Faerston Castle
The seat of the International Council.
Rumyanyi paused, rocking slowly with her daughter against her belly. "I saw you once," she said in a soft voice and Morgan looked up, surprised. "It was right after the peace treaties. You were leaving with the embassy party to go back to the capital." Morgan swallowed, then nodded slowly. He remembered that day clearly. Marina had been with him to sign the treaties, since she still represented Pikae as ambassador. It had been a beautifully cold and crisp fall day. She had been still recovering from Aubry’s birth, but she had been stubborn about coming along, infant princess at her breast. It had been almost eighteen years ago. "We signed that in the International Council chambers. Neutral space. You must have been on the Kargasa side of the mountains, then," he murmured softly. Rumyanyi nodded and rested her lips against her daughter’s hair. "A long time ago." She closed her eyes for a moment, then added, "The queen was radiant. None of us could believe she had insisted on coming and with the princess." Morgan felt Ianthe twitch against his chest and he stroked her hair with his palm. "A very long time ago," he agreed.
Purpose / Function
Faerston Castle was originally built as a stronghold during the early Westerheim land wars, before Chereladi was settled. Its location in the foothills of the Rair Mountains made it highly secure and its access to underground tunnels and water sources meant it was excellently positioned for withstanding a siege.
Alterations
In 490, the International Council declared the Faerston plateau neutral territory and claimed Faerston Castle as its seat. Due to its location nearly equidistant from all member nations' capitals and its history as a strong fortification, it was seen as the best location for a neutral meeting place.
History
During the turmoil of the early land wars in Westerheim, a nobleman from across the sea found his way up through the Rair Mountains until he came upon a defensible plateau. He commissioned thousands of tons of stone hewn from the mountains around him and built into a massive citadel. To feed the people who worked on his citadel, he paid hundreds of Gorets workmen to farm and transport food and supplies. After nearly ten years of work, Faerston Castle was completed and a sizable town had grown up around it on the flat, stony plateau.
Tourism
Faerston Castle is one of the oldest North Ladi-constructed castles still in existence in Westerheim. The architecture is reminiscent of the far distant Ladanian civilization and remains one of the only examples. Even before the International Council liberated it as an independent territory in 490, tourists were braving the Rair Mountains' famously bitter winters and calm summers to visit the original Westerheim Castle.
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