Petrinos Castle

Petronis Castle
Castgul Patrov
Artist's depiction of Petrinos Castle in the Kremnefelsk Mountains
General information
Location	near Yom
Country	Velikoslavia
Current tenants	Keeper of the Crypt
Construction started	1371
Completed	1391
Inaugurated	1392

Petrinos Castle is a castle built in the historic Valley of Kings near the ruins of the Bayarid stronghold of Ulankeer. It was constructed by Danil III the Despised in 1371 and completed by 1391. Danil was subsequently the first Tsar to be buried in it upon his death that year. Monarchs of several subsequent houses are buried there. The structure is notable for being constructed 10,243 feet above sea level on the side of Mount Petros, one of the 12 Mountains of the Apostles.

Layout and Design

Petrinos Castle was designed by the church designer Raretios Arangenes of Perateia and is notable for its church like appearance. The difficulty of reaching the castle and its location above sea level meant that it did not have to survive any sort of protracted siege and was therefore constructed more like a church. In order to offer a stronger natural defense, the castle is also built on an outcropping of the mountain at the mouth of a large cave. The entry steps, which lead up from the road several hundred feet below, were carved directly from the rock and have been rebuilt several times in the castle's life. Three guard posts on each side of the castle were constructed to allow guards to survey the roads below from different angles. The main structure of the castle was seated behind two bronze sheathed doors designed to resist battering rams and other siege equipment. The bronze doors lead directly into the great hall of the structure. Living quarters were constructed for the contingent of guards that staffed the castle for the first two hundred years. The building was modified in 1544 when the first Count of Yom was named. Guard barracks were turned into rooms for family members. The living quarters encompass the exposed parts of the castle.

The cavern in which the castle is built at the mouth of serves as a large portion of the structure. The great cavern was reinforced and sealed off at the back with large stone pillars and stone walls reinforced with Latin Concrete. Within the cavern, the floor was covered in flagstones in order to smooth it out. Along the cavern walls, individual mausoleums were constructed for each monarch buried there. Inside of these mausoleums, a single monarch was buried.

Count of Yom

The Count of Yom is a title issued to the family that oversees the Valley of Kings and the castle itself. Appointed initially to the first Crypt Keeper, the family capitalized off of the tourism that the valley and the new burial crypt attracted and elevated their own station. Today, the Count of Yom, Mika Vronzeh, lives on an estate outside of the valley and is responsible for appointing the crypt keepers for each of the mausoleums built in the valley. The position is directly funded by the government, apart from the family's own personal fortune. House Yom also commissions new coffins and oversees the constructions of new crypts. The village of Yom is entirely made up of residents who play a role in the valley. The Order of Death Shapers, a legendary guild of coffin makers, is located in the village and ply their craft far and wide. The village has its own bishop for conducting burial rights and numerous staff devoted to maintenance and repair on old structures.

List of Notable Deceased Entombed in Petrinos

• Vesna II
• Ysgramor III
• Kosmas II
• Vitomir I the Lance
• Vladimir II the Conquerer
• Nikola III the Bane
• Vitomir II the War-Shaped
• Paul I the Scholar
• Aristophan I the Builder
• Mariya I
• Alexis I the Preeminent
• Danil IV the Decent
• Aristophan II the Weak
• Various Princes and Princesses