…it was the dog what done it
The Doclopedia #3,191
Strongholds: Olven Castle
The Olven family had lots of enemies due to both settling in an area where humans weren’t wanted and then over subsequent decades, pissing off both friends and enemies. When it became apparent that the location of the old castle was less than great for resisting attacks, they built the new castle in a much better spot.
Set 400 feet up on top of what was once a small volcano, Olven Castle actually sits in the long dead caldera. The total area of the caldera is roughly 10 acres and the castle proper takes up about 4 acres of that. The rest is covered by a fort, housing for the army and castle staff, and the residence of the two married wizards who serve the crown. All of those buildings are built just as stoutly as the castle is. Not that anyone is likely to get up the steep mountainside and over the heavily armed and manned crater rim.
Entrance to and from the castle is mainly done through a very narrow, very steep road that nobody is going to survive falling off of. A secondary method is via a magical gateway that the royal wizards can open or shut in an instant.
The castle and other building hold food and water enough for 6 to 8 months. The magical gateway can open as far as 15 miles from the castle.
The Dociverse Blog 