Deep near the heart of Tawnleaf, where the most humble of Elf and creature live, rests the Manor of Annun Rosse -Sunset’s Shadow. Dawn’s radiant rays broke out across the sky, filtering in through the canopy of the trees in a majestic golden hue. Slowly the silver, luminous light of the moon was cast away and replaced with the Sun’s brilliant light. As one approached the Manor, Tawnleaf’s trees thinned, reduced to small groves and solitary sentinels. Ahead rose the remarkable Annun Rosse, looming down upon any visitors entering the glade. Dew swept across the green grass as the wind tickled across it gently, touching and going as it pleased. The Sun’s rays darted across the grass, leaving a glimmering light upon the Manor.
In the center of this glade, four massive trees sprouted from the ground, overlooking and shadowing all around them. Their trunks were amazingly large and thick, rumored to be the work of a Druid. Their limbs projected gracefully in the forms of arches, dewy green leaves shimmering as the wind blew swiftly across them. The trees were large, sprouting twenty-five feet from the ground and casting an array of shadows under all those beneath them. The limbs seemed to project from a single place, forming the likeliness of the palm of someone’s hand. Tree limbs sprouted outwards as outstretched fingers, bearing leaves and fruits of all sorts during the summer, and often lying naked in the winter. In the palm of these “hands”, were the magnificent woodwork of buildings.
As one looked on from a distance, they could tell that each building was made of a finely polished wood and was connected to another by a rope bridge. It was mostly made of rope...save for the bottom portion where wooden panels had been added for safe walking. Vines and other plants were entangled upon the ropes and buildings, making them look all the more acceptable to nature. The sun’s gleam gave the wood a fascinating red-hue and added only majestic magnificence to the already exquisite Manor.
These buildings had actually been carved into the tree, corresponding to each of the limbs and twisting and turning in a gnarled fashion, keeping up with the pace of the tree as it had grown. Stunningly polished dark-brown wood made up the outer layer of this tree. Windows with glass and intricate carvings had been carved around and adorned the panels, giving only more color and shades as the sun filtered through the glass. On the outside of every room was a window; usually one for each room, but sometimes the more important ones withheld a majority of two or three. Branches drooped over the doorways giving a feeling of camouflage and discovery as one entered a room, a brass doorknob tempting them to simply open the door.
For those that were not born with wings, it would seem a difficult task to get anywhere near the doors of the Great Hall. But, the Fae ancestors that had cunningly crafted the place with their Druidic magic were not ignorant of the other races. At the foremost tree in the glade there rose a stunning balcony that looked as if it hadn’t been used since the beginning of time. In the center of this balcony was a trapdoor, which unlatched to reveal a ladder that most normal folk used to gain access to the Manor. The ladder was made of stout wood, and was easily accessible to move up or down, preventing one from entering or leaving.
Magnificent stained glass windows adorned the great mahogany doors that bade entrance into the Manor, centered in the middle the great mahogany balcony. The handles of the door were made of brass, slowly tarnished with age. The doors creaked when opened, the hinges upon them far from being new. Upon entering the “Grand Hall” one was immediately greeted with the smell of dust an milder. The floors were made of a scuffed mahogany wood, and a large well-designed red rug covered the vast majority of the space in the room. Pictures and mirrors adorned the walls, which led up to the vast wooden dome that rose far above, seeming almost distant. A glass chandelier hung there, reflecting the sun’s flowing light. During the day the room’s light came from the windows that supplied it plentifully. Upon the walls were portraits of each Sprite that had been Head of the Family for each generation, deemed with the utmost amount of respect and dignity. There were three doors that led out of this room, each handle asking for someone to touch it, to open the door that nobody had opened for eras.
To the right a wooden door led to the kitchen, which also doubled as a Dining room. The Kitchen was not quite as big as the “Grand Room”, but rivaled in its elegance. Smooth marble counter-tops were located to the left of the door, along with a baking stone for cooking, and a corner of the wall devoted to numberless cabinets filled with respectful pots and dishes. A pantry was located near these, holding the endless supply of provisions and meals for the family and their guests. To the right of the door, was a fairly large table made of a fine oak wood. Comfortable chairs were set around the table, two on both sides, and one on each end. This Manor was not a over-sized maze of a house; nor was it a small, cramped, stuffed-to-the-ends means of a house, in which you could hardly move...the Fae had made sure of that!
