W is for Wardhurst Castle

Being European, the newest residents of Meterra like castles. Not the huge, concentric fortresses that came to dominate the later medieval period before gunpowders and cannons made castles a relic of the past, but the smaller forts of the earlier Middle Ages. Motte-and-bailey, rough-hewn stone, buildings that are meant to dominate the landscape and allow its inhabitants to cover a wide area for security. And since the Europeans have only been in Meterra for a few short years, they've only begun to dot the landscape with these magnificent edifices.

Wardhurst Castle is the newest of the Meterran fortifications, having been built just over a year ago to defend the western lands against the tribes of the Krypons Plains. It is the only castle commanded by a woman: Lady Jacquelle Guiffart, a blacksmith's daughter who took up arms in defense of her home in Aramar, and eventually became a respected adventuress. Although the Europeans were strongly opposed to her choice of profession, her skill and experience were undeniable. It was her efforts to thwart a kidnapping attempt against a pregnant Queen Ellisabeth that cemented her reputation, and she was rewarded by the king with a title of nobility and an assignment as the commander of Wardhurst Castle.

At first, many of the men assigned to the castle were, at best, reluctant to take orders from a woman. As such, more than half the troops in the castle are Ramai, who are less beholden to European views on gender roles and respect the fact that she is a successful and experienced warrior, regardless of her sex.

Lady Jaquelle is a proud woman with a willingness to take advantage of what people see as feminine weakness on her part. Many a time has she used her sex as a weapon to disarm opponents who see her as weak and unsuited for battle. However, with her new elevation and position, that advantage is whittling away as more people, including the Europeans, realize her competence. She leads a troop of one hundred men, and is said to be interested in taking a force into the Krypons to seek out and destroy grend encampments.