• GENERAL INFORMATION: This level is all business: it houses General Kael and a number of his elite troops (the remainder are on the level below.) Anyone who obviously doesn't belong will be stopped, forcibly if necessary. All ceilings here are 15' high and squarely cut.
  
• b1. Open space above courtyard This is empty space. A number of arrow slits in the northern wall allow archers in area b3 to rain fire down upon anyone in the courtyard below.
  
• b2. Guardtowers (2) These are merely the portion of the twin towers above area c3 and are manned by the same troops. The second and third floors are at 20' and 40' heights, respectively; both have multiple arrow slits covering all angles of approach. Hatches and ladders allow egress onto the towers' rooftops, where a 4' crennelation provides cover for high-altitude sniping.
  
• b3. Barracks E This chamber houses 56 soldiers, all of whom have tower duty; they are human warriors of level 2-4. Five of them are officers (5th level warriors.) The barracks contains two washrooms.
  
• b4. Armories (2) Each of these rooms holds hundreds of weapons, mostly missile weapons such as bows and crossbows.
  
• b5. Door This is a 20' x 10' double door. It has no lock.
  
• b6. Small cavern This niche is used to store mining implements - picks, hammers, shovels, and a couple of wheelbarrows.
  
• b7. Construction This area is till under construction; when completed, it will be another barracks identical to area b9. Numerous tools are scattered throughout this area amidst piles of rubble.
  
• b8. First mess hall This (and area b10) are used for all food preparations and eating for this level's troops.
  
• b9. Barracks F This is the fortress' largest troop quarters, and its residents are also the most elite of Kael's soldiers. It can house 165 people, but there are only 120 here. However, each is a warrior of level 4-7, with the highest-quality weapons and armor, many of which are magical. These are the soldiers who surround General Kael when he leads an army into battle, and they are all highly loyal - not to mention fearless, tough, and experienced. Six lieutenants (8th level warriors) and one captain (10th level warrior) have private rooms. These officers all have +2 or +3 armor and weapons and are longtime henchmen of Kael.
  
• b10. Second mess hall See area b8.
  
• b11. Stairway up These 10' wide steps lead up, hundreds of feet, eventually ending at the Aerie level.
  
• b12. Main passage This is the sole means of entry/exit to General Kael's suite. Ten of the soldiers from area b9 stand guard here at all times.
  
• b13. Storage This chamber contains racks of weapons (mostly missile weapons) as well as barrels of oil. Any last-ditch defense of this section of the fortress would be based from this area.
  
• b14. Bodyguards' quarters This area can quarter ten; it is currently empty.
  
• b15. Empty room This is basically a guest room, currently unoccupied.
  
• b16. Bedroom This is where Kael sleeps. The southern alcove contains a huge bed. A massive armoire stands to one side, its only purpose being to hold his plate mail armor when he's not wearing it. A small closet to the west holds the general's sparse wardrobe (mostly blacks and dark greys.)
  
• b17. Washroom This area contains a huge metal tub, with a shallow fire-pit beneath it for heating purposes. Dozens of small cracks in the ceiling serve to vent the smoke.
  
• b18. Living room This huge chamber's entire western wall is dominated by a huge fireplace, complete with stacks of firewood and some tools. The southeast corner of the room is a fully-stocked bar. The entire center of this area has a sunken floor, filled with couches and tables. Every available section of wall is adorned with a tapestry or mural of great rarity and value, most of them depicting great wars of times past. Kael's favorite, a painting of the war-god Hextor, hangs above the fireplace.
  
• b19. Study This odd cylindrical chamber is filled with books about warfare, military history, and so forth. A very large and very comfortable leather chair rests in its center. A small table next to the chair holds a large flagon of brandy.
  
• b20. Trophy room As nice as the sunken living room might be, this chamber is more extravagant - for it holds various trophies from General Kael's long career. Mounted in the center of the northern wall is the stuffed, preserved head of a gold dragon. To either side hang "lesser" trophies: the fanged head-segment of a purple worm, the horned head of a minotaur king, the triple heads of a particularly large chimera, the fist from an iron golem, the central eye of a beholder, and so on. The other walls hold framed items of warfare: a giant-sized suit of plate mail +3, a set of four spears of the elements, a vorpal halberd +3, a battleaxe of stonecleaving, a +5 defender longsword, a mace of crushing, a maul of the titans, a nonmagical suit of adamantine chain mail, and more. In addition, some items of great monetary value rest here as well: a tremendous blue diamond worth 50,000 gp, a bejewelled crown worth 20,000 gp, a set of nine perfect sapphires worth 10,000 gp each, a mithril scepter tipped with a fist-sized black pearl (worth 30,000 gp just for this unique pearl, the scepter also has the powers of water elemental summoning & command, and its wielder will always have good fortune when on open water.) The ceiling of this great hall is high and arched, supported by massive beams from which three enchanted light-chandeliers hang.
  
• b21. Stairways down (2) These two stairways merge into one set of wide steps which leads down to the main level.