Empyrean Castle

The Empyrean Castle is King Athos and his ancestor's dwelling place.

## History

Built long ago by the ancient kings of Aether World, it has been home to the rulers of this civilization. King Athos took his father to the castle after the battle with the Devourer of Worlds. He tended to his father until he died.

In the novel chapter AWCU Tour (Part 2), King Athos takes the elevator connecting Aether World Cosmic University back to his home and wonder to himself if Ranald and Mayari are the prophesied Sun Griffin and Moon Deer who will seal the Devourer away.

## Description

Built from Celestial Marble and gold in a mix of futuristic and Baroque, Empyrean Castle is well-known for its nine towers, said to represent the 8 planets and the dwarf planet Pluto. It is quite vast, in that some of its buildings have more than one story, basements connected by secret tunnels leading to each other and some castle rooms. It is even linked to 88 bases by energy paths, making them look like a constellation when seen from afar.

It has colonnades with marble columns (some have vines twining them, others have gold or silver trim), gardens, some of which have fountains, courtyards, niches and more. Some rooms have alcoves, while others have bookcases hiding secret entrances to some basements. Tapestries, stained glass, murals, statues (some of which can be found in the mentioned niches), friezes, and many other decorative elements adorn the entire structure. Stars are a recurring theme, as well as the planets, sometimes personified as animals.

### The Castle Interior

The King's Chambers: Athos' private quarters. It consists of a receiving area, his bedchamber with a floating bed and lamp, a private dining area, private bathing areas, personal library, personal garden, balcony overlooking Nebula Lake, as well as some secret access areas. By invitation only.

Empyrean Foyer: When one enters the Empyrean Castle, this is the first room they see. In the middle of this room is an elevator linking it and Aether World Cosmic University. The room has doors leading to the other parts of the castle. Its roof is a glass dome enabling one to see the stars.

Royal Hall: The throne room where the Crusaders of the Constellations meet when King Athos needs to address them all at the same time. There is a raised dais and a throne on it. For some reason, the floor is made of sand. From the entrance to the throne, there's a golden-lined red carpet. So far, the king has installed a holographic projector in the Main Hall so that all Crusaders can see what he's talking about.

Dancing Stars Ballroom: Another gathering place that is especially beautiful and has room for any activities needed. Can be reserved for parties by speaking with the king. In the past, many beautiful parties were hosted by the kings and queens of Aether World, just before the fall. As King Athos remembered fondly, the ballroom was one of his mother's favourite areas, where she and her family took extra care in cleaning and decorating it. The ballroom has floating crystal orbs that not only serve as lights, but they also change colour and move according to the music played, hence the ballroom's name.

Dining Hall and Kitchen: These rooms are connected to each other. The kitchen has facilities that blend science and magic together. It has ovens, freeze driers, fridges, and stoves, as well as dessert dispensers that Crusaders can use. There are synthesizing stations that can cook dishes for anyone, and the king can even provide ingredients for those who want to cook. The kitchen has a basement used as a pantry for storing ingredients, and it is cold due to the Snow Diamonds embedded in its walls. The dining hall has a ceiling decorated with real stars, and a table draped with a self-cleaning tablecloth. But be sure to clean up after your eating.

Medical Bay: It has rooms with healing pods for injured Crusaders to rest in after battle. It is four storeys tall, and on each floor, there is an office containing medical equipment like X-ray machines, a CAT scan, diagnostics tools, medicine synthesizers, tables. The king himself is an expert medic, and sometimes, he and other Crusaders can be seen treating their comrades. Like in AWCU, the floating discs on the ground floor can be taken to a room or the offices by giving vocal commands to it. When a Crusader is sick and cannot go to battle, he is taken to the infirmary on the medical bay's left, where he rests, while viewing the sky through the glass ceiling. It has on the ground floor a hot spring and a garage for a flying ambulance.

War Room: This is where the king and those assisting him in leadership capacities could brief teams before battles. It is not fully large enough for all 88 at a time, so full-scale addresses were handled in the main hall. Strategies were often formed in this room. The room has a table and chairs, all made of wood overlaid with bronze, a holographic projector dubbed the Window to the Stars, and the king can allow teams to reserve smaller rooms connected to it.

