Allure: The wall walk along the top of the curtain (qv) to aid in its defense. Access to the rampart walk could be by wooden or stone stair parallel to the wall. Access via the towers is also possible. It is unknown when the allure first came into use; however, Carden the Sage believes it has been in use for over 1,000 years.
Arrow: of different designs according to their purpose. Long bow war arrows are of two lengths: flight arrows ( 37 inches) for high trajectory long-range fire; sturdier sheaf arrows ( 27 inches) for close-range piercing of mail armour and plate armour. The arrow shafts are made of ash and their fletchings of goose feathers.
Astral: about or within the Astral Plane
Bailey: A word meaning “palisaded enlosure”. Apparently first applied to the defended area of a summit of a motte (qv). later; Age 11 Year 5; used of the enclosure of a castle which gave additional space beyond that of the inner strong point, i.e. motte, mound, keep. Some baileys are so small as to be really an additional protection to the staircase of the mound e.g. keyhole plan. Larger ones defended the cattle and horses and later; Age 11 Year 100; provided additional accomidation for the lord and garrison, e.g. hall, kitchen, chapel, and workshops. More elaborate castles had outer and inner baileys; Age 11 Year 127; and large baileys were sometimes interrupted by a cross-wall whose purpose was to block the free circulation of troops who had invaded the area.
The bailey could take a variety of shapes of which the most popular was a circle or oval. This was easier to lay out than a rectangular shape and obviated the problem of accumulated earth from the corners of the ditches. The ‘kidney’ shape is probably the most common form of bailey.
Ballista: Artillary engine in the form of a very large bow which discharges heavy spears. First used by dwarves in Age 9 c. year 200. It fires a huge spear out to 320 yards.
Barbican: exterior defence protecting an entrance. Besides increasing protection at this necessary weak point, they could shelter a large group of fighters who need to cover a retreat or make a quick assault or sortie outside the walls. The barbican also confined attackers producing a larger target and making it more difficult to bring all forces to bear on the defenders. This marks a shift from the castle to the curtain wall. This also could confuse an enemy, as did the prehistoric; Age 7 (?); earthwork entrances.
Originally, they consisted of a simple wood palisade (qv); Age 4; or an earthwork and were usually circular or semi-circular. Some were larger or smaller portions of a circle. Usually depending on local or construction necessity. Later they were made of masonry and became a mostly rectangular form: Age 11 year 45.
Bartizan (Crow’s Nest, castle version): Small turret or lookout point corbolled out at an angle on a tower or part of the curtain wall. These are the stone version of a wooden hoarding on a curtain wall.
Battlement: One of the distinguishing features of a castle, i.e. a fortified residence. A license to crenel (qv) is required in many countries, especially the feudalistic nations. The first curtain walls; Age 11 Year 5; were not crennallated.
Bolt: A short arrow fired from a crossbow. The head of varied which according to purpose: warfare, practice, bird-shooting, or game hunting. Battle bolts are of seasoned hardwood about 1/2 inch to one inch in diameter. At a fair range these sharply pointed bolts could pierce most armor except perhaps when striking a glancing blow on a curved surface. To obviate this weakness the quarrel (qv) was devised.
Buttery: ‘Butter’ presided over by the ‘Bottler’. A small room between kitchen and hall. Where beer and wine is distributed to the diners during meals.
Buttress: Thickening of a wall for strength and support, usually tapering towards the top. Also an additional strip of masonry to give additional strength and support. Sometimes clasping buttresses at the corner of great keeps are of such dimensions as to be able to house spiral staircases.
Campaign: general term referring to one referee’s adventures as a whole rather than indivudually. An on going series of games based upon a created millieu (qv).
Castle: A term applied to the fortified houses which developed in Age 9, year c. 300. The word ‘castle’ originally applied to the enclosure while the motte (qv) within it was applied to the ‘tower’.
Charm: a magical form of minor mind control.
Chivalry: The institute of knighthood, i.e. the qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery, courtesy, and honesty.
City-state: A country (state) comprised of an autonomous city and its surrounding territories.
Code of Chivalry: A code of conduct and rules. ( I’ll type up my campaign’s list of these later. )
Crestar: The name of my campaign planet, ‘Crest of a Star’, not a parallel Earth.
Crenel: The embrasure in a parapet between merlons (qv). To ‘crenelate’ means ‘to fortify’. A license is required before a residence can legally be crenellated.
Curtain ( wall): A stretch of wall between two towers, but often used of the whole wall including the towers. The cross-curtain divided the bailey (qv) into two wards.