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Alaric leads you through one of the doorways off the Great Hall.
The far wall is lined with windows, which, with the drapes pushed back, allow the sunlight to pour in. Alaric mentions that this chamber once contained the Sword of Shannara. He points out a faintly marred area on the floor, where the block of Tre-Stone once stood. "Now, of course," Alaric says, "the Sword is in a vault under the bridge of the People's Park in Tyrsis." After allowing you some time to look around, he leads you through the double window-doors in the far wall, and out into a grassy courtyard. Stone walls, dotted with small windows, rise all around you. Alaric points to the building you just exited. "That's the inner Keep," he tells you. The surrounding walls are the outer Keep. You feel hemmed in by towers, and you count nine, some round, some square. The tallest of these is nearest to you. An arching stone bridge, high above ground, leaps from the side of this tower to the nearest tower in the outer Keep. Noting your interest, Alaric explains. "Inside that arch is a tunnel that allows passage from the outer walls to the Keep, in the unlikely event that the outer walls were taken and the defenders cut off. But the Keep has never been taken, except by treachery." He eyes you carefully, then looks up thoughtfully again. "Of course, there are maintenance doors that would let you out on top of the arch. But crossing that way would not be a good idea." Now would you like to:
See the Great Tower? |