~*~ Starshadow Keep ~*~ House Gil’dae – Spring, Era XIII pf. onward

[Calairiel Mynendil Gil'dae]

OOC: This is the location description from Spring, Era XIII forward. Location is to be used for all communication for Calairiel Gil’dae. Descriptions written by Motito Gil'dae, slightly editted by Calairiel Gil'dae.

Head of House Gil’dae – Arwen Calairiel Gil’dae

Current PC Members of House Gil’dae:
Heru Motito Gil’dae
Arwen Alicia Gil’dae
Heru Tyavando Gil’dae
Arwen Katerynn Gil’dae

The Exterior

Deep in the Tawnleaf wood, where the illumination of nature cocoons Her creation in the folds of bramble and ash, there is a place called Starshadow Keep...or to the natives, Gil'dae Cheb. Around this luxuriously restyled Keep is a perimeter gate, the front of which read "Gil'dae Cheb" across the worked metal, interweaving the letters between each bar of the gate, the iron lined in sparkling silver. Directly below it, worked in a similar manner, was the crest of House Gil’dae, the main of it in the iron working, but the silver lining giving a bright forefront that defined the shape and depiction of the crest.

Past the iron gates was a cobblestone pathway leading through a rich scenery garden of flowers of every color, both planted in the earth and hanging from poles. The colors contrasted sharply with the bland, black look of the gate, making it almost humorous in appearance. The flowers were not properly trimmed and kept in control...instead they were grown in an almost wild manner, but yet not so much so that it detracted from them. If anything, the wild look only enhanced the beauty of the plants and the locale further.

The gardens were expansive, decorating the location with the wild beauty that elven landshapers were well known for. A beautiful fountain of white marble lay in the garden, something that both those living in the keep and its guests alike admired every time they glanced at it. Hidden deep in this always-colorful location was a secret that perhaps three elves knew the existence of…a hidden escape route that the lady could take if the keep came under siege. The location was a small hut hidden by a thicket of roses and shrubs, so much so that only those knowing where it was would stumble upon it. Inside the hut was a secret passage way that would lead one out and into the Tawnleaf Forest to a location designed by the masters that first constructed the keep…it led to one of the large redwoods, which could be made to open if the correct sequence of knots were touched, leading to the underground stone corridor through which the nobles could escape if needed.

Further still, one would view scattered about the land, built into several redwoods about the location, guesthouses where others could stay. The twisting wood created a naturally shaped building out of the tree, leaving plenty of room for guests to come and use as their own during their stay at the Starshadow Keep. The lady’s direct advisors and staff held several of these, so that they could have a place to stay of their own and still remain close, while members of the House’s clans used others. One larger such building was a barracks of sort for the military forces of House Gil’dae, one of the more militant houses of the Combine.

One of the other locations outside, held close to the building of the keep itself, was a smaller location that was the Gil’dae Armory. It was locked several times over, and very few people had access to it. The room was windowless, but nevertheless well lit as torches had been attached to the rough gray walls, and ventilation was a must, the lack of heated forge and the shafts combining to make the location drafty without the forge running. There were numerous racks with weapons and pieces of armour. There were broadswords, shortswords and longswords, daggers, a few halberds, maces and axes, as well as Sai, being the Lady Gil’dae’s weapon of choice. Most of the weapons were rather plain, though well-polished and well-kept now that they too had been brought up to date with the keep itself. A large kite shield leaned against the wall. It had the picture of a tree painted on it; another one clearly bore the sign of House Gil’dae. It was made of shimmering elven steel. A long bow leaned against another wall. At the far end was a small trapdoor, which led to a cellar. It had once been filled with weapons, but with decay and the like, the excess weapons were now gone, leaving the cellar empty. The only weapons that remained were on racks in the main room.

Another exterior location, also held close to the keep, but off to the opposite side of the forge so as not to scare it's residents, was a more conventional structure, though it's design still unique. It was still made from the branches and roots of the main redwood shaped about the structure of the keep, but this Stable was still rather normal on the inside. Containing hay and feed as well as several stalls for horses or other mounts, it was well lit by torches, and dry on the inside, no matter how hard the Syl'rosyan rain pounded on the top. Housed in the stables were several horses used for general House business, personal horses of those that lived at the Cheb, including Vahka…Lady Gil’dae’s own white elven windstepper.


