Duke's Palace, Len Doa
The Duke's Palace is an ancient castle that has been converted over the centuries into a palatial home for the Dukes of Len Doa. In its current configuration, the Palace is more than 200,000 square feet of oppulent living space enclosed in high stone walls and stout towers.
The Palace is five ancient stone towers constructed in a pentagonal shape and connected with walls more than 20' thick and 50' high. A gate of the original structure remains on the northeastern wall of the building and consists of an opening 24' wide and 18' tall secured with an iron portcullis made more than 200 years earlier and still as functional and imposing as the day it was forged. Within this ancient gate is a paved courtyard with a white marble fountain throwing water ten feet into the air. This grand courtyard leads to the main entrance to the palace interior, which is a four-story tall facade of limestone columns and huge glazed windows which allow a torrent of light to stream into the building from the yard during the day, and which light the court from within the palace with the hundreds of lamps and lights shining out of the great windows at night.
Within the palace are several huge halls where the Duke and his officials hold meetings, courts and services. The Duke's family have their official residence here, as do many of the duchy's officers and ministers. Hundreds of staff work every day within this vast complex to keep the palace functioning.
Purpose / Function
The primary residence and working office of the Duke of Len Doa.
Design
Originally designed as a pentagonal footprint with five towers and walls of significant height and breadth, it has since been converted to a palace. A little over 50% of the interior footprint of the castle is now an enclosed multistory home, with a large cobbled and paved courtyard.
Entries
The palace is entered through a portcullis gate built into the northeast wall of the castle. The gate is 18' wide and 22' tall, and the portcullis is made of wrought iron bars roughly 2" thick formed into a crosshatch with 10" openings. Since the conversion of the castle to a palace, there have been two other entrances retrofitted into the design, one on each of the towers flanking the main gate. The entrance at the "main tower", or the tower that is furthest east in its placement, is the more formal of the two, with intricately carved oak and brass doors that can be secured from inside.
Sensory & Appearance
The palace is almost non-descript when seen from the outside. Once inside the courtyard, however, it is an amazing sight. Huge glazed windows light up the interior during the day, and fill the courtyard with light from the palace in the evening.
Valuables
It goes without saying that the bulk of the duke's considerable personal fortune, and all of the ducal regalia are housed within the castle. Hundreds of thousands of guilders in coin, bullion and gems.
Architecture
A huge castle built more than 500 years ago and since has been rebuilt into an opulent and palatial home. Walls facing the inner courtyard have floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies and verandas, while the keep and towers have been converted into spacious and comfort-filled rooms and halls.
Defenses
The walls of the castle are still defensible, and the gate can still be secured, but otherwise this is a very fancy home and not a castle. The Duke maintains a substantial garrison of Guards within the castle, and the City Watch is also part of the primary defensive forces guarding the walls and gates.
History
Rebuilt by Lenis Ahm, known as Strongarm to his friends and foes, more than 180 years ago on the remains of an older fortress that he helped destroy during the conquest of the city. For its first 75 years of existence, it was a fully functioning castle, but then the dukes moved their primary residences to finer homes elsewhere in the city, and the castle fell into serious disrepair. Duke Lewin, the father of the current duke, spent a considerable fortune on renovating the dilapidated castle into an opulent and palatial home.
Type
Palace
Parent Location
Owner
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
