Arcis:- ”Citadel” stronghold, fortress, keep, donjon; a fortress in a commanding position in or near a city.
Firmitas:- "Tenacity" Strength of mind, the ability to stick to one's purpose.
Pietas:- "Dutifulness" More than religious piety; a respect for the natural order socially, politically, and religiously. Includes the ideas of patriotism and devotion to others.
The Citadel was a squat brutish, brooding structure that looked akin to a thorn-ridden granite horn that had erupted from the earth, then had been snapped off all ragged and raw. Sharpened spikes stabbed out from the walls, and from the various slits and ports archers and ballistae could be seen. The Fortress, hexagonal in shape, had thick, stout walls that sloped toward the sky at a gentle angle. The thickness at the bottom would make them very tough determine, which would prevent them from coming down easily. Lookouts paced on a recessed walkway, exposing only their heads and shoulders to the enemy.
Eight walls surround the main Compound; walls forty-five feet high, extending a further thirty feet below ground. From ground level to top the walls are ten feet in width. Continues at ten feet wide into the ground, at twenty feet it then becomes twenty feet wide; effectively making the walls indestructible to all save arcane and the gods themselves. The walls are made of an inner layer five feet thick of uncut stone, held together with cooled magma. Two inch thick metal beams are melted in, and to, the 2’5” thick cut stone blocks, attached to the inner layer by magma. Also, positioned every ten paces on the wall is a grate covered fire pit, which allow for archers to light arrows and also for the defenders to heat oil and pitch to throw down at the enemy.
At each of the eight points of the wall a large ballistae tower is situated. These ballistae towers rise a further fifteen feet from the height of the wall; having only entrances leading to the walls on either side. A ladder in one corner allows for men to move up and use the ballistae whilst archers shoot at the enemy. On the wall height level of the ballistae towers there are five arrow slits in the wall facing away from the center of the citadel.
Unlike other fortresses and citadels this one has no gates what so ever in the walls. The only entrance to this citadel is contained at the very bottom of its underground labyrinth and consists of one huge tunnel that reaches from the south side of the Great Mountains in a straight line to the north side of the great mountains. At the very center of the tunnel is a large Hall wherein wagons and horses can be stored in times of war. At each end of the tunnel two thick wooden doors plated in dwarven steel on the outside and reinforced by bolts, rivets and nails which have had their heads melted so that on the surface it appears as if the doors are solid dwarven steel.
From the center of the sturdy fortress rises a tower of solid rock that appears, and is, one solid piece of rock that has been carved and shaped into the cloud touching tower it is today. There are balconies that reach out from the tower and these balconies are reinforced by stone projections and dwarven steel support beams angled out from the main body of the tower. Upon these balconies are railings which are merely crafted stone cut in two and hollowed out so that they can have metal rods fitted into the middle. These two halves are then put together and with arcane; the metal is melted so that it molds to the stone, the base and top of the stone is then melted enough so that the crossing top of the railings can be secured to the downward stone and so that the stone is secured to the balcony itself. A variety of other important buildings are located within those sturdy walls, however most reside within the tunnels and corridors carved into the mountain itself.
Below this bastion of military might and on the south side of the Great Mountains is a small town. This town supplies the Citadel with all of the food it will ever need and also serves as the permanent stabling facilities for the horseman that serve in the Citadel. Although a small town, it is not undefended; a wall surrounds this town which meets up with the Great Mountains and there finishes, creating a huge semi-circle of solid wall, save for the only Gate which is located at the most Southern part of the wall. These town walls are only thirty feet high as opposed to the Citadel’s forty-five feet.
These gates are double layered like the walls. The inner layer consists of 2.5” thick metal bars positioned at intervals of 2.5”. The bars are in this position both vertically and horizontally. The outer layer of the gates are thick, strong wood with metal poles that reach from the inner layer to the outer layer and then project outward from the wood in a spike. Only the heads of these spikes are seen on both sides of the gates. The Gate House is 45 feet from ground level to allow for the thirty-foot tall gate which will only rise up fifteen feet from the ground. Above the Gates there is one large grate covered fire pit which is used to boil oil and heat stones. The stones, once red hot, are lifted in thick cloth slings and thrown at the enemy, the cloth is burnt away before the stone hits an enemy causing great amounts of fire and bludgeoning damage. This fire is atop stone trap doors. If the enemy happens to breech the gates then one of the guards near the fire, above the gates, may open a metal panel in the stone next to the fire and pull a lever downward. The fire, stones and oil/pitch all fall down and onto whatever is below.
The ceiling behind the gates has a strong steel grill held against it. This has ten-inch long spikes attached at every two inches. When the trap door is released, this is also. It then swings down and slides smoothly into grooves cut into the stone ground. Once in position it is released from above and slides smoothly farther downward into holes made for this purpose; effectively stopping anyone else from coming in or going out, unless they are able to rip the roof off the gate and the ground under the gate also.
Within the center of the town is the Knight’s Compound. Consisting of ten buildings each with there own purpose. The center building is the largest and most used. It is the Barracks. Due to its size and the efficiency at which the beds are placed, over two thousand soldiers can be stationed in the four story tall stone buildings, giving the town more then enough protection when it is needed. The other buildings are as follows in clock wise order relating to the Barracks: Weapon smith, Armour smith, Commander’s Quarters, Supply Warehouse, Briefing Room, Training Hall, Archery Hall, Hospital, and the Main Stable.
Outside the town walls at regular intervals are ten, thirty feet tall stone keeps, each of which is position two hundred paces from the town walls. Each of these keeps can hold a garrison of one hundred men. These are for extra protection for the farming and ranching populace of the town and Centripax’s Heartlands.
![[Siona] - Arcis Firmitas Pietas](http://www.playbypost.com/forums/iconimages/siona/siona-arcis-firmitas-pietas_ltr.gif)
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