Silan

Silan the capital city of the kingdom of Sinaria, is seated at the foot of the White Mountain, which is itself the last in a string of mountains that run northeast. It is a beautiful city, at one with nature; it is situated on the shore of the Taithros. The citadel is situated in the Silaín Valley, which gave the city its name (although the Elves know it as the White City). The citadel itself is surrounded by a deep moat, fed by a natural spring, which originates on the Western side of the castle. On the top of the wall of the valley a watch tower is set on either side, and kept permanently manned, with a double watch in the event of combat.

Construction
The keep was originally built in a time when slavery was more widely accepted. It is built into the cliffside itself, with the living quarters and service rooms mined from the wall, and the outer buildings constructed from the stone. It faces almost due south, with the private chambers of the royal family on the eastern side.

Enceinte Wall
Although it is only ten yards high it is as thick as the outer wall, and the walkway affords the guard a view over the entire bailey.

Doors
The keep doors are less heavily reinforced than the main gate, but only because they do not have the metal rods. They are twelve feet high, and like the main gates, they open outwards.

Outer Bailey
Running down the hill half a mile from the keep, the houses are of a similar construction, one or two levels, depending on the occupation and income of the owner.

Towers
Four great towers stand fifty feet above the top of the wall surrounding the outer bailey. Each of them has its own garrisoned tower guard. There are three levels to each tower, the top being where the watch is kept is four yards square, while the second level is four by eight and leads directly onto the wall; the second is the sleeping quarters of the garrison and the ground level a ward room for the guards – again four yards square, directly below the sleeping quarters.

Walls
The main wall is fifteen feet thick at the narrowest point, with a three-yard walkway along the top. This allows archers to stand in two rows. The outer edge is built so that it is angled out at the base, making it harder for ladders to be leant against it. The wall is one hundred and fifty feet tall,

Main Gates
These gates are made of heavy oak beams, running vertically on the outside, and braced by solid metal rods. On the inside of the rods, the beams run horizontally. The gates also open out onto the causeway, so that when they are being rammed, the attackers are pushing against the natural movement of the gates.

Outer Holdings
On the valley floor beyond the outer wall, along both banks of the river, smallholders run their farms (approx 650 square feet each). Although they own the properties, they pay an annual ten percent tithe to the City for protection.