The Wood-Castle
Near the eastern eaves of the Chetwood, a high rocky hill rises above the trees. On its top stands a ruined tower of ancient make. This is the Wood-Castle of Archet, about which many local legends are told, and to which the people of archet flee when danger threatens their little village.
Purpose / Function
Local lore holds that the Wood-Castle was the original residence of the Royal Foresters, others that it was a hunting lodge of the ancient Kings, still others that it was built by the elves in even older days. It commands a wide view of the forest, the road, and the marshes.
Whatever its original purpose, it was ruined in the wars that brought down the last King. It is now seen by the people of Archet as a good place to hide in times of trouble.
Alterations
Since folk returned to Bree-hill, the Foresters of Archet have taken it as their duty to maintain the Wood-Castle as a place of refuge should Archet ever need one. When wolves stalked the forest in the Fell Winter, the folk survived among the ruins on the hill. In recent generations, Foresters have begun trying to make the ruins both more habitable and more defensible. Today many of the floors of the tower have been restored with planks cut from the Chetwood and a low wooden fills the gaps in the original tower's bailey wall.
Architecture
The Wood Tower was a Motte and Bailey style of fortress long ago. The tower is square and made of stone (its name comes from its location in the Chetwood). It once had a simple stone wall enclosing a yard outside its gate, but much of that wall has fallen and been replaced by a wooden fence.
Defenses
Though ruinous, the Wood-castle is still a supremely defensible location. The rocky knoll on which it stands can only be approached on one side except by climbing, and the rockiness of the approach provide ample locations in which archers might conceal themselves. Further, with such a commanding view, a skilled archer could rain arrows on enemies traveling along the road.
Type
Tower
Parent Location
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