Castle of the Crown

The Castle of the Crown is the seat of power of the Land of the Green Isles. It is the seat of royal family (the Crown) of the kingdom and the heart of the Land. In its current form its sometimes referred to as the Palace of the Crown.

Background
The castle has been built and rebuilt for love at least three times in the Green Isles's history. The oldest castle was the seat of power for over 300 years. It was a large and drafty castle. A newer, cozier castle was built to replace the older one by King Aliphid for his wife, Queen Astar. It was built 100 years before the time Derek visited the Isles. When King Caliphim first sat down on the Emerald Throne, he again renovated the castle as a love gift for his bride, Allaria. The castle is of Moorish architecture.

Much can be seen and heard in the hallways of the Castle. However, the guard dogs do not deal lightly with intruders.

The Grand Hall
The main hall of the Castle of the Crown is known as the Grand Hall. Two sets of stairs lead up to the living quarters and offices of the castle. Below the stairs towards the back wall is a large doorway that leads into the Castle's Throne Room. Towards the front of the Grand Hall are the gates of the castle. Beneath the stairs to the left lies the door to the kitchen (sounds of the cooking staff can be heard behind it), and under the stairs to the right is the door that leads down into basement.

The Grand Hall opens onto the Throne Room, so it is always heavily guarded. To venture there without permission is to risk the wrath of Captain Saladin.

The Throne Room
The throne room is magnificent finer than even the one in Daventry. King Caliphim and Queen Allaria once held court in this lovely chamber.

It was the site of Cassima's Vizier, and nearly the end of all her hopes. Alexander and Cassima later had there wedding there with Captain Saladin prociding over the services.

The Tower
The entrance to the tower lies along the wall behind the thrones. The tower is three stories tall, with a spiral staircase that leads to the top.

It is the summit of the castle, and was where the prince's future and Alexander's fate was settled once and for all.

The Kitchen
The kitchen is a busy part of the castle. It entrance doorway to the kitchen lies in the Grand Hall below the western staircase. Behind the door comes the clatter of pots and pans, yelled instructions, and other busy kitchen noises. During Abdul Alhezred's attempted wedding to Cassima the kitchen was filled with a stack of silver almost to the ceiling that needed polishing. The chef inside was not serving lunch to visiters as they were too busy catering the wedding, and would kick anyone out who was not part of the kitchen staff.

The Hallways
in the eastern hall, there are doors on the east wall that are said to lead to bedrooms or storage rooms. There is an exit to northern corridor at the end of the hall.

Vaulted domes provide filtered sunlight to the upstairs hallways. The floors of each hallway are constructed from the same cool, beige marble that adorns the walls of the castle. Red carpet runner brings color to the hallways and protects the ivory floors. Large glazed urns stand like sentinels in the east and west hallways.

Curved Alcove
In the second floor western hallway is a small curved alcove recessed into east wall of the hallway. A pillar partially blocks the alcove from the main corridor. It acts a partial divider, helping set to set the alcove from the rest of the main corridor. A marble statue of a guard dog in full regalia adorns the top of the pillar. On the wall is a portrait of King Caliphim and Queen Allaria, the parents of Cassima. Kindly smiles light up the faces of the couple in the painting. The has an intelligent, sensitive look about him, and the woman is quite lovely.

Cassima's Room
The Princess was locked away in the room with silks and satins, but to her it was the coldest of prisons. She awaited her doom, and had nearly given up her last ray of hope when Alexander contacted her.

The Hallways
The basement stairs lead down into the basement's eastern hallway, where Jollo's Room can be found. In the western basement hallway is the treasure room, and the dungeon cells. In the northern basement hallway is the door to the guardroom. To the side of the guardroom, a suit of armor hides a secret mechanism that opens a door to a secret passage.

Jollo's Room
The gentle clown Jollow lives here. He offers assistance and a kind ear to visitors in his chamber.

The Treasure Room
This room is protected by a magic door. Alexander was able to breach it, discovering the stolen treasures of the isles hidden there.

The Dungeons
Some sections of the Castle dungeons are occasionally left unlocked. These areas are said to contain mysterious residents. To be locked into the dungeons of the guard dogs is to perish.

The Secret Passage
The secret passage contains a staircase that leads up to second floor. First floor of the secret passage has a spyhole that looks into the guard room. On the second floor are spyholes that look into Cassima's bedroom, another spyhole that looks into Alhazred's former office, and a secret panel leads into a wardrobe in Alhazred's former bedroom