
A Castellum was the name for a fortress of the Morsian Army. The castellum was the largest, strongest, and most imposing of the static fortifications that were built by the Morsians, and once one was laid down, it was often permanent unless destroyed by enemy action. Over time, the castellum evolved to be larger and more defensive as the Morsians fielded more and more legions, and by the time of the Morsian Empire, a castellum could hold over three legions within its walls.
Layout[]
![]() |
---|
Military of the Morsian Empire (From 20,000 BBY onwards) |
Structural history |
Rutilarian reforms · Farranaxian reforms · Reforms of 3,920 · Cracian reforms · Unit types and ranks · Equipment · Legions (Canon · Legends) · Navy (Canon · Legends) |
Campaign history |
Wars and battles (Canon · Legends) · Civil Wars and rebellions (Canon · Legends) |
Strategy and tactics |
Infantry tactics |
Borders and fortifications |
Castellum · Castra · Escensio · Finibus Galacticus (Finibus Septemtrionis Galacticus (Finibus Otega ad Qiilura · Finibus Thanium ad Ashicus · Finibus Meram ad Quelii · Finibus Kanz ad Raioballo) Finibus Coruscanticus · Finibus Teraab ad Trax · Finibus Meridionali Galacticus (Finibus Chommell ad Brema · Finibus Arkanis ad Cadavine · Finibus Lambda ad Bothanicus)) |
Under different political systems |
Royal Morsian Army · Morsian army of the Dictatorship Morsian army of the First Republic · Imperial Morsian Army (Canon · Legends) |
![]() |
Defensive ditch[]
The entire outside of the fortress was encircled by a deep ditch which had extremely sloped sides, and sometimes partly filled with water if not properly pumped out. This defensive ditch, sometimes incorrectly refered to as a moat, aimed to prevent siege engines from easily reaching the walls. These included things like battering rams and siege towers that would scale the walls to allow troops to enter the fight directly. The ditch was sometimes filled with sharpened stakes, caltrops or other such defensive equipment in order to impede the progress of infantry attempting to cross it manually or infill it to allow siege equipment to reach the wall.
Walls[]
The walls of a castellum were thick and built from reinforced stone and metal, with crenellations along the top to protect troops on the walls. These initially served to protect ranged units such as archers, however after the Morsian Army modernized with blasters, these served to protect the legionaries as they reloaded. At each corner of the castellum was a strong, square guard tower which extended upwards. This tower often held heavier firepower which could include light artillery, heavy repeaters, rocket launchers or a Morsian Beam Weapon. By the time of the Morsian Empire becoming a galactic power, the towers also held powerful searchlights which could be used to illuminate an area outside of the fortress in darkness.
Gatehouses[]
Intersecting each wall in its mid point was a gatehouse, which itself was flanked by a tower on each side which operated the same as the corner towers. The gatehouse was protected by a portcullis on each side as well as a drawbridge which could be raised or lowered to allow movement over the defensive ditch.
Barracks[]
A decent portion of the interior of the castellum was taken up by barrack buildings to house the soldiers of the legions. Often built from stone with a tiled roof, the barracks were able to accommodate at least three legions depending on the size of the castellum. It also featured a hypocaust, which was Morsian underfloor heating, as well as general central heating.
Bathhouse[]
A large bathhouse was present in the castellum so that legionaries and soldiers could keep themselves hygienic as well as relax when not on duty. The bathhouse featured all the same equipment and resources as a public bathhouse, including a hot, temperate and cold pool as well as underfloor heating.
Hospital[]
The castellum featured a large military hospital that was equipped for any manner of emergencies, including chemical, biological and radiological threats. The hospital had enough space for at least a legion in casualties, and employed medics in all fields of expertise in order to afford the best equipment and care to injured soldiers.
Communications building[]
The communications building, or comms building, was often one of the strongest and well-built buildings within the castellum. It housed all the communications equipment that the castellum required to communicate long distance, and was often easily spotted by the large communication dish affixed to the roof. However, due to the important nature of the building, it was built of incredibly strong materials and acted much like a bunker, able to withstand a great deal of damage while protecting the equipment and workers inside.
Vehicle park and workshop[]
The castellum boasted a moderate workshop and vehicle park to service the vehicles typically used by the legions, typically the Morsian Personnel Carrier. However, it could also service the vehicles of the auxiliaries, such as the Aemulator main battle tank. The vehicle park itself was usually just a fenced off square area marked out for the vehicles to parked in, and the workshop was spread along one side of the park.
Storerooms[]
Various buildings around the castellum were used for storage, with the biggest ones being the granary and quartermaster's store. The granary held much of the castellums food for the legions, though in case of an emergency or tragedy striking the main food storage, various outbuildings elsewhere in the fortress were also used to store food. The quartermasters held much of the spare equipment for the legion, including weapons, armor, clothes and various other parts and spares for use around the castellum.
Kitchen and mess hall[]
A moderate sized kitchen and large mess hall was found within the castellum to feed the troops. This kitchen was always staffed and cooked large batches of the typical diet found in the Morsian Army. The mess hall was often for most of the day, in case off-duty soldiers wished to spend some time in there for various reasons, however it was most popular during meal times.
Farm[]
A small farm could be found situated in the castellum which was maintained and grown to top up the fortress supplies. It was also an insurance policy for in case a poor harvest or other disaster struck the region that would prevent the fortress from receiving as much food as it otherwise normally would. Any spare food that was unable to be stored could also be sold to the nearby towns or villages, or given out in humanitarian aid.
Central compound[]
In the center of the castellum was an additional walled area. Often build on an artificial mound, the central compound was higher and protected by another set of walls and towers, though with only one entrance which was again protected by a gatehouse that featured two portcullises. While toted as a form of "final defense" in case the main compound was breached or fell to a hostile force, the central compound in reality acted as the officer's quarters. The officers of the legions would stay in the central compound away from the men while off-duty, however the compound also featured all the emergency buildings that would be needed to keep the fortress operating under siege.
There were more luxurious, and more spacious, barrack blocks for the officers which were primarily occupied by the various centurions of the legion cohorts, An additional barrack building was afforded to the officers below the legate in rank. The legates of the legions would stay in the headquarters building, which was also occupied by the main commander of the fort, who would usually be a Legatus Imperata Maximus. The headquarters building featured such rooms as a dining room for the high ranking officers, a planning and briefing room as well as a study and office for the commander. A separate kitchen was also found attached to the side of the building. Other buildings within the central compound included a separate hospital tent, a smaller bathhouse and a separate storeroom and backup communications building. When not under siege, these buildings were all reserved for officers and above, as was entrance to the compound unless given express permission.
|