Pirkstein
Pirkstein was one of the two castles in the market town of Rattay, and was often called the "Lower Castle", in contrast to the Upper Castle.
History
In 1403 the castle was inhabited by the rightful Lord Sir Hans Capon, and Captain Bernard, head of the city guard, while the regent, Sir Hanush, lived in the Upper Castle.
When King Sigismund of Luxembourg attacked and razed the village of Silver Skalitz, the survivors, led by Sir Radzig Kobyla, sought shelter in Rattay.
Bernard was relocated to the guardhouse, while Hans remained in his quarters. Radzig, along with Tobias Feyfar (a member of a the upper burgher class) were given rooms in the castle. Meanwhile, the common folk had little choice but to set up a refugee camp in the dried moat. Some of the Skalitz guards, including Janek and Jaroslav, took up posts at the Lower Castle.
Later, after Baptism of Fire, Henry is given a room just off the courtyard.
Codex Entry
- The lower castle in Rattay, founded by Henry of Leipa before the mid-14th century (first mention dates from 1346), spreads over an island in the middle of the Živý Stream. The castle is separated from the town by a moat. This is a bergfried type castle with a massive tower, rounded corners in the rear and three rooms on each floor. The entire structure is surrounded by ramparts. In 1447 the castle unfortunately caught fire and then quickly changed owners. It suffered even greater damage during the peasant uprising in 1627. One hundred years later, from 1713–1724, it was rebuilt by Octavian Kinský into a presbytery and bell tower.
Places
Pirkstein consisted of a three storey building, with a courtyard, tower, and tall outer wall.
On the ground floor is an armory, pantry, and two bedrooms, with beds to sleep five guards. There is also a door to the outer wall of Rattay. The first floor has a locked door, toilet, dining room, kitchen, and bedroom, which is occupied by Tobias Feyfar. The second storey features a nicer bedroom (where Hans is kept to recuperate after The Hunt Begins), a small chapel, and a great hall that leads into a luxurious bedroom for Sir Radzig.
The tower overlooks the town and is used to house many of the Rattay guards. [Add Courtyard]. Outside the walls is a dried up moat, where the refugees have been forced to set up a camp.
Inhabitants
Notes
- There may be issues getting up the winding staircase to the second story, forcing Henry to jump in a rather undignified fashion to get up the top steps. The thing can be solved by crouching down on the stairs.