I am so glad that I'm between cups of coffee or this keyboard would need a bath, too. I was thinking of Chateau Gaillard, but Ernyoka's example is also "spot on" as some might say. ;^) Zoda, Try to find a copy of an old Dover book called "Castles, Their Construction and History" by Sidney Toy. He has floor plans and elevations for all sorts of castles, including many in the near east, and includes wonderful diagrams of where things as kitchens and latrines were to be found in such buildings. There were wells, storage places, oubliettes and all sorts of underground chambers as well as secret wall passages to aid in the defense. Everything from traditional moat monsters to tentacled eyes can be accommodated if you have the right sort of structure. I have other books on castles, many with nice color pictures, but this one gets to the heart of building one. Carolly