Castle Court

Overview

• Wealth: 7
• Security: 10
• Criminal Influence: 3
• Magical Influence: 5

Castle Court is largely considered the oldest and most untouched part of Radia. The Palace of the High King is estimated to have completed construction about 5,000 years ago - shortly after the Battyl yl Ryvyll. Much of Castle court has been acknowledged as Sacred Cultural Landmark by the International Historical Society, which makes changing much of anything these days a whole lot of trouble. Therefore, much of Castle Court has been turned into a Museum - the biggest of which is a large part of The Palace of the High King itself.

Landmarks

THE PALACE OF THE HIGH KING

The throne of the High King sits empty, the grand hall once filled with courtiers is now filled with lobbyists, politicians, and reporters. The castle has multiple locations inside of it:
The Throne Room - Now a museum to the old lineage of kings. It is open to paying visitors.
The Office of the Prince - Where Prince Shyryul Synsyll conducts business.
Mayor's Office - The official governing office of Radia, where Mayor Jace Thulrok conducts business.
Press Room - Where the mayor and price both conduct press briefings.

STATUE OF YSMYLL SYNSYLL

A statue of the first king and supposed founder of Radia. It stands proudly outside the High Walls of the Palace, so high that you can see it from almost anywhere in the Castle District. Ysmyll stands with one foot on a pedestal, looking off into the distance as if expecting to see a new foe coming across the sea. He holds a flag in one hand and a sword in the other, the sword pointing outward as if he had just instructed his men to charge. He is dressed in the ancient armor of the elves. The armor has the names of his descendants - all of Synsyll House - carved on it, with room for more. People stop in front of the statue and use their crystal balls to take pictures. They gawk at the size of the statue and pose at the base.

PALACE GARDENS

The grand gardens of the palace have been maintained for thousands of years, only growing more beautiful. The gardens are supposed to demonstrate the beauty of the seasons - which is odd since snow rarely falls in Radia. The first phase of the gardens is spring, filled with pink elder trees, white edyllfyngyrs, blue tulips, and strawberry bushes. The next phase is the summer great choy, sun chilis, noon blooms, and yellow roses. Then comes fall with enchanted trees that are always losing their orange and brown leaves, revealing red apples. Lastly comes an enchanted walkway that is always snowing, with large clumps of snow clutching to the limbs of bare trees and thick evergreens.

MONUMENT GROVE

A series of statues and monuments commemorating the history of Radia. Many of the older statues are of elven kings or elven achievements. Newer monuments are more ambiguous. The monuments are of all shapes and sizes, the statues as well. Some monuments are in the form of an arch, allowing visitors to pass through, another is a hanging garden, and a third is a large sword stuck on a pedestal. There are dozens of them here, each decorated with a plaque in front telling you why the monument was commissioned and who the artist was. At the center of the grove is a crying gnoll woman made of wood - it is unclear where that statue came from and who made it.

TYRYMPH YL BARYRYA

An elven statue, built to commemorate a victory over the gnolls. The victory at the fabled "Battyl yl Ryvyll" helped establish Radia nearly 1,000 years ago. The monument is a rectangle of copper, with four scenes depicted on each side. The first side is an image of gnolls ravaging the Radian countryside, eating villagers, and drinking their blood from wooden bowls, in the center of the scene there is a fire where the gnolls are burning elves in white robes, bound like bundles of wood and stacked on the fire. Sitting above all of this is a gnoll wearing a woven crown.
The second scene is the gnolls scaling the High Wall of the Palace, great ladders, siege towers, and battering rams assault the walls. Elven archers attempt to hold the line. At the bottom of the walls on the elven side, elven women hold dead soldiers, weeping over the bodies. On the gnoll side of the wall, gnoll corpses are being dragged and loaded onto trebuchets to be thrown into the city.
The third scene is of Ysmyll Synsyll stabbing his sword into the gnoll with the woven crown from the first panel. The gnoll has its head tilted upward, looking up at a sun that beginning to shine through parting clouds as a chorus of elves looks down from above. Surrounding Ysmyll and the gnolls are a great many elves and gnolls locked in battle. Beneath Ysmyll are the words, "Zyllvyzt Ystr Yunnyp" below that is the common translation: The Sword of Justice Strikes
The fourth scene is of Ysmyll standing triumphant, holding the banner of house Synsyll in one hand, the sword in the other. The kingdom of Radia is fully built behind him, his throne awaits for him. Another elvish inscription is written here that says, "Gysy Vynvy Shyllsymy" - there is no translation for this phrase.

