| Type | Court |
|---|---|
| Located in | Night Court, Prythian |
| Head | Keir |
| Appears in | A Court of Mist and Fury (2016), A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017), A Court of Silver Flames (2021) |
Contents
Location
The Hewn City, also called the Court of Nightmares, is one of the two major cities of the Night Court. It lies beneath the mountains in the Night Court’s territory, carved deep into the subterranean rock. Though Rhysand rules as High Lord over the entire Night Court, the Hewn City remains physically separate from Velaris above and serves as the underground domain traditionally overseen by its steward, Keir.
Description
The Hewn City is a vast subterranean metropolis carved into the dark stone of the Night Court’s mountains. Unlike Under the Mountain, it is a true city, built with avenues, bridges, homes, spires, and separate buildings that fill the cavernous interior. Every surface is carved in elaborate, often grotesque reliefs—faeries dancing, reveling, begging, or entwined in night-blooming vines. Thin streams of water run through the streets, fed from deep within the mountain, and the entire city is illuminated by silvery faelight drifting overhead.
At its center stands the castle that serves as the High Lord’s official seat. Its gates are carved into massive black beasts locked in coils of claws and fangs, intertwined with jasmine and moonflower vines. Inside, the throne room is made of polished ebony from floor to ceiling, supported by columns shaped like the same monstrous creatures. A dais holds the throne, formed from sculpted beast heads that curve protectively around it. The castle also contains a large council chamber, hewn from the same dark stone, with a high domed ceiling and a jagged black-glass table sharp enough to cut if handled carelessly.
Culture
The Hewn City is inhabited exclusively by High Fae who value hierarchy, power, and cruelty. Its residents consider Illyrians to be Lesser Faeries and therefore reject Rhysand as their High Lord due to his half-Illyrian heritage. They tolerate his rule only because he allows them to govern themselves with minimal interference.
Daily life in the city reflects rigid formality and a lack of basic courtesies. Gratitude is neither offered nor expected, and interactions are defined by dominance rather than respect. The people dress in elaborate finery, while guards wear white and gray to blend with the mountain stone.
The Hewn City served as the stylistic inspiration for Amarantha’s underground court, as she was familiar with this place but unaware of Velaris and the Court of Dreams. Governance is handled primarily by Keir, who acts as the city’s steward, maintaining traditions rooted in fear, brutality, and strict adherence to the old values of the Night Court.
Relevance
The Hewn City appears throughout the series as the political and social center of the Court of Nightmares, where many key negotiations and confrontations take place. Rhysand brings Feyre here in A Court of Mist and Fury to present her as his consort and to secure access to the Court’s resources, including permission from Keir to use the Orb of Truth. It is also during this visit that Feyre first witnesses the city’s culture of brutality and hierarchy.
In A Court of Wings and Ruin, the Hewn City serves as the location where Rhysand attempts to negotiate support from Keir for the coming war. The bargain made there later grants Keir limited access to Velaris in exchange for military assistance, creating tension within the Night Court.
During A Court of Silver Flames, the city again comes into play when Cassian, Azriel, and Nesta travel there for missions assigned by Rhysand. Nesta’s powers, the emerging threat of the Dread Trove, and interactions with Keir and Eris all tie the Hewn City to ongoing political maneuvering within Prythian.
