Imperial Palace

The Emperor's House, big enough to hold a Legion and important enough nobody ever needs to meet there. I'd consider it a waste if it wasn't the home to the most powerful individual on the continent. And if I couldn't almost smell the magic protecting it from here... you people are crazy, you know that?

— Thelun Arkady, Elven Arcanist

In the heart of the Bladeson District is the Imperial Palace, a place few are permitted to enter outside of guardians, High Lords, and invited guests. It is a walled compound, protected by the very best the Imperial Legion can offer. Inside the wall are small gardens and open spaces around a three-story tall building, offering a bit of green to break up the dreariness of the city. The building itself has three sections: the Emperor's living area, audience chambers, and the housing for the personal guard of the Emperor. Most citizens never see the inside, or get a good view of the exterior of the building.

Alterations

Over the course of the rule changing hands, the Palace has changed on occasion to suit the tastes of the current occupant. Major changes have happened only rarely, with the most recent one being the previous Emperor's insistence on adding the Garden grounds to the designated Palace area. Entire volumes have been written about the history of the Palace's alterations, though most of these books are also considered inaccurate. One major reason is the Palace Guard acquiring copies of those books and using them to make alterations in order to catch would-be intruders.

Perhaps the most major set of alterations of the structure itself came in the year 814, where the interiors were expanded to give more space to hallways and ceilings. This also required the roof to be completely rebuilt from a simple rounded appearance to possessing steep slopes with gables supporting them. Following this version of the roof, most alterations were made more as expansions and additions than changes to the overall appearance.

Architecture

I mean, I get what they were going for when the place was built, but couldn't they have used some good dwarven-worked granite? It's the sixteenth century, we can do better than this for sure? ... tradition, right, right. Always the excuse when it comes to stupidity.

— Thalamar Stonefist, Dwarven Adventurer

The Imperial Palace is built from Kiroan sandstone, much like the rest of the city, as such has proven to be more resistant to weathering than other types which are more local to the area. This was chosen particularly to set the city apart from the rolling plains of the Heartland, and because the Empire had not yet secured a supply of harder stone such as granite or marble. Part of the other reason the material was chosen lay with a technique stonemasons of the time had developed to carve sandstone quickly and easily. Pursuit of arcane studies has also yielded ways to reinforce sandstone with magic to make it almost impossible to damage once it has been properly enchanted.

With the revisions to the Palace structure over time, the current architecture is more representative of modern tastes than ancient ones. Many of the rooms have the interiors paneled in hardwood, as opposed to leaving the bare stone visible, though these walls have been treated to make them harder to set on fire. Many of the halls had been originally designed to be slightly wider than the fingertips of arms outstretched, and an arm's length over the head of a human. When the interiors were redesigned following the Iclusian Riot, this included using arches to raise the ceilings of the more public areas, and adding more lights in an effort to make it feel more welcoming than oppressive. The audience chambers were also redesigned to allow for sizable windows, with high ceilings contributing an air of grandeur to what used to be a simple chamber with a throne, three chairs, and table.

History

While the population of Eva Valoria might think of the Imperial Palace as the oldest structure in the city, they are technically wrong. The original Palace was situated elsewhere in the city, and this particular location was chosen by the fourth Emperor while much of the city was still being laid out by architects and planners. Over the many generations of the Imperium, changes have been made to every aspect of the building for various reasons. The ninth Emperor wanted to move His audience chamber onto the Palace grounds, which necessitated building an extension and a revision to security measures. During the Iclusian Riots of 813, a large portion of the Palace managed to be set on fire and various renovations were made to prevent this from happening again. Emperor Elric Rhyliss preferred his personal guard to be responsible not just for his safety, but for keeping him physically fit and trained to fight, necessitating another addition to the building to house the Palace Guard. Most recently, Emperor Khalin Rhyliss established the Garden for their own comfort and as a concession to offer visiting elven dignitaries somewhere more to their liking to have meetings.

Security

The question of security is taken quite seriously, as there have been several centuries in which attempts have been made on the Emperor's life. Each time was another lesson in how to increase or otherwise strengthen security around the Emperor's home. It begins with half a Legion's worth of hand-picked elite Legionnaires being stationed inside the Palace walls, and many of those are on constant rotation to keep watch over the Emperor at all times. A relatively small number of arcanists and priests are present to handle magical threats, and at least three of these individuals are skilled in applying divination magic to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Guests who have been invited onto the property are not permitted to bring weapons or use magic within the walls. This is extended even to High Lords or other officials with legitimate business, enforced strongly by the Palace Guard. Any weapons or objects of strong magic are expected to be surrendered at the entrance, even if they are meant to be gifts. After being permitted to enter, any guest will find they are never left completely alone, with at least one guard always attentively keeping an eye on their guests. Those able to sense magical energies will also note there are various active enchantments through the building which are intended to monitor guests as well, and suppress magic should anyone attempt to cast it.

Tourism

For the last time. No. We do not offer tours, we do not want visitors, and we are not buying any pies. Move along or I'll move you along.

— Calban Redgrave, Palace Guard

Alternative Names

Emperor's House

Type

Palace

Parent Location

Eva Valoria

Ruling/Owning Rank

Emperor of Rhyliss

Owning Organization

Rhyliss Imperium