Grand Palace

The Grand Palace, located on the tip of Point Abele in Karnaca, serves as the residence of the Grand Duke of Serkonos. The palace is built on the ruins of the old ducal palace which was razed by Duke Luca Abele to make room for the new palace, destroying all artworks and treasures of the old palace in the process.

History
Before any palace was built, a lighthouse once stood on Point Abele, guiding ships from the rocky shore. Over time, the light house doubled as a lookout and a fortification, helping the Grand Guard against pirate activities. Those who were captured were imprisoned here and forced to work to pay off their debt to the city. Many died of scurvy and other ills but some lucky few were released, spreading foreign beliefs and customs throughout Karnaca.

Judgement of the prisoners took place on the the spot, requiring the sitting Duke to stay nearby. Eventually, he built a palace in lieu of a prison, and moved much of the city's judicial branch here. The nobility followed the Duke, settled in the area, building up what is now known as the Palace District. After Luca Abele succeeded his father in 1847, he razed the old palace to the ground and built a new one with striking modern architecture.

Dishonored 2
The palace is visited during the mission The Grand Palace, in which either Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano have to retrieve Delilah Copperspoon's effigy and eliminate Abele. It can be reached via railway coach or via boat. Both the coach station and the private docks are guarded though and the surrounding Ravina Boulevard is heavily fortified as well, closing off the city from the palace with a wall of light.

Trivia

 * According to the protagonist, the new palace cost enough to feed every person in Serkonos for years.
 * There is a secret passageway through the pantry leading directly to Duke Luca Abele's vault. However, it too requires the key and so the Duke must be dealt with first.
 * The palace is sprawling and complex, with multiple ways to get just about anywhere. Verticality is employed to a significant extent.
 * According to Harvey Smith, Luca Abele ordered a thousand-year old umberwood tree in front of the palace cut down to improve the view. The trunk can still be seen in the front yard.