Auterhalex Castle

The **Auterhalex Castle** is the ancestral seat of the imperial House of Auterhalex, located in the Formahx district of the city of Agatropica on the planet of Adrealis. For thousands of years the castle has served as the eternal residence of the Adrealian absolute monarch and the location from which the internal affairs of the empire as a whole is conducted.

The castle has existed in some form since the beginning of the Tesar invasions and the subsequent Fall of Abzu, although the modern architecture and evidently new foundation and exterior concrete dates back over eight millennia, and the modern railcar system and Formahx village dates to a rough two millennia ago. The castle is located high in the Formahx Alps, across the Verlugk Chasm that splits the district of Formahx from the rest of Agatropica.

## Grand Entrance

### Formahx Gateway

Visitors making their way to Auterhalex Castle must pass through **Formahx Gateway**, where castle security operates a security checkpoint. The place is well guarded by highly trained personnel that are tasked with inspecting whatever rental that you are given for concealed firearms, or even explosives. However, the exception to this is held by cleared security staff and high level members of His Majesty's government. Visitors and residents that pass the first inspection are given approval to drive their vehicles along Gamaux bridge towards the castle and to Formahx Village if necessary.

Benches along the checkpoint is provided for those waiting for their vehicles and persons to be cleared for entry.

### Gamaux Bridge

The great bridge of Gamaux that leads to Auterhalex Castle and Formahx Village was said to have been built by the old Medracovan deity known as Gamaux, hence its name. The large bridge is composed of a standard highway for important Formahx residents and diplomatic staff alike to drive across, as well as a railcar system built on the lower level of the bridge to bring in cargo and prisoners of great renown for questioning by the Imperial family themselves.

The bridge is made completely out of Agatropian concrete and steel, designed to withstand the traffic that comes and the occasional cargo rail delivery. There is multiple banners of the Empire hanging in the wind leading up to the Formahx district, and the thick concrete railing makes it halfway to being a roofed bridge. At the end of the bridge is a long tunnel that travels underneath the extent of the castle and out to the other side where visitors may park and enter the castle through the Aldebahax Gardens. Alternatively, within the tunnel is a junction that splits off where residents may drive to the Formahx Village.

### Aldebahax Gardens

Separating the large castle from the bustling intersection and nearby village is the Aldebahax Gardens, a beautiful place with multiple fish filled ponds and a numerous amount of flower beds. Despite the colder weather up in the alps, the greenery has flourished, and the House of Auterhalex has made sure that the scenic beauty is not forgotten. A roofed archway leading up to the castle doors stands out among the bushes and wild critters that roam the gardens during the day.

There are a few fountains to be found in the gardens, elders who visit the relatively open area sometimes pray to the sisters by the fountains, many believe the sound of the water and the breeze allows for their spirits to be closest to the Agatropian deities.

## Main Building

### First Floor

#### Entrance Hall

Visitors arriving from the Aldebahax Gardens must submit themselves to one last security checkpoint before being free to fully roam through the castle and see the sights. Ambassadors and heads of state are not required to follow these guidelines and are usually given special clearance. However, those that follow through and yield to the security are highly respected.

After security checks visitors pockets for anything that could be hazardous, they may continue down the hall and rest their eyes on the many artistic statues of the ancient Thalganna's that once ruled from the very same castle.

Chairs are not provided at this checkpoint, as it is much quicker of a process than the Formahx gate.

#### Founders Room

The Founders Room is one of the main reception rooms in Auterhalex Castle, a room dedicated to celebrating the beginning of the Thalganna families rise to power as one of Seltens most powerful monarchies. The room was reverted to its original purpose as a historic room with many art pieces and banners giving notoriety to the Thalganna's past when Ardius II ascended to the throne once more at the beginning of **23 NE**, in an attempt to destroy the previous monarchies mark on the ancient castle.

A long room with many smooth concrete columns, each row has paintings of a Thalganna monarch, at the end a large portrait of **Ladeitrix Thalganna of Medracovia**. The first monarch of the old Adresaas Republic and the most influential in post-Abzu Selten history. Recently, the room has been highly renovated to fix up any aging, and looks almost brand new in preparations for the Castle's much more open future.

#### Medracovan Room

The Medracovan Room, also known as the Ancients Room, is a large and mystical state room dedicated to the old practices of the Medracovan Mythology. With ancient depictions of the three god clans, pottery and a large glass container housing Herlyrs Hammer. One of the most important items to be found within the castle, the Hammer is an ancient weapon passed down each Agatropian generation to a warrior that holds all of the qualities of a **God of War** with flying colors, above the exhibit is a large portrait depicting the Warmongering god fending off millions of devils in an effort to protect the ancient Medracovan people.

The room itself is similar in structure and design to the Founders Room, but is lit almost exclusively by old red candles, giving off a calm atmosphere for those who walk in to admire the mostly lost history of the Agatrops. People who walk in are not allowed to come with food or drink, but may dip their fingers in a old stone bowl of mineral water, and rub the moisture on their wrists. This is a cleansing ritual said to make the visitor lose all sense of negativity whilst roaming the castle. The room is among the high favorites of the current emperors children, both of whom are much more keen on reviving the old practices.

#### Red Room

The Red Room is a simple room donning a red carpet, four arches and concrete columns, and a large fireplace at the end of the room. It sits as a place for calm discussions to take place between diplomats and other important visitors. With multiple leather couches and a number of lamps, it gives off an aura of equality and friendliness that is otherwise hard to find in such an old relic of the past.

