Twenty Fifth Brightening, of the Third Cycle in Immanis Onwards
Although traditionally the position of Thane of Primus Gaudeo had been held by the current Governor of Centripax, a sizeable manor had been set aside just inside the grounds of the Concordia Incola for the occasion that the two offices would separate into city and province with separate leaders for each. And now that time had come.
The manor itself had been built in the old traditional style of the more affluent areas of the city. Styled completely out of large slabs of white marble, the two-story residence sat amid an encompassing sea of luscious green. A thick plaster wall surrounded the outer edge of the compound from the rest of the city, standing nearly nine feet tall and covered with draping ivy on either side. Twisted wire spanned the break in the wall facing the bordering street, offering an opening large enough to fit a full carriage through without the merest effort once the gates opened inward. Two guards bedecked in the official colorings and uniforms of members of the guard for the city of Primus Gaudeo stood at almost complete attention on either side of the gateway. The thick tips of their spears glistened with a threatening metallic aura as the sunlight hit their sharpened edges just so, becoming a visible reminder of the might of the city’s government. The protection of the Thane might have been a large responsibility, but the temptation of loosening the perfection of their stance or the distance of their gaze was much to large while watching relaxed citizens wander by the street. Still, if a visitor did happen to approach the gates to the Thanal Manor, the guards’ sense of duty would quickly snap back and send them into a flurry of action, anxiously asking for papers, identification, and reasons for being at the Manor that brightening.
The inner grounds of the Manor were well kept, although not with an obsessive sense of precision. Just behind the right side of the wall stood a comfortable wooden building, no more than five rooms large with simple, though large, windows, and flanking doorways at each end. Idle laughter and animated conversation indicated the shadowed humanoid shapes currently entertaining themselves within the guardhouse were those officials currently off-duty, enjoying themselves as only hired protection could. A few old, large trees dotted the large front lawn, but all bowed their glory to the larger, more ancient looking oak standing guard in the center of the circular driveway directly before the entrance to the Manor. A long, well-trimmed hedge bordered each side of the gravel drive, breaking only for a branching side road aimed toward an elongated wooden building. Shaped into a sideways rectangle, the thick smell of horses and their residue emanated with the breeze, quickly alerting any unknowledgeable visitor as to the use of the particular shelter.
Small patches of flowers broke the monotony of the grassland, blossoming come spring and adding their own sweet fragrance to the air to shadow the more noxious one from the stables. A long area of roses intermixed with less formal plants had been placed directly at the corner of house and ground, forming a colorful border along the front of the white marble that continued up the expansive front porch in the form of flower boxes. A white marble portico extended from the deeply-stained wooden doors, stretching to just barely touch the end of the gravel driveway before curving into a secondary step to ease the travel up to its top layer. It had been carved in a half-circle and bordered on the furthest edge with evenly-spaced cylindrical columns holding up a balcony above, ringed with twisted metal matching that of the front gate. Two large stained glass windows had been built into either side of the great arched double doorway, painting the stone floors with a multitude of mixed colors as the sunlight hit the glass just right. No apparent pattern could be seen in the fused blue and white shards, obviously by the artist’s intent. Two more guards stood ill at ease by the door, serving both as footmen and announcers if a guest was allowed entrance past the front gate. This pair, due to their closer proximity to the Manor itself, was forced to maintain a much higher level of attention to their duties, but they couldn’t help the occasional wander of their mind. Their uniforms matched those of currently manning the gate, although their hands curled around the hilts of two steel short swords to enforce the power of their charge.
Directly inside the double doors expanded the main foyer of the Manor. Extending upward the full two stories of the building, a long rectangular yellow-glass window cut through the roof, allowing merry sunbeams to dance and echo throughout the pale stonework and hung tapestries, broken only by the triangular pattern drawn through the glass to hold the pieces together. A border formed out of small strips of black marble framed the foyer like a stony rug, extending underneath the spiral staircase leading upstairs and into the expansive sitting room just at the end. To the left, another pair of darkly-stained wooden doors flanked the tapestry depiction of the Goddess Carmelya, often left half-open to allow a gentle flow of air through and afford a good view of the foyer. Another guard, this time single, stood by the left doorframe, matching his uniform and weapon to those standing just outside the door. His presence indicated the occupation of the office inside by the Lord Thane himself, often busy among a stack of parchments or deeply engrossed in a book taken from the expansive shelves covering the wall directly behind his wide, mahogany desk. Two overstuffed armchairs had been set just before the desk in opposing angular positions, facing toward the even larger chair usually found holding its owner. The crest of the city of Primus Gaudeo proudly displayed itself just above the Thane’s head, standing stark against the coldness of the white marble walls. A thick rug warmed the feet below while two more tapestries of historic events graced the walls on either side of the doorway, adding to the grandeur and formality of the business office of the Thane of Primus Gaudeo.
