Arvensley Palace

Arvensley Palace is the royal palace of Chelestra, located in the capital city, Galade. It is a vast complex comprised of several large structures of a variety of ages, and has been the home of the ruler of this part of the world since the days of the Ancoran Empire.

The Old Keep

The main building is Castle Galade, less formally called the Old Keep. The core structure is a massive fortification built shortly after the Fall, being completed early in the second century AE, but it has been remodeled several times over the centuries, sometimes out of necessity (having been gutted by fire on three separate occasions) and sometimes as an effort to modernize. Where once there was a strictly functional fortress, there is now a grand palace with facades of marble and spires reaching high above. Great stained glass windows depicting important events in Chelestra's early history dominate walls once decorated only by arrow slits.
The first floor of the Old Keep is dedicated to the activities of the Royal Court. The great hall is the largest chamber, big enough to comfortably fit the several hundred courtiers as well as several dozen guests of the court - most of whom are usually minor nobles visiting Galade briefly or are artists or scholars wishing to present their work to the Court in hopes of finding a patron. The first floor also has a number of smaller halls, sitting rooms and dining areas where members of the cout can mingle in comfort.
The upper floors are comprised of a series of palace apartment. The second floor has several luxurious suites made available to honoured guests of the monarch who don't have more permanent living quarters, and are usually made available to diplomatic entourages and the like. The third and fourth floors is entirely made up of the royal family's living quarters, which includes several apartments for brothers, cousins and adult children of the sovereign. The spires above that are largely ornamental, but provide access to high balconies that offer a spectacular view of the city.
The entire building is riddled with secret passages. Not only are there the narrow servant halls and stairs allowing servants to quickly make their way to and from the ground floor, where cooking, laundry and other such menial tasks are performed, but there are also passages that allow one to pass between neighbouring apartments if one knows how to find the door, and a number of ways down to escape tunnels dug deep beneath the palace. Most of these tunnels have fallen into disuse - some were even used to connect the palace to the city's sewer system when it was constructed in the 13th century - but others have been maintained and even improved. One in particular is used to provide the king safe passage from his palace to the Kingscourt.

Parent Location

Galade