The Blank Shields
Mercenary Mountain
One of the aspects of Mercenary Mountain that showed the paranoia of the
original builders is the variety of traps and tricks used on the way in.
The only entrance was through a concealed trap door, that was operated from inside the fortress.
| | ![](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Jamesb/blankshields/merc1/open.jpg)
| | Opening the trap door also pushed aside a section of the low wall, blocking the path.
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Once inside, beyond an open killing space, which would force people coming
down the ladder to defend themselves from all sides, a short corridor would
have to be crossed before reaching the next floor.
As you can see, there was no reason to envy the first person through.
The second ladder opened up into a second killing space, and one final trap would still be between invaders and the actual fortress.
| | ![](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Jamesb/blankshields/merc1/closetrap.jpg)
| | Narrow, and obvious, it still needed to be crossed before any access inside could be had.
| | ![](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Jamesb/blankshields/merc1/opentrap.jpg)
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Another trick incorporated into the mountain, was a large section of old lava
flow that had been carefully seperated from the mountainside, and set to pivot
with heavy chains, and grooves cut in the rock.
Here the door can be seen concealed as well as open with a group of cavalry riding out.
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