CASTLE COURT STATION

This subway station is largely below ground and doubles as a Paladin Security checkpoint. Castle Court Station used to be an above-ground train station back in the day and was designed to impress visitors with the splendors of Radia as they exited the station. It's a little under-kept these days. The marble statues and bronze railings aren't quite as stunning and the steps are cracked and chipped, but the history of the station is still impossible to miss.

City Council Chambers

The council chambers are a stark difference from the Palace of the High King. While the Palace strikes one as an ancient building, standing outside of the time, the City Council Chambers is a much more modern building. The building is like a large disk, not standing more than four stories tall in anyone, place, the top completely flat, like an enormous marshmallow that has been pushed down. The inside chambers are five circles, overlapping like a Venn Diagram. In the center, where all the circles overlap sits the council. Each councilor's circle is revered for their staff, guests, ect. The floors of the great meeting hall are a dark green marble mural depicting the skyline of Radia.

RADIAN PROVINCIAL COURTS

The courthouse for all legal matters settled in the Radian Provincial System. The courthouse itself is a fairly non-descript building, with lined columns in the front and a domed top. There is a press briefing area at the foot of a grand staircase that leads up to the main chamber. Five judges are appointed to every case and hear the case with the defendant/claimant standing in the middle of the chamber, surrounded by judges. There is a high level of the court where the public, family, and press can watch the proceedings. The courthouse contains six chambers in addition to the main chamber, each is designated for specific kinds of cases, with some overlap as needed.

PALACE SECURITY CHECKPOINT

There are multiple checkpoints surrounding the High Walls of the Palace, but only one allows multilane traffic and is prepared to handle the major influx of visitors. Ran by a battalion of Radian Paladin Officers with Allied Armed Forces as backup, it is one of the most heavily guarded places in the city. The security checkpoint is almost like its own Paladin Station, with interrogation chambers, equipment lockers, vehicle storage, riot gear, and more.

RADIA CHRONICLE OFFICE

A nondescript office building, the Radian Chronicle office dates back nearly 200 years, making it one of the new buildings in the Castle Court neighborhood. The offices overlook the Ythyrn River and allow the reports to easily access the Palace grounds and the Ethyryll Library to fact-check their sources. Inside, the building is five stories of chaos as journalists obsess over the news, constantly working long hours to try and break the next big story. However, with the advent of magical fireplaces, crystal balls, and more - the paper's readership continues to shrink, making many nervous for the future of the news.

CASTLE COURT RIVERWAY

A riverway that leads out to the ocean and the Water Cities. The Public Ferry travels this waterway as do chartered boats. Boats docked at this public marina vary in size and quality as it is open for anyone to rent. There is also a public ferry that stops by every half-hour.

LYMONCYLLO'S

This is one of the oldest restaurants in Radia - a long-time favorite of the Synsyll family. They still serve Radian favorites from the same kitchen they operated out of nearly 3,000 years ago. They claim their roughdough starter dates back to the original Radian king.

ETHYRYLL LIBRARY

The largest library in Radia. It holds documents that go back to The Founding - nearly 5,000 years ago. All public records are also held here. The building features a massive artrium with many braching sections, each holding its own kind of books.

THE PRINCE'S BREW

This hole-in-the-wall bar has been the go-to spot for chance political run-ins for nearly a millennia. There's even a back exit in case you don't want people to see you enter or leave. With retro decor, an old-school feeling, and excellent drinks - along with an unwritten code of conduct, The Prince's Brew is the meeting place in Castle Court.