Falkhollow Citadel
Purpose / Function
Long ago, the keep was built by an old tribal chieftan from the Blackwoods, with the intent to both show the other tribes his wealth and to intimidate by using it as a sign of great power. From the altar rooms and old cells and cages within, it was also a place for ritual sacrifice and practice of dark magics.
Alterations
When the citadel was conquered by the Gothangelic order, several rooms and halls got completely decimated by the Witch Hunters mortars and cannons. Therefor the old stone fort has had an upgrade of granite and steel to ensure the same can not happen underneath their own rule. The many holding cells have also been removed to only a prison to harbour a couple dozen, with the round downwards slooping sacrifical chambers being remade into messhalls and storage rooms, with the alchemical and studies being repurposed to combat rather than breed black magic.
Architecture
Once more or less a massive stone square on top of a mountain, the citadel is now far more rounded towards the mountain walls. It carries a rich gothic architecture with black granite melding into the natural rock around it, accompanied by large round or shield shaped windows with ornate gold wiring inside them, specially made to allow a lot of light to shine into the building, but look dark and imposing from the outside. There are also five different towers which rises from the mountain, all connected with stone bridges ripe with gargoyles. These towers are known as the cathedral fingers, due to how they look like small cathedrals, with the fifth tower being far larger than the other two - namely the thumb. The towers also glow in an alchemical green flame.
Defenses
The citadel has a vast amount of oddly shaped staircases, which serves the purpose of making a climb during an attack as hard as possible, without flight. They've also armed the entire fort with around 120 cannons, 7 mortars and several dozen possible traps and bottlenecks within the rooms and halls. Arrow slits also aim towards the elevated front gate, where most foes would have to invade.
History
Less than fourty years ago, the fort stood as a beacon of terror around Gothangela, Gévaulia, Normania and the northern parts of Oquitaine. The fort and it's surrounding villages were ruled by a Warlock, whom was a loyal servant to one of Anita Di'estra's handmaidens.
From the mountains, he ran an operation of abduction and sacrifice, where the families and loved ones of the old Witch Hunters were targeted, then dragged into the halls to be tortured, murdered or sometimes worse. All as a ploy to decimate their numbers and ensure that one of the greatest threats towards the dark circles of Diestria was crushed. A successfull mission at that, untill one day a man rode into town with a vast force of cannons and muskets at his back.
Lead by Pierre van roc Noir, they wandered straight into town and started to kick in doors and forcefully grabbed every cultist and dark magic practitioner they could find. As chaos ensured, they fought through the streets untill reaching a halt, as a mesenger arrived demanding him to surrender, else the captives and civilians within the keep would be all executed.
Though they knew their lives were forfeit, they gave up their guns and surrendered to their foes. Biding their time causing their foes as much problems and grief as possible, while they were being chained up and beaten bloody. Only as the daggers of the foe came out, with intentions to gut one of his soldiers, Pierre howled out a command, as a bolt etched into the skull of the executioner, as all hell brought loose again. This time though, a barrage from William Lionheart's own fleet crashed through the shores. A few of his ships had been placed within the mists, ready to fire, the moment a flare was fired into the sky by a killteam of Witch Hunters, that had waited for Pierre's command.
Though this act could have seen reckless to the lives of the civilians within the keep, a vast amount of the captives were other hunters, lead by Ulyssies Fal Tonitrum himself. As they broke out of their cells, they'd swiftly dispatch their guards, arm themselves and break the captives out. The hunters and armed people then rushed for the exit, while Ulyssies moved forth to dispatch the leader of the foes on his own. A task believed to impossible, that likely would have been - if it wasn't for a sudden barrage by a normanian airship, comandeered by the pompous Oquitanian baron, Alfred von Bethany, who blew a large portion of the fort to rubble. Thus, allowing Ulyssies to go for the killing blow.
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