An imposing fixture of Neverwinter’s western end, Castle Never stands as a monument to the city’s former glory. The cataclysm struck it hard, toppling towers, collapsing walls, and starting fires that burned throughout the structure. The entire royal family is thought to have perished, and the remaining servants sealed the vaults, crypts, and grounds with the hope that a worthy heir to Neverwinter would arrive one day to take his or her rightful place on the throne. On that day, it is said, the magic treasures and other resources of the castle will serve the new ruler.
The castle was built on a strong foundation, however, and if the structure were purged of monsters, it could be refurbished. Many of the interior rooms collapsed, but others stand eerily intact. The least damaged parts of the castle are also the best fortified: the firmly locked armory, the great hall, and the Neverneath dungeon.
In the interim, Castle Never has become a war zone. Several factions vie for dominance over the empty castle and its throne. In particular, Valindra Shadowmantle of Thay seeks to plunder one resource the castle offers; the corpses of rulers past and the legendary Neverwinter Nine, bodyguards to the kings of the city.
To the uninformed eye, Castle Never looks like a big, hulking ruin. Half its towers fell in the cataclysm, and the wall on its seaward side crumbled to rubble. Chunks of stone and fallen statues litter the windswept courtyard. Inside, the stone corridors stink of ash and dust, which swirls up around the feet of intruders. Even in their emptiness, the corridors never seem vacant. The spirits of the hundreds who died here linger on.
The castle was built on a strong foundation, however, and if the structure were purged of monsters, it could be refurbished. Many of the interior rooms collapsed, but others stand eerily intact. The least damaged parts of the castle are also the best fortified: the firmly locked armory, the great hall, and the Neverneath dungeon.
Having died in the cataclysm that killed their city, the heirs of Alagondar and their closest servants still dwell in their palatial home, bound to its crumbling foundation. Some wail like banshees or weep helplessly at their current existence, but others seem to have accepted their fate and offer encouragement or cryptic secrets to visitors. The ghosts are as likely to ignore intruders as attack them. Few ghosts are willing to provide hints to the location of treasure hidden in the castle, and they respond violently to perceived thieves. The ghosts might or might not know the location of the Crown of Neverwinter, and those who do are unlikely to give straight answers.