Hollard Castle

Hollard Castle
The ruined castle from the road.
Lore Details:
Warp:	/warp hollardcastle
Location:	Crownlands
House:	Hollard
Type:	Ruin
Construction Details:
Started:	September 2015
Project Lead:	Discs
Project Type:	Private, Solo
Project Status:	Completed

A sad ruin straddling the crossroads just north of Duskendale, Hollard Castle was once the seat of House Hollard, immediate ally to the Darklyns of Duskendale. Their arms are barry gules and carnation, a cheif azure with three crowns or. The castle was put to the torch by the royalist Targaryen forces when the Hollards sided with the rebellious Darklyns during the Defiance of Duskendale around the year 276. All members of both houses were executed, save for young Dontos Hollard, whose life was requested to be spared by Ser Barristan Selmy, King Aerys' saviour following his imprisonment by the Darklyns.

The castle is now nothing more than a landmark and a cold stone shelter for passing travellers. The Targaryen army slighted it, leaving it useless as a defendable fortress.

Features

• Ruined Castle: The shattered remains of what was once the Hollard stronghold. The outbuildings and curtain wall were obliterated, and all that remains of the west tower (once used as comfortable apartments for the family) is a single leaning wall. The main keep is still recognisable and intact enough to hold up a roof, making it a popular haunt for bandits.
• Sandstone Merlons: One can still see, fronting the main keep, three slender turrets that were added after the third Hollard bride was wed to a petty Darklyn King of Duskendale. The yellow sandstone merlons represent the golden crowns of the three Queens Hollard.
• Fishing Village: A small fishing hamlet built upon the coast. Once a village in the Hollard dominion, it is now owned by House Rykker, the new lords of Duskendale. A stout round holdfast is built on a hill overlooking the village, used as both a watchtower and a point of refuge for the villagers during an attack. It is a poorly-kept secret the the two Rykker men who man it are spies, watching for any hint of latent rebellious loyalty from the villagefolk.

Gallery

The castle keep as seen from the Maidenpool road. The three turrets are stark against the sky.

A bird's-eye view of the ruin. The bailey is becoming overgrown with wild elm and weeds.

The fishing village. The holdfast can be seen up atop the hill, frowning down upon the fisherfolk.

Construction

The original Hollard Castle was built during August-September 2013 by builder OllieDisc (now Discs). The layout and location was completely overhauled after new canon information about the ruin was uncovered. The castle was first built as a wholly intact and fully furnished castle on site, which was then copied to /warp oldhollard as a museum before the castle was ruined using WorldEdit and VoxelSniper. OllieDisc displayed a disturbing amount of pleasure in the destruction, using his new editor powers. The ruined castle was then edited to show the signs of age: blocks turned duller and rougher, vegetation growing over walls, surviving wood rotting and collapsing. Once this was completed, village plots on the shore were opened to the public.

However, nigh on two years later the Crackclaw Point region was completely reterraformed, destroying the old castle in the process. It was then rebuilt by Discs in its current format in the lovely new terraform by carcinogenius, with a fishing village and holdfast built to the south. There was no unruined version this time, for the state of ruin made it simpler to just build it immediately in its current state.

Inspiration

The castle was largely inspired by Dolwyddelan Castle in Wales, for the state of ruin almost exactly matches the damage described in the books.

Dolwyddelan Castle