Castle Never

Castle Never was the stronghold and home of the rulers of Neverwinter before the destruction of the city in 1451 DR.

Location
Castle Never was located on the western end of the city. Before the destruction of Neverwinter, the Castle was part of the Blacklake District. After the rebuilding efforts of the late years of the 15 century DR, the Castle was considered part of the Protector's Enclave.

Structure
Castle Never was an imposing building, a testament to the city's architectural achievements. The three landmarks of the city—the Dolphin, the Winged Wyvern, and the Sleeping Dragon Bridges—radiated around the castle, connecting it with the southwestern district.

The Castle was destroyed 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.

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 those 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.

History
Castle Never was built in 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, protected by enchanted statues and magic swords.

In the 14 century, the castle became property of Lord Nasher Alagondar. The castle was frequented by nobles, guild leaders, and the Neverwinter Nine, 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 destroyed by the eruption of Mount Hotenow in 1451 DR, killing all members of the Alagondar family and almost anyone who was inside at the moment. The ghosts of those who died that day haunted the castle ever since.

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 to try their luck braving the dangers of Castle Never in search of glory and treasure.

By 1489 DR, Lord Protector Dagult Neverember had publicly announced plans to recover and restore Castle Never, in hopes of bringing prosperity to Neverwinter.

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

 * Video games:
 * Neverwinter Nights
 * Neverwinter Nights 2
 * Neverwinter (game)