Glossary Links

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• K, L, and M | N, Oh, and P
• Q, R, and S | T, U, V, and W

1. Natural 1: When a d20 is rolled and a ‘1’ appears. No bonuses or adjustments are included to give a final result of a 1.
   
   
2. Natural 2: When a d20 is rolled and a ‘2’ appears. No bonuses or adjustments are included to give a final result of a 2.
   
   
3. Natural 20: When a d20 is rolled and a ‘20’ appears. No bonuses or adjustments are included to give a final result of a 20.
   
   
4. n.b.: Note well.
   
   
5. NPC: A non-player character, a character directed by the referee.
   
   

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6. Obviate: To prevent or dispose of effectively; anticipate so as to render unnecessary.
   
   
7. Others: A race of beings that resemble humans. They were known to exist over 1,000 game-years ago. Several adventuring parties have encountered beings that fit the physical and magical (?) manifestations typical of them. They sometimes masquerade as low-level NPCs, when they are pressed in battle they have shown abilities that exceed 15th level of ability, along with weapons and devices of unknown types. I got the idea for this from several fantasy and science fiction stories and even a few old comic books.
   
   
8. Oubliette: A prison where prisoners can be placed that has no exit and no light, except for the trap door leading down into it.
   
   
9. Outwork: A fortification advanced beyond the castle walls to defend a vulnerable point such as a gate, bridge, or to defend a supply route, e.g. from a dock to a castle; an extended barbican.
   
   

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10. Palisade: Wooden wall or fence of heavy timbers set vertically and touching. The earliest form of static defense, usually of a village. c. Age 4.
    
    
11. Pallet: a blanket and something for a pillow. You put the blanket under you,and use any extra part of that blanket as a cover. Not very comfortable.
    
    
12. Parapet: The battlement wall protecting a rampart or roof-wall towards a field. It is divided into merlons and crenels (embrasures).
    
    
13. PC: Player character; a character whose actions are directed by a player.
    
    
14. Persona: The role or identity of the character whose actions are directed by a player. see PC above.
    
    
15. Pole arm: A hafted weapon, other than a spear or staff, with a length of 5 feet or more.
    
    
16. Portcullis: A sliding drille of iron or wood suspended in the gateway of a fortified place in such a way that it can quickly be lowered in case of attack. First used in c. Age 9. A gate was used before this time.
    
    
17. Postern: A small door or secondary gate for use when the main gate is inconvienent or when its operation is unnecessary. It could be located near the kitchen for food ingress or near the castle’s rear as an emergency exit or escape.
    
    
18. pp: Platinum piece(s), a monetary unit made of an alloy of platinum. 1 pp = 5 gp.
    
    
19. psionics: Mental abilities; such as combat, telekinesis and telepathy; possible only by very intelligent beings and some monsters. Player characters of the dwarf, halfling, and human races can have psionics.
    
    

Glossary Links

• Entrance
• A, B, and C | D, E, and F
• K, L, and M | N, Oh, and P
• Q, R, and S | T, U, V, and W

I got many of these terms from one book and modified the meanings to fit my game world. The rest are from my understanding of the books. The definitions of terms I have in this glossary may vary from my interpretation of the same terms.

The name of the book is: ‘The Castle Explorer’s Guide’ by Frank Bottomley published by Avenel Books.

True, its a castle guide. But the first 200 pages is a castle parts dictionary, with illustrations. I found it to be very useful. The castle guide part is a short paragraph on each castle listed taking up the last 50 pages.

Glossary Links

• Entrance
• A, B, and C | D, E, and F
• K, L, and M | N, Oh, and P
• Q, R, and S | T, U, V, and W

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. Astral: about or within the Astral Plane
   

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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.
   
   
4. 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.
   
   
5. 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.
   
   
6. 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.
   
   
7. 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.
   
   
8. 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.