Medieval castle - Teuton style
Update, April 2011: This model gallery nows includes superb, near-realistic images
rendered with raytracing in Kerkythea, using physically accurate materials and lighting. If you thought the model
looked well before, you will be amazed now. Please check the Kerkythea images
sub-section at the bottom of this gallery. Enjoy.
Well, no, not really. I don't think my castle is a true follower of the Teutonic architecture, but I did have to
give some sort of a smart name, in order to appeal intellectual as well as historically cultural. Anyhow ...
Here's another work of medieval masonry for you. Again, it's a big, sprawling castle with thick walls, lots of
turrets, a moat, and a collection of fancy building inside. It's more angular than the Norman castle - hence the
slightly Gothic taste - and looks more robust. In my opinion, it's also better defended.
Gallery
Here's what it looks from high above, through the sniper eyes of a falcon.
As you can see, it's a square model, with four corner turrets with rounded bases (against siege weapons), an
elaborate drawbridge and gatehouse, and a massive keep. It's also significantly larger than the Norman castle.
Getting in seems like a tricky business. The drawbridge is heavily fortified, with a pair of small towers of its
own and a narrow walkway, covered from the siege walls and corner towers.
Even if an enemy manages to cross the moat, he still faces a horrible challenge; triple portculli. First, in
through the long barrel-vaulted gateway corridor, with murderholes in the side walls and the ceiling.
Then, a second grid of spikes, which retract into the ground down a walled passage with more deadly murderholes and
crenelations.
And finally, past the second gatehouse, with a portcullis of its own.
Seen the movie Jaws? This is the medieval version of it.
This is what it looks from above, this long alley of death.
Notice the triple gatehouses, the guard towers and the long flights of stairs leading to the battlements.
Notice the bailey; it has everything: barracks, stables for horses, a chapel, and even a majestic fountain, the
pride of the local liege.
Here are the barracks for the local garrison, a long shed built against the massive walls. Wagons with various
goods are parked nearby, awaiting unloading. Above the barracks' thatched roof stretches an archway, connecting the
keep with the eastern battlements. Further behind, a flight of stairs leads to the wall walkways.
Stables for horses and such. A lavish marble fountain just shows on the right.
And then a church, with lots of interesting angles.
It's more sort of a tap than a well, but times being medieval, it's probably best described as a spout. That's for
weary knights to wash the blood off before a mass.
A reservoir, with water supply to last through a long siege.
Behind the church are the cellars, where wine and other goods are kept. And is it not well known that best brews
and wines came from monasteries? I was rather proud of myself with the design of those arches.
Finally, we zoom in on the keep, where Frederick Barbarossa keeps wild rave parties every full moon. Lots of
windows for posh gentry to enjoy daylight - unlike the common soldiers, and a huge balcony for speeches and
dancing.
The menacing sight of the keep tower. The tall basalt spike piercing at the sky, as seen through the eyes of a
little soldier standing guard near the gate ramp. You could almost believe your lords were God-chosen when they
hailed from high above.
Saruman and Gandalf could have one hell of a fight on top of this tower.
A closer look of the corner turrets; nothing special. Just a big bulk with lots of arrow loops to shoot from.
A brief look of the battlements. There are lots of openings for storing gear and stairs running in all
directions.
And that's it. Time to depart.
Kerkythea images
Time for proper fun ... So let's rock [sic] hihihihihi.
Here's the same model, only re-created using Kerkythea, after exporting
the model using SketchUp Importer for Google SketchUp and
rendered with photons and ray tracing and magic and whatnot. You will like this. My dream of making
near-realistic models is coming true, finally. Nirvana. Spledidski.
Some closeups on the castle interior; there's the workshop and the fountain:
And the battlements, basked in a glaring afternoon sunlight:
Like my Norman castle model, I very much enjoyed rendering the gate, the drawing bridge and the moat. While the
straight angles may not be the most authentic, I tried to make it as real as possible, with brakish water full of
pond grass and whatnot.
And the best shot of them all:
Happy holidays or something ...
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