|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:32 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 4:33 am
THE VILLAGE
Hollow's End
Located rather close to the corrupted shrine and hidden by a dangerous wood lays Hollow's End. Surrounded by a dark forest in the north and a wide open plain in the south, Hollow's End is rather secluded from the other cities, yet they rarely seem to lack anything at all. True, you won't find much of the more luxury products, but all by all you will find all the basics you need - food, drinks, lodging, gossip, horses...
In this village, everybody knows everybody, and the people who live here are rather cautious of strangers as they believe they only bring troubles with them - visitors often get the feeling they are watched, observed, like a predator keeping a close eye on its prey.
Visitors will have the awkward feeling that, thanks to the villager's reluctance towards strangers, nearly anybody in this village harbours a secret of sorts, with the huge mansion being the biggest secret of all. For those coming from the bigger cities, they defenatly will have heared 'stories' about the people of Hollow's End...
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 5:33 am
THE MANSION
Sanctuary of Souls
If there is one building worth mentioning, worth visiting, it's the mansion belonging to Lord Azakiel Delarue. Seen from the closed gates, it is obvious that the man is rich beyond measures. There is one huge well-kept garden with a seperate small building, a lake, part of the forest and the mansion itself. The mansion seems to count two floors and an attic, a ball room, the income hall and a dining room on the 1st floor, while the second floor probably harbours a variety on guest rooms.
Once inside, however, the mansion is by far what it looked like. It doesn't count two floors, but a total of seven - cellar, attic and 5 floors inbetween - and the size of each room is obviously impossible to what has been seen from outside.
1st Floor:
The large doors are typically opened by the butler in Azakiel's service, as he welcomes strangers inside the income hall. Decorated with ancient armours, a few low cupboards, bright light and a warm feeling, the guests find themselves in a rather rich looking income hall. The stairs - one at each side - form a bridge above a double door as they lead to the higher floors, while the left and right wall each have a double door leading to the next room. There's one simple door under the left stairway.
The room to the left looks empty in comparison to the others. While many candleholders decorate the walls, safely kept away from the deep red curtains, it is obvious that this room is only used on certain occassions and probably serves as a meeting room or ball room.
A single door leads to a large build in closet, which serves as a vestiary when the ball room would be used. Another single door leads to a long but small hallway, bringing guest to the toilets waiting in silence. As last, a double door leads to a hallway commonly walked by the maids and butler - the hallway ends at the kitchen, living room and rest rooms of the servants.
The room to the right is obviously the dining room. One long table stands proudly in the middle of the room, it's feet resting on a high quality rug. The chairs are perfectly placed around it, each next to each other with equal measure. Not a single bit of dust is to be found, the windows squicky clean as if maids pass every few minutes to be sure it remains like that. The table contains a large bowl with fruit, and more often than not a bottle of red wine along with a few glasses await to be savoured. Various oaken cupboards decorate the room, holding a variety of cups, saucers, silver cutlery, glassware and plates. At the far end two ancient armours watch over the entire room as loyal guards; inbetween hanging a portrait of Azakiel Delarue and Aislin Amaranath. A double door leads to the living quarters of Lord Azakiel.
The double door under the stairs hides a large hallway. The hall is filled with more portraits and armours, only lit by dim light. Walking through it, it feels as if all sound is brought to a minimum so that visitors could watch the portraits with full concious. Either way, various doors in the hallway bring people to the living quarters of the servants, another hallway ending at the kitchen, the toilets and the rest rooms of the servants. A single double door leads to the living room of the Lord and Lady.
The single door under the stairway leads to the cellar, but the door is locked at all times unless the butler is downstairs.
Lord Azakiel's living room is the last room of the first floor. A big fireplace gives the room a comfortable climate, while the sofas and chairs around it invite people to take place and enjoy the fire's warmth. A small table holds a few small glasses and another bottle of liquor ready to be enjoyed.
The room holds 3 bookcases, nearly fully filled with various works of poets, known writers of both old and new literature, a few encyclopedia on geography, history, architectural and culinary knowledge. A desk is placed nearby, filled with scrolls, notes, feathers, ink and an empty, recently used wine glass.
Several plants give the room something refreshing, but there is a door that leads to a large glass house with more exotic plants - obviously, the plants would die if bred outside the glass house.
2nd Floor:
Much of the warmth to be found on the 1st floor is also to be found here. The second floor is mainly filled with guest rooms, but there are a few other rooms Lord Azakiel thought essential.
The Sparring room: A small note on the door asks to take off any shoes so not to destroy the flooring.
The floor is made of a thick, shock absorbing material. Someone falling on the floor will realise that a lot of the possible pain is prevented by this flooring, making it the ideal ground to train martial arts. The room offers space for people wishing to train and spar in swordplay or hand to hand combat. The room is a bit barren compared to others, but various well-kept weapons hang on the walls, serving as decoration when not used. Old and new guards are set up in a line, ready to be put on for sparring.
TBC
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 6:16 am
THE GARDEN
Peace of Mind
A large outstretched garden foregoes Lord Azakiel's mansion. The grass is tidely cut, the bushes pruned into various artistic shapes: women, men, noble looking dogs. Many trees dot the environment offering shelter from the bright sun, though some of them are quite exotic; it is thus not hard to understand why the gardeners are often found in their area, keeping a close eye to them. The garden is further decorated by a myriad of beautiful flowers in all the colours of the rainbow, but the pillars marking the entrance towards the mansion are overgrown by red and white roses, both neatly pruned at the top so not to overgrow the mansion itself - the roses represent Azakiel Delarue and Aislin Amaranth. The gardeners say that if their love for each other would dwindle, then the roses would die with them.
