Castle Shain¶
Fortress of the Order of the Diamondback, on a canyon plateau at the fringes of a great desert. Destroyed by The Dread Gloom.
Overview¶
Home to the Diamondback's Grandmasters and novices, Castle Shain trained children from the moment they could walk, culminating in the deadly Hunter's Bane ritual. Its walls, towers, and undercroft (including a secret escape tunnel through the canyon) feature throughout Trout Brightshield and Quinon Hexshade's backstories.
History¶
Site of the War of the Snake, the rebellion that overthrew tyrannical Grandmaster Achulon and installed a five-Grandmaster council under the Schism ideology. Years later, the Dread Gloom — an ancient black dragon and old enemy of the order — attacked the castle without warning, killing most of its inhabitants and reducing it to ruins; only Quinon's escape-tunnel evacuation saved Trout and Rodrick. By the time of the Chrono Conundrum campaign, Castle Shain's remains are described by NPCs as demolished, its stones taken by fearful villagers who blamed witchcraft (Older Trout Stories.md).
Per the Ending Outline, Trout eventually kills the Dread Gloom (Planned Canon) and hopes to "perhaps rebuild Castle Shain" — the outline does not confirm whether this happens.
Sources¶
Quinon backstory.docxTrout Brightshield.md/Trout Brightshield.docxTrout stories.docxOlder Trout Stories.mdChrono_Conundrum_Ending_Outline.docx.md