles a dragon’s mouth, the flanking towers serving as its wings. Though an amazing feat of architecture in its own right, beyond the decorative facade, the gate and steps are very practical. The switchback stair is the only way to enter the fortress.
All of the streets are paved with smooth, tight-fitting stones. The buildings of Dragon Keep are constructed of grey or white stones quarried from the mountains nearby. Most of them only reach a height of one or two storeys at the most. The exterior doors are all made of stone and are perfectly balanced to open with the touch of a hand. Many are decorated with sculptures and fine carvings in the stone, and it is not uncommon to see visitors staring slackjawed at these works of art when seeing them for the first time. All written signs are in Dawi with runic characters, but a common translation is often written in smaller text underneath.
Thorgrim built a keep on the very spot where he emerged victorious following the slaying of the dragon. It remains there to this day, directly east of Dragon Gate. Major noble families have their clan strongholds in this quarter while 'Infernal Guard' heavily patrol the streets. The rest of the buildings are expensive homes of the lesser nobility. The tallest building in the fortress, Dragon Keep rises above the fortress. The top of the keep has a peaked roof with a large golden statue of a winged dragon. The building serves as the home to Baerdal's clan and his direct descendants live in the upper floors of the building.