Starshadow Keep ~ First Floor

Rounded towers adorned the building itself, which is even further enhanced by the shaped crystal used to expand the towers and make them yet greater. Ivy struggles to climb the stone face of the tower and even the standard wall, but bulging through the wall, almost as a pulsing life granted to the cold, lifeless stone was, interweaved with the stone, portions of a large redwood tree, adding a beauty and grace to the location, melding the cold architecture of stone with the beauty and life of one of the larger of the giant redwoods of the Tawnleaf. It is here, with the brilliant intermingling of wood and stone, that a guest would approach the front doors of the keep itself. The double doors were large, thick and sturdy, but there was something else strange about them. They seemed to be made out of one of the roots of the great redwood that now sprouted and intermingled with the keep. The shaping of the wood was masterful, depicting in the living wood the crest of House Gil’dae.

Inside the front doors, the main entrance hall constantly has people scurrying about with bustling activity. The keep had not long before been drained of energy, servants moped about as they plodded along their tasks, but this no longer held true. With the new look of the Starshadow Keep, it added flair and determination to everything they did. One of the first noticeable things of the keep was the high ceilings. The second floor was quite a ways up. The pillars running along the length of the entrance was once stone, but now was a winding, twisting weave of wood and stone together, again driving home the idea of an intermingling of the cold, militaristic stone with the artful living flora at the location. Art hung on the walls, candelabras located throughout the stretch of the entrance hall. Here too was considered the waiting hall. Several different chairs, benches, and sofas were located so one could rest their weary feet after a long, hard day’s travel as they waited for an audience with the lord of the Sixteenth House of the Combine. The smell of sandalwood filled the air, a calming and relaxing smell that seemed to put an easy smile on most as they enter. At the far end of the entrance hall were two things. One was a grand staircase that split and turned back on itself, heading up to the second floor that bisected the floor in the middle, one leading towards one end, one leading towards another. The other was a passage way beside the grand staircase, that led downwards...but that will be gotten to later.

To the left was a passage way to the main dining hall, set up to accommodate a hundred or more of Syl’rosya’s finest nobles, or whomever the lady chose to grant an invite to. The location was always kept spotless, the crystalline chandeliers hanging from the ceiling granting illuminating the location with a dazzling sparkle that made visitors gaze about in wonder. Always set for service, the table awaited use, or, if desired, could be cleared for other purposes.

Further past that was the kitchen, always kept busy, be it preparing a meal for the lady and her family, or to keep the hungry mouths of the servants filled as they went about their daily tasks. The lead chef grunted as she went about her business, directing others as she did. Few outside of the Gil’dae family and their loyal servants saw the reality of this location, because few entered, but even in here, there was a sense of driving purpose and uplifting spirit that was cause for one to smile. A small service staircase was in the kitchen, leading up to the third floor, access exclusively for the servants to get to and from their living quarters without disrupting the nobles. Behind that, there was a door that led outside, to one of the wells placed at the property, dipping in to take from an underground tributary of the Laughingwater.

Back at the main entrance hall, there was also a branching corridor off to the right, lined with suits of armor and smaller works of art. The path lead past a large steel door, where two guards stood at all times. At the guarded steel door, usually shut at all times, was the vault of the Gil’dae family. It contained a vast array of things. The room was completely windowless, but torches that were attached to the walls provided sufficient lighting. The room was filled with shelves upon shelves and chests in all forms and sizes, displaying a bit of the House's former glory. Everything that was sacred to the family was stored within. One shelves contained books, dozens of patterns old, diaries of long deceased elves, scrapbooks, memories, things that not even the lord knew of. A painting of the Keep how it had looked in its better days hung at the wall, another picture lay on the table in the middle of the room. It showed a middle-aged elven woman in a pale blue gown. A rack contained weapons in all sizes and forms, long swords made of elven steel, broadswords, spears. Daggers lay on yet another shelf.

Past this locked vault and past a wide, brass-railed spiral staircase, there was another door leading to the lord’s private study. In here there were several large windows, allowing light to touch the large, plush room. Several pieces of furniture, both constructed and shaped from nature lay within. The large, oaken desk was tidy, though stacked with several different parchments and scrolls, and behind it was a large, comfortable chair. Hung on the wall behind that there was a elven longsword, constructed of dwarven steel, the silver pommel twisting around to create a crest of the Mage Corps on it, and beneath that hung a sheath to match, leather, wrought with silver as well, to create a sort of climbing vine of ivy. Below it was embossed the word ‘Ivyblossom’, which symbolized Heru Motito Gil’dae’s former life. Large, stylish rugs adorned the floor, keeping the ground comfortable, even for the bare footed.

The corridor continued past the lady’s study to a large library. It was here that rows and rows of books and parchments were arrayed, and within were located several glowing light sources, from candles to luminous mushrooms in the mossy carpet covering the floor. This room more then most was an interweaving of wooden bookcases and a natural touch of the living things that seemed located throughout all of the elven society. Spongy plants were woven to create different seating locations, and even laying on the moss coating the ground would not be uncomfortable. Even the moss on the ground seemed to have a sort of natural glow to it, adding to the light and ambiance in the room.

