The Great Gate of Orladica

The Great Gate of Orladica is the home of the Dragonborn Emperor and the main entrance for the capital city. It's structure looms above the already imposing city wall. Integrated into the gatehouse are the main barracks, main armoury, a military academy, as well as a temple to the god of Leading and Following.

Purpose / Function

The gate serves to allow entry into the city, but also deny entry, if necessary.
From when the wall was only eight feet tall and made of wood, the area surrounding the main gate was the central hub for the military and a site for veneration of the god of leadership and protection.

Architecture

The gate and it's main structures are made from the same stone as the wall itself, quarried to the west of the city. The architecture matches the wall - large rectangular blocks. There is a lot of use of arches for the larger doors. The main passage has an arched ceiling ten meters up.

Structure Elements

Interior Fences In peacetime a fence is used overnight to prevent general entry. It is 5 meters tall and made of two halves. These halves are mounted on hinges on the wall of the main passage and swung out to meet in the middle, with a little overlap. Archers use a walkway and ladders on the back of the fence (there are slits in the top part). There is a small door in the fence to allow soldiers and citizens access through the fence, if necessary, but very little traffic is permitted.
Inner and Outer Portcullis There is a weighty portcullis mounted at each end of the entry passage. These can be used to trap a portion of an enemy force. Openings in the upper parts of the passageway walls would allow defenders to hurl projectiles upon them. The portcullis can be dropped quickly but raised only slowly, using twenty ropes and windlasses.
Firing Openings There are firing slits along the top part of the passageway walls. There are corridors behind these that allow archers to fire down into the passageway. More slits are set into the ceiling itself, as well as some larger openings. In a siege these can be used to drop rocks onto enemy forces in the passage. The rocks would be quite deadly in the first place, but also would make for rough terrain, impeding charges ramming the portcullis.
Integrated Temple The northern side of the gate, inside the city walls, features a temple to Kanock, the god of Leading and Following. The main part of the temple is a grand hall decorated with tapestries depicting each of the Emperors since Orlad as well as various celebrations of might, leadership and power. The hall hosts many civic events throughout the year.
Above the temple are a number of rooms and rooftop courtyards used by the military academy to plan, discuss and theorise.
Barracks The southern side of the gate, inside the city walls, is a barracks and armoury. Five floors provide bedding, meal halls and armoury rooms for up to 200 soldiers. The top floor of the barracks has a hall and residence for the Emperor and his Imperial Guard. Bridges connect from these, across the roof of the passageway and into the military academy area.

History

For the time of the first three Emperors the Great Gate was only a wooden gate in a wooden wall with wooden buildings adjacent (the barracks, armoury, academy, temple, hall). Over time the city wall was built up and the gate grew alongside it. The construction was generally done with considerable space for growth, so the form in the present was achieved without too much conglomeration.

Type

Gatehouse

Parent Location

Orladica (retcon from Lindica)

Owner

Emperor Toskan

Owning Organization

Dragonborn Empire