Nyallshall
Nyallshall is a large towered keep and residence built around a large tower in the walls of the Nyallshold fortress walls. It is the primary residence of the Ryuri Dalnyall, or the leader of the Dalnyall Clan.
Nyallshall is a large, rambling building of great age and little planning. Towers, rooms, additions and passage have been built and added over the centuries and the result is a confussed and complicated floorplan. The residence towers are drafty in the winter, hot and muggy in the summer, and quite prone to roof leaks and mildew.
It is, none the less, the official residence of the Ryuri Dalnyall. As such, it is oppullently appointed with finely carved and guilded furniture, rich and colorful tapestries and bright, thick carpets and rugs.
Purpose / Function
Nyallshall is the primary residence of the Ryuri of the Dalnyall Clan and the leader of the city of Nyallshold. It is built around an ancient stone tower of the hillfort wall (called the Old Tower) and is basically 800 years of renovation and additions added layer by layer.
Denizens
The Nyallshall has a vast number or servants and staff, many of whom live within the Hall itself. No fewer than 12 cooks, 5 butlers, 21 maids, 4 stewards, 10 footmen, 8 servers and 9 house boys, and the 44 Boyne Guards all live and work within the walls of Nyallshall.
Contents & Furnishings
Richly appointed with furniture, tapestries, drapes, carpets and rugs. Many of the windows are galzed, some of the fireplaces have functioning chimneys (by no means all of them, however), walls are brightly painted or washed, and the gardens and yards are well-kept and beautifully decorated.
One less-than-beautiful item that decorates one of the many chambers of Nyallshall is named Caiden's Bane and it is the right arm of the Mountain Giant that killed Caiden Dalnyall and his son Ronan in a battle near Craigshome. The arm, as it hangs in the hall now, is 5 feet long but when it was intact it would have measured 7 feet from fingeers to shoulder. It shows evidence of being hacked off of its original owner with an axe and was covered in boiled pitch to keep it from rotting while it ws brought back to Nyallshold. One feature of note: the arm lacks it's thumb, but should one wish to see that as well, it is hanging in the alehouse called The Giant's Thumb located near the Highfield Gate.
Valuables
Much of the Ryuri's personal wealth is kept secured within the walls and vaults of Nyallshall. The Ryuri, Olan Dalnyall, has no less than 90,000 golden Marks hidden in various places within the home.
Alterations
The original "old tower" was a circular construction roughly 110' across its base, with rough stone walls more than 10' thick. There were no windows or arrow loops in the original construction, but some opening have been made since that time. The Old Tower extends out from the fortress walls about 40' and stands about 50' from its foundations at its highest remaining extent.
Architecture
Built of gray stone with a slate roof, Nyallshall is a rather dark and imposing home. It is a confusing maze of rooms, corridors and passages on its first level, and a series of more recently contructed buildings above those. The rooms of note that comprise Nyallshall are: the "Coombs" which are the lower levels of the hall, including the kitchens, larders, store rooms and many of the servant's quarters; the "Keep" which is the private residence of the Ryuri and his family; the Entrance Hall which connects the Keep with the rest of the structure; the Great Hall, where all official Clan-related events and ceremonies are conducted; the Old Tower which is the primary defensive feature left in the structure; and the Boynehall where all the many officers, officials and clerks that operate and administer the city and the Clan work. Surrounding the Nyallshall itself are numerous other buildings supporting the Ryuri and his officials, including a large stables, workshops, sheds and storage buidings.
Defenses
Doors and window shutters are made of thick oak planks banded in iron. There are a total of 44 elite swordsman protecting the Ryuri and his family at all times, living in the lower levels and attached buildings of the complex. These 44 swordsman are collectively drawn from a distinct family called Boyne (sometimes spelled Boyen). This family has the honor and responsibility of protecting the Ryuri and his family from all harm, and they take this honor and responsibility very, very seriously. These Boyne Guard are commanded by Dylan Boyne.
Founding Date
147 BF
Type
Keep
Parent Location
Owner
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
