Kiban Castle

Ground Floor

[1] Crypt: The last four earls are buried here along with six other family members. The square chamber is an ossuary for bones removed from crypts when they are to be reused.

[2] Wine Cellar: Earl Troda’s wine cellar is large, well stocked, and meticulously clean. A well at the east end provides the castle’s water supply, while salted meats, flour, and other food items are arranged for easy access.
Most of the caer’s brewing is done here, although additional supplies are purchased as needed for feasts.

[3] Secret Staircase:

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This staircase, known only to the earl and a few trusted retainers, continues down to an escape tunnel.

[4] Siege Stores: The chambers below the Great Hall contain enough stores for a lengthy siege. No such attack has occurred in living memory, but given the current potential for conflict, stores are checked, rotated, and replaced regularly.

[5] Kitchen Staff: This chamber serves as sleeping quarters for the kitchen staff. Malcor of Pallas is chief cook and baker; his wife, Gera, is the cellarer. Their three teenaged daughters serve as pantry and scullery maids while their 10-year-old son handles smaller chores under his parent’s supervision.

[6] Prison: This level of the prison tower is for common prisoners. There is a five-foot drop from the door to the floor of the room. Vents in the walls allow fresh air and rats to enter. Prisoners sleep on piles of straw.
During the spring, the water level rises and the floor becomes quite muddy. A ladder and bucket are kept in the adjoining gatehouse for when prisoners are to be retrieved. The ladder is for them to climb out; the bucket is to douse them with water to remove some of the filth.

[7] Nephen Gatehouse: The water entrance is used for the delivery of some of the castle’s supplies. It is also convenient access for the occasional visitor who does not want to attract attention to their presence at Caer Kiban. The lower level of the gatehouse allows access to the prison [6] and armoury [8] but is otherwise unused and rat infested.
Previous earls used the eastern part of the gatehouse as an “inquiry chamber,” but the present earl removed all the implements, believing no one provides reliable information under torture.
Arrow slits open onto the boat channel that leads to the small inner harbor. The two portcullises at either end of the channel extend down into slots cut two feet into the bedrock. Cleaning the silt and debris from these slots each spring is an unpopular but necessary task.

[8] Armoury: The castle armoury contains stores of weapons, armor, and missiles for the defense of the castle and is the responsibility of the castle’s bonded weaponcrafter.

[9] West Hawk Tower: This chamber is used for storage, mainly of non-food items but also some dried fruit, nuts, cheeses, and other luxuries.
Because of the persistent rat problem, the cellar is home to a formidable white tomcat the castle garrison has named “Little Mendiz.”

[10] Northwest Tower: The lower level of this tower is used as the earl’s treasury. The heavy reinforced door has a complex Khuzan lock to which the earl holds the only key. Ten sturdy chests with goodquality locks contain some of the earl’s vast wealth, mostly silver, but with a variety of gems, jewelry, and other valuable items. It is rumored that the earl has some enchanted objects in his collection.

[11] Main Gatehouse: This level of the gatehouse is used as barracks for 10 of the castle’s men-atarms. The chambers have arrow slits to defend the castle’s main entrance. The southern chamber has a reinforced door allowing access to the courtyard.

[12] Stable: Bonded master ostler Arris of Gostyn and his two apprentices care for the earl’s horses as well as those of his household knights and important guests. There are stalls for eight horses, a hayloft, and tack room.
The building in town directly across from the drawbridge is the carriage house, where the earl’s coaches, wagons, and draft horses are kept.

Second Floor

[1] Entry Hall: The main entry into the keep is always guarded by two men-at-arms, one just inside the door and the other at the base of the stairs leading up to the earl’s chambers.
The walls here are painted with depictions of the events of the Baronial Revolt of 599 and the subsequent alliance between Clan Dariune and Clan Elendsa.

[2] Staff Quarters: This area of the keep has quarters for the senior members of the household staff.
[a] Chamberlain: The unflappable Sir Cyrel Ruskart is also the earl’s herald.
(b) Captain of the Guard: Sir Darik Wyant, the eldest son of the lord of Thadel Manor, has proven himself a capable and skilled commander and he enjoys the trust and confidence of the earl.
(c) Physician: Sir Fago Rheeder is the earl’s personal physician and a skilled alchemist and naturalist.

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Few know he is also the earl’s spymaster and the genius behind many of the earl’s intrigues. He often travels with the earl and his contacts throughout the kingdom are extensive. Sir Fago has a darker side that belies his polite and cultured demeanor. He has dissected many corpses and vivisected more than one enemy; his private appetites are both subtle and gross. He puts faith in no god, answering only to his own cherished inner demons. The earl has no inkling of this aspect of his friend but Lady Olena finds him disturbing

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[d] Chaplain: Franyk Borlam, the earl’s elderly Laranian chaplain, traveled across much of northwest Lythia during several pilgrimages in his youth and is fluent in several languages.
The earl enjoys Franyk’s tales more than his sermons.
[e] Fool: To most people, Zyro of Carel is simply the earl’s fool and a skilled entertainer.

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He is a key element in Sir Fago’s spy network and uses his mastery of disguise and knowledge of the castle’s secret passages to gather information for the spymaster. Zyro is also an agent of the Save-K’norian Order of Rydequelyn and has taken great pains to keep Sir Fago unaware of it

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[3] Chapel: This small, austere chapel includes shrines to both Larani and Peoni and is used by followers of both.

