The castle stood atop a hill, surrounded by a very small town of about a thousand people. If you stood on one of the castle's many balconies, you could easily see travelers trekking across the major roads close-by. Almost every single traveler was walking away from the Kingdom of Essaryn. If you looked around at the castle walls, you could easily see vines and moss growing amidst the cracks. It was quite sad. Just under two decades ago, if you looked out the same balcony, you would see crowds of people entering the kingdom, full of hope. Now, all that hope had fled, and only despair remained. The castle had stood for centuries and, on its own, it'd stand for centuries to come, but its people weren't so stable. What was once a great outpost keeping the kingdom's borders safe had turned into a den for bandits and thieves.
Just recently, the last remnants of those who ruled the former kingdom of Essaryn had arrived at the castle and vowed to do everything in their power to restore the kingdom's former glory. At least for some of these men, hope hadn't left. Perhaps in the future, if you'll stand on one of the castle's many balconies, you'll see hopeful crowds enter the kingdom once more. Perhaps the Kingdom still has hope, lying hidden in this castle, waiting for the right people to reach it...let us just hope these Shadows don't reach the castle first.
Originally, this castle was built as a simple outpost to guard the Kingdom's borders and watch over roads leading in and out of the kingdom to keep them safe for travelers and adventurers. But now, it serves more as a headquarters for anything that is left of the kingdom to try and restore its glory.
It began as a simple wooden fort atop a large hill, and, as the kingdom grew, it grew into a great castle of bricks, and was a perfect location to keep guard over a large chunk of land at the border of the kingdom. The castle survived many sieges, fires and natural disasters, receiving makeovers and reworks throughout the years. Now, even though vines and plants grow within the castle's walls, it is still a formidable fortress that few would dare to go up against.
It, and the tiny town surrounding it is built out of stone bricks, wood and other simple materials. Its halls are adorned with tapestries, paintings and other decorations. Some larger windows are stained and have intricate patterns on them. Others are simply blank and many others aren't even made out of glass. Many floors are adorned with soft, woolen carpets. The architecture of the castle itself is very similar to a real-life 12-15th century German castle, except that its outside is a bit more decorated and adorned.
Originally, it was built as an outpost at the edge of the Fallen Kingdom of Essaryn. As the years passed and the kingdom prospered, the outpost evolved from a simple wooden fort to a great stone castle with twisting towers and hallways. Many would pass the castle by as they entered and exited the kingdom and the castle was, and still is an important landmark. But after the fall of its kingdom, the castle saw more and more of its servants and occupants abandoning it and fleeing to other lands. Now, the last remnants of those loyal to the old kingdom have gathered here, to serve as a beacon of hope amidst a crumbled land.
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