General Notes

Castle and Defenses

A motte-and-bailey keep deep in desolate grasslands on the edge of civilization.

• Outer defenses: Centaurs patrol the perimeter. The keep itself is ringed by a muck-filled ditch and a 12′ palisade of sharpened logs. A drawbridge provides the only access to the interior.
• Bailey: Holds a tall, box-like structure (Areas 12–16), a medium-sized single-story structure (Areas 8–10), and numerous smaller cabins and huts; all are made from logs or wattle and daub.
• Motte: A steep scarp rises 30′ over the land. Topping it is a 20′ tower of roughcut logs; figures are visible on the roof (see Area 25). A floating bridge ascends the scarp, connecting the bailey to the motte (see Area 22).

Trumpet Signals

Signal Sound Significance Lower Drawbridge Trill Used by centaurs to announce vetted guests. Danger Long blast Causes the drawbridge to be raised and brings 2d6 foot soldiers ( 5. “Danger Averted” (see below) sounded after 15 minutes of calm. Moving Horses 3 blasts Alerts the archers (Area 25) to refrain from firing at loose horses. Password 2 ascending Allows for safe passage on the floating bridge (Area notes 22). Danger Averted Victorious Resume normal activity. Also sounded at dawn. melody

Surrounding Lands

Dry open prairie dotted with stands of sagebrush. A single dusty road provides access to the castle.

• Dawn: Adventurers present at dawn learn the “Danger Averted” trumpet signal (see Trumpet Signals).
• Surveillance: PCs can hide in distant sagebrush patches and observe the castle and road. Each hour, they witness 1 event from the Surveillance Events table, but also have a 1-in-6 chance of being discovered by patrolling centaurs (see Castle and Defenses and Gaining Entry). p5) from Area 8 to muster in Area

Gaining Entry

There are a handful of methods for entering the heavily fortified keep:

• Direct approach: Convincing the centaurs falsely of benign intentions (see Area 1).
• Supply wagons: PCs aware of the supply wagons can easily hide in them and emerge in Area 5.
• Trumpet signals: Intrepid adventurers who have learned the trumpet signals can use them to their advantage.
• Other methods: Devised by players; ingenuity should be rewarded.

Order of Battle

• Note: These details are restated in the pertinent sections. Approaching the outer yard (see Area
• 1): 5-in-6 chance of PCs being spotted by the archers of the tower (Area 25), who sound the “Danger” trumpet

Surveillance Events

1d6 Event 1–2 A supply wagon (see Gaining Entry) arrives and later departs 3 A band of humanoid raiders (referee’s choice) attempts to reach the drawbridge when it is lowered. They are repelled. (No event if rolled again). 4 A phalanx of soldiers arrive with captive horses in tow. There is some commotion in the keep, which ceases after three blasts from a horn. 5 An ornate carriage arrives. A richly robed noble and her entourage ascend the floating bridge (see Defenses and Area 22). Shortly after, the noble and her carriage depart. (No event if rolled again). 6 Shift changes at the tower (see Castle and Defenses and Area 25) signal. This causes the centaurs to immediately intercept the party.

• Archer surveillance: The archers of the tower focus only on the outer yard and palisade (Areas 1 and 2), the floating bridge (Area 22), and the paddock (Area 11). They can see activity in the bailey (Area 5) but are unable to tell the PCs from others present.
• Foot soldiers: Disorganized and lacking leadership, they are unlikely to mount a full-scale defense. Those failing a morale check in battle flee to summon 2d6 foot soldier reinforcements from Area 8, arriving in 1d6 rounds (see Foot Soldiers, p5).
• Nighttime: Shifts of soldiers and centaurs remain on duty. All areas within the keep are lit by torches. Servants and other non-military are either asleep in their quarters (Great Hall, bedrooms, etc.) or awake at the referee’s discretion. Intelligence “Lower Drawbridge” trumpet signal. “Danger” and “Danger Averted” trumpet signals. “Moving Horses” trumpet signal. “Open Drawbridge” and Castle and “Password” trumpet signals Tactics that reduce chance of tower spotting by 1 (see Area 1).