Silent Castle

The Silent Castle is Cobra's stronghold and the Baroness's getaway in Trans-Carpathia.

The ominous Silent Castle.

History

Pre-Canon History

The Silent Castle is an extensive citadel in the Trans-Carpathian mountains, located in the section of Trans-Carpathia that is in the old DeCobray Baronary. It was built in a mixture of architectural styles and materials between the 13th and 18th centuries.

The earliest stone buildings on the site of the castle may be dated to the 13th century. Charles I of Hungary gave the castle grounds to his Austrian supporters from the von Stromberg family. They erected a rectangular defensive structure with rhomboid bastions that recalled the castles of Austria.

The fortification, augmented in the 16th and 17th centuries, underwent numerous sieges (the last one by Francis II Rákóczi in 1703-04) but was never taken. In the 18th century it was modernised under the supervision of Lemaire, a military engineer from France.

As the male line of the von Stromberg family died out in 1691, Kristina von Stromberg, heiress to the vast von Stromberg dominions, married Count Miklós Cisarovna, making him the third richest man in Hungary. Cisarovna, remembered as a key figure in Rákóczi's War for Independence, resided in the fortified palace within the castle. It was there that he treated with the ambassadors of Peter the Great and Louis XIV concerning the establishment of an anti-Habsburg alliance. In 1711 Cisarovna fled Hungary, and his estates were confiscated to the Austrian crown.

As the need for a military stronghold in the area declined with the extension of the Habsburg dominions further to the east, the Silent Castle was given over to the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church which opened a school there. In 1728 and 1879 fire ravaged the castle grounds, and the fortress was left abandoned for over one hundred years, used and visited only by tourists.

Canon History

In the 1980s, Cobra seized the castle and rebuilt it as a stronghold in the Trans-Carpathian mountains to create a major foothold in the Eastern European region. When the Cobra ninja Storm Shadow kidnapped Scarlett, he took her to the newly-christened Silent Castle and held her there. Not long after, Snake-Eyes followed and executed a daring rescue mission.

Since then, Cobra Commander had the castle closed down because it reminded him of his vulnerabilities. The castle then came into Destro's possession as part of a bargain between the two men.

MUX History

Since then, Destro has had the Silent Castle renovated and expanded as a gift to his beloved Baroness, who grew up in the area. With the breakup of the Baroness and Destro, the Baroness had given up her claim to the castle, allowing Destro to live and conduct his operations there.

When the world was flooded in 2011, the Silent Castle remained one of the few safe havens, giving Trans-Carpathia a distinct advantage and head-start during the recovery.

In 2016, when Destro rescued the Baroness from captivity in Borovia, he brought her back to the Silent Castle to recover. Later that year, when Destro was killed by assassins, Cobra took command of the Silent Castle once more. The Baroness has since used it as her base of operations.

In 2021, Cobra Commander moved back into the Silent Castle to use it as his Earth base for the MASS device.

Logs

2016

• 21 April - "Fancy Party at the Silent Castle" - Destro and Baroness throw a party at the Silent Castle, which of course brings the assassins out of the woodwork...

2021

• November 11 - "Baroness' Wish List" - Major Bludd and Baroness meet to discuss strategic options for the upcoming attack on the Pit.

2022

• 30 January - "Prelude to Assault" - The Cobra forces gather in preparation to launch an assault on the Pit.

References

• Baroness on Wikipedia