What exactly is Brighthollow supposed to be?

[Baron_Bathory]

Hey all!

 

Just something I was thinking about. Is Brighthollow supposed to be an inn on our property that we just happen to sleep in? Perhaps just a mansion that we live in on the estate?

 

I guess my main question is why is it separated from the main castle? Is this supposed to reflect any historical culture? Doesn't seem to be common whereby a lord's quarters is separated from the main keep.

 

Anyone got anything on this?

 

Thanks!

[DreamWayfarer]

It is simple: the steward does not like her pet to sleep under the same roof as she does.

 

What? Did you think the watcher was the master of Caed Nua?

[Baron_Bathory]

It is simple: the steward does not like her pet to sleep under the same roof as she does.

 

What? Did you think the watcher was the master of Caed Nua?

 

haha I damn well better be!!!! Especially after dealing with that rodent on the bottom floor.

[DreamWayfarer]

Cats can deal with rodents, and are smug enough to think they are the owners of the house.

 

You heard it well. The watcher is the Stewards pet kitten.

Edited March 3, 2016 by DreamWayfarer

[Baron_Bathory]

Thats... not... true... THATS IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!

[DreamWayfarer]

IT IS INEVITABLE, MORTAL. BOW BEFORE YOUR STONY OVERLORDS.

[Karkarov]

It is that way because no it wasn't that rare for the "lords" home to be separate from the main keep, but also it gives an easy add on expansion thingy for the keep.

Also  Dream, it is too bad for you.  I hired a stone mason last week to replace the old throne.  Sitting in it was a pain as it made so many of those annoying chair noises you know.

[Baron_Bathory]

no it wasn't that rare for the "lords" home to be separate from the main keep,

 

That's news to me. I've never seen it done in any fantasy setting. Furthermore, it would be an inefficient waste of resources to not have the master's quarters inside of the main keep. I mean, why build and staff 2 structures when you can simply just build and staff 1? In many cases we would see something like the barracks or the prison in a separate structure, but I've rarely seen the master's actual room being a total separate structure.

 

Meh, maybe I'm missing something. I'm sure there's a good reason for it that I'm not thinking about.

 

Thanks for the reply anyhow

Edited March 3, 2016 by Baron_Bathory

[FlintlockJazz]

 

no it wasn't that rare for the "lords" home to be separate from the main keep,

 

That's news to me. I've never seen it done in any fantasy setting. Furthermore, it would be an inefficient waste of resources to not have the master's quarters inside of the main keep. I mean, why build and staff 2 structures when you can simply just build and staff 1? In many cases we would see something like the barracks or the prison in a separate structure, but I've rarely seen the master's actual room being a total separate structure.

 

Meh, maybe I'm missing something. I'm sure there's a good reason for it that I'm not thinking about.

 

Thanks for the reply anyhow

 

Fantasy settings do many things that are historically incorrect.  In fact, the vast majority of fantasy settings have very little in common with reality.  And I'm not talking about things like dragons but the actual human society, armour, weapons, etc, the stuff you think is real.  Would write more but my cat has lost my mouse while trying to climb on my keyboard so need to find it.

[FlintlockJazz]

Right, got control back.  The keep, or donjon as it was actually called during the time period, was a fortification.  While many castles had the lord's residence in the donjon in England after 1066, this was mainly due to it essentially being an occupied country.  Most castles of the time elsewhere had another building that was the lord's home, looked after by the wife often, with the donjon being mainly used for barracks and fortifications.  I mean, think about it: living in a fortification means not having any windows more than an arrow slit, rooms built more for defense than comfort, etc.  You're a lord, you demand to live in comfort dagnammit!  No fountains or stained glass windows for you if you live in the donjon.

[Baron_Bathory]

Right, got control back.  The keep, or donjon as it was actually called during the time period, was a fortification.  While many castles had the lord's residence in the donjon in England after 1066, this was mainly due to it essentially being an occupied country.  Most castles of the time elsewhere had another building that was the lord's home, looked after by the wife often, with the donjon being mainly used for barracks and fortifications.  I mean, think about it: living in a fortification means not having any windows more than an arrow slit, rooms built more for defense than comfort, etc.  You're a lord, you demand to live in comfort dagnammit!  No fountains or stained glass windows for you if you live in the donjon.

 

Very interesting! Thank you for that!

 

I'm well aware that video games are saturated with historical inaccuracies. These inaccuracies, however, are usually a reference to something that is historically accurate as fiction is no excuse for a lack of realism. In my understanding there are multiple types of fortresses and noble dwellings. The 'donjen" you described seems more like a fortress than anything else, so it would go without saying that it would only contain the quarters of some kind of military commander. Caed Nua however is an entire noble's estate with a fortress-like wall surrounding it for defense. Think Minas Tirith vs. Helm's Deep in Lord of The Rings (extreme example, I'm aware that Minas Tirith is a full capitol city.).