Now, going back to the “Grand Hall”, where there are two other doors that lead from the room, we now go to explain the one in the direct center. This plain, simple wooden door led access to The Tower. This tower was not ordinary, like any other wooden tower with tiles that one would encounter on any other trip. No, this tower had amazingly been made of stone! The architects had cut into the trunk of the tree and filled it with mortar and stone blocks, and then built their way up from there. A small oak door allowed entrance into this tower, which served as three bedrooms. On the first level one would find a simple dresser with ornaments and a candlestick for light. Looking up, one would be able to see a trapdoor that led to the next story, but no ladder that could be brought down. These bedrooms were meant for privacy, and each Gruven that had descended from the Ancestors had made sure of this. In these bedrooms were beds, cabinets, chests, bookcases, and all other sorts of necessities to life, except for one thing. All of these were Sprite-sized, made custom for them. Everything else in the Manor was large enough to be used by a human or elf...the only occasional visitors the Manor ever had.
The door on the far left, when opened and when one crossed the wooden bridge, led to another door, which led to the Study. The Study was the most complex, yet extravagantly magnificent room in the entire Manor. Why? Because this room was built on two levels. You see, when the architects had designed the Manor, they had made the trunks thick for a reason. Storage! And Lots of it! The Gruven family was admirably known back in their prime for withholding a vast amount of books and scrolls...all containing an important fact of knowledge of some sort. And, when the designers had carved the house, they realized that storage would be a necessity. Instead of putting away old pots, or unused items, the Gruven’s had decided that the space would be best used for books and scrolls, so that one day one of their descendants could look back through the ancient texts and learn part of the family’s history. Upon entering the door, one could look at the walls and be filled with nausea and dizziness. The walls were completely covered with bookshelves, which in turn, were completely covered in books. Two plush armchairs were placed in the center of the upper-level, along with a small table on either side of them. A large green rug had been placed on this upper-half of the room, but how was one to reach the lower-portion of the room, without wings? A wooden-spiraled staircase took care of that. Connected to the mahogany floor of the upper-part of the study, it spiraled it’s own pathway down to the wooden floor of the lower study. On this lower-half, one could easily see that there was no sort of covering over the tree’s thick trunk. The mossy green earthy nature sprouted all over the trunk, showing hints of plant-life. Accompanied by the staircase, there too were massive bookcases that held hundreds of books. It was truly a remarkable place to be.
But, this was not all that Annun Rosse had to offer. Leaving the “Grand Hall” and the balcony, and reaching the ground safely without tripping or falling off of the ladder, one could travel underneath the rope bridges that led entry and exit out of the various rooms of the house. Here, the branches and limbs of the trees entwined to create a comfortable pavilion, preventing any rain from falling upon those crossing the bridges or standing underneath. A few wooden chairs had been set up for a sitting area upon the lush grass, providing a comfortable way to view the scenery of the forest or discuss matters of importance. If one sat quietly enough without squirming or wriggling as most over-sized big people did, they could actually hear the animals and nature without scaring them off by speaking too loudly. Indeed, Annun Rosse was a marvelous place to be, if you were there.
House Lord's Bedroom:
The stone tower that held the Sprites' bedrooms was a marvelous work of art. The architecture that had been put into it was indeed significant of being notice, with flowing arches over the door and petals of flowers etched into the stone. The stolid, sturdy mahogany doors with brass latches and a keyhole opened up to reveal a flight of stairs to the right, leading to the other bedrooms, and a chamber ahead that was concealed by another door, the bathing chamber. Taking the flight of stone stairs led straight up into the family's bedrooms. The second floor was a bedroom, followed by the third, fourth, and then fifth. It was the fifth level of the tower, the up most and tallest one of them all, that belonged to the reigning House Lord.
