The Great Keep
The Great Keep of Ben Doa is a massive ancient structure located within the walls of the city and is the primary seat of government of the Duchy of Ben Doa and the ducal residence. It is a huge square keep, 285' to a side and standing an amazing 110' high. It has very few windows (and all of those are mostly retrofitted long after the original construction was completed) and only one original entryway. The Great Keep has six floors above ground and (at least) two levels of vaulted basements bellow ground. It is located along the western edge of the city, as far from the Eastern Sea shoreline as is possible within the city walls.
The Great Keep is ancient by any measure, but it is not as old as the oldest structures that still exist in the city. The Keep is very close (less than 50') from a very large section of ancient wall that has been incorporated into the city wall itself, and that section of wall is confidently dated to be nearly 5,000 years old. The Keep is made of finely cut and laid stone from a quarry about 12 miles southwest of the city and that stone is distinctly different than the granite material that the oldest portions of the city are made from. Most experts believe the Keep to be about 1,800 years old, but in the intervening centuries much change and improvement has been made to the structure and its interior.
The Great Keep has an operational staff of more than 600 people, and 200 of those souls live within the walls of the Keep. They keep the ducal residence running and fed from three massive and fully-funtional kitchens that feed more than 500 people multiple meals every single day.
Purpose / Function
The Great Keep is the seat of the Duke of Ben Doa and has been since the duchy was founded. Prior to that it was the seat of a kingdom that stretched from the mouth of the Calas River all the way to the Teeth of the North at the Arian border in the south. It was, at one time, a formidable fortress but is now a huge and very fine residence and governmental building.
Design
The first floor is mainly designed to provide for official governmental operations, with several huge banquet halls, an audience hall for the Duke, reception and meeting halls for the Duke's various officials and officers, two large and fully operational kitchens and many service spaces and corridors. The second and third floors of the Keep are the official residences of the Duke and his family, as well as the Duchy's Lord Steward and the Lord Chamberlain. The upper floors are dedicated to the residences and apartments of the servants and staff that reside in the Keep full time.
Below the Great Keep are vast vaulted cellars and basements where water, stores and supplies are kept in great quantities. There are two furnaces located there that heat both water and move hot air up stone channels and through the floors and walls of the Keep to warm and dry the interior spaces during cold and damp seasons.
Sensory & Appearance
Looking very cold and imposing from the outside, the interior of the Great Keep is brightly lit with large lamps. Floors are polished hardwood or finely inlaid stone mosiac, sometimes covered in finely woven carpets or vast colorful rugs. Walls are polished wood panelling over strong stone walls, doors are tall and intricately carved, windows are tall and glazed with leaded glass of many colors. Furnishings are of the finest craftsmanship and immaculately maintained.
Alterations
Other than the walls and vaulted cellars, very little of the original structure remains to be seen. The interior has been rebuilt and renovated many times over the centuries and many portions of the structure are now considered palatial rather than defensive. The interior space of the Keep (considering only what is above ground) is nearly 500,000 square feet in space and much of that space is dedicated to the operation and functioning of the duchy's government as well as a very well-appointed residences for the Duke and his family. About 200 years ago, a center section of the Keep was walled off and opened to the sky to allow additional sunight and fresh air into the interior of the massive building and this renovation has become known as the "Sky Well". This Sky Well extends from the floor of the second story to the top of the Keep, allowing light and fresh air to access areas of the Keep that otherwise would never have exposure to either.
Architecture
The Keep is constructed of fine gray limestone, well finished and expertly laid in walls exceeding 12' in thickness. Originally, there was one large fortified entryway into the tower, but over the course of the previous centuries, additional service entrances have been added. Many windows have also been added (the original structure does not appear to ever have had any windows at all), as has the central Sky Well allowing the upper five floors of the tower to have additional access to light and air.
Defenses
Very little of the original defensive structures still exist, apart from (literally) thousands of arrow loops that are now the primary means of bringing any natural light into the interior. Exterior walls are more than 12' thick and the first four floors of the Keep are all made of vaulted stone chambers.
History
The original builders of the Great Keep are not known, but the fact that the Keep has been used as a center of governmental power for more than 1,000 years is undisputed. Over the course of the last 400 years, each successive generation of occupation has worked to make the Keep more of a palatial residence than a defensive fortress.
Founding Date
Around 1,500 BF
Type
Keep
Parent Location
Owner
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
