King's Keep

The King's Keep is the royal palace and primary seat of power for the Ranald Dynasty in the capital city of Dalreoch. Located upon a prominent hill surrounded by the capital city of Dalreoch, the keep serves as the administrative, ceremonial, and residential heart of the Kingdom of Dael Riata.

The keep is a magnificent light grey stone structure featuring four primary turrets. Each turret is crowned with a golden dome and flies the green flags of the royal house. Unlike the more austere fortifications found elsewhere in the realm, the King's Keep was designed to function as a palace while maintaining formidable defensive capabilities. Its design is notable for several ornate features:

• Golden Domes: Each of the four turrets is topped with a golden dome that stands out against the sky.
• Royal Standards: Green flags, representing the Grand Duchy, fly atop the domes.
• Historical Reconstruction: While it contains much of the original ancient keep, it was significantly rebuilt and converted into a palace by King Alasdair II following his “grand tour,” during which he adopted several foreign architectural ideas.
• Inner Bailey: The road to the keep opens into a stone-flagged square dominated by a building featuring many pillars and statues, topped with a green verdigris dome. For formal arrivals, an open-sided pavilion with a cloth-of-gold roof is often erected, housing gilded chairs on a carpeted dais.

The Keep is divided into several functional levels and specific chambers used by the royal household:

The royal apartments are located in the upper sections of the tower and are designed around a central light well. These include:

• The King's Chambers: Includes a bedchamber, a dressing room, and an ante-chamber where visitors wait for a private audience.
• The Queen's Chambers: Mirroring the King's layout, these include dedicated galleries and a specific Queen's Garden area.
• Galleries: Internal walkways and galleries overlook the central light well, provide access to the various rooms, and viewing areas that overlook the lower courts and the River Reoch.

• The Grand Hall: Located on the lower floors for formal events, meetings of the nobility, and state dinners. The Grand Hall is the central space for state functions, featuring a massive fireplace that serves as the backdrop for royal feasts and diplomatic negotiations. It is here that the King and his senior nobility gather to keep the King's Peace and manage the affairs of the Estates.
• The Roof: The top of the keep features lanterns and allows for observation over the city and the River Reoch.
• Cellars and Services: The base of the tower and adjacent wings house the necessary support services for the palace.

The keep is protected by a series of concentric defences, including an outer wall and a heavily fortified inner bailey. The gatehouses are manned by the City Guard, identifiable by their green shields with red diagonal stripes. The inner chambers and the person of the King are guarded by the elite King's Life Guard, who wear polished green enamelled armour.

The Keep is the headquarters of the King's Life Guard, led by their Knight Commander Iain Alpin.

• The Life Guard: These veterans wear polished green-and-gold enamelled armour with matching helmets featuring horsehair plumes.
• Sentries: Green-armoured guards in full plate provide 24-hour security, challenging all who approach the private royal areas.
• Access: The inner bailey is protected by a gatehouse where twelve trumpeters traditionally signal the arrival of high-ranking dignitaries.

The King's Keep stands on a site that has been inhabited longer than living memory. While the original foundations were laid by early lords (potentially of House Sioltach), the modern palace was largely rebuilt by Alasdair II. Inspired by his travels abroad, he transformed the martial fortress into a grand palace during a period of relative peace and prosperity.

The keep has remained the stable anchor of the monarchy throughout recent turmoils. During the Queen's War, it was a strategic prize for the rival coalitions. Following the assertion of his personal rule in 769 King Alasdair V used the keep as a place of safety and a staging ground for his efforts to unify the noble houses.

In 775, it was prepared for the royal wedding to Lady Elizabeth Wallis, a festive occasion that saw the city and the bailey extensively cleaned and decorated with the banners of the great houses.

• King Alasdair V: The current Sovereign and Grand Duke of Reoch.
• Sir Iain Alpin: Knight Commander of the Life Guard, responsible for the keep's internal security.
• Lady Elizabeth Wallis: The future Queen of Dael Riata and resident of the keep.
• Diarmid Murchadh: The 7th Earl of Uisdean, who performed his oath of allegiance within these walls.

• Dalreoch: The capital city surrounding the keep.
• Gallows Market: The site of royal proclamations located just outside the keep's walls.
• Water Gate: A major city entrance leading toward the merchant district and docks.
• Caer Suibhne: A neutral castle where the King occasionally holds summits away from the capital.