On the closest wall of the library, near the entrance, there was a large tapestry depicting the Allerian Empire as a whole, it having been here for quite some time, though it had just been restored, as had the rest of the keep. The colors were vibrant and lively...but as much as what lie on the opposing wall. On the opposite wall was a large tapestry depicting the first Lord of House Gil’dae receiving his lordship from his sire. It was large, spectacularly detailed. It was the highest measure of fine taste; it's unspeakable beauty detailing even such finery as the jewelry on the attending guests. Right next to it was something that perhaps only four or five elves knew about…it was a small, hidden door. To reveal this door, one had to touch the stone wall in the correct place…when done so, the wall wavered and vanished. Behind it was a small room, containing a desk, chair and chest. It was a second, secret study for the lady if she needed to escape for a bit, or deal with something highly sensitive, even though it wasn’t as large or as comfortable as the main study.

The Second Floor ~ The Nobles' Chambers

Up the spiraling staircase, one would arrive at the second floor. The staircase continued upwards, one could continue to ascend if desired, but on the landing one would come across a long hall. Doors lined this large, long hallway. A thick red carpet lined the ground, the spaces between doors adorned with artwork and poetry so one could reflect upon things as they passed. On one side there was one for every member of the direct family, and across from it on the other side a small study for every member of the direct family. There were extra rooms that could be used for guests as needed. Each of the rooms save the generic guest rooms were adorned for the family member’s particular taste, though all had a small desk, a king bed, large windows, and a privy, as well as some furniture.

At the end of the hall was the master suit. Inside it was adorned with a large King bed with a canopy. It had several large windows, two of which were double doors leading to a large balcony. This balcony was an add-on, one stepped from the stone room to the wooden balcony shaped from the giant redwood molded into the keep itself. It was yet another woven creation that added to the flare of the keep, overlooking the holdings of House Gil’dae and a beautiful bird’s eye view of the Tawnleaf. The stone floor was covered with large, thick rugs, to cushion and help keep warm the feet, for the lady often frequented the room with bare feet. A few plush couches and overstuffed chairs were placed in the room around a coffee table, and not too far from that was yet another desk if needed. A few mirrors were on the wall for overlooking oneself for preparations for the day, and just beside one of these floor-length mirrors was the large armoire, where the lady kept her clothes. There was also a door that led to a privy, complete with a large porcelain washtub.


The Third Floor ~ Servants Quarters

Back at the staircase, if one wished to continue to ascend, they would arrive at the top floor, the third. Here there was this staircase, and at the other end a second staircase that led directly to the kitchen as a rear entrance if the servants wished to not be seen by the nobles. It was on this third floor that another row of doors similar to below lined the walls, but each of these were large rooms for the servants to stay in.

One of the standard sets of quarters would have a decently large bed in one room, connected to a privy, which acted as the bedroom. In it would be a decent sized-armoire, to hold a small array of outfits to look presentable. Connected--though without a door--was the main living area, a fairly large room containing a small table for eating or writing, a few decent chairs or even a couch here or there, and a set of cupboards for whatever needed storage.

At the end, the last door contained a very large room that the servants could use to relax and socialize in away from the nobles. It was adorned fairly nicely, several couches and chairs and tables located throughout the room, and even a few bookcases should they desire to store some books to read here. That was the extent of the third story. The occasional painting hung on the wall, and there was a small table on which fruit and snacks sat to make sure the servants were kept satiated.

Down, down, down one would go, back to the entrance hall of the keep. The last location was one few knew of, and it was a signature part of the man who remodeled the keep, something that the lord and his family knew of, as well as any familiar with Siluvanade’s work. It was a small path that if one continued straight to the end of the entrance hall, they would come across this location. The entrance to the Quicksilver Hall, named such for one of the dominant family traits—their quicksilver colored eyes.