Grande Library: The Library is a massive area that is three storeys tall, with a basement. The ceiling has a beautiful bronze and stained glass dome inlaid with the planets of the Solar System. Books, scrolls, and other writings dating from the pre-fall Golden Age of Aether World are kept here. Husdent translates and copies the books from Earth and other dimensions sent here into the language of Aether World before sending them back to where they come from when he's not working in AWCU's library. And he can translate them into a language you are fluent in if you request it. The library has torches, and the same floating tables and chairs found in AWCU, with the only difference being that they are made of wood with lacquer while those in AWCU are made of an indestructible alloy.

Museum: On the grounds of Empyrean Castle, this multi-winged museum is dedicated to the Star Crusaders and Solar System Guardians who served the Kings of Aether World before its destruction. It is now dedicated to the Crusaders of the Constellations who helped Ra and Mayari defeat the Devourer of Worlds. A building on the opposite side of the Castle from the Library, each Star Crusader has an Exhibit, though their formats vary. Some are holograms with recordings, others are statues or paintings. Some contain trinkets or personal belongings on display, donated by the Crusaders themselves. While the exhibits of the Star Crusaders and the first Solar System Guardians were made by the past kings of Aether World, the current exhibits were made by the Crusaders when they were students in AWCU. Some are typical, just like Pictor and Sculptor's, but there are some weirder ones, like Triangulum's installation, Pavo's exhibit that is a video of him doing interpretative dance, Norma's mathematical equations graffitied on a wall and so forth.

Gym and Training Rooms: The Empyrean Castle has a few of these dotting the palace. They have the usual sports equipment such as weights, benches, and punching bags. There are even treadmills and a rowing machine. The walls are made of adamant, hence indestructible. There are bots made by the past kings that can spar with Crusaders, and the equipment has nanotechnology that enables them to repair themselves.

Supernova Colosseum: In Aether World, it used to be where its kings and queens supervised their armies. Now, Crusaders can use it to practise their powers and work in teams. The Celestial Hall of Residence's top floor arena was partially inspired by the Colosseum. It has torches dotting it, and a canopy to shield occupant from the elements. Near the Medical Bay, any injuries that happened to someone there will be whisked to the infirmary by the king.

King's Chapel and Ossuary: When Athos was young, he and his family would gather in their own church every Sunday and pray for their late relatives and ancestors, and for the people and their kingdom. There are a pulpit and seats, and the ceiling is a real-life representation of the northern and southern hemisphere night sky from Earth. The ossuary is next to the chapel, where the bones of the dead royal family are buried. A small alcove memorial to Fallen Allies (dead Star Crusaders and the first Solar System Guardians) is found in a room of the Chapel. The king expects visitors to show respect, for it's a sacred place.

Royal Gardens: An area in the exact center of the castle open to the sky, with access from several areas including the Dining Hall, Library, Museum, and Ballroom. It is a beautiful, perfectly maintained garden with flowers and fruit trees, a koi pond with bridge, alcoves, and many benches and quiet areas. Lined by a peristyle to provide shelter from the sun. The main pathway is illuminated at night.

Royal Observatory: It used to be where the past rulers of Aether World would observe other dimensions and record information about them. It has a telescope on a platform, with a spiral staircase leading to it, with its next room being a planetarium. It is currently where Athos keeps all the recorded info, bios, memories, secrets, lives and future about not only his family and Aether World but the Celestial Dimension Warriors and their dimensions. And students/Crusaders of the Constellations are not allowed in the universal royal observatory except King Athos 'cause it's a very private place and it's for the sake of everybody's secrets and their dimensions.

### Minor Areas

Spa: Long time ago, King Athos's mother had a pool-like bathing chamber where she beautified herself. Now, it is converted into a spa by the king, who added a bust of his mother as a tribute.

Game Room: Where Crusaders can go to unwind after a battle. It has a sofa and a TV, and some game consoles. It has a chess table and a foosball table, as well as a dartboard.

Map Room: Located next to the War Room, it contained maps made during the Golden Age of Aether World by a Star Crusader called the Mundivagant Knight of the Pale Anemone. Thus, this room has a portrait of him and a teal vase with anemone flowers aside from the maps. Holographic technology in this room has been used to scan and project 3D versions of this map to aid in mission control. Only the king or those he chooses to act as mission control are allowed to enter the room.

