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 quadrant of the city.

Before the Luskan invasion, Castle Never was part of the City Core, and after the war it became 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 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.

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.

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, protected by enchanted statues of his most trusted servants—including statues the original Neverwinter Nine—and enchanted swords that would attack any unworthy person that entered into the tomb.

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. 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 that wanted 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. 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
 * Video games
 * Neverwinter Nights • Neverwinter Nights 2 • Neverwinter (game)