Kastell Angers
The prisoner struggled against the manacles, his wrists aching as the chains pulled him down with every rut the wagon hit, slamming him into the iron bars. The bag of black cloth over his head made it impossible to prepare for the bumps, leaving him exhausted. The cart came to a stop and he heard the lock click as the guard inserted the key. Rough hands grabbed him and dragged him from the cart. The hood was pulled back and he blinked in the hazy sunlight. He found himself on a small path of small white pebbles, cutting through elaborate patches of flowers and hedge, decorated in impressive swirling patterns of various shapes and colours. Blackbirds sang in the twisting yew trees far above him. It was a beautiful scene and the man relaxed. Perhaps he had been worked up over nothing and was being given a chance to explain himself to the Lord of the manor. The cage and the iron chains were a mere precaution. He had heard stories of Milliget Arkanists entering the service of Noble houses. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned round.
His eyes grew wide as he stared at the monolithic cylinders of black stone, looming over him like monsters. He screamed, falling to the ground, begging and pleading as the guards, white stars on their black tunics grabbed him under the arms and roughly pulled him up. They stood by his sides, their impassive helmets giving no hint they heard his desperate cries as he was dragged, kicking, screaming and begging, into the forbidding halls of Angers Castle.
Purpose / Function
The monolithic Blackstone fortress of Kastell Angers stands along the Marches of Neustria, a daunting guardian of the Duchy of Anjev against the forces of Normandi and Letha, or, in the past, by the Lethan Dukes against Anjevin and Gallian forces. Atop the monolithic walls sits the manor of the Dukes of Anjev, who also hold the title of the Counts of Angers. Surrounded by gardens, hedge mazes, fountains and sweeping lawns, it is difficult to imagine the secrets lying below.
In the murky depths of the fortress hold a different purpose. The Blackstone Vault, a labyrinthine complex of twisting corridors and colossal chambers, an impregnable prison for the most dangerous and powerful Arkane Artefacts, guarded by the watchful eye of the Black Order. Crafted by the Kriores, the Blackstone Vault is thought to stretch far beyond the castle grounds, the powers within sealed away from the outside world by complex engineering and natural edifices, from complicated arkane and mechanical locks to gaping chasms descending into the darkness below.
Alterations
The position was first fortified in the chaotic era following the fall of the Empire of Tarif, when a local chieftain, seeking to defend a key bend in the Liger River, established a small motte-and-bailer fortress atop a round hill. The castle was continually built upon, adding small additions or reconstructions following the ravages of fire, siege and time.
During the reign of King Salaun, Letha seized control of the region and, seeking to solidify their claim, began construction of the castle against the warnings of the local Boléguéans. As ground was broken, the long-held secret of the hill was revealed: rather than a round hill, the castle sat upon a tumulus, an ancient necropolis to an unknown kingdom. A dark power within was awakened, destroying the old city and leading to the death of Salaun. The force was sealed within once more with the aid of the Arkanists of the Duke and the Korrigan. The castle and the vault were reconstructed with magical absorbing blackstone, runic wards reinforcing its magical protection.
When the Counts of Touraine seized the region from Letha, the Eastern keep was added on the plateau-like upper level of the castle above the clifflike walls. Over time, the manor house and its gardens were added, followed by the gardens within the dry moat. The subterranean complex continues to be built upon as needed, a vast network of tunnels, rooms and vaulted basements cut into the tufa stone.
Rumors hold that the castle is so imbued with magical power at this point that it extends itself, with keepers stumbling across new tunnels, vaults and rooms that are not on any map, that none can remember being there before. It has been surmised that the Blackstone Vault itself is a Bleed, a strange dimension of its own outside of the physical constraints of Bedouar
Architecture
The current castle is an impregnable monolithic fortress more resembling a cliff than a castle, a vast curtain wall built of magic-dampening Blackstone, protection reinforced by lines of magical Whitestone that encircles the entirety of the structure. The thick walls and 17 cylindrical towers give the massive structure a daunting presence, an effect accentuated by the wide, deep dry moat at its base. The elaborate gardens of flowers and hedges provide a subtle, but immensely powerful arkane and runic defense against physical and magical attacks.
The courtyard within the walls is almost even with the top of the ramparts, a flat hill covering a massive subterranean complex. The Eastern Keep, the oldest building on the site, now serves as the regional home for the Black Order Paladins, contained within a small wall with several outbuildings and a large parade ground. A second wall across the courtyard encircles the inner ward, guarded by 5 towers, the gothic manor house and chapel of the Dukes of Anjev resting within a small garden. Between these two key locations is a complex of gardens, of vegetable, medicinal and ornamental gardens, accentuated by elaborate hedge-mazes, ornamental fountains and stretches of manicured grass lawns.
Two main gates grant access to the complex The large Northern gate, leading into the ruined town of Angers, is marked by a large gatehouse between two towers, connected with a covered and fortified walkway controlling twin portcullis and murder-holes, as well as a drawbridge. A smaller gatehouse sites at the bottom of a ramp. A smaller, but similarly designed gatehouse sits in the Southeast, granting access to the riverfront.
the complex is a labyrinth of vaults, chapels, oubliettes and dungeons, stretching far beyond and beneath the walls. These are the exclusive domain of the Black Order by permission of the Dukes.
History
It is unknown to Bediz or Fae to whom the necropolis beneath the citadel first belonged to, marked with strange symbols and unknown language. The Empire of Tarif maintained a small town in the area, a tradition continued by the clans of the Liger Vallery, but large-scale construction truly began in the late 7th century, until a dark force was unleashed, a supernatural fire ravaging the castle and town. The townsfolk were expelled by the Urzh Kroashent and the Kingdom of Gallia. The magically reinforced vaults beneath were used as a repository of religious relics and arkane artefacts, a large portion of which were relocated from the Crystal Palace of Per-Ys.
Founding Date
765 SI
Alternative Names
The Black Vault, the Blackstone Vault
Type
Fortress
Parent Location
Owner
Owning Organization
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