Foundation Manor
Foundation Manor is a manor house in the City of Ptolus. The building is easy to defend and provides enough space and hiding places for about fifty people to hide in case of an attack.
As you approach the estate, the dark granite walls seem to grow higher and higher. What didn't seem inviting before, seems intimidating and even frightening at a close inspection. The only access to the property is a wrought-iron gate that has an uncomfortable number of spikes.
Even as you walk through, the grounds seem too clean and almost barren. Only low flowers cover the borders around the way. Bushes, hedges and trees hide some parts of the ground, but they seem to serve a more strategic purpose, not an aesthetic purpose. The path toward the house winds through the barren flower beds, leaving you as if on a platter, easy to attack. Easy to kill. From all corners of the estate, someone - or something - seems to watch you.
At the end of the path, a few shallow steps lead up to the portal, which, with the forged grimaces of the door knocker, looks no more inviting than the rest of the building. When you use the knocker, the echo is unpleasantly loud, booming. Every hair on your body straightens, everything in you screams for a moment to turn and run. Then the door opens... silent and well-oiled.
At First Glance
Foundation Manor is not inviting. Its walls consist of dark, almost black granite, and the 30' high wall surrounding the manor is of the same material. The only entrance to the manor comprises a huge, double-winged gate made of blackened iron. The spikes and spikes that occupy the gate contribute to the defensive and uninviting impression of the estate.
In another place, on another estate, the winding path leading to the main house would look beautiful. Here, it only forces visitors to make themselves vulnerable to attack from all directions for as long as possible.
As one approaches the house further, a few more details stand out. They equipped the windows with heavy, blackened metal shutters, which are designed in such a way that on the one hand they serve as a defense, but they also effectively block the sunlight. Even the main entrance of the house looks defensive, but only at a second glance.
Besides the shutter at eye level, which is probably expected by visitors, there is a small flap inserted into the door at about belly level. It allows an attack with a small hand crossbow where the visitor is not expecting it.
Devil in the Detail
Ground Floor
From the entrance, you have access to the only two rooms where ordinary visitors are admitted. To the right, one enters the dining room, which is furnished with heavy mahogany furniture, showing off the wealth of its inhabitants in a subtle but undeniable way. On the wall there are tasteful paintings, made by renowned artists of the city, positioned to catch the visitor's eye. The room can accommodate 8 - 12 guests, and looks as if it was intentionally designed to intimidate visitors.
The second room visitors have access to is the so-called hosting room, where the owner hosts guests during informal visits. It features an enormous marble fireplace and soft, luxurious couches that surround it. Small cabinets contain an enormous variety of wines and other drinks to make guests comfortable. The pictures on the walls are again from famous artists, but they feature calming scenes rather than luxurious ones.
On very rare occasions, visitors are allowed deeper into the building to visit the study, the lavatories or the heart of the ground floor.
The entire manor building surrounds the only really beautiful area of the exterior grounds. The green courtyard features not only gently splashing fountains but also benches that invite you to take a brief rest. Night-blooming roses grow in carefully tended beds along the walls. The trimmed bushes, as well as the bright marble statues at the entrance to the courtyard, also invite you to linger. Especially compared to the granite walls, the contrast seems extreme.
There are only two really private rooms on this floor, the extensive library, and the music room. Other rooms, like the staff quarters, the kitchen and the pantry, are strictly functional. From the kitchen, you can reach the stables, which have space for up to five horses and host the three horses that belong to the owner of the manor at most times.
The stairs at the back of the house, directly opposite the entrance, lead to the upper floor.
Upper Floor
The Upper Floor of the building seems way more private than the Ground Floor. On the west side of this floor, you will find the Master Suite, containing a bedroom, a small living room and a full bathroom. These rooms feature a delicate color scheme of purple and gold, which works well with the black wooden frames of the furniture.
On the south side, there is a cozy family den, furnished with another fireplace, several sofas and thick carpets. The items in this room seem pretty personal and contain several personal memories. One of these personal items is a set of pens and inks, as well as pencils, paper, and charcoal. One sheet of paper shows a portrait that is not yet finished.
Besides these rooms, there are five bedrooms, which are always prepared to host guests. One of these seems to be lived in, while the bed always looks untouched. There are some clothes in the closet, but besides that, this room doesn’t seem to be used very often. The other rooms are clean, feature luxurious beds, thick carpets on the grounds, and enough space for a comfortable stay over several days.
Basement
The basement is a special place within Foundation Manor. On first glance, and for those who don't know better, it seems pretty small. You can reach a pantry and storage area through the pantry on the ground floor, and from the library it is possible to access a wine cellar. The other sections of the basement are secret, and only known to those who are close to the owner of the manor.
The courtyard area is underground surrounded by solid walls, which protect the solid earth beneath it. Besides these walls, which reach an additional 15 feet into the ground, there is nothing special about this area.
From the storage room, there is a possibility to access three hidden rooms, which are the most personal space in this building. The first room contains glass shelves, which contain memories, books and pictures. These seem to be much older than those in the upper parts of the house and show alien regions and landscapes.
Through an archway, you can access a pool area, with a small seating space and areas to enjoy many physical relaxations. The area is always stocked with perfumed oils, perfumes, candles, and other things that seem weirdly out of place in this house. The last room is currently empty.
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Author
This article was written by the creative and talented Davina and edited for world and game use by Graylion in the Shadow War Across Creation. To see more writing and world building by Davina, visit WIRE.