Castle Blackthorn
Castle Blackthorn
Castle Blackthorn is the historical residence of Lord Blackthorn and the parent location for one of the realm's notable lore arcs. The name covers two distinct sites in canon — the original Ilshenar castle (destroyed during The Awakening) and the rebuilt Britain castle on the same island in Trammel and Felucca, beneath which lies the modern Castle Blackthorn Dungeon opened with the Time of Legends content cycle.
The Two Castles
Ilshenar — Castle Blackthorn (Original)
Located in Central Ilshenar. The Ilshenar castle stood as a reminder of the lord who turned against the king. Though Blackthorn was thought dead, his minions held the halls and defended against intruders. The castle was destroyed during the second act of The Awakening event arc.
While it stood, the Ilshenar dungeon-castle was populated by:
Britain (Rebuilt) — Castle Blackthorn
The royal residence of Lord Blackthorn sits on its own island in Britain. The original was destroyed in Trammel by an angry mob during The Awakening; the rebuilt structure on the same island was raised by Lord Blackthorn's court jester, Heckles. The current Britain castle exists in both Trammel and Felucca facets.
Castle Blackthorn Dungeon
A modern dungeon now sits beneath both Britain castles (Trammel and Felucca). It runs the full Minax/Fellowship combat-content arc and is the principal source for Minax-crested loot.
Entering
The dungeon entrance is at the foot of an interior staircase in the castle. Pets are summarily auto-stabled the moment you enter the castle — Blackthorn's residence permits no pets inside. To make this less painful for hunters who come specifically for the dungeon, a hitching post has been placed at the foot of the entrance staircase so mounts and fighting pets can be retrieved as you descend.
A specific edge case worth noting: if you enter the castle mounted on a beetle that you have not unloaded (a beetle carrying inventory cannot be auto-stabled), the beetle does not vanish — it is safely held in one of the stalls of the Bucking Horse Stable, just south of the castle's bridge. Recover the beetle promptly; eventually it will tire of waiting and may decide it is better off without an owner.
Layout — The Foyer
The entrance staircase opens onto a short corridor with doors at either end, leading into a large foyer that serves as the gather-up point before engaging the dungeon's inhabitants. Items bearing the crest of Minax drop from creatures throughout the dungeon.
Three corridors lead from the foyer, each behind closed doors. After the Fellowship's incursion, the residents of the dungeon proper were evicted and have not yet returned — only the captains and their minions in the loyalty-town cut-outs to the far north remain as combat content.
The North Corridor — Loyalty-Town Captains
Through the north doors and short corridor lies a large central treasure room with a library beyond. To either side of the treasure block:
- East — wide corridor with two small unoccupied rooms (north: gold statues on plinths; south: gold suits of armor) leading to a wine cellar through doors at the end.
- West — wide corridor with two small unoccupied rooms (north: dormitory; south: rest room with ale and games), then turning north and widening.
At the end of the western branch, double doors lead out to a force-field generator across the end of the tiled floor. Beyond the field is a cave whose branches lead to cut-outs of the loyalty towns — fractions of streets, parts of buildings, as if a giant hand had ripped a small piece of city out and dropped it underground.
In one of these town cut-outs is the invasion force — captains and their beacon. You will need to explore to find which town is occupied (the location rotates). A significant force is required to defeat the invasion: each captain has a group of monsters that must be defeated before the captain becomes vulnerable, and the beacon must then be destroyed.
The South Corridor — Maze and Cells
The south doors open into a corridor that branches east to a series of rooms ending in a circular room. Returning to the main south corridor, it opens (without doors) into a large maze-like room of walls.
Around the maze:
- Far east branch — two rooms; the northern empty, the southern containing (unlocked) cells.
- Far south — a large room full of garbage.
- West side — a mirror image of the east, with rooms but no doors.
The West Corridor — Dining, Recreation, Cell-Block
A short corridor with doors at both ends leads west to a large room with two closed unoccupied rooms — north: armory with swords on racks, south: dormitory. Beyond, another short corridor opens into a large dining room with enormous tables and benches; doors lead to an unoccupied kitchen to the right.
Three corridors lead off from the dining room:
- South corridor — contains cells, leads to a large room with tiered seating and a central recreation area holding a grass rectangle with a bagball field.
- Central corridor — leads to a smaller dining area with tables, then a storeroom.
- North corridor — connects back through to another cell block at the far end of the south corridor's room.
A hole in the wall of the last large cell opens into a cave — a route worth knowing for sneaking around or breaking line of sight from pursuing combatants.
See Also
- Lord Blackthorn — the eponymous lord and historical antagonist
- The Awakening — the event arc that destroyed both original castles
- Heckles — court jester who rebuilt the Britain castle
- Minax — source of the dungeon's themed crest items
- Fellowship — the faction whose incursion evicted the dungeon's main residents
- Blackthorn Memorial Service — annual in-game commemoration event
- Loyalty Towns — the cities replicated as cave cut-outs in the dungeon
- Bucking Horse Stable — south of the castle bridge; backup for un-stabled loaded beetles