The vast and towering walls of Leddim Thear;

Leddim Thear, a great city state far to the south of the Northern Realms, is reputed to have the highest fortified walls East of the Blue Mountains.

There are a number of distinctive styles of castle building in the Hidden Realms. In the North, for example, round towers and curved walls are favoured for their strength and ease of construction. The more rustic of these round towers are shorter and stouter and are usually topped with battlements. A more sophisticated version of the round tower, much favoured by Princes and Nobles, is taller, elegant and is topped with a tall pointed roof in the manner of a French Chateau. A number of these towers are often built in close proximity to each other, usually on top of a steep hill, to form a small and easily defended 'tower' castle. Larger castles and chateaus may have any number of round towers, linked together by a strong wall to form an outer bailey. Where there is a keep, this is also round and is the largest and tallest tower in the castle.

The Hill Town of Nildoth

Nildoth, a charming and rustic fortified town, can be found in the hills near Glasswater Fjord.

In the south, on the other hand, square towers and straight walls are more prevalent, stone masons appear to be more skilled and their workmanship to be of a superior quality than that of the north. In the central areas (the Empire, Redune, the Northern Realms and so on) a hybrid style can be found; with fortifications and castles featuring both square and round towers. Dwarvish masons are sometimes employed in countries near their holds because Kindred stonework is of excellent quality. The Dwarf masons seem to stick to mannish styles, under the direction of their client Lord perhaps, rather than using their own designs. Dwarvish architecture is, of course, a study in itself and their styles are quite different to mannish architecture.

A Duke's stronghold and castle in Redune

An example of a well-built and moated castle in Southern Redune, the home and fortress of a powerful Duke, as is clearly expressed in the style and form of the castle.

This Duke's castle clearly shows a mix of Northern and Southern styles, having octagonal towers, which you could call a mid point between round and square, and it was obviously built by high skilled masons.

                       Cornelius Clifford

                                       Writing in the Tower of Whispers, Neves Castle