Castle Never

Castle Never, also known as the Keep of Lord Never, was the stronghold and home of the rulers of Neverwinter prior to the destruction of the city in the 15 century DR.

Location
Castle Never was located in the western quadrant of the city inside of a sharp southward bend of the Neverwinter River just before it emptied into the harbor.

Before the Luskan invasion, Castle Never was considered to be part of the City Core, and after the war it was known as part of the Blacklake District. Duirng the rebuilding efforts of the late years of the 15 century DR, the Castle was considered part of the Protector's Enclave.

Structure
The tall, gleaming towers of Castle Never were the first thing that visitors arriving by sea saw of Neverwinter. It was an imposing building and a testament to the city's architectural achievements. The castle was ringed by a circular street, and the city's three landmark bridges&mdash;the Dolphin, the Winged Wyvern, and the Sleeping Dragon Bridges&mdash;radiated out from it to connect with the southwestern district of the city.

The Castle was heavily damaged by the eruption of Mount Hotenow in 1451 DR, and most of its towers and walls crumbled, as well as some of its interior rooms, halls and corridors. Being built on an strong foundation, however, the rest of the castle was left mostly intact. As of 1489 DR, Castle Never was still in ruins, however it would be cleared and largely rebuilt over the following years.

Interior
The interior of Castle Never was, as of 1479 DR, a battle zone, as various factions vied for its control. The most important factions were that of the beholder Talgath, and Valindra Shadowmantle and her Thayan forces. The following are the noteworthy areas of Castle Never:

Vault of the Nine
The Neverwinter Nine, bodyguards of Neverwinter's kings and queens before the destruction of the city were buried in a magically sealed crypt in the depths of Castle Never.

Neverneath
Also known as the "Endless Maze", Neverneath was the magically protected catacombs of Castle Never, built to maintain the structural integrity of the castle and to protect the buried corpse of Lord Halueth Never. After the Spellplague of 1385 DR, however, the wild magic altered the magic ward, giving it a malevolent sentience and the ability to reshape the corridors of Neverneath at will. The ward bided its time before trapping anyone who dared enter in a corridor inside an infinite magical loop full of deadly traps and animated statues that attacked anything that moved.

Tomb of Halueth Never
Somewhere deep in the castle was the final resting place of Lord Halueth Never. His body lay upon a great stone slab and was protected by a ring of twelve gleaming, enchanted swords that would animate and attack any intruder if they did not follow cryptic instructions written on the flagstones. He was also protected by enchanted statues of his most trusted servants, including those of the original Neverwinter Nine.

The Holes
As the Castle was cleared and came back into use in the late 15 century DR, a section beneath the ruins was dedicated as a prison for criminals sentenced to execution. This dungeon, which came to be known as the "Holes," was heavily guarded and had only one known entrance (although rumors persisted of a secret tunnel that connected to the Blacklake).

History
Castle Never was built around and 87 DR by Lord Halueth Never, an elven hero who fought against Illusk in the first century DR. When he died, he was buried in the Neverneath section of the Castle alongside statues of his faithful servants, the Neverwinter Nine.

In the 14 century, the castle became property of Lord Nasher Alagondar. The castle was frequented by nobles, civil staff members, guild leaders, and the Neverwinter Nine of the time, as they carried out the day-to-day affairs of the city. The Castle was later inherited by Lord Nasher's descendants, the Alagondar royal family.

Castle Never was heavily damaged by the eruption of Mount Hotenow in 1451 DR. All members of the Alagondar family died during in the cataclysm that followed the eruption, as well as almost anyone who was inside at the moment, whose ghosts haunted the castle from then on. The structure would remain have-coated in volcanic ash for over three decades.

In 1479 DR, the castle became the target of many factions who vied for influence over Neverwinter: the Thayans, Bregan D'aerthe, and the New Neverwinter movement, among others. However the dangers of the Castle (infested by monsters even before the cataclysm) stopped any faction from getting control of the place. The castle was also a common destination for adventuring bands that wanted to try their luck braving the dangers of Castle Never in search of glory and treasure.

By 1489 DR, despite Castle Never still being a dangerous ruin, Lord Protector Dagult Neverember had publicly announced plans to restore it in hopes of bringing prosperity to Neverwinter, and within a few years, he was already holding court inside the castle. As of 1496 DR, reconstruction efforts were still ongoing, and the Castle's restoration had become Neverember's highest priority.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Lord Halueth Never
 * Lord Nasher Alagondar
 * Talgath the beholder

Rumors & Legends
It was believed that some survivors of the destruction of Neverwinter had hid the treasures of the Alagondar family in secret rooms and vaults that were magically protected and would only open to a true heir of the Alagondar bloodline. Among those treasures was the fabled lost Crown of Neverwinter.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Orrery of the Wanderer
 * Gates of Neverdeath
 * Video games
 * Neverwinter Nights (AOL game) • Neverwinter Nights • Neverwinter Nights 2 • Neverwinter (game)
 * Neverwinter Nights (AOL game) • Neverwinter Nights • Neverwinter Nights 2 • Neverwinter (game)