I finally got one of my castles into some semblance of order over the holiday weekend.
My main castle is loosely based on Oswestry Castle, near the border between England and Wales, circa 1350, the during Edward III's reign. The (real world) castle is now in ruins so there's no need for me to be entirely historically accuracy with my Playmobil reproduction.
Oswestry Castle stands on a hill with a river to the East, running North/South as it passes the castle. You can see the actual location
here, and read more about the real castle
here.
My Castle currently has 75 adult residents.
Owned and ruled over by the Earl of Oswestry and his wife. The wife's sister is currently visiting.
They have two jesters (it's a tough job), a Herald, a Justicier (I've just made this name up, but everybody better behave or else), and five other (non-military workers so far). The workers are an Ostler, Farrier, Blacksmith, Falconer, and Master of the Dogs. The blacksmith is busy and not visible in these photos.
There are normally three sets of 15 guards who man the towers and walls in three six-hour shifts, with a lieutenant and captain for each watch. In times of suspected danger two watches will be active, and during an actual attack on the castle all three watches will be active. In times of peace then, a watch will be working six out of every 18 hours, with 12 hours to eat, sleep, mend equipment etc.
The Watches are the Blue Watch (the captain is in the gate tower)
Yellow Watch, captained by the Earl's eldest son and heir, who is also First Captain,
and Green or Eagle Watch, formed by the Eagle Knights.
Each watch contains at least five bowmen or crossbowmen who man the five towers, giving the greatest range and field of view. Seven more men do sentry duty on the walls, and the Captain and his Lieutenant keep a few men in reserve to act as messengers, or to open the gates and drawbridge when required.
There are 13 female workers divided into groups of four for each watch, plus a Head Housekeeper (in the blue cap).
The ladies are responsible for most of the cooking and cleaning, and general household duties, and the making and mending of clothes and fabrics in the castle. The Head Housekeeper selects ladies to help serve and wait on the Earl's family from the available pool. Some of the ladies are married to some of the soldiers.
There is an enemy castle only a few miles away (on the other side of the bedroom), commanded by a Welshman, the Black Baron.
Rebuilt from the ruins of an earlier castle destroyed by Edward I's armies (hence the non-matching stonework), this mountain stronghold stands high on a rocky outcrop on top of a chest of drawers, accessible only by a treacherous and wearying climb up the chest of drawers.
The Welsh castle is much smaller, and I haven't arranged all the Klicky details yet, but there are only two entrances - the main gate and a single ladder leading to the watchtowers above.
The main gate is guarded by a Red Dragon,
and the ladder leads to a single stout oak door, overlooked by two windows. Anyone trying to enter will have rocks and arrows raining down on them.
