Some have speculated about the drawbridge as well. Its mechanism for operation is surprisingly rudimentary: a hand-powered winch on an upper floor coils chains attached to the bridge’s far-edge. The design of this simple machine seems to belie the expertise of the Duscarn. Certainly, the ancient alchemists would have come up with a cleverer means to retract a drawbridge, right? Or could it be that this simple device sufficed?

At least one soldier is stationed near the drawbridge’s winch at all times. Should the need arise, they are to err on the side of caution. Lord Ratchet Lubomir will unexpectedly run drills to test preparedness. After giving the signal, he starts counting and expects the on-duty soldier to have fully retracted the drawbridge before he reaches 30. Those who fail are given the nightshift at the top of the keep, a brutal assignment given the frigid winds.

There is a downside to having but one entrance and exit to the Severed Keep. It means that residents can easily be cornered. Luckily, there is a secret passageway that leads down into the mountain and into the cistern beneath the torrent opus. This is a seeming strategic necessity, but it is also a liability; were an invading force to uncover this secret, they’d be able to sneak into the donjon simply by infiltrating the cistern itself, thereby bypassing the majority of Falthringor’s defenses.