There are Castles or Keeps set up around Oreitheldarin for the protection of its people and properties. The "Cardinal" Keeps are ShadowSpire, Starhost, and Celestrial, the fourth "Cardinal" Keep will be RoseHaven Castle when it is completed. They are called "Cardinal" Keeps because they protect the four cardinal compass points on the map. ShadowSpire to the West, Starhost to the North, Celestrial to the East, and RoseHaven will hold the South. The Castle of the Sphinx serves the same defensive purpose, protecting the isthmus to the West where the mountains do not go all the way to the sea. ShadowSpire is held by Zayre N'Alsia-Kinnon, Starhost is the home to the High King, Ard Rhi Gil-galad Sinda and his Queen Star, Celestrial is held by Kairan Thoranramir N'Alsia who is the Patriarch of House N'Alsia, and the Castle of the Sphinx is held by Rhayna Greystone.

Home to Zayre N'Alsia and her son, Jamie N'Alsia-Kinnon.
Towards the mountains in the West, lies ShadowSpire Keep. ShadowSpire Keep is an imposing structure to the naked eye, very like a French medieval style castle. There is the paved flagstone path that leads from the road to the Keep, the flagstones are grey marble. The paved path leads to the imposing outer gate, which is high enough to admit war machines if Zayre allowed this. There is a smaller door next to the gates for single travelers wide enough to pass through on horseback. Inside the outer wall (which is wide enough to walk the top to guard) is the grand courtyard, paved with gray stones as well, and a central fountain with benches dominates this area. There is only one door to the castle proper that faces the gates, and it is not as large as one would expect. The main entrance to the castle is around the side.
There are balconies on the second story, all wrought iron and large enough for tables and chairs to be set out. Rae often takes breakfast with her family on one. There are four towers of varying heights, one on each corner of the castle, the largest is the back right and contains Zayre's mage lab, the casting chamber, and her library of tomes. The castle itself is three stories in height and fully basemented. The windows are arched, and have stained glass inset in them. There are trees on the grounds, and to the back are two gardens, one Zayre's flower garden and one of herbs and such for the kitchens. The stables and horse runs are also found to the back inside the outer wall. Outside, set off to the right is an enclosed maze garden, walled by a low brick wall and topped with wrought iron. This is Rae's garden.
Inside the main entrance is a grand staircase, and hallways which lead to the other doors, the kitchens, and various guestrooms. The second floor houses the family and its retainers. The third is various libraries, the armory, and other rooms as needed.

Home the High King, Ard Rhi Gil-galad and his Queen Star.
Giliath is the Elvish name for Starhost Keep. It is built in a valley close to the Northern Pass, on a plateau of gray granite. Around the base of the plateau is a natural moat, a free running fresh water stream deep and wide enough to sink a barge in. There is a cave under the plateau, the main entrance of which is under water. A fissure leads up from this cave to the lower dungeons of the Keep. The valley rises up to sharp cliffs behind the Keep, over one hundred feet high. There is a large area of very fertile land between the stream and the cliffs where crops are grown to supply the keep and the troops it houses. Besides the crops there are two large orchards, one of apple trees and one of pears, lemons, oranges and limes. The large stables are built to the side of the Keep, many fine horses are stabled there, though they are not yet the rival of Zayre's fine horses at ShadowSpire.
The keep itself has two stories, with one outlying tower that has three. There is a smithy, and a full armory to equip the family and troops. The castle has an inner courtyard paved with strong granite flagstones. Here is where the soldiers train in sword fighting and other arts of war. The first level holds the family dining area and kitchens, and the greatroom where the inhabitants gather before the large hearth. The barracks are also on this level, towards the back of the keep, and have their own kitchens and dining area. Upstairs are the family living quarters, Rae's old library and solar, the nursery, and the guest rooms. As in ShadowSpire Keep, the guest rooms are done by color. The Keep is also the base for the Grand Army of Oreitheldarin.

Home to Kairan, Jhessail, and the Gryphon Riders.
Set like a jewel in a mountain lake, Celestrial Keep is named after the Ithil'quessir city that the House holds in the lands of Faerun. It is not the largest of the Keeps that the House has, but it is one of the most strongly defended. The only way for most to reach the Keep is via ferry over the lake, the only land tie it has is the causeway leading into the Mountains behind and is inacessible from that direction unless one comes from the Aeyrie or by air.
Here lives the Heir to the House Kairan and his lovely wife Jhessail, their four children Aiya and Rhys, the twins; Anariel, and Laurelin Niniel. Turin Moonglow, the House Champion also makes his home here as Kairan's Lieutenant and Wingsecond. The Keep itself is solidly built finely dressed gray granite, lined in carerra marble, dark and shot with crystal. The family living areas are richly appointed with hearths in each room and running water. Fine thick carpets line the floors in all living areas, and each bedroom has hung tapestries brought from the family holdings in Faerun. Each room thus depicts an entire scene of past glories and failures of the family, all done in glorious detail.
The Griffin Riders of Celestrial have formed a legion here in this place, Kairan who was the Captain of the Riders back home has drawn by his very presence some of the finest of his old Riders and their Griffins to come live in this place and help defend the lands he has come to love. A stone causeway leads back from the Keep to the Mountain Aeyrie where the Griffins are stabled and are now being carefully built up in number. Kairan has proudly reported that all the clutches are large and healthy, and that the training program is well under way.

Home to Rhayna Greystone, Lady of Sphinx Castle.
The Castle of the Sphinx is set at an isthmus of land, a vital part of the defense of the kingdom as it and the cannons and carronades that the towers house protect the land from invasion. It is set near the coastline, southwest of ShadowSpire where the mountains do not make it all the way to the sea as they do on the eastern side of the continent. The castle is well prepared to take on the task that it was built for, now more than ever under the guiding hand of its new Lady.

A Castle in Progress, Future home to Donovan Alexi Moonsilver, Prince of RoseHaven.
RoseHaven Castle is at the foundation stages now, it is being built between the Second "New" Wall and the Third "Final" Wall around the City of RoseHaven. As with many cities built with the influence of the Ithil'Quessir, RoseHaven is a tiered city but laid out flat. The Castle will rise up above the city and aid in its defense and glory in the future, the crowning stone of the Jewel of RoseHaven Bay.