 

It just seems redundant the Brighthollow would stand separate from the great hall by virtue of the fact that the great hall's positioning doesn't really seem to be contributing to the main defense of the keep. I guess it's just for game aesthetics.

 

Again I'm probably just reading too much into this. Thank you for explaining. :D

Edited March 3, 2016 by Baron_Bathory

[Messier-31]

Just something I was thinking about. Is Brighthollow supposed to be an inn on our property that we just happen to sleep in? Perhaps just a mansion that we live in on the estate?

 

I guess my main question is why is it separated from the main castle? Is this supposed to reflect any historical culture? Doesn't seem to be common whereby a lord's quarters is separated from the main keep.

 

As fair as I know the story goes like this... one of the first stretch goals in the Kickstarter campaing was that the player will get a PLAYER HOUSE if the Obsids raise $2 million. Some time later it was clear that people can't stop throwing their moneys at them, so another stretch goal was added, a STRONGHOLD at the level of $3 million. Because this whole stronghold thing replaces some of the player house aspects, they just had to merge these two. So you have a stronghold of Caed Nua but Brighthollow is your player house inside the holds' walls. Two birds with one stone.

 

Was it a good idea, that is for future historians to settle 

[Baron_Bathory]

 

Just something I was thinking about. Is Brighthollow supposed to be an inn on our property that we just happen to sleep in? Perhaps just a mansion that we live in on the estate?

 

I guess my main question is why is it separated from the main castle? Is this supposed to reflect any historical culture? Doesn't seem to be common whereby a lord's quarters is separated from the main keep.

 

As fair as I know the story goes like this... one of the first stretch goals in the Kickstarter campaing was that the player will get a PLAYER HOUSE if the Obsids raise $2 million. Some time later it was clear that people can't stop throwing their moneys at them, so another stretch goal was added, a STRONGHOLD at the level of $3 million. Because this whole stronghold thing replaces some of the player house aspects, they just had to merge these two. So you have a stronghold of Caed Nua but Brighthollow is your player house inside the holds' walls. Two birds with one stone.

 

Was it a good idea, that is for future historians to settle 

 

 

Thank you so much for clearing that up!

 

I had a feeling it was something along those lines. 3 cheers for kick arse estate on our property!

[gkathellar]

I'm still kinda disappointed that the house wasn't the Watcher's winter home in Defiance Bay.

 

Ah, well.

[Ymarsakar]

Correct, fantasy settings aren't all that accurate due to their own internal constraints.

 

Feudal lords and owners of a lot of property often had second homes and houses, often in the same location as their primary defensive fortress or food production or tax production.

 

A keep is designed to funnel invaders into a kill zone, and then kill them. The lives of a lot of primitives tended to live and work elsewhere.

 

The problem with Caed Nua is that the keep isn't designed with its kill traps inwards, towards the Endless Paths, even though the Steward knows that's where the danger is...

 

Bad design work.

 

Brighthollow would be a land owner's secondary or tertiary housing. Made to be comfortable and easier to heat, than stone. Might be cooler as well depending on seasons. And it lets light in, which can be good for health. Plus there's fountains and maybe fish later on, as the Japanese do their gardens, so aesthetically it might feel better as well.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Ymarsakar

[HawkSoft]

Framlingham castle in suffolk is possibly a good prototype for Caed Nua.

Here's a link to the plan: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Framlingham_Castle_plan.png#/media/File:Framlingham_Castle_plan.png

 

There's an extensive accomodation/entertainment block on the North West wall (E on the plan): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Framlingham_Castle_-Suffolk-8.jpg#/media/File:Framlingham_Castle_-Suffolk-8.jpg

 

Framlingham was built well after the Norman Invasion so there was no requirement for quick-build redoubt (= keep) and the science of castle building had evolved so the main defensive focus was on well designed towers and gatehouses rather than a central citadel. This meant that more internal space was available to construct appropriately grand buildings inside the castle from which the lord could rule and administer their domain as well as maintain their household.

 

Space would also be required for when the king made a visit so as to be able to house (and feed) his substantial retinue, this was an expensive obligation on a noble and constituted a form of tax-in-kind. Some castle had three complete sets of accommodation, one for the steward or seneschal, one for the lord and his family and one for important guests.

 

 

As a side note Acton Burnell Castle in Shropshire was more of a defended royal hotel than a fortification as its location made it a useful resting point for the king on his travels around the kingdom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acton_Burnell_Castle