Another remarkable place is the lake, where the water is said to turn into liquid silver at full moon. The lake harbours various water plants and animals - frogs, plenty of ducks and a handful of swans - and is used for nothing else but that. It takes half an hour to walk around the entire lake.
Following the fences, part of Lord Azakiel's domain runs into the dark forest surrounding the city. Due to its rather eerie feeling, not many actually venture in this part, and the rumours that the forest would be filled with deadly creatures and Weres is just another reason to stay away from it. It is believed this part serves as hunting grounds, but rarely someone has been spotted going in (or returning from) that part of the garden.
Lastly, there is a seperate little house hidden in the shadow of a few large trees. It is supposed to shelter the many gardening utencils, but various herbs and plants hang there to dry as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 6:28 am
THE CATACOMBS
City of the Dead
The catacombs is most likely a place not many will find. There are three entrances in total to get in, but the catacombs is so outstretched, so dark and dangerous that no one has ever returned from their adventures.
The first entrance is to be found in the cellar of Lord Azakiel's mansion. The entrance is kept well hidden though: it should come to mind to check all the large wine barrels, knock on them to find that one of them is actually empty. By finding the hidden switch, the barrel will open for a short moment, revealing that the end of the barrel is open, leading straight into the catacombs. The butler is well aware of this entrance, and keeps its secret well protected.
The second entrance is to be found within the garden house. Hidden under an old ragged rug, which is covered by dirt and heaps of drying herbs, lays the secret passage towards the catacombs. While the gardeners are highly aware of this passage, they actually have no clue whereto it leads.
The third entrance, which is the hardest to find and hasn't been used in decades, lays deep within the forest outside Lord Azakiel's domain. IF anyone would ever survive the dark heart of the forest, and IF they would find it, they would stumble upon a network of dead ends, hallways, old doors, cell doors, levers, various deadly, or otherwise agonising traps. The dead keep their home well protected. And keep themselves well fed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 7:03 am
AZAKIEL DELARUEThe Landlord The Illusion: If anyone would ever suspect this man to be a Vampire, he should be stark raving mad or somehow successfully have been able to see his true nature. Lord Azakiel Delarue has everything to wave away the rumours that he'd be one of the undead. He is gorgeous to look at, calculative, calm, charming and warm hearted. He loves to spend time with his guests, talking about various topics and enjoys a glass of fine red wine along with a good meal. In the rare moments the lord shows a sign of weakness, people will come to realise that this dark romantic man is in pain. His wife Aislin is dying and he can't find the cure to her illness. Great as his love is, he spends time researching the cause of and solution to her illness - hence why he is often found in his living room, behind his desk, reading and taking notes. People with occultism, health or herbalism as interest will surely find a listening pair of ears with Lord Azakiel. Azakiel Delarue is often seen in the company of his good friend Grimwald, talking about something they seem to keep away from curious ears. Rather than to shoo away unwanted visitors, they merely change subject and drag the guests into a new conversation. Lord Azakiel rarely spars. He is more of an intellectual man rather than a fighter, but the few times he spars, he sure puts up a good fight and show with a rapier. Hand to hand combat isn't much his thing, but he has surprisingly a lot of strength. The Truth: Lord Azakiel Delarue is a very old vampire, probably one of the oldest still alive these days. While his mental power will be beyond comparison - he is able to alter his appearance to look perfectly human: none shall see his fangs, and his eyes have a great mesmerizing power, if he wishes so - the stories of vampires having superhuman strength might be a bit too exagerated should it come to a fight with Lord Azakiel. Sure, the lord has more strength than one would give him at first glance, but his age prohibits him from throwing people away like knives. People who spend a long time at the mansion will soon realise that Lord Azakiel tends to look quite pale once every now and then. Though he describes it as a lack of sleep or the beginning of an illness coming up, it is in fact a shortage of fresh blood, and commonly the Lord will be missing in the coming few days after this has been mentioned. It is possible that a guest may wake up, feeling too weak to get out of bed, but most of the time the lord will seek his victim outside the mansion. Maria will gladly take care of the victim, should Azakiel have taken a guest as his meal. Lord Azakiel does go out over day, but it is clear he hates it. He never stays long and looks up the shadows as much as possible. With every passing minute in the sun, his mood turns sour and before even realising it, the lord may snap, apologise and excuse himself as he walks back to meet the safety of the mansion. The Lord sleeps somewhere on the 3th floor. Though people may stumble upon him late at night as he goes up to see how his wife is doing, the lord actually goes to bed early in the morning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 7:22 am
AISLIN AMARANTHThe Landlady The Illusion: The guests will rarely get to see Lady Aislin. As might be mentioned by Lord Azakiel, she is ill, dying, thus bed-ridden. None, even not Azakiel, knows what illness struck her, but her life force is slowly draining by unseen forces. In those rare moments a guest will see her, they can find her at full moon near the lake, watching the moon's reflection in the water. Of course, Lord Azakiel will be there as well, with mixed feelings of melancholy and joy as he spends time with his beloved. At those times, should a guest see them, they will easily take note that the lady looks extremely pale and weakened. Her voice is nothing more but a whisper as she can't bring up the energy to do much more. Nonetheless, Aislin shows herself to be polite, caring and welcoming as much as her weakened state allows her to. The Truth:Have you ever heared of banshees, the wailing ghosts with their screams who drive people insane? That is what Aislin is becoming little by little. Her life force being drained by unseen powers, Aislin is soon about to die. However, her soul crying for this injustice, and her heart desiring to remain with her love Azakiel makes it so she will forever wander the area as a banshee. The question is though... Who or what is killing her? And how long before the first guests fall victim to her insanity-driving screams?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 7:50 am
GRIMWALD DEVERYFriend of the House The Illusion:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
