Sunspear

**Sunspear**, also known as the **Old Palace**, is the seat of House Martell and the capital of Dorne. The castle is located on The Broken Arm, north of The Greenblood on the far south-eastern coast of Westeros and is surrounded on three sides by the sea, and by the shadow city on the fourth side.

The palace of The Water Gardens lies three leagues away on the coastal road.

## **Locations:**

### **Sunspear:**

Sunspear is a walled settlement, protected by three massive Winding Walls, encircling one another and containing miles of narrow alleys, hidden courts, and noisy bazaars. The Threefold Gate, where the gates are lined up one behind the other, avoids the labyrinth, instead allowing straight passage on a brick path to *The Old Palace*.

One of Sunspear's chief structures is the original stronghold of House Martell, *The Sandship*, which is a large, ugly, dun-coloured building that looks like a dromond. Over time, towers in Rhoynish fashion sprung up around the keep. Two other chief structures are the tall and slender *Spear Tower* and the great, domed *Tower of the Sun*. *The Spear Tower* is a hundred and a half feet high, and can house noble prisoners. In the *Tower of the Sun*, the high seats of the Prince of Dorne can be found: two twin seats, one with the Martell spear inlaid in gold upon its back, the other bearing the blazing Rhoynish sun. These two towers are the first things visitors see when they arrive at Sunspear, whether by land or by sea.

### **The Old Palace:**

The Old Palace is a palace in Sunspear, the seat of House Martell in Dorne. It includes the *Tower of the Sun* and *The Spear Tower*, as well as a feast hall and a solar for the Prince of Dorne.

Rising from *The Old Palace* is the slender *Spear Tower*, a massive tower of stone. It thrusts up from the surrounding community, stretching one hundred and fifty feet tall, with a spear of gilded steel atop that adds a further thirty feet. Highborn prisoners can be confined in cells at the top of *The Spear Tower*.

*The Tower of the Sun* has a dome of gold and leaded glass. Beneath the dome sits the throne room, a large round room with thick windows and many coloured glass. The floors are made of pale marble. Within the throne room there are two seats on a dais, near twins to one another, the only difference being that one is inlaid with the Martell spear on its back and the other features the blazing Rhoynish sun that flew from the masts of Nymeria's ships. The spear seat is used by the ruling Prince of Dorne.

### **Shadow city:**

The closest thing to a true city that the Dornishmen have, the shadow city is no more than a queer, dusty town. Built against a wall of Sunspear, the shadow city spreads westwards. Closest to Sunspear's walls, mud-brick shops and windowless hovels can be found. Stables, inns, wineskins and pillow houses are found west of those, with walls of their own. More hovels have been build against those walls, which in has led to the city becoming a labyrinth of narrow alleys, homes, and bazaars.

*The three Winding Walls* were raised, running through the shadow city, forming a defensive curtain. Only *the Threefold Gate* provides a straight path to *The Old Palace*, allowing visitors to pass all three of *The Winding Walls* directly, without having to pass through the labyrinth of the shadow city. If need be, these gates can be heavily defended.