A tour of Sun Dragon Castle

The plans for Sun Dragon Castle, the
Oriental fortress which appears in this
issue, are based on Himeji Castle, from a
region known as the Harima country. Built
nearly 400 years ago, this castle still stands
as a monument to Japan's feudal culture.
The ground plans which accompany this
text show details of Sun Dragon Castle
(much like Himeji's environs over 300
years ago). If based in Kara-Tur, Sun
Dragon Castle is located in of Wa.

Maps 1 and 2 correspond directly with
each other; thus, references made to Map
2 also apply to Map 1. Map 1 is a birds-eye
elevation of Sun Dragon Castle. This map
provides a three-dimensional perspective
of the castle grounds immediately surrounding
the tenshu, or main citadel.
These structures are more accurately
illustrated in Map 2, which shows an overhead
plan of the same area. Map 3 shows
the outlying environs -- the castle town,
outer moats, and peripheral structures ?
around the inner construct. The castle
model is of the tenshu only: the main
tower and the structures immediately
attached to or surrounding it. These areas
are the daitenshu indicated on Map 1 as 1.
The rest of the maps, plans, and illustrations
accompanying this model are provided
as supplements.

The inner complex
Maps 1 and 2 show the tenshu and its
surrounding compounds. As a frame of
reference, the main tower (the cardboard
castle) highlighted on Map 1. The tenshu is
the innermost defense of Sun Dragon
Castle; it is the one point to which all
nobility retire in the event of attack. The
floor plans for these structures are shown
on the following pages.

Surrounding the main citadel are the
other outer compounds, their gates, and
other constructs. These compounds,
which are also known as maru, are illustrated
in detail in Maps 1 and 2. These
compounds are constructed in a mazelike
fashion and are connected by a series of
gates; this construction is instrumental in
adding a degree of constriction to the
winding path to the tenshu. In moving
through these compounds, the attackers
must move in thin ranks, thus slowing
their movement considerably. Furthermore,
the defenders are able to block
attacks by sealing off certain compounds.
As can be seen from Map 1, each compound
is slightly higher in elevation than
the preceding one; this makes it easier for
the defenders to fire at attacking forces.
The mazelike structure of the compounds
may also cause a degree of disorientation
in attacking forces, causing them to follow
mistaken routes to the tenshu.

Connecting each compound to the next
is a series of gates. The types of gates and
their construction are detailed in Zeb
Cook's article, "The Life and Death of a
Castle," which appears elsewhere in this
issue; DMs are free to place any of these
gate constructions at the gate locations.
These locations are marked on Map 2 as 8-
18 (Gates A-K). The Diamond Gate, or Gate
Hishi, is the main gate into the inner compounds.
As a general note, this gate is
usually the most sturdily built, most defensible
gate in the complex. It is important
because it separates the outer living complexes
from the inner defense complexes.
It is these inner complexes that the nobles
close off in the event that attacking forces
reach the castle compounds.

Key to Map 2

1	Main tower complex
2	Bizenmaru
3	Okikuido
4	Sannomaru
5	Nishinomaru
6	Daitenshu
7	Inner moat
8	Gate A (to Ninomaru)
9	Gate B
10	Gate C
11	Gate D (to Ichinomaru)
12	Gate E
13	Gate F
14	Gate G
15	Gate H
16	Gate I
17	Gate J (to Okikuidomaru)
18	Gate K
19	Water gate 1
20	Water gate 2
21	Hishi gate (Diamond Gate)
22	Sangoku moat
23	Watari Yagura (vanity tower)
24	Kesho Yagura (vanity tower)

The moats listed on Maps 1 and 2 ? the
inner moat and the sangoku moat ? are
the main water defenses for the inner
compounds. The inner moat is shown only
briefly and incompletely on Map 2 (not at
all on Map 1); Map 3 gives a more complete
view of this expansive moat. This
series of water defenses marks the inner
complex from the surrounding city. On
Map 3, an outer moat (which feeds the
inner moat) gives the inner complex the
appearance of an island within an island.
The moats are much more concentrated in
the inner complexes than in the outer
ones. This concentration of water defenses
makes it difficult for attacking forces to
move through these compounds; their
greater width also prevents attackers from
moving siege weaponry through the areas.
In peacetime, these moats provide a water
source for agricultural and sanitation
purposes. For instance, the sangoku moat
not only defends the castle walls between
the nishinomaru and the ninomaru, but
also provides a recreational water source
for the residents of these maru.