Relaxation Room: A quiet room, it's where the king goes to relax. It has a stone path leading to a meditation area, and instead of the floor, there's water with lotuses floating around the stone path. The lotuses are pleasant smelling, and in the meditation area, there are mats, bean bags and a radio that plays musical genres such as classical music and instrumental music.

Sun-and-Moon Portal Lair: This room has a white circle on the wall, which is actually a portal leading to the Zenith Castle of the Sun or the Argent Castle. It is flanked by statues of a griffin and a deer. It's possible to choose where to go by pressing the buttons on the floor. Pressing the button with the orichalcum sun carved on it will turn the portal golden-yellow, leading to the Zenith Castle. Pressing the button with the silver moon carved on it will turn the portal silver, leading to the Argent Castle.

King's Hangar: A garage where the king keeps his vehicles. It used to have a vehicle that has since become the Dimensional Shuttle and is now donated to AWCU. It now houses the king's personal spacecraft, the Fortress of Resplendent Clouds. It has a roof that can open for the spacecraft to fly out of the hangar and on one side of the hangar, there's a wooden door painted in white leading to the Tower of Mercury.

#### The Nine Towers

The Empyrean Palace has nine towers for each planet, the Sun and Moon and Pluto. King Athos uses them to access the other Realms.

* Tower of Mercury: One of Empyrean Castle's nine towers, it has brass steps leading to the top floor, where a portal leading to the Brass Palace's portal is kept. It has a bronze roof, with a rooster topping it. It is connected to the King's Hangar.
* Tower of Venus: One of Empyrean Castle's nine towers, it has copper steps leading to the top floor, where a portal leading to the Château of Beauty and Splendour is kept. It has a pink tile roof, with a swan topping it.
* Tower of Earth: One of Empyrean Castle's nine towers, it has polished wooden steps leading to the top floor, where a portal leading to the Tellurian Palace is kept. It has vines growing around it and a green tile roof, with a cow topping it.
* Tower of Mars: One of Empyrean Castle's nine towers, it has iron steps leading to the top floor, where a portal leading to the Fortress of Glory and Combat is kept. It has a steel roof and a boar topping it.
* Tower of Jupiter: One of Empyrean Castle's nine towers, it has bronze steps leading to the top floor, where a portal leading to the Thundering Fortress is kept. It has a yellow pearl steel roof and an eagle topping it. Electric currents occasionally surge through it.
* Tower of Saturn: One of Empyrean Castle's nine towers, it has basalt steps leading to the top floor, where a portal leading to the Palace of Time is kept. It has an onyx roof, with a snake topping it. Above the top floor is a belfry where the bronze bells are stored, for it used to be for telling time.
* Tower of Uranus: One of Empyrean Castle's nine towers, it has electrum steps leading to the top floor where a portal leading to the Empyreal Sky Castle is kept. It has a blue tile roof and a dragon topping it. It is often covered in clouds.
* Tower of Neptune: One of Empyrean Castle's nine towers, it has coral steps leading to the top floor, where a portal leading to the Oceanic Fortress is kept. It has a turquoise roof and a horse topping it. It smells of sea salt.
* Tower of Pluto: The only tower of Empyrean Castle for a dwarf planet, it has obsidian steps leading to its top floor, where a portal to Pluto's Floating Fortress (specifically, the Fortress's portal room), is kept. Its entrance has green flamed torches flanking it, and its tower has a Stygian Steel roof with a dog topping it.

### Exterior

Gates to the Constellations: Surrounding the floating island the castle is built on are gates associated with one of the 88 constellations in outer space. They lead to the bases of the Crusaders by energy paths. Each gate is designed with motifs of the constellation they are associated with.

## Defenses

* Consecrated Supernal Ground: *Creatures of darkness – such as nightmare monsters and vampires – the undead and anyone with an evil heart could not recover motes or will within the castle, and would take one level of aggravated damage and lose one will per minute they spent there.*
* Celestial Confluence: *Amplifies (double effect or half cost) all holy powers, and diminishes (double cost or half effect) all powers of the underworld, the Nightmare Realm and the Dark Side of the Universe.*
* Cloak of Nighttime Shadows: *Wraps the castle and its surroundings in a veil of shadows and illusions, causing it to be imperceptible to non-supers unless they walk straight into its doors. Superpowered people may mistake it for a pile of ruins under a fog or a haunted castle.*
* Stellar Will: *Allows the castle to rain meteor showers on its intruders*