I Roved Out
Name: Erudol Citadel [The Ruins of...]
Image Source: "Dol Guldur" by Titus Lunter
Intent: To legitimize a location used in roleplays as Eske's den and the future secret entrance to the tunnels beneath Byss.
Classification: It was once a mighty citadel hundreds of years ago. It is now but a carcass of its former glory, all stone and dust and ruin.
Location:
Erudol sits far, far out in the wilds to the north of Byss' capital city. The road routes upon which it was founded as a crossroads for trade between cities have long since become lost to overgrowth. It is nearly impossible to get there aside from airborn transport or trekking through the dangerous jungles.
The citadel itself is nestled into the bend of a gorge, portions of the foundations arch over the river running below.
Affiliation: It's last official owners died several hundred years ago. The only one to call this place home, now, is Eske, though it falls under the influence of the One Sith.
Description: A once mighty citadel of stone, The Ruins of Erudol are now but a skeleton of its former self. While a majority of the outterlying walls, fortifications, and higher levels have crumbled over the years, the main base hold of the citadel still sits fairly intact. Built atop a hill overlooking a gorge and valley below, Erudol's mainstay was not above ground as most believe, but below the surface, and extended the full face of the gorge cliff to the south in order to reach the river at the bottom where a good portion of trade took place.
Today the dense briar forests surrounding the citadel have eaten up the remnants of the old crossroads of yore. The trees are dark, their leaves brown, and their branches intertwined so heavily it's quite impossible to pass without the proper tools. As one draws closer to the ruins they soon find their way barred by something else: spider webs. Not just any spider webs, incredibly strong spider webs whose threading is thick and remarkably sticky. As difficult to cut as durasteel and far more resilient in nature. The webbing continues all the way up and into the ruins - quite impenetrable in some areas while only faint traces may line others.
Main areas of the ruins:
- Courtyard - an expansive area where once a sizable trading outpost resided. It is littered with the detritus of the centuries. Creeper vines, fallen stone and debris of the higher exterior walls. Much of the courtyard's boundaries have crumbled though a few corners remain standing. There is nothing of note to be found here, though it offers a lovely view of the valley to the south.
- Citadel Anterior - just within the boarders of the courtyard and original citadel keep. Once upon a time this was where the lower echelons lived but there is little left of it intact. With so many fallen walls and levels it's difficult to tell up from down. Stone walkways and stairs often lead into nothingness; vast chambers that once stood as merchant shops and storage facilities now feel like strange, lifeless pits.
- Citadel Proper - passing through what would be considered the main entrance, of which these massive steel gates rise like old, obstinate weathered warriors against the ages. The higher levels are gone but first and second levels are still fairly well preserved, if not covered in hundreds of years worth of dust, dirt, and general detritus. Many of the rooms remain vastly untouched, a ghostly reminder of the people who once lived here. There are plenty of historical relics to be found, though nothing of great value to anyone but a collector. Or a museum. The avid explorer of the ruins will note, however, that there remains no books or records of any kind within these chambers. Old statues, tapestries, ornamental rugs and the rare painting or decorative trinket could likely still be found.
- Erudol Library - historically revered for its massive collection of books, tomes, datacrons and the like, Erudol Library was considered a destination for many of Byss' intellectuals. Rare collectives could be found and studied here, as well the resident Lord Lusethem was a renowned Archivist of his time, if not a bit protective of his work. The chamber, originally build of light grey stone with a large glass ceiling, has seen a fair amount of decay over the centuries. A good portion of the ceiling collapsed at some point and the glass has long since shattered, though the remains of this have been cleaned away by the resident Arachneri and the gaping whole of the room patched by a thickly spun webbing. The contents of the library are kept meticulously, all two stories of floor-to-ceiling stacks. The center of the chamber is wide open, littered with various study tables and desks where Eske has long been at work transcribing books and creating her own for 40 years.
- Lower Levels - most paths to these areas are barred by thick web. Not necessarily to keep anyone out, but as a means of skillfully corralling potential meals into traps. The lower levels are markedly barren of anything interesting. These were the chambers of skill craft where Erudol's minor militial force lived and practiced. Some interesting locations to find: an old smithy and armory; a respectable wine cellar; storage facilities for foodstuffs; an old and collapsed apothecary chamber that is no longer accessible; a vaulted doorway leading to a vast network of underground tunnels and rumored to contain the treasure of Lusethem's legacy; barracks and training chambers; an old hall of worship with a idol of a masked man at its end; and the access stair to the riverside trade port.
- River Port - aside from having once been a small fishing and trade village, the River Port once served the important function of bringing trade from the north where no land roads could access. No boats remain but the old stone docks and merchant houses are remarkably well preserved. There are plenty of places for one to hide here and it is one of the few areas where Eske's web does not extend. There is nothing of value left here as weather and heavy flooding over the years have washed most everything away that was not solidly in place.
History:
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