The water gates listed on Map 2 are
marked as if they appear in two of the
maru compounds. In actuality, these water
gates appear inside the daitenshu compound,
and are gates to the tengu itself.
The term ?water gate? is merely a term for
the innermost gates; they are not used to
let water into moats, nor are they protected
by water defenses. The reference to
water is a misnomer. With the exception
of the sangoku moat, there are no other
water defenses in the interior complex of
Sun Dragon Castle. These gates do not
appear on the model.

Two structures shown on Maps 1 and 2
are the watari yagura and the kesho
yagura. These structures are known as
vanity towers. They provide a promontory
for reconnaissance; they also provide
points of defense to the outer maru and
minor defenses to the nishinomaru. Plans
for these towers are not included; their
interiors are fairly basic in design, being
mostly open and unfurnished. They are
used only for military purposes, not to
house the noble family in an attack.

Not shown on the maps are the smaller
buildings (houses, sheds, outbuildings,
stables, etc.) which occupied much of the
maru compounds. In times of peace, the
inner maru were used as living compounds
for the noble family. Each adult
member of the noble family occupied one
of the maru. The tengu was only used as a
defensible position in times of war. DMs
may feel obliged to denote the various
living quarters and outbuildings on a
photocopy of Map 2, marking and placing
these structures as desired.

Okikuido on Maps 1 and 2 is the location
of a well (originally from Himeji Castle).
Translated as ?Okiku?s well,? Okikuido is
named for a young woman who was killed
by her master for carelessly breaking
some porcelain. It is rumored that the
mournful voice of the young woman?s
ghost can be heard counting her dishes on
a stormy evening.

Outer compounds and jokomachi
Moving outward from the inner compounds
of Sun Dragon Castle, we find the
Sannomaru compounds; these compounds
house the servants and retainers of the
noble family. Though these lands lie outside
the walls of the inner compounds
(and outside the Gate Hishi), they are
protected by the inner moat and a solid
main gate. At the southernmost point of
the castle island, this main gate connects
the castle island with the jokomachi (the
castle town). Various bridges connect the
island to the jokomachi; these are composed
of wood and can be burned easily to
impede advancing forces. The sannomaru
compounds occupy the lower region of
the castle island; the harakirimaru marks
the compound to the east of the inner
compounds. These outer compounds were
made up of both farmland and housing.

The structure of the jokomachi is illustrated
by the various shadings listed on
Map 3. The warrior?s district is closest to
the inner complex, providing a military
buffer between the jokomachi and the
castle island. This district is separated
from the townspeople?s district by the
inner moat. The inner moat is connected
to outer moat and is crossed by several
wooden bridges. Numerous sections of
wall circumscribe the periphery of this
section. Since these constructs are not
marked on Map 3, it is up to the DM to
place them based on personal discretion.

Outside the warrior district is the townspeople
's district. This district is comprised
of shops, bazaars, houses, tents, and farmland,
all of which are occupied by the local
merchants, farmers, and peasants. For the
most part, this section of the jokomachi
resembles the layout of a medieval city,
except that the buildings are most often
constructed of wood, plaster, and paper ?
rarely of stone. Outside this district,
between the townspeople's district and the
outer moat, is another warrior's district.
This district provides the advance guard
for defense and the support strength for
maintaining order in the townspeople?s
district. This area is separated from the
outlying farmlands and smaller, peripheral
villages by an extensive outer moat.
Bridges cross the moat at various places.

That's how it all looks, working outward
from the tengu and inner compounds to
the edges and outer moat of the jokomachi.
As always, the model and maps are
merely guides for the construction and
use of Oriental castles in an Oriental
AD&D® game campaign ? or even Fantasy
Games Unlimited?s BUSHIDO? game or
Land of the Rising Sun CHIVALRY AND
SORCERY game supplement. All it takes to
incorporate these elements into a campaign
is a bit of ingenuity, a bit of planning
and plotting, and a bit of work on the part
of the DM. With these, Sun Dragon Castle
can easily be customized to fit into any
Oriental game campaign.


MAY 1987