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Chapter 9: Equipment
Moat: A moat is a ditch surrounding the
fortification to obstruct besiegers. Some moats are
filled with water, though many are not. A moat may
be no wider than 70 feet wide and 35 feet deep. If
filled with water, waste from the kitchen and
garderobes is deposited in the moat. Dry or wet,
most moats also have sharpened stakes at the bottom.
Deep moats also present an obstacle to besiegers
who attempt to dig a mine under the wall.
Portcullis: This is a grid-like gate that is usually
of wood and covered with iron. It is lowered
over an entryway to prevent passage. 1 or more
portcullis is a common part of a gatehouse.
Public Bath: Some cultures have a public
bath in their fortifications. Other cultures are not
concerned with cleanliness. Public baths are detailed
in Chapter 6: Sociality.
Tower: Although ancient towers were made
from wood, all modern towers are made from stone.
Towers vary in shape, height, and diameter. The
shape of a tower may be round, octagonal, square,
triangular, or D-shaped. Usually, a tower occurs at
the corner of buildings or walls. Oftentimes, long
walls are periodically interrupted by towers. The
part of a tower that is inside a fortification may be
open or, most often, closed. Roofing may or may
not be put atop a tower. If a tower has a roof, it is
made of either lead or slate. A tower may be mostly
outside, halfway (most common), or mostly inside a
building or wall. Different towers may serve different
functions, such as defense, observation, sanitation,
and siege. Round towers cost 1.5 times the
price to construct. Usually, towers do not have windows,
because a window is a potential weakness.
However, narrow slit-like openings cast light on an
internal staircase. The staircase in a tower is made
from either wood or stone. Usually, the staircase
turns upward in a clockwise direction to allow a soldier
to fight with his sword in his right hand as he
retreats up the tower.
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Wall: Walls are made from stone. The height
and thickness of walls vary for fortifications. It is
considered safe if the wall is at least 1 foot thick for
each 10 feet in height. Most walls are thicker than
this ratio. An ancient rule declared a wall must be 1
foot thick for each 4 feet in height, though most
modern walls are not this thick. Since the new siege
engine known as a trebuchet wreaks havoc on walls,
modern fortifications have walls thicker than the
minimum 1/10 ratio. Walls are often buttressed,
meaning they are reinforced by having a thicker base.
In addition to the cost of building a wall, hoardings
must be constructed if the walls are not at least 4
feet thick. Most walls have battlements, which are
crenelations. Crenelations consist of a succession
of openings called embrasures and small sections
of wall called merlons. It is possible to walk behind
the crenelations if the wall is at least 4 feet thick.
This is called a masonry wall walk, or allure.
Well: When a well is dug, the Aedile will determine
if water is below. A well is important to
fortifications for many reasons. It supplies drinking
water. Water from a well may also be used to extinguish
fires set by incendiary projectiles, which are
launched by besiegers. During a siege, hides are often
drenched in water or aged urine and placed atop
hoardings and other flammable surfaces.