Blackhorn Vale

Hamlet

History

X

Notable Locations

X

Blackhorn Tower

Blackhorn Tower

Ground Floor

• Entrance: The entrance here is a set of massive double doors crafted of oak and set with the House arms. A small guard post (area marked G) is off to one side. Two guards trade off over a shift, one at the door, another in the guardroom, throughout the day.
• Lower Cellars: An extensive wine cellars, as well as a place to store salted and smoked meats. These cellars also have access to a well built into the foundations of Blackhorn Tower, providing clean, cool water year round. It also bears a small servant's staircase leading up to the upper cellars.

First Floor

• Barracks (G): The castle barracks houses up to a score of soldiers at any one time. They work in half-day (12 hour) shifts, ten to a shift, so there are never any more than ten soldiers here (and during the day many of them are out in the hamlet).
• Upper Cellars: The upper cellars are used for other kinds of storage, intending on being kept as dry as possible. Canned and jarred foods, dried fruits and containers of flours and other dry food goods are usually stored here.
• Larder: A storage and preparation area for food intended on being used in an upcoming meal, the larder is well-built, with stone slab thrawls for keeping food cool.

Second Floor

• Great Hall: The Blackhorn Great Hall is the heart of the tower. It features an elevated table in front of the great hearth nearest the kitchens, at which the family sits. There is also a lower table, with long benches, where the rest of the household sits and eats. At other times, tutors teaching children might be found here, or servants doing mending.
• Lord's Study: Just off the forward stair is a long room that holds the study of Lord Blackhorn. In it is not just the lord's desk with his various correspondence, but also several walls full of shelves with the family's archives of maps, letters, journals and books acquired over the years. This door is usually kept locked.
• Kitchens: The kitchens are constantly abustle with servants running up and down stairs to the cellars below, and preparing the next meal.

Third Floor

• Drawing Room: X
• Library: The family's library is here, with a variety of texts, maps and other books, most of which are considered appropriate for public viewing (unlike the materials in the Lord's Study). The children of the household take their lessons here.
• Bedrooms: There are two bedrooms here, one for the steward Markyn

Defenses

There are two shifts of men, ten soldiers to a shift. They are made up of five lancers and five archers. The Day Shift works from midnight to mid-day, and the Night Shift works from mid-day to midnight. They are stationed in the following posts:

• Door Guards: Two lancers man the door and guard post on the Ground Floor.
• Great Hall: Two lancers stand beside the front entry to the Great Hall.
• Drawing Room/Garret Guards: During daylight hours, there is a guard on the Drawing Room door; at night, the guard is moved to the Garret door.
• Rooftop Archers: Three archers patrol the walkway over the entrance, and another two keep watch at the back walkway.

Domain

Blackhorn Vale Domain

• Beacon Pond: A large pond with a small island in its center, Beacon Pond is named for the half-burnt beacon tower that still stands on the island, a relic of Balinger days.
• Crossingwythe: The largest of the agricultural estates in Blackhorn Vale, with fields of wheat and barley.
• Ordyn Estate: Ordyn Estate is made up mainly of apple orchards.
• Three Swords: A small shire, Three Swords is named for the three ancient greatswords found buried here. These swords were wrapped in oil-cloth partially rotted through, and were clearly of First Man make. These three swords currently hang in the inn located here, also named "Three Swords."
• Waryn: Waryn is an oat-producing shire. It is actually two small shires gathered around the Waryn Pond. The manor here overlooks the pond.