The sitting area at the end of the entrance corridor had been decorated in a highly traditional manner, with all the furniture stuffed to the point of bursting underneath the tan leather covers. A few stained coffee tables offered a place of rest for stray glasses and cups, dotted here and there with accompanying chairs and couches. The entire back wall opened into expansive pieces of clear glass, affording a perfect view of the privately-enclosed courtyard in the very back of the Manor with two glassy doorways offering exit to the small goldfish-filled pool and gently-draping willow trees. Another arched doorway, this one lacking closing slabs, opened from the right of the sitting room into a much more expansive ballroom area. Dressed in pure, uncovered white marble, the ballroom floor had black marble criss-crossing each side of the room, forming a squared pattern along the bottom as it stretched from wall of windows to wall of windows. Three great chandeliers had been crafted out of the cleanest brass, requiring at least three servants or one mage to keep the numerous candles lit when the room was to be used. The light from the tiny flames magnified themselves through the hundreds of prism-shaped crystals hanging from the delicate curves, illuminating the entirety of the room in a flash of brilliance to bedazzle many a guest.
The back corner of the Manor had been reserved for the kitchens, dining areas, and servant quarters. Connected to the central sitting room, the main dining room was usually reserved for formal parties requiring a great deal of space for guests, as the wooden table and matching chairs were expansive and numerous. The more private dining room was directly off the kitchen, offering a table able to sit only eight and was typically used on a daily basis. Six rooms and two shared washrooms had been set aside for the servants’ use, although most of the household didn’t live in the Manor itself. Still, their presence could be felt at all times, although not always seen.
An expansive library edged the private dining room on the right side of the entrance foyer, the entirety of the room bordered with floor to ceiling walls of books and parchments. The collection was impressive, to say the least, but still didn’t rival that of a more public library. A few chairs and matching lamp tables were sprinkled throughout the room, often placed strategically near a few of the built-in ladders meant for easy retrieval of the higher placed tomes. A single thin window aimed out to the grassy side-yard of the Manor, offering the only natural sunlight allowed within the room of knowledge.
Upstairs, all private living quarters were kept away from the bustle of the downstairs, lending themselves to quiet peace and tranquility in which to dwell. Four guest bedrooms with shared washrooms between bordered the central hallway extending from the balcony stretching across the front foyer. Each bedroom had been dressed with a hand-carved four-poster bed, all bedecked in varying shades of satiny blues in sheets, pillows, and window shades. A matching dresser, armoire, and dressing table with mirror had been arranged in original positions in each bedroom, affording ease of comfort for any guests that might arrive and require its usage. Each room had been gifted a hand-carved armchair and specific tapestry or painting, all depicting various events throughout Primus Gaudeo’s long and illustrious history.
The room at the end of the hallway had been reserved for the Lord Thane’s private quarters, giving him a bit of sanctuary from the pressing responsibilities of his office. The front room just off the hallway had been converted into a private study of sorts, complete with a trio of bookshelves and a smaller replicate of her desk in the office downstairs. Pleasant windows overlooked the backyard of the Manor, allowing a bit of visual relaxation in the midst of the chaos of the parchments covering the desktop. A door just behind the desk opened into an even more removed sitting area, consisting of only a small couch, two matching chairs, and a bookshelf. A matchingly white marble fireplace warmed the room during the colder seasons and offered a bit of familiarity among the elegance of the stone. Few were admitted into the private sanctum of the sitting room, and even fewer into the actual bedchambers. The Thane’s own room had been decorated in similar blue hues from bed to curtains, although each piece of fabric shimmered with a translucent grey as well. His own taste in art ran more to scenery of the natural world, from the seas in Eunesia to the mountains in far away Sheria, often granting him a vacation for the mind she was denied in real life.
OOC: Origionaly created by Tiyribi Andares, and edited to fit Keldon's personality and the style of a male Thane. Special thanks for the great writing and detail.
Important Please Read Before Posting
Please post letters addressed to the Thane in the Correspondence Thread. If you are visiting the Manor then please post your entrance, or request to enter the grounds within this thead, after that has passed and you are inside the building itself please create a new thread. This is to make orginization easyer for Players CIR's and to keep this thread from over flowing.
Thank you,