Countess Sansuri's castle consists of three conjoined towers with a protruding gatehouse, all made of smoothly mortared stone. The central tower constitutes the main keep and has a more slender tower rising from its top that serves as Sansuri's personal quarters.
Lyn Armaal hangs in the sky, rarely coming within a mile of the ground. To reach it, people need an airship, flying mounts, or spells and magic items that grant flight. They can also ask one or more helpful metallic dragons to fly them to Sansuri's castle, although there's rarely a dragon around when they need one.
If people attempt to conceal their aerial approach, either by hiding among the neighbouring clouds or travelling under the cloak of night, they can reach the castle undetected without having to make any sort of check. If they don't take such simple precautions, the giants and the aarakocra spot them and sound the alarm.
Audience Chamber
This opulent hall features lapis lazuli tile work and murals depicting castles in the clouds as well as cloud giants chasing silver dragons while riding rocs and golden sky-chariots drawn by griffons. Marble bleachers hug the walls near the entrance, across from which stands an ornate alabaster throne inlaid with gemstones. "Guarding" the throne on either side are two life-size statues of cloud giants-one male, one female-standing at attention, wearing tall helmets with feather plumage, and clutching mithril-tipped spears. The statues are harmless sculptures.
Set into the floor in front of the throne is a 10-foot-diameter circular hole surrounded by decorative tiles of gold marble, white alabaster, and blue lapis lazuli. Standing at attention with their backs to the hole are four aarakocra simulacra. The aarakocra are alert but remain perfectly still; they do nothing other than defend themselves and obey Sansuri's commands. Any creature that jumps or falls into the hole plummets to the ground far below unless it can fly.
Workshop and Meeting Room
Sansuri uses this room as a magical workshop and private meeting room. A stone table dominates the room, and tall wooden cabinets stand against opposite walls. Other decor includes potted plants (one on the floor and others hanging from the ceiling above the table) and a large wooden waste barrel (currently empty). Next to the door, hanging from a stone hook mounted to the wall 20 feet above the floor is a 2-foot-long iron key that weighs 25 pounds. This key unlocks the cages in area 8.
The cabinets contain all manner of spell components and trinkets accumulated by Sansuri over the years. Characters can find the material component for any wizard spell of 6th level or lower that has no cost in gold pieces associated with it. To determine what trinkets are here, roll twelve times on the Trinkets table in chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook, or simply choose twelve different trinkets from the table.
Guest Room
The furniture in this room is scaled for giant-sized guests and includes two soft beds, a handsomely carved wooden table, and an empty wooden chest. A spacious closet at the back of the room has some giant-sized cloaks and sleeping garments hanging from bronze hooks on the wall, as well as a giant barrel of wine.
Armory
Stored in wooden racks along the walls are dozens of spears and javelins, each one exquisitely crafted and well balanced, as well as tools for repairing armour and weaponry. Two full suits of cloud giant-sized plate armour hang from giant bronze mannequins that stand at attention, their backs against the outer wall. A wooden table rests between two doors, and a rug embroidered with an image of the night sky lies on the floor.
Barracks
This room is set aside for Sansuri's cloud giant guards. Five beds are spaced along the outer wall, with a barrel of wine and a crate of food stashed in one corner. Three cloaks hang from bronze hooks on one wall, and resting by the door is a large chest.
Five cloud giants sleep here, their morningstars lying on the floor by their bedsides. On a typical day, these guards and the ones on active duty operate on alternating shifts.
Aft Battery
A 30-foot-high curtain wall with an overhanging rampart encloses this stone-tiled courtyard, which contains a few puddles of rainwater here and there. The cloud giants standing watch atop the rampart can see and hear anyone entering the courtyard who isn't trying to stay hidden.
Three ballistae face arrow slits in the outer wall, and two iron grates cover 10-foot-square holes in the floor. The grates are held in place with stone and cement. A Small character can fit through the gaps between the crisscrossing iron bars, and a Medium character can squeeze through. Any creatures that slip or fall through a grate plummet to the ground below unless they can fly.
Griffon Aviary
Haphazardly arranged about this untidy room are five tall wooden cages. Five griffons are kept here, one locked in each cage. The griffons peck and scratch at their cages, and the floor around them is littered with bits of broken wood. The griffons are trained to obey Sansuri and no one else.
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