[4] Kitchen: The caer’s kitchen is the domain of the earl’s cook, Dawol of Otrey. Despite his contagiously cheerful nature, Dawol frets that his failing eyesight will result in him being dismissed from the earl’s service.
He has attempted several herbal cures without success and would pay well for something that works.

[5] Great Hall: The great hall is used when the earl invites important guildsmen and visiting nobility for feasts.
This level is used by the men and their dogs; women, of course, sit on the balcony above. After a feast, all but the most gentle of guests usually pass out and sleep the night in the hall.
Shields depicting the arms of the earl’s vassals hang from the railing of the balcony above while the antlers of several large stags are displayed over the large fireplace.
The tapestry along the eastern wall depicts a view of the town with the walls completed.

[6] Prison Tower: This chamber and the one above it are used to house noble or important prisoners. Both are considerably more comfortable than the chamber used for commoners in the tower’s lower level. In the absence of prisoners, the room can be used for other guests.

[7] Nephen Gatehouse: This room commands the waterway below. There are three murder holes and a ready supply of rocks. The winches are used to raise the two portcullises. A supply of water is also kept here for extinguishing fires below.

[8] Weaponcrafter: The chamber of Curroll of Callisa, the castle’s bonded master weaponcrafter. Curroll is a wiry, charming man with black hair and a handsome appearance. He makes a daily visit to the Kiban market and more than a few of the local women time their arrival to coincide with his.

[9] West Hawk Tower: This level of the West Hawk Tower serves as barracks for a company of the castle garrison. The entrance to this tower and the others is at this level, with planks that can be removed.

[10] Northwest Tower: This level of the tower serves as barracks for ten of the castle’s men-at-arms.

[11] Main Gatehouse: The winch room is similar to that of the Nephen gatehouse, controlling the drawbridge and portcullis below.

[12] Guard Posts: The walls connecting the towers have guard posts built into them, each one with a garderobe opening to the river below.

Third Floor

[1] Family Solar: This section of the keep contains the private chambers of Earl Troda’s family.
[a] Lady Olena Pierstel: Lady Olena, 42, has been married to the earl for more than 20 years. Although she prefers her own bed to that of her husband, the two have settled into a comfortable, affectionate routine.
She spends much of her time in the solar sitting room with her lady’s maid, the daughter of one of the earl’s vassals.
When Lord Troda is away on Crown business, Lady Olena acts as constable of Kiban; she is an able administrator and cunning diplomat. She is the sister of the Baron of Tonot, her husband’s vassal.
(b) Enoriel: The earl’s daughter, 19, is also of marriageable age but the negotiations for her betrothal are not being as urgently pursued by her father.
Urian Caldeth, the son of the Earl of Vemion, has been suggested as a possible match. Enoriel, however, considers him a “boorish oaf” and refuses to have anything to do with him.
(c) Council Chamber: The earl uses this private chamber for meetings and private meals with honored guests.
[d] Karison: The earl’s youngest son, 15, is a competitive young man currently squired with the constable of Jedes Keep.
[e] Scina: The earl’s eldest son, 20, is a very eligible bachelor. Negotiations are underway for his betrothal to Cheselyne Hosath, grandniece of King Miginath. She has a strong claim to the throne, as would any children of the marriage.
Scina is more interested in hunting and other sport than in his prospective betrothal.
He spends most of his time at nearby Galdwas Manor, ostensibly learning the art of managing a fief, but mostly hunting.

[2] Earl’s Chamber: Lord Dariune sleeps in this splendid chamber, as do his loyal manservant and his squire, Jannath Mirdarne, son of the constable of Jedes. The secret stairway goes to the ground level and continues on to an escape tunnel.

[3] Great Hall: The balcony is for the ladies; it is traditional that they dine separately. On special occasions, musicians occupy the music loft on the other side.
The carved and polished wooden railing is often bedecked in colorful ribbons and garlands. Statues of past earls as far back as Allesa, the twelfth Earl of Balim, stand along the balcony. By tradition, when Troda’s heir ascends to the earldom, he will commission a statue of his father to join the others.

[4] Prison Tower: This chamber is used to house noble or important prisoners in relative comfort. It is occasionally used as a guest room.

[5] Guard Barracks: The upper barracks is considered quite comfortable by Kaldoric standards. It holds 20 men (one company) of the castle garrison. On the roof above are machicolations from which to attack boats in the moat.

[6] West Hawk Tower: Next to the earl’s own chambers, the suite in West Hawk Tower is the most luxurious in the castle. It is usually used by the most honored guest, except for the king, who will use the earl’s quarters.

[7] Northwest Tower: This tower is used to quarter less-important guests.

[8] Main Gatehouse: These quarters for the earl’s bodyguard of five household knights are slightly better than the other barracks, as befitting men of their station.

ROOF

The roof of the keep is shingled with slate and normally covered in soot and liberally festooned with bird droppings.
Part of the annual castle maintenance is the cleaning of the roof, a dangerous and filthy job that has resulted in both injury and death over the years. There are often guards stations atop most of the towers.
While this is welcome duty in pleasant weather, it can be miserable at other times, even with the braziers for warmth.

[1] Gatehouse: A ballista is set up here overlooking the drawbridge.

[2] West Hawk Tower: A catapult protects the southern side of the castle and could be used against boats coming in from the river.

[3] Prison Tower: This tower provides a good view up and down the river. The door has a strong lock.