Underground ~ The Quicksilver Hall

Perhaps one of the most frivolous places in the Starshadow Keep, the Quicksilver Hall is the location used for ultimate relaxation and the feeling of getting away from everything. At the far end of the entrance hall of Starshadow Keep, the underbelly of the building opens up to a lavish foray where the family and any they invite can gather informally. To the left is a moss-covered tunnel with soft walls of smooth stone. The edifice is polished from constant moisture and water trickling, while pocks in the walls have created small homes with a lifespring of moss and lichen. The tunnel is of the purest green, stretching nearly a hundred feet. There was a slight degrade in the ground, alluding to the sensation that one is traveling deeper into the earth. On the other side of the tunnel a vast hall opens up to reveal even more elven architecture. Cool air blasted through. Pillars fifty feet high reached up to grope the dirt and stone ceiling. Roots had coiled down the stone carvings, and some have great hanging gardens blanketing over a clear pool of crystalline water. Laughingwater flowed into this pool, and in this pool was a small canoe, able to fit no more then four. One could easily paddle up the Laughingwater to another location along it if desired, though deeper in was a small grate that would have to be lifted to allow one to pass through to the main flow of Laughingwater. This whole was yet another extension of it created by none other then Siluvanade himself.

This signature location was one common among his designs. Almost identical in design to a similar location in Moonwillow, this one however also contained tables with books, as well as a few instruments if any of the escapees wished to try their hand at one of them. Along the edge there are tables with incense, perfumes, and salves. Pillow piles litter the stone edges along the pool, and many several more plants shaped to be seating arrangements adorn the location.

The Quicksilver Hall was easily the most exotic location of the Keep, for it is here alone that none of the stone architecture touches the shaped nature surrounding the area. luminescent mushrooms line the area to give an ambiance of relaxation to the area. The Quicksilver Hall was not for the serious, nor for those thinking of dire situations. It was for relaxation and frivolity alone, the only like location in the massive Starshadow Keep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[Chrysannia Syl'lithar]

Fourth brightening of Cryxatum

A messenger arrived at the door of the great manor of the house, his livery unknown as he wore simple plain brown leathers. In his hand though was something that would give him away perfectly. A letter for the leader of the house, one marked with the seal of House Luviel.

Greetings Arwen Gil'dae,

It would please me greatly if you would join myself at the Ashwood Manor come the sixth brightening of this month. No reply is necessary, if you attend you attend, if you do not then you do not.

The Rising Phoenix,
Siaren Luviel

[Nell du'Galle]

TS: 42nd Immanis, XIV

Not knowing that Motito Gil’dae was no longer Lord of the Gil’dae House, the letter had been addressed to him at the Starshadow Keep and delivered by an Imperial Messenger, the letter sealed with red wax and the imprint of the Office of the Imperial Vicegerent.


The Office of the Imperial Vicegerent
Imperial Palace
Aelyria Prime

The thirty second brightening of Immanis, XIV

Greetings Lord Gil’dae,

Please excuse the brevity with which I write, but I have a serious request for information that I hope you are able to answer. I was recently contacted regarding the whereabouts of Larien Gil’dae. Her fiancé, Venn Drega, is searching for her and fears for her safety. He has not heard or seen her for eight months and is naturally worried. The last he knew of her whereabouts was that she was travelling between Aelyria Prime and Silrosia – and she has disappeared without trace. Venn Drega is a paladin in Natura, and the acting commander of the Naturan Holy Orders. I am sure he has already thought to contact you on this matter – but if not, any information you could provide regarding Larien would be greatly appreciated so that his mind may be eased. Unfortunately he has heard rumours of her death – I hope this is not the case, and that the young lady is safe and in your care.

I will take no more of your time, except to wish you and your family well, and that the Gil’daes are not strangers to their friends in the capital. And of course, that Larien is well and may be restored to her loving fiancé,

May Diana’s blessings be upon you,

Nell du’Galle

[Shorty]

TS: 32nd Immanis, XIV

Postmarked from Eunesia...

Arwen Calairiel Mynendil Gil’dae
House Gil’dae
Starshadow Keep, Syl’rosya

Serale from the island of Chelseanna! With the Island's opening to the mainlanders there are abundant opportunities for investment for those with the means.

There are two major industries upon my island- agriculture and tourism. The greatest venture going forth is the establishment of an all inclusive resort/tavern/inn to be built on the white sand beaches. The current board of directors of the project, chaired humbly by me, is currently solicitating funds and input from interested parties.

Other than that, many of the storefronts on the Piazza are family-owned affairs and it is unlikely that they would part with their property. I would entertain a meeting and/or more communication on this subject. Consider this an invitation to come visit our beautiful home.

Regards,
Laertes Vidocai,
Thane of Chelseanna,
Thanal Tower, Porto deCelsianna.

[Thoth]

16th Brightening of Melora, Spring, Era XIV p.f.

To Calairiel Mynendil Gil'dae
Lady of House Gil'dae

Serale

We have recieved your request. All that is required is your and the Lady Alicia signature confirming the transfer of the property. A letter has been sent to Alicia Gil'dae and hopefully everything can be handled quickly and quietly.

Senior Aedile of Diana
Restram Optram