Overlooking the Dwarf Road to the south of Manston, Southpass Watch was an Imperial watch post abandoned and fallen into a ruined state. It has been restored and acts as the Baronetcy's seat. This tower house's walls are stone.
The tower's grounds include a small pasture, farmland, barn, and a bunkhouse for the grounds staff/hands, as well as a barracks and stable for the troops in garrison to patrol the Dwarf Road to the north and south.
Tower staff:
- Steward - Lvl6 Magic User
- 2 Apprentice Magic Users (Lvl2, Lvl1)
- 4 Domestic staff (cook, footman, housemaids)
- 5 Grounds staff (groom, carpenter, smith, woodsmen)
- 6 Hands (gardener, farmer, shepherd, hands)
Garrison:
- Lieutenant - Level 3 Fighter, Mounted
- Sergeants, 2 - Level 1 Fighters, Mounted
- 20 Light Cavalry: studded leather & shield, light crossbow and broadsword
¶ Ground Level
Exterior
E1, Stables: set up with two stalls, a room for tack, and hay loft. Low (4') stone walls with finished timber above and a tile roof.
E2, Workshop: wood and metal workshop, primarily for building and maintaining the property and grounds. Low stone walls and floor with finished timber above, covered by a tiled roof.
E3, Courtyard: defined by a 10' tall iron fence (double gate), this grassed area features a stone path, small fountain, raised herb planters, and benches.
Interior
Stone floors, 10’ tall stone walls, arrow slits (with removable glass for defensive use), timbered framework.
- G1, Entry: thick wooden double doors to north (may be locked and barred) and east. Benches, supplies, cupboards, fill what is essentially a working mudroom with a brazier for heat in the colder months. Arrow slits sensibly spaced around the room provide daytime light.
- G2, Great Hall: thick wooden double doors provide access to the Entry, may be barred and locked. Two sets of similar doors allow access to the main portion of the tower. This two-story room is open above, the west and south feature a 8' wide catwalk raised 10' from the floor and inaccessible from below. Large fireplace centered on the north wall, with a thick metal grate separating the room from G8. More of a formal dining/meeting hall, with a large table, multiple chairs, braziers in the south corners for heat, tapestries, etc. Comfortable, but not ostentatious.
- G3, Privy: includes wash basin and pitcher.
- G4, Storage: furniture, candles/torches, lantern oil, sundries
- G5, Storage: contains kitchen sundries, sink, etc.
- G6, Kitchen: typical Renaissance-era kitchen, with oven, prep areas, dried goods, sink, etc. An archway to the east provides access to the pantry.
- G7, Pantry: cold, dry and wet storage for consumables
- G8, Common room: two sets of thick wooden double doors provide access from the Great Room (may be barred and locked), and flank the south wall’s fireplace. This room is essentially the “heart” of the tower, for servants, students and Wizard alike, and primary working space for the house staff. It contains a dining table and benches, cupboards and casks, chairs, loom, etc. Stairs north to the second floor, east descend to the (undefined) root cellar.
Second Level
- S1, Great Hall: open to the Great Hall (G2) below, this is an 8’ wide balcony with a thick wooden door providing access to the tower’s interior. Benches and sconces line the walls, and the mechanism to raise/lower two large lanterns are on the west wall.
- S2, Steward’s quarters: small fireplace on the south wall, with bed, chest, cabinet, wardrobe and desk.
- S3, Privy: toilet, washbasin, sundries.
- S4, Storage: furniture, linens, light sources and fuel, etc.
- S5, Apprentices’ quarters: as Steward’s, but with two beds, chests, wardrobes and desks. Brazier for heat.
- S6, Guest quarters: as Steward’s but with a fireplace on the north wall.
- S7, Storage: as S4 above
- S8, House staff quarters: as apprentice quarters, but with four of each furnishing (sans desks)
- S9, Landing: small table and chairs, rug, light sources
Third Level
Metal sheets line the floor, walls and ceiling of this floor, reinforcing the wooden frame construction.
- T1, Library: a working scholarly research area for the resident Wizard, lined with bookshelves and scroll racks, smaller sources of light, tables, chairs, chests, etc. Thick wooden double doors to the north may be barred and mechanically locked from inside, a similar single door provides access to the Alchemy Lab (T3) to the south. Fireplace to the north wall.
- T2, Office: the main working area for the Wizard, featuring desk, bookcases, cabinets, hidden/secret storage, chairs, and the typical supplies for mystical and mundane scribing. Spiral iron staircase in the NW corner provides direct access to the lab above. The door is metal-clad thick timber, Wizard Locked against access, and may be barred and mechanically locked.
- T3, Alchemy Lab: requisite supplies and appliances for the Wizard’s alchemic pursuits, including Continual Light/Darkness grow beds.
- T4, Water closet: simple “toilet” plumbed to the Privy (S3) below.
- T5, Landing: small table and chairs, rug, light sources
Fourth Level
Metal sheets line the floor, walls and ceiling of this floor, reinforcing the wooden frame construction.
- F1, Lab: a working arcane research area, lined with bookshelves and scroll racks, workbenches, tools, summoning and protective circles, hoodable CL lights, tables, chairs, chests, etc. The northeast door is metal-clad thick timber, Wizard Locked against access, and may be barred and mechanically locked. The spiral iron staircase in the NW corner provides access to the Office below. Thick wooden double doors to the east provide access to a Storage Closet (F5).
- F2, Storage/Closet: the Wizard’s primary valuables and storage space. Copies of working and traveling spell books reside here (originals reside in Sirius’ quarters in Kazakh). Walls are thickened, metal lined and reinforced, and secured behind a mechanical and Wizard Locked metal door.
- F3, Privy: a better appointed bathroom for the Wizard.
- F4, Wizard’s Chamber: quarters appropriate to the status of its resident, comfortably but not ostentatiously appointed, with furnishings for adventuring supply storage, clothing, etc. Fireplace in the north wall. The double door is metal-clad thick timber, Wizard Locked against access, and may be barred and mechanically locked.
- F5, Closet: storage for the more valuable lab supplies. Walls are thickened, metal lined and reinforced, and secured with a mechanical and Wizard Locked metal door.
- F6, Landing: small table and chairs, rug, light sources
Roof
Metal sheets are sandwiched between a thinner stone “floor” and the timber framework underneath.
Roof: a small enclosure covers the staircase going down, secured with a thick timber door which may be mechanically locked and barred from the inside. Appropriate height walls with battlements, and chimney (secured against elements and protected against intrusion. May eventually have a covered section to protect stargazing instruments against the elements.
¶ Party History
N/A, part of the post session 223 hiatus discussion.
¶ Restoration:
Started on 20 Harvester 1273, with a projected finish date of mid-Sunsback 1274
Sirius hired a team of human craftsmen and laborers from Manston to perform the restoration at the cost of 21,000 sp and 4,000 sp to furnish.
¶ Pre-Restoration Description
A small, ruined, an old imperial watch fort over the Dwarf Road, no detailed description beyond due to it being a location the party was not likely to visit.
It is "owned" by the city, so there would be some coin required to get possession of it. There would also be some level of negotiation on what service the holder owed the city. Swearing fealty and getting land and a remittance of taxes in exchange for promised services of some sort on an annual basis.