Casterly Rock

Casterly Rock, nicknamed the Rock, is a castle and the seat of House Lannister. The capital of the westerlands, it overlooks the harbor of Lannisport and the Sunset Sea. Nearby strongholds include Kayce and Feastfires to the west, Sarsfield to the north, and Cornfield.

History
According to legend, the first Lord of Casterly Rock was a huntsman named Corlos, son of Caster, whose village was being menaced by a lion. After pursuing the lion to its den, he slew the beast and its mate, but spared the cubs he found. This act of mercy pleased the gods so much that they showed him a massive vein of gold within the rockface that would become Casterly Rock. It is debatable as to whether this tale is entirely true, of course. Castor founded House Casterly, and his descendants would build a mighty fortress into the great stone hill, that insofar has never fallen by force of arms.

However, eventually, the Casterlys would fall victim to a mysterious man from the east named Lann the Clever. There are many tales as to how he managed to oust the ruling house of the Rock from their home and immortalise himself and his descendants as King of the Rock; some say that he convinced the family that their home was haunted, that he infested it with vermin, that he had his way with the Casterly daughters and produced golden-haired heirs, that he set a pride of lions on the Casterly sons and took the daughters for himself. Either way, Lann's descendants of House Lannister ruled Casterly Rock from then until the present day, and House Casterly was extinguished during the Age of Heroes.

Layout
Casterly Rock is carved out of a great stone hill colossal rock beside the Sunset Sea. It is popularly believed to resemble a lion in repose at sunset. The Casterlys of antiquity built a ringfort on the peak, and as millennia have passed its natural defenses have been expanded with walls, gates, and watchtowers. The base of the Rock contains large sea-carved caverns. The stone has been mined for thousands of years, so there are hundreds of mineshafts in the depths of the Rock, as well as yet untouched gold veins.

The Rock has been measured at three times the height of the Wall or the Hightower of Oldtown. It is almost two leagues long from west to east, and contains tunnels, dungeons, storerooms, barracks, halls, stables, stairways, courtyards, balconies, and gardens. In the bowels of the Rock are rooms where caged lions were once kept, and cells for the worst prisoners. The castle contains a sept.

The Lion's Mouth, the main entry to Casterly Rock, is an enormous natural cavern reaching two hundred feet high. Its steps are now wide enough for twenty riders. Its port has docks, wharves, and shipyards and is accessible by longships and cogs. From below the Rock thunder can be heard, where the sea comes in.

The Golden Gallery contains treasures of the Lannisters, including gilded ornaments and walls.The Hall of Heroes is where the Lannisters and their close kin who have died valiantly are interred. The armor of Lannisters of old are also displayed in the hall. The Stone Garden is a godswood with a twisted weirwood a tenth the size of Raventree Hall's.