This post belongs to the #AtoZchallenge 2024, where I attempt to turn a word a day into something that can be used in Role Playing Games.

A Cordel is just a piece of architecture: A kind of bracket that holds another part of the building that stands out and over the floor beneath. Rich builders often had them beautifully adorned, giving them shape of saints, dieties or imposing animals. (The corbel page on Wikipedia has some good examples.)

How to integrate it into your typical fantasy RPG?

• Small gargoyles or golems could hide between the structural corbels, preventing adventurers from simply smashing them willy-nilly less the ceiling takes offense and crushes them.
• They could demand a bribe to let the party through without making a ruckus, which would trigger a random encounter roll.
• Instead of an enemy, a treasure could be hidden among the corbels – a figurine of wonder perhaps.
• Corbels could be part of a riddle, where they cause a magical effect depending on what they represent. If triggered in the right order, they could open some treasure.