Kotaku has a writeup about Richard “Lord British” Garriott’s new castle that he’s building in Austin (this would be his third):
It will be a massive, three-story structure comprised of a dining area on the second floor and a balcony on the third floor, overlooking said dining area. Not content to have just two stories for dining, the second floor will be able to transform itself into a balcony overlooking the first floor for maximum dining occupancy. The attached elevator will be used for entertainment. He could use the first floor for a dressing area for performers, having them rise to the second floor via the elevator to surprise guests. When the dining hall is opened up for all three floors, the elevator room could house the main dining table, allowing the host to visit any of the three levels as he entertains guests.
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Many other surprises will lie in wait for visitors to Britainnia Manor MK 3 when it is finished. Guests rooms will have swiveling walls to allow beds to move from room to room in the middle of the night. Secret doors will contain elaborate lock mechanisms that require you to reach into a hole to fiddle with the lock, with a pneumatic clamp snatching your arm until the lock is properly open. He’s dug a 100 foot pit on the property to make a tunnel that leads to the river bordering the property.
If you’ve never seen it, check out these clips from MTV’s Cribs showing one of his other houses. Yeah, that dude has too much money. Also he has twin rat tails. Ick.
One of my favorite E3 memories is seeing Lord British (not Richard Garriot, Lord British) holding court. He was in full regalia, frills and all, and was sitting at a long table having the continental breakfast at the Holiday Inn across the street from the L.A. convention center. It was a truly surreal sight.