Dominion Hall
Overview
Dominion Hall is the royal palace at the center of New Terranova and the historic seat of the Twin Thrones of The Second Lilaris Empire. It served as both the official residence of the Ehrveillian Dynasty and the working seat of the Imperial government for the duration of the Empire's existence. Under the Provincial Constitution it was preserved as the official residence of the Twin Thrones in their ceremonial form and as part of the Republic's cultural heritage.
Function
Dominion Hall served as the personal residence of the reigning sovereigns and their household, the working seat of Imperial government, and the ceremonial venue for state weddings, the signing of treaties, and other formal acts of the Crown. It sits within the New Terranova federal district, which under the Provincial Constitution belongs to no Province and is administered directly by the National Assembly.
The Hall contains the Vault of the Flame, a chamber referenced in formal documents executed within the palace. Other internal spaces are not publicly documented.
Major Events
Targeted by Huge Larry
In the months before the Princess Salem Incident, Dominion Hall was the focal point of Huge Larry's public provocations against the Empire. He entered the building unlawfully on two separate occasions in defiance of Imperial orders, defaced the Hall's nameplate, and issued a formal declaration of personal sovereignty over New Terranova that included renaming state assets in his own name. These actions formed the basis of Case No. 572-LIR-NT and were later consolidated into the People v. Huge Larry.
The CTC Tower
Willy Luditus constructed the CTC Tower directly behind Dominion Hall as a provocation against the imperial family, casting a shadow across the palace. The structure was declared a matter of national security and demolished by Porter Ehrveil, then Secretary of Defense, with ceremonial cannons.
The Imperial Wedding
Empress Kara A. Ehrveil and Riven Skorne, Duchess of New Ides, were married in Dominion Hall. The accompanying The Idesian Accord was signed on the same occasion, "above the Vault of the Flame," and formally restored New Ides as a Duchy of the Empire.
Drafting of the Constitution
Late in Kara's reign, she and Nordvik Alvaldi drafted The Constitution of the United Provinces of Lilaris together at Dominion Hall. No constitutional convention was held; the two sovereigns authored the document privately within the Hall and then submitted it to popular referendum, which ratified it by overwhelming vote.
Retirement of the Imperial Charter
Upon ratification of the Provincial Constitution, the Imperial Charter was formally retired and preserved as a cultural relic within Dominion Hall.
Renovations
Dominion Hall was extensively rebuilt during the course of the Empire. Its earliest form was constructed with the Ehrengard Empire; later renovations under The Second Lilaris Empire converted the estate into a castle. The third renovation saw grander architecture focused less on protection, with the walls of the previous castles symbolically torn down to form the foundation of the marble columns. Three distinct phases of the palace are recorded photographically: the earliest known Hall, the form preceding the second round of renovations, and the final configuration.
Dominion Hall, second renovation
**Dominion Hall, first renovation
Dominion Hall in its earliest known form
