The Grandmaster's Hall
Purpose / Function
The Grandmaster's Hall is the central building in the Sisterhood's Valley. It's the residence of the Grandmaster herself and contains the meeting hall for the High Council as well as the library and the Sisterhood's archives.
Architecture
It's an octagonal building, constructed at a time when Keverynn was obsessed with circular architecture. The stones used in its construction had a moonstone-like quality to them, causing the walls to shimmer softly when hit by light. Both inside the building and out, mage lights trapped in crystal balls perched in silver mountings evenly spaced on the walls.
Each of the eight walls has an arch built into it that either led to a staircase or was a niche containing a statue. These alternated around the walls, with one arch leading out of the building, three arches leading to staircases and four containing statues.
The floor was made of a dark blue marble that had been obtained from Lida'neer Mines.
In the center of the floor was a stylized rose whose petals were formed by thin lines of silvery metal and inlaid with clear, red glass. The petals of the rose were perfectly aligned with the eight arches. Beneath the glass was a pond full of water. Sometimes it would have fish, plants, or even rock gardens, depending on the fancy of the Grandmaster at the time.
The walls around the arches were painted with images of the five dragon species, a wide assortment of women belonging to the various peoples of Keverynn dressed in the uniform worn by the Sisterhood, Wyndchilds, and other animals that would have appeared completely normal if it weren’t for their abnormal size. Naerwolves, cats the size of cattle and huge, and intelligent looking birds of varying predatory species. Each bird was paired up with a woman belonging to the Sisterhood.
The stone work around the individual arches had been painstakingly carved with images of flowers, each arch sporting a different flower, with a crystal carving of that flower set into the keystone of the arch. The arch leading into the Hall was painted to resemble a wall of climbing red roses. The keystone was set with a red crystal carved in the shape of a rose in full bloom. The red rose was the symbol for passionate love and respect, beauty of youth, a heart innocent of love, and desire.
The arch to the right of the entrance contained a statue of a powerful earth elemental called a shakara. The creature was scaled down from the elemental’s actual ten-foot height to a simpler six feet. This one was male and had a very fierce look to it. He was muscular, barefoot, and wore a simple tunic belted at the waist. The archway around him was decorated with white chrysanthemums, the symbol of nobility, fall, long life, and fidelity.
The next arch contained the stairwell that led up to the library. It was decorated with daisies, the symbol for innocence, purity in thought, and loyal love.
The arch beside it contained a statue depicting a minor yet helpful air elemental called a tahree. It looked a human woman with wings attached to its arms. The Tahree were capable of flight and often floated around their summoner. They were friendliest elementals, often used to watch over something for a short period of time. Faith, wisdom, valor, hope, light, and power were all associated with the iris, the flower etched into the arch.
Another stairway was contained in the next arch. The paintings around this arch made it look like the silver dragon above it was clinging to it from behind, her magnificent wings spread out, peering down at you. No matter which way you looked at her, she always appeared to be looking directly at you. One of her claws clutched a bunch of Water Lilies, symbol for eloquence and purity of heart, the same flower etched into the stones. The stairway itself led up to the council room.
A statue of the most powerful water elemental, a merashenn, stood in the next arch. Of the three water elementals, they were the most pleasant ones to deal with. They preferred to be summoned in water, but could be called without it. They considered themselves above the trickery of the lower elementals and were famous for speaking bluntly, telling the absolute truth, regardless of what the summoner wanted to really hear. Carvings of Acacia flowers decorated the stones around it.
The next stairway led downwards to the vault where priceless and dangerous artifacts, books of power, and various other odds and ends were stored. It was painted with begonias, which meant beware. A spell had been woven into that particular set of paintings to turn away all those who didn’t belong there. The walls around the arch were painted with fierce looking green dragons with narrowed eyes and bared fangs.
The final statue was a yanaweh, coiled around a pillar of fire. This fire elemental snarled fiercely at its observers, its oversized clawed hands reaching out as if to grab the observer. The symbols for strength, grace, and longevity were present in the depiction of bamboo flowers.
The stairway in the final arch led up to the floor above the council chamber and down below the floor that contained the artifact vault. The archway containing the two directional staircase was decorated in cherry blossoms, symbolizing feminine beauty. The stairs going up led to the Grandmaster’s private quarters, a set of five rooms as well as a private bathroom, a sitting room, balcony, and a large private salle.
In the center of the suite was a fountain with no decorative spout. The first of the five rooms was heavily shielded and was typically where the highest of her magics—the few that required written words and physical components—were worked. The other four rooms were used for various other reasons. Some Grandmasters were family women and their husband and children lived with her. Sometimes the rooms were used to house visiting dignitaries too important to house elsewhere. The roof of the Hall, unlike all the others in the valley, was flat rather than peaked.
The stairs leading downwards led to an all purpose room. Some Grandmasters had used it to train students in, others had used it as a music room.
The council chamber was a windowless room containing a U-shaped table made of black marble, surrounded by twelve chairs. At the open end of the U was a chair with a small table beside it that could easily be pulled over in front of the chair at need.
The chairs around the table were all high-backed and had once been padded with velvet cushions that had long since deteriorated. The backs were carved with symbols depicting the Path and rank of the person who occupied that chair. On the two corners of the back were representational carvings of the elemental symbol associated with that rank. The color of the velvet padding on each chair was determined by which part of the U you were looking at. The section directly across from the central chair had chairs should have been padded in purple. To the left of that table the chairs would have had black padding, and the padding of the chairs to the right were once deep blue. The chairs were all made from the same medium grey stone shot through with red veins.
The chair at the center of the open end of the U was made from the same black stone as the table. The color of the padding changed according to the tastes of the Grandmaster at the time. The padding bore an embroidered symbol. The main body of the symbol was a gold diamond with the four elements sewn into the corners. In the center of the diamond were three crossed swords. The central blade had a blue hilt and was topped by a silver moon. The left blade with a purple hilt was crowned by a blue moon. The black hilted sword on the right bore a red moon above it.
Off to the sides of the room were metal racks designed to hold cloaks and weapons. Banners with the devices of the Dragonlords, the chume’taly clans, ryuutenshi territories, the Nomadic lords, and, strangely enough, those of the Darkriders adorned the walls.
History
Construction began on this building in the year 127 and was completed a little more than two years later in 129. The first Grandmaster to take up residence in it's walls was the Sisterhood's founder, a wolfling named Tethtrulenn. The building remained unchanged until it was all but destroyed in the year 732.
Other Grandmasters
Aya Kalethrenn - Grandmaster in 714 Lysinth – 15th Grandmaster Bilayna Kethnavi – The Grandmaster who was responsible for splitting the dragons and wyvern to either side of the continent in the year 661. Faldoshiramenn – third Grandmaster of the Sisterhood Taishurenn - Grandmaster in 302 Kilarnenn - Grandmaster in 478 Lishmanyu - Grandmaster in 690Tourism
The hall is off limits to everyone except for the Grandmaster and the other members of the council. To be allowed within its walls is a high honour.
RUINED STRUCTURE
732
732
Founding Date
129
Type
Guildhall
Parent Location
Owner
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
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