A Standard Castle in the Edo Empire

Purpose / Function

Castles serve two primary functions, depending on the current state of the world. First they serve as the luxurious residences for the ruling class fully equipped with kitchens, libraries, courtyards and more all for the comfort and enjoyment of those who own the place. Typically they have enough room for over 150 servants who can live there comfortably, as well as for a guard fo 100 and for up to 50 family members, guests, and more permanent residents who are to be treated in the same way as the lords are. Secondly, in times of war, they serve as fortresses; places for armies to rally and they key location that is to be raided in order to take a city. Castles are built with strong walls and often have 3-15 fortified checkpoints on the way to the castle (depending largely upon the size and importance). During these times refugees may find themselves cramped within the lower stories of the castle, staying sheltered from the outside.

Architecture

Castles are usually situated on large hills on the outskirts of towns and cities, overlooking them but not being within them. Typically there is a clear path to the castle gates with several gated checkpoints manned with guards. The castle itself is built on the top of the hill, which has been artificially flattened everywhere except where a pond is set to be, in which case the hole for the pond is dug out. The castle is surrounded by a heavily secured wall, typically 3 stories tall. There are several smaller buildings within with various purposes, typically 1-4 stories tall, none of them have tired roofs. There is typically a stairway to the main entrance to the central building which is directly in front of the entrance, and going around the back will lead to a courtyard half of the time, the other half it is on the sides. Additionally there is usually a constructed fish pond somewhere in the castle. The main building is always seven stories tall with tiered roofs, each story getting slightly smaller than the last. These stories have different purposes, but typically the fourth and/or fifth are a dojo for the elite guard to train in. The ruler typically stays on the sixth floor and the seventh is half open to the outside, and is used for meetings with important guests.

History

The first castles (built far before the establishment of the Edo Empire) were made during the Age of Prosperity, and were designed with the sole purpose of being the luxurious mansions of the ruling class, with almost no focus on defensive capabilities. They were about half as large as the modern castle and to call them a castle may not even be accurate, as some had a singular gated wall for defence.
When the Age of Independence struck times changed drastically. The castles constructed in this era were initially similar to prosperity castles, however as time progressed they got smaller and more fortified, some castles from the late era being about the size of an average church because of the protectionist nature of the ruling class at the time.
In the Age of Intermission/Turmoil many castles were built in preparation for the upcoming age of turmoil and the architecture changed radically from before. The emphasis was now completely away from luxury and the ruling class, though the ruling class still did live in them. Instead they had a hyper focus on military use, whit the installation of armories and dojos in the main building where there would have been theatres or libraries before. Only the top 2-3 tiers were dedicated to the ruling class, providing the necessities of live and maybe one or two luxuries, but nothing more. Additionally, during this time, castle size increased to around what it is today.
Age of Edo. With the establishment of the Edo Empire castles took a step back and tried to refocus on the ruling class, allowing for builds which blended utility and comfort. They became both heavily guarded and relaxed, with a few greater emphasis on beauty and form than was possible in previous ages. See Architecture for more details on the modern castle.

Type

Castle