A door made of fine elm wood firmly latched to the stone by brass hinges blocked immediate access from the stairwell, the very last step pertaining as a doorstep to all who entered. With the right key, which only one person carried, the door could be opened. Inside the door it was beautiful, not as well as it could have been, but stylish to say the least. Upon entering the room, one was greeted by the feel of an old worn, plush royal-blue rug, giving the stone textiles a rather darker color. In the opposite corner of the door, sat a small desk, filled with numerous letters and utensils, a candle placed upon it, it's flame flickering silently in the air. A wooden chair was placed underneath. Following to the opposite wall of the door, there were portraits of the former House Lords, round and circular, their expressionless smiles and frowns clearly visible.
On the left wall of the room there had been placed an enormous glass window, with dark red velvet curtains tied to either side. The stone architecture arched around it, giving it a cathedral-like appearance. However, it was not the regular window that most people had in their homes. The windowsill for it was almost as large as it was, the stone blocks producing a wide depth for it to cover. In fact, it was quite large, an astounding four feet wide, and three feet in depth, until it came shoulder-to-shoulder with the stone blocks that supported the glass window. Inside a small mattress had been set, filled with feathers. A light blanket had been neatly folded over it, covering the entire length of the small bed in a dark shade of emerald green. A blue pillow had been added as well. This was the House Lord's bed, the most stylish out of all in the house. A wooden plank had been placed across the windowsill, preventing the Lord from falling over while asleep.
Towards the opposite wall of the bed, there hung a wardrobe closet, almost empty save for a few cloaks and shirts. Toward the left of the wardrobe dresser was two small bookcases, almost in pristine shape save for the wearing away of the wood. Oak never seemed to last as long as the other various types of wood. Upon it were books and small portraits, paints and other various objects that fulfilled the Lord's attention.
This was the House Lord's bedroom, his own personal living area and private sanctuary in which he was able to use to bar everything else away from him.
Guard Tower/Armory:
Aside from House Gruven's Manor in all of it's rustic glory, was another large tree that had grown to a certain height and then chopped in half, leaving a flat smooth surface at the very peak with wavy lines rippling towards the outside showing the tree's growth. It was made of a redwood, giving it a thick, inhabitable trunk that would accommodate any Fae-size race. It's long willowy branches projected outwards in greeting, forestry leaves sprouting from its limbs.
At the very top of this tree there was a small pavilion made of a leathery sort of cloth. It was a dark-brown and matched the color of the redwood tree, yet was held together only by four sturdy thick wooden posts that had been placed and nailed down on either side of the tree. Small railings had been constructing man-made without the help of a druid, giving the top of the tree a similar look to an outpost, which was what it was. A short bow and quiver lay resting against one of the railings in disrepair. The guardroom had been unused for many eras.
Cleverly concealed by the color and snug fit, a trap door bade entry into the hollow trunk, where the guardroom and armory was. The space was...minimal to say the least, often cramped but still maintaining it's luxurious cozy atmosphere. There were no windows of course, or else any intruder would be able to acknowledge that there was indeed a room in the trunk. Instead, candles were lit upon the inner-trunk's walls, providing the necessary light.
There were two levels to this snug inside, the highest one being the armory and the lowest being the guard’s personal bunker. The armory was quite small and almost empty, only kept going by the devoted guards that still worked there. All that was left now were a few shields bearing the House's crest, a sparrow in flight. There were also a few longswords, one or two occasionally made of Elven steel, but the majority of the minimum regular. A shortsword lay here and there, and a few bows were hung up upon the wall, but other than that there was truly nothing more. A lonely almost deserted chest was locked in the corner, filled with arrows of various types. The racks took up the majority of the room, with a small space in the opposite corner of the chest for a hole to be made that gave the guards access to their lower region. A lone, dusted, cupboard had been built into the trunk, but it had been locked for over 100 patterns, nobody could remember where the key was, or could they remember what was inside. All that was led to any clues upon the cupboard was the engraving,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under the window where the Sun sets.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The lower region of the guardhouse was just as fancy as the armory, save it was dusted and well-kept in order. Two beds had been shoved towards the side of the room, a small desk separating the two, which was filled with letters from home and candles. A bookshelf with the odd assortment of writings filled about arms had been shoved in the corner, and the only corner left was for the entrance and exit, where a small green rug had been laid over the wooden surface.
OOC:
Originally written by Gareth Gruven . Edited by Triam, most recently by Malvoitre to remove NPC guards. Currently inaccessible due to the Veil.
Thread Archive
Linear Mode