The windows are openable and visitors are able to sit by them and look out at the green snow peaked land mountains found only in the poles of Adrealis.

#### White Room

The White Room much like the Red Room is simplistic in design with a pastel white carpet, four arches and concrete columns. It also houses a large fireplace to heat the room during the winter, although in this room there is a small bar to the far left of the room, considered to be more informal when being used for state visits and meetings. Due to its minibar and casual atmosphere, the Emperor tends to use it for one-on-one meetings between himself and leaders within the Machtenpakt.

It also has a small bookshelf that contains old literature, some of which that was written by the emperor himself. One such piece of literature found there is a book on Machtenpolitik, the policy of the New Adresaas Empire.

#### Music Room

The Music Room is a relatively small room with great acoustics within it, along with a great number of Agatropian instruments such as the **Huewlerott**. It is known as a thinking room for the Emperor when he is completely alone within the residence, usually listening to Ruhmeinur Music as it is a favorite of his and his children. While not a musician himself, his positive attitude towards various cultural rhythms has made it a place of surprising diversity.

The room when not being used for practice by On with Ardius musicians, is used as another lounge room. It has a large surround system hooked up to a jukebox that plays various music genres, the emperor even has a taste for Glimmerfunk, and thus has added it to the permanent collection of playable features.

#### Art Room

The Art Room is a small cozy room that is used for various artistic purposes, such as drawing and painting. It is a very important part of the castle to the Imperial Family, due in no small part to its use for propaganda. Despite this political use, it remains a popular spot for characters, as it allows them to practice their craft and show it to the imperials to admire.

On multiple occasions artists from far across the galaxy have been invited to this room to paint their take on the Imperial portraits, to express a diversity of taste and opinion.

#### Grand Dining Hall

The Grand Dining Hall is a large extravagant room with an imperial red and gold carpet dominated by a large rectangular table able to seat up to 48 people at maximum capacity. it is favored for large expensive gatherings and feasts for its open space and gracious décor. The walls host a variety of portraits sporting archaic members of the House of Auterhalex, as well as a few paintings of the Thalganna's riding into battle on their steads against the Tesari Hordes over 14,000 years ago. Wrapped around each concrete support pillar is a flower bed that is regularly maintained by staff and generous patrons of the Castle.

#### Imperial Ballroom

The Imperial Ballroom is a large room that expresses the vast size of Auterhalex Castle in full detail, as the Ballroom is but one small piece in the very large puzzle of the archaic fortress. It is lined with archways and concrete columns that reflects the Brutalism employed by Medracovan Architecture. The side walls are lined with green walls that grow plantlife and flowers. There are two ponds on either side with a running waterfall that descends from a hole leading to the next floor.

The room is vast and has at times been furnished differently than the standard depending on the occasion, just this recently the Imperial Ballroom was used as the place of coronation for Ardius II. Near the entrance to the Throne room stands two large stone statues depicting the Dukoraan sisters; Kallir and Rekar, along with the Imperial banner containing the draconic sigil belonging to the **House of Auterhalex**.

#### Throne Room

The throne room is the center of Auterhalex Castle. It is a room just as vast as the Imperial Ballroom with twice as much going on, constant meetings take place at the Adrealic throne and many criminals of the Empire have knelt before it to be punished directly by the Emperor. It is supported by a multitude of concrete columns and decorated with many statues of Warlords long past. The walk up to the throne is lined with Imperial red and white carpeting, along with a set of stairs. Those who wish for an audience with the emperor are not allowed to go beyond the first step and must remain lower in eye level to him.

The throne room is considered to be one of the most used parts of the castle, as the Emperor himself sits upon the throne most of the day deciding the fate of criminals and Imperial policy with a flick of a Maugex and few words.

Ceremonies that take place within the throne room are extremely formal and require total obedience to what custom demands; trials of criminals, declarations of war and peace treaties, the gifting of aristocratic titles, audience with vassal officials, even other members of the Imperial Family. During these events, spare special tribunals, those who enter through the door must kneel before the emperor and only rise when demanded. Wives of the emperor must not sit down and must each stand at the bottom of the thrones steps at either side of their husband.

### Second Floor

#### Black Room

The Black Room is a room in the center of grand staircases to either side. Unlike the first floor with many different spectacularly furnished rooms, the black room is very plain and seen as a common area where guests may walk and talk with each other. During events where security is required to maintain a separation between guests upstairs and guests downstairs, the black room frequently houses security equipment and personnel to pat down guests and maintain the peace, as well as to keep guests disallowed from entering.

#### Private Dining Hall

The private upstairs dining hall is a much quieter experience than the Grand Dining Hall found just downstairs, considered to be a much more intimate setting where guests may have breakfast and make small talk after a long night. The walls are much closer around the dining table and has a less decorated presence to it, there are a few flowery green-walls and the waterfalls found down below. There is usually a few side tables with catered food warmed up by heaters, such as eggs and sausage, as well as root-cakes and porridge.

#### Guest Bedrooms

Eight guest bedrooms are arrayed up and down the hall. Each luxurious with queen-sized beds, air conditioning, pristine and comfortable furniture, drawers and a private bathroom. The rooms are clearly meant to house important guests that expect the best and are given so, such as foreign ambassadors, foreign head of states and their families, and powerful vassals.

## Trivia

### Mechanics

* Auterhalex Castle is mechanically composed of
	+ An estate with a palace built on top of it (which is split between the main building and the residence area at the top of the castle)